Because You'll Never Meet  Me was a special book, so unusual and it totally pulled my heartstrings. I was delighted to find there was a sequel. I cannot describe the disappointment I felt when I started Nowhere Near You and was completely underwhelmed. Something was missing, and I can't even articulate what. I stopped reading a few chapters in.

Unfortunately, I have not been able to read and review this book.

After losing and replacing my broken Kindle and getting a new phone I was unable to download the title again for review as it was no longer available on Netgalley. 

I’m really sorry about this and hope that it won’t affect you allowing me to read and review your titles in the future.

Thank you so much for giving me this opportunity. 
Natalie.

Unfortunately I didn't enjoy the first book enough to pick up this book.  The first one is good, different and keeps you interested but it's been months having this one on my kindle and there's always been something else I've wanted to read more, therefore it's a DNF from me.

A funny yet touching portrayal of friendship, this continues on from Because You'll Never Meet Me. I think anyone who hasn't read the first book would struggle to pick up the story. However, having read the first book courtesy of Netgalley, I was immediately sucked into the lives of Moritz and Ollie and quickly became accustomed to the writing once again-the alternating of narrators as they write to each other. Their world has expanded as both main characters meet 'ordinary' people as well as those who have suffered the same fate as themselves. These new experiences gave us a greater glimpse into their characters. I particularly enjoyed Ollie's foray into the modern world, he does make me smile. It's all heart-warming stuff and I look forward to more.

I am still yet to read this as I thought it was the first book but the premise sounds amazing! Contemporary mixed with sci fi? YES!

I received a copy from Netgalley.

I just can't get into this one. Sad, because I remember I really loved the first book because it's characters and plot were so unique. Though I just can't connect with this second book at all. Possibly because I remember very little about the story in the first book. The novel takes place shortly after the first one finishes with the two characters still writing to each other. Ollie is looking for other kids like him and Moritz has an opportunity for a new school. It's not a bad book by any means, the characters  are still very different and original, I just can't get into the story at all. I have a finished paperback of the first one, and I did get a paperback of this one to go with it. So it's certainly a book I may go back to and reread both together at some point in the future. 

Thank you to Netgalley and Bloomsbury Publishing PLC for approving my request to view the title.

I have decided not to read and review this title, but thank you so much for giving me the opportunity.

I loved BECAUSE YOU'LL NEVER MEET ME, so naturally I jumped at the chance to read the follow-up. And there were a lot of the elements I liked from the first book in NOWHERE NEAR YOU - namely the distinct and captivating writing, and the wonderful and charming Ollie and Moritz, with their unlikely yet uplifting friendship. There were also a lot of new and interesting characters introduced, both on Ollie's adventure to seek out other Blunderkids, and at Moritz's new school, and I really enjoyed getting to know them as well. That said, I went into this having enjoyed the meandering style of storytelling in BYNM, but expecting the pace and action to pick up in this book... and I didn't get that. Ollie kind of had a goal in NNY, which kind of carried his part of the book forward - kind of - but I found myself wanting MORE. More plot, more urgency, more of the action this seems to have been building toward (maybe that is coming in Book 3 - is there one? I haven't been able to find confirmation). As it was, despite all the things I did like about both BYNM and NNY, I was left feeling like I'd read a placeholder book, and it didn't quite deliver for me.

*I received this ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

Well shit, the emotional complexity within this novel has left me drained. It is a very very rare thing for a sequel to be better than the original book in a series, but my oh my if this don't be the case here. The characters are growing and changing and facing whole new sets of challenges and honestly, Leah Thomas has written Ollie when he's upset and angry in a very Harry Potter in OotP vibey way which KILLS me and makes me cry. So I was all about this angst and the wanting to protect the people he loves from himself and all that jazz. LOVE it. 
Moritz is kind of a scum bag. Really all the characters are a bit of a shit show. But I guess a rag-tag bunch of misfits is where all good stories lie. 
The pacing is a bit all over and the emotional ups and downs are a bit everywhere too, but overall I'm very happy with this sequel.

Super interested to see where this roller-coaster of a series is going next.

Because You'll Never Meet Me was extraordinary and Nowhere Near You is no exception. The narrative begins with Oliver exploring his new environment beyond the woodland cabin, impatient and enthusiastic to be introduced to his peers. Oliver is exuberant and his positivity is infectious. He's determined to engage with other teens that were part of the scientific program and capture their own personal experiences. Arthur with fragile bones and elongated limbs, can regenerate the healing process and Bridget, a young woman who's childhood was depleted by the foster care system. These special adolescents are remarkable, leaving their imprints on Oliver by sharing their own personal journeys.

Moritz is on the verge of his maiden year at Myriad, a performing arts college for gifted children and continuing to appreciate Oliver's unconditional support. Moritz's character has developed into a confident and assertive young gay man. He no longer conceals his sexuality and is exploring same sex relationships. Moritz is indecently assaulted at Myriad and manipulated by a notorious student which seemed to be normalised by other students, rather than addressing the incident and speaking about consent. The reader is reintroduced to Molly, who also attends the performing arts college and Owen, who a gentle and passionate boy wanting to pursue a relationship with Moritz. 

Leah Thomas is a wonderful storyteller. Although Nowhere Near You doesn't conjure feelings of intensity as it's predecessor, it's quiet, captivating and enchanting.

In the first book we met Ollie and Moritz. Ollie was trapped in his cabin in the woods due to his allergy to electricity. Moritz was born without eyes, but is far from blind. The two write to each other, comparing notes on their lives and loves and hardships, and a rare and enduring friendship is formed.

This book is a true sequel, picking up after Because You'll Never Meet Me with almost no exposition - it's straight into the story. Like the first book, this is epistolary, told primarily in letters between Ollie and Moritz, but unlike the first book, there is the occasional letter from other characters mixed in. 

Ollie has left the only home he has ever known and is travelling with Auburn-Stache to meet others like him. Moritz moves to a new school where he too comes across another of their peers. The boys continue the journeys of self discovery they started in the previous book, but it's Ollie, this time, who must face the darker side of his nature.

It's hard to say too much without spoiling both books, but it was so wonderful to be back in this world with these characters. This book gave me all the feels and many tears were shed. The story is uplifting and heartbreaking and everything in between. It gets quite dark at times. Mistakes are made, lessons are learned, and redemption is a tantalising possibility.

The ending was perfect, but I certainly would not complain if a third book appeared.

I don’t know what it is about this book. It seemed ok when I first started it, but unfortunately it didn’t keep my attention. In theory I should have thought it was great as it’s got a good premise and a set of characters often forgotten about in modern society, and it’s a similar style to many of the other books i’ve read recently.

I just kept finding myself putting it down to read something else. For that reason it took a lot longer to get through than it should have. I do want to try again in the future but for the moment, it’s just not for me.

2 out of 5 stars.

3.5 Stars. I didn't enjoy this as much as Book 1 but overall, I still enjoyed it. It is a sweet story and I love the focus on the awesome friendship between Ollie and Moritz. 

My biggest problem with this book was that I didn't feel any excitement from reading it. I liked reading it, obviously, but when I was away from it, I just didn't really want to return to it. I had the same problem with book 1 but I feel like book 1 had a better story. The other problem I had was with Ollie. At times I just found him straight up unbearable. I know that he was going through a lot and that he was immature but I just didn't like him that much. Sometimes reading his letters bored me because of my feelings towards him. I also didn't really like anyone in his life except for Bridget. It's just a good job I loved Moritz so much. He was a sweetheart and I liked everyone in his life. Plus his story was much more engaging. I liked the Sci-fi bits in this book, I just wish we could dig a little deeper. 

The writing in this book is just as good as the writing in the first one. Leah Thomas is good at writing different POV's and she's good at writing teenagers. The pacing was alright but quite slow in a lot of places. 

I would recommend this series to others and I would read more by Thomas in the future. 

* I received a copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"To all the friends who won’t let me go: I don’t deserve you."

"I guess old habits are vampires, immortal and hungry to exist."

"That’d be the cherry, Moritz Farber. You’re the ultimate cherry."

"But those undead habits: for years I dodged projectiles before they could come close to hitting me."

"“Ollie, when you’ve been numb for a long while, numbness becomes a comfort. Pain is most immense right after anesthesia wears off. There’s nothing so frightening as the full weight of who you are.”" 

"If you don’t feel things as they happen, those things creep up on you like a rash, and then you can’t breathe, and you just want to clutch your stomach and say, “She’s gone, she’s gone,” until the words sound like lies. Until you don’t know what you’re saying anymore, or if you’re saying it clearly, or if language can even capture being that alone." 

"Maybe closure is something you only get in fiction."

In Nowhere Near You, Ollie and Moritz - two boys who are both living with strange disabilities meaning they can never meet - continue on with the journey they started in Because You’ll Never Meet Me.

I don’t want to say too much about this book as I wouldn’t want to spoil the wonderfulness that is the first book Because You’ll Never Meet Me but I can say this book was just as fantastic as the first. I actually think Nowhere Near You will appeal to people who like Ransom Rigg’s Miss Peregrine’s trilogy as the reader gets to meet more children like Moritz and Ollie with all sorts of strange and wonderful oddities and/or disabilities.

Ollie and Moritz’s connection continued in this book and even got stronger at times with the two of them continuing to talk about personal things and even broaching tough topics with each other but all the time respecting each other which I loved. They are the bromance to covet, while at the same time you kind of ship them at the same time.

They both went through some incredible character development in this book, particularly Moritz. He was always so sombre and collected and he really came out of his shell in this book. I mean he did acting classes! I also loved the way his echolocation began to mature and transformed into “emolocation” as well. I think if there’s a next book it would be great to see how he controls this. One of the things I disliked about this book was Moritz’s friendship with Fieke and Owen. I always found it odd, even in the first book, the way they would regularly drop off the fact of the planet - normally when Moritz needed them. And while I understand Moritz didn’t treat Owen the best, there was a lot of confusion going around about the whole thing and I just felt they weren’t really ‘friends’ to him (and of course, they reappeared at the end so are back in the good books). I loved Klaus and Molly though, particularly Klaus.

Ollie’s own journey was both difficult and wonderful to follow as he literally entered a whole new world - adventuring into the world of electricity and power for the first time. I thought his time at real school was endearing and hilarious and of course, he’s Ollie so everyone loved hm. I wanted to cry near the end when everyone called to the house to see if he was okay.

The ending made me want to weep with a mixture of happiness and sadness. It was bittersweet and I just hope Leah Thomas gives us a third book as I am so not done with Ollie and Moritz right now.

'Because you'll never meet me' was a book that was recommended to me at YALC and I started reading without knowing much about it. It's still one of my favourites and is a book that has really stayed with me.

'Nowhere Near You' had just as strong an emotional impact on me. I adored Ollie and Moritz in the first book, with the way they compliment each other and how they seem so real. It's a really interesting idea to blend real conditions with fantasy elements and it was great to see how their characters developed over this book. The letter writing format continued to work really well, allowing the characters (especially Ollie) to withhold information and for their stories to unravel in pieces.

One of my favourite aspects was how this book maintained the emotional highs and lows but upped the ante by testing Ollie and Moritz with new circumstances and their continued separation.

This is a warm, emotional book that made me think and made me love these characters even more.

Adventures with Ollie! Moritz making friends! And a whole lot of sadness. This book like the one before was filled with sadness but also happiness. Ollie and Moritz are both taking strides to live life despite their deformities. It's a good representation of the ups and downs of what life is like to be disabled, but on a much bigger scale. 

I enjoyed meeting different kids with different mutations. It's interesting to see what sort of thing the author could come up with. The web forum was a really interesting way to explore the world they live in through different perspectives. 

There's a lot about relationships in this book, Between Ollie and Moritz but also between the others around them. With such an interesting group of characters there are a range of interesting relationships, even if it's heartbreaking times.

I described Because You'll Never Meet Me as something that 'grew on me like a flower grows from a flower bed'. The characters and all their peculiarities lodged themselves in my chest and stayed with me for weeks. Well, Nowhere Near You stole my heart. My heart now lives inside the pages of this book, and I doubt it will be leaving any time soon.

"Our relationship is not determined by proximity. We are boundless, Ollie."

It took me only a page to fall back into the story of Ollie and Moritz again. It was as if I never left. Their personalities were as loud as ever, in a way that ought to be jarring but in reality is heartwarming. There's so much darkness behind Ollie's light, and so much light behind Moritz's dark, and that was beautifully explored in this sequel.

My heart broke for these boys over and over again, and it did the same for the new characters they meet. All of them are peculiar like Ollie and Moritz, from the same frightening lab that produced them both, and yet they were all so overwhelmingly human.

I finished this book with tears in my eyes. As emotional and beautiful as it's predecessor, Because You'll Never Meet Me and Nowhere Near You are two books you need in your life. They may require a suspension of disbelief and a willingness to accept a blending of genres, but they are most certainly worth it.

If I had to choose the one thing that makes me love a book, it would be its ability to make me feel. And this book summoned that giddy feeling I sometimes get in my abdomen and left me crying not tears of sadness exactly, but tears of emotion. I was initially blown away by Leah Thomas’s Because You’ll Never Meet Me over a year ago, and was wonderfully shocked to see it had a sequel. It did not disappoint. I will leave the plot description to the book’s blurb, but will say I would follow Ollie and Moritz anywhere.
I sure hope there is a third book in the future.

warnings for: secondary character death, child experimentation mentions

I have followed your antics for far too long to shift my affections from my heroic protagonist to some newcomer. No matter how interesting.

Oh boy, this book.
I think that quote perfectly sums it up. The relationship between Ollie and Moritz is definitely still the focal point of Nowhere Near You, just like it was with Because You'll Never Meet Me, but with new settings and new secondary characters, somehow Leah Thomas has added even more depth to their friendship.

Nowhere Near You is a true sequel; it takes everything about the first book that was great and just adds to it. We get to meet more of the kids from the laboratory, and they're all fleshed out and vastly different. We get to see more correspondence outside of the letters Moritz and Ollie send to each other. Everything is just bigger and better and I had no idea I could fall in love with this series even more. 

The stakes are higher this time, and both Ollie and Moritz are seeing more of the world than they ever have before. They're meeting new people and experiencing new things, growing up, and possibly growing apart. 
Honestly I was an angsty mess reading this. Because I'm falling in love with these characters more and more with every page I read, I get more excited every time Moritz declares his love for Ollie, I get more frustrated every time one of them says the wrong thing and parts of their friendship fracture. I felt so much during this book that I cried twice whilst reading the last fifty pages. I rarely cry, so that just shows you how GOOD this is. 

The ending though. That was the sweetest literary payoff I've read in months. 

I know where I want this series to go. Whether it actually does go there is another story, but I know no matter what, if there is another book, it will take me on yet another journey that'll have me turning the pages frantically.

I couldn't put Because You'll Never Meet Me down.
I couldn't put Nowhere Near You down.
Please, Leah Thomas, give us a third book.

I will be reviewing this book shortly on my blog. I will include the author and the publisher in the Twitter link.