Publisher: Delacorte Press

This review is based on a complimentary Advanced Reader Copy provided by Delacorte Press, an imprint of Random House Children’s Books. Like the cake and other baked goods Calisa makes when she arrives at the isolated inn, Sarah Beth Durst’s YA book The Faraway Inn feels like it’s filled to the brim with all the right warm and cozy ingredients. Light magical whimsy, cottagecore aesthetic, dusty and neglected rooms, and an assortment of amusingly odd customers checked in for extended stays. While certainly cozy and devoid of anything remotely uncomfortable, the Faraway Inn is a book that some may find too safe and lacking a notable hook or spark compared to other similar reads. Following the recent betrayal and breakup with her boyfriend Ethan after she finds him cheating with another girl, a heartbroken Calisa seeks a mental and social reset during the summer break before her senior year of high school. She arrives at the Faraway Inn, a reclusive bed and breakfast in the Vermont wilderness and is shocked to find the once charming inn to be in a state of disrepair. To make matters worse, her Aunt Zee doesn’t even want her to stay or help at the inn,…

Like my other reviews for very popular books with numerous reviews, I’ll be skipping my editorial-style intro and go right into my general thoughts and impressions. I really liked Holly Jackson’s A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder, particularly the whodunnit mystery investigation and the way the story effortlessly shifts suspicions and new reveals across its large cast of characters. Full of excellent twists and featuring a focused narrative that doesn’t ever stray too far from its core premise and mystery, I thought it was a solid mystery thriller and fully understand why its popularity contributed to its pick-up for a Netflix adaptation (also on my to-watch list). As a YA novel, the book is very easy to read and strikes a tone that balances its YA appeal without feeling too juvenile or silly. Although the book’s language, content, and character flaws aren’t overly graphic considering its intended readership, the story doesn’t shy away from addressing material that can be considered triggering (as with most crime books, sensitive readers be sure to check your trigger warnings). While its two main characters Pip and Ravi are decidedly high school and collegiate age respectively, the novel doesn’t treat the reader like a sheltered…