Far From You by Tess Sharpe

Title: Far From You
Author: Tess Sharpe
Published by: Indigo
Publication date: 27th March 2014
Pages: 341
Genres: Young Adult/Mystery/Contemporary/LGBT
Format: Paperback
Source: Review copy from the publisher.

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Four months ago her best friend Mina died in what everyone believes was a drug deal gone wrong - a deal they think Sophie set up. Only Sophie knows the truth. She and Mina shared a secret, but there was no drug deal. Mina was deliberately murdered. Forced into rehab for a drug addiction she'd already beaten, Sophie's finally out and on the trail of the killer. But can she track them down before they come for her?

Far From You is the perfect YA novel. It has everything you could possibly want: Action, mystery, twists and turns that you don't see coming, a brilliant plot and a diverse range of characters... I'm struggling to write this review, because how am I supposed to put the perfection into words? When I finished reading the book, I tried to form proper sentences and everything...it didn't really work, as you can see:

This is definitely one of the best books I have read in a long time, and I was very surprised when I turned to the back cover and discovered Far From You is the author's debut, as it reads as if she has published hundreds of successful novels before! I was completely in awe of the author's ability to write about difficult topics such as murder and drug addiction with such realism and sensitivity - it wasn't over the top, and I felt like I was part of the friendship group, getting caught up in all of the drama.

Far From You whizzes backwards and forwards between three different time periods, and I thought I would have issues with this, but I didn't because it's so expertly written. I loved knowing what had happened in the past, and this added to the feeling that I was there. Far From You is a very easy book to get immersed in, and it is beautiful yet gritty and emotional at the same time.

The protagonist Sophie goes through so much - she nearly dies twice which leads to a serious and permanent injury, she deals with drug addiction, she tries to cope with her best friend's murder, and *spoiler* the confusion surrounding her sexuality, which no one knows about except her and her dead best friend. *end of spoiler* To spend months being treated for drug addiction, and to then track down the murderer of her best friend? That takes serious bravery.

Of course, at some point during the story Mina's murderer is found. This isn't a spoiler because you know it's going to happen as the tension starts to build. When it was finally announced, all I could think was: Oh my god. I did not see that coming. I LOVE books that keep you guessing, because there are so many possibilities and you just have to keep reading! Would it be weird for me to hug this book?

This definitely isn't the best review I've ever written, but have you ever tried to write about something that is too perfect for words? You may have seen me endlessly recommending this book on Twitter...well, now you know why! I adore this book and I hope you will give it a go. My favourite book of the year so far! Far From You is bittersweet, unsettling, and truly enthralling. It's better than cake - definitely a must-read! 5/5.