Far From You

Reader: Elise S
Age: 14
Title: Far From You
Author: Lisa Schroeder
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Pub Date: Jan 2010
Galley: Yes
Nominate for Teens’ Top 10: No
Did the cover tempt you: Honestly, my first reaction to the cover was eww. Point #1: Her hair is quite obviously dyed, you can see the dark roots through the unnaturalness. And you'd think they'd actually have her WASH her hair before being photographed. Point #2: What is up with the dress? Her butt is hanging out way too much, and I was not grooving on the lace. Point #3: The wings were uber-fakey.
Recommend: No
Compelling Aspect of the Book: I loved the creative metaphors, with the memories and snowflakes. I thought some of the comparisons she made were really interesting.
Did you finish: Yes
Were you disappointed with the book at all: I had hope for this book. Then it turned into the girl pretty much moaning in prose. And the ending was so cliché. Mom dies, Dad remarries, girl hates stepmother and newborn baby, gets stuck in snowstorm alone with stepmom, has some good bonding time, only to nearly lose her and the baby, it all turns into one big happy family with no further thoughts of the dead mom. Woah! Didn't see that coming. Also, the way Schroeder combined Alice's hallucinations/dreams was too abrupt and didn't feel well blended. She should either make it clear from the beginning that it's a part fantasy book, or get rid of those parts.
Age Range: 12-17
Quality: 2Q Needs more work
Popularity: 3P Some teen appeal