How did I get it?:
NetGalley- thanks to Bonnier/Hot Key Books
Previously reviewed by the same author:
Downside Up
Synopsis:
Griff and Dylan are driving into Manhattan with their parents when the worst happens. There is a terrible car accident and Dylan and Griff¹s parents are killed.
The boys are suddenly orphans with nowhere to go, until a kind aunt and uncle give them a new home in Wales. Now Dylan and Griff have everything they need love, a happy home and a future. But Dylan is worried about Griff: whether he is OK, whether he is coping with his grief. He doesn¹t seem to want to speak about it or really acknowledge the loss of their parents.
But Dylan needs to be even braver than Griff, because there is something very important he needs to face up to before he can move on.
Thoughts:
I have read Downside Up by Hayley Long before, so I knew I’d enjoy her writing. From reading this book, I realise that I need to read her others as I really enjoy her writing style and the topics that she covers.
The Nearest Faraway Place centres around two brothers. On Griff’s thirteenth birthday a tragic accident occurs. Whilst in the car, another car falls from a car transporter and kills their mum and dad. It is a heartbreaking end to Griff’s birthday. Griff is alive, but recovering in hospital. Dylan is by his side waiting for his brother to wake up, not wanting to share the news with him. Griff really struggles to come to terms with what’s happened to him and as the story progresses we see why. Griff is told her is going to live with the headteacher of the school they’re attending in Brooklyn until the British state find them somewhere to stay. It turns out that there’s somewhere in Wales, with their mum’s cousin, Dee.
The story focuses on how life can change within a second. It deals with grief and starting to move on. The family was in such a happy place but life changed for them in an instant. I found it heartbreaking to read, but at the same time it was utterly gripping. The characters easily stole my heart and I wanted the absolute best for them. There’s a little twist along the way, which I really wasn’t expecting. I love it when that happens!
Would I recommend it?:
Of course!
