A Long Way from You by Gwendolyn Heasley
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What drew me to this book was the advertisement that popped up on my goodreads,lol. It just looked like a fun summer read. This is the companion story of Kitsy Kidd, Corrine's friend from "Where I Belong." I had not read the first story and found I could still navigate my way through this story just fine.
I would actually give this story a 3.5 rating.
This story is about self discovery, Kitsy has always been in love with the concept of going to New York and following her dream of being an artist. When an opportunity arises she jumps at the chance. As Kitsy explores New York for the first time by herself, and with a few friends she meets along the way she learns that she doesn't know quite who she is. Is she New York Kitsy or Broken Spoke form Texas Kitsy, and who does she want to be. Kitsy meets some really interesting people in New York and her experiences help her grow and find the real Kitsy. She realizes there are things she needs to fix in her family life. Her mom is depressed and an alcoholic. Kitsy is the mom, and the caretaker in her home, which is a lot for a child to be responsible for. There are things that her and Hands need to discuss concerning what they both want out of life and their future. These things need said and dealt with in order for her to have a happy future. I was glad her experience opened her eyes to a world full of opportunities, and that he could follow her dreams if she desires too. I was glad she was mature enough to see that she needed to confront her family issues in a responsible way. Good job Kitsy!
This was an enjoyable to okay read for me. I enjoyed watching Kitsy experience New york for the first time, and the ah that she felt in the big Apple. Kitsy is a sweet hospitable southern girl, optimistic, naive, flawed, smart, kind and courageous. I really liked her character, her story is sweet,simple, and pretty predictable. Which was okay. Her all most love interest Tad was just that an all most. Which worked for the story, because I found that I didn't want her to be with him, and that I like Hands much better. I was hoping for some romance of some kind in this story but there isn't really any, just a very little with her and Hands that was it. I felt a little miss lead from the synopsis and photo cover. If you are looking for a coming of age/self discovery book that is light and fun this would fit the bill.

Clean read