Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for a copy of this eARC in exchange for an honest review.
No going to lie this is pretty dark especially in the beginning and has a few trigger warnings that a reader needs to be aware of for sexual abuse and incest which almost made me DNF it.
However it was a gritty story of how a young girl navigates not only the world she is exploring but also who she is, what she wants and what she deserves in life. This story of healing and determination although horrifying in places is well worth the read

3.5 Stars
I felt a bit conned once I finished reading this and discovered that it was fiction. I really thought that I was reading an autobiography and some of the things in it were a little strange to me but I tried to put my feelings to the side because I haven’t been through any of this trauma so I can’t judge but now to find out it was fiction, I now think well maybe bits of this were written strangely at some points. But maybe there’s bits of truth in there so it’s hard to review and I did enjoy the second half of the book!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for an advanced digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A raw and emotional journey through one woman's life as she navigates childhood sexual abuse trauma and a world that preys on the vulnerable. The writer's style has a stream-of-consciousness tone in some places which I typically don't like but it works very well here. This story will make you angry, it will make you cry, and it will make you think about the wounds of others that you cannot see. I received this as a NetGalley ARC.

Long title, long story. It was difficult to read at times but I quickly understood Hall's stream of consciousness style for her main character. Lots of trigger warnings and right at the beginning! Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC for the purpose of this review.

Traveling throughout Asia is a healing journey for Carlie, a victim of childhood incest. Using her strength and resilience, she makes so many acquaintances, helping her to heal not only herself but also the people she touches. Sensitive and touching, excellent writing.

This book just wasn't for me, I loved the storyline and found it compelling however the stream of consciousness writing wasn't for me and got old pretty quickly.

I can see why someone could really enjoy this though so, don't take my word for it if you enjoy that style!

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the arc.

This is a poetic and richly imagined novel about an American teen who escapes her incestuous father and cold mother by plotting to steal thousands of dollars from them and taking off for Asia, with the help of a Lonely Planet guidebook. At first the otherwise smart and capable Jennifer Brewer falls into a seriously questionable existence of unsatisfying sex and drugs with other western travelers, but a pair of lesbian travelers rescues her, helps her get settled in their home in Toyko, and attempt to stabilize her. The majority of the novel develops the renamed Carlie Adams's difficult journey toward healing as she studies tai chi, teaches English conversation, and struggles to understand herself and her new friends and colleagues.

There is much to like about this novel--it's vivid and complex, and all of the major characters have their own struggles. At the same time, since it's so much inside Jennifer/Carly's head, where feelings and memories well up suddenly and everything is a collage or a palimpsest, it can be difficult to follow just what is happening, who is reacting to what, which details happened in what order. Such a technique can be illuminating, but in a work of this length perhaps it is more so when balanced by a greater leaven of clarity.

As Far As You Can Go Before You Have to Come Back is the journey of a child sexual assault victim struggling to find herself and her place. Carlie takes the reader first through the abuse of her and her sister and the moment that she decides she has to get far away and the plan on how to do it. Her journey from Seattle to South East Asia and back to Seattle is one of heartbreak, confusion, highs, lows and hope for not only survival but peace.
Alle C. Hall does an amazing job of developing a character that you not only feel for but want to shake when she makes the wrong choice and rejoice as she begins to find peace. I struggled with incomplete sentences, random thoughts and slang at one point I was so confused I had to go back and reread a chapter because I thought the names of 2 male characters had been exchanged but as the rhythm kept going it was almost like being in her head when she was inebriated, lost and confused. It brought about a whole new understanding of her struggle. I wished for more interaction with her family at the end but realized too that it was enough. The story was her journey to find herself not the reactions of those that don’t count.
Thank you, NetGalley, Alle C. Hall and Black Rose Writing for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Wow. What a powerful book this is, to witness someone taking back their own life. I struggled a bit at first with the stream-of-consciousness writing style, but then decided it was a perfect reflection of Carlie’s experience. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.