Out of Reach [Hardcover]

Carrie Arcos (Author)

Book Description

Release date: October 16, 2012

How do you find someone who doesn’t want to be found? A girl searches for her missing addict brother while confronting her own secrets in this darkly lyrical novel.

Rachel has always idolized her older brother Micah. He struggles with addiction, but she tells herself that he’s in control. And she almost believes it. Until the night that Micah doesn’t come home.

Rachel’s terrified—and she can’t help but feel responsible. She should have listened when Micah tried to confide in her. And she only feels more guilt when she receives an anonymous note telling her that Micah is nearby and in danger.

With nothing more to go on than hope and a slim lead, Rachel and Micah’s best friend, Tyler, begin the search. Along the way, Rachel will be forced to confront her own dark secrets, her growing attraction to Tyler…and the possibility that Micah may never come home.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Gr 9 Up-When Rachel's brother begins using crystal meth to fuel his music, she turns a blind eye, hoping the issue will resolve itself. Then Micah disappears, and Rachel is wracked with guilt. Could she have tried harder to help him? An anonymous email tips her off that he is in Ocean Beach and in serious trouble. Teaming up with Micah's former bandmate, Tyler, she sets off to search for her brother. It's soon apparent that this is not only a journey to find Micah, but one that Rachel must take to make peace with herself. At its simplest, this is a story about addiction and its far-reaching impact on the user and those close to him. It is also about love, family, and personal growth. None are new topics to YA literature, but it is how the author approaches them that sets this book apart. Rachel's voice is painfully honest as, more and more, she opens up about her life and how her brother's addiction is affecting her. A budding romance softens the knowledge that the search for Micah might not come to a happy or conclusive ending. A powerful debut.-Alissa J. Bach, Oxford Public Library, MIα(c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Review

"Ellen Hopkins fans will find another look at methamphetamine addiction in this quick, realistic debut. " (Kirkus)

"Teens affected by drug use may see their own experiences reflected in Rachel’s story. Recommend this to readers of Ellen Hopkins’ similarly themed novels in verse." (Booklist)

* "Arcos paints a complex, honest, devastating portrait of what it means to watch someone you love turn into a stranger. The result is an empathetic, highly readable tale that captures the messy dynamics of sibling relationships, the pain and powerlessness of addiction from a loved one’s perspective, and, in an ending that brilliantly mingles loss and hope, the necessity of letting go."

(The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, starred review)

"A powerful debut." (School Library Journal)

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: Simon Pulse (October 16, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1442440538
• ISBN-13: 978-1442440531
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.5 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #450,236 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Carrie Arcos was born in Albany, New York and still mourns the day her family left for the West Coast. She earned an MA in creative writing and English literature and writes young adult fiction. She loves teaching English--first high school and now college. Carrie currently lives in Los Angeles with her husband and three children. OUT OF REACH is her debut novel and has been selected as a 2012 National Book Award finalist for young people's literature. Visit her at carriearcos.com.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Raw and Satisfying October 18, 2012

By Heather Rose Chase

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

With my own children on the cusp of their teenage years, Out of Reach was a good reminder that I need to be intricately involved with my kids and where they are. It felt very mature for a young adult book, but it could just be the stage of life I'm in. I certainly would have read it in my own teenage years. I can see introducing it to my kids in a few years and letting it be a great conversation builder about drug use and destructive choices. Rachel carries a lot of weight on her thin shoulders and it's good to see her working through that and the conclusion she comes to. I found the ending to be exactly what I wanted... more like read life instead of a neatly resolved quick story like the 30-minute sitcom Rachel was hoping her family conflicts could be. Great first novel, I look forward to reading more from the creative mind of Carrie Arcos.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars A journey of realization and forgiveness October 18, 2012

By Shane

Format:Hardcover

A journey of realization, forgiveness, and finding a little romance along the way. Out of Reach gives a realistic look at how the dangers of substance abuse affects not only yourself but those around you. And Carrie captures the situation in straight-to-the-point verbage and unsugarcoated descriptions.

The book isn't just about the addiction, it explores the path in which it takes you. Homelessness, giving sexual favors to purchase drugs, mental problems, and often times death.
I like the way the story's told; Rachel spent the entire book in between searching for her brother while reflecting on life leading up to the day he left. It was a great way for readers to connect to the characters, Micah included. I could establish an idea of the kind of person he was from the details given by Rachel's memories. He seemed really protective of his sister, and wanted desperately to be the older brother she could look up to. In fact, it seems he left more so because he felt like he had let her down with his addiction and was too embarrassed about facing her or his parents. Rachel on the other hand kept her brother's secrets because she didn't want him to hate her. Whether or not she realized, Rachel was also protective of her brother and even of the fact that he had started doing drugs.

The whole journey of finding Micah turned out to be one of Rachel learning to let him go, forgive him, and most of all forgive herself. All along she felt guilty about not doing enough for him, and even blamed herself for the seriousness of his substance abuse. If Tyler hadn't gone along with her I don't think she would've found closure because like Rachel, Tyler also thought he should've done more for Micah.... At the end of their trip both acknowledged the truth, that they can only let him come to them on his own.

While the overall story's relatable and refreshing in its own way from the fantasy flood, there were times it seemed prolonged. Aside from that, I enjoyed the book. I grieved with Rachel when every lead seemed futile, and whenever she heard new details regarding Micah's state. The writing, again, was precise and had me visualizing the scenes in a simple manner. It was an acceptable debut, but I'm not sure if the story will continue as the ending left me holding on. Or was that another point depicted about drug abuse, that you truly can't do anything else but wait for the one you care about to return to you. Read more ›

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A sister's perspective of addication November 8, 2012

By Sheri Mackey

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

Great story, well written and thought out. I enjoy the perspective of a younger sister struggling to reconcile her hero complex of her older drug addict brother. The people she meets in this journey are great characters who bring depth to the subject and perspectives a not easy found. I highly recommend it for anyone who deals with a family member or helps other's deal with addict behaviour. Thank you for writing this book.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

2.0 out of 5 stars Just no, please February 27, 2013

By Tabitha Williams

Format:Hardcover

WARNING: This review may contain spoilers and general rantiness.

I really wanted to like this book. Truly, I did. But it pissed me off and I can't say that I will be recommending it to anyone. In fact, I have already told several people to steer clear. Let's do the basics first. Out Of Reach is the story of Rachel's journey to find her wayward brother. She enlists the help of his bestie, Tyler to assist her and they head out to search in the areas she thinks he might be. A few weeks before, she received an anonymous email stating that her brother was in a lot of trouble and she should come and try to help. Why she thinks she will be able to find her brother by simply looking on street corners in a single day was beyond me, but hey, more power to her misguided hope.

I started off really enjoying this novel. Rachel didn't seem so bad and I was intrigued by Tyler. There was obvious chemistry between the two though Rachel does her best to deny it. Plus, I was hoping she would find her brother, bond with Tyler over the experience, and things would end more or less happily. I know, it was a pipedream, but I try to start every novel from a happy place.....unless I'm reading it because I want to be depressed, but that is a different matter entirely. The further I got into this book, the more irritated I became. The more I read about Rachel, the more my dislike started to creep in. She gives these flashbacks from when they were younger and her and Micah (her brother) were just sssssoooo close. But here is what I don't get, if you were so bonded and lied to your parents for each other and all this other crap, then why did you wait all summer to start searching for him?... Micah disappears at the very beginning of summer and you just write it off, knowing his a drug addict, because your parents assure you he is fine and you don't think you should waste your time on it?!?!?! And now you are all of a sudden worried because you got an email? Lady, I just can't even begin to describe how much this angers me. This bitch ends up being one of the most self-center, egocentric, moronic heroines I have ever read about...and that statement includes Bella Swan. Oh yeah, I went there. Anyway, a whole lot of crap goes down, they ask around drug dealers places and look on the beach and such, then Miss Whiny-pants car gets stolen. Well, geez, you leave a Honda Civic (one of the most stolen cars in the US) parked on the wrong side of town, what the heck did you think was going to happen?

Then there is the ending, which leaves a lot to be desired. Rachel and Tyler end up finding her car and stealing it back, then head home, sans Micah who is still MIA. Then they kinda sorta discuss their feelings and it's (lightly) implied that they'll date soon. Rachel writes an email to Micah, which she doesn't know if he'll ever get and sends it out into the universe, basically saying that she isn't going to worry about him anymore, she's just going to live her life. Cold hearted bitch. You spent ONE DAY searching.

This novel really was just a whole lot of screw ups. In retrospect, I realize that I guess the author was trying to write a "realistic" portrayal of the impacts drugs have on the lives of family and friends, but she should have picked a heroine who really cared about the drug-addled brother. I was expecting her to search for several days to find her brother and then drag him home or have him tell her to screw off or SOMETHING. Whether it be dragging his butt back home for rehab or having an epic confrontation that ends in her leaving him to rot on the side of the street, I wanted something to happen. I would call the ending anti-climatic at best.

Despite all the complaints, I did like how much information the author gave us about meth addicts. It did seem like she did her research on that, but that just wasn't enough. If that was all I wanted, I could have gotten a pamphlet from my local health department. All in all, don't bother with this unless you want a big letdown. Do I recommend it to anyone at all? Definitely not Read more ›

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best books of the year November 5, 2012

By samlikes2rockit

Format:Hardcover

I LOVED this book, one of my favorites this year. While i may only be a teenager at heart, i could totally relate to Rachel, and enjoyed journeying with her on her realistic search for her brother.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars A intriguing novel about how addiction effects families. November 1, 2012

By Lola

Format:Kindle Edition

I've been eagerly anticipating this book for a while now and have to say I'm disappointed. While it did deal with some hard subject matter nothing really happens in the book. I'd have to say that this book is more about Rachel and Micah's relationship than anything else. We get to read flashback scenes that allow us insight into their relationship which was great to read about but aside from that nothing happens plot wise.

After reading the summary I assumed that Tyler and Rachel's interactions would lead to something romantic but sadly that wasn't the case. Although there are hints here and there about the attraction between the two again nothing really happens and that was disappointing after reading the summary which insinuated something would.

Don't let what you read above fool you. I did like the book. It just felt anticlimactic. If you are looking for a book about addiction and how it affects families, I'd say read this book .