Far From You

Really enjoyed this one—and that ending! Review to come.

Okay. So firstly, I really like thrillers, and I also really like when the protagonist is part of a marginalized group, especially if it's one I can relate to like a character with chronic pain. And that's initially what drew me to this book—because trying to find YA with characters who deal with chronic pain? Not so easy.

What I liked: Sophie deals with disability (among other things), including chronic pain that causes her to limp, and she still kicks ass. Even better—there wasn't a miracle cure. Not for Sophie's injury, not for the chronic pain, and not for her addiction, or her trauma. Far From You does a really fantastic job not sugar-coating reality—it acknowledges that long after the book, Sophie will still have a limp, will still have to deal with a lot of trauma, and will always struggle with addiction. And for that alone, I'm giving Tess Sharpe a massive internet high-five.

As far as the actual plot goes, I really enjoyed this. The mystery surrounding Mina's death was fascinating, and I love books that keep you guessing, like this one. I had a few theories about who was at fault, but the twist got me—that said, I sort of felt like I mostly didn't guess because I'd pretty much forgotten some people existed. Maybe my fault. Maybe the book's fault. Eh. Not a big deal. Overall, Far From You is an exciting book that'll definitely keep you interested.

Finally, it was really great to see a YA protagonist who is explicitly bisexual, but whose sexuality isn't necessarily the main focus of the book (though coming out books are definitely important, too).

I really enjoyed this one, and I definitely recommend it to those looking for a fun, twisty YA Thriller.

Diversity note: Sophie, the protagonist, has a limp from chronic pain caused by a car accident years prior, struggles with drug addiction (opiate painkillers), and is explicitly bisexual. Mina, her best friend/sort of girlfriend was not out, but she was lesbian.

First of all, I LOVE that Sohpie clearly states she's bisexual. Books/tv shows/movies often go the ‘I don't like labels' route and I am glad it didn't happen here. It's ok to say the word!

That said, I really enjoyed both the personal part of the book with Sophie's relationship with Mina, her parents, etc and the mystery part of it. I will say I suspected who the killer was from early on, but that's because I've seen too much crime procedural shows and not because it's obvious, I'm sure.

I've been left with a ‘what if' sense about Sophie and Mina, though I guess that's what the author was going for and I find it great that it ends on a positive note.