Book Review: Far From You by Lisa Schroeder

FAR FROM YOU BY LISA SCHROEDERReading level: Young Adult
Hardcover: 368 pages
Publisher: Simon Pulse; 1 edition (January 5, 2010)
Language: English



Lost and alone...down the rabbit hole

Years have passed since Alice lost her mother to cancer, but time hasn't quite healed the wound. Alice copes the best she can, by writing her music, losing herself in the love of her boyfriend, and distancing herself from her father and his new wife.

But when a deadly snowstorm traps Alice with her stepmother and newborn half-sister, she'll face issues she's been avoiding for too long. As Alice looks to the heavens for guidance, she discovers something wonderful.

Perhaps she's not so alone after all...

Lisa Schroeder explores themes of love, loss and healing in yet another memorable novel. Alice, still grieving from the immense pain of losing her mother is left reeling when her father quickly remarries. Falling down the rabbit hole, she is lost and alone. The arrival of a new baby sister only deepens the distance between father and daughter, and Alice seeks solace through her music and boyfriend Blaze. She continues to shun her stepmother and new sister, until a freak snowstorm throws them together in the wilderness. Alice has no choice but to communicate, she has to if they want to stay alive. The question is ..can they survive in the cold long enough to become a real family?

Lisa Schroeder’s use of verse is so poignant and beautiful to me, that each time I read her work, I’m immediately drawn in. Her books are quick reads, yet I can’t help but stop and savor the words as my fingers fly through the pages. Each line seems to have been painstakingly selected for the biggest emotional impact, and her writing always impresses me. FAR FROM YOU was no different. My favorite moments were those when Alice and her stepmother were trapped in the snowstorm. I found it fascinating how they interacted with one another, how they managed to survive and how their relationship inevitably deepened and blossomed.

I read this novel after I HEART YOU, YOU HAUNT ME and CHASING BROOKLYN. While I’d have to say that CHASING BROOKLYN is still my favorite, I’d recommend FAR FROM YOU to fans of her writing. It's one I will return to again.

Lisa Schroeder is a native Oregonian, which means her childhood summers were spent camping, fishing, reading books (of course!), and playing in the sun, when it finally came out. These days, Lisa spends her summers, and every other part of the year, sharing all the wonderful things Oregon has to offer with her husband and two sons. She is the author of three novels for young adults published by Simon Pulse - I HEART YOU, YOU HAUNT ME, FAR FROM YOU, and CHASING BROOKLYN. Her middle grade debut, It's Raining Cupcakes, will be published by Aladdin in March, 2010.

Lisa lives with her family in Oregon. You can visit her on the web at lisaschroederbooks.com.