Reviewed by Cat for TeensReadToo.com
Alice's mother died of cancer years ago. Everyone else has moved on. Her father has remarried and is expecting a new baby, but Alice continues to mourn, finding solace in songwriting, attending services, and performing at her mother's old church with best friend/musical soul mate, Claire. And with spending time with her boyfriend, Blaze.
Nothing can shake Alice from her grief - from the birth of a baby sister, Ivy; to the progression of her relationship with Blaze; to her ups and downs with Claire.
It is only when she, Victoria, and Ivy are caught on the road during a freak snow storm that Alice begins to regain her balance and consider the possibility that her mother is closer than she ever imagined.
Author Lisa Schroeder's decision to tell this story entirely in verse is deceptively simple, but the effectiveness of this type of narration quickly becomes clear - cutting through the excess of more straightforward prose to the raw center of Alice's emotional turmoil.
Despite the story being told from a single character's perspective, Ms. Schroeder still manages to drop subtle hints (i.e., her father's pained silence, Blaze's easy interaction with the stepmother his girlfriend has written off, their efforts to remind Alice that they're a family) that let readers know Alice's perspective might be somewhat biased.
It's rare to find a book that moves me to tears, but FAR FROM YOU touched my heart, making it an emotional journey worth taking.
Alice's mother died of cancer years ago. Everyone else has moved on. Her father has remarried and is expecting a new baby, but Alice continues to mourn, finding solace in songwriting, attending services, and performing at her mother's old church with best friend/musical soul mate, Claire. And with spending time with her boyfriend, Blaze.
Nothing can shake Alice from her grief - from the birth of a baby sister, Ivy; to the progression of her relationship with Blaze; to her ups and downs with Claire.
It is only when she, Victoria, and Ivy are caught on the road during a freak snow storm that Alice begins to regain her balance and consider the possibility that her mother is closer than she ever imagined.
Author Lisa Schroeder's decision to tell this story entirely in verse is deceptively simple, but the effectiveness of this type of narration quickly becomes clear - cutting through the excess of more straightforward prose to the raw center of Alice's emotional turmoil.
Despite the story being told from a single character's perspective, Ms. Schroeder still manages to drop subtle hints (i.e., her father's pained silence, Blaze's easy interaction with the stepmother his girlfriend has written off, their efforts to remind Alice that they're a family) that let readers know Alice's perspective might be somewhat biased.
It's rare to find a book that moves me to tears, but FAR FROM YOU touched my heart, making it an emotional journey worth taking.
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