Out of Reach by Carrie Arcos

Out of Reach by Carrie Arcos
Series: N/A
Source: Gifted
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Publication Date: October 16, 2012

How do you find someone who doesn't want to be found? A girl searches for her missing addict brother while confronting her own secrets in this darkly lyrical novel.

Rachel has always idolized her older brother Micah. He struggles with addiction, but she tells herself that he's in control. And she almost believes it. Until the night that Micah doesn't come home.

Rachel's terrified, and she can't help but feel responsible. She should have listened when Micah tried to confide in her. And she only feels more guilt when she receives an anonymous note telling her that Micah is nearby and in danger.

With nothing more to go on than hope and a slim lead, Rachel and Micah's best friend, Tyler, begin the search. Along the way, Rachel will be forced to confront her own dark secrets, her growing attraction to Tyler, and the possibility that Micah may never come home.

For me, Out of Reach was an interesting read - I enjoyed seeing the effects of addiction on family members - a lot of the time, we read more about the person who's addicted. It was nice to see some variation to the trope.

But I went into Out of Reach expecting the story to end on the last page - and I expected closure. I really didn't get it. The story has a very open ending, with an unfinished feel, and I didn't particularly care for that. I wanted to see how everything turned out. I wanted to see where the growing attraction between Rachel and Tyler went, and so many other things.

I wanted more from this.

Don't get me wrong, I liked it! I liked the overall feel - the sad and the happy. I liked that Rachel grew throughout the book, and that maybe she came out a little happier than she was when she went in. I sympathized with Rachel - I wouldn't know what to say or do in that situation either, so I react to things similarly. In the beginning, I feel like Rachel was severely depressed. The first chapter is told in completely monosyllabic sentences - straight and to the point, which set the feel of the novel.

I'm glad that was over by the second chapter, though - I don't think I could have taken it for much longer. I wanted Rachel to just feel - to feel anything! And by the end, I really do think that she was feeling. We started out with an empty shell of a character, but she grew up from that.

I liked Tyler - he was very chivalrous. I think that they (Rachel & him)  would have made a good couple. He was adorably protective of her, and I just want them to be together. They could be good for each other.

The flashbacks that Rachel had of times with Micah were good - I liked seeing his progression through her eyes, and seeing all those sweet moments with them as kids. It added an interesting depth to the story.

All in all, I can't say that I didn't enjoy Out of Reach, it just left me with more questions than answers.