Otherbound

by Corinne Duyvis

Every time Nolan closes his eyes, he doesn’t see darkness. Instead, he’s transported into the mind of Amara, a girl living in a different world. Nolan’s world is our world, full of history tests, family problems, and laundry; his parents think he has epilepsy, judging from his frequent blackouts. Amara’s world is full of magic and danger, and she’s a mute slave girl who’s tasked with protecting a renegade princess. Nolan is only an observer in Amara’s world—until he’s not. At first, Amara is terrified by this new presence controlling her. But they eventually learn that the only way to protect the princess and escape danger is to work together. A fascinating premise, clearly and compellingly written and imagined by a startlingly original debut writer.

• ISBN13: 9781419716812
• Publish Date: 8 March 2016 (first published 17 June 2014)
• Publish Status: Out of Stock
• Out of Print: 4 March 2021
• Publish Country: US
• Publisher: Abrams
• Imprint: Amulet Books
• Format: Paperback
• Pages: 416
• Language: English
• URL: https://abramsandchronicle.co.uk/book/9781419716812-otherbound/

Reviews

[anastasia]

Full Review on my blog!

It took me a little while to get into this, but once the plot started picking up, I was engaged. Otherbound is a mixture of contemporary and fantasy, with amazing world building.

This book has two very diverse protagonists who have to deal with a lot of hardships in their lives. They are connected in some inconceivable way, which is very disruptive for their lives. They want nothing more but to be rid of this link. But when they try to do it, something goes wrong.

This book is engaging and fresh and I really liked it! I highly recommend it!

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[gmcgregor]

What if the doomsday preppers were right and the end of the world was nigh? Corinne Duyvis' On the Edge of Gone takes place in the Netherlands about 20 years in the future, and at the beginning of the novel, we join teenager Denise and her mom as they (and the rest of the world) are getting ready for a comet to strike the planet. The very wealthy have left Earth via spaceship, and so have some of the very lucky, who won lotteries for spots on those ships. The remaining population have been assigned to shelters to ride out the strike and immediate aftermath. Denise, her sister Iris, and her mother are in the latter group, but when the appointed day comes and Iris is nowhere to be found, Denise and her mother find themselves running late to get to their shelter in time. On their way, they come across one of Denise's former teachers and her partner who have had an accident, and are permitted to take shelter aboard the spaceship they've been assigned to in return for helping them get there.

Once she's on the ship, Denise immediately starts trying to figure out how to stay...wouldn't anyone want to explore the stars instead of try to survive in the kind of post-apocalyptic situation that killed the dinosaurs? The rest of the plot unfolds from there: Denise's quest to find her sister and secure herself and her family room on the ship. When I was reading it, I kept expecting the ship taking off to be when the plot would really start, and it took me until about a quarter of the way through to figure out that wasn't the point. The point are the questions the scenario raises; most poignantly, how do you figure out who should live and who should die? What kinds of skills are really necessary anyways? We can all agree on doctors, cooks, and engineers, but who's more important: artists or lawyers? Young people or experienced people?

There's a movement out there centered around the idea that we need diverse books. I agree. I'm never going to be one to go on a deliberate spree to only read books by or about a particular gender or racial category (my favorite author is White Man Jeffrey Eugenides), but I think a lot of people's...fear or resistance or whatever it is, exactly, that makes them suspicious of others who aren't like them is based on a lack of exposure. It's easy to demonize gay people, or trans people, or people of color, to think of the world as Us v. Them, when you don't know any of Them. Once you get to know Them, it turns out they're people, just like you, with the same kind of hopes and dreams and bills and taxes that you have. Even literature can be an important bridge to build empathy...a book implicitly asks you to care about these people on the page, to imagine yourself in their shoes. Which is why it matters that Denise and Iris are mixed race, that Denise is autistic (as is the author), that Iris is transgender. Those aren't the kind of people you normally read books about. And this book in particular is well-crafted, with a story that draws you in and makes you ask yourself how you would deal with the situations that are presented therein. Definitely worth and read and a think.

[shannonmiz]

You can find the full review and all the fancy and/or randomness that accompanies it at It Starts at Midnight
3.5*

The Good:

Diversity is such a win! Denise is biracial, her sister is black, and there are people of every background you can imagine involved. Not in a way that seems contrived though- just in a way that seems normal, which is good, because it is normal. And autism? Count me in! I think it was handled really well (which I describe more below). There's also Iris, Denise's sister who is transgendered. It's not made out to be this huge "thing", it's simply who Iris is, and I loved it!
Sidenote: I worked with a boy with autism for almost four years, and he is the kind of person who just...  he shines. Yes, he had autism, and there were loads of things he struggled with. But he's funny, and kind, and other kids just gravitate toward him. So the portrayal of Denise as a person, and not a stereotypical autism case was huge for me.

The apocalyptic conditions and politics seemed pretty realistic. I love an apocalyptic book, but sometimes the settings can be hit or miss. This one was pretty great. It was bleak, yet had a semblance of hope. It was honest, because the upper echelon of society bought their safety, and to hell with everyone else.

FAMILY. This book is incredibly family centered. And that makes so much sense! Because really- if you're in the midst of the end of the world, who can you trust if not your family? And I don't even just mean Denise and her family, everyone in the book is worried first and foremost about their families. It's very honest, and very refreshing. Of course, Denise's mom is a drug addict, and she is a really hot mess. Denise has to weigh her family loyalties against her own will to survive, and it's pretty intense!

The Not As Good:

• I felt like the first half was fabulous, but the second half was a bit slow. Now, it wasn't bad, it just was slower. And when the second part is slower than the first, that makes it feel extra slow, if that makes any bit of sense. It just felt like some things in the second half were getting kind of repetitive (see point below for one of them) and I just wanted some kind of action.


• I was getting really sick of Denise's mom. I mean, I get that she was a drug addict, that's not what I mean. It's just that Denise goes back and forth with her so often that I got bored of that particular storyline. I just wanted to slap mom, and move on, or something.

Bottom Line: It's a good book. It handles diversity really well, and is an interesting- and plausible- story. While it didn't completely blow me away, it was a solid book and I think it's worth the read. 

*Copy provided by publisher for review

[Angie]

I received an ARC through NetGalley.

On the Edge of Gone is set in the near future, and the world is preparing to be hit by an asteroid. Denise and her mother are running late to their appointed shelter because Denise's sister, Iris, is missing. They don't know if she's already at the shelter, at another one, or on her way home, so their mother wants to wait. But an asteroid waits for no one, and soon they're on their way, only to get sidetracked. Luckily, they find shelter on a generationship. Too bad they're not allowed to stay past impact.

I really enjoyed On the Edge of Gone. I'm a complete sucker for natural disaster type apocalypse stories, so I was really excited for this one. What made it even more exciting was getting the POV of an autistic girl. I do believe this was my first book with an autistic narrator. Denise has such a clear voice and I really liked her. She is determined to not only find her sister, but to prove to everyone on the generationship that she's useful, so that they can stay onboard. She definitely does what she sets out to do!

On the Edge of Gone isn't very action packed, even given the whole asteroid destroys Earth premise. There's some destruction in the beginning, and then a few scenes where Denise's life is in danger for various reasons. But I'd definitely describe this as a more character driven story, which is fine, although not my preference. I guess I was just hoping for more about what was going on in the world and the dangers people are facing, maybe some space travel. I still enjoyed watching Denise save herself, her family, and other survivors though.

On the Edge of Gone is a very enjoyable read. It does drag in some places, and feels repetitive at times. But I did love Denise and getting to know her. The ending did leave me wanting more though. It's not an open ending or anything like that, but like I said, I would have liked to have seen some space travel. I want to know what happens next!

Read more of my reviews at Pinkindle Reads & Reviews.

[Kelly]

http://www.divabooknerd.com/2014/09/otherbound-by-corinne-duyvis.html
3½ Stars.
Otherbound is a mixture of contemporary and fantasy, with incredible world building and diversity. Nolan is a Hispanic amputee who suffers from seizures each time he blinks. But behind his eyes he holds the secret of another world, a world diagnosed by doctors as merely hallucinations. From the tender age of only five years old, Nolan was drawn into Amara's world through his dreams, which now occurs whenever he closes his eyes. Amara is a servant who was torn away from her home to protect a cursed princess. She can heal her own injuries, making her valuable as long as she is able to serve her purpose. Even without Nolan, her life has always belonged to someone else. Amara communicates with the use of sign language, her tongue cut out by her owner has left her virtually mute. Two very distinct worlds, where one body is shared.

Corinne Duyvis painted a vivid world in which readers will immerse themselves in. I loved the Dunelands and being thrown into Amara's world. The only light in Amara's life is fellow servant Maart, with the two seeking solace in one another. She was a prisoner, only kept due to the curse and keeping the princess safe. She was incredibly strong, physically and emotionally and knew that if she attempted escape it would be the princess who suffered, so she chose to retain her fate. Although Nolan has endured his own tragedy, his life pails in comparison. He doesn't live wondering if each day will be his last, or what happens if he is captured and taken back to the palace where Amara first served. He could see what Amara endured each day, and still took his life for granted. I couldn't connect to his character at all. Nolan frustrated me, not only was he a voyeur in Amara's life, after discovering he could control her by increasing his medication dosage, he didn't hesitate. And all the while knowing that in her world, she had always belonged to someone else.

Princess Cilla was also taken under duress, and although treated like royalty by Jorn their captor, she forges a tentative friendship with Amara. But not once did she speak up for the servant, supposedly friends, she allowed her to be used and abused. If Cilla put herself in danger, the responsibility and punishment fell on Amara. But as incredible as Amara's world was, it posed more questions than answers. I felt lost at times, as though I had begun reading a book that may have been missing the first few chapters and left me rereading over passages to ensure I hadn't missed an important aspect of the storyline. But the explanation simply wasn't here.

The overall premise was brilliant, two worlds colliding through two teens who are not only diverse, but also worlds apart. But it was too busy. Too many original ideas packed into what was ultimately two separate storylines. I found Amara's world so much more engaging of the two, and desperately wanted to learn more about her life and the Dunelands through her own words, not that of Nolan. The revelations towards the end made for a stunning conclusion. Fantasy fans will enjoy this one, it's still well worth the read to experience the diversity of the characters and incredible world building. I just wish I could have connected with Otherbound more.

[Jo]

Originally posted on Once Upon a Bookcase.

When I first heard of Otherbound, I thought it sounded awesome. A guy who see's through another girl's eyes, a girl from another world, every time he closes his eyes? How can that not be an incredible book?! Sadly, I was really disappointed by Otherbound.

At first, I was really excited by Otherbound, really intrigued by the plot. How was it that Nolan would be transported to Amara's body whenever he closed his eyes? Originally, I misunderstood and thought it was just when he slept, but it's whenever he closes his eyes - a single blink, and he's there, until his eyes are open again. What was happening? Why? And why was there this curse on Princess Cilla that meant she could die if she shed a single drop of blood? And how was it that Amara was able to save her, take the curse onto herself by covering herself in Cilla's blood, and healing from the fatal injuries the curse damaged her body with? So original, so fascinating! At first, I couldn't put the book down.

But once we have these questions... that's all we have for a good long while. The story stagnates; very little highs or lows, the plot seeming an almost steady line until about a quarter of the way from the end, when things finally get interesting. Things do happen, it isn't that the story doesn't change and everything stays the same - risks are taken, decisions are made, things, in their way, move forward - but for me, the mood stayed at the same level. I think part of the problem was that I really didn't care one way or the other for most of the characters. Nolan, Amara, Cilla... I just couldn't get emotionally attached to them or the story. It was a good hard slog to get through the book, taking me a week to read, because after the initial intrigue, I lost all interest. Until that last quarter.

And that last quarter really was awesome! But so many good things happen in such a short space of time - answers, action, danger, awesomeness - and then it's over. Done. Finished. And it looks like this is just a stand alone. I thought it must have been the beginning of a series, and most of it was just developing the story, in which case I could understand it being slow, but to finish and that be the end? Though, if there was a sequel on it's way, I'm not sure if the last quarter would have been enough to make it pick it up. I was left feeling really let down.

I picked Otherbound up this month for LGBT+ April, but the LGBTQ element wasn't what I thought. I though there might be some trans themes going on, because of Nolan, a guy, being in Amara's female body half the time. Unless I'm misremembering, I don't think there is a single instance where it's discussed, even when Nolan learns to control Amara's body, rather than just being an observer. The LGBTQ element takes the form of Amara's sexuality; she's bisexual, and she's into Cilla. Despite the role of servant and protector of Cilla she has, she has had relationships with both genders before her attraction to Cilla becomes anything remotely serious, but sexuality isn't really a major theme in this book. She just happens to be attracted to both genders. There's too much going on in her head, what with Nolan, and Cilla and her curse, to really think much about sexuality, so I have no idea whether this is a world where you're accepted whatever your sexuality or not. The only real way it comes up is that her feelings for Cilla complicate things. With regards to Nolan, it's unclear whether he too is bisexual or not. He cares about the people Amara cares about, because he feels what she feels, yet he is always aware that they are her feelings. But in his own way, he cares himself, especially when terrible things happen. So whether this is because they are people he has known for so many years due to the situation he finds himself in, or because he can feel Amara's feelings, I'm not sure. It's not really made very clear. And it's only now, as I write this, that I realise there are certain questions regarding such things that aren't answered - or at least not clearly enough for me to understand, if they are. Again, I think I'm only realising this now because I simply didn't care one way or the other while reading, sadly.

I do think there are a lot of people who will really enjoy Otherbound. There is enough going on to keep you intrigued and turning the pages, and I'm sure people will get attached the characters like I couldn't. It's not an awful story, it's just not one that worked for me, sadly. Do check out some other reviews before deciding whether or not to read Otherbound, don't base your decision on my review alone.

Thank you to Abrams for the proof copy.