The Miles Between (Hardcover)

~ Mary E. Pearson (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Review

“Pearson manages a magic trick by melding the fantastic and the prosaic.” —The Los Angeles Times

“Pearson mesmerizes with a heavily cryptic back story that explodes with full emotional force.”—Kirkus Review, Starred Review

“Mary Pearson can rip out your heart, make you think, make you laugh— then shock you with a plot twist. In The Miles Between she does all that and more. A wild ride and a stunning book.”—E. Lockhart, author of The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau Banks

 

“Well orchestrated.”—Publishers Weekly

“This story is well conceived and beautifully executed. The tight plot effortlessly conveys masterfully drawn characters, and a touch of magical realism adds to the wonder of the day.”—School Library Journal

“Pearson skillfully separates truth from illusion and offers an uplifting book, in which grace and redemption are never left to chance.”—Booklist

“Pearson (The Adoration of Jenna Fox, rev. 5/08; A Room on Lorelei Street) has written another strong novel about the difficult business of growing up, one tinged with mystery and just a touch of fantasy.”—The Horn Book Review

“Deeply moving without being sentimental . . . These are the kind of people you want to have on a road trip, as well as on the longer journey through life.” —The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books

Product Description

Destiny Faraday makes a point of keeping her distance from her classmates at Hedgebrook Academy. Her number-one rule: Don’t get attached. But one day, unexpectedly finding a car at their disposal, Destiny and three of her classmates embark on an unauthorized road trip.

 

They’re searching for one fair day—a day where the good guy wins and everything adds up to something just and right. Their destination: Langdon, a town that Destiny’s unsuspecting companions hope will hold simply a day of fun. But, as Destiny says, “Things are not always what they seem.” Only she knows that Langdon holds far more than that—a deep secret she has never shared with anyone.

 

TheMiles Between explores the wonder andmagic of a very real world where chance, mystery, and secrets abound.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Young Adult
  
• Hardcover: 272 pages
• Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR) (September 1, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0805088288
• ISBN-13: 978-0805088281
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.3 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #83,993 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing..., July 27, 2009

By	J.L. Cocca "Bookworm for Life" (New Jersey) - See all my reviews

(What's this?)

On the surface, this is a novel about coincidence. What does it mean when we happen to find ourselves in a certain place, at a certain time? How will our lives be different? Better? Worse? Digging deeper into the heart of this story, we get to explore all of the possibilities that chance brings into our lives.

When we meet Destiny Farrady, we see a wounded child who, at 17, has been shuffled from boarding school to boarding school due to having parents who can't take the time to raise her themselves. She's structured her personality to keep to a strict routine and not allow anyone to get close to her, in the hopes that she won't be hurt further if she should be left behind again.

On the morning of October 19, she's given the opportunity to share "one fair day" with three of her classmates. They engage in a road trip together and along the way forge a bond of understanding about all the things that go right and wrong in their lives and the world.

Though I was able to guess the climax of this novel about halfway through, I couldn't help but be completely taken in my Ms. Pearson's beautiful explanations of chance, coincidence and life. Destiny's story brought me to tears and the messages that were delivered were more powerful than I can describe.

Anything that may be construed as trite within the narration of this story is all overshadowed by the emotions the reader will inevitably feel after witnessing the tale of this poor girl. I really can't say too many good things about this story - Just read it!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Things you didn't know you were missing..., September 17, 2009

By	Amy Y. "Tell me, what is it you plan to do wi... (FREMONT, CA USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

(What's this?)

Destiny has spent her whole life being shuttled between various boarding schools. Now, at 17, she is waiting for the other shoe to drop: she's been at Hedgebrook Academy for two whole years, longer than she's been anywhere in her life. Her days at Hedgebrook are marked by routine and predictability, down to the lumps in her morning oatmeal, which suits her fine.

Then something interesting happens: Destiny comes across a car idling on the lawn of the school with the driver's door open. Destiny doesn't know how to drive but soon she has her friend Seth behind the wheel of the car she proclaims 'found her'. Another couple of unlikely students join them and then they find themselves embarking on a road trip.

Destiny, always finding coincidence, always noticing the alignment of numbers, sees clearly how things are connected. And yet, she doesn't seem to grasp how years of being without family and kicked out of various schools have slowly wrapped up her heart like a chrysalis. This road trip will set her heart free again.

I think the summary on the back of the book puts it perfectly- that this story "explores the absurdities of life, friendship, and fate-- and also moments of grace and wonder". I was in awe when I finished the book. It was a quick and easy read and yet in many regards, so terribly profound.

This book is truly a simple beauty about the journey of a young girl back to life. An excellent young adult book with so many important things to think about, in particular, the value of how we connect with one another. An excellent book for adults, as well, who want some plain truth served up in pleasing to read prose.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars So memorable and endearing, September 8, 2009

By	The Book Muncher - See all my reviews

(What's this?)

Destiny Faraday has perfected her presence at boarding school. She doesn't have friends, but she spends a little time in the company of a few people. She doesn't refuse to speak but keeps her talking to a minimum. Des has the boarding school life of predictability and routine down pat from her endless observations of those around her and from her number-one rule: Don't get attached. But things rarely go as one plans. When Des unexpectedly finds an abandoned running car, she realizes that although this day, October 19, is supposed to be bad, she can't pass up this opportunity. Somehow her party grows to four with the addition of three of Des' classmates, and they take off on an unauthorized road trip in search of one fair day where everything turns out just so. Along the way, Des finds out that someone has already broken her number-one rule for her--and that it might not be such a bad thing.

I'll admit the first novel by Pearson I read, Scribbler of Dreams, was not one of my favorites. However, The Adoration of Jenna Fox convinced me to give this author another try, which I'm glad I did because The Miles Between was absolutely fabulous. It's difficult to say what exactly about Pearson's writing that makes this novel come together so magically, but perhaps it is its thoughtfulness. There's something about the words on each page that makes each of the main characters so real and makes the reader wish he/she was on this random road trip. Both the characters and the plot are spectacularly formed, revealing the right amount of information at the right time to keep things well-paced but still interesting. I don't really know what else to say about the presentation of this story besides that the effect is wonderful and stunning. I was so connected to this book, the story and the characters, also because of how coincidence and fate were so central to the novel. These are just some of the things about life that have always amazed and fascinated me, and their inclusion in this novel made it all the more unique and interesting. The Miles Between is not an action book; it is mostly character- and thought-driven but still with plenty of surprises hidden within its pages. It is a wonderfully endearing novel that will cheer anyone up and make them feel not alone.

Fans of Pearson's writing, particularly in The Adoration of Jenna Fox, will enjoy The Miles Between. This sweet story will also attract fans of You Are Here by Jennifer E. Smith, Crash Into Me by Albert Borris, Get Well Soon by Julie Halpern, and Sprout by Dale Peck.