A Million Miles Away by Lara Avery

Title: A Million Miles Away
Author: Lara Avery
Length: 320 pages
Publisher: Poppy
Classification: Young Adult, Contemporary
Release Date: July 7, 2015
Source: ARC (Thanks to the NOVL Newsletter!)
Read: April 2015

Perfect for fans of Nicholas Sparks, this breathtaking story of love and loss is guaranteed to break your heart and sweep you off your feet.
When high school senior Kelsey's identical twin sister, Michelle, dies in a car crash, Kelsey is left without her other half. The only person who doesn't know about the tragedy is Michelle's boyfriend, Peter, recently deployed to Afghanistan. But when Kelsey finally connects with Peter online, she can't bear to tell him the truth. Active duty has taken its toll, and Peter, thinking that Kelsey is Michelle, says that seeing her is the one thing keeping him alive. Caught up in the moment, Kelsey has no choice: She lets Peter believe that she is her sister.
As Kelsey keeps up the act, she crosses the line from pretend to real. Soon, Kelsey can't deny that she's falling, hard, for the one boy she shouldn't want. 

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***I received an ARC of this book from the NOVL Newsletter in exchange for an honest review***

I really enjoyed reading A Million Miles Away! I ended up reading the entire book in one night. I just couldn't get enough and needed to know what was going to happen. A Million Miles Away was heartbreaking and moving. I found the writing to be beautiful and captivating. I had a hard time pulling away from the story and ended up only taking a couple breaks. 

Kelsey is grieving the loss of her identical twin sister, Michelle. Kelsey realizes that Peter, Michelle's boyfriend, still doesn't know about what happened. But contacting Peter is difficult since he was just recently deployed to Afganistan and she doesn't even know his last name. When Kelsey finally is able to contact Peter online, she has a hard time telling Peter what happened. Plus, Peter thinks that Kelsey is actually Michelle, and the thought of seeing her is the thing that is keeping him alive and going overseas (in dangerous territory). Kelsey ends up letting Peter continue thinking that she is Michelle. But the longer it goes on, the harder it is for Kelsey to tell Peter the truth. Especially since she is starting to fall for him. Not sure how to do so, Kelsey has to figure out a good time to tell Peter what is going on. 

One of my favorite things that I took away from this story was that there are so many different ways that people grieve. And that there isn't really a right or wrong way to do so. Working through the loss and pain takes time and just because that person has passed away doesn't mean they are completely gone. Their memory lives on through you and your memories of that person. 

This idea really touched my heart. There were moments that made me tear up, some that made me think, and some that brought a smile to my face. I definitely found this book to be a bittersweet story. One that has pain but at the same time shades of happiness and hope. 

I liked the characters a lot. I especially like that the parents are there in the story as well. And we even see glimpses of how the loss has affected them. As well as, their relationship with Kelsey. 

At first I wasn't really too sure about how much I would end up liking Kelsey. Especially since I knew that she was going to be keeping the secret from her sister's boyfriend. But I ended up really liking Kelsey and really caring about all the pain and confusion she was going through. And I definitely could see how hard it was for her to break the news to Peter. Yes, I do think she should have told him earlier. And usually the fact that she doesn't would drive me crazy, but I think that it worked for this story. I think she is a likable and caring character. 

Peter is a good character. He is just so sweet. I really liked getting to know his character better. And I could see why both Michelle and Kelsey like him. 

My Recommendation:

I really enjoyed reading A Million Miles Away. The story was heartfelt, sad, moving, and sweet. I read it in one night because I couldn't tear myself away from the beautiful writing. If you like books that deal with loss and the process of moving on, then I do recommend giving this one a read! 

My Rating: