Family

By Micol Ostow

I have always been broken. I could have died. And maybe it would have been better if i had.

It is a day like any other when seventeen-year-old Melinda hits the road for San Francisco, leaving behind her fractured home life and a constant assault on her self-esteem. Henry is the handsome, charismatic man who comes upon her, collapsed on a park bench, and offers love, a bright new consciousness, and—best of all—a family. One that will embrace her and give her love. Because family is what Mel has never really had. And this new family, Henry's family, shares everything. They share the chores, their bodies, and their beliefs. And if Mel truly wants to belong, she will share in everything they do. No matter what the family does, or how far they go.

Told in episodic verse, Family is a fictionalized exploration of cult dynamics, loosely based on the Manson Family murders of 1969. It is an unflinching look at people who are born broken, and the lengths they'll go to to make themselves "whole" again.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lerner Publishing
• Release date: Aug 1, 2015
• ISBN: 9781512401271

Micol Ostow

Micol Ostow has written over fifty works for readers of all ages, including projects based on properties like Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Charmed, and Mean Girls. In addition to Nancy Drew, she currently writes the bestselling Riverdale novels and comics based on the original Archie Comics characters. She lives in Brooklyn with her husband, two daughters, piles and piles of books, and all the streaming channels. In her past life she may have been a teen sleuth. Visit Micol online at MicolOstow.com.

Reviews for Family

[sullywriter_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Abused teenage girl runs away from home to San Francisco and ends up with Charles Manson-like "family." Though the ending disappointed me a bit, this is an exceptional novel in verse. Intense, disturbing and quite terrifying.

[bookspot · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Micol Ostow's family is loosely based on the Manson Family murders (and Charles Manson's cult) of 1969. family's main character (and narrator) is seventeen-year-old Melinda Jensen a girl who's run away to escape abuse when she meets Henry (the stand-in for Manson). Told in free verse poetry, familychooses to examine Mel's past as well as her introduction to and life in Henry's 'family.'The 'family' lives together, sleeps together, eats together and shares everything. They gather food for their meals, wash the clothes, everyone has a chore, something to do.To really be a part of her new family--and succeed at leaving the old one behind--Mel has to take part in everything Henry and his 'family' have to offer.No matter how far they might go . . . or what she Mel might be called to do in the name of the family.Because family is told through Mel, we only get her perspective on things. She usually feels . . . disconnected or removed from everything, including that which is happening in her life. It's easy to see why a girl who had suffered abuse like Mel and left to be free, would fall in with Henry.Mel's disconnection from things makes sense given the situation, but at times it keeps the reader from really connecting with the story. We never quite get why Henry is so enigmatic and attractive to all of these people. Why it is that everyone's so willing to do what he says.family is more a look at a girl in Henry's family than it is a look at Henry's (re Manson's) family. Readers do understand how (if not why) things operate in the group and the poetry gives a real sense of who Melinda is--and how she got that way, though. The glimpses into the way that the family operates, do give the reader the opportunity to see the little ways (that are not so little in the end) that members are controlled--the girls especially. It's Melinda's immersion in the family--and therefore her lack of reaction to most of these things--that while sometimes give them more impact, also the reader from finding out more.Those looking for a true telling of the Manson murders--or the people involved--via YA fiction, might be slightly disappointed. But if you go into family realizing how much of it is a story about a girl who thought Henry was going to save her . . . and then found the dark side to everything, it's a great read.MIcol Ostow's poetry is beautiful (and capitalization choices that I love). Even if you aren't one to normally read verse novels (YA or otherwise), do give family a chance.

[ekanderson_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This novel told in lyric verse will make your skin crawl.Of course, what else would you expect from a story based on the Manson Family murders?FAMILY chronicles the life of seventeen-year-old Melinda Jensen from the time she leaves home, to when she is found on a park bench by charismatic Henry, and through her time with Henry and her family — the young men and women who live on an abandoned movie set (“the ranch”) outside of L.A. Melinda, a broken girl having suffered abuse at the hands of her stepfather (and neglect at the hands of her mother) is easily charmed by Henry, and the love she receives both from him and from her new brothers and sisters. Henry is her father, her brother, her lover. He is God, a prophet, and it won’t be long before he has Melinda and her sisters wound so tightly around his finger that they will do anything in his name.Micol Ostow‘s latest is chilling, to say the least. Those who are familiar with the Manson murders and the cult surrounding them will find lots of similarities — many scenes, as they say, “ripped from the headlines.” But the author takes the story beyond history, gets into the heart of Melinda, of the lost teenage girls who were Manson’s victims. This is a book about the strength and fragility of the human spirit. And while a book like FAMILY is certainly not for the faint of heart, those who can handle a tough story are sure to be entranced by it.

[lisagibson_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Wow, this book was...wow! It definitely pulled me right back to the early 70’s. Mel describes herself as broken and she has been through so very much. It was at times disturbing to see the affect Henry had over his “family”. Further and further down the rabbit hole they all seemed to fall. How far will they all fall for the love and acceptance they crave so deeply? The verse it was written in was interesting and while it did switch between past and present, it seemed easy enough to follow. THis is one of the books on the Contemps Challenge. There are depictions of sex and drug use in this book, so be aware of that. I would recommend this book especially as a look back into history. Even though fictional, it's very realistic of that time period. This book was a taut emotional ride through a very haunting time and experience in America. I’m giving it four kisses!

[emmylikesbooks · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Family is in the point of view of Mel, a girl who defines herself as broken. Mel meets Henry, who she falls head over heels in love with. Henry brings her to live with his “family” on a ranch that used to be a movie set. Readers who enjoy the poetic style of Ellen Hopkins will enjoy Family, which is also written in verse. The book is loosely based on the Charles Manson murders and explores the cult dynamic.Honestly, this book creeped me out. The only word in the book that are capitalized are Henry and pronouns that are referring to him. It was chilling how the characters fall over this person because they’re so broken that they don’t know what else to do.Family is definitely a book I’m recommending you read. Ostow’s way with words and manipulating the story weave the book into a chilling tale that will leave you thinking long after you’ve finished the last page.

[kayceel_4 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Soooo unsettling and upsetting, family is the story of Mel, a seventeen-year-old who's left her abusive stepfather behind and headed to San Francisco, where she meets Henry, a man the author has based on the infamous Charles Manson.famliy is loosely based on the Manson family and the murders the group committed at Manson's direction in the 60s, and is suitably dark and chilling. Henry, like Manson, is charming, charismatic and manipulative, and through Mel's free-verse narration, the reader gets an idea of how appealing his message of love and freedom was to such a 'broken' (her word) individual. Taking Mel's journey from relief at finding someone who claims to want to protect her to dawning horror at what she and the others in her 'family' have been sent to do is an unpleasant yet powerful journey.This story also made me wonder how close it was to the actual Manson family murders (pretty darn close - Ostow even includes quotes from family members' interviews), and as a result, I spent an evening reading many articles online about them. I'm sure I'm now on a couple of government watchlists...Recommended for older teens, due to drug use, and sexual and violent content.

[allier93 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The theme of this story is family. Families make memories just like Hope's family. Their family reunions had laughs, games, and family dinners. Majority of the food were made by relatives. Family made meals is a tradition for this family. All families have traditions that just make more loving memories and makes these moments special. The end of the story stressed that love was the most important part of families. All of the food, memories, and laughs were all part of the family's love. Love is one of those things that define the word family as shown by this story.