Far from You

By Lisa Schroeder

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....

• Language: English
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
• Release date: Dec 23, 2008
• ISBN: 9781416989882

Lisa Schroeder

Lisa Schroeder is the author of the teen verse novels The Day Before; I Heart You, You Haunt Me and its companion novel, Chasing Brooklyn; Far from You; and the teen prose novel Falling for You. She is also the author of the middle grade prose novels It’s Raining Cupcakes, Sprinkles and Secrets, and Frosting and Friendship. She lives in Beaverton, Oregon. Find out more about Lisa and her books at LisaSchroederBooks.com or on Twitter at @Lisa_Schroeder.

Book preview

part 1

every thing’s always changing

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.

me and God

It’s not that I’m

super-religious or anything.

In fact,

the Center for Spiritual Living

is not about religion.

Otherwise

it’d be called

the Center for Religious Living.

There’s a difference.

I like it because

there isn’t any

bullshit there.

They let me be

who I am,

and understand

that it’s all about

staying

connected

to the source.

I’ve been going

for as long

as I can remember.

It was my mom’s church.

She played the guitar and sang.

Dad hardly ever went with her.

But she’d take me,

and I’d sit in the audience,

hypnotized

by her

Reviews for Far from You

[chaoticbooklover · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I love all of Lisa's books, and this one was right up there with the others. I couldn't put it down and finished in one day!!!

[heatherlinc · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

3.5 starsLisa Schroeder is becoming an author I admire. She has a wonderful writing style and create a range of emotions using limited words. Her books draw me in and take me on enchanted, touching journeys.In "Far From You", Alice is struggling with the death of her mother and the fact that she has a new step-mother and baby stepsister. I didn't really like Alice at the start despite her feelings of loneliness and despair. People who loved her tried to reach out but she continually pushed them away. However, after a near tragedy, she did learn to love and heal, and the final song she wrote was extremely moving.Reading "Far From You" was like reading a different poem with each chapter. Each one was short, lyrical and powerful. Although a quick read, I thoroughly enjoyed following Alice's journey of acceptance, healing and the importance of family. I absolutely adored the focus on a mother's all-embracing love.

[dairyqueen84 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Alice feels lost ever since her mother died of cancer years before. The only solace she finds is in her boyfriend Blaze and in the music she writes and plays with her best friend Claire at church. Her father has remarried and they no longer cook and make up jingles together and her step mother is expecting a baby girl. Alice is not excited about her new half-sister. Then her life goes from bad to worse; Claire tells her that the church thinks Alice’s songs are too sad and they don’t want them to play and sing anymore. She and Claire stop talking and hanging out and Alice feels even more alone; thank God for Blaze but she even has some confusion about him. Then after her new sister is born, her dad tells her they are driving to California from their Seattle home to visit Victoria’s parents for Thanksgiving. Her dad is called away on business Thanksgiving night and Victoria, Alice, and Ivy make the return trip to Seattle. They wind up caught in a blizzard and Victoria’s and Alice’s icy relationship begins to thaw even as the temperature drops. When Victoria goes for help, Alice focuses on keeping Ivy alive and learns things about herself and her dead mother in the process. The story is told in poems that have an authentic teenage voice.

[ladyjai_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is my third. I've read reviews I've heard people talk. Some good. Some bad. But honestly, I think this is by far her best of the three. She said, this is her least known. I don't know why. It's not really about the story as much as it is about evoking great emotion. The characters aren't deep but they do grow. The plot isn't thick but keeps you riveted. I sat on my couch reading the last of it, tears streaming down my face, emotion overflowed. Her books are journeys from negative to positive. A common thread in all her works is Death is not the end.

[lisagibson_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Prior to this, I had read one other novel in verse. I think I'm hooked now. I wondered how it was possible to tell an entire story in verse. It's not only possible, it winds up being lovely and conveys tons of emotion. I felt as though I were inside that care with Ali. I could feel her desperation and her regret. I think Ms. Schroeder has done an excellent job to deliver and taut emotional novel that speaks to living without regrets and allowing yourself to love someone and vice versa. It's lovely and I'm giving it 4 1/2 kisses!

[mrsderaps · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Far From You is the story of a teen girl girl who lost her mother to cancer years ago. Just recently, though, her father is now remarried and his new wife is pregnant. It's all too soon for Alice.Sometimes, Alice can be a tough character to feel close to. She is distant from her family, and doesn't want anything to do with her stepmother or the new baby. She does want to re-establish a relationship with her father, but seems to shut down whenever he's around. Of course, this makes her character all the more believable. And, I wanted to see her through to a less angry place. I had faith that she'd get there. But, I didn't know how.On the way home after a Thanksgiving road trip, Alice, her stepmother, and the newborn baby find themselves stranded in a snowstorm. It is here, in the close quarters of the SUV that Alice's anger and frustration and sheer loss comes to a head. She and her stepmother, Victoria, have the inevitable fight but then move to a place of understanding. And, Alice gets to see Victoria, her new sister, and her mother in a whole new way. Once this trip is finished, Alice will never be the same.I read this book in the space of a couple hours. It was riveting and so very quick. The verse format makes it possible to absolutely devour this book, but still feel connected to the characters. I was truly pulling for Alice by the end of the book. Which is not how I felt after I first met her.

[bookwormygirl · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Alice has felt as if she's been spiraling down the rabbit hole ever since her mother passed away. It's been a few years since her mother's death and she is still suffering from her loss. To make matters worse, her father hasn't been there for her in her time of need. She has had to grieve all on her own, since he has re-married and is a expecting a new baby any minute now.Alice finds comfort in her boyfriend Blaze, her faith, her guitar, music and her BFF, Claire. But things are about to change, for Claire is fed up with Alice's "depressing" music and a fight between the girls quickly ensues. Then things take a drastic turn when Alice gets caught on the road in a snowstorm with her newborn half-sister Ivy, and her "wicked" stepmother, Vic. It is now up to Alice to deal with the issues that she has long avoided, especially if she wants to get out of this predicament alive.My first impression of Alice was that she was selfish, ignorant and mean. I got the impression right from the start that she never gave her stepmother a chance - she was too involved in her grief, her boyfriend, her music, etc. But that's what I really like about Lisa's writing. She creates characters that are real, that you can relate to. I loved taking this journey with Alice.Considering this is such a short book, you quickly become attached to some of these characters. They all bring their own unique quality to the story. You can't help but find yourself biting your nails towards the second half of the book and reading on with tears in your eyes as you see our Alice grow and understand and eventually forgive and heal.Far from You is written in verse, and only the second book that I've read in this style, but once again I am in awe by how much feeling and emotion can be contained in so little writing. If you have any doubts about reading one of Lisa's books please put them aside and read just one of her books - I guarantee if you're anything like me, you'll want to read them all!

[ericajsc · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Alice’s voice is beautifully honest, for all the good and the bad that her honesty brings with it. For the first half of the book I could feel Alice’s anger, grief, and confusion as she interacted with the people around her: her father, her stepmom, her half-sister, her best friend, and her boyfriend. It’s only when she remembered her mom that it seemed like a weight lifted from her shoulders, but it was only momentary relief. Once the story got to the point where she was trapped in the snowstorm, it was as if I could feel all her anger and grief transform into determination to survive.In reading this book, I was amazed by Lisa Schroeder’s writing. She is able to tell an incredible story with so few words, displaying just how powerful – and beautiful – words can be. Her ability to paint a picture and show emotion with the simplest of words astounds me when I consider that oftentimes authors spend a page describing something and I still can’t grasp it. It is this brevity that is also so deep that makes me want to consume her books in a single sitting.While I think the characters themselves were well fleshed-out, I had a difficult time with the story because I was never really sure how well I liked them. For the most part I liked Alice, though I cringed at how she treated her stepmom Victoria, and especially newborn Ivy, because I could see how Victoria was trying to make an effort with her most of the time. Claire, Alice’s best friend, annoyed me because of how she decided for Alice that they shouldn’t lead music at church anymore because she was taking too long to get over her mom’s death. It didn’t make sense when she appeared to be such a great friend before that conversation, and then suddenly she was avoiding Alice. Then there was Blaze, who I just couldn’t really get a handle on. He seemed like an okay guy, but their relationship was lacking something to me. Maybe it was the way he criticized her about going to church, or the fact that he doesn’t talk to her about where he sees himself in the future, but the whole time I was reading the book I was halfway expecting there to be a moment where she figures out he’s not the person she thought. I do believe they loved each other, I think that was shown really well, but I guess I wasn’t sure that they should. I think if I hadn’t had issues with her friends, I would have enjoyed the story more.

[kaledrina_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Alice’s mother passed away from cancer a few years ago, but Alice still hasn’t gotten over it. Her father’s remarriage and her step mother’s subsequent pregnancy are not helping, either. All she has left in the world are her best friend Claire, and her boyfriend Blaze. When her father and stepmother drag her on a Thanksgiving trip to visit her step grandparents, Alice remains as gloomy as ever. Then a snowstorm hits, and Alice, her stepmother, and her newborn sister are stuck in the middle of nowhere. Written in verse, Far From You is an emotional tale of a girl trying to find love in a world where the loss of her mother is nearly all she can think of.

[koalatees · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

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.