Miles from Ordinary

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.

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 show more 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. show less

I could not put this young adult novel down, after reading the first few pages. The subject matter is definitely riveting. The tension is palpable as the story moves toward its climax. This author has done a masterful job of getting inside the head of a child who is filled with a sense of responsibility, loyalty and duty, to a very mentally ill mother, and also inside the head of the mother, as well.
A young 13 year old girl comes of age in this tender, but also deeply disturbing tale of the obligation and guilt a child feels for a sick parent who is loved in spite of all her short comings. The guilt the child feels about her inability to help her parent is so powerful that you can feel it yourself and sympathize with her. It might be a show more book that adults should read as well, for it might help them understand the obstacles facing the mentally ill and their caregivers.
I am not sure what age range is appropriate for this novel. Although the main character is just 13, the concepts raised, as her memories are explored, may be for a much older young adult; perhaps it would be better for someone at least 15-16 or older so that the subject matter can be absorbed without negative impact. This is one scary book. If it is made into a movie, it could qualify for a showing on Halloween! Mental illness, with all of its ramifications, needs to be understood so that compassion is the end result, not horror or vengeance or the ridiculing of those afflicted.
Lacey is charged with a task beyond her years, of caring for her emotionally disturbed mother, with the spirit of her grandfather haunting them in the background, disturbing her mother's thoughts and ability to live a normal life. She has lost touch with reality. Her sense of responsibility is so strong that she fails to see that she is incapable of handling her mother and keeping her safe. Her aunt, who had kept the household in a semblance of normal, has been thrown out by her mother and forbidden to return by a restraining order.
Suddenly, Lacey's life takes a new hopeful turn. She has obtained a volunteer job in the library where her Aunt used to work and she has filled out an application for her mom to work in the local market. Her mom has passed the interview and they are both beginning work on the same day. This is Lacey's summer vacation and she is hoping her life will change for the better.
On the bus, riding to her job, one of her neighbors, a boy named Aaron, befriends her. She lets down her guard and is hopeful that her life will now blossom into something new and exciting, bright and happy, rather than the dark and gloomy way she lives within her home, where her mom keeps windows closed and shutters tight so as not to let in anything dangerous. Yet, the day ends in a waking nightmare for her.
This book takes the readers to places they have probably not been before; it takes them inside the head of the disturbed person and the person charged with her care; the reader suffers with them and also feels their fear. For a little book, under 200 pages, it packs a punch. show less

Lacey just wants this day to be just an ordinary day, something she never seems to have. In Carol Lynch Williams’ “Miles from Ordinary”, she tells us the sad and sometimes terrible story of just how challenging Lacey’s life is, where she deals with her mentally ill mother Angela on her own at the age of 13. The novel takes place on one day, beginning as the pair take the bus to head off to their new jobs at the grocery store and library. For years, Lacey had her aunt to help with her mother, but Aunt Linda is gone now, run off by Angela during one of her paranoid episodes. Lacey convinces her mother that she can manage this needed job. After leaving her at the grocery story, she meets a boy, Aaron, on the bus, a classmate who show more befriends her, tries to teach her to skateboard and is later instrumental in helping Lacey after they return to pick up Angela and realize she has disappeared.

The story is frightening in how raw the emotions are, and how difficult the situation is for Lacey. Williams does an excellent job showing Lacey’s co-dependence, how she is torn between wanting an ordinary life for herself and taking on the role of caregiver for her mother, often to the point of defending her against the world. The novel takes place on one day, a plot device which accelerates the tension in the story, leading readers relentlessly to the climax. Basically, once you get on the bus with Lacey and Angela, it’s almost impossible to put the book down until you read the conclusion. A story like this would benefit from some discussion, used in a classroom setting perhaps, or for a book group. I expect that readers who have never dealt with someone as ill as Angela may not understand Lacey’s choices, thinking perhaps she should walk away or inform someone to get her mother help well before she does. show less

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 show more 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!” show less

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, show more despite its characters young age. show less

“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 show more 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. show less