Review: Anywhere But Here by Tanya Lloyd Kyi

Anywhere But Here

By: Tanya Lloyd Kyi

Pub. Date: October 15, 2013

Publisher: Simon Pulse

Pages: 320

Source: Edelweiss

I received this galley in exchange for an honest review.

Ever since his mom died, Cole feels stuck. He just wants to graduate and leave his small, suffocating town. And everything is going according to plan--until Cole discovers the one secret that could keep him there...forever.

I had high hopes for this one, but sadly I was disappointed. There was nothing about it that made it stand out. I feel like I've read this story before. Cole's mother recently died and all Cole wants to do is get out of this small town. It isn't until talking to the guidance counselor that Cole realizes he can use his love of filming to get into college.

Anywhere But Here follows Cole as he goes through senior year. He misses his mom and really has no desire to do anything. He breaks up with his girlfriend Lauren for no real good reason and he doesn't realize how great his friends are. As he films his town and the people in it, he starts to learn that there is a lot more to living in a small town then he thought.

I might not have been a huge fan of this story, but I thought Cole was written very well. His pain was real and raw and I felt everything he was going through. While Anywhere But Here lacked originality for me, it's definitely an honest portrayal of a young man trying to find himself.