Far Away by Lisa Graff

"Far away" by Lisa Graff was a great book. It follows the story of CJ, a 12 year old girl who lives with her aunt in a small mobile home. Her aunt however, is not the usual type of aunt. She has a special gift to contact dead spirits. On her twelve birthday, CJ learns that the spirit of her mom, who is supposedly dead, just got pulled far away and she can no longer be in contact with her. CJ goes on an adventure with a friend to try find a "tether" (and object that can draw back spirits from far away) to bring back the spirit of her mom. Along the way she learns many shocking secrets. Can her aunt really talk to spirits or is it all part of a big scam? Is her mom even dead? I really enjoyed this book. It was an exciting story that was easy to read. I would mostly recommend it for ages above nine that can start to read chapter books. (Nina. Grade 7)

Rating: 4/5

Vocabulary Difficulty: 3/5

This book was a great read. I came into this book knowing nothing other than that it was written by Lisa Graff, who is one of my favorite middle-grade authors. I was very intrigued by the description, and I'm very glad that I ended up reading this.

I had a great time reading this book. It was very emotional, and there were some big shock factors. I always seem to be pleasantly surprised by Lisa Graff's books. Overall though, it was a great read. Definitely a stand-out middle-grade book. Also, the cover is fantastic. (Alex. Grade 7)

Rating: 5/5

Vocabulary Difficulty: 2/5