A review by thebacklistborrower
Very Far Away From Anywhere Else by Ursula K. Le Guin

emotional medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

The one and only Le Guin I’ve ever read, and its not one that is in the typical repertoire of books to read by her. But after rereading this book, I believe it is so beautiful, and so touching. I have read a lot of books with teenaged love, and NONE capture it so perfectly and purely as this book.

Written in 1976, the book is about a 17-year-old boy named Owen, a really smart kid who wants to go to MIT for science, and who has always felt like an outsider in his small Oregon town. However, he meets Natalie, and for once doesn’t feel so much like an outsider. Also a loner, Natalie is dedicated to her music and getting out of the small town they live in, scrimping and saving from giving music lessons. They raise each other up and have fun -- as friends-- outside of the pressures from peers and family to live the American Dream, until Owen thinks he wants something more. 

This is a beautiful book that is touching in its portrayal of being a teenager in a small town, especially when you don’t fit in with the rest of your peers, and the peace that can be found when you find somebody else. Their friendship has ups and downs, but ends on a lovely note that while may not be an HEA in the conventional romance way, makes me happy. 

This is a brief novella that probably could get read in a day if you’re looking for something to fill a gap, but read in a day or a month, this is well worth the read.