SYNOPSISWhen I was seventeen years old there were only three things that I knew for certain: I was a mixed up mixed kid, with weird hair and an unhealthy love of comics; I wanted to forget I’d ever heard the words depression and anxiety; and I was hopelessly in love with a girl named Annalise who was, in every way that you can be, a goddess. What can I say about Anna? She wasn’t the prom queen or … queen or the perfect girl from the movies, she was my weird, funny, messed up goddess. The girl of my dreams. The reason I’m writing these words.
I’d loved Anna from a distance my junior year, afraid to actually talk to her, but then one day during lunch my best friend threw a french fry at my face and changed everything. The rest, as they say, is history. Our History. Our Story. Annalise helped make me the man I am today, and loving her saved my teenaged soul from drowning in the depths of a terrible Bleh, the worst kind of sadness that there is, a concept Anna taught me about a long time ago, when we were younger than young. So flip the book over, open up the cover and let me tell you Our Story, which is like Annalise, herself – complicated, beautiful, funny, and guaranteed to teach you something by the time you’re through. Maybe it’ll teach you the complexity of the word potato, something I never understood until the very last page.
*EVERY PRE-ORDER COMES WITH A COMPLIMENTARY SWAG PACKAGE – email pre-order verification to [email protected] along with address to receive a special ‘thank you’ for pre-ordering. This offer ends once the book goes live on April 24th.
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Oh my is all I can say
This is a beautifully written story. It tells us about young love, and friendship, in a high school setting. It brings all the emotion, and honesty that just grabs you, and pulls you in. It reminds you that there are so many types of love in your life, and they all leave their mark on you in some way.
This book will also make you reflect on things, and leaves you feeling positive, and refreshed. I truly loved it.
What a great story!! Felt a lot of emotions while reading and could relate to many parts. I would recommend reading this truly unique book. Thanks Christopher Harlan for another, yet different story.
My first YA novel with this author and it’s my favorite of all his books. So well written. It hit on some serious topics and reminds us of our youth and those struggles. But also how special that time was and it leaves its mark.
Logan, a self-described nerd was funny, sweet, intelligent and endearing. I loved him. His struggles with his mom and her mental illness got him down at times, but he just kept on living. He was definitely an old soul.
Annalise was a troubled young woman. A very strained home life led her to self-abuse and depression that kept her down. She became so beaten down. My heart broke for her.
Logan and Anna found common ground because of their families. Logan wore his heart on his sleeve. He gave his all when it came to Anna, but she just struggled with those same things.
This is their story of first love. It’s special, and wonderful but also trying and sad. There are all different loves in your life; some fleeting, some permanent, but all leave their mark.
Away From Here: YA story
By Christopher Harlan
This story is filled full of emotion.
Logan told the story as if he was talking to you directly. We visited his home life, high school and his first love Annalise.
Everyone should read this book!
Excellent story Christopher!
This was a beautiful YA story with lovely writing that nails the teenage Bleh (or adult Bleh). Feelings of insecurity and abandonment. I’ve been Logan and I’ve been Anna. Always someone in between.
“Maybe no one comes from a happy home at first, maybe it’s something that you have to make for yourself one day.”
Ouch. That line kind of hurt my soul. Clawing your way to happiness isn’t easy. Staying there is even harder. It’s always exciting for me to find new authors who can create a story so easy to relate to. And glancing ahead at other titles, I’m intrigued to see this style of writing deployed in the romance genre.
Wow. Best book I’ve read this year. Best book I’ve read in a long time. Not a format I read a lot of in my adult years – though please don’t let the YA genre label turn you away from this book – but when I first heard about this book, I knew there was no way I could NOT read it. It is not the story of any experience that I have had, but that is the joy and the heartbreak in reading. That you get to experience things you never have (and possibly never will), that you get to see things through not just your own eyes but others’ as well, authors and readers alike.
Logan and Annalise are teens in high school when their story starts. Logan has loved Anna from afar for a year but little does he suspect she’d been feeling the same way about him. Logan’s friend keeps telling him to go talk to Anna before someone else beats him to the punch and one day Logan finally decides to take this advice. What happens when Logan finally overcomes his crippling shyness and talks to the girl of his dreams? Get Away From Here now and find out.
Great read
This is a amazing read. Another great book by Christopher.
I loved this book. It takes you back to the past and then right to the present. It flows through what can be ant teens situation and how it was dealt with by them. It also shows just how important it is for the parents to be there for them as best as they can. Teen life is hard, essentially alone, it is even more so. This book will definitely make you think.
This one took me a few days to digest and to try and come up with words that would do this book justice. It is not my typical read of late but it was one of those books I could relate to in some way. I felt like I was back in HS again which was really weird and I kinda remember some of the things that either went on with Logan and Annalise. We all have our Bleh moments but for some it is a constant.
I took my time reading this one but again it was also extremely different from what I have been reading the last year. I love a good YA story and this one didn’t disappoint me. The story of your first love is always one you will have for the rest of your life no matter what the future leads you to.
Well done on this one. I am always amazed by your words that you give to us.
Christopher Harlan brings a beautiful book to life with all the feels in his foray into the YA genre. He tells the story of an awkward 17 year old boy, his quest to find love, be accepted, manage unfortunate circumstances at home and finish his senior of high school and to set off into the “real world”.
Harlan brings a wit and almost stream of consciousness feel to the prose. His ability to move freely from speaking directly to the reader, to keeping the flow of the story makes this a unique type of read. The characters are genuine and feel like these people could be your classmates from back when. In addition, the discussion of mental health issues, not only being totally relevant is dealt with in such a careful, honest, moving way. This is a deep read that requires time and attention as there is much detail that should not be missed.
This story struck many a chord with me. As I have 17 year old son, who is going through the sequence of events that the story describes and he,unfortunately at the early part of his secondary education had to deal with a sick mom.
Full of heart, truth and realness.