In Other Lands

Books | Young Adult Fiction / Fantasy / Contemporary

4.6

(664)

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 finalistIn 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.Chapter illustrations by Casey Nowak.

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More Details:

Author

Sarah Rees Brennan

Pages

432

Publisher

Small Beer Press

Published Date

2017-07-17

ISBN

1618731351 9781618731357

Ratings

Google: 5

Community ReviewsSee all

"this book is so specific that I can never find an ask that it could fit into. So here I am recommending it. omg read this book right freaking low. it’s a long one and boy is it a slow burn. the romance is a subplot that feeds into the main plot. it’s a great fantasy and such a fun adventure. go check this one out right now!"

kzy

"i expected this book to be soft. i was deceived by its pretty cover, lured in by its witty writing. i did not expect it to hurt. i did not expect there to be so much pain underneath the jokes and whimsy. this story spans years, and in that time, i came to know its characters so well. so well that their suffering was my own. don't get me wrong, this book is lighthearted; it is. i suppose i simply didn't expect it to have such depth, of character and of world."

catherine!!

"The protagonist of this book is super mean and abrasive, which in my opinion makes him feel more realistic and human. He doesn't buy into the "chosen one" ideology and mistrusts others because of his past... Interesting look at mental health, also LGBTQ friendly. ;) #lgbtq "

Jaded Blade

"It was my favorite book I’ve read in a while. I was laughing out loud and screaming for them to JUST COMMUNICATE!!!! It was amazing. Please please read it!! "

Maryellen Hagberg

"This book is a no go. I stopped at 10% due to mediocre writing, an unoriginal story, and an unlikable protagonist. Would not even recommend this to young adults. There are plenty of good, well-written, and original YA books out there. Don't waste your time or that of your friends/students."

Piper

"a really refreshing story about growing up queer and autistic. "

Millie R

"I love Sarah Rees Brennan. The only other things I’ve read by her were coauthored short stories with Cassandra Clare, but Sarah Rees Brennan has a very strong voice"

Sophia Harper

"I loved this book. I’ve always been the type of person to like comedic writing over artful writing, and this book was hilarious! But there were also moments where I found myself crying because Elliot is precious and an amazing character. Though not by most standards, Elliot is an amazing character who I relate to; we both have negative outlooks on the world and hate ourselves for it, we’re both also bisexual."

Science Room Vampire

"Great for people who like fantasy, magic, YA, coming of age, and queer representation. It takes the typical child hero# trope and puts a twist on it. I absolutely adore everything about this book."