Far Away

January 15, 2019
A voice from beyond the grave has a familiar ring to it. The spirit world may be closer than you might think.Graff tells the story of Caraway June "CJ" Ames and her life with itinerant medium Aunt Nic. More than just a psychic, Aunt Nic has grown a reputation for channeling spirits. CJ, 12, relishes Aunt Nic's gift for one big reason--Aunt Nic can communicate with CJ's dead mom. Now, on the cusp of setting up a reality TV show and making her career bigger than ever, Aunt Nic reveals that her sister's spirit--CJ's mom--has traveled to the Far Away, meaning she is beyond communicating with. That's when CJ, with the help of always-nervous 16-year-old Jax Delgado, who's recently joined Aunt Nic's support team, launches her own adventure to lure her absent mother's spirit closer to home. Graff (The Great Treehouse War, 2017, etc.) is known for her heartwarming blend of magic and reality. However, as CJ gets closer to the truth, this story feels mean--even cruel. And CJ's reaction to the truth feels less like vindication than plain vindictiveness. Young readers may respond to the high drama of CJ's emotional roller coaster, but the high-stakes climax and ultimate resolution turn this adventure into an uncomfortable road trip with people you kinda wish you'd never met.An unusual misstep for Graff. (Fiction. 8-12)

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March 1, 2019

Gr 4-7-Although CJ's mom died when she was a baby, CJ has been talking to her for her entire life-through her Aunt Nic, a self-proclaimed medium who tours the country helping grieving folks communicate with their lost loved ones. So when CJ's mom tells her, on her 12th birthday, that she is being drawn "Far Away" and that this is the last time they'll speak, CJ rejects the notion. After all, CJ can drive stick shift, is comfortable operating a camera and a spotlight, and has navigated routes for Aunt Nic's tour through all 48 contiguous states using only an atlas. Why shouldn't she be able to figure out how to bring her mother's spirit back? Yet when CJ and her new friend Jax steal away from the tour to investigate, they find that the truth about CJ's mom, and the spirit that links her to Aunt Nic, is hard to face. CJ's journey is full of exciting twists and turns that force her to reckon with a magician's alliance, low tire pressure, a reality TV producer, and eventually, the painful truths her family is hiding. Graff's story is original, and she takes opportunities to touch on mental health experiences, specifically anxiety. Through it all, CJ is a headstrong but honest and caring protagonist, and Graff imbues CJ's story with many valuable lessons about forgiveness, respect, and honoring a variety of perspectives. VERDICT A compelling coming-of-age tale that delicately approaches the complex topics of psychic mediums and grief.-Abigail Garnett, Brooklyn Public Library

Copyright 2019 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

February 1, 2019
Grades 5-8 Not every 12-year-old would enjoy homeschooling herself as she rode cross-country on her Aunt Nic's televised psychic medium tour, but CJ's no ordinary kid. She knows how to shift gears on a stick shift truck and how to navigate from Phoenix to Philadelphia, and she knows a lot about how spirit works. But when Aunt Nic, who has always been a medium for CJ to talk to her deceased mother, says her mom is being drawn Far Away and won't be around anymore, CJ decides to go on a road trip of her own in search of an object?a tether?to bring her mother back to Earth. The story is a genre blend of mystery and realistic family drama, with hints of magic and mysticism. Graff never shies away from difficult topics, and this is as brave as expected. It's less about spirit than about faith as a larger concept, and it includes a welcome representation of nontraditional family units; the boundaries of trust and its repair when broken; preteen independence; and the permanence of our decisions.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)