In 2015 I read a very special book. A book told through letters between two boys that would probably never be able to meet. A book that some of my friends did not enjoy that much because it was marketed as Contemporary while it's actually closer to Speculative Fiction or very very soft Sci-Fi. I went into it expecting Contemporary. However, what I got was so much more. And I just went with it. I suspended my disbelief and all that jazz. Because the story just had me hooked. The characters were in my heart. And they have been since I finished that book in May 2015. I've been waiting for its follow-up, Nowhere Near You, ever since. Safe to say I had a lot of expectations, which can be dangerous, but in this case... it wasn't. Because Nowhere Near You met every single one of my expectations and went far past them. Safe to say I loved this book just as much as that first one.

Nowhere Near You continues the story of Ollie and Moritz through their letters to each other. And while the letter format doesn't always work for me, it somehow works perfectly with this book and its predecessor. While other books don't give enough developement to their characters and the story because of the format, this book actually succeeds big time on both parts. The writing is so gripping and it just hooks me instantly from the first page. Ollie's and Moritz's voice are so unique and distinct, which is SUCH a hard thing to accomplish even without the format this is written in. So major props to Leah Thomas for this. I worship at your feet. And I will beg you for another book with these characters until I have one. Who needs knees anyway?

As for the actual story... Well, what do you want me to say? I love it. I went through all the feels about a hundred times and it was flinging me back and forth and I loved every second of it. It could've have easily been boring given how long it is, but it never was to me. If anything, I craved more at the end of it. So much more. Nowhere Near You continued Ollie & Moritz's story perfectly and introduced new characters for me to love and ended so amazingly that I just... I want more. I will always want more. My heart is so full right now and I can barely contain all the feelings I'm having right now. Can you tell?

Now what can I say about the characters that I haven't said in my review of the first book? I still love them just as much. No, more actually. Ollie and Moritz keep going and being brave and strong and they lean on each other even when they're nowhere near each other. Their friendship is beautiful and it's everything. I cannot possibly describe how much I love these two. It's impossible really. They have my heart, these two. Speaking of hearts... There are a few new characters introduced in this book and I don't want to spoil anything but I do want to mention that I loved them. Arthur, Bridget and Brian in particular. So much love for you three. But also Molly and Klaus and the returning characters from the first book. I love you all and I want more time with all of you.

Honestly, I could talk about this book for ages but that would just be boring to you after a while so instead you should go read this book instead. If you haven't read the other one, Because You'll Never Meet Me, then please start with that one. And then get your hands on Nowhere Near You. Pretty please?

Because You'll Never Meet Me is one of my favourite books, and I was all set for it to be a standalone, for Moritz and Ollie never to have contact beyond letters, for there to be a maybe less-than-satisfactory conclusion to their story. And then there came this.

If the first book was good, then this one was great. Everything steps up a notch, with Ollie out in the world for the first time, and Moritz also, in his own way. At the same time, almost every page I read made me want to cry. There's Ollie keeping secrets and how he feels from Moritz, trying to make his letters upbeat. There's Moritz having trouble with his boyfriend, and moving to a new school. Basically, I was a mess.

As per the first book, both Ollie and Moritz are amazing characters, but I loved seeing more of the "Blunderkids", as Ollie takes to calling them. As a supporting cast, they were amazing. Molly had to be my favourite (her and Klaus was so great, I loved them), but Bridget and Arthur followed close behind.

I read this while I should have instead been doing reading for an essay, and every time I finished a chapter I thought to myself, maybe I should start that instead. But the lure of the next chapter was too much and I inevitably continued reading. It's one of those books, one that you don't want to put down because each chapter solves one mystery but reveals another and you just want to know exactly what's going on. And also whether Moritz and Ollie will actually get to meet. (And whether Auburn-Stache will actually tell Ollie the truth and stop hurting him by not.)

Long(ish) story short, this is probably one of the best books I've read this year.

Nowhere Near You is an engaging fusion of contemporary and science fiction with unique characters and addictive storytelling. Reading it was a wonderful, emotion-filled experience. It is the sequel to Because You’ll never Meet Me, a book that didn’t need a sequel as it was a beautiful standalone, but I am so very grateful the author decided to continue the story of Ollie and Moritz. Reading this felt so very familiar and it was a joy to return to the characters. Whilst the first book was very heavily character-driven, this one is much more plot-driven. Both our protagonists are adventuring out into the unknown and we get to go along with them. There are mundane teenage problems, not so mundane ‘blunderkid’ problems, and a healthy helping of self-discovery.

The storytelling in this is utterly addictive. It’s such a hard story to put down once you’ve picked it up. The letter format works brilliantly as it gives insight into their unique perspectives, but even better, Ollie and Moritz keep secrets! They are choosing what to tell each other, and what not to. As we only know what they share, this leads to a lot of mystery and some juicy cliffhangers!

Ollie and Moritz’s friendship is beautiful. It is complicated and difficult, but they are there for each other when It matters and they feel strongly connected. I think it is their relationship that made me have such an emotional reaction to this story. I cared so deeply about these characters but I cared even more that they had each other, even when they distanced themselves. There’s something beautiful about being such an important constant in someone’s life even when they haven’t met.

Once again the author wraps things up in a very satisfying way whilst also leaving things open for the future. I don’t know if there will be a sequel, but if there is I will be the first in line to return to the lives of Ollie and Moritz. For now, I will content myself with imagining them with the happiness they so sorely deserve!