Far Far Away

By: Tom McNeal

Narrated by: W. Morgan Sheppard

Length: 10 hrs and 55 mins

Publisher's summary

A National Book Award Finalist

An Edgar Award Finalist

A dark, contemporary fairy tale in the tradition of Neil Gaiman. Jeremy Johnson Johnson hears voices. Or, specifically, one voice: The ghost of Jacob Grimm, one half of The Brothers Grimm. Jacob watches over Jeremy, protecting him from an unknown dark evil whispered about in the space between this world and the next.

But Jacob can't protect Jeremy from everything. When coltish, copper-haired Ginger Boultinghouse takes a bite of a cake so delicious it’s rumored to be bewitched, she falls in love with the first person she sees: Jeremy. In any other place, this would be a turn for the better for Jeremy, but not in Never Better, where the Finder of Occasions - whose identity and evil intentions nobody knows - is watching and waiting, waiting and watching...And as anyone familiar with the Brothers Grimm know, not all fairy tales have happy endings.

Veteran writer Tom McNeal has crafted a young adult novel at once grim(m) and hopeful, full of twists, and perfect for fans of contemporary fairy tales like Neil Gaiman's The Graveyard Book and Holly Black's Doll Bones. The recipient of five starred reviews, Publishers Weekly called Far Far Away "inventive and deeply poignant".

©2013 Tom Mcneal (P)2013 Random House

Critic reviews

A California Book Award Gold Medal Winner

"Reminiscent of Hansel and Gretel, and rife with allusions to Grimm Brothers’ tales, this is a masterful story of outcasts, the power of faith, and the triumph of good over evil." ( Booklist)

"Whether readers connect more deeply with the suspense, the magical elements, or the gloriously improbable love story, they will come away with a lingering taste of enchantment." (School Library Journal)

What’s not to like?

It’s great. If you like fairy-tales you might like this. It is a YA book. The voice talent was solid.

Delicious Modern Day Fairy Tale

This young adult novel is page turner that had me hooked in minutes and is currently this adult's new favorite. Reminiscent of Neil Gaimen's writing ... it is simply brilliant. A playful weaving of past and present, Grimm's fairy tales and Disney's Snow White, green smoke and open oven doors, missing children and post cards from California, the popular and the awkward, children and parents, whispers and songs, salty tears and first kisses,... oh my goodness, there are layers and layers of complexity, flavors and red herrings hidden in this simple, straightforward dark and light fairy tale... filled with fairy tales. The narration is spot on perfect, the voice of Jacob Grimm's ghost as he shares his interactions with Jeremy Johnson Johnson... the boy who can hear him. I can't wait to study the Grimm Brother's and their fairy tales... then read it again.

Suspenseful Tale

What made the experience of listening to Far Far Away the most enjoyable?

The storyteller.

What other book might you compare Far Far Away to and why?

Tales Dark and Grimm, The Sisters Grimm. These both revolve around adaptations on the stories from the Brothers Grimm.

Which scene was your favorite?

The ending scenes.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

The Brothers Grimm tales happened long ago... or did they?

As Real as Ghosts and as Magical as the Unexpected

*****"Love it! An alluring tale filled with a unique fairy dust of Jeremy's, Ginger's, and Jacob's view and interaction in romance, humor, and the strength that binds them together! Reminding me that by believing in myself, all my worries and struggles can be vanished in an instant with a touch of four of the most important and necessary ingredients in life...LOVE JOY FAITH and PERSEVERANCE ☺😊😄😇😉😯😐😑😕"*****

It was awesome

It so good that I listen to it all the time. This book is more for older readers

The performance was key.

The performance was key. It set the atmosphere and tone. As for the story, it became much darker than I anticipated.

Protracted Torture of Young Adults

The writing, humor, and especially the narration were all wonderful. So is the premise at first.
I appreciated the characters development and the world McNeal weaves.
A subjective con is that the story doesn't go anywhere in a geographical sense. I'd seen the plugs comparing FFA to Gaiman's work and had been hoping for something more fantastically sweeping like "Stardust" or "Neverwhere".
And here is something else- I know the story's narrator Jacob hints coquettishly at the story heading into darkness. But there's no decent benchmark in the prologue for how hard things veer left.
I don't like protracted violence or menace towards adolescents- and this is basically all the book offers its listeners as payoff by the end.

I can't get over how good this is

Everything about this audio book is amazing. The story and the performance are outstanding. If this isn't made into a movie I don't know what book should be. I've listened to this audio book 5 times already.

WHAT'S NEXT???

This is one of those books that you have a hard time replacing; what shall I read next? I loved the ghost!! What a cutie pie!! Jeremy was a great hero, as was the ghost! The bad guy? Well, I just wasn't ready for that one. I just kept telling myself that there was no way he could be the bad guy!!! It's a good read and I still can't decide what to read next!!

Magical

My wife and I loved this book. It took about twenty minutes for us both to get hooked. The characters were just really likable. The story was sweet, but also creepy at the right parts. This is one of our two favorite audiobooks we've listened to together.