In Other Lands by Sarah Rees Brennan

In Other Lands

by Sarah Rees Brennan

Georgia Peach Award Nominee • Florida Teens Read Award Nominee • ABC Best Books for Young Readers • Bank Street College Best Children’s Books of the Year • A Junior Library Guild Selection • Hugo & Locus award finalist

In Other Lands is an exhilarating novel from bestselling author Sarah Rees Brennan about surviving four years in the most unusual of schools - friendship, falling in love, diplomacy, and finding your own place in the world — even if it means giving up your phone.

Excerpt:

The Borderlands aren’t like anywhere else. Don’t try to smuggle a phone or any other piece of technology over the wall that marks the Border — unless you enjoy a fireworks display in your backpack. (Ballpoint pens are okay.) There are elves, harpies, and — best of all as far as Elliot is concerned — mermaids.

"What’s your name?"

"Serene."

"Serena?" Elliot asked.

"Serene," said Serene. "My full name is Serene-Heart-in-the-Chaos-of-Battle."

Elliot’s mouth fell open. "That is badass."

Elliot? Who’s Elliot? Elliot is thirteen years old. He’s smart and just a tiny bit obnoxious. Sometimes more than a tiny bit. When his class goes on a field trip and he can see a wall that no one else can see, he is given the chance to go to school in the Borderlands.

It turns out that on the other side of the wall, classes involve a lot more weaponry and fitness training and fewer mermaids than he expected. On the other hand, there’s Serene-Heart-in-the-Chaos-of-Battle, an elven warrior who is more beautiful than anyone Elliot has ever seen, and then there’s her human friend Luke: sunny, blond, and annoyingly likeable. There are lots of interesting books. There’s even the chance Elliot might be able to change the world.

Reviewed by roundtableknight on

5 of 5 stars

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“If you must know, she is the one soul destined for my own, and we are going to be together forever,” he declared loftily. “That’s weird,” Luke told him. “We’re thirteen.”
~
Rating: 5 stars (read May 23rd, 2020)

I really have no words for how much I adore this book and the characters. In Other Lands combines everything a YA novel should have and created something truly special out of it. Elliot, the main character, goes to the Borderland when he is thirteen, and from there the future of that place and the inhabitants are set in stone. Elliot is a rude, obnoxious, and sarcastic character, and I love him for that; he deflects emotions due to his upbringing, and the book doesn't soften the blow that his parents don't care about him. However, Luke and Serene are the best type of people that Elliot could have meet and became friends with, due to their protectiveness of him: something he has never had.

I couldn't rate this book anything less than five stars since I have no qualms about this novel. It's the best showcase of a coming of age character, and how choices affect you and the people around you. I could only wish this book was longer, because I didn't want it to end.

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 23 May, 2020: Finished reading
  • 23 May, 2020: Reviewed
  • Started reading
  • Finished reading
  • 23 May, 2020: Reviewed