Review: Far From You by Lisa Schroeder

Title: Far From You
Author: Lisa Schroeder
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's
Publication Date: December 23, 2008
Links: Amazon | Goodreads
Source: Won

Lost and alone...Down the rabbit hole.
Alice thought she knew
what solitude was:
Her mother—gone.
Her father—remarried with a newborn
daughter.

Now...
Trapped
in the icy embrace
of a deadly snowstorm,
Alice faces the true meaning of loneliness.

But hope
may not be as far away
as she thinks....

Alice is an interesting character. She desperately clings to her memories of her mother as her newborn half-sister provides physical evidence that her father has moved on with his life. Alice says and does things that are selfish, angsty, and bratty. But she knows how she is acting. She realizes it is perhaps not the best reaction, but that she also has the right to be a bit immature about it, especially since her best friend is growing tiresome of Alice's mourning mood. At least Alice has her boyfriend. Their relationship is not perfect, and doesn't seem destined to last past high school. But he is supportive in most areas and learns to be more supportive in others, and he loves and respects her. Their relationship is a normal and healthy one, without a lot of drama even though they do disagree on some things. It's nice to see that represented in young adult literature. Romance isn't the focus of this story, though.

When Alice becomes trapped in the car on a scenic highway with her step-mother and baby sister during a bad snow storm, her attitude changes pretty quickly. Faced with survival and the reality that some (or all) of them might not survive, her perspective changes and she is forced to see how much her family matters to her.

Lisa Schroeder does a great job of capturing a teenage girl's angst, boredom, and resentment. Her words provide vivid emotion as well as imagery. It is easy to imagine the snowstorm and the freezing cold and the desperation, as well as the determination through a time of seemingly increasing hopelessness.

This is my second Lisa Schroeder novel, and I really liked it! Not as much as I liked The Day Before, but this one is also good. I love the way that Lisa Schroeder fits so much story into so few words. It's a fast read that is perfect for winter and the holidays. I definitely want to read the rest of her books. I'd recommend this to fans of novels in verse, snowy settings, and stories that deal with family problems, grief, and survival.