Far From You by Tess Sharpe
Published by Disney-Hyperion Release date : April 8th, 2014
Genres: Contemporary, Family, Mystery/Thriller, Young Adult
Pages: 384
Source: The Publisher | Format: eARC
Purchase at: Amazon (Affiliate Link) • Audible • The Book Depository
Goodreads
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 truth: 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 all: about herself, about Mina and about the secret they shared
I received this book for free from The Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Over these past few months, I have read some of the most emotional, gut wrenching reads that tackle hard to handle issues. There have been so many that I have adored and will always hold a special place in my heart. Far From You is definitely one of those books.
Sophie is a recovering addict when she is the sole witness to her best friends murder. With drugs found at the scene, her parents thrust her into rehab, not believing the story that Sophie tells them – and the police – what happened that night. 3 months later, she is home and discovers that everyone she loved and trusted, turned their back on her, blaming her for the death of Mina. Sophie takes the investigation into her own hands, she gets closer to finding out what happened that night, all the while, dealing with life without her best friend.
First off – I loved the writing. We get a chapter of present time, then flashbacks into what happened before. From 6 months prior up to 6 years ago. We get to see how Sophie’s and Mina’s relationship develops over time, in small glimpses. It’s raw and honest. Not only that, how Sophie had to deal with her accident, her addiction and everything in between. Usually, with this type or narration, I tend to get lost and I always seem to be disconnected from the “time gaps”, because you never really get to connect to the situation as a whole. It was so well written and the flow was so smooth, I never had that problem.
My heart went out to Sophie. Those four years of her life had to have been hell. The accident, addiction, the murder of Mina. Not to mention, the interesting and painful twist that came about with their relationship. Yet, she is remarkably strong. She continues to push ahead, driven by her need for justice. I couldn’t even imagine going through all that and knowing that no one believes you and blames you, for the death of someone you loved.
I am one of those weird people who adore a good love triangle, and I applaud Tess for this one. It’s very unique for YA and handled well. As the pieces come together about the complexity of it, your heart will just break. There really isn’t one person to come out unscathed.
As we piece together the mystery of Mina’s death, we see that there was more going on the meets the eye. I was a little thrown, by the killer. I think this is because we don’t really see much of their characters there, just small snid-bits here and there. I could have easily missed the clues and hints because I was so wrapped up in Sophie, Mina and Trev. Their bond, love and overall story is what takes precedence.
Overall- I loved it. Far From You is a beautifully written, heart wrenching story. I highly recommend.
Tonyalee is an avid reader, gym junkie, coffee addicted workaholic and blogger. Be sure to follow on Twitter, Facebook & Instagram for random shenanigans.
9 Comments
Lovely review. Novels that deal with such serious topics like addiction are hard to handle but I’m glad that this author does a nice job and that the writing is beautiful. I’m so buying this once it comes out!
Abbe Hinder recently posted…Book Review: Elusion by Claudia Gabel and Cheryl Klam
Thank you! I hope you enjoy it!
I tend to get lost with flashbacks and time gaps too so its good to know that this flows smoothly because just from the synopsis I was pretty intrigued! Thanks for the review! I can’t wait to read Far From You now!
Yes, it is handled really well. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!
I am really excited to read this one – glad you loved it!
Missie @ A Flurry of Ponderings
Missie recently posted…Top Ten All-Time Favorite Books in Dystopian Genre
Another emotional, gut wrenching book? Sign me up! I’ve seen this one on Netgalley but didn’t request it because I’m trying to get caught up but after reading your review, I really don’t think it will hurt to add just one more…
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I can’t wait to read this book!!!! Is it April yet?? This just sounds exactly like the type of books that I end up loving. Great Review 🙂
Michelle (Pink Polka Dot Book Blog) recently posted…Cover Lover (or Hater)- November Edition
Oh, you have no idea how this review makes me feel. I truly understand your sentiments here. Sophie and Mina’s relationship touched me, and I loved the flashbacks the most. It was through these flashbacks that I truly understood Mina’s value in Sophie’s life and how her death left a heavy and huge mark on her. Relationship-wise, this was incredibly complex. I wasn’t too hot on the murder mystery though. The suspect pretty much came out of nowhere. No really good hints… he was only mentioned once… and then we’re suddenly told “Yup, he’s the killer” LIKE WTF RANDOM MUCH
But other than that, this was so so so sooo good. Glad you loved it! 😀
Faye @ The Social Potato Reviews
Faye @ The Social Potato recently posted…ARC Review: The Wizard’s Promise by Cassandra Clarke
I have been staring at this book on NetGalley for weeks! I’m so glad you loved it. I’ll definitely purchase it when it comes out! I love stories that emotionally gut me, the masochist I am. 😉
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