Miles from Nowhere by Nami Mun

I am never a fan of a book that features copious drug use. I am always, without fail, frustrated and disgusted. Joon, the main character, was likeable enough, but I seem to have a problem sympathizing with drug use--not drug users, but drug use. Joon decision to runaway at the age of thirteen and her struggle with life on the street for the entirety of her teenage years inspired feelings of pity and understanding that life is difficult. Mun slowly unveiled Joon's relationships with her parents, as well as the dysfunction that characterized their family life. This is the aspect of the novel that kept me reading, as Joon's severely depressed mother was the most compelling character of the story. Her depression manifested itself creatively--through catatonic spells spent under the dining room table or face-down in dirt in the front yard. The story of Joon's days and the over-inclusion of drug paraphernalia didn't quite do it for me, even though that was supposed to be the main focus and her familial relationships were supposed to take a supporting role.