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olivialandryxo 's review for:
Far From You
by Tess Sharpe
I’m always looking for a good thriller—one that keeps me guessing till the end, that doesn’t have any excessively grotesque content, but does have interesting characters and a story for me to care about. Far From You gave me all of that, and I loved it.
The best word to describe the characters and the dynamics among them would be messy. In my opinion, that can go really well or really awful; Sharpe pulled it off. Sophie is a great, complex protagonist who’s not only recovering from the second near-fatal accident in her life, but struggling with recovery from her drug addiction, grieving her best friend’s death, and trying to figure out who’s responsible for said best friend’s murder. She’s neither good nor bad, and I really liked her.
I also really liked Mina and her older brother Trev. They had a sweet bond and were both friends with Sophie, which was quite nice to see. Even Adam and Kyle ended up being decent, and I was skeptical that it would be true.
One interesting thing, in my opinion, is that even with numerous timelines, there’s no romance. Sure, Sophie and Mina date people, but nothing long-term. Sophie is bisexual and Mina is a lesbian, and both terms are used on-page. Granted, they’re valid whether or not terms are specifically used, but I do like seeing them nonetheless. Of course, me being me, I thought they would absolutely end up together in a loving relationship cut short by Mina’s tragic death, so dramatic and emotional. I did get drama, but of a different variety: the girls like each other, but Mina isn’t out due to fear of repercussions in their small religious town. There’s some tension between them because of this, all the way up to Mina’s aforementioned death. This isn’t what I expected or hoped for, but props to Sharpe for not only making it work, but making it good.
The story takes place over multiple timelines, though I listened to the audiobook and didn’t take notes, so I’m not sure exactly how many. There’s present day, and two or three others at various points in Sophie’s life. The switch between them was always smooth and evident, done in a way that didn’t confuse me. Sometimes the way a chapter ended in one timeline made sure I kept reading, eager enough to find out what came next that I pushed through chapters in other timelines.
As for the actual plot, I was intrigued almost immediately. Sophie is coming home after three months of rehab for her drug addiction, grieving Mina, and desperate to prove the blame put on her for their whereabouts that night was done so erroneously. Whilst trying to figure out what happened to Mina, another mystery comes to light, making this a double mystery. This could’ve gone so wrong, but it didn’t. Sharpe balanced both mysteries incredibly well, managing to connect them in surprising ways. By the time I was 40% through the book, I was absolutely hooked. I said to myself yesterday, ”Oh, yeah, I’ll finish this tomorrow at some point.” Nope. I unintentionally marathoned the last couple of hours of this before bed, getting more tired as time passed but staying awake because I needed to know what happened.
And those last couple of plot twists? Holy crap. 10/10, did not see coming, completely worth staying up until 3 a.m. to discover. I can’t say more because of spoilers, but wow. W O W.
Lastly, I want to bring up the audiobook itself. The author narrates it, something I’ve only seen a couple of times when the book in question isn’t a memoir. Sharpe didn’t just write a brilliant story; she told one, too. No monotones here. The narration emphasized every emotion in the story without being excessive, and it definitely made my reading experience more enjoyable.
I think I’ve covered all my bases. Far From You is a phenomenal thriller with a lot more to it than is immediately evident, and I loved it. I hope to buy my own copy soon, and highly recommend it to everyone that can handle the content.
Representation:
• Disabled bisexual protagonist with chronic pain and a limp in one leg
CW: drug use/addiction, gun violence, death/murder, grief, PTSD, blood, car accidents
The best word to describe the characters and the dynamics among them would be messy. In my opinion, that can go really well or really awful; Sharpe pulled it off. Sophie is a great, complex protagonist who’s not only recovering from the second near-fatal accident in her life, but struggling with recovery from her drug addiction, grieving her best friend’s death, and trying to figure out who’s responsible for said best friend’s murder. She’s neither good nor bad, and I really liked her.
I also really liked Mina and her older brother Trev. They had a sweet bond and were both friends with Sophie, which was quite nice to see. Even Adam and Kyle ended up being decent, and I was skeptical that it would be true.
One interesting thing, in my opinion, is that even with numerous timelines, there’s no romance. Sure, Sophie and Mina date people, but nothing long-term. Sophie is bisexual and Mina is a lesbian, and both terms are used on-page. Granted, they’re valid whether or not terms are specifically used, but I do like seeing them nonetheless. Of course, me being me, I thought they would absolutely end up together in a loving relationship cut short by Mina’s tragic death, so dramatic and emotional. I did get drama, but of a different variety: the girls like each other, but Mina isn’t out due to fear of repercussions in their small religious town. There’s some tension between them because of this, all the way up to Mina’s aforementioned death. This isn’t what I expected or hoped for, but props to Sharpe for not only making it work, but making it good.
The story takes place over multiple timelines, though I listened to the audiobook and didn’t take notes, so I’m not sure exactly how many. There’s present day, and two or three others at various points in Sophie’s life. The switch between them was always smooth and evident, done in a way that didn’t confuse me. Sometimes the way a chapter ended in one timeline made sure I kept reading, eager enough to find out what came next that I pushed through chapters in other timelines.
As for the actual plot, I was intrigued almost immediately. Sophie is coming home after three months of rehab for her drug addiction, grieving Mina, and desperate to prove the blame put on her for their whereabouts that night was done so erroneously. Whilst trying to figure out what happened to Mina, another mystery comes to light, making this a double mystery. This could’ve gone so wrong, but it didn’t. Sharpe balanced both mysteries incredibly well, managing to connect them in surprising ways. By the time I was 40% through the book, I was absolutely hooked. I said to myself yesterday, ”Oh, yeah, I’ll finish this tomorrow at some point.” Nope. I unintentionally marathoned the last couple of hours of this before bed, getting more tired as time passed but staying awake because I needed to know what happened.
And those last couple of plot twists? Holy crap. 10/10, did not see coming, completely worth staying up until 3 a.m. to discover. I can’t say more because of spoilers, but wow. W O W.
Lastly, I want to bring up the audiobook itself. The author narrates it, something I’ve only seen a couple of times when the book in question isn’t a memoir. Sharpe didn’t just write a brilliant story; she told one, too. No monotones here. The narration emphasized every emotion in the story without being excessive, and it definitely made my reading experience more enjoyable.
I think I’ve covered all my bases. Far From You is a phenomenal thriller with a lot more to it than is immediately evident, and I loved it. I hope to buy my own copy soon, and highly recommend it to everyone that can handle the content.
Representation:
• Disabled bisexual protagonist with chronic pain and a limp in one leg
CW: drug use/addiction, gun violence, death/murder, grief, PTSD, blood, car accidents