Here So Far Away
Hadley Dyer
Release date: March 20, 2018
Rating 4/5
The First Line:
Life’s a bad writer, my father used to say.
The Plot:
Everyone has always called George heartless, but after she meets an older man, she realizes that she’s capable of emotion after all. Unfortunately, this illicit – and secret – relationship affects her friendships, plus her father is too injured to go back to work which means she might not be able to go to college. When her life starts fall apart, George finds herself struggling to stay afloat.
The Characters:
George – real name Frances – is a snarky, fearless teen in the early nineties. She’s always ready with a sharp comeback and a general disdain for people (I feel that, George). She has a bold fashion sense and a sweet relationship with her younger brother (it’s probably terrible of me, but I chuckled every time Matty fainted at the sight – or mention – of blood).
And she’s angsty but not in an overwhelming way. Like, I understand that she wants to get away from home, and I feel her frustration at her father’s lack of effort to get better after a surgery forces him to take time off (from being a cop). There are a lot of books where the teen protagonists whine and gripe about things that really aren’t that big a deal, but George is within her rights to be upset about certain things. She’s also smart without being pretentious or John Green-y…she quotes poetry but that’s because she’s reading it out loud, not being she’s memorized it for funsies.
At first, I was put off by the age difference between George and Francis (I think it was 12 years), and I wouldn’t necessarily condone that kind of relationship in real life (look, there are big age gaps between myself and my older siblings and it’s weird to think about dating someone closer their ages), but it was oddly sweet, the way they tried not to fall in love.
I had a feeling it wasn’t gonna end happily, though, so I tried not to get too attached to them.
I liked how we got a good hold on each character – they weren’t all fully fleshed out, but they were real enough for each one to make some sort of impression. I only wish we had got more from George’s friends, especially Bill and Sid, the friend who had moved away before senior year started. I guess Sid’s leaving sort of set off the rest of the events of the book because their friend group wasn’t as strong as it had been in the past, but I wish we had the chance to actually see him on the page.
OH and I loved Rupert and Shaggy-the-pig. So sweet.
The Writing:
While I’ve had the pleasure of meeting Hadley in person a couple of times, I had never read her work until this one (side note: I won the ARC through a giveaway from Pop! Goes the Reader this past summer and um, kinda forgot to read it until recently. But it comes out next month, so keep an eye out for it!). I really loved the sibling relationship in this one – it’s so rare to have loving siblings in YA for some reason? – and I wish I could be as immediately sassy as George (I’m the type of person who thinks of a snarky comeback two days later).
It was sharp and funny and sad – I knew it was going to make me sad but I wasn’t sure how, so it wasn’t totally predictable. And even though it was set in the nineties, it wasn’t all in your face with nostalgia or unnecessary tributes to the “good old days”. Half the time, I forgot when it was set – I really only registered the time period because no one had cell phones!!
The Bottom Line:
I can’t think of another YA novel that positively portrays a couple with such a big age difference. Sure, they kept it a secret, but they really did seem to love each other. For that different perspective alone, I’d recommend reading it, but also read it for how great all the characters are.
The Soundtrack:
I think they’re only mentioned a handful of times, but you can’t set a story in 1990s Canada without referencing Gord Downie and/or The Tragically Hip. Even though this song came out well after George’s senior year a) it’s the only Hip song I really like (sorry) and b) I enjoy this cover from fellow Canadians, the Arkells. Plus I think some of it relates back to how bleak George’s life occasionally seems, despite her best efforts.
Everything is bleak
It’s the middle of the night
You’re all alone
And the dummies might be right
kid lit & pop punk 