Far Far Away by Tom McNeal

Pages: 369
Intended Audience: Teens and mature tweens
Genre: Supernatural / Mystery
Notes for Parents: There’s some mild violence and some scary situations that may be disturbing for sensitive readers.

The Back Cover

Jeremy Johnson Johnson hears voice—“strange whisperings”—so the citizens of the small town of Never Better treat him like an oddity and an outcast. When the town’s coltish, copper-haired adventuress takes a bit 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…

What the cover doesn’t tell you:

Chosen as one of the best books of 2013 by Publishers Weekly, School Library Journal, Amazon, and Horn Book Fanfare. It was the California Book Award Gold Medal Winner, the SCIBA Young Adult Book of the Year, the Booklist Books for Youth Editors’ Choice for 2013, and an Edgar Allan Poe Mystery Award finalist.

What’s good?

Great characterization, a quaint setting, and an intriguing storyline make this modern story feel like a fairy tale. The inventive premise involves the very likeable Jeremy, who is the only one who can communicate with the ghost of Jacob Grimm, one half of the famous Grimm Brothers. Jacob narrates the folklore-infused story of Jeremy, who has a plate is full of problems and no idea how to solve them. The charming town of Never Better is a picturesque setting for the adventure and mystery that Jeremy encounters. The writing is well-crafted, with a clever plot that twists and turns and a vocabulary that’s challenging but still easy to read. While the story was darker than I expected, it has an enchanting lightness, thanks to the quirky characters and delightful setting.
Best Part: Jeremy Johnson Johnson.

What isn’t good?

The pace was a bit slow. While plenty happens to keep the story interesting, there’s never a feeling of urgency in the writing or from the characters themselves. There was always a sense that no matter how bad things got, everything would turn out okay. Although I liked the end, many things felt unanswered. What exactly was the purpose of the Prince Cakes? What was up with Ginger’s grandfather? And Deputy McRaven? And what exactly is a Finder of Occasions? Did I miss the parts where the significance of all these things were explained?
Worst part: The loose ends.

Recommendation þþþoo

The start was slow, but the story always had my interest. For the last one third of the book, I was completely captivated. The writing was solid and the premise was good, I just wish there had been a bit more action and emotion. The characters are excellent, and the town and its people are wonderful. Despite the glitches, I enjoyed the story and recommend it.

McNeal, Tom. Far Far Away. New York: Ember, 2012.