"Imagine Anna Quindlen or Sue Miller turning her attention to writing a young adult novel, and you have an idea what [Williams] has done for early teen readers…" --Audrey Couloumbis, author of the Newbery Honor Book Getting Close to Baby
Thirteen-year-old Lacey wakes to a beautiful summer morning excited to begin her new job at the library, just as her mother is supposed to start work at the grocery store. Lacey hopes that her mother's ghosts have finally been laid to rest; after all, she seems so much better these days, and they really do need the money. But as the hours tick by and memories come flooding back, a day full of hope spins terrifyingly out of control....
“No one can get inside the head and heart of a 13-year-old girl better than Carol Lynch Williams, and I mean no one," said James S. Jacobs, Professor of Children's Literature at Brigham Young University, of her breakout novel, The Chosen One. Now this award-winning YA author brings us an equally gripping story of a girl who loves her mother, but must face the truth of what life with that mother means for both of them.
Miles from Ordinary: A Novel
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Book Description
Frequently Bought Together
Editorial Reviews
From Booklist
Thirteen-year-old Lacey hopes that this summer day will be a new start. She has gotten her mother a job at Winn-Dixie because they desperately need the money, and Lacey will be following in her aunt Linda�s footsteps by working at the public library. Lacey craves an opportunity to be �normal,� to flirt with her neighbor Aaron and not have to watch over Momma, who seems so much better these days. But the day quickly spins out of control when Momma disappears. Seeing things afresh through Aaron�s eyes as they search for her together, Lacey comes to realize that it�s impossible for her to help her mother on her own. This gripping story by the author of The Chosen One (2009) is as suspenseful as it is painful. Lacey�s love for her mother, mixed with resentment and frustration over Momma�s mental illness, is thoroughly believable (if a little sophisticated). Provocatively dark and at times downright scary, this novel will have readers rushing to the unforeseen, achingly authentic conclusion. Grades 6-9. --Melissa Moore
Review
"Absorbing....[Williams] has crafted both a riveting, unusual suspense tale and an absolutely convincing character in Lacey. The book truly is miles from ordinary, in the very best way. Outstanding.” --Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
"In a novel spanning a mere 24 hours, Williams takes readers on an emotional roller-coaster ride....Poignant." --Publishers Weekly
"Gripping....Provocatively dark and at times downright scary, this novel will have readers rushing to the unforeseen, achingly authentic conclusion." --Booklist
Praise for THE CHOSEN ONE:
"A powerful and heartbreaking novel of love and hope." --Meg Cabot, New York Times bestselling author of The Princess Diaries and Airhead
"Fiction can offer emotional truth where other tools fail ….Williams unveils life among the Chosen with spare, evocative writing and an honest sense of character that helps bridge the rift between Kyra’s world and ours....The cinematic drama of her life…is a means to reach a quieter truth, revealing that moment in childhood when you recognize your thoughts as your own and discover forces in the world that your parents cannot--or will not--protect you from."--The New York Times Book Review (Editor’s Choice)
"Intensely gripping and grippingly intense." --Kirkus Reviews
"Extraordinary....The Chosen One is brave, its plumb is true, it’s a masterpiece.” --Kathi Appelt, author of the National Book Award finalist The Underneath
"Makes the heart race, the teeth grind, and the brow bead up in sweat." --Gregory Maguire, New York Times bestselling author of Wicked and A Lion Among Men
"Fiction can offer emotional truth where other tools fail ….Williams unveils life among the Chosen with spare, evocative writing and an honest sense of character that helps bridge the rift between Kyra’s world and ours....The cinematic drama of her life…is a means to reach a quieter truth, revealing that moment in childhood when you recognize your thoughts as your own and discover forces in the world that your parents cannot--or will not--protect you from."--The New York Times Book Review (Editor’s Choice)
"Intensely gripping and grippingly intense." --Kirkus Reviews
"Extraordinary....The Chosen One is brave, its plumb is true, it’s a masterpiece.” --Kathi Appelt, author of the National Book Award finalist The Underneath
"Makes the heart race, the teeth grind, and the brow bead up in sweat." --Gregory Maguire, New York Times bestselling author of Wicked and A Lion Among Men
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
6 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Vine™ Review
(What's this?)
In Williams' Miles from Ordinary: A Novel, thirteen-year-old Lacey just wants a normal day. Since her aunt left a year ago, Lacey has been forced to take care of her mentally ill mother by herself. In an attempt to gain some freedom and some income for both of them, Lacey gets her mother a job as a cashier while she plans to volunteer at the local library. Hoping against hope that she will have one ordinary day and maybe make a friend in the process, Lacey drops off her mother at the grocery store. When Lacey later discovers that her mother is missing, her world begins to quickly spiral out of control.
Despite the affecting subject matter, MILES FROM ORDINARY didn't grab me as I had hoped. The topic squarely put the novel in the young adult category, but the writing and the young voice seemed more appropriate for middle grades. Because of this, I'm unsure of whether the book will find the right fit with its intended audience. Pacing was slow throughout much of the novel, but the final 30 pages became fast-paced and downright terror-filled. Though engaging, this quick shift in tone and style didn't mesh with the rest of the book. Events became unexplainable during these final pages too, in a way that made the events unbelievable. When the story does wrap up, it does so too quickly and too easily. Further, while the book accurately portrays that mental illness can lead to horrible ends, it does so in a way that I fear may unfairly stigmatize mental illness as being a condition that frequently leads to hurting others.
On the positive side, I appreciated that Williams was willing to tackle an important issue like mental illness and how it affects children. Written in first-person, present tense, the novel movingly depicted the constant worries and stresses that Lacey endured as a child trying to take care of an unstable parent. Also, while the book was slow to start, the tension really ratcheted up at the end, and I found myself truly frightened and unsettled while reading the final pages.
Though mental illness remains a neglected and overlooked topic in literature and in society, I'm disappointed to report that I felt this book didn't add a great deal to its understanding. Even with these qualms, I plan to read Williams' The Chosen One: A Novel to see how she handles another explosive and frightening topic, that of forced polygamy.
Note: This review refers to an advance reader's copy.
Despite the affecting subject matter, MILES FROM ORDINARY didn't grab me as I had hoped. The topic squarely put the novel in the young adult category, but the writing and the young voice seemed more appropriate for middle grades. Because of this, I'm unsure of whether the book will find the right fit with its intended audience. Pacing was slow throughout much of the novel, but the final 30 pages became fast-paced and downright terror-filled. Though engaging, this quick shift in tone and style didn't mesh with the rest of the book. Events became unexplainable during these final pages too, in a way that made the events unbelievable. When the story does wrap up, it does so too quickly and too easily. Further, while the book accurately portrays that mental illness can lead to horrible ends, it does so in a way that I fear may unfairly stigmatize mental illness as being a condition that frequently leads to hurting others.
On the positive side, I appreciated that Williams was willing to tackle an important issue like mental illness and how it affects children. Written in first-person, present tense, the novel movingly depicted the constant worries and stresses that Lacey endured as a child trying to take care of an unstable parent. Also, while the book was slow to start, the tension really ratcheted up at the end, and I found myself truly frightened and unsettled while reading the final pages.
Though mental illness remains a neglected and overlooked topic in literature and in society, I'm disappointed to report that I felt this book didn't add a great deal to its understanding. Even with these qualms, I plan to read Williams' The Chosen One: A Novel to see how she handles another explosive and frightening topic, that of forced polygamy.
Note: This review refers to an advance reader's copy.
5 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Vine™ Review
(What's this?)
I was inclined to pick up "MILES FROM ORDINARY" after reading the author's previous novel "THE CHOSEN ONE" (which I rather enjoyed). Unfortunately, this book didn't quite meet my expectations and, in fact, was a rather disappointing read.
I should start by saying that I am definitely an advocate of books which promote mental health awareness. However, Williams' delivery was hardly encouraging and lacked any semblance of a positive resolution.
Synopsis (spoiler warning):
Thirteen-year old Lacey has been living alone with her mother for about a year in her deceased grandfather's house. In that time, her mother (who has a history of serious mental illness) has developed what seems to be extreme depression, paranoia and possibly, schizophrenia. The book is set over the course of a single day, however, the narrator Lacy tells her story through a series of memories and flashbacks. The day was supposed to be a good one-- her mom was scheduled to start her first day of work as a cashier at Winn-Dixie and Lacy was volunteering at the local library. However, things go sour quickly after her mother leaves work in a fit of anxiety only to get lost somewhere in town (we learn this happens fairly often). Lacey, with the help of a schoolmate searches everywhere for her lost mother dreading the possibility of finding her deranged or even dead. This is where the book gets a little loopy. In a sweeping change of pace, what was a depressing and seemingly plotless story suddenly becomes a flashlight-horror film on paper. It's nighttime (of course) and Lacy still hasn't found her mom but her dead grandfather's ghost appears in the living room of their house and he somehow compels her to "head upstairs to check things out." With a flashlight in hand, she slowly makes her way up the eerie, creaking hallways and starts searching the rooms in a cold-sweat panic. Soon, she starts hearing her grandfather's voice which leads her to a locked room at the end of the hall (of course). A locked room at the end of the hall can mean nothing but bad news-- and that's what it is. There's a corpse of a rotting old bird and a creepy mannequin of Lacy's aunt laying corpse-like in a bed. Then, Lacy's mom conveniently appears in the locked room speaking as both the grandfather ghost and herself. It's clear to Lacy that shes so far gone at this point there's nothing sane left of her mother. But still, her mom attempts to convince her to commit suicide by hanging herself (of course, her mom will do it with her) so they can all be together with the dead grandfather. How pleasant. Sooner or later the police and inevitable ambulance shows up, the mom gets taken away and our heroine (can you even call her this?) Lacy looks forward to facing a new day without her insane mother ruining her life.
Apart from the story being a bit odd and rather lifeless, I found the characters (apart from the ill mother) rather lacking in depth. I didn't particularly feel connected to the narrator Lacy, who was never even given a physical description. While she was courageous (for picking up the phone and calling for help) she wasn't a bold or compelling heroine. The flow of the dialogue was a bit jagged and hard to follow at times, and the vocabulary a bit dry for this level of reader.
Overall, not the best representation of this sub-genre. I would suggest the following books for pre-teen / teenage girls with strong(er) leading female roles:
Also Known As Harper
My Big Nose and Other Natural Disasters
Vibes
Purge
The Chosen One: A Novel
My Rating: C+
I should start by saying that I am definitely an advocate of books which promote mental health awareness. However, Williams' delivery was hardly encouraging and lacked any semblance of a positive resolution.
Synopsis (spoiler warning):
Thirteen-year old Lacey has been living alone with her mother for about a year in her deceased grandfather's house. In that time, her mother (who has a history of serious mental illness) has developed what seems to be extreme depression, paranoia and possibly, schizophrenia. The book is set over the course of a single day, however, the narrator Lacy tells her story through a series of memories and flashbacks. The day was supposed to be a good one-- her mom was scheduled to start her first day of work as a cashier at Winn-Dixie and Lacy was volunteering at the local library. However, things go sour quickly after her mother leaves work in a fit of anxiety only to get lost somewhere in town (we learn this happens fairly often). Lacey, with the help of a schoolmate searches everywhere for her lost mother dreading the possibility of finding her deranged or even dead. This is where the book gets a little loopy. In a sweeping change of pace, what was a depressing and seemingly plotless story suddenly becomes a flashlight-horror film on paper. It's nighttime (of course) and Lacy still hasn't found her mom but her dead grandfather's ghost appears in the living room of their house and he somehow compels her to "head upstairs to check things out." With a flashlight in hand, she slowly makes her way up the eerie, creaking hallways and starts searching the rooms in a cold-sweat panic. Soon, she starts hearing her grandfather's voice which leads her to a locked room at the end of the hall (of course). A locked room at the end of the hall can mean nothing but bad news-- and that's what it is. There's a corpse of a rotting old bird and a creepy mannequin of Lacy's aunt laying corpse-like in a bed. Then, Lacy's mom conveniently appears in the locked room speaking as both the grandfather ghost and herself. It's clear to Lacy that shes so far gone at this point there's nothing sane left of her mother. But still, her mom attempts to convince her to commit suicide by hanging herself (of course, her mom will do it with her) so they can all be together with the dead grandfather. How pleasant. Sooner or later the police and inevitable ambulance shows up, the mom gets taken away and our heroine (can you even call her this?) Lacy looks forward to facing a new day without her insane mother ruining her life.
Apart from the story being a bit odd and rather lifeless, I found the characters (apart from the ill mother) rather lacking in depth. I didn't particularly feel connected to the narrator Lacy, who was never even given a physical description. While she was courageous (for picking up the phone and calling for help) she wasn't a bold or compelling heroine. The flow of the dialogue was a bit jagged and hard to follow at times, and the vocabulary a bit dry for this level of reader.
Overall, not the best representation of this sub-genre. I would suggest the following books for pre-teen / teenage girls with strong(er) leading female roles:
Also Known As Harper
My Big Nose and Other Natural Disasters
Vibes
Purge
The Chosen One: A Novel
My Rating: C+
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
This is a pretty intriguing novel, especially because the events mostly unfold over the course of one day and the story went in directions I didn't quite expect. 14-year-old Lacey has a lot on her plate for someone who's so young; she's trying to pretend everything is normal to the outside world, but in reality, she's dealing with a depressed, unreliable mother and it's starting to take its toll on her. Particularly because her mom still talks to Lacey's dead grandpa as if he were still alive.
While I was very interested in the premise and it's certainly a fast read, I think there is perhaps a disconnect between subject, style, content, and intended audience. The novel is very short and the plot is somewhat simple, and because it only touches on the surface of the topics of mental illness, potential foster care, etc., it seems more suited to middle grade fiction or very young YA readers. But then again, I see why this is categorized as young adult fiction, because the first person narrative and book's focus on Lacey's state of mind really would make this appealing to that audience.
This isn't the first time in which mental illness and a horror/thriller have gone hand in hand, but since there was so much focus on the former, without scenarios and solutions that seemed more sound, it became a bit more difficult to stay invested in the story. Some of the dialogue also seemed more juvenile and the events rather overly dramatic, though they certainly contribute to getting a sense of Lacey's possible paranoia and being out of control.
I'll tell you what made this book for me, however: in the last third or so of the book, Lacey's emotions reach a fever pitch in a way that suddenly and masterfully draws in the reader with an unrelenting grip. There is a creepy scene towards the end when your imagination runs wild and you're not quite sure what's real and what's not, and suddenly there is a question in your mind that never occurred to you before. That chilling moment alone is worth reading this book for, and it got me very excited about where the story was going. I just wish I had felt more of that intense interest throughout the entire novel.
Still, I'm definitely interested in checking out other books by this author, and I'd recommend this one as a library read if you're curious.
*An advance copy of this book was received by the publisher for review.*
While I was very interested in the premise and it's certainly a fast read, I think there is perhaps a disconnect between subject, style, content, and intended audience. The novel is very short and the plot is somewhat simple, and because it only touches on the surface of the topics of mental illness, potential foster care, etc., it seems more suited to middle grade fiction or very young YA readers. But then again, I see why this is categorized as young adult fiction, because the first person narrative and book's focus on Lacey's state of mind really would make this appealing to that audience.
This isn't the first time in which mental illness and a horror/thriller have gone hand in hand, but since there was so much focus on the former, without scenarios and solutions that seemed more sound, it became a bit more difficult to stay invested in the story. Some of the dialogue also seemed more juvenile and the events rather overly dramatic, though they certainly contribute to getting a sense of Lacey's possible paranoia and being out of control.
I'll tell you what made this book for me, however: in the last third or so of the book, Lacey's emotions reach a fever pitch in a way that suddenly and masterfully draws in the reader with an unrelenting grip. There is a creepy scene towards the end when your imagination runs wild and you're not quite sure what's real and what's not, and suddenly there is a question in your mind that never occurred to you before. That chilling moment alone is worth reading this book for, and it got me very excited about where the story was going. I just wish I had felt more of that intense interest throughout the entire novel.
Still, I'm definitely interested in checking out other books by this author, and I'd recommend this one as a library read if you're curious.
*An advance copy of this book was received by the publisher for review.*
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
A short story with a heavy emotional punch.
Carol Lynch Williams has that rare talent of being able to punch out an emotional roller coaster of a story in a small amount of pages. Read more
Published 5 months ago by Nicole
4.0 out of 5 stars
Powerful Novel!
"Aaron," I whispered. Not so sure why. He seemed like the only normal thing I knew. And I wanted something, anything, normal. Anything. Read more
Published 14 months ago by Nicole's YA Book Haven
4.0 out of 5 stars
5* stars (for lovers of the ever-building plot line)
Lacey (14) is dealing with her bipolar mother, trying to hold it all together while mom falls apart. Read more
Published 15 months ago by M. Knapp
5.0 out of 5 stars
Short and snappy
I loved Carol Lynch Williams's THE CHOSEN ONE. MILES FROM ORDINARY is a different sort of novel but it, too, is an absolute cracker. Read more
Published 19 months ago by Tez Miller
3.0 out of 5 stars
A Heartbreaking, Haunting Read
Lacey is a fourteen year-old-girl about to begin a volunteer job at one of her favorite places, the Peace City Library. She doesn't have a best friend, but she'd like one. Read more
Published 19 months ago by Katrina L. Burchett
4.0 out of 5 stars
Heartbreaking and real
I had no idea what to expect from this novel. I hadn't even read the description before entering the giveaway I won this from - I just saw it was contemporary YA and entered. Read more
Published 20 months ago by Hannah @ Paperback Treasures
3.0 out of 5 stars
Kept Waiting for It to Get Better
I really liked The Chosen One: A Novel by Carol Lynch Williams, but I had some serious issues with her first novel in verse Glimpse. Read more
Published 21 months ago by Kathryn Gaglione
4.0 out of 5 stars
Review: Miles from Ordinary
Quick Thoughts: mental illness. libraries. summer. hope. fear.
Lacey has so much hope when the day starts. Read more
Lacey has so much hope when the day starts. Read more
Published 21 months ago by Alexis
5.0 out of 5 stars
Momma Isn't Right.
Momma isn't right. She stays in bed for days on end, doesn't eat, wanders the streets in her housecoat, and--talks to her dead daddy. Read more
Published 21 months ago by Cheri Williams
3.0 out of 5 stars
Gets weird at the end...
Thirteen-year-old Lacey lives with her mentally ill mother. They're both about to begin new jobs - Lacey's summer job at the library, and her mother's (hopefully) permanent job at... Read more
Published 21 months ago by jebi44
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