Early Review – So Far Away by Kat Mellon (4/5 stars)

Reading Level: Adult
Genre: Contemporary Fantasy/Science Fiction
Length: 324 pages
Publisher: Tarsier Publishing
Release Date: March 27, 2026
ASIN: B0GFQ82RXW
Stand Alone or Series: Stand Alone
Source: eGalley from NetGalley
Rating: 4/5 stars

“After two months of intensive group therapy, six individuals embark on a Thera Quest Inc. session—a simulated fantasy adventure guaranteed to incite lasting behavioral change in the real world. For thirty-year-old Elizatine, this means overcoming her beastly shopping addiction alongside five strangers with their own problems: Tanner and Lana, two middle-aged alcoholics; Amara, a young ambulatory wheelchair user with POTS mourning her loss of agency; Rowan, a thirty-something wracked by guilt from the death of his younger brother, and Felix; a charming and depressed entertainer. Within the simulation, the six must work alongside each other to deliver a cursed book while encountering whimsical hybrid creatures, unsettling personal trials, and hulking manifestations of their inner demons.”

Series Info/Source: This is a stand alone book. I got this on ebook through NetGalley for review.

Thoughts: I picked this book on a bit of a whim from NetGalley for review and was surprised how quickly I was engaged in the story. This is a fast-paced easy read that has an interesting premise. I think the only downside to this was that the world, the characters, and the plot were a bit simpler than I expected.

Six individuals are embarking on a fantasy quest through Thera Quest Inc. Their personal quest is to confront their issues using a new type of immersive therapy. Their fantasy quest is to deliver a cursed book to a frog person. We hear from each person individually, but the story really focuses on Elizatine (who has a shopping addiction) and Tanner (who is a recovering alcoholic).

This was a super quick and easy read that was fast-paced and engaging. In general, I liked all of the characters. They all (obviously) have some pretty big issues from their pasts that they are trying to work through. The premise of doing that through an immersive fantasy game is a fun one. The characters are all fairly likable, if a bit simpler than expected. There is a bit of a romance in here as well.

My biggest complaint about this is that everything is just a bit too straight-forward and simple. The characters working through their issues seem to do so easily and without many complications. The characters themselves are also somewhat two dimensional; they have easily explained issues they are working through from well defined past traumatic events. People are rarely that straight-forward. The plot itself is also fairly simple and straight-forward.

I do think maybe the simplicity of this story might be part of its charm. It is a fun concept, a quick read, the characters are likable, and the ending leaves you feeling hopeful. I guess I was just left feeling like there should have been a bit more to these characters and their stories. While I read this quickly and vaguely enjoyed it, I don’t think it is one of those books that I will ever think back on. This was more of a quick read that you are like “huh that was fun” and then you move on.

My Summary (4/5): Overall I liked this. This was a fun and fast-pasted read that has an interesting premise and likable characters. I did struggle with how easily these characters’ issues were solved and with how simple both the characters and the plot were. However, that may have been part of the charm to this story. It is simple, straight-forward, fun, and easy. While I don’t think this story left a lasting impact on me (it’s not the type of story I will probably even think about again after writing this review), it was a fun diversion. I would recommend if you think the premise sounds interesting and if you don’t mind more simplistic and straight-forward stories.