Far, Far Away by Tom McNeal
by Sam Arnold-Boyd on Feb.28, 2014, under Fairy Tale, Mystery, Sam's Reviews, Supernatural
Who would like this book? Readers who like Grimm’s Fairy Tales and/or mysteries with ghosts. If you liked The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman, you might very well like Far, Far Away.
The goods on this book: Jeremy Jeremy Johnson has a special talent: he can hear ghosts, and he has a special ghost who is committed to keeping him safe. Jeremy’s ghost is none other than Jacob Grimm of the famous Grimm brothers. As the narrator of this tale, Jacob shares much about himself both consciously through his chosen words and subconsciously through his style of speech and what he does and does not notice. The story of Jeremy’s life unfolds in the context of Jacob’s memories of his own life and the frustration of being stuck in the Zwischenraum, the place between life and death. Jacob must figure out what is holding him to life on Earth as he works to keep Jeremy focused on his studies. Jeremy’s difficult home life and the unlikely attentions of Ginger, a vivacious troublemaker, create difficulties for Jacob, but the real challenge comes from a most unlikely source. Jacob weaves his own life and stories into Jeremy’s story, making the book into a Grimm tale in its own right. Be ready for some very dark parts but know that the bright will shine through at the end.
The details: 371 pages; 2013 Review by Samrarian
