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A review by hoatzin
In Other Lands by Sarah Rees Brennan
5.0
4.5 stars.
I read the short story set in this world some time ago, which is an alternate-POV for some of the last scenes in the book. I liked it then, and finally decided to read the book at a friend’s urging. I was astonished and delighted by how different this is to Luke’s short story. I was expecting a romcom with some teenage shenanigans and instead got emotional revelations, introspection, wonderful character growth and a solid deconstruction of fantasy lands.
Honestly, Elliot reminds me of myself. Perhaps that’s tmi given how much we get into his head in this book. But I honestly think this book is one of the only recent books I’ve read that solidly captures what it’s like to grow up, to be a teenager, and to see yourself changing and your friends changing around you and not know whether to try and stop it and keep your childhood or to welcome it and grow into something new (but very, very scary). And how most of the time, no matter where you are, you feel lost.
Just like Elliot, it took me some time when I was younger to realize that others actually took me and my words seriously and put weight on them. Just because I put no real meaning on them doesn’t mean that they didnt. Same as Elliot, my anxiety made me try to mind-read everyone around me, but a)that’s impossible and unhealthy and b) it had a huge blank spot that was my lack of self-worth.
I’ll end with my favorite quote (pardon the paraphrase I don’t have the book on me): “He didn’t know how to say that he met him when he was sad, and he didn’t want him to like him when he was sad.”
I read the short story set in this world some time ago, which is an alternate-POV for some of the last scenes in the book. I liked it then, and finally decided to read the book at a friend’s urging. I was astonished and delighted by how different this is to Luke’s short story. I was expecting a romcom with some teenage shenanigans and instead got emotional revelations, introspection, wonderful character growth and a solid deconstruction of fantasy lands.
Honestly, Elliot reminds me of myself. Perhaps that’s tmi given how much we get into his head in this book. But I honestly think this book is one of the only recent books I’ve read that solidly captures what it’s like to grow up, to be a teenager, and to see yourself changing and your friends changing around you and not know whether to try and stop it and keep your childhood or to welcome it and grow into something new (but very, very scary). And how most of the time, no matter where you are, you feel lost.
Just like Elliot, it took me some time when I was younger to realize that others actually took me and my words seriously and put weight on them. Just because I put no real meaning on them doesn’t mean that they didnt. Same as Elliot, my anxiety made me try to mind-read everyone around me, but a)that’s impossible and unhealthy and b) it had a huge blank spot that was my lack of self-worth.
I’ll end with my favorite quote (pardon the paraphrase I don’t have the book on me): “He didn’t know how to say that he met him when he was sad, and he didn’t want him to like him when he was sad.”