BLOG TOUR STOP: Out of Reach by Missy Johnson: Review, Teasers, and Giveaway

Synopsis:

Andy and I had been best friends since we were eight-years old. Watching him slowly fade away, ever closer to his final breath, made me so incredibly angry. I knew there was nothing I could do to change it–I had given in to despair, but Andy had not. He had one last hand to play. He wasn’t going to simply sit back and wait for Death to claim him–not Andy. He was going to live life until he couldn’t hold his eyes open any longer.

Andy didn’t want to die in some sterile hospital and asked me to take him and Emily to the beach. It would be our last road trip together.

Emily. Emily was a problem for me. I harbored a secret that would have torn our friendship apart. I was in love with Andy’s girl, and had been since she’d walked into our sixth grade class, so many years ago.

So what kind of person am I? My best friend is dying, and it’s awful–but my heart still aches for his girl. I hate myself for thinking beyond Andy’s death and whether there could ever be a future for Emily and I, but I can’t help it. I love her.

Review:

I know it’s going to sound strange due to the fact that one of the characters is dying of cancer, but this is one of the most heartwarming stories I’ve read in a long time. Yes, it’s tragic, and I teared up more times than I can count, but at the end of the story, I had the biggest smile on my face. This book epitomizes the idea of making every day count…of living life to the fullest because life is short, and it’s meant to be appreciated and experienced fully. It’s about facing fears and overcoming them. It’s about telling a disease to fuck off and letting it know that even though it may ravage your body and take you from this earth way too early, it’s going to be on your terms with every last breath you take.

Andy, Emily, and Seth have been best friends since childhood. Their bond is unbreakable, and even though both Andy and Seth love Emily more than life itself, Andy made the first move all those years ago, so Seth has had to watch from the sidelines, wanting everything that Andy has with Emily but knowing that he can never have it. When Andy is diagnosed with cancer, both Emily and Seth fight alongside Andy to beat it, and he does the first time, but shortly after his first battle, the cancer comes back and consumes his body, so there’s no winning this time around; there’s only conceding and coming to terms with Andy’s fate, which Andy does gracefully. But Emily and Seth don’t want to face that reality because that means their best friend…the life of the party…the one who forces them out of their shells and lives life out loud is going to leave them and force them to move on without him.

But before Andy loses his battle with cancer, he has one more adventure to take Emily and Seth on, and to him, it’s the most important quest they’ve ever taken together because Andy’s going to ensure that the two people he loves the most are taken care of after he’s gone. He knows he doesn’t have much time to complete his bucket list, so he coerces Emily and Seth to help him finish his tasks, and through their journey together, Andy will have the satisfaction of leaving his two best friends in the very capable hands of each other.

Out of Reach blew me away. I’ve read many of Missy Johnson’s books, and while I’ve enjoyed them all, this book is phenomenal. It’s a bit different than any of Missy’s other books, and even after I read it, it stuck with me for days. The way that Missy portrays Andy’s mental and physical deterioration due to the cancer is so well written and realistic. Emily and Seth’s reactions to Andy’s dwindling time also appropriately illustrates what loved ones go through as they watch someone they love die. The frustration, anger, depression, and sadness all three experience is clearly shown through their multiple perspectives, and I’m so glad that Missy gives readers sections from Andy’s viewpoint because it allows us to see everything from every angle.

Andy, Emily, and Seth’s story is an emotionally driven story that’s message will resonate with any reader who has watched someone you love do battle with a disease that ultimately takes his/her life. But it’s also a heartwarming look into what selfless love can accomplish even after someone dies. There are many ideas that a reader can take away from this story, but if there’s one to always remember, it’s to never let a day go by without appreciating it and appreciating those around you!

A complimentary copy was provided in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 poison apples

About the Author:

Missy lives in a small town in Central Victoria with her husband, and her confused pets (a dog who think she’s a cat, a cat who thinks he’s a dog…you get the picture).

When she’s not writing, she can usually be found looking for something to read.