Far Far Away

McNeal, Tom. Far Far Away. 2013. 384p. ISBN 978-0375849725. Available as an eBook on Overdrive. This book has been nominated for the New Hampshire Flume award in 2015!

Jeremy Johnson Johnson is a strange kid. His mother and father both shared the same last name, and decided to make his middle name their last name. His mother ran out on them five years ago. His father has not gotten out of bed since. He runs his grandfather’s bookshop where only two books are sold: His grandfather’s memoir, volume 1 and 2. But these are not the strangest things about him. Unlike most people, Jeremy Johnson Johnson can hear the voices of ghosts. And when the ghost of Jacob Grimm, of the fabled Grimm brothers, hears of this fact, he travels to Jeremy’s small town of Never Better in the great plains so that he at last can communicate with one of the living.

Jacob knows that Jeremy is in danger. The Finder of Occasions lurks in the background, threatening Jeremy with harm. Unfortunately, no one knows who that is, nor what the occasion would be. Living an ordinary life, Jeremy studies hard in school under Jacob’s tutelage, hoping to go to University and escape the clutches of the Finder of Occasions, whomever that may be.

But when Jeremy goes to the bakery with Ginger Boultinghouse, his life changes forever. The baker, Sten Blix, makes a Swedish pastry called Prinsesstårta, and the villagers believe that one who eats this pastry will fall in love with the first living thing they see. These pastries are prized for their taste, and the green smoke that comes from the baker’s oven always alert the village that they are ready. When Jeremy sneezes, Ginger opens her eyes and looks at him as she swallows her pastry down, having tasted her first bite.

Their fate become intertwined, and as the Finder of Occasions gets closer, Jeremy and Ginger find themselves in mortal danger. The dwarf deputy sheriff haunts their every step. Conk Crinklaw is always hovering near Ginger. Kids are disappearing from the surrounding counties. Can the teachings of the Grimms fairy tales help Jeremy and Ginger escape with their lives, or will this be one of the tragic Grimm tales?

A great mystery mixed in with fairy tales, fans of Sarah Cross’ Kill Me Softly will enjoy the suspense provided by this twisted tale. Intricately written, Jeremy’s life references many of the fairy tales but develop into a tale all of its own. Every single character is complex and features conflicting motivations, hindering on purpose the reader’s ability to distinguish who is good and who is evil. There are several moments of sheer terror but in the end it is the power of love and faith that triumph over greed and neglect. Far Far Away was a 2013 nominee for the National Book Award Finalist, Young People's Literature. Be sure to take a look at Egg and Spoon for another strange yet wonderfully entertaining fairy tale, this time taking place in Russia. You might also enjoy The House in the Cerulean Sea.