Far from You

Gr 9 Up—The day Sophie is released from rehab starts the "now" of this story, which alternates with flashbacks from the past. Readers learn that the teen has had two close calls with death, the first in a crippling car crash with her friend Mina and Mina's brother Trev. The second was when Mina was murdered in front of her in what is assumed to be a drug deal gone bad. Because Sophie is a recovering drug addict, even her parents don't believe her when she says that the murder has nothing to do with drugs, hence her stay in rehab. Now that she's free, Sophie is obsessed with finding Mina's killer. Somehow she must overcome everyone's belief that her relapse caused Mina's death and enlist help in solving the crime. The mystery is a major theme of the book, and the author gives no clues before the revelation. This kind of plot twist is sometimes successful, but here the ending is so out of left field that it lacks believability. As readers follow Sophie's sleuthing, they learn that Mina was more than just her best friend; she was also her first love. This romance is full of struggle and strong emotions, likely to find an appreciable YA audience.—Genevieve Feldman, San Francisco Public Library