Title: Out of Reach
Author: Missy Johnson
Release Date: May 8, 2014
My best friend was dying and I was in love with his girl.
Andy and I had been best friends since we were eight-years old.
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'm in love with her.
Missy Johnson, my lord woman! You turned me in to a big blubbering mess while reading this book. I didn't just cry at one part, I cried pretty much throughout the entire book. You have penned a beautiful story of life, love, loss and second chances.
These characters are so true to life, I felt like I was right in the scenes and going through the same emotions they were. I cried, I laughed, I cried and then I cried some more. But at then end of the story I was left smiling. What a bona fide amazing story.
~ Review by Erin
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5 Tearjerker Stars!
I would like to start my review by saying… prepare your heart, mind, and soul and have a box or two of tissues for your tears and a fluffy pillow to embrace when you start reading this book. Effin’ amazeballs, Missy Johnson!
Out of Reach is a stunning, poignant, extremely moving story about friendship, life, death, acceptance and love.
There is not enough words I can write on how much I was left awestruck and a sobbing mess while and after reading Andy, Emily, and Seth’s beautiful, touching story. Maybe because I’ve been there, too. Maybe because while reading, my memories of my own loss resurfaced and the emotions become fresh once again. Maybe because Missy Johnson just made a painful, real life situation, and turned it into something remarkable. Or maybe it’s all of these things that moved me.
I started reading this before bedtime and the only pause I made was to sleep, work, and then I resumed to 5% onwards. Missy Johnson pulled my heart out off my chest at Page 1 until the very last word. This is not about cheating or love triangles; Andy, Emily, and Seth’s story is about living life to the fullest, telling the people you love and care about how you feel about them, braving through life’s challenges, loving life, trusting your friends, and wanting what’s best for everyone even after you’re gone.
While all 3 characters are special to me, Andy holds my heart the most. He is a brave man for going through life even after finding out about his illness. He remained as fun and lively and as his old self as much as he can. Andy is a positive person and I admire his strength to face death as easy and memorable in a good way for his loved ones.
Seth is one of the best best friends every guy is lucky to have. He respects his best friends, Andy and Em, even to the point of keeping the more-than-friendship love he has for Emily just because he sees them both happy and contented and because he loves them both. Seth is unselfish, supportive and the rock that Andy and Em depended on during the painful and heartbreaking times and the fun guy who eases the tension and awkwardness of it all. I loved him because of all these things. He didn’t made me feel anything bad about him.
And Em, this girl had been through a lot of loss and tears and it broke my heart reading it happening to her all over again but her strength is also one of her good traits. The emotions she expressed were realistic and understandable. She tried to put on a happy face, she got mad and upset and showed her pain when the situation deserves, and all these made her an even more beautiful person.
Two-thumbs up for making me cry, not just the simple tears rolling down my cheeks but full blown sobbing, shoulders shaking, hiccuping and nose blowing mess, the whole enchilada!
Stars: 5 stars!
Recommended to: Everyone who has loved, lost, and loved again.
POV: First person. Dual POV. And a surprise POV.
Series: No.
Cliffhanger: No.
EXTRA COMMENT: While writing this review, I had to stop a couple of times because I’m crying again.
~ Review by Mara
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I have a love hate relationship with cancer books. I love them so much because they are always good. But they make me ugly cry EVERY. TIME. Out Of Reach was no exception. Missy Johnson did an excellent job with this book. It was a quick read but it was packed to the brim. It was emotional, heartbreaking but also heartwarming.
It’s a true case of the girl falling in love with the best friend after she realizes how he has been there through everything and more that the boyfriend has. Andy was such a strong character and for making sure that Em will be loved even when he is gone. Then there is Seth. I loved him and he truly was amazing throughout the whole book. He is the perfect example of what a best friend should be. He was in love with his best friend’s girl, but put his feelings aside because he wanted them both to be happy. I’ve loved all of Missy Johnson's work so far and Out Of Reach hasn’t changed that. I give this heartwarming book, 5 spectacular stars.
~ Review by Jordan
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This was my first book by Missy Johnson and
it hooked me from page one. Andy was 23 and knew that he was dying of cancer.
He made his best friend, Seth, and girlfriend, Emily, live out his bucket list
for him in his last few weeks. Andy showed how important love is both in life
and death as well as how it is ok to move on after death. The love that Seth
had for both Andy and Emily was irrefutable.
This story was told through all 3 main characters POVs which allowed you to really feel all the emotions throughout the story. My favorite part was Emily’s journal and how the happy memories allowed us glimpses into their years growing up together. This is an amazing, emotional, tear-jerking read. I highly recommend this book, but make sure you have your tissues with you!
~ Review by Tiffany
✰✰✰✰½
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