Review – A Long Way From Home by Laura Schaefer @teashopgirl #middlegrade #newrelease
Synopsis
Twelve-year-old Abby has a lot to worry about: Climate change. The news. The Great Pacific Garbage Patch. And now moving to Florida for her mom’s new job at an aerospace company.
On the Space Coast, Abby meets two boys, Adam and Bix, who tell her they’re “a long way from home” and need her help. Abby discovers they’re from the future, from a time when all the problems of the 21st century have been solved. Thrilled, Abby strikes a deal with them: She’ll help them—if they let her come to the future with them. But soon Abby is forced to question her attachment to a perfect future and her complicated feelings about the present.
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Review
This new middle-grade book has a lot to offer a young (or older) reader. There are people from the future that end up on earth; Abby is dealing with a move away from her best friend, her anxiety about life in general, and the turmoil occurring in her own home with her mom and dad.
I found this story to be engaging, and I enjoyed how the author brought in the people from the future, Adam and Bix, and Abby’s interactions with them. The author also handled Abby’s anxiety very well. She addressed it and gave Abby a link to her mother and a way for them to forge a new bond.
Abby is caring and compassionate, which is evident in her interactions with Adam and Bix. She finds them a place to stay while they wait for Vanessa to arrive from the future. They have interesting conversations, and Abby is excited about the state of the future and wants to leave this time behind. However, will she give up everything to jump into the future? Are Adam and Bix doing her any favors by sharing what the world will be like?
This story is fast-paced, with a minor mystery to figure out regarding text messages Abby receives on her phone. Abby does make a new friend, Julianna, who helps her integrate better into school and becomes a good friend. She even finds common ground with her mom, which forges a stronger bond between the two.
This would be a good read for anyone over 8. We give this book 4 paws up.
About the Author
Laura Schaefer is the author of The Teashop Girls, The Secret Ingredient, and Littler Women: A Modern Retelling. Born and raised in Wisconsin, Laura currently lives in Windermere, Florida, with her husband and daughter, where she enjoys visiting theme parks and watching rocket launches from her front yard.
