Far Far Away

By: Tom McNeal

Narrated by: W. Morgan Sheppard

A National Book Award Finalist
An Edgar Award Finalist
A California Book Award Gold Medal Winner

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."

Critic reviews

Starred Review, Publishers Weekly, July 8, 2013:
"McNeal weaves in fantastical fairy-tale details into this inventive and deeply poignant narrative, creating a world that hovers between realism and enchantment."

Starred Review, The Horn Book, July/August 2013:
“McNeal superbly and elegantly enfolds those stories’ essence and depth into plot, setting, and characters; archetypal figures and situations glimmer through McNeal’s small-town American cast like tantalizing clues in a novel that becomes ever darker even as it sparkles with the dignified, affectionate voice of its ghostly narrator.”

Starred Review, The Bulletin, June 2013:
"Enchanting, romantic, and tinged with terror, this modern story subtly weaves the haunting essentials of the fairy-tale tradition into a fascinating and beautifully written homage to its source material."

Starred Review, School Library Journal, June 2013:
"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."

Starred Review, Booklist, June 1, 2013:
"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."

Review, Wall Street Journal:
"Stunning. [A] beguiling, horrifying and gracefully written novel."

Review, The Atlantic Wire:
“McNeal weaves his modern tale in the fairy-tale tradition, and it will haunt and delight.”

Review, BookPage:
“Far Far Away is an incredibly imaginative modern fairy tale told through the first-person narration of the ghost of Jacob Grimm . . . Suspenseful with a sinister villain, Far Far Away is equally heartwarming as it is scary.”

Review, Shelf-Awareness:
“McNeal structures the novel like a fairy tale, and the overwhelming sense of danger surrounding the village like a deep forest will keep readers glued to the edges of their seats.”

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 ☺😊😄😇😉😯😐😑😕"*****

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.