Homecoming (Tillerman Cycle, #1)

Feb 12, 2011 Ruth rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Pre-teens to adults.

Shelves: fiction

Ah....Homecoming. This is one of the few books I read in junior high that I still love reading from time to time.

The book is the story of Dicey, a young teen, and her three siblings. Their mother, who is suffering from poverty and mental illness, abandons them in her old beat up car in the mall parking lot. After waiting for her to come back and realizing that she isn't going to, Dicey takes charge. With the little money they have, they decide to take a journey to find some relatives up north....more

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Oct 29, 2007 Jackie "the Librarian" rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: ages 11-15

Shelves: youngadult, classicsworthreading, teen-books-adults-can-enjoy

This book grabbed me and wouldn't let go. Unstable single mom drives to the mall and has the kids stay in the car. The mall closes, and she is nowhere to be found. The kids know that if they go to the police, they will be split up into separate foster care. So, using every resource they possess, they head to the one relative they think might take them in, no matter that she is several states away.
What a desperate, gripping situation. Spare, elegant writing makes it incredibly powerful. This won...more

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Feb 02, 2008 Kirsten rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-pre-12-07, work-related, from-library, fiction, children-or-ya

I'd read Dicey's Song when I was a kid, and I never realized it actually was a sequel to Homecoming.

Dicey, James, Maybeth, and Sam Tillerman are abruptly left on their own when their mother abandons them and the car in a mall parking lot. When it becomes clear that their mother isn't coming back, thirteen-year-old Dicey conceives a daring and dangerous plan: since they know that they were on their way to live with their Aunt Cilla in Bridgeport, they will continue the journey on foot. It's a thr...more

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Nov 25, 2012 Ensiform rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction

The four Tillerman children - the youngest six, the oldest (Dicey, the protagonist) thirteen - are left in a mall parking lot by their mentally ill mother. In charge and uncertain, Dicey leads her family across Connecticut to where a great-aunt lives. But after walking, hitching and working their way there, the four children find that the great-aunt is dead, and they still haven’t found a home.

This is a powerful (and long, at 400 pages) young adult book, the first in a five-book series called th...more

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Feb 16, 2012 Amanda rated it 3 of 5 stars

So far, in the book Homecoming by Cynthia Voigt, Dicey , James, Maybeth, and Sammy are left alone in the car by their momma.They think she is just lost, so they wait for her.After a while she's still not back and they start to worry.Dicey, the oldest cild, decides to stay until the next day just in case their momma comes back.When the children all wake up they see that their momma is gone for good and they start to feel down. Dicey then decides that they must go to Bridgeport together to find Mo...more

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Feb 14, 2012 Jeneva Gonzales rated it 4 of 5 stars

“Homecoming” by Cynthia Voigt is an adventurous, realistic, and moving story. This is one of my favorite book because it teaches the reader many lessons, on how to, be grateful for what you have. It starts off with four kids named Dicey, James, Maybeth, and Sammy Tillerman who are in search for a home after their mother abandoned them. Dicey is a courageous, smart 13 year old girl. James is a smart, intelligent 10 year old boy. Maybeth is a pretty and shy 9 year old girl, who is smarter than she...more “Homecoming” by Cynthia Voigt is an adventurous, realistic, and moving story. This is one of my favorite book because it teaches the reader many lessons, on how to, be grateful for what you have. It starts off with four kids named Dicey, James, Maybeth, and Sammy Tillerman who are in search for a home after their mother abandoned them. Dicey is a courageous, smart 13 year old girl. James is a smart, intelligent 10 year old boy. Maybeth is a pretty and shy 9 year old girl, who is smarter than she may seem. Last, but not least, Sammy the brave and stubborn 6 year old boy. Their only other family member that they know of is their Aunt Cilla. Dicey being the oldest child, decides they are going to walk to Bridgeport to find their Aunt Cilla. Voigt describes the different places using figurative language and many details for the reader to paint a picture of the city the Tillermans travel by. If the author didn’t described the scenery so much, the book would’ve been much shorter. The plot is still phenomenal and put me through many emotions.
When the Tillermans reach Connecticut, they have no money and are ready to give up, until they meet Wendi and Stewart outside their college. Stewart is able to drive the kids to Bridgeport. When the four kids arrive, they realize the house isn’t what they were expecting. To top it off, Aunt Cilla isn’t even there. Her daughter, Cousin Eunice is living there. Cousin Eunice, the self absorbed woman, decides to take the four kids in to live with her. James goes to school and becomes the teacher’s favorite because of his knowledge. Maybeth becomes Cousin Eunice’s doll, but everyone thinks Maybeth has a learning disability. Sammy is getting into fights with the kids in his school. Dicey becomes the house maid. Although, the kids now have a place to stay, it still doesn’t feel like home for them, so they decide to find their long-lost grandmother.
Dicey was able to raise money while she was at Bridgeport so the kids are able to take the bus near their grandmother’s house. The Tillermans run out of money, so they go find work at Mr. Rudyard’s house. Soon, the kids realize Mr. Rudyard is an evil guy who wasn’t going to pay them for their work, so the four kids decide to run away. They finally lose Mr. Rudyard, but still are watching their backs. The next day, the kids see Mr. Rudyard’s car following them. They run as fast as they can and see a circus where they can hide. Will, the guy who runs the circus, saves the Tillermans lives and stands up to Mr. Rudyard. Will drives the kids to their grandma’s house.
Dicey goes in and meets her grandma for the first time. The kids realize that their grandma isn’t as “crazy” as everyone says she is. In the end, they kids found their home, their grandma’s house. I gave this book four out of five stars because the story is moving and I felt emotionally attached to the Tillermans, despite their being fictional characters. The only problem with this book, was the extensive descriptions, which felt unnecessary at times. Besides that, the book is truly amazing.
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Mar 18, 2008 Ryan rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book is one of those I read every few years and I'm never disappointed. It is a story of abandonment and resilience, and of healing. Dicey, age 13, leads her younger brothers and sister from Connecticut to the Maryland Eastern Shore when their mentally ill mother abandons them in a mall parking lot. The description of their walk along route 1 makes me weary and discouraged, and every time I read the book I want to go find them, bring them home and take care of them. This time I noted the de...more

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Oct 07, 2008 Sierra rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: teens.

Homecoming is about Dicey, James, Maybeth, and Sammy Tillerman. When their mom abandons them in a car, they have to find a new home by themselves. This book is all about what happens to the children, what friends they make (as well as enemies), and how they get home.
If you like a good adventure story that is full of surprises, you should read this book. You should also read this book if you like long stories that keep you interested.
You shouldn't read this book if you like stories that make you...more

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Jan 31, 2013 Melainebooks rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: childhood-classics

Les enfants Tillerman sont hors normes. Abandonnés par leur mère dans la voiture familiale sur un parking, ils entreprennent d'aller chez leur tante Cilla. Ils connaissent simplement son adresse. Commence alors un long périple où Dicey va mener sa petite bande (James, Sammy et Maybeth) le long de la côte et batailler pour eux pendant plusieurs dizaine de jours.
sur la route, ils n'ont que quelques dollars en poche mais jamais de rancoeur envers leur mère. Elle est leur seule famille et même si el...more

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May 27, 2010 Jessica rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: realistic-fiction

I am counting this book as 2 books...

Dicey Tillerman is a strong and independent young adult, but when her mother looses her job and is forced to abandon her children, dicey must learn to take the place of her mother and make the long journey to Aunt Cilla's house with her three younger sibillings, on foot. Only when they finally arive they are suprised to find that their aunt has died, but lucky for them their cousin Eunice is kind enough to take them in. Soon Dicey realizes they can not stay a...more

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Dec 02, 2008 Rhonda rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Young Adults

Recommended to Rhonda by: Alice

Shelves: fiction, young-adult

In this adolescent novel, thirteen year old Dicey, her brothers James and Sammy, and sister Maybeth are abandoned in a mall parking lot by their mother. Don't get me wrong about their mother, though, she had a miserable life, and suffered from depression, she thought her children would be best without her. Dicey realizes she must set out to find the closest family she has, her rich Great-Aunt Cilia in Bridgeport. Getting to Aunt Cilia's is not easy, though, they barely had any money in their hom...more In this adolescent novel, thirteen year old Dicey, her brothers James and Sammy, and sister Maybeth are abandoned in a mall parking lot by their mother. Don't get me wrong about their mother, though, she had a miserable life, and suffered from depression, she thought her children would be best without her. Dicey realizes she must set out to find the closest family she has, her rich Great-Aunt Cilia in Bridgeport. Getting to Aunt Cilia's is not easy, though, they barely had any money in their home in Conneticut, and have only a few dollars to travel with. Along the way, they make some friends and learn more about themselves and each other.
When they finally reach Aunt Cilia's house, they make a shocking discovery which soon sends them back onto the road, into Maryland, and to the true roots of their family, spirits, and personalities. Throughout their journey, the Tillermans learn important survival skills, like finding shelter, how to fish, and clamming. But they also learn the importance of family, bonding, and that when they stick together, anything can happen.

When I first thought about the plot of the book, I thought it would be impossible for four children to walk from Conneticut to Maryland. However, Voigt tells the story in a very believable way, (with plenty of details and lots of style) and it made me rethink the plot, that if they wanted to, the probably could walk that far. Cynthia Voigt puts LOTS of details and her own style into her writing, so even at the beginning of her book, you know exactly what is going on and what to expect from the book and from each character. I really liked the ending of this book, it was peaceful, and ended the story on a high note. However, Voigt wrote the book so well that I wanted to read more and find out what happens to the Tillermas.

In Cynthia Voigt's Homecoming, the Tillerman family are on a journey, at first to find a place for them to live, but eventually to rediscover their history and to learn about family bonding. This book is great for children in sixth grade and up, it is easy to read, but some of the thinking is deep. When I read the book Homecoming, I not only learned about the Tillerman family, but I learned to appreciate my life, what I have, and the problems that I have to deal with. (less)

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Dec 10, 2012 Jenessa rated it 1 of 5 stars

Based on the synopsis given here, either the author added stuff to the end after I read it in high school, or the synopsis describes the trilogy not the first book, or it was so boring to me that I never actually cared enough to read the end.

SPOILERS

If I were to summarize this book in one sentence it would be "Some kids walk for a really long time and don't even like what they find at the end" and I would not at all feel that one sentence was too little to convey the overall plot.
There's suppose...more

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Nov 29, 2012 Fred Merino rated it 3 of 5 stars

This book starts off in the parking lot of a mall. A mother of four children; Dicey, James, Maybeth, and Sammy, are taking them to their Aunt Cilla's house in Bridgeport, Connecticut. The mom says that she is going into the mall to get who knows what. She puts Dicey in charge, tells them to be good and is off. As they starts to come to an end Dicey begins to realize that their mother might not come back at all. As morning arrives 13 year-old Dicey has responsibilities of an adult now and decides...more

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Aug 29, 2012 Rachel Fisher rated it 5 of 5 stars

For more of my reviews go to www.rachelefisher.com

Title: Homecoming
Author: Cynthia Voigt
Rating: 5 Stars

Amazon Summary:
"IT'S STILL TRUE."That's the first thing James Tillerman says to his sister Dicey every morning. It's still true that their mother has abandoned the four Tillerman children somewhere in the middle of Connecticut. It's still true they have to find their way, somehow, to Great-aunt Cilla's house in Bridgeport, which may be their only hope of staying together as a family.

But when t...more

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Jul 26, 2012 Melissa rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: childrens-literature

Homecoming
Voigt, Cynthia
New York: Aladdin, 1981
402 pages
Chapter book, no illustrations

Genres: Family drama, coming of age, mental illness, learning disabilities, survival

Liza Tillerman takes her four children to the mall in the family car, tells them to “obey Dicey” and disappears. When she doesn’t return, Dicey and her siblings decide to try to make their way to their Aunt Cilla’s house (where Dicey thinks they were headed with their mother). Dicey underestimates the distance and the four are...more Homecoming
Voigt, Cynthia
New York: Aladdin, 1981
402 pages
Chapter book, no illustrations

Genres: Family drama, coming of age, mental illness, learning disabilities, survival

Liza Tillerman takes her four children to the mall in the family car, tells them to “obey Dicey” and disappears. When she doesn’t return, Dicey and her siblings decide to try to make their way to their Aunt Cilla’s house (where Dicey thinks they were headed with their mother). Dicey underestimates the distance and the four are forced to camp, hide out in public parks, and occasionally work for money. Part one ends with the Tillermans taken under the wings of Stewart and Windy, generous undergraduates at Yale who allow the children to spend the night, feed them, and drive them the rest of the way to Aunt Cilla’s.

Liza is not there, and Aunt Cilla is dead. The children meet Cousin Eunice, whose existence they did not know of. Eunice is in her 40s or 50s and has been planning to become a nun. Her spiritual advisor convinces her that taking care of the Tillerman children is also a calling; Eunice is unconvinced and makes the children feel unwelcome. They discover that Liza is in a catatonic state in a hospital in Boston.

The Tillerman children learn of the existence of their maternal grandmother in Maryland. Dicey decides to travel on her own to see if the grandmother would take them in, or if the situation would be better than Eunice’s. James, Maybeth and Sammy realize what she is doing and leave school to go with her. The children leave Eunice a note, take all of the money they have saved and set off.
Dicey panics and takes them on the wrong bus; they get a boat ride from Annapolis across the bay and are captured by a threatening man when they try to pick tomatoes on his farm. They are rescued by Will, who owns a circus; Will delivers the children to their grandmother.

At first, Gram seems reluctant to take the children, who learn a little about their mother and the family’s background, but she is eventually won over by Dicey’s persistence. The book ends with the children enrolled in school and with Gram throwing away the letter sending them back to Eunice. (less)

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Jun 12, 2012 Trenton rated it 4 of 5 stars

My opinion of the book, “Homecoming” by Cynthia Voigt was that it was kind slow but a good book. Overall I liked the plot of the book and I thought that the characters were well thought out. There were a few reasons I liked the book and very little of why I didn’t like it.
In the beginning of the book the Tillermans are left alone in a car for a long time because their mom left them. After a while Dicey, a thirteen year old girl, says that they have to find a way to go to their Aunts house in Br...more My opinion of the book, “Homecoming” by Cynthia Voigt was that it was kind slow but a good book. Overall I liked the plot of the book and I thought that the characters were well thought out. There were a few reasons I liked the book and very little of why I didn’t like it.
In the beginning of the book the Tillermans are left alone in a car for a long time because their mom left them. After a while Dicey, a thirteen year old girl, says that they have to find a way to go to their Aunts house in Bridgeport. A problem that occurs is that they are running out of money and need to get jobs to be able to buy food to make it to their Aunts. Dicey decides to help some grocery shoppers by carrying their bags for them. After a little while they get enough money for food so they keep traveling. After walking for a long time they meet two college students, Windy and Stewart. The two students drive them to Bridgeport and gave them food.
When they get there nobody is there so they wait on the steps. Later, they find out their aunt is dead and their Cousin Eunice is living there. So she brings them in and offers them a home on a few conditions. While living there Sammy gets in trouble, Maybeth is used as a doll, James is having fun in school, and Dicey is doing chores and getting jobs at lots of places. While they’re there they find out that their mother has a disease that is incurable. After that, Dicey makes a plan to go to Crisfield and see how her grandmother reacts when she shows up.
When Dicey is about to leave the whole family shows up and says that they are coming with her. On their way to Crisfield they get a ride from two guys who willingly sailed them across part of the ocean. Then they need jobs to earn more money so they get jobs as pickers at different farms. At one of the farms a person named Mr.Rudyard says they can work but then he does not pay them or let them leave. They then make a run for it and eventually get away from him.
When they get to their grandmothers house she lets them stay so they can do work for her. After a while the grandmother lets them enroll in school and lets them live there. While it took time and work, she finally says yes they can live there and fills out the adoption paperwork.

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Feb 20, 2012 Karla Solorzano rated it 2 of 5 stars

Homecoming by Cynthia Voigt is a book about four children (Dicey, Sammy, Maybeth, and James) looking for the right home after their mother abandons them in a parking lot.

For me this was an ok book, it isn’t one of my favorites but I did like some parts of it. This book had its good and bad, for example I liked how the author described scenes, the figurative language, and the characters she made. I enjoyed reading the part with Mr. Rudyard because his actions and words surely grabbed my attenti...more

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Feb 20, 2012 Kezia Arevalo rated it 2 of 5 stars

For me,this book was OK. It wasn't all that great but it was pretty good too! I mean whenever Cynthia Voigt described things,it would always be too long and if she was describing food,it make you hungry! Although,I did like the fact that this book was so touching! No matter how boring it was!
When I first started reading this book,it started out OK. I was pretty curious when my teacher said we were going to read this book because she said it was about four kids being abondoned by their mother. B...more For me,this book was OK. It wasn't all that great but it was pretty good too! I mean whenever Cynthia Voigt described things,it would always be too long and if she was describing food,it make you hungry! Although,I did like the fact that this book was so touching! No matter how boring it was!
When I first started reading this book,it started out OK. I was pretty curious when my teacher said we were going to read this book because she said it was about four kids being abondoned by their mother. But as our class kept going on with the book,it started to get boring and too long for me. Although,I admit sometimes the chapters would have some interesting parts.Like for example,the chapter when they started to lose money and get tired. That part was interesting for me because in my mind i would be thinking, "What is going to happen next?',or "What are they going to do about it?".
The parts that I didn't like about this book was when they met strangers! I mean seriously?! Four kids,alone,abondoned and yet they meet strangers who are so helpful! If i were to meet the Tillermans,even if they lied I would still suspect something! But I do understand that it was different back then. To come to think of it,it was VERY DIFFERENT back then! When the author introduced Mr. Rudyard,not to be mean or anything,but I was kind of happy and relieved because the kids were so used to everyone being nice to them until the author introduced Mr. Rudyard. After that,the kids got traumatized and started to be cautious around people.
The parts I did like about this book is that it was so touching! I mean the fact that Dicey kept her family together no matter what happened to them was pretty touching! Also,her determination to get her family to Bridgeport. But the part I liked the most was when they went to the grandmother. It was so suspenseful because I kept wondering if she was going to keep them or not. I mean when Cyntiha kept explaining about how they were working for their grandmother and stuff,their plan. I was like really? That's too long! Although,I did like how the grandmother got a bit nicer and how Will came. Then when the part came when they were on the boat ready to go home, and the grandmother said yes,I was so happy,relived, and touched! I was relived because the book was over, and that the Tillermans have finally found a home!
So overall, Homecoming was an OK of a book for me. But if I were to give a direct answer on if it was good or not, I would say not because it was boring! Although I do wonder what the sequel is like, I do not plan on reading it because of this first one. That is my opinion.(less)

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Feb 16, 2012 Anita rated it 3 of 5 stars

The book Homecoming has its ups and down with my attention and curiosity but overall my opinion of the book is a mix of “I liked it” and “It’s boring”. Also my opinion of how Cynthia Voigt uses details and description in the book is a mix also, because sometimes it is needed, but sometimes its just there to string out the book. But generally I really liked the book.

At the beginning of the book, the book was exciting because when do you hear about four children getting abandoned by their mother,...more

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Feb 16, 2012 Meri Yedigaryan added it

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Homecoming" by Cynthia Voigt was a book that had some elements that I enjoyed and some that totally bored me to death. The book was mainly about how 12-year-old Dicey, 10-year-old James, nine-year-old Maybeth, and six year old Sammy who has been left without a home after their mother left them in front of a local mall. The children decide to hitchhike to their destination – Aunt Cilla’s “big white house” in Bridgeport.

In the beginning, I thought it was an interesting topic that would probably e...more Homecoming" by Cynthia Voigt was a book that had some elements that I enjoyed and some that totally bored me to death. The book was mainly about how 12-year-old Dicey, 10-year-old James, nine-year-old Maybeth, and six year old Sammy who has been left without a home after their mother left them in front of a local mall. The children decide to hitchhike to their destination – Aunt Cilla’s “big white house” in Bridgeport.

In the beginning, I thought it was an interesting topic that would probably encourage me to maybe broaden my choice in the books I read.

Afterwards, when I was about two chapters into the book, I noticed how Voigt used a lot of figurative language, and the amount of details she gave was a ton. I pretty much only kept reading because it was a classroom book and it was a priority for my English class. The beginning, for sure, was very strong and appealing, but the throughout the rest, I occasionally found myself dozing off, and sometimes even falling asleep.

Near the middle, when the family met Windy and Stuart, I thought, “Oh maybe for once, something interesting will happen!” In my opinion, this was one of the parts in the story that could be considered interesting. The two college boys provided Dicey and her family with a place to sleep and food. When James decided to steal the twenty-dollar bill from the men, that’s when the whole philosophical part of the book came up. Probably a whole chapter was dedicated just for Stuart trying to teach James the importance of being honest, and not lying, and all of those morals children’s books try to teach children. I mean, if it was a children’s book, it would make sense if that there were some sort of morals and ideas that would teach children how to be better people, but hello? This is a young adult book as it is listed on some books, so I don’t really understand the point of throwing in that chapter.

When the children arrive at Aunt Cilla’s “big white house” and discover not only is the house not what they imagined it to be, but also there is no Aunt Cilla, instead her daughter, Eunice, is now living in the house. It’s in this part of the book when the children really get, how shall I say this…categorized upon their abilities. Dicey gets put in charge as the “live-in maid” that has to d pretty much everything Aunt Cilla did around the house when she was alive. James turns out to be the “nerd” who is often praised upon for his thirst for knowledge and capability to learn tings quickly. Maybeth turns into Cousin Eunice’s personal doll, gets dressed up in fancy dresses and has the whole neighborhood talking about her beauty. Sammy, though, is like the troublemaker. He always gets into fights, and has their cousin thinking of separating them, just to not deal with all the trouble. Then, just when they finally have a place to stay, they decide to get on the road, yet again, in search of their grandmother, who is known for being a psychopath.
It’s the end I truly find interesting. After traveling by bus and meeting all types of different people, such as, Mr. Rudyard, the mean and brutal man who was trying to keep them as workers, and Will, the circus owner who literally saved their life, they finally get to their latest destination, their grandmother’s house, only to find out she’s a mean and rude lady who cares about almost no one, The children decide to somehow buy time in the house and convince their grandmother to let them live with her by doing work all around the house. True, this helped them buy time, and live with their grandmother, but it also started building a bond in between them. With Dicey having the conversation she had with her grandmother and figuring out the min purpose she doesn’t want them their, Dicey honestly understands why their grandmother doesn’t want them. With the family so close to leaving their grandmother and heading back to silly Cousin Eunice, their grandmother finally decides to le them live with her.

Honestly, I would say the book had may interesting elements such a wide range of figurative language, and details that could literally make you imagine the scene right I front of you. But, then again, as a young adult book, the story just and wasn’t good enough. Voigt could’ve used a few hundred less pages on details, and a few more interesting principles such a romance. The book had its ups and downs, but honestly it had a few more negative affects on me that positive. If I had to suggest it to a friend, I would say, “ JUST STAY AWAY FROM THE BOOK!!!” It wasn’t the best book written, but then again, it also wasn’t the worst book written.
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Feb 16, 2012 Serli added it

The book Homecoming is a fiction book about four children abandoned by there mother. This entire book is the story of how these children take on the responsibility to go dozens of miles just to get to an aunt that they have never met. The rest of the book shows how they work for there food and how long they walk. My entire opinion of this book is that it was VERY boring because of the pages of description that could have been taken out without changing the story. However, there were a couple of...more
The book Homecoming is a fiction book about four children abandoned by there mother. This entire book is the story of how these children take on the responsibility to go dozens of miles just to get to an aunt that they have never met. The rest of the book shows how they work for there food and how long they walk. My entire opinion of this book is that it was VERY boring because of the pages of description that could have been taken out without changing the story. However, there were a couple of thrilling parts to this story.

In the first couple of chapters I thought that the idea of four children having to walk many miles, with no adult would have been thrilling but my mind started to wonder off when all the extra description came in. Most of the descriptions was Dicey thinking and in many cases just one topic of thought was 2-3 pgs long. For example, during a point on their long walk they start talking about their father and when Dicey starts to remember things about her father the description was at least one and a half pages long.

Also another down side to this book was that it was very predictable. One example for that is when Dicey decides to take off alone to go meet there grandmother you can automatically get the hint that her siblings are going to join her one way or the other and the are all going to be back on the road. In my opinion if the author had added more suspicion to the book it would have made the reader more curious and would have made the book more thrilling and fun to read.

One of the good things about the book was that the book had many different stages and in those stages you could see the changes in the characters personalities. For example, in the beginning of the book Sammy is very stubborn and a delay to their trip but as he starts to realize that their situation is very serious he eventually becomes a very great help to them.

When they finally get to there aunts house they find out that she has past away and the only one there is their foolish Cousin Eunice. Before the children had gotten their, Eunice wanted to become a nun but when they did arrive she decided she was going to take them in under her responsibility. Even though I did not like Cousin Eunice’s personality in general she made the book more interesting to read.

My favorite part of this book was the grandmother. If the grandmother had been a nice snuggly grandmother there is a chance that I might have given up on the book. Her “mean” lady personality made the book worth reading. My overall opinion of this book is nothing special it had its thrillers and it had it’s over descriptive moments. I would not recommend this book to anyone who loves a great love story with a happy ending.
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Feb 16, 2012 Jerry rated it 3 of 5 stars

My first opinion about this book was "Wow, boring. A book about kids walking to their Aunts house." However, it was a somewhat pleasant surprise.

The story starts of with Dicey and Tillermans waiting in the car while their mother leaves for the mall. Already, this was pretty predictable. I already knew what happens next. The mother doesn't come back, even when the Tillermans wait for up to 3 days. A questionable decision, but you can't blame them. I really wasn't 100% immersed in the story, becau...more My first opinion about this book was "Wow, boring. A book about kids walking to their Aunts house." However, it was a somewhat pleasant surprise.

The story starts of with Dicey and Tillermans waiting in the car while their mother leaves for the mall. Already, this was pretty predictable. I already knew what happens next. The mother doesn't come back, even when the Tillermans wait for up to 3 days. A questionable decision, but you can't blame them. I really wasn't 100% immersed in the story, because as I said before, it was very predictable. I honestly think Cynthia could have done better to make this part of the story more unique. So later, in all obviousness, the children decide to walk 100 hundred miles to their Aunt's house, who they presume is rich, and lives in a big, white house overlooking the ocean. So they discover in all dismay, that they couldn't take a bus there because they spent 2 dollars for dinner. And this simple mistake seemed to drive the entire story.

On the way they meet runaway teenagers, and this was what got me going. Instead of some boring walk, they met unique characters along the way. The walk also gave them the time to think about everything that had been happening between their whole family. This gave more room for character development. They gradually travel, catch food, then miserably run out of money half way. At this point I was pretty attached to the characters, because the book portrays drama realistically. So they are on the verge of starving to death before they are picked up by Wendy and Stewart, students who have been attending a local college. They give them food for a day and, at last, drop them off at Aunt Cilla's home.

So the Tillermans finally arrive at Aunt Cilla's house, only to discover it isn't big or white. This was somewhat predictable as well, because the book wouldn't just end at that. They also discover Aunt Cilla hand passed away, and decided to live with their Cousin Eunice. Unfortunately, Eunice uses them more like servants than children she had to care for,using her awesome power of hypnotic suggestions. I have to admit, I was slowly taken off guard by this, and as Dicey (essentially the decision-maker of the children) tries to be as grateful as possible, but in the end, it just didn't work out. The Children decide to travel to their Grandma's house, which they found the address to on Eunice's letters. Along the way they meet two sailor boys named Tom and Jerry, which is apparently a comical reference to the popular cartoon Tom and Jerry, as well as Jerry sharing my first name, which mildly entertained me. So the two boys kindly take them to the other side of the harbor were their Grandma's was, including an extremely subtle romance between Jerry and Dicey, which was a bit out-of-tone for me, as if it wouldn't fit into this particular kind of book. The next few chapters, my favorites, is when the Tillermans meet Will, a black circus director, who is kind enough to understand their difficult situation. Once they say goodbye to continue to their Grandma's, they decide that they need money for food. They apply for picking tomatoes under a cruel kidnapper, who chases them into the woods. Unlike the rest of the book, I was finally relieved that there was any action at all. They end up running to Will and the Circus people who use dogs and a whip to defend the Tillermans. They then promptly proceed to their grandma's house, which kicks off the final chapters.

When the Tillermans arrive, their grandma is extremely reluctant to the point she makes the final decision when they meet. The Tillermans try to prove that they are worth keeping by pulling honeysuckle off the foundation, and doing other chores. The Grandmother decides they can stay for one more day. What happened next was still very predictable. That "one more day" turned into several more weeks. After mind wars between Grandma and Dicey heat up, she finally says no, that they can't stay. So they cherish the last weeks before they're forced to leave. I didn't really think that would happen, it was the only part in the story that was actually unpredictable or unexpected. After the Grandma insist they should be in school, she takes a whole day signing up, and the Tillermans take advantage of her exhaustion to beg her to stay. She finally complies, leaving a fairly happy ending. Overall, the book's story was good, but the plot was fairly predictable and conventional to the genre of most stories like that. The characters were interesting, and the story was well-written, but the complete obviousness overpowered it.(less)

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Feb 16, 2012 Nicolette Pirjanian rated it 3 of 5 stars

Before I even picked up the book Homecoming by Cynthia Voigt, I found the plot of the book very interesting. It is basically about four children being abandoned by their mother who are then on their way to find what feels like a home to them.
As I began reading, I was satisfied with what I saw. When I got further into the story, my mind was in a totally different setting. I just couldn’t continue reading because of one main issue.
My main problem with the book was that I found it to be unreasonab...more Before I even picked up the book Homecoming by Cynthia Voigt, I found the plot of the book very interesting. It is basically about four children being abandoned by their mother who are then on their way to find what feels like a home to them.
As I began reading, I was satisfied with what I saw. When I got further into the story, my mind was in a totally different setting. I just couldn’t continue reading because of one main issue.
My main problem with the book was that I found it to be unreasonably long because the author is extremely descriptive. For some people it may be enjoyable to read paragraphs of description, but I would have enjoyed the book more if it the book was not mostly figurative language and description. Yes, I did adore the detail of food that Cynthia Voigt included, but the 415 page book could have been about 100 pages less if the detail was shortened.
I also wasn’t fond of Homecoming because there wasn’t any element of surprise. Throughout the book most people could predict what the result would be, and the kids did end up staying with their grandmother. If the author made the conclusion seem less predictable, I would have enjoyed the book more.
Although I didn’t adore the overall book, there were things that I actually did admire about Homecoming. I was gratified by the sections in the book where the kids had food and a proper place to stay. I felt happy for Dicey, James, Maybeth, and Sammy when they were at the beach. They had enough food and a place where they were comfortable.I also think that the charcters personalties were very unique. Dicey was the leader of the pack, very responsible for a 13 year old. James is the brains of the family, knowing the answer to every question. Maybeth is very shy and almost never speaks, but when she does its very important and meaningful. Sammy is the smallest of all children,and he is a fighter.
Overall, the idea of Homecoming was great, but it could have been much shorter than it is. If my friend was to ask me what book to read, this wouldn’t be my first recommendation.

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Feb 16, 2012 Joseph - - rated it 3 of 5 stars

Homecoming by Cynthia Voigt was a very predictable and unpredictable book at the same time. Cynthia Voigt was very descriptive and had little humor in the story-line. The book was very detailed too so if you’re into detailed, descriptive, or young adult books Homecoming would be the perfect book for you.

Homecoming is a book about 4 kids who were abandoned by they're mom. At first I was like what a terrible parent and was shocked from seeing how much they have gone through. With the mom missing,...more

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Feb 16, 2012 Ani rated it 2 of 5 stars

I finished the book ‘’Homecoming’’ recently. I wouldn’t say this is my favorite book, and to be honest, I would not recommend it. However, the book had many positive sides that I enjoyed.
First, the negatives. I think that Cynthia Voigt had too much description. The description sometimes just put me to sleep! I feel that she could make the book 200 pages shorter, and made it interesting. Secondly, I honestly did not like her writing. It just isn’t my style of writing that I enjoy to read.
Some de...more

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Feb 16, 2012 Artin Vartani rated it 2 of 5 stars

I read "Homecoming" written by Cynthia Voigt, and it was not too good and it wasn't too bad, either. I mean if you like boring and way too detailed books, then this would be a book that you would enjoy. The main problem with the book was the fact that it was way too descriptive. I liked it until the fact that I couldn't like it because of the descriptions. Voigt would could have made it at least a hundred pages shorter and still would have made it interesting to read. I almost fell asleep by the...more I read "Homecoming" written by Cynthia Voigt, and it was not too good and it wasn't too bad, either. I mean if you like boring and way too detailed books, then this would be a book that you would enjoy. The main problem with the book was the fact that it was way too descriptive. I liked it until the fact that I couldn't like it because of the descriptions. Voigt would could have made it at least a hundred pages shorter and still would have made it interesting to read. I almost fell asleep by the fifth chapter, and only kept reading because I wanted to know what happened. It disappointed me to see that the book didn't turn out to be what I wanted it to be like.

When I first started reading this realistic fiction novel, I had a positive and energized feeling that it would be filled with what I want to read, like action and mystery. Then, I found out that it was really boring, partially because the plot was too original. Four kids abandoned by their mother and have to make it home. It's effective in making the reader read more, but not to make him/her enjoy it. Also, the plot is a bit fake. More than just the fact that children at the ages of thirteen, ten, nine, and six years old made it so far with so little supplies. Either the police in that book were asleep, or they just didn't care that four little children were wandering all by themselves for miles and miles. Someone should have noticed them and because they didn't, makes me believe that the plot is fake.

Another major problem with this book is that it is way beyond descriptive. I liked how Voigt made the scenery "come to life," but then it got silly. It was literally annoying me beyond levels that I could explain. The book could have (and should have) been at least a hundred pages shorter. Book minus description equals success. That's my opinion about the descriptive part. Now, instead of describing the setting so much, Voigt could have added some action to the book. It bored me partly because of the major lack of action in the book. She could have added that the kids ran into some bandits, or they one of them got kidnapped and they had to save their fellow sibling. Or, she could have added some mystery to the plot. I thought the kids would "investigate" what happened to their mother and find out some sort of secret behind it all. That's what Voigt should have done instead of describing scenery so much.

The bad qualities of the book are done. Now, come the good things that partially interested me. The great use of figurative language "charged" me up. I really liked this style of writing because it allowed me to connect the story to other things. This helped me understand the story line better. Another thing I liked about "Homecoming" was that the whole book was adventurous. The kids went through a lot to-finally after weeks of traveling-get to their grandmothers house and finally find their long lost home. This adventure part caught my attention and added to the part about how this book also has good qualities.

By the end of this book, I started to understand that this book had good qualities, but mostly bad ones. I wouldn't recommend the young action fanatic reader reading this book. Otherwise, go ahead and see if you like it.(less)

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Feb 16, 2012 Matthew rated it 2 of 5 stars

Honestly, I didn’t enjoy the book “Homecoming” by Cynthia Voigt. To me I think it isn’t that exciting, the book seemed kind of slow because there weren’t many exciting events in the book. The author is trying to make the book realistic, gives too much detail, but I found how the characters’ traits are realistic interesting. This is one of the reasons I didn’t dislike the book that much.

Another part of the story that made me not dislike this book is the beginning, when Dicey, James, Maybeth, and...more Honestly, I didn’t enjoy the book “Homecoming” by Cynthia Voigt. To me I think it isn’t that exciting, the book seemed kind of slow because there weren’t many exciting events in the book. The author is trying to make the book realistic, gives too much detail, but I found how the characters’ traits are realistic interesting. This is one of the reasons I didn’t dislike the book that much.

Another part of the story that made me not dislike this book is the beginning, when Dicey, James, Maybeth, and Sammy were abandoned by their mother in a place they don’t even know. I wanted to see what they are going to do in a situation like that. Later in the story, they traveled to Bridgeport and met Stewart and Wendi, who are students at a nearby college. In this scene and other scenes, there is a part where the character or characters think deeply about what had happened or what might happen to them, I also found this interesting. Stewart took Dicey, James, Maybeth, and Sammy to their Aunt Cilla’s house where they meet Cousin Eunice; later in the story, it would show that she mostly just care about her and not that much about the kids. After staying with Cousin Eunice, Dicey decided to try and find their grandmother alone, but James, Maybeth, and Sammy joined Dicey.

They traveled to a bus station and rode in a bus that would take them to New York, NY. When they got there the author gave too much detail about the city and station again. The bus they wanted to take wasn’t getting there until the next day so Dicey decided to take a bus to Annapolis. Then they sleep in an empty house, walk around the city, and as they were walking, Dicey got wet by a hose. There they meet Tom and Jerry. Dicey, James, Maybeth, and Sammy talked to Tom and Jerry about how they needed to cross the river. The next day, they went across, traveled, and met Will at a circus. They then traveled again and saw a sign at a farm that says “PICKERS WANTED” and Dicey saw the owner of the farm, Mr. Rudyard, which she approached and applied for the job. When it was getting darker they noticed more about Mr. Rudyard, but they noticed bad things, the kids were starting to be afraid of what might Mr. Rudyard do to them. So, they decided to run for it, Mr. Rudyard then tried to catch them, but luckily, they got away by jumping into the river. This is the one part I found exciting. Here, Dicey learned that the world has bad people that might hurt them. They again entered the circus where Mr. Rudyard found them, but only Dicey was caught by Mr. Rudyard then Dicey saw Will, Claire, and other people from the circus with James, Maybeth, and Sammy. I also found this part exciting because they had a face-off and they were kind of fighting. Dicey and them stayed with Will for a little while, and then they decided to go to their grandmother’s house. I enjoyed the part where Dicey talks to their grandmother while Dicey is pretending to not be her granddaughter and her grandmother pretending to be crazy. It was pretty funny. As days passed they stayed with their grandmother and I liked the parts where it shows small clues about their grandmother becoming nicer to them. At the end of the story they finally found a home, their grandmother’s house.

Overall, I think the book is okay. I didn’t like how Cynthia Voigt gave too much details, and the book seemed slow, but I found the characters’ traits, the figurative language, and the character’s or characters’ deep thoughts.

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Feb 16, 2012 Aidan Campos rated it 3 of 5 stars

The story “Homecoming” by Cynthia Voigt, in my opinion is an interesting book but it has some bad points throughout the book. In my opinion the book dragged on way to much, it has 415 pages, I think it could have been written in 300 pages. The storyline is about four young children that are abandoned by their mother, a woman whose husband left her and suffers from financial issues. The storyline made me want to keep reading but I got bored from all the descriptive writing that made the book drag...more

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Feb 15, 2012 Phillip Mouradkhanian rated it 2 of 5 stars

My honest opinion about the book “Homecoming” written by Cynthia Voigt is that the book was a good, ending story, but there was to much detail and descriptive righting inside the 415 page book. I think Voigt could of made the the same story with same or better quality in 350 pages at most.

I also think that this book was a very subtle and relaxing book, which for me was not very entertaining. There were little hints that the author would put some action or mystery, but in result it came back to...more

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Feb 14, 2012 Ejmin Poorghasamians rated it 2 of 5 stars

Homecoming, by Cynthia Voigt, is a realistic story of four children venturing out to find their rightful home when abandoned by their single mother while they were all one their way to a relative’s house where they were promised a new home.
The book itself is very wordy and the author took way too much time describing almost everything. I found myself drifting off then putting the book down in immense boredom while reading. But in some cases the extreme usage of describing something did leave a...more Homecoming, by Cynthia Voigt, is a realistic story of four children venturing out to find their rightful home when abandoned by their single mother while they were all one their way to a relative’s house where they were promised a new home.
The book itself is very wordy and the author took way too much time describing almost everything. I found myself drifting off then putting the book down in immense boredom while reading. But in some cases the extreme usage of describing something did leave a nice picture in my mind and a drool here or there. Some of the verbiage in this book got me baffled and sometimes irritated by making me look a word up or guessing what it could mean. Really the biggest thing that got me putting the book down was the length of the book, the author taking a page to describe scenery.

The characters were very interesting and extremely different than most people I can imagine, like one of the four children; Dicey is only 13 and takes immense leadership and bravery to take her brothers and sister to their relatives house that was said to be expecting them. Maybeth the second youngest is also interesting; she might seem very slow and quiet but shows great intelligence or kindness when she actually speaks. The character a loath the most is their cousin, Eunice who is what they come to when the reach their relative’s home. She is absolutely the dumbest character I have ever read about, expecting so much from Dicey. But I hold much respect for their grandmother who is the one who finally takes care of them. She shows no fear or emotion in weird times.
The story itself has many twists and turns. Many new people come and go and many challenges were faced to the kids. Some challenges took their toll on the bunch. At times they were starving or they could not get to the place they needed to be. But they always met someone or some people that helped them immensely, like the two college students giving them food, shelter, and a ride. In one time they were faced with a difficult decision to move on or leave and see if they could find a better place.
I would not recommend this book to anyone who is not a constant reader. The books length and debatable amount of descriptions made the book boring. Some of the decisions of the characters really got me mad because of their wrong accusations of what might happen, like if the asked someone to help them when their mother didn’t come back instead of trying to venture of by themselves. Overall this was not the best books I have ever read.

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topics	posts	views	last activity
What do you think happened to the mom	2	13	Feb 22, 2013 02:44pm
reading log #8	5	13	Dec 27, 2012 03:52pm
What's The Name o...: kids running away [s]	4	17	Jul 02, 2012 12:12pm

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Homecoming (Tillerman Cycle #1)

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