Raven Review: Far Far Away by Tom McNeal
Review by Lauren
Source: personal copy; all opinions are my own
Official Summary: Jeremy Johnson Johnson hears voices. Or, specifically, one voice: the
ghost of Jacob Grimm, one half of The Brothers Grimm. Jacob watches over
Jeremy, protecting him from an unknown dark evil whispered about in the
space between this world and the next.
But Jacob can’t
protect Jeremy from everything. When coltish, copper-haired Ginger
Boultinghouse takes a bite of a cake so delicious it’s rumored to be
bewitched, she falls in love with the first person she sees: Jeremy. In
any other place, this would be a turn for the better for Jeremy, but not
in Never Better, where the Finder of Occasions—whose identity and evil
intentions nobody knows—is watching and waiting, waiting and watching. .
.
And as anyone familiar with the Brothers Grimm know, not all fairy
tales have happy endings.
Review: I’ve wanted to read this book for a long time, so I decided to finally jump into my copy and then share my thoughts during this month of Halloween. Far Far Away is a contemporary fairy tale, though aspects of it will make you feel like you’re in the past since Jeremy lives in a simple little town. Most people don’t pay Jeremy much attention, not even his bed-ridden father, but he’s far from ordinary. In fact, he can hear the voice of Jacob Grimm (of the Grimm Brothers). Jacob isn’t sure why he hasn’t moved on, but he finds a purpose in helping Jeremy get good grades in order to leave his small town behind.
However, this town is also home to a Finder of Occasions. Jacob is meant to protect Jeremy from this person, but sometimes evil just sneaks up on you and instead of preventing something, you have to save someone. For a long time, it’s Jeremy and Jacob. That is until a girl named Ginger begins to pay attention to Jeremy and becomes fascinated by his random talents, like knowing how to speak other languages (except he’s really only mimicking Jacob). All of this leads to the Finder of Occasions targeting Jeremy despite Jacob’s almost constant presence. I love that Jacob leaves Jeremy alone when need be though. He is worried about Jeremy’s future, especially when Ginger seems like a distraction from that, but in all, he’s a good friend.
I’m glad to have finally read this book. It was great getting to hear about the Grimm brothers and their tales, as well as following Jeremy on his journey. As for the narration, the story is told by Jacob, which is handy as you can get into his head, but he can also follow anyone from the town. This lends the book an almost omniscient narration I think Far Far Away is perfect for people that love a good fairy tale, but need something a bit more grown up. It’s a nice story to read this time of year, especially if you don’t want to be too scared.
This sounds haunting and there was a lot of imagery as I read. I haven't read McNeal in a while.
Oh I think this one could please me as well!I love the cover and the idea but I confess it's the first time I hear about it. I want to try!
Able to visit at least – hurrah. I'm still trying to get my issues sorted.
Sounds like the kind of book I'd enjoy. I mean to say a fairy tale for grown ups that isn't too scary what's not to like?
This sounds like a clever fantasy. and love that it has includes the brothers Grimm. Agreed, this is perfect for Fall, so on my list it goes!
I loved this one, but I actually found the climax scarier than many books, since it was such a realistic thing.
I'm glad this lived up to your expectations. Wonderful for Fall! Thanks for the review.
I adore a good fairy tale and am a definitive fan of the Grimm brothers so I'll have to look into this for sure. Wonderful review and thanks for putting this one on my radar–I've seen the cover around but hadn't known much about the book itself.
I'm pretty sure I have this from NetGalley. I'll be doing NetGalley November, so I should get to it soon. 🙂
Those Grimm brothers told some grim tales, all right. And I love a good fairy tale, so I'll make a note of this one.
I have a copy of this and I definitley need to read it. Thanks for reminding me to dig it out.
I need to check to see if I have this one because I really think after reading your review that I would like it.
Great review!
This sounds interesting! I've seen this around before, but I never realized it was about the Brothers Grimm. I love books that have something to do with fairytales, so I think I might eventually give this one a try 🙂
More mature but still a good fairy tale sounds great to read about in this one
I've had this one for a while too and it intrigues me. It sounds like a really nice read and I like how it's narrated by a Grimm brother! 🙂
This sounds like a wonderful read! I am a fan of fairy tale reads, so may consider giving this book a go one day. I'm so glad that you enjoyed it! 🙂
Oooh this sounds VERY good.