Laura and Miles were cousins but they might have been sisters, they were so close. They grew up together and shared everything--talks in the tree house, cigarettes, snacks, prescription drugs--until Laura kills herself, that is. Miles was left to deal with the emotional detritus left behind after Laura’s death. Miles can not understand why Laura did it when she had everything, beauty, popularity, a loving, rich father, a great boyfriend, where Miles was overweight, preferred her books to people, an uncaring mother, and an unrequited crush on her best friend Jamal. Miles feels so alone after Laura is gone, especially after Bex, Laura’s best friend from her private school, finds solace with Jamal. She quickly descends into abusing the prescription drugs that she and Laura used to share; feeling like no one understands what she is going through and utterly alone. Without even realizing it, people in her life begin to notice her self-destruction and try to help, but is it too late? This interesting novel contains a variety of issues including statehood for Washington D.C., interracial relationships, alternative families, prescription drug abuse, woven together in a believable way that will appeal to many teens. ( )

I don't really have much to say about this book as I never really got into it properly! I finished it but didn't really enjoy it. I thought the writing was all over the place- the tense changing just annoying me too much and did not work as smoothly as it could have. I thought I would like this book but it really disappointed me. Just nothing exciting or unusual and definitely not memorable. ( )

Hauntingly beautiful and powerful novel. I can totally relate to Miles. ( )

Book talk:
I'm worried that one of you will latch on to this young adult novel and get the impression that drug use is a wonderful avenue for escaping one's problems. I'm afraid that many readers may not be able to read between the lines as the main character's life heads into a downward spiral. Miles, the main character, narrates her story of grief, drug use, loneliness, and loss. Cousins MIles and Laura grew up like sisters. They shared their dreams together as sisters often do. They also shared their escapes through drug use. Laura's final escape with the aid of drugs ended in her suicide, and Miles has been left alone. Unlike the beautiful, popular girl that Laura was destined to become, Miles is overweight, dies her blond hair black, powders her face in the color of death, wears a nose stud and lip ring, and paints her mouth the purple color of a good bruise. She is called '8 mile' at school, which she says is in reference to her being 'white trash with the wide load.' Now that Laura is gone, Miles can barely function. As Miles slips deeper into depression, the title of the book seems ominous. ( )

Cousins Miles and Laura grew up like sisters in a non-traditional family environment. In high school, while Laura went to an elite private school and was smart, beautiful, and popular and Miles attended a public charter school and was goth, overweight, and an underachiever, the two shared a secret misery which they dosed with illegal prescription drugs in the tree house they had played in as children. So when Laura kills herself, Miles feels utterly abandoned. Self-medicating in the bathroom before Laura’s funeral is only the beginning of Miles’ summer-long downward spiral.
“You Know Where to Find Me” is a good recommendation for fans of “Thirteen Reasons Why” and books by Ellen Hopkins. It’s a powerful and engaging novel not just about suicide and drug abuse, but also about family, body issues, and unrequited love. While I wish some secondary characters had been more fully developed, particularly Laura, the ending of the novel is satisfying. There is, however, a thread throughout the whole book on the D.C. statehood campaign which is distracting and slightly annoying. While some teens do care about political issues, the didactic nature of that part of the book made me wonder if Cohn had some agenda while writing it or if she’d lost a bet. In any case, recommended for high school and public library teen fiction collections.
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