Far From the Tree by Robin Benway

Reviewed by Asha

out of 5 stars

Far From the Tree by Robin Benway

In this novel, there are three protagonists: Grace, Maya, and Joaquin. After they are separated at birth, these three siblings reunite more than a decade later. Grace, raised as the only child of foster parents, is now the middle sister to Maya and Joaquin. After a teenage pregnancy led Grace to give up her baby for adoption, she is determined to find her biological mom. When she confronts the baby's father at high school she becomes friendless until she meets Rafe. While Maya grows up as the older sister of her adoptive sibling, Lauren, she is also the youngest of her two long-lost siblings. Maya is the bold, outspoken sister who deals with divorce and alcohol abuse after she finds out about Grace and Joaquin. Joaquin, the quiet older brother, has faced a harder path than that of his younger sisters. His whole life was spent with foster families, and he never had the chance to be a part of a family the way Grace or Maya did. Now almost 18, he has finally found a family who wants to adopt him, but he allows self-doubt to get in the way. Joaquin learns that even though Grace and Maya were adopted, their lives are not that perfect. All three learn to rely on each other as life throws out punches. 

I found this novel to be a real page-turner. The characters are so real and connectable. You see them grow and mature throughout the story. The biggest lesson it teaches you is that no one is perfect. Everyone has their demons to overcome. Though the book is long, it is certainly not boring. I read the book super fast because it is suspenseful but not in an action way. The author Robin Benway writes effective dialogue and uses great word choices to portray the characters' thoughts and emotions. I'd recommend this novel to teens who like family drama or stories written from alternating perspectives.