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Fade Far Away
Sixteen-year-old Sienna, always a colorless outsider to the intense personal and professional relationship of her famous artist parents, finds herself tentatively growing closer to her father and realizing her own artistic potential after he is diagnosed with a brain tumor.When Sienna's father, a world-famous sculptor, is stricken with a terminal illness, it is Sienna--not his attentive wife--who he turns to for the love and support he needs in his last days
- GenresYoung Adult
168 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1998
1 person is currently reading
10 people want to read
About the author
Francess Lin Lantz
47 books12 followersFrancess Lin Lantz (b. August 27, 1952, Trenton, New Jersey — d. November 22, 2004, Santa Barbara, California) was an American children's librarian turned fiction writer, whose fan base was mostly preteen and teenaged girls.
For more than two decades, Lantz wrote more than 30 books, including several juvenile bestsellers. She won the American Library Association's Best Book for Young Adults award for her 1997 romance, Someone to Love. Stepsister from Planet Weird (Random House, 1996) was made into a Disney Channel television movie in 2000.
Born in Trenton, New Jersey, Lantz was raised in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. She initially aspired to become a rock musician and composer. She graduated in 1974 from Dickinson College (in Pennsylvania) and from Simmons College (in Boston) in 1975, where she earned a master's degree in library sciences.
She died in Santa Barbara, California in 2004 following a five years long battle with ovarian cancer; she was 52 years old.
For more than two decades, Lantz wrote more than 30 books, including several juvenile bestsellers. She won the American Library Association's Best Book for Young Adults award for her 1997 romance, Someone to Love. Stepsister from Planet Weird (Random House, 1996) was made into a Disney Channel television movie in 2000.
Born in Trenton, New Jersey, Lantz was raised in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. She initially aspired to become a rock musician and composer. She graduated in 1974 from Dickinson College (in Pennsylvania) and from Simmons College (in Boston) in 1975, where she earned a master's degree in library sciences.
She died in Santa Barbara, California in 2004 following a five years long battle with ovarian cancer; she was 52 years old.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
March 25, 2018
If you are looking for your next read after reading White Oleander by Janet Fitch which is centered in arts, music, and self-discovery, then this book is HIGHLY recommended. I loved it to the moon and back.
April 1, 2021
/ The title itself, I would say, is self-explanatory! The characters are fading far away within the motion, and the readers are fading far away as they read throughout the pages./
This novel holds within it all types of emotions. You’ll find it hard to keep your tears inside at the ending of it and how the first page and the last page of the book are interrelated together. The book portrayed the relationships in such a vivid way, in a way it held a chronological order of events which made it super easy to read. Not too much, neither too little, just the right dose to liven up your adrenaline levels. If you’re an artist or a writer, you would feel the book is a written reflection of your life to others, or more like a mirror of self-reflection. It’s so exquisite to the point it makes you fully understand all the characters from the eyes of the narrator only, you would love them all equally and fully understand their actions, why they did what they did, and how such mindful relationships hold a strong bond that the reader would sufficiently experience.
It would take you an average of 2 hours reading a day for 2-3 days if you’re consistent with it, and you’d finish it peacefully. If you move at a slow pace with your readings, I’m sure it would not take more than a week to finish. I would put it under self-discovery books since it makes you reflect the characters into your own self and life as you are reading through the pages.
This novel holds within it all types of emotions. You’ll find it hard to keep your tears inside at the ending of it and how the first page and the last page of the book are interrelated together. The book portrayed the relationships in such a vivid way, in a way it held a chronological order of events which made it super easy to read. Not too much, neither too little, just the right dose to liven up your adrenaline levels. If you’re an artist or a writer, you would feel the book is a written reflection of your life to others, or more like a mirror of self-reflection. It’s so exquisite to the point it makes you fully understand all the characters from the eyes of the narrator only, you would love them all equally and fully understand their actions, why they did what they did, and how such mindful relationships hold a strong bond that the reader would sufficiently experience.
It would take you an average of 2 hours reading a day for 2-3 days if you’re consistent with it, and you’d finish it peacefully. If you move at a slow pace with your readings, I’m sure it would not take more than a week to finish. I would put it under self-discovery books since it makes you reflect the characters into your own self and life as you are reading through the pages.
November 7, 2017
The book "Fade Far Away'' By. Francess Lin Lantz. is very interesting. With many mysteries along the way. The reason I gave this book a 4 is because I like mysteries and this book at many of them. People that like to find different things out during a book should read this book
April 4, 2021
Pretty good short read. I liked the ending a lot.
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January 13, 2013Fade Far Away: Francess Lantz an Award Winning Author
By: Marlie Salem
Being a teenager is or was probably the most confusing and difficult time of life for many . It is the start of a new transition- way of life, and is the end of what once was. While being young everything seems like a blur and is based on the one aspect of ‘fun’. We never thought of consequences for our actions or how they could later affect us. We also thought nothing could ever have a negative effect on us. When you go into years of being a teenager we all have different challenges and new transitions to go through, but it all doesn’t come at once. It sort of just hits you.
The thing is, you aren’t the only one facing things on your own everyone else has to go through that stage of facing reality. The only bad thing is that once one person starts to, then everyone else feels the pressure to mature. After we begin to start that period of maturing our emotions are all over the place and we don’t really know how to deal with them. For me personally my parents have done a lot to help support me through this tough time. I honestly think that without their help and guidance I wouldn’t know what I would put my energy and effort towards. Their motivation is and has been helping me every step of the way.
On the other hand, the novel I have read is a dramatic and depressing story about a fifteen year old daughter and how she feels and is thought of as an unimportant aspect in her parents lives. Her urge to feel accepted/ acknowledged by them in any way, drives her to make drastic decisions. Both her parents are very skilled artists/ art critics that she idolizes. After her father is diagnosed with brain cancer the whole situation of family communication has shifted. This meaning, her father and mother first seeming deeply in love now start to resent each other under all of the amount of stress being caused. Her father can no longer take the pressure, and looks to his daughter to save him- emotionally.
The main character Sienna is described as being shy, sort of a wall-flower in a way. Her parents are very tough on her basically sending her the message that she ‘isn’t good enough’. They also seem to never want any part of her around, banning her from eating dinner with them, being apart of their conversations, or being in their art studio because her art isn’t accepted there. To me I think she is a very strong- hearted character. I believe this because she has learned to turn off her emotions, she rarely has a break down. Even though her mother has been portrayed as never being good to her she still has a lot of faith in her believing that she is capable of anything even in times of crisis. She also tends to want to please everyone, I think this because it’s obvious that she just wants to be accepted and prove her parents wrong. Especially after her dad told her that she will never be capable to experience anything bold. This is sad because she has started to believe it.
One scene that has helped me analyze Sienna’s characterization was when her father said to her “You’re always lurking in some corner ,watching me.” He makes me sound like a ghost- a pathetic, needy ghost. Which is exactly how I feel.’ This has proven that she is strong dealing with hurtful comments on a day by day basis, but still keeping things to herself, not causing scenes.
Another quote that helps prove that she just wants her parents acceptance is when she hears him laughing and he tells her, “You really nailed it, Sienna.” she thinks to herself like what I thought mattered. Like he really cared about my opinion. This is proven by her excitement that she is being acknowledged.
I think this book is significant to our culture now because there is a lot of pressure and struggles that we face and the way we cope with things can really make us or break us. I think the theme is that even though love isn’t always expressed the way we expect it too, it’s still there. Also that in times of crisis love is the only thing that could bring us together and make us really connect/ make things happen that we wouldn’t normally expect would happen. I think that the characters can teach us a strong lesson about ‘tough love’.
By: Marlie Salem
Being a teenager is or was probably the most confusing and difficult time of life for many . It is the start of a new transition- way of life, and is the end of what once was. While being young everything seems like a blur and is based on the one aspect of ‘fun’. We never thought of consequences for our actions or how they could later affect us. We also thought nothing could ever have a negative effect on us. When you go into years of being a teenager we all have different challenges and new transitions to go through, but it all doesn’t come at once. It sort of just hits you.
The thing is, you aren’t the only one facing things on your own everyone else has to go through that stage of facing reality. The only bad thing is that once one person starts to, then everyone else feels the pressure to mature. After we begin to start that period of maturing our emotions are all over the place and we don’t really know how to deal with them. For me personally my parents have done a lot to help support me through this tough time. I honestly think that without their help and guidance I wouldn’t know what I would put my energy and effort towards. Their motivation is and has been helping me every step of the way.
On the other hand, the novel I have read is a dramatic and depressing story about a fifteen year old daughter and how she feels and is thought of as an unimportant aspect in her parents lives. Her urge to feel accepted/ acknowledged by them in any way, drives her to make drastic decisions. Both her parents are very skilled artists/ art critics that she idolizes. After her father is diagnosed with brain cancer the whole situation of family communication has shifted. This meaning, her father and mother first seeming deeply in love now start to resent each other under all of the amount of stress being caused. Her father can no longer take the pressure, and looks to his daughter to save him- emotionally.
The main character Sienna is described as being shy, sort of a wall-flower in a way. Her parents are very tough on her basically sending her the message that she ‘isn’t good enough’. They also seem to never want any part of her around, banning her from eating dinner with them, being apart of their conversations, or being in their art studio because her art isn’t accepted there. To me I think she is a very strong- hearted character. I believe this because she has learned to turn off her emotions, she rarely has a break down. Even though her mother has been portrayed as never being good to her she still has a lot of faith in her believing that she is capable of anything even in times of crisis. She also tends to want to please everyone, I think this because it’s obvious that she just wants to be accepted and prove her parents wrong. Especially after her dad told her that she will never be capable to experience anything bold. This is sad because she has started to believe it.
One scene that has helped me analyze Sienna’s characterization was when her father said to her “You’re always lurking in some corner ,watching me.” He makes me sound like a ghost- a pathetic, needy ghost. Which is exactly how I feel.’ This has proven that she is strong dealing with hurtful comments on a day by day basis, but still keeping things to herself, not causing scenes.
Another quote that helps prove that she just wants her parents acceptance is when she hears him laughing and he tells her, “You really nailed it, Sienna.” she thinks to herself like what I thought mattered. Like he really cared about my opinion. This is proven by her excitement that she is being acknowledged.
I think this book is significant to our culture now because there is a lot of pressure and struggles that we face and the way we cope with things can really make us or break us. I think the theme is that even though love isn’t always expressed the way we expect it too, it’s still there. Also that in times of crisis love is the only thing that could bring us together and make us really connect/ make things happen that we wouldn’t normally expect would happen. I think that the characters can teach us a strong lesson about ‘tough love’.
May 19, 2012
I remember loving this book when I was younger, and I thought I might be disappointed reading it 6 years later. Nope. This book is beautifully written, and delicately addresses so many issues overlooked in your run-of-the-mill YA novel, including disease, the making of art, and overly intellectual neglectful parents. I won't give anything away, but the characters and images in this book last long after the novel is shut.
May 26, 2015
A gripping story that will leave a lump in your soul; Fade Far Away is a gentle reminder to embrace the love in our lives and the love of life.
July 2, 2012
Emotionally poignant portrait of father-daughter bonding.
June 5, 2015
Not a very long book but it was a good read. I found it. Read it back in 2001. I have to read it again I think I will have a different perspective on it now that I'm a parent.
August 23, 2007
Lovely coming of age story. Took me the whole night to finish this book!
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews