“An accomplished and sophisticated debut...an affecting portrayal of the lengths people travel for love and companionship.” —P...
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reviews
Jul 13, 2008
Don
rated it: 
I read an advance copy. To be honest, I am not usually a literary fiction reader. My choices tend towards non-fiction politics, history, Judaica and detective/thriller types. However, due to personal connections, I received a copy of "Ocean."
It's a great tale well told. At varying times...poetic, funny, thrilling....It pulled me into Susannah's world and those who intersect with her.
The law of unintended consequences holds sway in this novel as it does everywhere else. It i More...
It's a great tale well told. At varying times...poetic, funny, thrilling....It pulled me into Susannah's world and those who intersect with her.
The law of unintended consequences holds sway in this novel as it does everywhere else. It i More...
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Jun 19, 2008
Macy
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I read an ARC of this book and had high hopes for it. While the prose was pretty and her descriptions had me feeling the heat rising off the desert pavement, I could never manage to like the characters who all seemed too self-absorbed. Almost every character had a point of view and she frequently changed POVs within the same paragraph which was jarring.
I did like the second half much better than the first and I was surprised near the end, so that pulled this book from an abyssmal 2 More...
I did like the second half much better than the first and I was surprised near the end, so that pulled this book from an abyssmal 2 More...
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Nov 20, 2008
Sarah
rated it: 
I am surprised as I read most of the reviews of this book considering I did not enjoy the novel AT ALL. I read through it, but was disappointed at nearly every turn. Maybe I am a shallow reader, but I could not connect to any of the characters, particularly the main character. In fact, I was repulsed by the main character, but not in a fascinating way, just in a repulsed way.
Others might consider this poetic, but I just found it annoying and a desperate attempt at poetry when th More...
Others might consider this poetic, but I just found it annoying and a desperate attempt at poetry when th More...
Jun 03, 2011
Pamela
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This book kept my interest. I definetly wanted to finish it although I did not particuarly love the writing style. I felt it jumped to different characters so much that I often had to restart the paragraph to figure out which character we were reading about. I got confused towards the end when they jumped ahead so far that we never did learn what happened with all of the characters. I found it sort of slow and did not feel sorry for the young woman. I felt bad for the parents although I did
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Oct 03, 2008
Anne
rated it: 
As reviewed on my website: http://fictionwritersreview.com
How Far is the Ocean from Here, Amy Shearn’s captivating debut, follows a young surrogate mother who flees to the desert shortly before her due date.
Accomplishing a seemingly impossible goal, the novel sustains the quality and language of a short story for 320 pages. Shearn exceeds at painting characters and relationships - particularly the bond between surrogate Susannah and father Julian; an adopted child himself More...
How Far is the Ocean from Here, Amy Shearn’s captivating debut, follows a young surrogate mother who flees to the desert shortly before her due date.
Accomplishing a seemingly impossible goal, the novel sustains the quality and language of a short story for 320 pages. Shearn exceeds at painting characters and relationships - particularly the bond between surrogate Susannah and father Julian; an adopted child himself More...
Aug 04, 2008
Jill
rated it:
n How Far Is the Ocean from Here, author Amy Shearn examines the ripple effects of a single decision, and the unlikely relationships formed when strangers need a family more than they need familiarity.
Susannah Prue signed on to a be a surrogate to matter to someone, to get attention for doing a noble thing, to feel a part of something after a life of many nothings. In the weeks before the birth, in a moment of panic, Susannah leaves Chicago (and the baby's parents), heading on an imp More...
Susannah Prue signed on to a be a surrogate to matter to someone, to get attention for doing a noble thing, to feel a part of something after a life of many nothings. In the weeks before the birth, in a moment of panic, Susannah leaves Chicago (and the baby's parents), heading on an imp More...
Jan 08, 2009
Chrissy
rated it:
A woman running away from something! The desert! A motel filled with quirky and strange characters! Unrequited love and doomed friendship and unlikely families! How Far is the Ocean From Here has so many of the elements that I love most in fiction (and in life) and the things that Amy Shearn is able to do with these elements makes me hopeful for the future of fiction.
In this debut novel we are introduced to Susannah Prue, a young, unattached woman who is acting as surrogate mother fo More...
In this debut novel we are introduced to Susannah Prue, a young, unattached woman who is acting as surrogate mother fo More...
Sep 20, 2010
Forrest
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Though a genuinely disturbing novel, I would 100% recommend Amy Shearn's How Far is the Ocean From Here to everybody who is a reader. Shearn is not afraid to tackle the nitty-gritty of Americana as she writes the story of a runaway surrogate mother who meets an older couple with a mentally handicapped teenager, a young hermaphrodite, and her own muddied thoughts and intentions. Amy Shearn does this in a mixed writing style, keeping a 3rd person perspective for the majority of the novel, breaking
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Oct 09, 2010
Ellen
rated it:
I read this book three times. I enjoyed the characters and suffered with their choices. Susannah Prue leads a life of indecision and the cast of characters she encounters along the way, made me laugh and broke my heart at the same time. I'm waiting for this authors next novel. I'm sure it will be spell binding.
Oct 23, 2008
Jennifer
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This was OK- the author's first novel. The plot is interesting- definitely different from the norm: a young surrogate freaks out and runs away from Chicago without telling anyone, so the parents are rightfully very upset. She ends up in the desert at a roadside motel and the parents eventually figure out where she is and follow her.
What I didn't like about this book was the characters are not very likable- I never warmed up to any of them. Also, Amy Shearn has a tendency for run-on sentenc More...
What I didn't like about this book was the characters are not very likable- I never warmed up to any of them. Also, Amy Shearn has a tendency for run-on sentenc More...
Oct 17, 2010
Pat
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Great social commentary on family life/early upbringing and events will impact your future. Contemporary issues woven throughout the narrative with a surprise ending! Great description of the desert terrain/
Aug 08, 2011
Rhaea
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This book was good, although I wouldnt call it a favorite. It keeps you interested, but there are things left hanging and are never quite explained. A good read.
May 20, 2009
Jessica
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I can't believe I never heard of this book. It was delicious. The characters were so pitiful and pitiable, I just wanted to protect them and comfort them. The prose was so moving and beautiful, almost poetic. It mesmerizes the reader from the opening sentence.
Sep 13, 2009
Beth
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Great concept. But I wasn't sure what to feel for any of the characters. I pretty much despised all of them except for Frankie and his aunt by the end.
Aug 05, 2011
Larry
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I really, really liked this book. I found all of the characters so well fleshed-out and I really became invested in what happened to each of them. It really was a compelling story that I am still thinking about even though I've moved on to another book.
Mar 19, 2009
Patti
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I hated this book. I didn't finish it. I disliked all the characters and felt sorry that the author seemed to be so jaded.
Apr 10, 2009
Jackie
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Didn't really care for this book (neither did the rest in our Book Club) ... hence the reason I forgot follow-up and write my review on GoodReads.
The story was a mix between the lady who had her baby in WalMart and Juno and Little Miss Sunshine and at the end Jodi Picoult-ish. But not as well written as any of those stories.
Book Club decided it wasn't written for our age group (37-65). Probably more for those in their 20s, who appreciate a story about aimless wandering and not taki More...
The story was a mix between the lady who had her baby in WalMart and Juno and Little Miss Sunshine and at the end Jodi Picoult-ish. But not as well written as any of those stories.
Book Club decided it wasn't written for our age group (37-65). Probably more for those in their 20s, who appreciate a story about aimless wandering and not taki More...
Nov 12, 2008
Lola
rated it:
I have been recommending this book to my students as the anti-Juno. Protagonist Susannah Prue has agreed to be the surrogate mother for a young couple, but as the due date approaches she flees to the Texas-New Mexico border and stays at the Thunder Lodge. There she meets the rest of the cast of oddball characters, two of whom she kidnaps and takes on the rest of her pilgrimage to the ocean. Madcap and dangerous - I liked it well enough to call it a great end of the summer read.
Sep 23, 2008
Sydney
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This book has a fantastic plot...a surrogate who just before the baby is born runs away and finds herself at a semi-abandoned hotel somewhere in the desert. (yes, it is very Hotel California). Despite the interesting plot line, I couldn't get into the book. I found it very hard to connect with the characters and find any sort of sympathy for any of them. Worth a try though, I know some people loved it.
Sep 19, 2008
Susie
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the language in this book is so fluid and precise that reading it felt ethereal and familiar -- like dreaming a dream so vivid you'd swear it was real; the story reveals itself organically, the plotlines weaving back and forth, it was a thrill to read, and a book i felt completely invested in without ever feeling manipulated by its many tips and turns.
Aug 06, 2008
Her language is beautiful. The author (Amy Shearn) just happens to be a friend, so I am just now starting to get over the fact that I have this gorgeous book on my coffee table that someone I know wrote. A novelist! Once I get over that hurdle of notoriety I can start to read this lovely work of fiction. Yes fiction, Amzs is reading fiction.
Aug 10, 2008
Lorie
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I felt myself slightly confused at first, but continued to read on. Though I didn't think of this as a five star read, I enjoyed enough small portions within the book to consider it a book worth reading. The author gave descriptions that made me envision the surroundings and characters very clearly.
Aug 19, 2011
Caroline
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I wanted to put this down so many times, but the ending was so unexpected that I am glad I kept going. A lot of times I wanted to slap the main character and tell her to quit whining, which is probably why I was lukewarm on the book overall. But an interesting situation, and pretty good book.
Sep 01, 2008
Kerry
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I thought the author's language was clever and lyrical which I enjoyed very much...I wanted to write down some of her metaphors because they were so true and made me smile. I thought the middle of the book became slow, but the end was unexpected, and I loved the way everything wrapped up.
Mar 16, 2009
Nicolette
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It took me a little while to get into the book, but once I did it was difficult to put down. Although the main character isn't particularly likable, her relationships with the other characters are quite interesting and I was dying to know how the whole thing would be resolved.
Aug 10, 2008
Mary
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Although I could be biased since this is Matt's sister-in-law, I really loved this book. It was pretty easy read with interesting, non-typical characters. It was also easy for me to lose myself in the book and not hear Amy's voice.
Aug 29, 2008
Julianna
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Have a look at the choices you make. Seemingly sound, conscious decisions have an impact in so many areas of your life. Makes you think. A really good read. I enjoyed it.
Feb 12, 2011
Karen
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Pregnant surrogate mother takes off in her last month of pregnancy, ends up in a fleabag motel in the Arizona desert............who cares? Didn't finish.
