Far from You (Hardcover)

~ (Author)
Key Phrases: Life Savers

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Lost and alone...down the rabbit hole.

Years have passed since Alice lost her mother to cancer, but time hasn't quite healed the wound. Alice copes the best she can by writing her music, losing herself in her love for her boyfriend, and distancing herself from her father and his new wife.

But when a deadly snowstorm traps Alice with her stepmother and newborn half sister, she'll face issues she's been avoiding for too long. As Alice looks to the heavens for guidance, she discovers something wonderful.

Perhaps she's not so alone after all....

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

here she comes

Muffled voices

outside my door

that October morning

woke me

and took me

from a peaceful place

to one I'd come

to hate.

When one of them

stepped into my room,

the hallway light

landed on my

closed eyelids,

urging them

to open

like a hand

pulling on a

doorknob.

"It's time," Dad said.

I didn't open my eyes.

I didn't move.

I didn't speak.

"Ali, you awake?"

I gave a little grunt.

The event

wasn't worth

wasting breath on.

"We'll call you later.

When she's here."

Pause.

"I love you," he said

quickly and quietly.

It's pretty sad

when you have to

think about it

before you say it.

just breathe

The clock read

4:13 a.m.

My dog, Cobain,

slept at the foot

of my bed.

I changed directions

and curled up

next to his warm body,

feeling the rhythm

of his breathing.

I stroked his golden fur,

and my heartbeats

s o f t e n e d.

He breathed.

I breathed.

Soon my breaths

were slow and steady,

in sync with his.

Cobain.

My oxygen tank.

He breathed.

I breathed.

The garage door

rumbled open

beneath me.

They were gone.

Gone until

they'd come back

with her.

Then there'd be me.

He breathed.

I breathed.

They knew her name.

But they wouldn't tell me.

It'll be a surprise, Victoria had said,

like a surprise is a good thing.

My stepmom.

Victoria.

She reminded me

of a chameleon lizard,

with her annoying habit

of curling her tongue up

just slightly,

and touching her top lip,

when she was

concentrating.

A chameleon.

One minute sweet as chocolate cake.

The next, sour and possessive,

like an old banker.

Once upon a time

he and I were close.

Dad.

We'd cook together,

watch basketball together,

and make up silly jingles together,

since advertising

is his line of work.

Things changed.

Victoria moved in.

He changed.

It's like he tried

to move on

to greener pastures,

but the tractor in the barn,

once adored,

became a nuisance

and kept him connected

to the painful past.

I squeezed in closer

to Cobain.

He breathed.

I breathed.

I could see Dad

holding his new

baby girl.

Smiling.

Happy.

Totally in love.

He'd breathe.

She'd breathe.

Then there'd be me.

the short version

Mom got cancer.

Cancer sucks.

She died.

Dad remarried.

The end.

our time is now

After a while

I got up,

showered,

and put on my favorite jeans,

a white shirt,

my black jacket,

and my combat boots.

I grabbed my battered,

scuffed-up

guitar case

and headed outside.

The sunlight streamed

through the tree in our front yard,

lighting up the yellow leaves,

creating a brilliant

golden statue

that moved magically

when the breeze blew.

Amazing.

I love fall.

Fall in Seattle.

The season of

warm colors.

I thought about calling Blaze,

to see if I could talk him into going,

but he likes church

about as much

as the queen likes profanity.

It's the one thing

between us

that feels like

a tiny splinter

in your foot.

Painful and annoying,

but difficult to remove.

Blaze and I met

at a concert

last spring.

Our eyes locked

just as Mudhoney

took the stage,

and it was like a rocket

blasting off

into space.

I felt heat

and my body trembled

and forces

beyond my control

pulled me

to him

as the music ripped

through our bodies.

I didn't know his name.

He didn't know mine.

And yet,

it was like

we'd known each other

forever.

My best friend, Claire,

was with me,

and she kept trying

to pull me away,

like she was afraid

for my life.

Silly girl.

Nothing to worry about.

If anything,

he sparked

a fire

inside of me,

making me want

to live

again.

the peace I need

I pulled up in my old Nova.

Claire got in

wearing a long, flowing purple skirt

and a silky, smooth black blouse.

She makes

all of her own

clothes.

Fashion

is her

passion.

I think she

should be a singer.

She's the voice

to the music we make

at church.

Like hot cocoa

and a soft blanket

and fuzzy slippers,

warming you up

top to bottom.

Raspy and sweet

all at the

same time.

I used to envy her,

but then I decided

to just be thankful

for making

incredible music

together.

My music

was complete

because of Claire.

She got in

and threw a CD

in my lap.

"Your turn to listen."

The church we go to,

Center for Spiritual Living,

makes CDs

of the sermons

and the music.

After I backed out,

I looked at Claire,

but my smile

didn't want to come out

and play.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

She knows me

like a druggie knows

his best vein.

"They went to the hospital.

Early this morning."

She gave a nod

of understanding.

I drove

in silence.

That is,

until she reached over

and popped the CD in the player

Blaze had installed for my birthday.

We listened to her sing

the words:

Pain in your heart.
You're playing the part
of a human in need.
You beg and you plead
Wash it away.
Wash it away.
Give me the peace,
the peace I need.

I wrote that song.

Funny how

time goes on,

things change,

and yet,

some things stay

exactly the same.

Copyright © 2009 by Lisa Schroeder

Product Details

• Reading level: Young Adult
  
• Hardcover: 368 pages
• Publisher: Simon Pulse; 1 edition (December 23, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1416975063
• ISBN-13: 978-1416975069
• Product Dimensions: 7.1 x 5.1 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #358,849 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Enchanting Review: Far From You, January 11, 2009

By	Enchanting Reviews "Lisa" - See all my reviews

FAR FROM YOU
LISA SCHROEDER
Contemporary YA
Simon Pulse

Rating: 4.5 Enchantments

Alice's life is a mess, even years after the death of her beloved mother due to cancer. She is continually searching for a way to be close to her mom, her angel, because she can't deal with her father's remarriage. All Alice has left is her best friend Claire, her boyfriend Blaze, her faith, and her music. She seems to be just an afterthought to everyone else.

Thanksgiving break comes, and Alice is forced to spend that time with her stepmom's family. She can't even count on Claire anymore since they had a fight, her father is as distant as ever, and miles separate her from Blaze. Alice is as sullen as ever. But when she, her stepmother, and her newborn baby sister are trapped in a ferocious snowstorm, Alice has to confront all her pent up anger and frustration. It's a fight for life and for love that will change Alice's world forever.

FAR FROM YOU is a beautiful story, written in verse, about love and loss. Through each poem and song, it is easy to understand Alice and feel her pain. Readers will be able to relate to Alice's feeling of invisibility within her own family, and Schroeder creates this sympathy by writing in a style that evokes so much emotion. Each poem goes deep into Alice's heart, and I really enjoyed reading from her perspective, especially her songs. There is not much drama or action in this book despite the life threatening storm; instead, FAR FROM YOU focuses on emotion and relationships, especially with family. FAR FROM YOU is a very fast read, disappointingly so, but it is one that will give readers a sense of hope and belief in the power of love.

Lisa Schroeder has written one other novel in verse, I HEART YOU, YOU HAUNT ME. She is a member of Author2Author, an online writers' blog, and can also be visited online at her website:[...]
Rachael Stein
Enchanting Reviews
January 2009

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars GreenBeanTeenQueen Reviews:[...], July 19, 2009

By	GreenBeanTeenQueen (MO) - See all my reviews

I am a big fan of Lisa Schroeder and she doesn't disappoint! Alice's journey is beautifully written and full of emotion. I loved her boyfriend Blaze, who is such a great example of an awesome boyfriend-I kind of had a book boy crush on him. I also liked the elements of Alice and her faith-it wasn't overt or anything, but it made Alice a more realistic. I did find myself wanting to yell at Alice for being so selfish at times, but that's what makes Lisa Schroeder such a great writer. Her characters are real, their relationships believable, and her writing flows. I still like I Heart You, You Haunt Me better, but if you liked that book or are a fan of novels in verse, give Far From You a try.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Far From You., June 19, 2009

By	Tower of Books "Krista" (Georgia, United States) - See all my reviews

Alice's mother died of cancer years ago. However, she has yet to move on. Things worsen when her father remarries, and her half-sister, Ivy, is born. Of course, Alice has a few things in her life: her wonderful boyfriend Blaze, her best friend Claire, her music, and most importantly, her faith.

However, one day over Thanksgiving Break, Alice, Ivy, and her stepmom become trapped in a snowstorm. Now Alice must deal with issues she has long avoided and wait for her angel to save her...

I enjoyed Far From You. The greatest strength of novel is that it is written in verse. I don't normally read books in verse, so I wasn't sure what to expect. I am pleased to say I was not disappointed. Schroeder's writing is engaging, this novel definitely makes me believe in the phrase, "Less is more." I am now more interested in reading Lisa Schroeder's other work I Heart You, You Haunt Me.

The only real criticism of Far From You I have is the cast of characters. I felt that they were underdeveloped. After I finished reading the book, I realized that I knew very little about Blaze, Claire, or even Alice, but this is not something that should detract anyone from the novel. It is worth reading.