Far Far Away

By Tom McNeal

A National Book Award Finalist
An Edgar Award Finalist
A California Book Award Gold Medal Winner

A dark, contemporary fairy tale in the tradition of Neil Gaiman.
Jeremy Johnson Johnson hears voices. Or, specifically, one voice: the ghost of Jacob Grimm, one half of The Brothers Grimm. Jacob watches over Jeremy, protecting him from an unknown dark evil whispered about in the space between this world and the next.
            But Jacob can't protect Jeremy from everything. When coltish, copper-haired Ginger Boultinghouse takes a bite of a cake so delicious it’s rumored to be bewitched, she falls in love with the first person she sees: Jeremy. In any other place, this would be a turn for the better for Jeremy, but not in Never Better, where the Finder of Occasions—whose identity and evil intentions nobody knows—is watching and waiting, waiting and watching. . . And as anyone familiar with the Brothers Grimm know, not all fairy tales have happy endings.
            Veteran writer Tom McNeal has crafted a young adult novel at once grim(m) and hopeful, full of twists, and perfect for fans of contemporary fairy tales like Neil Gaiman's The Graveyard Book and Holly Black's Doll Bones. The recipient of five starred reviews, Publishers Weekly called Far Far Away "inventive and deeply poignant."

• Language: English
• Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
• Release date: Jun 11, 2013
• ISBN: 9780375896989

Reviews for Far Far Away

[beth.clarke · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

3.5 - The plot twists were surprising, Jacob Grimm was the perfect narrator, and the fairy tales made it fun. The only thing that stops me from giving this 4 stars is Ginger. I just didn't care for her and her silly expressions. Overall, a very fun read with an intriguing mystery.

[roses7184_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I first read Far Far Away last year as an ARC, but at the time I wasn't able to figure out how I felt about it. When I stumbled across an audio book of it last week, I decided to give it another shot. See, I love fairy tales. Specifically the older ones that weren't afraid of a little darkness. There's something beautiful about those tales and their ability to show the true nature of things. That's what Tom McNeal has captured in Far Far Away. He's taken the Brothers Grimm and channeled their energy into a new story. It's dark, twisted, and yet gorgeous in its own way. Best of all? I was much better able to appreciate it this time around.

First off, let me say that I absolutely recommend the audio version of this. W. Morgan Sheppard is a stellar narrator, and I could listen to him read to me for hours. Well, in fact, I did listen to him read to me for hours. I could have listened for hours more though. He is the perfect addition to this story. His voice enchants you into feeling like you're a part of Jeremy Johnson Johnson's life. It's as if you're walking the streets of the town of Never Better. As if you're right there with the ever incorporeal Jacob. I adored listening to this!

As for the story, well, let me tell you that it's definitely not what you're expecting. Like all good fairy tales we start with a character who isn't quite what he seems. When I first met Jeremy I honestly believed I knew where his life would take him. I thought that, as most fairy tales do, things would wind their way to getting better for him. I believed that his best self was hiding inside that shy outer shell, and that he would be rewarded for being such a good person. Oh yes, Jeremy is as good as they come. Which is why I also loved Ginger, the female MC of this story. Her fire, and her mischievousness, really brought the book to life.

So yes, I truly believed that I knew exactly what would transpire. The truth is though, as I should have expected, things took a very drastic turn. We all know that fairy tales need a villain of some sort. Someone who we can loathe and who makes our hero bloom. Tom McNeal threw me a curve with the villain in this story. No spoilers, oh no you won't get them from me. Suffice it say that you won't see it coming. When it does? And things get darker, and darker still? You'll likely find yourself wondering where it all stemmed from, but feeling to consumed with what happens next to really worry about it.

When I read this the first time, I settled on a three star rating because my thoughts were too conflicted to really do more. This time, I'm happy to report that I had a much more enjoyable time in Never Better. I wouldn't doubt that it has something to do with our lovely narrator, but the fact remains that this is now a four star read for me. If you love fairy tales, give this a shot! You might be pleasantly surprised.

[rickmaniac_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Unparalleled, pitch-perfect story telling, well-drawn characterization, and smooth pacing make this modern fairy tale's look at historical fairy tales and the Grimm brothers an exquisite read. I cannot imagine a better book. Tom McNeal, in short, rocks.

[kclaire_8 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Take a friendly caring ghost, a small minded American town, kids going missing, and a mysterious bakery with some delectable goods; stir in a quiz game show, sprinkle a few Grimm's fairy tales, add a dash of impending homelessness and bullying, and voila you have a story that while it is tasty, is more of a multi-ingredient side dish, than a feast. I felt as if I was floating through this tale and never quite able to get solid footing in a tangible landscape. Enjoyable, a little creepy, but not a touch down. Not sure which teens to give this book to - maybe to the ones who like Gaiman's, The Graveyard Book?

[hrose2931 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Ah Fairy Tales....I love them for all their weirdness and beauty and timelessness and did I say weirdness. Yes, this one starts out very weird. I thought it was too literary for me to enjoy. The stuffy Jacob Grimm narrates and he waxes prosaic about his lost brother and his time in the world after his death trying to find his way to his brother. Yes, I thought it was just going to be a little too much for me. I was wrong. Very wrong. Jacob Grimm basically lives one of his own fairy tales as an almost silent observer.The characters in this story are numerous but only a few stand out. I will limit who I describe to Jeremy Johnson Johnson and Jacob Grimm.Jeremy is a bit nerdy because all he does is study. But when you have a ghost telling you "studies, studies" all the time and you know your only ticket out of town is college and a scholarship, then you know you should study. And he's weird because he once told someone he hears voices. But he does and we know he does because we can hear Jacob Grimm talking to him throughout the novel. But, unfortunately, Jeremy has a tendency to talk to Jacob out loud and that makes him look even weirder. And Jeremy lives with his father in the back of the Two Book Bookstore which, as you may have guessed, sells only two books, the first and second volumes of Jeremy's grandfather's life story. Business isn't good. And, as if you need more to make a boy look weird, Jeremy's father stays in his room all day watching t.v. since Jeremy's mother left him. Life has not been kind to Jeremy. But he's a good boy, studies hard, is kind to everyone, friendly, wary, industrious (he has a lawn service business) and he takes care of his father.Jacob Grimm's Ghost- Jacob's Ghost somehow got stuck on Earth after he passed away. He's been told by other ghosts it's because he's searching for something, but he has no idea what. He thought his brother would wait for him, but none of the other ghosts have seen or heard of his brother. Finally he determines that he needs to go to Never Better a place that can barely be seen but once found can never be forgotten and he must protect the boy, Jeremy Johnson Johnson from the Finder of Occasions. Jacob also takes it upon himself to be a sort of moral compass for Jeremy and tries to make him not do certain things because he has a bad feeling about it. Yeah, we all know how that goes.The world- Never Better is a strange place. There seem to be children that disappear frequently, yet parents don't watch their children overly much. There are dark alleys and an old woman that searches the night for her lost son Possy. There is a police deputy that lurks everywhere, seemingly perverted spying on girls, the townspeople, anyone he can blackmail. There is a jolly baker with a generous hand with his baked goods. But there's a darkness that overlays even the simplest of moments in the town. Something lurks behind the windows and the trees and the trashcans. It follows you home, even in the bright sunshine. There is a timelessness to the town as well. Certain references date it such as game shows and bikes and trains, but truly I would have thought it could have taken place in Jacob Grimm's time.The Story- Ginger Boultinghouse takes an interest in Jeremy Johnson Johnson and this makes Jeremy Johnson Johnson take an interest in her. After a few days of her showing interest, she shows up in his window at night and dares him to pull a prank. Not being the pranking type, it goes awry and Jeremy is implicated in it. The townspeople turn viciously against Jeremy and then begins a sort of twisted Hansel and Gretel story. Very,very twisted.What I thought- As I said, the first time I tried to read it, I thought it was very literary and I was not in the mood. I picked it up again and was enthralled. I really couldn't put it down once I got past the first part and I understand why the first part is there. Just don't think the whole story is like that. It is definitely a contemporary fairy tale, a dark one. There is magic and a love story and a ghost. And a definite tribute to The Brothers Grimm. But it's definitely creepy and dark and you know something isn't right, but you can't quite put your finger on it. When it happens I hope you'll feel the same sense of desperation I did. I had no idea how it would turn out and I was amazed at how twisted and dark this tale turned in such a short amount of time. But things that had happened before started falling into place. And seemingly innocent things from before turn into dire warnings unheeded. Even Jacob Grimm falls victim.I definitely recommend this for lovers of dark twisted tales! It's a contemporary fairy tale (no fairies) along the lines of the Brothers Grimm. This took me totally by surprise and I'm going to search out more of Tom McNeal's works.I received a copy of the e-arc from the publisher through Net-Galley. All reviews are my own and are my honest opinion.

[ewyatt_16 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A slow starter, but then...I couldn't put it down. It had twists and a unique plot. The narrator is the ghost of Jacob Grimm, who is left to wonder the earth looking for a purpose - and he finds one in Jeremy Johnson Johnson. He finds a boy, Jeremy Johnson Johsnon, who can hear him. Jacob feels his purpose is to protect Jeremy from someone called the Finder of Occasions. A series of events makes the town turn on Jeremy and soon after on his friend, Ginger. Someone who seems helpful is not, someone who seems not to be is.

[annieseiler-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Wow creepy times - but an amazing book with all the fairy tale elements I love. <3

[dairyqueen84 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Very dark tale. Narrated beautifully.

[avoraciousreader · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

*Book source ~ NetGalleyJeremy Johnson Johnson of Never Better can hear voices and ever since he made the announcement as a child the townspeople have treated him like crap which got worse after his mother skipped town and his father became a recluse. But Jeremy usually doesn’t let it get him down. He has the ghost of Jacob Grimm as his companion and a goal to go away to college to keep him going. Until one day Ginger Boultinghouse turns her considerable charms on him and things go mostly downhill from there. With one of the Brothers Grimm by his side, do you think Jeremy has a happy ending?This fairy tale retelling is a weird one to follow. Jeremy is kinda boring except for his ghost friend Jacob and his daring friend Ginger. But the tale is told from Jacob’s POV so it’s actually more interesting than it starts out. Jacob is supposed to be protecting Jeremy from someone or something called The Finder of Occasions. As the story is told, Jeremy goes about his fairly unremarkable life, trying to figure out a way to keep from getting evicted and the tension builds and builds and builds because this sinister-sounding Finder takes plenty of time (nearly the entire book!) to show up. The suspense was almost unbearable! I kept wondering when the shoe was going to drop. And when it does? Holy shit! Yeeeks! I can’t really go into detail without giving it away, so I’ll just say I was unsatisfied with the Finder’s part of the story. The why is left hanging. Or maybe I missed it. Not sure which. Anyway, this is still a decent read.

[fugitive_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I was hooked after the ghost of Jacob Grimm (yes, that Grimm) teaches the only living person who can hear him to insult some bullies in German referencing a "flatulent camel."--- "Mögen Sie eine endlose Wüste auf dem Rücken eines furzenden Kamels durchqueren."Other than that curse (run it through Google translate), there's no way I'll give any more spoilers to this exquisite YA novel.FAR FAR AWAY is a combination of humor, magic (maybe), the ethereal, love, and OF COURSE fairy tales. Young Jeremy Johnson Johnson, resident of the town of Never Better, has a guardian ghost in the specter of Jacob Grimm. To date, his life has mostly been a fairy tale, but not in a good way. For fairy tales, especially as compiled and written by the Brothers Grimm, are not all happy candy and sylvan forests (think of Hansel and Gretel). Remember, in the Grimm's version of Snow White the story ends with the Queen forced to dance to her death in red hot iron shoes. Before "happy ever after" the hero must suffer. When the suffering is done, the wicked must be punished. However, your mileage may differ in the real world.In a book very reminiscent of the best of Neil Gaiman (e.g., Stardust), Tom McNeal serves up a story that becomes more interesting page by page. Intertwining the work and lives of the Brothers Grimm with the travails of modern teens with a plot that is a fairy tale in itself, Mr. McNeal develops characters you can love in a plot that doesn't disappoint. This is a plot you will learn, possibly, to hate. For the "Finder of Occasions" is lurking in the background.This book is definitely for the older young "adult" reader, as well as for all who enjoy a good tale. This is the second book I've read this week that I think is good enough to deserve a nomination for the Newbery Medal. What do I know? Read the book. Note: I received a free copy of this book from the publisher for review purposes

[reader1009-863136 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

adult/teen fiction; twisted fairy tale ghost story (not a love story) suspense. I kept thinking about The Book Thief for the first half of the story but when it started getting more twisted fairytale I got over it, and enjoyed it way more than I had expected to.

[jadedog13 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Jeremy Johnson Johnson (so named because his parents both had the last name of Johnson BEFORE they got married) is a quiet outcast who lives above the town bookstore with his father. An adventurous young girl named Ginger takes an interest in Jeremy. Together they cause some mischief and grow closer. Ginger encourages Jeremy to do things he would never have done on his own.

Jeremy has been guided and watched most of his life by the benevolent spirit of Jacob Grimm (one of the Grimm brothers). Jeremy is one of a select few people who can hear ghosts, even though he can't see them. Jacob finds Jeremy and becomes his companion and protector. Jacob feels his most important job is to protect Jeremy from the Finder of Occasions, but he doesn't know who this is and that makes his job difficult.

In the small town of Never Better, things are not at all what they seem. And evil could be lurking within any one of the townspeople - waiting and watching....

My Opinion
I finished this book quickly, in less than 5 days. I enjoyed discovering the secrets of the town and trying to figure out who the Finder of Occasions was. Jeremy & Ginger's story is romantic but not sappily so. They do fun and crazy things and aren't just concentrating on being in love or whatever.

This is a good book for 5th - 8th graders. This book is nominated for a Florida reading award know as the Sunshine State Readers Award. There are a lot of fairy tale based stories out there. This one is very original and enjoyable. The book is 369 pages and may be too long for reluctant readers, but for readers who enjoy fantasy or adventure, this one should be a hit. :)

[rosa.mill · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Jacob Grimm is a ghost and he spends his days with Jeremy, a tween boy who is having a difficult time. Jacob hopes to protect him from the Finder of Occasions, an innocent looking villain who will try to hurt Jeremy. In the meantime Jacob focuses on getting Jeremy prepared for college. Then one day Jeremy makes friends with Ginger. Ginger is a live wire who gets Jeremy into a little innocent trouble. The town treats this trouble like it is the worst evil since they have always looked at Jeremy a little funny since he admitted he could "hear voices" as a child and shuns Jeremy.

The story is told by Grimm and the language is gorgeous (and occasionally comic fodder.) Grimm uses more formal language allowing the kids to mostly sound like themselves and still have this gorgeous traditional fairy tale tone. Having Grimm narrate the story is also a teeny bit meta for me as the story is so clearly a fairy tale in and of itself.

I really love the characters in this and their names as well; I feel like the author was taking a page from J.K. Rowling's book with some of the amazing names. The relationship that develops between Ginger and Jeremy is adorable and I love it's magical beginning. It's another hint of the tale's fairy tale roots.

[stevealtier · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This was the first time I have ever read any of Tom McNeal's works. I found his style of writing to be very easy and exciting. I know this was a teen book, but if your an adult and not reading some of the teen books that are on the market, your really missing some good reads.

[mirandalg14 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Wow! A fairytale-type novel with boy appeal! And a psychological thriller aspect as well! What more could you want? This makes me want to research more into the Brothers Grimm and find out more about them personally. This definitely brings out the darker side of those tales.

Thank you netgalley.com!

[cay250 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

It says quite a lot about Jeremy Johnson Johnson that the strangest thing about him isn't even the fact his mother and father both had the same last name. Jeremy once admitted he's able to hear voices, and the townspeople of Never Better have treated him like an outsider since. After his mother left, his father became a recluse, and it's been up to Jeremy to support the family. But it hasn't been up to Jeremy alone. The truth is, Jeremy can hear voices. Or, specifically, one voice: the voice of the ghost of Jacob Grimm, one half of the infamous writing duo, The Brothers Grimm.Jacob watches over Jeremy, protecting him from an unknown dark evil whispered about in the space between this world and the next. But when the provocative local girl Ginger Boultinghouse takes an interest in Jeremy (and his unique abilities), a grim chain of events is put into motion. And as anyone familiar with the Grimm Brothers know, not all fairy tales have happy endings

[lps3-2 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

For a book in which fairy tales figure very prominently, this book took a very frightful turn, sort of like fairy tales themselves. For teachers or writers interested in the topic, this one may be worth reading if you or your students are studying the conventions of folk tales, archetypes and symbols, and literary techniques of foreshadowing and building tension. It is full of artfully employed examples of all of them. For upper middle grade and older.

[librarian1204 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Not an easy book to follow. I am unsure how students will react . I loved the Narrator, Jacob Grimm and the interwoven fairy tales. Some of the rest of the book made me uncomfortable. Maybe too much realism mixed into the fantasy. A book to think about.

[mad.river.librarian · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I couldn't wait to get my hands on this book: National Award winning finalist, a dark and mysterious cover, and the lure of a modern fairy tale written not with pink fluff and sparkles, but with the macabre and surreal touch of the old world Brother's Grimm. Unfortunately, I just kept putting it down, even though (as so many reviewers before me have stated) the writing is gorgeous, the plot line is unique, and the characterizations are absorbing. It is very beautifully written and would be a joy to read aloud, but to whom? It is a gorgeously written book, but I worry thatf the teens for whom this book was written won't have the stamina to stick with it through it's muddled middle and for middle grade readers - though the content is not scandalous nor inappropriate per say - the language, sentence structures, and vocabulary are perhaps too sophisticated and nuanced for most.

I did, however, like it. So do read it if you want to be entertained by a modern take on a Grimm fairy tale, complete with the benevolent and gentle ghost of Jacob Grimm, a butcher, a baker, and a bookstore maker.

[ninacaramelita · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A tale with the ghost of Jacob Grimm?Hallå hallå! It must be a great day to be alive!!To my surprise, he wasn’t just a character spicing things up here and there. No, Grimm is the narrator and captured me from page 1. It’s almost as if I could hear him!Building up suspense bit by bit, letting my heart skip a beat so every now and then… Get ready for the ride and let this novel take you to a world of a brilliant mix of supernatural, fantasy and horror. Once you’re on it, you can’t get off anymore!

[foggidawn · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Jacob Grimm may have died in 1863, but his spirit is doomed to wander until he figures out what it is he has left undone. After some years of roaming, he finds a boy in a small town who is one of the few in the world who can hear the voices of ghosts. Jacob knows that there is also in Jeremy's small town a Finder of Occasions, who will do Jeremy harm if left unchecked. If Jacob can protect Jeremy and encourage him to excel in school and go away to college, Jacob reasons, he can perhaps move on himself, to whatever comes next. Of course, it won't be that easy. . . .I'm over-simplifying the plot with that summary, and certainly not doing it justice. This book has magic, humor, suspense, and romance. The characters are excellent, the writing is brilliant, and I didn't figure out who the Finder of Occasions was until fairly late in the story, though perhaps a savvier reader would have caught on sooner, since there are some nice fairy-tale related clues dropped with gentle precision at key points. There are some dark parts to the story, as well -- I wouldn't recommend it to kids, necessarily, but readers from middle school up who love magical realism and fairy-tale references should definitely read this book!

[julie10reads · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

When Jeremy Johnson Johnson's strange ability to speak to the ghost of Jacob Grimm draws the interest of his classmate, Ginger Boltinghouse, the two find themselves at the center of a series of disappearances in their hometown. Summary HPLFAR FAR AWAY was an automatic recommendation to me by LibraryThing, no doubt due to my rave review of Tom McNeal's TO BE SUNG UNDERWATER. That McNeal writes young adult fiction was a complete surprise to me. FAR FAR AWAY begins in a whimsical, modern Harry Potterish way (the female protagonist is called Ginger) I found disappointingly juvenile. As I read I began to suspect that the novel was actually a paean to fairy tales, particularly those collected by the brothers Grimm; in much the same way that READY PLAYER ONE was for 1980s video and computer games. That's fine but not what I expect from Tom McNeal. As the story turned darker and creepy, and as Ginger became the Margo Roth Spiegelman (PAPER TOWNS)of FAR FAR AWAY, I couldn't put the book down!Again, McNeal's pen is unobtrusively skilled:"I suddenly understood that, for Jeremy, the surprise of lovewould not arrive, as it does in the tales, with a strangeenchantment of with a single smiting glance or with alilting voice riding the wind through the woodland. No, forJeremy, the surprise of love would be carried on the lazy currents of friendship."When Jeremy becomes a contestant on a TV quiz show UNCOMMON KNOWLEDGE as an expert in fairy tales by the brother's Grimm, I was reminded of the 1980s BBC show MASTERMIND where it didn't matter what the subject, just that you were an expert in it.FAR FAR AWAY is its own modern fairytale and like a fairytale it can be dark and grim and is not to be taken literally or at face value. Jeremy Johnson Johnson and Ginger Boultinghouse are as charming and funny as some of John Green's characters but I am still waiting for another adult novel from Tom McNeal....8 out 10 Highly recommended to fans of Grimm's fairytales and to readers who enjoy quality young adult fiction.

[brainannex · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

My rating is based on the fact that although many people will like this book, I'm not one of them. It's not my style, not the genre (magical realism fairy-tale etc.) I prefer to read but I can tell that it is well written and is very different from anything I've read in awhile. I can see kids eating this up and that's always a good thing.

[delphica · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I enjoyed this book, and probably would have enjoyed it even more if it was the sort of thing I liked.Right away, in the prologue even, it was apparent that this was going to venture a little too much into magical realism for my taste. It's a contemporary American setting, with an overlay of fairy tale ... it's a combination that I'm always wary of because it can get really twee really fast. Too much potential for whimsy. Too easy to explain away whatever isn't quite coming together in the plot with a little fairy magic.So, this is narrated by the ghost of Jacob Grimm (of the fairy tale Grimms), who is in communication with a young kid living in a small town. It's like a creepy Footloose Midwestern small town, it appears. The kid, for various reasons but including the fact he hears voices from the dead, is a bit of an outsider. The gist of the story is a mash-up of "what I did on my summer vacation" and "little town, big secrets," although I think the author dropped the ball a bit on the secrets part.Ghostly Jacob Grimm did win me over early on. It's pretty much exactly what you want in a ghost narrator -- he generally knows enough to keep you informed, but he's not so omniscient that it ruins any suspense. The kid is okay. I found his little girl pal, Ginger, mostly annoying, but she had some moments. The story definitely hooked me. By the end, I was appropriately sad in the sad parts, and touched by the touching parts. I was impressed that it exceeded my expectations, but I'll mitigate that with a reminder that I had low expectations going in.This book is getting a fair amount of buzz, and it's on the National Book Award longlist ... I get why people are digging this, I do. It has a distinctive voice and style, and a good combination of humor mixed in with some serious themes. I think this is one of those books where the dreamy tone is impressively unique and charming, so much so that it masks the fact that the underlying architecture of the book is a little wonky.

[lilibrarian · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The ghost of Jacob Grimm speaks to a young boy living in a small town. Other people think of him as odd because he hears voices, but he is befriended by a girl and by the town baker. The ghost tries to protect Jeremy, but there is evil in the town and children keep disappearing.

[pattylouise_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Far Far AwaybyTom McNealMy " in a nutshell" summary...Jeremy...Jeremy Johnson Johnson hears the voice of Jacob Grimm...Jeremy has an overwhelming amount of problems...and then...something really bad happens!My thoughts after reading this book...At first I was not totally invested in this book...lots of stories/fairytales told by Mr. Grimm...and usually I hate that...but sort of all of a sudden...this book became so much more...it became a really odd chiller thriller! It was spellbinding...mesmerizing...unputdownable! A sweet odd little town with townspeople who have lovely old names ad something horrible going on! It was scary! That's about all this girl is going to tell you...this is the sort of book that needs to be read and savored without any outside hints...you have to experience the chilling excitement one page at a time.What I loved about this book...Oh my goodness how I loved Jeremy and Ginger...and the lovely Jenny Applegarth. They were such delicious characters. Their stories were sweet and true. What I did not love...Oh my...I did not love it when the townspeople were mean to Jeremy. And when you discover just who the villain is in this story...you will not have much love for this villain either!Final thoughts...This book was such a delightful surprise...filled with scary stuff, amazing surprises and mouth watering foods! It is one of those not to be missed out on reading experiences.

[lostinalibrary · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

'What follows is the strange and fateful tale of a boy, a girl, and a ghost'.So begins this modern fairy tale which takes place in the small town of Never Better, in the far away land of America. The boy is Jeremy Johnson Johnson whose mother has left, whose father is in a deep depression, and whose business, The Two Book Bookstore (so named because it carries only two books, his grandfather's two-volume memoir), is failing. But Jeremy is very unique because he can hear ghosts. The girl is Ginger, a girl with great spirit and wit, the perfect heroine for a fairy tale. And the ghost, well, that's Jacob Grimm of the famous Grimm brothers, those collectors of tales meant to amuse, entertain, frighten but to almost always promise a happy ending. Jacob has been wandering since his death because there is something he has left undone and until he discovers what it is, he is earthbound. After hearing about this boy with his unique talent, he has sought out Jeremy, at first because he hopes he can help him but, later to protect him from the evil which sits at the heart of this town.Because, since this is a fairy tale albeit a modern one, there is a villain, the Finder of Occasions, who is making children disappear. Jacob is determined to discover the identity of this Finder and protect Jeremy from him but even ghosts can't always be vigilant. And, although most fairy tales have happy endings, some don't. If the only person who can hear him is the person in danger, how can Jacob save him? Perhaps, jeremy isn't destined to have a happily ever after even with a ghost to help him.This tale is slow at times but, when it picks up the pace, it is almost impossible to put down. It has all the romance, the humour, the pathos, and the evil of those beloved childhood stories. Far Far Away is written for a young audience but will definitely appeal to the young at heart as well. For lovers of fairy tales of all ages, this one's for you.

[kiramoody · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Set in the small fictional town of Never Better. When he was 6, Jeremy Johnson Johnson’s mother ran off with another man after she had eater an enchanted Prince Cake from the local bakery. Since then, he has been able to sense ghosts, particularly a ghost named Jacob Grimm. With an absent mother and a reclusive, absent-minded father, Jacob becomes more like a father, protector and mentor to Jeremy. A job that wasn’t too difficult until Ginger Boultinghouse, the town’s adventuress, falls for Jeremy. Drawn to adventure, she pulls Jeremy out of his reclusive shell and into her escapades. Things in town, however, are not what they seem. Hazards lurk around every corner. Children are disappearing and the evil Finder of Occasions’ intentions are unknown and is hiding in the town’s shadows. Jacob feels the need to protect Jeremy more than ever. Will he succeed? The story’s characters are unique and likable. The plot is slow at times and tends to drag, but has a suspenseful, gripping air to it that keeps the reader’s attention. Readers who like books with macabre plots, ghosts, twisted fairy tales, and suspense will enjoy reading this book.

[muddyboy · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is a dark fairy tale with a good bit of humor mixed in so it doesn't become morose. It is actually kind of fun on the whole. The main character Jeremy Johnson Johnson is thought to be a bit weird as he is kid who hears voices. These voices it turns out are from the spirit of one of the Brothers Grimm of fairy tale fame who becomes a bit of a mentor for Jeremy throughout the book. The main plot revolves around the fact that many kids are coming up missing in the town where they live. By accident Jeremy and his very capable girlfriend Ginger discover what has been going on. As an adult I thought the book was interesting and well written and I think 12 to 15 year olds would like it also like it. It would be very helpful to have some knowledge of the dark nature of many of the Grimm Fairy Tales before reading this book

[aztwinmom · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Far Far Away is a modern day fairy tale. Jeremy Johnson Johnson's mother left when he was young and his father has since locked himself away in his room. Their bookstore is going bankrupt. But Jeremy has a friend, the ghost of Jakob Grimm. Soon he becomes friends with Ginger and becomes involved with adventures. There is a history of children going missing in the nearby towns. The story soon begins to resemble a Grimm fairy tale, and like a fairy tale, has a happy ending.The story is a bit slow at times, but is entertaining and the host of Grimm is a wonderful character.