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Far From You
Sophie Winters nearly died. Twice.
The first time, she's fourteen, and escapes a near-fatal car accident with scars, a bum leg, and an addiction to Oxy that'll take years to kick.
The second time, she's seventeen, and it's no accident. Sophie and her best friend Mina are confronted by a masked man in the woods. Sophie survives, but Mina is not so lucky. When the cops deem Mina's murder a drug deal gone wrong, casting partial blame on Sophie, no one will believe the Sophie has been clean for months, and it was Mina who led her into the woods that night for a meeting shrouded in mystery.
After a forced stint in rehab, Sophie returns home to a chilly new reality. Mina's brother won't speak to her, her parents fear she'll relapse, old friends have become enemies, and Sophie has to learn how to live without her other half. To make matters worse, no one is looking in the right places and Sophie must search for Mina's murderer on her own. But with every step, Sophie comes closer to revealing about herself, about Mina and about the secret they shared.
The first time, she's fourteen, and escapes a near-fatal car accident with scars, a bum leg, and an addiction to Oxy that'll take years to kick.
The second time, she's seventeen, and it's no accident. Sophie and her best friend Mina are confronted by a masked man in the woods. Sophie survives, but Mina is not so lucky. When the cops deem Mina's murder a drug deal gone wrong, casting partial blame on Sophie, no one will believe the Sophie has been clean for months, and it was Mina who led her into the woods that night for a meeting shrouded in mystery.
After a forced stint in rehab, Sophie returns home to a chilly new reality. Mina's brother won't speak to her, her parents fear she'll relapse, old friends have become enemies, and Sophie has to learn how to live without her other half. To make matters worse, no one is looking in the right places and Sophie must search for Mina's murderer on her own. But with every step, Sophie comes closer to revealing about herself, about Mina and about the secret they shared.
352 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 27, 2014
About the author
Tess Sharpe
17 books1,922 followersI do not read my goodreads mail, but if you'd like to contact me the best way to reach me is tess(at)tess-sharpe.com
Born in a mountain cabin to a punk rocker mother, Tess Sharpe grew up in rural California. She lives deep in the backwoods with a pack of dogs and a growing cabal of slightly feral cats.
Born in a mountain cabin to a punk rocker mother, Tess Sharpe grew up in rural California. She lives deep in the backwoods with a pack of dogs and a growing cabal of slightly feral cats.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,377 reviews
August 17, 2018
But my heart isn't simple or straightforward. It's a complicated mess of wants and needs, boys and girls: soft, rough, and everything in between, an ever-shifting precipice from which to fall.
This isn't a suspense book. Or, okay, let me edit that statement. This is a suspense thriller, technically, but I wouldn't recommend it as a suspense thriller. It's gritty and dark, yes, the mystery is interesting, yes, the plot is fast-paced, yes. But this book isn't getting my recommendation for its mystery. Far From You is getting my recommendation for its characters and emotional heart. And most of all, it's getting my recommendation for Sophie.
I am not exaggerating when I say that Sophie is one of the most interesting characters I have ever had the pleasure of reading about. God, how do I even put this complicated and lovable character into words? The thing I love most about Sophie is her mental strength. She has deep-seated emotional issues. She's a drug addict. But she's TRYING to do better. She is struggling every day of her life and she is winning. The way this story talks about mental health and addiction and trauma is so lovely and perfect.
“Her fingers bite into my arm, and I squeeze her wrist tight where I'm holding on to her, because this is what we're good at: hurting each other.”
And here's the other thing - this book made me cry with both sadness and joy. The emotional range and tenor of Sharpe's writing, of Mina's relationship with Sophie - it's really something I am about.
Also, can I give a quick shoutout for rep? It's really sad that I have to devote a paragraph to this, but this book, guys. This book. Far From You is flat-out one of the best media portrayals of bisexuality I've ever read. Sophie is bi, she's not in a crisis about it, she's not in a love triangle, and she's not confused. Bonus points for actual on-page use of the word bisexual, being owned by her. And I really love how this book touches on homophobia but doesn't become about homophobia. Sophie's bi. She's confident about it. She was in love with her dead best friend. She's solving a mystery. I was so excited by this rep when I first IDed as bi, and it's still some of the best rep I've seen in my life. It's so rare for books to avoid the typical tropes around bisexuality, and this book does it perfectly.
Aside from the emotional heart and the characters, there's nothing particularly shocking or particularly bad here. I will say that I loved Sharpe's writing - it has a very nice flow to it and I remember highlighting a few fabulous quotes. There's an interesting mystery to keep you entertained, although it's nothing you'll remember in a year. To be honest, I just don't remember enough about the plotting to judge. I do remember feeling the reveal was nothing special. If I had to say anything, I'd say that I almost wanted a bit more out of the plot.
But Sophie's character arc is just everything to me. One of the most resonant character in arcs in recent YA.
I'd recommend this book just for her, even if everything else is terrible, but can I just say - this book is so underrated. Fuck 2016 me for giving it four stars in an attempt to be objective. This book is a goddamn masterpiece, and it meant so much, and I am so glad to have read it.
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October 14, 2020
3.15✨
We walk into the rest of our lives together, not knowing it’ll end before it’s truly started.
An emotional tale of friendship , self discovering ,growth , first love and what happens when you have to let go off someone you held for soo long?
Okay so I have very polarising views about the book , I think at times it felt like two different books , the one where all mystery thing is going on and one where a girl is struggling with herself and truth . The book hit a bit at home at times because of all that friendship drama and what happens when no one believes you.
I picked up this book because as you know I am sucker for y/a mystery book because they offer much more than just being a mystery book and I think my "much more" quest was completed in this book but I struggled a bit with the mystery part because it felt boring and very basic , like I wasn't surprised when big revelation took place , I wasn't surprised when any twists or turns took place , so yes I was bored at times too because it took the writer so long to actually get to the story point and stop rambling about baseless facts .
I wish the book could have been a bit shorter by 50 pages or so !
Well speaking of writing , it was okay for me , not too gripping or hard to read . I guess it was "BASIC".
Speaking of characters I could connect to them , because in my opinion it was character driven story , Sophie's character was my favourite , that how she stood for her friend and herself , at times her actions seems childish but I can't blame her .
Mina character was slightly stupid I guess , because honestly if she had said "you know what" we would have solved the case long ago .
Rest side characters were also good .
I liked the sweet burning romance too , I am sucker for sapphic love , so I can't help my gay heart !
So overall I guess expect for the mystery part the book was good , but since it was advertised as mystery book , I don't think it quenched my thirst for a good mystery book.
I would recommend this book if you are new to this genre or you like something light yet emotional you can read it!
We walk into the rest of our lives together, not knowing it’ll end before it’s truly started.
An emotional tale of friendship , self discovering ,growth , first love and what happens when you have to let go off someone you held for soo long?
Okay so I have very polarising views about the book , I think at times it felt like two different books , the one where all mystery thing is going on and one where a girl is struggling with herself and truth . The book hit a bit at home at times because of all that friendship drama and what happens when no one believes you.
I picked up this book because as you know I am sucker for y/a mystery book because they offer much more than just being a mystery book and I think my "much more" quest was completed in this book but I struggled a bit with the mystery part because it felt boring and very basic , like I wasn't surprised when big revelation took place , I wasn't surprised when any twists or turns took place , so yes I was bored at times too because it took the writer so long to actually get to the story point and stop rambling about baseless facts .
I wish the book could have been a bit shorter by 50 pages or so !
Well speaking of writing , it was okay for me , not too gripping or hard to read . I guess it was "BASIC".
Speaking of characters I could connect to them , because in my opinion it was character driven story , Sophie's character was my favourite , that how she stood for her friend and herself , at times her actions seems childish but I can't blame her .
Mina character was slightly stupid I guess , because honestly if she had said "you know what" we would have solved the case long ago .
Rest side characters were also good .
I liked the sweet burning romance too , I am sucker for sapphic love , so I can't help my gay heart !
So overall I guess expect for the mystery part the book was good , but since it was advertised as mystery book , I don't think it quenched my thirst for a good mystery book.
I would recommend this book if you are new to this genre or you like something light yet emotional you can read it!
March 20, 2014
An emotionally raw story that combines mystery and romance, Far From You offers more than I expected. It's a poignant look into the life of a girl who's lived through tragedy after tragedy, which led her into a deep pit filled with pain, secrets, and addiction.
Told in alternating past and present timelines, we slowly learn exactly who Sophie is, what her relationship with Mina was like, and how it all led to today's misery. While I'm not always a fan of rotating past and present POVs, especially those that send us at different points in time with seemingly no chronological order, but in this case it really worked. We aren't meant to follow a strict timeline, but rather to witness the brief moments that founded their relationship. It's more like being privy to memories, really. Happy memories that balances out the heartbreak of the present. We get to see them form a bond and connect, in turn making us grieve alongside Sophie for this immeasurable loss. It was more than just a friendship, they were in love and it was so incredibly genuine. I loved how the book explored their relationship, not putting the focus on homosexuality exactly, but on unconditional love. It's about the person for Sophie, not the gender.
The addiction, on the other hand, is given a more methodical approach. Maybe having just read Hopkins' Crank series - a naked look inside the mind of a drug addict - is to blame a bit, but I felt like Sophie's addiction, and the desperation that comes with, was not demonstrated to its full potential. It's more an obstacle we're aware of rather than one we come to feel and experience, especially her rehabilitation which is only briefly summarized. At the same time, for a stand-alone that also explores murder, friendship, love, and death, it incorporates addiction remarkably well. Most importantly, Sophie has this relatable vulnerability that justifies her frame of mind throughout. She's flawed, for sure, and I loved her for being real.
Surrounding this emotionally compelling story is a murder mystery. A dark secret got Mina killed, and Sophie won't rest until she figures it out. This called to my murder mystery loving self and I had a lot of fun with it. It's the kind of mystery that makes you suspect everyone we meet, therefore making the ending not especially shocking, but adrenaline-filled nonetheless.
Far From You is an emotionally driven love story that is just as beautiful as it is tragic. Even though some aspects are left on the surface, it was intensely raw at times. It's one book I won't hesitate to recommend to contemporary lovers!
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An advance copy was provided by the publisher for review.
For more of my reviews, visit my blog at Xpresso Reads
Told in alternating past and present timelines, we slowly learn exactly who Sophie is, what her relationship with Mina was like, and how it all led to today's misery. While I'm not always a fan of rotating past and present POVs, especially those that send us at different points in time with seemingly no chronological order, but in this case it really worked. We aren't meant to follow a strict timeline, but rather to witness the brief moments that founded their relationship. It's more like being privy to memories, really. Happy memories that balances out the heartbreak of the present. We get to see them form a bond and connect, in turn making us grieve alongside Sophie for this immeasurable loss. It was more than just a friendship, they were in love and it was so incredibly genuine. I loved how the book explored their relationship, not putting the focus on homosexuality exactly, but on unconditional love. It's about the person for Sophie, not the gender.
The addiction, on the other hand, is given a more methodical approach. Maybe having just read Hopkins' Crank series - a naked look inside the mind of a drug addict - is to blame a bit, but I felt like Sophie's addiction, and the desperation that comes with, was not demonstrated to its full potential. It's more an obstacle we're aware of rather than one we come to feel and experience, especially her rehabilitation which is only briefly summarized. At the same time, for a stand-alone that also explores murder, friendship, love, and death, it incorporates addiction remarkably well. Most importantly, Sophie has this relatable vulnerability that justifies her frame of mind throughout. She's flawed, for sure, and I loved her for being real.
Surrounding this emotionally compelling story is a murder mystery. A dark secret got Mina killed, and Sophie won't rest until she figures it out. This called to my murder mystery loving self and I had a lot of fun with it. It's the kind of mystery that makes you suspect everyone we meet, therefore making the ending not especially shocking, but adrenaline-filled nonetheless.
Far From You is an emotionally driven love story that is just as beautiful as it is tragic. Even though some aspects are left on the surface, it was intensely raw at times. It's one book I won't hesitate to recommend to contemporary lovers!
--
An advance copy was provided by the publisher for review.
For more of my reviews, visit my blog at Xpresso Reads
May 13, 2016
Sometimes a book will come along and it perfectly describes what I feel. All I could muster is to cry and cry, and to sigh in relief because I am not alone.
I think I'll never get back a part of me after this, whether it's the unknowing or my complete innocence. I could not highlight enough why this book is so important in fear of casually blurting a spoiler. But one thing I can totally guarantee, this book is life jarring. It's mark will certainly stay within me for quite sometime.
Far From You have a very sketchy opening. I don’t know if I wanted to read a book about a recovering addict. I have doubts this would be handled poorly, but I eventually swallow these fears. I am captivated. This novel demands understanding and you’ll see why.
Told from the alternating past and present point of view. Far From You tells the story of Sophie, a girl who survived a car accident that left her crippled and addicted to pills. For months she used it to numb her pain, she hid it until one day her best friend busted her out. She was shipped off to cleanse herself.
Nine months. Two weeks. Six days.
The days, Sophie has been drug-free, but when her best friend, Mina died. Everyone assumed it was a drug dealer than killed Mina.
Sophie knew better. She was set up.
And Mina has been murdered in cold blood.
Once again, she was shipped to a rehab center and after months of trying not to go insane. She decided she needed to give herself a proper closure.
She must find the killer.
I am not keen on alternating past and present point of views. I find it completely pointless, but Sharpe made it work somehow. I understand the importance of this part given the plot of the story. The present POV shows Sophie investigating the murder while the past highlight her intimate relationship with Mina.
Far From You tackled addiction and disability. Sophie is a self-admitted, recovering, addict. Throughout the novel it captures her struggle to come clean. How after the accident, the murder, and the rehab seclusion, she developed a wall to protect herself. There is no sugarcoating or romanticizing. That is one of the things why this novel drew me in. Sophie is an easy character to love.
Similarly, I was entranced with her relationship with Mina. It centers on wanting each other to do best and to be healthy. It’s plain to see their chemistry and long history. It is simply beautiful. And I think we need more of this friendship in the Young Adult genre.
“But my heart isn't simple or straightforward. It's a complicated mess of wants and needs, boys and girls: soft, rough, and everything in between, an ever-shifting precipice from which to fall.”
My heart clenches every time, I think of the bisexual representation of this novel. Sharpe illustrates the attraction, love and chemistry between two girls and one guy. How it’s all different, yet the same. The depiction is compelling, authentic and real. It’s very difficult to capitalize why I appreciate this so much and why it makes me sad without going into the integral plot of the story.
While this book is emotionally driven, it also revolves around solving a mystery. The unexpected twist certainly befuddled me.
Far From You reminds us, we are not immortal and there will always be consequences. We don’t have anything to be ashamed of. This novel is to all the girls and boys who are proud of what they are, who are still trapped by the social norm. You are very brave and loved. And you deserve to get your story told.
Review also posted at Young Adult Hollywood.
April 17, 2022
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I have this terrible habit of buying books and not reading them. I'm a book magpie: the process of acquisition is almost as pleasurable, if not more so, as the act of reading itself. What this means is that I have a whole lot of unread books lying around and I'm constantly buying more instead of reading what I have. I'm trying to change that, though, and what better way than by stuffing books two or three at a time in my bag so they're there?
This is one of those books.
YA is not always my genre of choice, but one type of YA book I keep coming back to again and again is the young adult thriller. I think it's because I'm super nosy and I love the idea of everyone hiding secrets in a claustrophobic environment and then seeing those secrets gradually come to light. And what is more claustrophobic than the fishbowl of high school, where everyone is very interested in what everyone else is doing? And if one of the things that people are doing is murder, then look out world, and put on your Drama Boots™.
I actually just read another YA thriller just before this one, called LITTLE MONSTERS. Both books are somewhat similar in that they serve the dual purpose of exploring the emotionally-fraught relationships between teenage girls amidst the backdrop of a murder. LITTLE MONSTERS is more of a tale of obsession and friendship in the vein of Megan Abbott, however, whereas FAR FROM YOU is more of a romance. Specifically, a doomed LGBT romance where a girl seeks vengeance and the truth when the love of her life is murdered after digging too deep into a half-buried mystery.
Sophie was in two accidents. Both of them took something from her. The first ended up facilitating her addiction to opiates. The second stole away the person she cared about most. After a long, hard road to recovery, Sophie has emerged battered but unbroken, determined to find out what happened to her girlfriend, Mina, and what she knew that was so important that someone was willing to kill for it.
There is so much emotion in this book and I thought the subjects of sexuality and addiction were handled really well. Bisexuality, especially, was described really well in this book. All too often, you encounter books that play into the hands of the usual stereotypes: promiscuity, confusion, etc. But Sophie knows what she wants, and who she wants. And even if she feels attraction to other people - boys and girls - there is only one person that she loves. It was so beautiful. I almost cried at the end of the book, because it was so sad and tragic and poignant. Luckily, I didn't, because I was reading this on the bus, but man, it was close. It's been a while since a book hit me THAT HARD.
If you enjoy YA thrillers with edgy content and good bisexual rep, FAR FROM YOU is a great choice. I really enjoyed it a lot, and between this and LITTLE MONSTERS, I kind of want to go on a YA thriller kick. They're like Pringles, man. You can't stop at just one.
3.5 stars
December 2, 2017
“But my heart isn't simple or straightforward. It's a complicated mess of wants and needs, boys and girls: soft, rough, and everything in between, an ever-shifting precipice from which to fall.”
As soon as I started this book I knew it was the book for me. Far From You immediately places you into a setting thats a little gritty, with characters who are a little rough around the edges and honestly? thats what is great about this. I immediately draw comparisons with this book and Netflix' Riverdale - not all of it, but in the kind of gritty aesthetic, but most of all the way the murder is framed.
Far From You follows recovering drug addict Sophie - who's best friend and also girl she was in love with Mina was murdered four months ago. Sophie, determined to uncover the truth about Mina's murder launches an investigation of her own, leading her to uncover some of her towns deep dark secrets.
I really liked Far From You as a mystery. It definitely drove me to keep reading and to start questioning every character. but what I really liked about it was the characters. Especially Sophie, the main character. She's the kind of badass woman I absolutely dig in YA - not afraid to throw a punch, not here for anyone's shit. I loved her friendships with the women around her, and I loved the representation of her as a bisexual woman. I thought this aspect of identity was well written. Sophie also dealing with being in recovery for her drug addiction, as well as her disability, but I liked how these aspects of her identity were presented. Sophie fights everyday, and her strength and perseverance was, to me, a highlight. Sophie is also a disabled character with chronic pain and this review talks a little about that rep from a more personal perspective.
Far From You felt needed to me. Yes, the mystery element has been done before - but the centring of such a strong, queer woman really made me so happy.
However, there are some elements I did not think were perfect. I do think the middle slumped a little, just before the investigation really starts to pick up. I also found the timeline confusing at times, and the flashbacks jarring. I don't like when flashbacks take me out of the action, I critique this in soo many books so I think it's just me, but it does mess me up. I also think the representation ethnicity wise was lacking - I would have liked to see more people of colour. Finally, while I loved the process of the investigation, I personally wasn't satisfied with the reveal.
“We walk into the rest of our lives together, not knowing it'll end before it's truly started.”
Overall, Far From You is gritty, compelling and centres a nuanced protagonist. The focus on diverse representation paired with the investigation and mystery plots was the perfect blend for me, and I loved that this book was so dark and there was an imminent sense of danger throughout.
Read
April 20, 2017This has become the book I recommend the most frequently to readers who want to see LGBTQ YA done right, particularly because I think of all the letters in there, B (bisexuality) is the one I think is most often mishandled, misunderstood, and mistreated. That's not the case here, where I love the way it's done in the context of a thrilling mystery that's also about love, friendship, addiction, reliance, and recovery.
January 8, 2020
if I ever wrote anything to Tess Sharpe about this book, it would basically say, “ow, but thank you”
4.5
4.5
May 13, 2018
Holy moly this book hits right in the feels. I loved how the mystery unfolded. I loved the characters and I loved the plot. I loved the romance. I loved it.
So why did I not give this 5 stars?
Because I was not surprised by the killers identity. I was not shocked by whodunit and usually that's what makes a mystery book so interesting (for me).
When Sophie's best friend Mina is murdered and Sophie comes back alive with drugs planted, everyone thought it was a drug deal gone wrong. But Sophie has been clean for months and she they didn't drive for a drug deal, but because Mina wanted to meet someone for a story. Obviously no one believes her and she is sent into rehab. Now she's back and ready to catch the murderer and make him pay.
●Far From You is a intense and deep book. Sophie has a rough and pained past. Left badly injured in a car accident, Sophie depends on pain meds and then it gets out of control. She starts to rely a bit too much on drugs. After Mina snitches her out she's sent away to her aunt Macy to get clean. Then she comes back and her best friend is murdered right before her eyes.
●This book deals with a lot of tough subjects.
-A recovering drug addict.
-Disabilities and accidents.
-Your best friend murdered in front of you.
●Though it took me a while to get into, the second half of the book makes up for that. The plot is just amazing, with a recovering drug addict and the wonderful and unique love triangle to solving a murder mystery? That is enough to have me turning pages. The book is written differently. One chapter would be the written in the present and the next would be written from the past. Through this we can see how everything started. We get a little knowledge about Mina's character as well as her relationship with Sophie.
●I loved the bisexual love triangle. This was the most awesomest thing I've read in this book. Probably the best thing about this book. I loved Mina and Sophie's relationship and how it was difficult for them to be together. I loved how the author works out the case between Sophie, Trev, and Mina. I loved all the deep quotes this book had and especially that ending.
"Mina likes to play with fire.
But I'm the one who gets burned."'
"'You have to believe in something,' Mina protests.
''I believe in you,' I say."
●I would have loved it if the killers identity wasn't so obvious. Otherwise I would have given this 5 stars.
Overall, this was an amazing read and I stayed up reading this till like 11:30 p.m.
January 13, 2024
i have wanted to read this book for roughly 8+ years and was always too much of a coward to finally give in and now i want to kill myself because this book hurts so bad. what. the. fuck.
i feel empty inside. goodbye, i just realised what the cover is too, my GOD FUCK OFF. i can’t breathe.
”It was Mina this whole time, wasn’t it?”
I give him the only thing I can: the cold, hard truth. The one that’ll rewrite every memory he has—of him and me, her and me, the two of them, all three of us: “It’ll always be Mina.”
i feel empty inside. goodbye, i just realised what the cover is too, my GOD FUCK OFF. i can’t breathe.
January 31, 2016
I'm such a broken mess right now, holy shit.
Shelved as 'zzzz'
January 3, 2023starting 2023 by reading the oldest book on my tbr! ..... it's only been on there for, eh, 9 years now 😨
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April 5, 2022
this is a great book about a girl named sophie who is dealing with the murder of her best friend while being a recovering addict.
sophie as a character was very compelling. the book alternates expertly between sophie’s present experiences and her past ones. that aspect gives added depth to not only sophie, but to the other characters as well.
this book was incredibly raw and emotional, and also very captivating. from the moment i picked it up, i was invested in the characters and the plot.
it had many interesting elements, from sophie’s personal struggles with addiction, to the mystery element of trying to figure out who murdered her best friend. i think that while the book thrived with the former, it lacked a bit in the latter.
the mystery was lacking at times, and i felt like some parts were explained away too easily. however, that was easy to ignore in favour of the great characters and dynamics.
overall, this was a great book. it had been on my shelf for awhile, so i’m glad i finally got around to reading it.
3.5/5 stars
sophie as a character was very compelling. the book alternates expertly between sophie’s present experiences and her past ones. that aspect gives added depth to not only sophie, but to the other characters as well.
this book was incredibly raw and emotional, and also very captivating. from the moment i picked it up, i was invested in the characters and the plot.
it had many interesting elements, from sophie’s personal struggles with addiction, to the mystery element of trying to figure out who murdered her best friend. i think that while the book thrived with the former, it lacked a bit in the latter.
the mystery was lacking at times, and i felt like some parts were explained away too easily. however, that was easy to ignore in favour of the great characters and dynamics.
overall, this was a great book. it had been on my shelf for awhile, so i’m glad i finally got around to reading it.
3.5/5 stars
January 6, 2022
— 4.5
NO ONE TOUCH ME IM NOT OKAY
the way sophie and mina absolutely broke me god it’s just one disaster after another like i’m telling you by the end of it i was just sitting on the floor, staring at the wall and listening to taylor swift on repeat (did not help unfortunately). rtc soon but a great start to me reading year hahaha ..not. brb now while i go make a playlist 🏃♀️
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the way this is literally a mix of two of my favourite things: sapphics + death trope but make it a murder mystery - TURN IT UP ‼️
NO ONE TOUCH ME IM NOT OKAY
the way sophie and mina absolutely broke me god it’s just one disaster after another like i’m telling you by the end of it i was just sitting on the floor, staring at the wall and listening to taylor swift on repeat (did not help unfortunately). rtc soon but a great start to me reading year hahaha ..not. brb now while i go make a playlist 🏃♀️
———
the way this is literally a mix of two of my favourite things: sapphics + death trope but make it a murder mystery - TURN IT UP ‼️
June 21, 2024
“I'll choose you. No matter how hard it is. No matter what people say. Every time, I'll choose you. It's up to you to choose me back.”
Yeah I know I say this a lot but I swear I did not think that I would enjoy this book. I mean, romance wasn't here much. But mystery-thriller? I loved it. The emotional rollercoaster? My heart couldn't handle it.
And Sophie, I fucking love her and omg this girl is fucking strong, mentally. She was and still is in love with her dead bestfriend. And then when Sharpe puts the scenes from Sophie's past in between, especially her relationship with with Mina, well i don't what to say. Those two are amazing together.
Oh and let's not forget the guy who killed Mina, before knowing he was the killer I was thinking about how a guy like him should exist in real life but then yk 😃🔪
Yeah I know I say this a lot but I swear I did not think that I would enjoy this book. I mean, romance wasn't here much. But mystery-thriller? I loved it. The emotional rollercoaster? My heart couldn't handle it.
And Sophie, I fucking love her and omg this girl is fucking strong, mentally. She was and still is in love with her dead bestfriend. And then when Sharpe puts the scenes from Sophie's past in between, especially her relationship with with Mina, well i don't what to say. Those two are amazing together.
Oh and let's not forget the guy who killed Mina, before knowing he was the killer I was thinking about how a guy like him should exist in real life but then yk 😃🔪
September 20, 2016
After finishing this book, I feel like I just came up for air after a swim in the deepest of oceans. This book is incredible as well as extremely important. All I can say is please read this.
September 7, 2014
"Reckless girls dancing down dirt roads, waiting to be saved from ourselves."
It’s very difficult for me to sum up my thoughts on FAR FROM YOU because while I liked the book, I didn’t love it.
In theory, this is a story about Sophie searching for her best friend’s killer. But in practice, it was a story about Sophie dealing with losing Mina. And that is fine, but I wanted more in the mystery department. When the big climax came and the revelation of who’s the killer I was left somewhat disappointed.
However, I really liked our protagonist – Sophie, I’d say she’s not a typical YA character. She’s more of an anti-heroine, a recovering addict. I like the fact that she’s flawed, and I really liked her voice. Therefore, I liked the characters and the writing, but I found the plot a bit lacking. This is a murder mystery and I wanted those heart-pounding moments, the shock, a puzzle to solve. By the end of the novel, I didn’t feel like all the pieces clicked together.
Now, to talk about the ending and the big revelation. Don’t click on the spoiler unless you’ve read the book!
Moreover, the whole murder thing is just one part of the novel. The second part is the romance, which we see through the flashbacks. And I liked how that part was handled. I could really feel the heartache, the pain and the angst...
In conclusion, I’d say FAR FROM YOU is part murder mystery, part dealing with the loss of a loved one. While I loved the grieving part, I wanted more from the mystery.
It’s very difficult for me to sum up my thoughts on FAR FROM YOU because while I liked the book, I didn’t love it.
In theory, this is a story about Sophie searching for her best friend’s killer. But in practice, it was a story about Sophie dealing with losing Mina. And that is fine, but I wanted more in the mystery department. When the big climax came and the revelation of who’s the killer I was left somewhat disappointed.
However, I really liked our protagonist – Sophie, I’d say she’s not a typical YA character. She’s more of an anti-heroine, a recovering addict. I like the fact that she’s flawed, and I really liked her voice. Therefore, I liked the characters and the writing, but I found the plot a bit lacking. This is a murder mystery and I wanted those heart-pounding moments, the shock, a puzzle to solve. By the end of the novel, I didn’t feel like all the pieces clicked together.
Now, to talk about the ending and the big revelation. Don’t click on the spoiler unless you’ve read the book!
Moreover, the whole murder thing is just one part of the novel. The second part is the romance, which we see through the flashbacks. And I liked how that part was handled. I could really feel the heartache, the pain and the angst...
In conclusion, I’d say FAR FROM YOU is part murder mystery, part dealing with the loss of a loved one. While I loved the grieving part, I wanted more from the mystery.
March 10, 2016
…Damn.
THIS. This is exactly what I have been looking for in a book. Something that will bring me back to my young and innocent adolescent days. Something that makes me feel guilty for putting the book down, even if it was just for a moment. Something…where the plot and the writing are FANTASTIC. I started reading this book expecting a similar story to many other YA books I have read, but what I got, was pleasantly surprising.
This story takes us through flashbacks and present day surrounding our main character Sophie, her past and present of being an addict, and the murder of her best friend Mina. Not only do we realize fairly quickly that Sophie is accident prone and fantastic at “cheating” death; we learn that she and her friend were attacked by a man in a mask and it resulted in her best friend being shot and killed. Unfortunately for Sophie, due to her past drug use, everyone including her parents believe that the reason Mina was murdered was because Sophie was trying to score drugs. Now, after just being released out of rehab, Sophie is on a mission to find out who really killed the closest person to her. But unbeknownst to the eye, there is more than just a murder mystery surrounding Mina and Sophie.
It’s surprising to find out that this is the first book from author Tess Sharpe, because MAN can that woman write! The creative writing junkie inside me was literally on one (ha ha ha) the entire time I was reading. Not only did I read this in less than four hours, but I was just emotionally blown away with the way the author writes. She is fantastic at diving into serious emotions and describing them with a wonderful and simplistic poetic style. I was absolutely swooning at how she compiled her characters thoughts and dialogue, I felt like I knew these people inside and out.
“Later, I stare at his face in the moonlight and wonder if he can tell I kissed him like I already know the shape of his lips. Like I’ve mapped them in my mind, in another life. Learned them from another person who shared his eyes and nose and mouth, but who is never coming back.”
-Sophie
Not only is this book just bleeding of sorrow and pain and heartbreak, but it takes a spin to a place I wasn’t expecting at all. Not only is there a combination of Young Adult and Teen drama, there is a mystery throughout the story and an even bigger issue than what the reader might think is the most obvious. I am NOT going into ANY kind of depth about what I may or may not be talking about here, this is one thing that cannot be spoiled. That would be incredibly cruel to you and the story.
I think the author did a fairly decent job of capturing the multiple angles of addiction. I was very happy that she put light on the fact that even after an addict becomes clean, they will always be an addict to themselves and most times to everyone else as well. Not only does the reader follow Sophie through her grueling quest to become clean, but we see the aftereffects of it as well. Day by day she has to remind herself of how long she has been clean, as a means to keep her strong, especially when everyone around her believes that she was the reason for Mina’s death. I think the author truly tackled the life and events of an addict by showing that even after Sophie was clean, everyone around her still expected her to relapse and fail. I think moments like this in the story is when the reader will really connect and hurt with Sophie.
“My dad grabs me around the waist, breaking my hold, and lifts me over his shoulder in a fireman’s carry. It’s gentle, Dad is always gentle with me, like how he used to carry me upstairs after the accident. But I’m done with his gentleness. It’s doesn’t make me feel safe anymore. I pound on his back, red faced, yelling, but it doesn’t stop him. He yanks the front door open, and my mother stands on the porch, watching us, her arms hugging her body like it’ll protect her.
He strides down the driveway and dumps me into the car, his face stony as he slides into the driver’s seat.
‘Dad.’ Tears are slick down my cheeks. ‘Please. I need you to believe me.’
He ignores me, fires up the engine, and drives.”
-Sophie
This is, honestly, one of those books that will make you feel like you’ve been gutted. After you have finished it, if you are like me, you will sit there feeling so many emotions that you can’t even pick one to latch onto. I finished this story feeling angry about what did and did not happen, but extremely satisfied. It was heart wrenching and emotion grabbing, and I guess that is really all I can ask for in a book. Well done Tess Sharpe, you have a knack for pissing readers off in the BEST possible way. :)
April 29, 2017
Wow this book... just WOW.
This is a book you could devour in one sitting because it's suspenseful and gut-wrenching at the same time. I really never wanted to put this book down when I was reading it because I needed to find out what happened.
I LOVED Sophie, Mina, and Trev. I loved the LGBT aspect of the story (I don't think I've ever read a book with one before), it worked so well and honestly I think that's what made the story so much more gut wrenching. Not only did Sophie lose her best friend because also her first love. Surprisingly, I really enjoyed the semi love triangle as well, if you read this you'll understand the semi part.
Sophie was strong in so many ways and I loved how she owned up to who she was and the mistakes she made and never let anyone take that away from her. She was one hell of an admirable MC. The ending literally felt like someone punched me in the stomach in a sad but good type of way.
I will definitely be looking forward to reading more from this author in the future.
This is a book you could devour in one sitting because it's suspenseful and gut-wrenching at the same time. I really never wanted to put this book down when I was reading it because I needed to find out what happened.
I LOVED Sophie, Mina, and Trev. I loved the LGBT aspect of the story (I don't think I've ever read a book with one before), it worked so well and honestly I think that's what made the story so much more gut wrenching. Not only did Sophie lose her best friend because also her first love. Surprisingly, I really enjoyed the semi love triangle as well, if you read this you'll understand the semi part.
Sophie was strong in so many ways and I loved how she owned up to who she was and the mistakes she made and never let anyone take that away from her. She was one hell of an admirable MC. The ending literally felt like someone punched me in the stomach in a sad but good type of way.
I will definitely be looking forward to reading more from this author in the future.
June 6, 2016
Although the actual murder plot came together very slowly I really enjoyed the focus on Sophie and Mina's relationship (LGBT yay!) How we got to see their childhood up to it becoming something more, and then of course the build up to the night Mina was murdered. I wish there could've been a little more character development for Sophie, because Far From You mainly focuses on what the characters were like in the past. From all the YA thrillers I've read by now, you'd expect I at least saw the murderer reveal coming...but no.
August 4, 2016
Everyone who's ever told me to read this is a sadistic asshole and knows me too well.
January 1, 2024
2nd read
literally cried multiple times and in public, too. fuck this book for the emotional damage.
1st read
UPDATE: it's been 13 hours and they're still stuck in my brain like a leech, and i actually cried thinking about them again and watching their edits. and thinking about the mystery again makes me light up. hence why I'm solidifying my rating to 5 stars because sophie deserves that.
if you see me shedding a tear or two after the adrenaline of That chapter, look away, please. sophiemina have my whole heart, and despite my desperately wanting them to have more time together, I think it's good that sophie got her closure and is going to focus on herself while holding mina close.
literally cried multiple times and in public, too. fuck this book for the emotional damage.
1st read
UPDATE: it's been 13 hours and they're still stuck in my brain like a leech, and i actually cried thinking about them again and watching their edits. and thinking about the mystery again makes me light up. hence why I'm solidifying my rating to 5 stars because sophie deserves that.
if you see me shedding a tear or two after the adrenaline of That chapter, look away, please. sophiemina have my whole heart, and despite my desperately wanting them to have more time together, I think it's good that sophie got her closure and is going to focus on herself while holding mina close.
October 19, 2017
I read this with Emma from "Drinking by My Shelf" for the #GirlSex101BookClub!
I'm having trouble deciding on a rating because I LOVED the first 75% of it. The last 25% killed it for me, plot-wise. However, I'm not a very plot-focused reader but my issues in the last 25% were also kind of with the character development? AHH I DON'T KNOW. I'm probably going to go with 3.5 stars but in the long run, rating doesn't matter anyways so we'll just say 3.5...?
I'm having trouble deciding on a rating because I LOVED the first 75% of it. The last 25% killed it for me, plot-wise. However, I'm not a very plot-focused reader but my issues in the last 25% were also kind of with the character development? AHH I DON'T KNOW. I'm probably going to go with 3.5 stars but in the long run, rating doesn't matter anyways so we'll just say 3.5...?
November 6, 2013
I am not a big fan of contemporary books. Sure, I like reading about drama, especially about love, life, and family, but for some reason, drama set in the real world don’t really reel me in. Mysteries and conspiracies in made-up worlds appeal so much more to me than the realistic ones, but Far From You was a bit different in a way it reached out to me few other books could (i.e. Unteachable, If You Find Me). It had that rawness you rarely find in other books, and a sincerity and intensity that reach your core and grip it with iron hands. Make no doubt, the magic worked from the very first page and never let go until my heart was able to breathe freely again.
What I loved about this book was how it genuinely showcased Sophie’s complex relationships with her best friend and Trevor. At first, I thought it would be just your average best friend thingamajig with a few intrigues here and there, but it was actually far deeper than that, and the rawness of it all – how they met, how they grew up together, how they truly understood each other, how they formed a bond so intricate and previous – really got to me. Usually, I am not fond of flashbacks and interludes, but the author really wrote it well here, to the point that it became the certain element that I looked forward to reading the most. It was through those tidbits of the past that I truly understood the impact of Mina in Sophie’s life and Sophie to Mina’s, and that dawning realization was highly intense and honest. Yes, it may disguise itself as a murder mystery, but reading Sophie’s genuine voice and her journey to recovery and closure was this book’s strongest point. Her gradual transformation – from a broken and run-down person to someone relieved of any burden and now has a positive outlook in life – was uplifting and inspiring, and my heart went to her all the way.
Of course, there were a few things I didn’t like… for instance, the mystery aspect was honestly weak. The drama took a huge part of the novel that this factor was left out, making it fail to deliver. This makes me a bit sad as I am a huge mystery fan. There’s nothing greater than looking for clues alongside the main character and piecing everything together with them. In Far From You, not only did it feel dull at times, it was completely random! Truly, what is the point of making us suspicious of certain characters, giving us clues that THIS might be the guy or THAT might be the guy, when in the end it would be some random person I didn’t even give a fuck about? The climax was just so anti-climactic; instead of making my heart jump or bounce in suspense, the poor thing only felt deflated upon discovering the mastermind of the said crime. “He’s the guy??? But….. why…?” It truly felt random. There was no build-up whatsoever. There were so many other people who could have been the real suspect since they seemed to really have the motive to go after her, but we’re given some dude who was only mentioned once and that’s it. I was very disappointed.
There was also a derp moment, near the climax, that made me roll my eyes so much. A bit of warning: this is spoiler-y, so proceed at your own risk.
You see, everyone knows that the murderer was someone they knew and someone who lived in the neighborhood, but despite having that knowledge, our heroine here still decided to go to a party held in an isolated place. I was thinking to myself, “Hey, girl, since your life is in danger, and you already received multiple threats, shouldn’t you try to keep a low profile?!” But no, our main character even separated from her friends to “take a breather”, all by her lonesome, in the woods, with a guy from their group of friends who she didn’t see for the longest time.
Alone.
In the woods.
Separated from her friends.
*FACEPALM*
I truly thought it was a derp-y scene. It was like trying to force upon the main character to make the climax happen already. It was stupid, stupid, stupid. Your life is in danger and you don’t hesitate to go by yourself in a remote area???? It didn’t feel natural at all. This moment in the novel seemed very contrived to keep the story going and it was at this point that I kept shaking my head. I wish this aspect was thought-out more. Not only did the real plot feel rushed, it felt random and… weird. I know, my description is pretty vague, but I have no other words to describe it. BIZAAAARRE.
Other than that, though, the book is a gem. Don’t read this expecting an awesome murder whodunit mystery, because you’ll only be left sorely disappointed. But if you want to read about some good internal drama-rama that explores a certain kind of love, a certain extent of brokenness and guilt, and a certain kind of friendship that would really punch you in the gut. The emotions here run very high, and you’ll be left gasping.
What I loved about this book was how it genuinely showcased Sophie’s complex relationships with her best friend and Trevor. At first, I thought it would be just your average best friend thingamajig with a few intrigues here and there, but it was actually far deeper than that, and the rawness of it all – how they met, how they grew up together, how they truly understood each other, how they formed a bond so intricate and previous – really got to me. Usually, I am not fond of flashbacks and interludes, but the author really wrote it well here, to the point that it became the certain element that I looked forward to reading the most. It was through those tidbits of the past that I truly understood the impact of Mina in Sophie’s life and Sophie to Mina’s, and that dawning realization was highly intense and honest. Yes, it may disguise itself as a murder mystery, but reading Sophie’s genuine voice and her journey to recovery and closure was this book’s strongest point. Her gradual transformation – from a broken and run-down person to someone relieved of any burden and now has a positive outlook in life – was uplifting and inspiring, and my heart went to her all the way.
Of course, there were a few things I didn’t like… for instance, the mystery aspect was honestly weak. The drama took a huge part of the novel that this factor was left out, making it fail to deliver. This makes me a bit sad as I am a huge mystery fan. There’s nothing greater than looking for clues alongside the main character and piecing everything together with them. In Far From You, not only did it feel dull at times, it was completely random! Truly, what is the point of making us suspicious of certain characters, giving us clues that THIS might be the guy or THAT might be the guy, when in the end it would be some random person I didn’t even give a fuck about? The climax was just so anti-climactic; instead of making my heart jump or bounce in suspense, the poor thing only felt deflated upon discovering the mastermind of the said crime. “He’s the guy??? But….. why…?” It truly felt random. There was no build-up whatsoever. There were so many other people who could have been the real suspect since they seemed to really have the motive to go after her, but we’re given some dude who was only mentioned once and that’s it. I was very disappointed.
There was also a derp moment, near the climax, that made me roll my eyes so much. A bit of warning: this is spoiler-y, so proceed at your own risk.
You see, everyone knows that the murderer was someone they knew and someone who lived in the neighborhood, but despite having that knowledge, our heroine here still decided to go to a party held in an isolated place. I was thinking to myself, “Hey, girl, since your life is in danger, and you already received multiple threats, shouldn’t you try to keep a low profile?!” But no, our main character even separated from her friends to “take a breather”, all by her lonesome, in the woods, with a guy from their group of friends who she didn’t see for the longest time.
Alone.
In the woods.
Separated from her friends.
*FACEPALM*
I truly thought it was a derp-y scene. It was like trying to force upon the main character to make the climax happen already. It was stupid, stupid, stupid. Your life is in danger and you don’t hesitate to go by yourself in a remote area???? It didn’t feel natural at all. This moment in the novel seemed very contrived to keep the story going and it was at this point that I kept shaking my head. I wish this aspect was thought-out more. Not only did the real plot feel rushed, it felt random and… weird. I know, my description is pretty vague, but I have no other words to describe it. BIZAAAARRE.
Other than that, though, the book is a gem. Don’t read this expecting an awesome murder whodunit mystery, because you’ll only be left sorely disappointed. But if you want to read about some good internal drama-rama that explores a certain kind of love, a certain extent of brokenness and guilt, and a certain kind of friendship that would really punch you in the gut. The emotions here run very high, and you’ll be left gasping.
Read
July 17, 2017In flashbacks, the main characters uses a walker and a cane after being injured in a car accident. In the current timeline, she no longer uses assistive equipment. She walks with a limp due to her damaged leg and back and has chronic pain.
"Despite the different underlying causes of our disabilities—Sophie is in a car crash at the age of 14, whereas I was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis at 18 months—Sophie’s coping mechanisms and emotional outlook surrounding her disability rang true to my lived experience. Perhaps even more of a selling point for the novel is the rich and complex way that Sharpe paints Sophie as a complex young person who is uncovering multiple facets of her identity. Sophie does this as it happens for so many adolescents: chaotically, and all at once."
Read contributor Christine McMahon's full review at Disability in Kidlit.
"Despite the different underlying causes of our disabilities—Sophie is in a car crash at the age of 14, whereas I was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis at 18 months—Sophie’s coping mechanisms and emotional outlook surrounding her disability rang true to my lived experience. Perhaps even more of a selling point for the novel is the rich and complex way that Sharpe paints Sophie as a complex young person who is uncovering multiple facets of her identity. Sophie does this as it happens for so many adolescents: chaotically, and all at once."
Read contributor Christine McMahon's full review at Disability in Kidlit.
August 7, 2017
Although it took awhile to get to the "meat" of the story, it was beautifully written. The story centered around secrets, when to keep them, when to betray a trust, and when to let them all go and forgive yourself. Secrets are a topic that resonates with me, and most readers. The shocking conclusion came at a very fast moving 20 pages or so. I appreciated how the epilogues wrapped up most of my questions. Overall a solid mystery with a dose of teenage drama. Just as one expects from any YA novel!
September 1, 2016
Murder thriller? YES. In theory. But another case of like, not love.
Review to come.
April 15, 2023
my eyes sweat really hard everytime i get to the end
August 5, 2019
Mina hides behind her secrets and I wither away my soul with pills, and we are Just Fine, Thank You. Reckless girls dancing down dirt roads, waiting to be saved from ourselves.
4.5★'s
Fuuuuuuuuuuuuck.
I don't even know where to start??? Like this was just sooooo good??? I mean, the suspense, thriller, murder plot was average at best, and arguably that's the whole point of this book right? Wrong! That's not at all what makes this book. What makes this book is literally everything else.
Far From You is this complex little book about drug addiction, bisexuality, best friends, what happens when you fall in love with your best friend, complex and messy relationships, grief, and what it means to try and be a better person, for yourself and for those who love you.
I'm quickly discovering that I really enjoy books with non-linear, broken up timelines. They excite me, and I'm far more likely to keep telling myself 'just one more chapter', especially when the chapters and quick and short.
Everything about me is tired and cracked and hungry. In more ways than one. In all ways that are bad.
Nine months. Two weeks. Six days. Fourteen hours.
Sophie is such an incredible, complex character. She's so strong, and throughout the book, it is beyond clear that she tries her hardest to be the best person she can be.
Like, I love me a morally grey character, but sometimes I forget how much I love characters that are just trying their damnedest to be good.
When we first meet Shophie, she's getting out of rehab for her drug addiction that she already kicked, and is on hunt for her best friend and love of her life, Mina's, killer.
She is constantly battling her addiction throughout the book, because when you get sober that hunger doesn't just go away. It never does. It sits with you for the rest of life and you have to choose every day not to relapse.
Sophie also deals with chronic pain, and being disabled, after a car accident when she was young and you watch as she pushes herself, pushes too far, and has to suffer the consequences. The whole time I was like 'Honey, no. Look after yourself, please'. It was so realistic, and honest and as someone who has chronic pain, I thought it was terrifically done.
With my addiction tackled, now they’re setting out to fix me completely. A New and Improved Sophie. Whole and mended, with no jagged edges or sharp points. Someone who doesn’t look like she knows how death feels.She's also having to face her family who all think she relapsed and is the reason her best friend is dead. Through that, we see how much addiction can fracture a family, which, speaking from experience, as someone who has been both the addicted, and trying to help a loved one still in the grasp of addiction, that'll fracture a family a fucking lot.
Her parents are caught between tough love and soft love. Not knowing when to believe Sophie, and when to assume she's lying. And that shit is hard, guys.
Sophie is just trying to prove that her parents can actually trust her; that she's not as lost as her parents think she is. But more importantly, she wants them to be supportive and for them all to stop hurting each other. But she also gets it. She totally gets why her parents don't know what to do, and are trying and failing, to help her.
“It was Mina this whole time, wasn’t it?”
I give him the only thing I can: the cold, hard truth. The one that’ll rewrite every memory he has—of him and me, her and me, the two of them, all three of us: “It’ll always be Mina.”
This book kinda has a love triangle, and by kinda I mean not at all??? Like, it's there, but it's not the tropey kind. It's, more than anything, just a bunch of complex and messy relationships that overlap and intersect, just like in real life.And this is what Sharpe does so well, she shows just how messy things get when people care about each other and that it's still worth it.
She smiles, open and encouraging. “Best of both worlds, I guess.”
It makes me laugh, the sound bursting out of me like truth. It makes me want to cry and thank her. To tell her that I’ve never told anyone before, and to tell it and have it be accepted like it’s no big deal feels like a gift.
Sharpe also portrays bisexuality in such a positive light. Sophie uses the term herself, proudly. She's unafraid to give in to the feelings she has for Mina, even though Mina is. It talks about homophobia, but doesn't make that the focus. This books celebrates the girl's different sexual identities without fetishizing them, without making you feel like Mina got what she deserved for being gay.
The best parts of this book, are any and all of the falshbacks of Sophie and Mina's relationship. It shows how full-on relationships can really be between girls (and honestly that's the case whether it's romantic or platonic). How easy it is to hurt each other and to keep hurting each other, even when you don't mean to, don't want to.
Mina led, and I followed. She hid, and I was her shelter. She kept secrets, and I guarded them. Mina lied, and so did I. Sometimes we were downright ruthless to each other.
For once, it isn’t some cotton-candy idea of her; it’s who she was, in all her maddening, heart-squeezing truth.
It took me a little while to warm up to Mina, she felt a little flat to begin with but as the story progressed, as we were fed more and more snippets of her, she grew into her own fully-fleshed out character and I really felt for her. She's confused and hurting for most of the book, and she has a hunger, much like Sophie, to know things. She is curious and dedicated.
“I’ll choose you,” I say. “No matter how hard it is. No matter what people say. Every time, I’ll choose you. It’s up to you to choose me back.”
I just really loved it. It wasn't perfect, main-plot-wise, but I didn't care, because that's not what was important to me. Sophie and Mina were what was important and I enjoyed every second of it. Even when it was triggering, even when it hurt to read, especially when it hit too close to home.
I'm a queer (still figuring out my identities) woman, who has chronic pain and have battled addiction, addiction brought on because of wanting to not be in pain. Do y'all know how rare it is to find someone this similar to me in books or T.V. or films??? That shit is nowhere! And yet, here I am, sitting with this wonderful, beautiful book, that gets me. Like really gets me. Wow, is this what it feels like to be represented well??? Amazing.
Mina likes to play with fire.
But I’m the one who gets burned.
—
I read this book as part of my 2018 Library Love binge, where I read as many library books as possible to take advantage of my great local library network before I move interstate!
___
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January 13, 2014
Ok, so Far From You is not a terrible book, but it's not a particularly memorable one either. The premise of the book is as follows: our protagonist, Sophie, is recovering from some fairly serious trauma - someone killed her best friend Mina and she witnessed it. Also, because of her history of drug abuse, Sophie's family and peers blame her for Mina's death (i.e., why did you two go into that dark scary wood? For drugs!!) Sophie spends the novel trying to piece together what happened on the night of Mina's murder, but a large part of this also involves rehearsing her and Mina's shared past.
Sophie and Mina's relationship was by far the most interesting (and also most problematic) aspect of the novel for me.
My main problems with the novel were with the secondary narrative - i.e., the sort of whodunit about what happened to Mina. I think part of the problem is that I never really got a distinctive sense of who Sophie was as a narrator, so when she's put in peril while trying to solve the case, I just didn't care. I also didn't understand why this random cast of characters - Kyle and Rachel particularly - cared about helping her. Especially Rachel - Rachel finds Sophie the night of Mina's death, and they're ... penpals through Sophie's rehab and suddenly besties who trust each other? That relationship just wasn't developed for me, nor was Rachel really (she was kind of a Mary Sue). We're told about it, but we never really see it or understand how it works. And, with the exception of Sophie and Mina's relationship, this was how I felt about most of the novel - the whodunit is solved in a way that seems farfetched and implausible, and we're told about the characters' motives, but it's not really convincing.
Thanks to NetGalley for a digital copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
Sophie and Mina's relationship was by far the most interesting (and also most problematic) aspect of the novel for me.
My main problems with the novel were with the secondary narrative - i.e., the sort of whodunit about what happened to Mina. I think part of the problem is that I never really got a distinctive sense of who Sophie was as a narrator, so when she's put in peril while trying to solve the case, I just didn't care. I also didn't understand why this random cast of characters - Kyle and Rachel particularly - cared about helping her. Especially Rachel - Rachel finds Sophie the night of Mina's death, and they're ... penpals through Sophie's rehab and suddenly besties who trust each other? That relationship just wasn't developed for me, nor was Rachel really (she was kind of a Mary Sue). We're told about it, but we never really see it or understand how it works. And, with the exception of Sophie and Mina's relationship, this was how I felt about most of the novel - the whodunit is solved in a way that seems farfetched and implausible, and we're told about the characters' motives, but it's not really convincing.
Thanks to NetGalley for a digital copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
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