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Miles from Ordinary: A Novel
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Miles from Ordinary: A Novel
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Miles from Ordinary: A Novel
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Miles from Ordinary: A Novel

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

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About this ebook

"Imagine Anna Quindlen or Sue Miller turning her attention to writing a young adult novel, and you have an idea what [Williams] has done for early teen readers…" --Audrey Couloumbis, author of the Newbery Honor Book Getting Close to Baby

Thirteen-year-old Lacey wakes to a beautiful summer morning excited to begin her new job at the library, just as her mother is supposed to start work at the grocery store. Lacey hopes that her mother's ghosts have finally been laid to rest; after all, she seems so much better these days, and they really do need the money. But as the hours tick by and memories come flooding back, a day full of hope spins terrifyingly out of control....
"No one can get inside the head and heart of a 13-year-old girl better than Carol Lynch Williams, and I mean no one," said James S. Jacobs, Professor of Children's Literature at Brigham Young University, of her breakout novel, The Chosen One. Now this award-winning YA author brings us an equally gripping story of a girl who loves her mother, but must face the truth of what life with that mother means for both of them.

LanguageEnglish
Release dateMar 15, 2011
ISBN9781429966580
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Miles from Ordinary: A Novel
Author

Carol Lynch Williams

Award-winning author of more than twenty-five books and a graduate of the Vermont College of Fine Arts with an MFA in Writing for Children & Young Adults, Carol Lynch Williams facilitates a week-long workshop to help writers get published (www.wifyr.com). She lives in Utah with her family. Visit her at her blog, Throwing Up Words.

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Rating: 3.790540608108108 out of 5 stars
4/5

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  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    What an extreme disappointment. I LOVED Carol Lynch Williams' "The Chosen One," which had me enthralled from beginning to end without ever missing a beat, so I was delighted to score an early review copy. But this ... this was made up of entirely missed beats. I had trouble maintaining interest in the story and could only stand to dip into it for a little at a time. And for a novel that takes place in the course of one day, I could not believe how slowly the action moved. It took me nearly an entire month to read, and it's just shy of two hundred pages. It was nowhere near as riveting as I expected, judging from the author's previous novel. Bummers all around.The main character, Lacey, is an extremely annoying, deluded wuss. Okay, I'll cut her SOME slack for living all of her thirteen years with a seriously mentally disturbed mother. Fine. But I can not forgive how stupid and immature she acts throughout the entire damn novel. Since Lacey has lived alone with her unstable mother for an entire year and prides herself on taking care of her, I find it incredibly hard to believe that she lacks the maturity to handle some of the situations she encounters in the book. Girl, when your mother goes missing, you call the damn police. You don't go around and hoping she'll turn up wherever you decide to look for her. Especially because you know she be crazy.Okay. All of that aside, I have two positives to mention. One is that I love how Williams continues to tackle tough subjects (mental disorders and how it affects children here, and polygamist culture in "The Chosen One.") And I love love love Williams writing. She is so skilled, so descriptive, so vivid. Every sentence was so delicately constructed. Even a poor story can get bumped up a star if I enjoy the writing style. Unfortunately, that's not the case here. The story was not developed enough and characters never fully realized for me to cut it slack purely based on being beautifully written.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    A daughter desperately tries to help her mentally ill mother. Dark, riveting, superbly written story.
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    I could have stopped reading this book at any point and never thought twice about it. It was repetitive, boring, and just plain weird.The whole story takes place in a 24-hour period, which I normally love. However, in this case there was not enough of a plot to even fill that 24 hours, instead it was full of repetition and scenes being dragged out painfully slow. The best part about this book was that Lacey is an easy character to connect with. She has a really hard life for a thirteen year old, and spends all of her time outside of school taking care of her mother who is mentally ill. You are instantly pulled into what it’s like for Lacey, the stress, worry, and fear she lives with make you wish there was something you could do to help. Although she’s just thirteen years old, Lacey has had to deal with stuff way beyond her age level so she seemed a lot older to me. I felt like this was intended to be a suspenseful story, but it just came off as strange and a little creepy rather than suspenseful. The author took the ending in a different direction than I thought, so that was a nice twist (I use that word very loosely).
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Lacey, age 14, lives with her paranoid schizophrenic mother, who refuses to take any medication. Lacey tries her best to care of her momma, but it’s a huge burden, and she would like to have a friend, just once. In fact, just once she did have a friend, but that friend never came back over after one frightening episode with Lacey’s mother, and moreover, told everyone at school what happened. Lacey’s mom’s sister, Aunt Linda, used to live with them and help take care of Lacey’s mom Angela, but Angela kicked her out and got a restraining order taken out on Linda lest she try to take Lacey away. This is a circadian, or one-day novel, in which all the action takes place within a single 24-hour period. In this story, it begins with Lacey trying to get her mom to start a normal job as a checker at a Winn-Dixie, since they are out of money. While her mom is there, Lacey plans to volunteer at the library, where her Aunt Linda used to work. On the bus to their jobs, Lacey sees a neighbor boy, Aaron Ririe, who is very cute. He tries talking to her, but she is defensive at first, because no one talks to her without making fun of her. But Aaron is different. Maybe this day will actually work, and maybe everything will turn out okay. But maybe not….Evaluation: I hated this book. That is not to say it isn’t good, but the circumstances of the story were frightening and all too common. I hate the horror that ensues when a sick person gets a bit better from medication and then decides that he or she can therefore stop the medication. It is no one’s fault. It just happens. A lot. It’s a very dangerous situation. I hated “experiencing” vicariously the abusiveness of a very sick mother influencing the mental integrity of her young offspring and no one being able to intervene. I hated what almost happened at the end of the day, and I hated thinking about the long-term effects of her upbringing on that poor little girl. In other words, yes, it’s another one of those books that I wish some other blogger had read so I could say in the comments, “Wow, I’m so glad you read this so I don’t have to!”
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Carol Lynch Williams is quickly becoming one of my absolute favorite authors... Of her three published titles, I've read both GLIMPSE and MILES FROM ORDINARY and am completely in awe of both. I feel the need to point out how very different GLIMPSE and MILES FROM ORDINARY are. Both are powerful, relatively short reads, but GLIMPSE is written in free verse and MILES FROM ORDINARY is written in traditional novel format. Williams' mastery of both forms astound me... Neither story is more or less detailed or profound, the writing is fluid and each word seems chosen for a specific purpose. MILES FROM ORDINARY is narrated by 13-year old Lacey, which, under normal circumstances, might bother me. Luckily, a novel by Williams doesn't count as "normal circumstances." Williams has the ability to write a novel with a 13-year old main character in which the character genuinely acts like a 13-year old, but the novel still feels YA not MG. When I read the descriptions of Williams' books and see the young age of the narrators, I don't even pause. I know that the character's age will not slow the plot of soften the book's message; Williams is definitely a YA author.This novel definitely has a sinister edge. Williams hints at the drama in Lacey and her mother's life, revealing more and more as the novel progresses, building until the truth descends like a torrential downpour and there's no holding back the darkness. I highly suggest you read MILES FROM ORDINARY and GLIMPSE... I'm left speechless each time I finish one of Williams' novels. The stories held within these covers are powerful and they need to be heard. I've also heard wonderful things about THE CHOSEN ONE, Williams' debut, and will be reading that as soon as possible.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    “Aaron,” I whispered. Not so sure why. He seemed like the only normal thing I knew. And I wanted something, anything, normal. Anything.Williams, Carol Lynch (2011-03-15). Miles from Ordinary: A Novel (Kindle Locations 2189-2190). Macmillan. Kindle Edition.To put it simply, “Miles From Ordinary” is a powerful novel.I wasn’t sure what to expect when I started “Miles From Ordinary”, mainly because I’d yet to read a novel by Carol Lynch Williams at that point. While it isn’t what I was expecting, I did genuinely enjoy it.It’s a story about Lacey, a young teenage girl, and the far from ordinary day she experiences when she and her mother begin new jobs. From the get go it is clear that something is wrong with Lacey’s mother, but you’re not sure how bad things are. And as the story moves along, and more information is provided, it becomes clear that Lacey is the adult in this mother-daughter duo. She’s forced to care for her mentally ill mother on her own (after her mother forces Lacey’s aunt out of their home).Williams does a fantastic job of slowly building up the story, all leading up that haunting and terrifying ending. There were times that I found myself wanting to cry while reading this. And then there were times where I wanted to scream. It isn’t because this is a bad book, but rather because it’s so difficult to read – it’s easy to lose yourself in these characters and Williams’ words.In all honesty, this is a story that will haunt you long after you finish reading it.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Miles from Ordinary was a really difficult book to read at times, but it was a really good book. Well-written and interesting, Miles from Ordinary was a heart-wrenching portrayal of the experience of a child having to care for their parent. Lacey constantly felt like she was betraying her mother when she did anything for herself, and she felt guilty for wanting to do things outside of caring for her mother. Lacey's entire story was really difficult, but Carol Lynch Williams' writes in the voice of a thirteen year old really well. Although this book killed my soul at times, I would recommend it to pretty much anything, as it provides a different perspective on mental illness and is quite interesting to read.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Lacey is only 13 and yet she’s taken care of her mentally ill mother for years. Feeling the need to get away from the responsibility of being her mother’s caretaker, she manages to get a volunteer job at the library, but it means her mother must fulfill her promise to work at a local grocery store. It’s just too much to hope for, and Lacey’s Mom runs away from the job and can’t be found. At least Lacey has a new friend who’s supportive; Jacob is willing to help in the search. Ultimately, it’s Linda, the estranged aunt, that Lacey has to call once the mother’s situation becomes dangerous. Lynch takes us into the world of a totally dysfunctional family and the heartbreak of a child growing up amidst paranoia and disillusion. It’s compelling and touching; a provocative book that moves the reader.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Carol Lynch Williams' latest book, Miles from Ordinary, has a few flaws, but is overall a good read that will particularly appeal to reluctant readers. The story might have benefited from some tighter editing and faster movement in the initial chapters, as the plot does not immediately grab one's attention. Much of the initial story takes place inside Lacey's head, before you have really had time to invest in the character, so the internal monologue can drag at times. However, the text is generally simple and easy to comprehend, reminiscent of Laurie Halse Anderson's Speak, and even reluctant readers will likely hold on until the suspense picks up. And, more importantly the internal voice rings true; the personality and dialect are strong even before you have a good grasp of the characters. When the suspense arrives, it knocks the reader over with its power. I found myself walking around with the book practically glued to my hand, unable to put it down. I plan on purchasing this book for many of my teen libraries. While it can be frightening, I think it is content that most teens and some tweens could handle. I recommend it for reluctant readers, particularly girls, and any youth who have struggled through the experience of having a mentally ill parent. I would also recommend it to adults who have an interest in mental illness memoirs or adults looking for books that reflect their own experiences as a person with a mental illness. I think many will identify with the mother and will appreciate both the sensitive portrayal of an adult struggling with mental illness and the insight into how that experience can look and feel to the children in their lives.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    A powerful story of one momentous day in the life of Lacey, a teenage girl with a mentally ill mother. The day begins with a nightmare that wakes Lacey. She thinks someone is in her room, perhaps her dead Grandaddy. Her mother also cannot sleep and Lacey goes to her and they fall into a restless sleep for the rest of the morning.They arise for their big day - they both begin new jobs. Momma at the Winn-Dixie; Lacey at the library. Lacey feel guilty that she wants some time to herself, to be normal. Lacey meets a boy, Aaron, on the bus. She already knows who he is, but she does not have friends. She spends all of her time taking care of Momma or hiding, in plain sight, from the people that have witnessed her Momma's outbreaks. Lacey tried to ignore the talk, the looks, the gossip. Aaron seems different. He really seems to want to know her.The day turns into a living nightmare when her Momma walks away from her new job and Lacey cannot find her. Aaron helps her get through until her Aunt can come to help her. Ms. Williams crafts a riveting suspense novel that confronts mental illness and its effects on the family members. This fourteen year old girl learns that she is braver than she thought she could ever be. Faced with the terror of her mother's hallucinations and conspiracy theories, Lacey must grow up fast when her mother goes off the deep end.Started and finished the book in one sitting, about three hours. Could not put it down.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Saying that this would be an easy read, would be lying…With its heart break and realistic world that for some may hit pretty close to home, Lynch creates a novel of one girls struggle to fit in, be normal and take care of her sick mother.Lacey is not the typical 13-yr old gracing the halls of her middle school, while others around her experience adolescence at its core, Lacey’s life is slowly but surely falling apart. The most troubling aspect of this book was its honesty, some of the scenes are down-right hard to digest, but with its fast moving plot and strong lean towards contemporary fiction I couldn’t help but get lost in Lacey’s sad story. Certainly not for the weak at heart and I would recommend it to older teen readers, despite its characters young age.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This is the kind of book that YA naysayers may scream is "too dark" or "too real" for teens. But I think it's the kind of books that teens need to be reading. Particularly because there are many teens facing the same issues as Lacy -- mental illness, no friends, shunned at school. This is the kind of book that can make a reader feel like they're no the only one out there with these problems. Carol Lynch Williams delivers a great story with a powerful narrator!
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Growing up is tough. Your teen years are years of change. Most teens welcome change. Thirteen-year-old Lacy doesn’t want any more change, she wants normalcy. Lacey’s problem is her mother’s mental illness. She helps her mother with everything. Her Aunt Linda used to live with them and help. Now money is running out so Lacey helped her mother get a job at the local Winn Dixie and she is volunteering at the local library. The plan is simple. She and her mother will ride the bus to town. Her mother will get off at the Winn Dixie and work four hours. Lacey will meet her mother on the bus after work. Lacey needs her mother to do this. She needs her bit of freedom. She needs the opportunity to make friends. On the bus she sees Aaron, a boy who lives on her street. He doesn’t treat her like the other kids. He is there for her when she realizes her mother is not at the bus stop. She slowly confides in him about her mother’s illness as he tries to help her find her mother.The author has given us a look at what life might be like for the children of a mentally ill parent. This book is very realistic. Unfortunately as a teacher, I have come across one or two kids who have had a parent with a mental illness. Without assistance their lives could have taken the route that Lacey’s did. The problem is Lacey loved her mother enough to take abuse from kids at school to protect her mother. I enjoy reading books by this author and look forward to recommending this one.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Carol Lynch Williams is definitely standing out by entering the reality of what its like to live and take care of someone who is mentally ill. I thought Miles From Ordinary was such a deep story that turned out quite surprising actually. I loved that I was expecting one thing and I was taken on another path.I feel that the unique twists and turns in the story signify how hard it really is to be Lacey, a 13-year-old girl taking care of her sick mother. Lacey is strong on the outside and made it look like a breeze to take care of someone who is supposed to be taking care of her. But the further into her thoughts you go, the more you understand the pain and hardship she’s going through.Lacey and her mom, Angela, just picked up new jobs in town and Lacey hopes her mom won’t freak out and she might have a chance at meeting friends and having a normal summer. Unfortunately, things don’t happen the way she hopes and Lacey has to frantically search for her mom before something awful happens.At times it was hard for me to get a grip on what was happening and I think its because it was written using a southern style (or so I imagined). It was also hard for me to keep track of what was present and past, because it breaks into past times a lot!I honestly didn’t know what to expect from this author, but she really put it out there. Miles From Ordinary was raw and very emotional. I agree that Williams knows how to get into the heart of a girl who’s struggling with her mom alongside her own problems and feelings.Review based on ARC copy
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Miles from Ordinary is an extremely powerful and heart-breaking novel of one young girls struggle to care for her ailing mother and the impact that's had on her life.Lacey is a shy, brave and mentally strong young girl who's basically slowly falling apart. The weight of the responsibility she's been carrying has made her wary of new people or asking others for help. She believes she must care for her mother all on her own or risk losing everything. I felt so sympathetic for Lacey since she's had to grow up very quickly and constantly lives in a state of fear. At the same time though, I was equally frustrated that Lacey didn't always allow others to help her. I realize she's young and trying to protect her mother but as a mother myself, it just broke my heart.The story moves very quickly and the entire novel takes place during the course of one day. Much of it is told through Lacey's memories of the past, which are triggered by the different places she goes or things she sees. At times I admit to being a bit confused on whether or not we were in the past or present, but I'm also very glad the novel is told this way, since it help deepen Lacey character and explain how her life ended up the way it did.The character of Aaron was one of the main reasons I think I ended up liking the book as much as I did. He never once judges Lacey's situation, even if he doesn't completely understand it and continues to help her when she desperately needs someone to believe in. He also allows Lacey to see what her life is like from an outsiders point-of-view.Several times I thought perhaps I wouldn't finish the book. Not because it was poorly written or had unlikeable characters, but because of its realistic portrayal of how mental illness effects a person and their family. Some of the scenes between Lacey and her mother are so hard to read that I not only became extremely angry and heart-broken but also quite nausea.A novel so moving its to the point of desperation, Miles from Ordinary is certainly not a story for everyone but its definitely an important one nevertheless. I would recommend this book to readers who enjoy contemporary fiction with an emphasis on mental, social and family issues as it tackles all three subjects very honestly.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I have to admit, this is the first book I’ve actually read from this author, actually. I’ve heard many things about her other books though (The Chosen One), and I keep on reminding myself to go on and read them, but I haven’t. I will soon, eventually. When picking up and reading this book, I wasn’t sure what to expect, even after reading the jacket flap’s summary.The novel’s events take the course of one full day, including a lot of flashbacks so in a way, it’s a short book but still a powerful one. The flashbacks explain why Lacey’s mother is the way she is and who her mother’s ghosts are as bits and pieces of Lacey’s past are shown.For the start of Miles from Ordinary, it began out pretty slow. But eventually it picked up its pace and soon I was anticipating for what the ending might be as tension rose from the last forty pages or so. What Lacey’s mother wanted to do was pretty horrifying if you’ve read it.I found myself liking, besides Lacey, some of the other cast of characters you see from the book. And in the end, I think the only gripe I have is the way Lacey thinks about one thing and twists it around and says that it’s wrong. It’s pretty strange.I’ll be looking forward to reading the author’s other novels in the future.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I loved Carol Lynch Williams' 'The Chosen One' when I read it a couple of years ago - 'Miles from Ordinary' certainly rose to the challenge of meeting and exceeding my expectations for Williams' next work. At the start of the book, thirteen-year-old Lacey has very reasonable hopes for her summer - jobs for herself and for her mom, and the chance to make a real friend for herself, someone who might share and understand her life. The book chronicles one day, from hopeful morning through to desperate and tragic evening, and captures with haunting realism the desperation Lacey feels when her mother disappears and her day - and life - fall apart. Williams has a real knack for writing adolescence with honesty and tenderness - Lacey is a well-developed, nuanced character and I acutely felt her pain and distress through Williams' prose. I highly recommend this book, for YA and mature readers alike - 5 stars!
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I didn't know what to expect from this story. Having no prior reading experience of Carol Lynch Williams, I was intrigued with praises of her writing but still clueless. After reading Miles from Ordinary, I can say that I will be singing her praises as well.Whatever I may have been thinking this book was, it was not. The story is beautifully written and so moving. It was also set in only one day's time, which was amazing to me. You'd think something like that wouldn't be able to live up to such high expectations in such a short timeline, but it far exceeds that with flashbacks of Lacey's past helping to guide you and help you understand. Did I mention it's nothing like I thought it would be?Lacey's story goes from heart-wrenching to haunting in the span of the book. Despite everything, you can't help but feel sorry for her and wish that she could have a typical carefree, happy childhood like all the other kids her age. Nevertheless, she's a strong character with an equally strong voice. I was hesitant at first with the main character being younger, but Williams did an incredible job with her voice. Lacey's aunt was a character I also thought was completely selfish, but when the flashbacks reveal more of the story, we see more of why each of the characters are the way they are. I'm not saying I completely agree with every character's actions, though the flashbacks help to understand them better than what I had originally thought.At the very beginning, I struggled a little to get into the story. I think maybe it was the accent of the character and the way she talked? I'm not sure. But my attention was caught very soon after and it wasn't long before I was finishing the book with white knuckles and a sore heart. This book is eerie, to say the least. It's contemporary - and a fine one at that - but I'd also put it in the psychological thriller category as well. If you like either of those, I'm positive you'll love this book.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Thirteen year old Lacey just wants an ordinary life... shoot, she'll even settle for just one ordinary day. It's her first day of work at the library and, although she's excited to begin work at one of her favorite places and the chance at following in her aunt's footsteps, she still finds herself worried over her momma. For it is also her momma's first day of work as cashier at the Winn-Dixie. She hopes for an ordinary day where they both go to work and meet back up on the bus route. But nothing is ordinary in Lacey's life. For her day takes an unexpected turn and you slowly begin to realize just how not ordinary Lacey's life truly is.As a big fan of Ms. Lynch Williams' The Chosen One, I knew Miles from Ordinary would be a powerful and thought-provoking story. The whole story takes place throughout the span of one day in Lacey's life. With tons of flashbacks you get a feel for the background of these characters and just how big Lacey's responsibilities as the caregiver for her mother are.At a little over 200 pages this was a very quick read. I sat down and read the whole story through. My only complaint is that it did have a slow start but yet I found myself captivated by the young Lacey's voice. You know from the start that something is not right and you find the intrigue and mystery of it all to be a real page turner. By the story's conclusion I was terrified. I think Ms. Lynch Williams did a phenomenal job in describing someone suffering from mental illness. The paranoia, the delusions - I had moments where I wondered if something was real or not... it was all very well done.While I didn't love this one as much as I did The Chosen One, it was still a riveting read. Carol Lynch Williams has beautifully written a novel that will touch your heart. It is a unique and interesting contemporary story that will leave you feeling haunted.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    I don’t have much to say about Miles From Ordinary. It wasn’t a bad book. It had a good premise—not just a good premise but a necessary one. I like to see YA books that don’t shy away from the darker situations some teens have to deal with. It was a well executed story, it kept me reading, and the experiences of the protagonist felt authentic. However, my biggest problem was the writing fell flat. It was very scant and ultimately I think it made the book a bit forgettable. That, combined with the length (about novella-length) made this book a solid average for me. There were moments when I resonated with the main character but overall, I felt that with a little bit of depth could have taken this story a ways further. Some polishing and an extra hundred or so pages would not have been unwelcome here.
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    What an extreme disappointment. I LOVED Carol Lynch Williams' "The Chosen One," which had me enthralled from beginning to end without ever missing a beat, so I was delighted to score an early review copy. But this ... this was made up of entirely missed beats. I had trouble maintaining interest in the story and could only stand to dip into it for a little at a time. And for a novel that takes place in the course of one day, I could not believe how slowly the action moved. It took me nearly an entire month to read, and it's just shy of two hundred pages. It was nowhere near as riveting as I expected, judging from the author's previous novel. Bummers all around.The main character, Lacey, is an extremely annoying, deluded wuss. Okay, I'll cut her SOME slack for living all of her thirteen years with a seriously mentally disturbed mother. Fine. But I can not forgive how stupid and immature she acts throughout the entire damn novel. Since Lacey has lived alone with her unstable mother for an entire year and prides herself on taking care of her, I find it incredibly hard to believe that she lacks the maturity to handle some of the situations she encounters in the book. Girl, when your mother goes missing, you call the damn police. You don't go around and hoping she'll turn up wherever you decide to look for her. Especially because you know she be crazy.Okay. All of that aside, I have two positives to mention. One is that I love how Williams continues to tackle tough subjects (mental disorders and how it affects children here, and polygamist culture in "The Chosen One.") And I love love love Williams writing. She is so skilled, so descriptive, so vivid. Every sentence was so delicately constructed. Even a poor story can get bumped up a star if I enjoy the writing style. Unfortunately, that's not the case here. The story was not developed enough and characters never fully realized for me to cut it slack purely based on being beautifully written.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Warning: Complete spoilers follow.This could be a really frustrating read for some readers, because it's the kind of story where you don't know anything to start, and you have to piece it together bit by bit. Most of the story is revealed through the main character, Lacey, through flashbacks. Eventually you find out that Lacey had an Aunt Linda, who used to live with them and who worked at the Peace City library, but Aunt Linda has been gone for more than a year, after her sister, Angela, Lacey's mom, kicked her out. Lacey has just landed a volunteer job at the library, and her mom is going to work at the Winn-Dixie if everything works out the way Lacey hopes. Lacey's mom has severe mental illness and imagines her dead father speaks to her. Lacey never labels the illness, but some of the paranoia she describes made me think schizophrenia. Lacey drops her mom at the Winn Dixie stop, and she keeps going to the library. She's desperately hoping her mom successfully holds onto the job. Lacey wants a break from looking after her mom, she wants just a little time to herself, and she wants a friend. Aaron Ririe gets on the bus, and although initially Lacey is suspicious and guarded, eventually he wins her over and she decides to trust that he really is nice. Through a flash back triggered by Lacey's first day volunteering at the library, we learn that Angela evicted Linda when Linda tried to force her to take her meds or go to the hospital. The house was in Lacey's mom's name, so she was able to make the sister leave. Back to the present, Aaron appears at the library at the end of Lacey's shift, and offers to travel home with Lacey, and she accepts. When they get to the bus stop where Angela is supposed to be, she isn't there. Lacey jumps off the bus and Aaron goes with her, and they find out that Angela quit an hour after she started work, and now she's gone. Aaron sticks with Lacey, even when he finds out her mom is mentally ill. They go home and find a dead parrot and a mannequin of Linda in the bed, and finally they decide to call Aunt Linda for help. While waiting for the aunt, Lacey and Aaron talk a lot more, and we find out that Lacey's grandfather hung himself in a closet. Aaron leaves when his mom comes to pick him up. Then Lacey hears her grandfather in the house and goes to investigate. She finds her mom, talking in a voice that imitates her father, and she has hung two nooses; one for her and one for Lacey, and she tries to kill her. Linda comes in time to save her, and Lacey comes to the realization that her mom is probably not ever going to recover. Not a very happy book, but does a great job of putting you into Lacey's mind. I'm passing it along to my high school.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    As a 14 year old, the intended audience for this novel, i found the story could have been very interesting, however i didn't think it lived up to the potential. I found the plot slow and and climax in the story came far too quickly and lasted for too long. When the climax ended, the book ended. In my opinion that was a very sudden ending and Williams didn't wrap the storyline up very well, it seems like she could write a sequel to this book. The idea of a 13 year old being the parent of her mother whose mentally ill, could have gone many ways. Williams made this story haunting and in some points almost disturbing to read. I liked that she introduce Aaron as a potential love interest of Lacey, but i don't feel there relationship developed as it could have. Their relationship was very awkward for most of the story. Near the end of the book it was almost as Aaron was just an accessory, he was just following Lacey everywhere. I wouldn't highly recommend it but i wouldn't tell people not to read it
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    I first discover Carol Lynch Williams when THE CHOSEN ONE released. It was an amazing novel--a stunner--that wouldn't let me escape from the pages long after I finished. From that point on Carol Lynch Williams remained on my list of authors to watch out for. The second novel that I read was GLIMPSE, a verse novel. It was simplistic novel, but still resonated with me.With MILES FROM ORDINARY I liked it but didn't feel it was up to par as I was expecting from Williams. The plot was slower and some of the relationships seemed too awkward. Williams continues to write haunting tales and MILES FROM ORDINARY was no different. I wished the readers could have delve deeper into Lacey's subconscious mind to get the firm grasp of those "voices". In some ways Lacey is mature than age, but in others she was younger.I plan on continuing to read more of Carol Lynch William's work, however, won't have the bar raised so high.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Thirteen year-old Lacy, the narrator of the story, lives with her mother, a woman debilitated by mental illness. Lacy, who has no friends and is the object of scorn and ridicule at school because of some of the behavior of her mother, hopes to make new friends during the summer while she works at the library. Williams writes convincingly using the voice of a young girl who takes on the role of the adult in the family while needing someone to love and care for her.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I chose this book because I read Carol Lynch Williams' The Chosen One a couple of years ago and thought it was wonderful. If anything, Miles from Ordinary surpasses that earlier work with its tender and haunting look at one daughter's effort to care for a mother spiralling into madness. 13 year old Lacey has simple desires for her summer- jobs for her and her mother, and the chance to make a friend. The book traces one day in Lacey's life, one day that starts out hopeful only to fall apart in every way when her mother goes missing. William's has a unique ability to convey the pain of adolescence and Lacey is a powerful character who is much harder on herself than any reader will ever be. Highly recommended for both YA and older readers.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Miles from Ordinary is the story of thirteen year old Lacey and her mother Angela as they struggle through one day, the day that they both start new jobs. For Lacey it's a welcome relief from caring for her mentally ill mother, a chance to make friends, to feel normal and to reconnect to her Aunt Linda, in the place she used to work, even if she doesn't work there anymore, the public library. For Angela, it's a terrifying ordeal which she is attempting we can only assume because Lacey has talked her into it and on some level she doesn't want to let Lacey down. She's going to be a clerk at the checkout counter in the Winn Dixie, something she's done before, but she's very hesitant, really doubtful that she can do it. Lacey walks her through when she should meet her at the bus stop and goes on to her volunteer job with doubts. She's angry at her mother for not letting her be a normal teen and then chastises herself for being mad at her. She knows her mother isn't right.Through a day full of flashbacks, we learn that Aunt Linda, Angela's younger sister used to live with them but the two sisters had a huge fight over Angela's mental health and Angela kicked Linda out. She called the police and went so far as to get a restraining order. Lacey knows how to get in touch with her, but feels abandoned and is angry with her, so she doesn't. But she's drawn to the public library where she worked secretly hoping she will stop by and Lacey will be there.Lacey is a likable teenager. More than that, she's admirable even if she's in over her head. Maybe she doesn't know how sick her mother is. But she's too stubborn for her own good. And her aunt, knowing how sick her sister is, should have checked in with her. But the real fault for the condition of Angela and Lacey's plight, is Angela. She has medication she can take but won't. She was diagnosed as depressed, but it seems to have gone beyond that. I believe, considering what she'd been through, she had Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and she just, as the author wrote kept, "...slipping over a steep ledge in slow motion."The story is told from Lacey's point of view and is set in present day in a small town in Florida. Lacey thinks about her mother constantly thinking how this or that will affect her mother. She looks at the world in a kind of black and white good for momma bad for momma kind of way. She has so much inner conflict and no one to talk to about it. Or help her. This is really her story and everyone else is a secondary character.The final events are chilling and heart wrenching with Lacey still believing she can take care of her mom. She's loyal to a fault. Even after her mother's frightening words. This is a fast paced novel, as the events all take place in one day. I can't say whether it's plot driven or character driven-maybe both? They are both tied so closely together and it's kind of like running downhill to the end. You can't turn the pages fast enough and you can't skip a single word. It gains momentum right until the end. Then there's a little time to sit and take a breath and wonder.I received this ARC from Library Things Early Reviewers Program free of charge. This in no way influenced my review of this novel.