Far from You by Lisa Shroeder

Far from You by Lisa Shroeder
384 pages, Paperback
Published January 5, 2010
Summary: 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....

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My thoughts: Okay, I know this has nothing to do with a review of the actual novel, but this cover is just gorgeous. I mean, I fell in love with it just by looking at it. Seriously, isn't it beautiful? Okay, stopping now. Far from You was my second Shroeder novel, and I really enjoyed it. Up until Chasing Brooklyn, I hadn't read any prose novels except Ellen Hopkins, and Shroeder definitely has a knack for it. The way the writing style helps Alice express her emotions in a beautiful, poetic way. Emotions that would normally be intense become engrossing and painful; descriptions that would normally be realistic become life-like.

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Alice has felt alone for a long time. Her mother is dead and her father has a new life. The only solace she finds is in her boyfriend, who she's quickly separated from when she travels with her father and his new family away from her home. Alice, as expected, has problems accepting her step-mother and her little sister. But when she is caught in a snowstorm with her father's family, she realizes that she's never truly been so alone. As previously mentioned, the verse that Shroeder writes in makes Alice a more sympathetic and deep character, and also serves to keep out cluttering details. The book goes by quickly because of this format, and I loved that. It made the story more intense, faster, and more intricate.

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Even though Alice at first struggles to see that Victoria, her stepmother, is actual a sweet, caring person, Shroeder develops her character well and makes her another sympathetic character. Shroeder makes Far from You not only an emotional roller coaster, but an intense, dangerous ride. I was biting my fingernails for the characters' lives all the way through. As Alice grows closer to her little sister, she also grows closer to her absent stepmother and the prose makes it painful for the readers.

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I love how the angel visiting Alice wasn't a clear encounter. It left the explanation up to the reader completely, while also making Alice's feelings apparent. I loved how Shroeder left it open for your own reasoning and also gave Alice strength in that she didn't know exactly what had happened, only that it had happened. The story was simple and easy to follow, while also remaining mysterious and thought-provoking. Shroeder has delivered another impacting and deep novel that captures readers' interest and their hearts.

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Cover: 5 stars

Characters: 4 stars

Plot: 4 stars

Writing: 4.5 stars

Overall rating: 4 stars