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Miles From Ordinary (2011)

by Carol Lynch Williams(Favorite Author)

3.46 of 5 Votes: 1

ISBN

0312555121 (ISBN13: 9780312555122)

languge

English

genre

Young Adult Fiction

publisher

St. Martin's Griffin

review 1: This was another of those "girl in a tough family situation" books. I gave it to my daughter to read first because she really likes the "sad girl books" and she thought it was pretty good. Now in this situation the girl, Lacey, does not have problems herself, but her mother has some pretty severe mental issues and so by association, Lacey has problems. The book starts out hopeful, but quickly things take a turn for the worse and pushes Lacey to the limits of her 13-year-old coping abilities. The tension in this book is palpable and keeps the reader turning pages. It's also a good choice for reluctant readers coming in at under 200 pages.
review 2: Mental illness is a topic that comes up often enough in YA, but mostly about teens living with the illnesses. ... more But depression and more severe mental illnesses are further reaching that just the person diagnosed. It affects homes, families, work, pets. Miles from Ordinary is the story of a girl whose entire life revolves around her mother’s paranoid schizophrenia and the damage it has done to her mentally, socially, and developmentally.Miles from Ordinary is technically set over the span of one day, but Lacey’s hours spent at her new job in her local library are wrought with painful memories. Memories of Momma’s deterioration, her paranoia, Aunt Linda leaving, and everything gone to hell. Between the stacks at the Peace Public Library, we’re confronted with the heartbreaking, and sometimes dangerous situations Lacey’s mother has put her in. From her barricading their home in Florida when 9/11 happened, to running away in the middle of a storm, Lacey has always had to take care of her mother, causing her not only to grow up fast, but also sheltered, creating a unique dichotomy of wizened and naive.Once again, Carol Lynch Williams has wowed me with her writing. The other novels I’ve read by her have been in verse, and they were written beautifully, with striking voices. Miles from Ordinary, though written with prose, is just as strong. Lacey’s upbringing and education come out vividly through her word choice and sometimes short, clipped sentences.What stopped me from really falling in love with Miles from Ordinary was the short length of the book itself and the repetitive nature of the narrative. At only 197 pages, there wasn’t nearly enough time for me to really connect to Lacey. I felt horrible for her – her life was laid out in all its ugliness for the reader to see. There’s no doubt that you get to know her in such a short time. But, we just simply didn’t get to spend enough time with her in the present in order for me to feel connected to her. Finally, there were multiple passages that just repeated the same ideas over and over again. I can understand that in the moments of panic, but in other areas, I felt the repetition was unnecessary.Miles from Ordinary was a great look at the ripple effect of mental illness and the fear a child may feel when their parent is ill. However, it is not without hope. Sharply written, with a strong, unique voice, I do not doubt that this short novel will have a lasting impact on many, many readers. less

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