Far From You- *spoiler alert*

I read Far From You by Lisa Schroeder a few weeks ago. I can see how some of my high school students, especially female romantics, might really enjoy it, but it was another one that was a bit too predictable for me.

The book uses lyric poetry, like Crank (by Ellen Hopkins) and quite a few other YA lit. novels. I enjoy this style in that it's a super fast read, but I feel that it's become a bit of a cop-out for true novel writing. Nonetheless, the story was sweet. It's about a teenage girl, going through a typical rebellious stage. Alice, the girl, has recently lost her mother to cancer and Alice's father has remarried and the step-mother has a baby soon after we meet Alice.

Alice it less than thrilled about the baby, particularly because it takes away the little time her father still spends with her (rather than with the step mom). Alice uses her angst to write emo, christian tunes with her best friend, Claire.

Alice also has a sweet, but slacker boyfriend that is less than supportive of Alice's religious choices. I found myself rooting against the slacker boyfriend (yes, his name is Blaze), despite the fact that he has a few moments of clarity regarding encouraging Alice to at least give her step-mom a chance.

While Alice gets into an argument with her friend, and she is forced to go on a family trip, the turning point finally comes: she gets trapped in the snow with her baby step-sister and step-mother on the way home from the family trip. Alice finally has to face her issues with her step-mother and really with her late-mother.

Of course, Alice, the baby and the step-mom get rescued (after the step-mom leaves for help) and Blaze, Claire, and the father all meet the popsicle-like ladies at the hospital for a happy reunion- vowing to put all of their differences aside.

In order to spice up the story, I kept hoping to find out the deceased mother would come back to haunt someone or that vampires would show up on the scene and force the family and friends to bond in order not to become a juicy dinner. I guess this means I'm ready to get back to reading some of the usual depressing teen lit. (vampires, murders, drugs, etc.). Maybe it's time to re-read Catcher in the Rye.