The Farther You Run [Hardcover]

Davida Wills Hurwin (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 11, 2003

This past May, Samantha Russell lost her best friend, Juliana, to cancer. Now there is no one to share secrets, gossip, and dreams; no reason to keep taking dance class, another passion they shared. Then Sammie meets Mona, a virtual Jules lookalike, in summer school. The two of them bond right away, and wind up sharing an apartment in San Francisco. It's thrilling, being out in the world for the first time-but something is not quite right. Mona may look a bit like Jules, but Jules didn't have a bipolar mother. She didn't have relationships that tore her apart. And, most of all, Jules didn't know what is was like to live with someone who can't stop grieving. Sammie and Mona have to face the most difficult things in their life-alone, and together-because the past has a way of catching up with the present, if you're not careful. This sequel to A Time for Dancing is equally evocative, poignant, funny, and heart-wrenching-and well worth the wait.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 9 Up-In this unremarkable sequel to A Time for Dancing (Little, Brown, 1995), Samantha must cope with the death of her best friend as she also takes her first steps into the adult world. The first book ended with Jules's death from cancer; this one takes up Samantha's story during the following year. She is in denial, unable to deal with the loss of her longtime friend. Going to summer school in order to graduate, she befriends Mona, a troubled girl who happens to look like Jules. She and Samantha manage to find an apartment to share in San Francisco, where they both get jobs. Mona deals with her mother's mental problems and her own self-destructive behavior while Samantha buries her feelings and pushes friends and family away. When Samantha argues with her boyfriend, Mona ends up sleeping with him, nearly ending the friendship. Eventually, Samantha takes steps to come to terms with her loss. The friendship between the two girls is convincing, and teens will enjoy reading about their attempts to build a life away from their parents. Casual marijuana use and several sex scenes-none particularly graphic-give readers a realistic view of teen life. However, the plot is too thin to grab the attention of anyone who has not read and loved the first book.
Miranda Doyle, San Francisco Public Library
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Gr. 9-12. Welcome to the long-awaited sequel to Hurwin's acclaimed A Time for Dancing (1995). Samantha, still mourning for her friend, Juliana, decides to strike out on her own. A sudden new friendship with Mona, a brief fling with self-involved Noah, and a job provide some structure and support, helping her deal with Jules' absence. But at the same time, Sam's relationship with her mother begins to fall apart, leaving her with pain so raw that readers feel every jab. In alternating chapters Samantha and Mona lay out the difficult year following Juliana's untimely death. Mona, who wants to get to know Sam, often feels shut out by Sam's grief, and Sam, adamantly refusing to return to dancing, builds a wall against life as it used to be. Some controversial language and a few lightly drawn sexual scenes target this to a slightly older audience than the first book, but as with A Time for Dancing, the emotional intensity and vibrant characters will hook readers from the first page. Mona's family issues threaten to overwhelm the story at times, but Mona, like Sam, is a sensitively drawn, powerful character , and both young women struggle toward wholeness in a captivating account of finding one's way. Anne O'Malley
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 12 and up
  
• Hardcover: 248 pages
• Publisher: Viking Juvenile (August 11, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0670036277
• ISBN-13: 978-0670036271
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.8 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,092,792 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Farther You Run, December 8, 2005

By 

Margarette "Margarette" (California, San Francisco) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Farther You Run (Mass Market Paperback)

Imagine loosing your best friend to cancer. This past May Samantha lost hers, her best friend for more than half her life. Juliana, her "one and only", was now gone. Now she has no one to relate to, and no one to share her deepest secrets with. No way does Samantha want to go back to dance class with out Juliana. In Samantha's eyes there's nothing she can do. All she can do is move on, and so far its been working. She hadn't even yet showed any emotions about the loss of Juliana.
Unexpectedly, Samantha meets Mona in summer school. They both failed English, so they already have one thing in common. They immediately click. It turns out that Mona's mother is bi-polar, and that has been a huge struggle for Mona. Growing up, she's gone to a ton of new schools, and was always having to make new friends. In a way, the things they both have been through in their lives made them be able to relate to one another. Neither of them get along with their mothers, so they can also relate to each other in that way.
They become the best of friends. By the end of summer they're already planning to buy an apartment together in San Francisco. They then find jobs and boyfriends. Life seems to be going great for the two of them, and it seems as if Samantha has a new best friend.
But things don't always stay this perfect. Right before the anniversary of Juliana's death, things start to fall apart for Samantha. Memories of Juliana keep coming back to her, and she's starting to miss her more and more. She cries all the time, and can't get Juliana out of her head. This soon starts to irritate Mona, and soon Samantha and Mona's friendship starts to fade. In order for their friendship to reconcile they need to sort things out between them, because they both really do need each other.
The author, Davida Wills Hurwin, of The Farther You Run, does an excellent job in writing this book. The reader is constantly entertained, and wondering what will happen next. It's an easy read, and I would specifically recommend this book to women. It holds a lot of common issues that women face every day. The issue of mother child relationships is a big one. Both of the main characters don't get along with their mothers, and you can see how their relationships transforms throughout the novel. The girls also have to worry about another common issue among women, boys! I really enjoyed reading this book, there was nothing about it that I didn't like. And like I said before, I would truly recommend it.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars WHAT A GOOD FOLLOW-UP, August 19, 2003

By 

Laura (Herndon, VA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Farther You Run (Hardcover)

... A Time For Dancing is, and probably always will be my favorite book. I have never cried so much for a book!When I heard there was going to be a second book, I first thought: good, hopefully it can match up to the first one... but then I got to thinking, what can you possibly write about, after what had happened, that would be somewhat interesting. When I first started reading, I was kind of confused about the purpose of the book... but then I realized that I couldn't put it down. Last night I finished it and it is SO good. I cried through the whole second half of the book. I finished it at about 3:00am and I would have thought that my parents heard me sobbing. THIS BOOK WAS GREAT...

IF YOU HAVEN'T READ THE FIRST BOOK ( A TIME FOR DANCING), BUY IT AND READ IT, YOU WILL NOT REGRET IT...

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars amazing, December 11, 2005

A Kid's Review

This review is from: The Farther You Run (Hardcover)

I actually read this book before I read A Time For Dancing and I must say it was amazing. It really sums up the first book well and continues with a really good storyline. Sam has the best parts in the story.Loveable, funny and at times heart-wrenching, she takes you through situations that you feel you can relate to. Mona on the other hand can get a little bit annoying but she's not a bad character. I defianently recommend this book to anyone who needs a good cry..

ps. keep tissues handy..you'll need them