Overambitious Far From You Not All That Enjoyable

(Image from Barnes & Noble)

Sophie Winters has a knack for survival.  Three years ago, she almost lost her life in a car accident.  She walked away with her life, as well as a permanent limp and an addiction to OxyContin.  Now a recovering addict, the 17-year-old has just experienced another terrifying brush with death.  Although she survived being held up by a masked man with a gun, her best friend, Mina Bishop, did not.  Since the incident is believed to be drug related, Sophie is being blamed.  No one believes she's kicked her drug addiction.  No one believes she's not responsible for Mina's death.  

The only way to convince people she's innocent is for Sophie to figure out who really killed Mina.  In the meantime, she must wrangle with her feelings of grief, of guilt, and of moving forward without her best friend by her side.

Far From You, a debut novel by Tess Sharpe, is many things.  Too many things, really.  It's a murder mystery, a romance, an issue novel, and an addiction/recovery story.  The problem is that there's a little too much going on.  I, for instance, would have liked a stronger focus on the mystery instead of Sophie's weird, obsessive romance.  Sophie's harsh, self-absorbed personality also made it difficult for me to care too much for her in general.  So, while the conflicts in the story kept me reading, I can't say I enjoyed Far From You all that much.  The characters didn't appeal to me, the plot seemed too ambitious, the big reveal too abrupt, and overall, the novel depressed me.  So, yeah.

(Readalikes:  Hm, I can't think of anything.  You?)

Grade:

If this were a movie, it would be rated:

for strong language, depictions of underage drinking/prescription drug abuse, violence, and sexual content

To the FTC, with love:  I received an e-ARC of Far From You from the generous folks at Disney/Hyperion via those at NetGalley.  Thank you!