Far From You - Softcover

Sharpe, Tess

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1484715705 ISBN 13: 9781484715703

Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 2015

Synopsis

* "This beautifully realized debut delves into the emotions of a girl recovering from drug addiction and grief, all wrapped up in a solid mystery." -Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
* "Sharpe creat[es] a lacerating picture of grief and regret. ...The murder mystery is compelling, and its resolution serves as a reminder that love is irrevocably tied to loss and that few people get out of it unscathed." -Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books (starred review)
"This romance is full of struggle and strong emotions, likely to find an appreciable YA audience."
-School Library Journal
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.

About this title

About the Author

Born in a backwoods cabin to a pair of punk rockers, Tess Sharpe grew up in rural California. Following an internship with the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, she studied theater at Southern Oregon University before abandoning the stage for the professional kitchen. She lives, bakes, and writes near the Oregon border. This is her first novel. Visit her online at www.tess-sharpe.com.

From School Library Journal

Gr 9 Up—The day Sophie is released from rehab starts the "now" of this story, which alternates with flashbacks from the past. Readers learn that the teen has had two close calls with death, the first in a crippling car crash with her friend Mina and Mina's brother Trev. The second was when Mina was murdered in front of her in what is assumed to be a drug deal gone bad. Because Sophie is a recovering drug addict, even her parents don't believe her when she says that the murder has nothing to do with drugs, hence her stay in rehab. Now that she's free, Sophie is obsessed with finding Mina's killer. Somehow she must overcome everyone's belief that her relapse caused Mina's death and enlist help in solving the crime. The mystery is a major theme of the book, and the author gives no clues before the revelation. This kind of plot twist is sometimes successful, but here the ending is so out of left field that it lacks believability. As readers follow Sophie's sleuthing, they learn that Mina was more than just her best friend; she was also her first love. This romance is full of struggle and strong emotions, likely to find an appreciable YA audience.—Genevieve Feldman, San Francisco Public Library

Edition details

• Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
• Publication date: 2015
• ISBN 10: 1484715705
• ISBN 13: 9781484715703
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 352