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A review by theequestrianslibrary
A Long Way from Home by Laura Schaefer
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Thank you to NetGalley for providing the eARC edition of A Long Way from Home in return for a fair and honest review!
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**Disclaimer: This list may/may not include all content warnings for A Long Way from Home. However, any warnings listed are all very mild and handled tactfully given it is a Young Reader/Middle Grade book.
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So! I have completed my first review of a Young Reader/Middle Grade books, and I'm very happy that it was this one that I chose first. A lot of people don't give younger books enough credit, since their stories can be written just as well and with as much emotional impact and influence as an adult novel can. The only difference is that they are written in a way that is easy to understand and comprehend, and usually, the ending is happy. Sometimes we need a happy ending in life, and if we can find it through a book, I think that's a wonderful thing.
To start, the book gives me some amazing Meet the Robinson's vibes with the time travel, the comparison of the present and the future, the wanting to abandon the old life for the new, how endless issues have been solved, etc. As that is one of my favorite movies, I was very happy to see the parallels between the two, even if they weren't connected at all.
Abby is a relatable character, given that she is twelve years old. Some things that kids do at twelve years old are cringy, and that's just how it is. Tweens using slang such as "bae" may not be as common now, but I'm also long from 7th grade, so maybe it's still a thing. For someone who WAS in 7th grade when that type of speech was used on the daily, it hit a weird little nugget of familiarity.
I think her frustration with her mother is understanding. Parents who mean well can often come across as overbearing and insufferable, and it's easy to agree with Abby that her mom does need to lay off sometimes. Positivity is always a good thing, but in endless amounts, it can be suffocating since, like Abby says in the book, "she never lets me say anything negative." Feeling like you're forced to feel only one thing can be detrimental to someone's mental health, especially when they cannot uphold those expectations, and that can lead into fear of disappointing people.
I thought all the characters were lovely, and Bix made me laugh out loud numerous times. The idea of a 4th grade, the equivalent of roughly 9 years old, talking in such blunt, objective, and scientific ways that were more advanced than grown scientists, was absolutely hilarious to me. Adam was sweet and charming, Olivia a comforting presence even if her role was small.
Julianna was interesting for me. Like Abby, I would've been immediately overwhelmed with someone like her being my school mentor. To see that obvious discomfort was a nice nod to the introverts in the world who don't handle such bubbly personalities. I like Nora and her air of mystery and her casual aloofness. It was relatable to my own personality, with a general air of neutral aloofness that can be tapped into with some gentle "persistence."
The writing was well done and easy to read. It was easy to follow along, and I really enjoyed it for what it was. If there was any content in the book that I would flag, it was all very mild and brief to keep in time with the age range of the book.
I just liked it genuinely as it stands. It was a good read, and I look forward to grabbing this one from the shelves as well!
**ADDENDUM: Additional thoughts that I am adding here from my review left on NetGalley. I liked the message of "being where you're meant to be." Sometimes we, as people, get grandiose ideas of where we want to be and how we want to get there when sometimes the best plan of action is to simply exist where we are. It's a comforting thought to consider that maybe we should remain in our presents, in our moments, especially since playing with time can cause all sorts of screwy things to happen.
Also, thank you to the author for the fun little spins on time travel and how all of that works. It gets me every time, and I'm very charmed by it!
--
**Disclaimer: This list may/may not include all content warnings for A Long Way from Home. However, any warnings listed are all very mild and handled tactfully given it is a Young Reader/Middle Grade book.
--
So! I have completed my first review of a Young Reader/Middle Grade books, and I'm very happy that it was this one that I chose first. A lot of people don't give younger books enough credit, since their stories can be written just as well and with as much emotional impact and influence as an adult novel can. The only difference is that they are written in a way that is easy to understand and comprehend, and usually, the ending is happy. Sometimes we need a happy ending in life, and if we can find it through a book, I think that's a wonderful thing.
To start, the book gives me some amazing Meet the Robinson's vibes with the time travel, the comparison of the present and the future, the wanting to abandon the old life for the new, how endless issues have been solved, etc. As that is one of my favorite movies, I was very happy to see the parallels between the two, even if they weren't connected at all.
Abby is a relatable character, given that she is twelve years old. Some things that kids do at twelve years old are cringy, and that's just how it is. Tweens using slang such as "bae" may not be as common now, but I'm also long from 7th grade, so maybe it's still a thing. For someone who WAS in 7th grade when that type of speech was used on the daily, it hit a weird little nugget of familiarity.
I think her frustration with her mother is understanding. Parents who mean well can often come across as overbearing and insufferable, and it's easy to agree with Abby that her mom does need to lay off sometimes. Positivity is always a good thing, but in endless amounts, it can be suffocating since, like Abby says in the book, "she never lets me say anything negative." Feeling like you're forced to feel only one thing can be detrimental to someone's mental health, especially when they cannot uphold those expectations, and that can lead into fear of disappointing people.
I thought all the characters were lovely, and Bix made me laugh out loud numerous times. The idea of a 4th grade, the equivalent of roughly 9 years old, talking in such blunt, objective, and scientific ways that were more advanced than grown scientists, was absolutely hilarious to me. Adam was sweet and charming, Olivia a comforting presence even if her role was small.
Julianna was interesting for me. Like Abby, I would've been immediately overwhelmed with someone like her being my school mentor. To see that obvious discomfort was a nice nod to the introverts in the world who don't handle such bubbly personalities. I like Nora and her air of mystery and her casual aloofness. It was relatable to my own personality, with a general air of neutral aloofness that can be tapped into with some gentle "persistence."
The writing was well done and easy to read. It was easy to follow along, and I really enjoyed it for what it was. If there was any content in the book that I would flag, it was all very mild and brief to keep in time with the age range of the book.
I just liked it genuinely as it stands. It was a good read, and I look forward to grabbing this one from the shelves as well!
**ADDENDUM: Additional thoughts that I am adding here from my review left on NetGalley. I liked the message of "being where you're meant to be." Sometimes we, as people, get grandiose ideas of where we want to be and how we want to get there when sometimes the best plan of action is to simply exist where we are. It's a comforting thought to consider that maybe we should remain in our presents, in our moments, especially since playing with time can cause all sorts of screwy things to happen.
Also, thank you to the author for the fun little spins on time travel and how all of that works. It gets me every time, and I'm very charmed by it!
Content Warnings
Minor: Panic attacks/disorders, Pregnancy, and Mental illness
Dystopic themes (pollution, natural disasters, poverty, climate change, etc.), Brief mentions of depression, Regular mentions of anxiety and coping methods, Animal Pregnancy/Birth