Far From You by Tess Sharpe Published by Hyperion on April 8th 2014
Genres: Contemporary, Love & Romance, YA, Young Adult
Goodreads
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.
I saw this one at my local library right when it came out and I quickly snatched it up. I’ve heard so many great things about Far From You and I’m glad that I can join the list of book pushers that will force you to read this one.
Sophie’s best friend, Mina, was murdered before her eyes and she wants to find out the truth about what really happened that night. Of course, there are several problems in her way. The police, the fact that she’s stuck in rehab and other people who don’t trust her. From these facts alone, it is easy to see how unique and interesting Far From You is.
Far From You ranges many broad topics including but not limited to: murder, recovery and LGBT protagonists. I honestly thought this book had it all. It wasn’t done in a way that made it seem like the author wasn’t trying to include many diverse elements to appeal to the audience, it just fit the story. I thought all of these elements worked well together and made the story interesting and awesome.
The plot in Far From You was told in the present and from flashbacks. I loved the array of flashbacks and discovering new pieces of evidence about the murder as they happened. It was interesting reading about Sophie/Mina’s friendship through all the flashbacks and to see why Sophie cared so much about her friend. I also loved all the characters. Sophie’s bravery and determination made her easily likeable. I was annoyed at her sometimes but overall, I think she was a great protagonist. She was strong and determined to discover what happened to Mina.
Overall, I really enjoyed Far From You and its freshness in the contemporary YA world. I loved reading about Sophie and her journey through recovery, loss and the murder of her best friend. I also loved Sophie’s determination and braveness. I highly recommend this novel to anyone looking for a refreshing murder-solving contemporary!
