Status
Available
Call number
Collection
Publication
Harry N. Abrams (2014), 400 pages
Description
Fantasy. Young Adult Fiction. Young Adult Literature. LGBTQIA+ (Fiction.) HTML: Nolan doesn't see darkness when he closes his eyes. Instead, he's transported into the mind of Amara, a girl living in a different world. Nolan's life in his small Arizona town is full of history tests, family tension, and laundry; his parents think he has epilepsy, judging from his frequent blackouts. Amara's world is full of magic and danger�she's a mute servant girl who's tasked with protecting a renegade princess. Nolan is only an observer in Amara's world�until he learns to control her. At first, Amara is terrified. Then, she's furious. But to keep the princess�and themselves�alive, they'll have to work together and discover the truth behind their connection. A fascinating premise, clearly and compellingly written and imagined by a startlingly original debut writer..… (more)
Media reviews
(Starred review) Original and compelling; a stunning debut.
(Starred review) Numerous plot twists drive the story along, and it’s grounded in worldbuilding that creates a believable, authentic setting. Duyvis makes ingenious use of a fascinating premise.
User reviews
LibraryThing member MartinWisse
Extracted from my review on my bookblog:
Nolan would be just a normal high school kid, where it not for his crippling epileptic seizures. Amara is a servant girl, her only job to keep the fugitive princess Cilla safe, functioning as the lightning rod for the princess' curse. Any drop of her blood
As Amara and princess Cilla flee the wrath of the ministers who took control of the country in the coup that killed the rest of the royal family, Amara has to deal not just with the brutality of Jorn and her relationship with Maart, another servant, but especially with her feelings for Cilla. As a servant she's indoctrinated, raised from when she was first made a servant, had her tongue cut out, to obey and follow. Her ordeals battling the curse, the pains she suffers in Cilla's stead -- Duyvis doesn't flinch in describing some of them -- do test that enforced loyalty to the breaking point though and yet she finds it hard to hate Cilla. Cilla herself certainly is less than comfortable with Amara's suffering, attempting to befriend but not quite realising how impossible that is considering their respective positions. Amara knows that she both cannot reject her overtures nor accept them, as that beyond her status as a bound servant. She can't consent to them.
Meanwhile the relationship between Nolan and Amara, in which at first seems to be the innocent bystander drawn into Amara's mind and life unbeknownst to her, starts changing too. As Nolan increasingly is able to enter her body and mind completely, taking over and controlling it, which Amara at first experiences as blackouts, put doubt to the idea that it was her that drew him to her. Perhaps it was the other way around and was it Nolan who, for some reason, had cast his mind into hers and now, through a quirk in his anti epilepsy medication, was able to control it better and control her.
Otherbound takes consent seriously, it's at the heart of the novel and its villains are those who violate consent in the worst way possible, while it's heroes, Amara, Nolan and to a lesser extent Cilla are those who learn to respect or have always attempted to respect consent and other people's boundaries, while learning to set their own. The relationship that blossoms between Cilla and Amara is all about consent, about Cilla learning to ask in such a way that Amara can genuinely give it, while Amara learns to find those ways in which she can meaningfully consent, learns to go against conditioning and free herself. The villains of the story on the other hand cheerfully abuse consent, want ultimately to force Nolan to force Amara to give in to them so they can keep on ruling unchallenged.
As important perhaps as this theme, is the disability all three protagonists suffer from: Amara's healing gifts, Cilla's curse and Nolan's epilepsy, all disabilities they each have to find and have found ways to try and live with, all in some ways limiting them. These felt real to me, not just gimmicks, not some D&D like stat to give the protagonist a bit of a handicap, but something that shapes their lives and will continue to do so even if no longer present. That's ... rarer than I'd like in fantasy or science fiction.
Otherbound is not perfect. Both Nolan's South-Western America and Amala's Dunelands feel a bit flat at times, more sketched than portrayed. That said, I liked the little Dutch details Duyvis has put in their fantasy land, from the Dunelands themselves to having an island called Teschel (next to one calld T'ershell'ng?) to having "sugared batter poffs". The pacing of the story is also slightly off, with the first half of the novel taking a bit too long to get going and the second half perhaps going too fast. But these are meer quibbles. This is a great, well written YA novel and I can't wait for Duyvis' next one.
Nolan would be just a normal high school kid, where it not for his crippling epileptic seizures. Amara is a servant girl, her only job to keep the fugitive princess Cilla safe, functioning as the lightning rod for the princess' curse. Any drop of her blood
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spilled will attract the world's vengeance on her, so instead Amara has to draw the curse to her, because she has a healing power that will allow the curse to do its worst and still leave her alive. As a side effect of her "gift", Nolan was dragged into her world, her mind, seeing and experiencing Amara's life every time he closes his eyes, every time he blinks. So when Cilla's protector and Amara's overseer, Jorn, punishes Amara for her neglicence by thrusting her arms into a fire, Nolan feels the pain alongside her. It's this what's really behind his epilepsy, this loss of control as he's sucked into Amara's world and can't pay attention to his own. As Amara and princess Cilla flee the wrath of the ministers who took control of the country in the coup that killed the rest of the royal family, Amara has to deal not just with the brutality of Jorn and her relationship with Maart, another servant, but especially with her feelings for Cilla. As a servant she's indoctrinated, raised from when she was first made a servant, had her tongue cut out, to obey and follow. Her ordeals battling the curse, the pains she suffers in Cilla's stead -- Duyvis doesn't flinch in describing some of them -- do test that enforced loyalty to the breaking point though and yet she finds it hard to hate Cilla. Cilla herself certainly is less than comfortable with Amara's suffering, attempting to befriend but not quite realising how impossible that is considering their respective positions. Amara knows that she both cannot reject her overtures nor accept them, as that beyond her status as a bound servant. She can't consent to them.
Meanwhile the relationship between Nolan and Amara, in which at first seems to be the innocent bystander drawn into Amara's mind and life unbeknownst to her, starts changing too. As Nolan increasingly is able to enter her body and mind completely, taking over and controlling it, which Amara at first experiences as blackouts, put doubt to the idea that it was her that drew him to her. Perhaps it was the other way around and was it Nolan who, for some reason, had cast his mind into hers and now, through a quirk in his anti epilepsy medication, was able to control it better and control her.
Otherbound takes consent seriously, it's at the heart of the novel and its villains are those who violate consent in the worst way possible, while it's heroes, Amara, Nolan and to a lesser extent Cilla are those who learn to respect or have always attempted to respect consent and other people's boundaries, while learning to set their own. The relationship that blossoms between Cilla and Amara is all about consent, about Cilla learning to ask in such a way that Amara can genuinely give it, while Amara learns to find those ways in which she can meaningfully consent, learns to go against conditioning and free herself. The villains of the story on the other hand cheerfully abuse consent, want ultimately to force Nolan to force Amara to give in to them so they can keep on ruling unchallenged.
As important perhaps as this theme, is the disability all three protagonists suffer from: Amara's healing gifts, Cilla's curse and Nolan's epilepsy, all disabilities they each have to find and have found ways to try and live with, all in some ways limiting them. These felt real to me, not just gimmicks, not some D&D like stat to give the protagonist a bit of a handicap, but something that shapes their lives and will continue to do so even if no longer present. That's ... rarer than I'd like in fantasy or science fiction.
Otherbound is not perfect. Both Nolan's South-Western America and Amala's Dunelands feel a bit flat at times, more sketched than portrayed. That said, I liked the little Dutch details Duyvis has put in their fantasy land, from the Dunelands themselves to having an island called Teschel (next to one calld T'ershell'ng?) to having "sugared batter poffs". The pacing of the story is also slightly off, with the first half of the novel taking a bit too long to get going and the second half perhaps going too fast. But these are meer quibbles. This is a great, well written YA novel and I can't wait for Duyvis' next one.
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LibraryThing member ladycato
This is a deep sort of YA novel that could have so easily been confusing or contrived, but in Duyvis's deft hands, it's a thing of beauty. The two parallel stories are distinct: Nolan would be a typical American boy if not for the so-called seizures he has dealt with on a daily basis since age 5.
I appreciated how sexuality is handled within the book, too. Nolan can't help but see what Amara experiences. Her bisexuality isn't an issue within the book at all--it is what it is, and doesn't stand out in her culture.
There's a reason why there is so much buzz about this book. I will happily be passing my copy along to my teenaged niece.
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The truth is that when he blinks, he sees through Amara's eyes and experiences a world of magic far different from Earth. The thing that intrigued me is that both story lines are very intense, though Amara's is where the real action occurs--she's a servant to a cursed princess in exile. Nolan also suffers in his own way, especially as their stories converge near the end. I appreciated how sexuality is handled within the book, too. Nolan can't help but see what Amara experiences. Her bisexuality isn't an issue within the book at all--it is what it is, and doesn't stand out in her culture.
There's a reason why there is so much buzz about this book. I will happily be passing my copy along to my teenaged niece.
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LibraryThing member sennebec
Nolan's never quite there any more. In fact, he's been phasing in and out of reality since he was five. He has no control over whether he's himself or a hidden watcher in another world where he's linked to a servant girl, Amara. She's on the run with Jorn, a cruel mage, Cilla, a hunted princess and
Back in our world, Nolan has paid a huge price for his unwilling connection to Amara. He's been treated with an endless series of ever stronger medications that don't seem to work and during one time when he was pulled into her world, he was hit by a car and lost a leg. He has no social life, no friends and the only thing keeping him going are the countless journals he's written documenting what he's seen in Amara's world.
When he tries a new medication, he starts to have control of her body, but she's aware of him. This is difficult for both of them.As Amara and Cilla try to escape after Jorn kills Mart in a fit of rage, they begin to realize how necessary his possession is. Even more intriguing is the discovery that very little of what any of them thought was true, really is. The mad journey to find safety and answers is riveting, as is how the author peels away each layer of deception and mystery to aid in readers reaching a truly gripping conclusion.
This is an excellent first book and one that teens who like magic and alternate worlds will really enjoy. Yes, there's violence and some profanity, but neither should be a reason not to add this to a library.
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Maart, another servant who she cares about. They're on the run from mages who are intent upon finding and killing Cilla. Amara's skill is her ability to heal and protect Cilla from the curse imposed on her. When she bleeds, elements of the natural world are drawn by the curse in her blood to try and kill her. When this happens, Amara smears Cilla's blood on herself to decoy the attack. Each time, her body undergoes horrific damage that's healed very quickly.Back in our world, Nolan has paid a huge price for his unwilling connection to Amara. He's been treated with an endless series of ever stronger medications that don't seem to work and during one time when he was pulled into her world, he was hit by a car and lost a leg. He has no social life, no friends and the only thing keeping him going are the countless journals he's written documenting what he's seen in Amara's world.
When he tries a new medication, he starts to have control of her body, but she's aware of him. This is difficult for both of them.As Amara and Cilla try to escape after Jorn kills Mart in a fit of rage, they begin to realize how necessary his possession is. Even more intriguing is the discovery that very little of what any of them thought was true, really is. The mad journey to find safety and answers is riveting, as is how the author peels away each layer of deception and mystery to aid in readers reaching a truly gripping conclusion.
This is an excellent first book and one that teens who like magic and alternate worlds will really enjoy. Yes, there's violence and some profanity, but neither should be a reason not to add this to a library.
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LibraryThing member knotbox
In my opinion, the premise should be enough to get you into this story: a disabled boy in Nevada becomes a mute servant girl in a magical kingdom every-time he closes his eyes.
Not yet? Read on. Since he was six or so, Nolan has been treated for epilepsy, but what looks like he’s having a seizure
This book really grabbed me from the get go, considering the premise isn’t something trifling, and it was great. Sign language and disability are important topics not to be treated lightly, and Corinne Duyvis doesn’t shy away from being real with the reader. She found readers to help with all the aspects, as you can see in the acknowledgments, and has produced a fascinating book. I will say this without spoiling anything, that while I was committed to finishing it with the first chapter or so, and read the first half of the book consistently over two weeks, when I hit the 75% mark a twist that I thought was just a way-point turned into such an epic conclusion that I couldn’t stand it. I had no way and no one to convey my alarm at what happened. I’m not hyperbolizing much when I say: it blew me away.
I can’t tell you. But I want you to read this, I want you to be taken aback as well by what happens.
This is a stand alone novel, but the world is by no means lacking. There is no skimping in this book. I thought at first that I didn’t have as good a sense of the world that the girl, Amara, is traveling through as I did of Nolan’s desert city. To be fair I’ve never been to either, yet Nevada came more easily to me than the cobbled streets in a magical city. I think this is the juxtaposition of things we can easily supplement with photos and more words than creating a whole new fantasy world in our heads. This has less to do with authorial ability and more with that just being the way things are, the way our culture exposes us to different things.
So let your imagination go wild when imagining the pubs and harbors and market stalls in Amara’s world. Unless you’ve been to Nevada, you’re doing the same thing there anyway. Enjoy!
Not yet? Read on. Since he was six or so, Nolan has been treated for epilepsy, but what looks like he’s having a seizure
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is actually him leaving his body to piggyback the life of a girl on the run, a servant protecting a princess from a coup. Nolan meanwhile doesn’t have much of a life, he doesn’t have any friends, barely knows his punk sister, all he has are notebooks filled with a world that makes no sense and swimming whenever he can keep his head on straight long enough.This book really grabbed me from the get go, considering the premise isn’t something trifling, and it was great. Sign language and disability are important topics not to be treated lightly, and Corinne Duyvis doesn’t shy away from being real with the reader. She found readers to help with all the aspects, as you can see in the acknowledgments, and has produced a fascinating book. I will say this without spoiling anything, that while I was committed to finishing it with the first chapter or so, and read the first half of the book consistently over two weeks, when I hit the 75% mark a twist that I thought was just a way-point turned into such an epic conclusion that I couldn’t stand it. I had no way and no one to convey my alarm at what happened. I’m not hyperbolizing much when I say: it blew me away.
I can’t tell you. But I want you to read this, I want you to be taken aback as well by what happens.
This is a stand alone novel, but the world is by no means lacking. There is no skimping in this book. I thought at first that I didn’t have as good a sense of the world that the girl, Amara, is traveling through as I did of Nolan’s desert city. To be fair I’ve never been to either, yet Nevada came more easily to me than the cobbled streets in a magical city. I think this is the juxtaposition of things we can easily supplement with photos and more words than creating a whole new fantasy world in our heads. This has less to do with authorial ability and more with that just being the way things are, the way our culture exposes us to different things.
So let your imagination go wild when imagining the pubs and harbors and market stalls in Amara’s world. Unless you’ve been to Nevada, you’re doing the same thing there anyway. Enjoy!
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LibraryThing member Emily_Anne
Sometimes a book just sneaks up quietly behind your back... and then slaps you on the head. Hard. That basically sums up my reading experience with Otherbound. I had been intrigued by Otherbound for some time. So, when I had the chance to read and review the story for free, I gladly grabbed the
However, I never expected to be so immersed in Nolan and Amara’s story. The writing and settings were exquisite. And, at the end of Otherbound, I felt as if I had lost a friend. This book will stick with me for a long time, and will definitely make it onto my 2014 favorites list.
Let’s start with the two characters and two settings. Our two main characters are Nolan and Amara. Nolan is from our world. However, he is not your average boy. He is missing a good part of one of his legs, and he has “seizures” and “hallucinations”. Of course, the readers learn pretty quickly that Nolan doesn’t have either of these plights, despite what the doctors might say.
Every time Nolan closes his eyes, he finds himself in another world called the Dunelands. More specifically, he sees through the eyes of a girl called Amara. Amara is not only a mute servant from the Dunelands, she is also a healer protecting a cursed princess. This job is not nearly as glamourous as it sounds, as the healing process causes Amara to inflict terrible harm upon herself. Also, Jorn, her master, cruelly punishes Amara often. And, in turn, Nolan has to suffer through terrible pain as well.
Otherbound had a certain uniqueness that other books lack. Not only does the author evidently have a wildly creative mind, she also incorporates diversity into Otherbound. The characters are LGBT, Hispanic, disabled, mute etc. The character relationships were astounding. Whether it was the relationship between two love interests or between family, Otherbound made the interactions realistic, hopeful, and heartbreaking.
Also, I loved the unpredictability of this novel. I was never sure what would occur next. And two revelations in the novel caught me totally off guard, but, when I reread parts of the book, made total sense to me. Both of these new bits of knowledge were about magic and the two worlds! This brings me onto my next topic, the magic and worldbuilding! For fear of spoilers, I won’t say much except the author had her world, and the awesome magic within, down pat!
Otherbound’s ending is spectacular. Nothing is tied up in a nice red ribbon but the story ends at just the right place. Also, I was impacted tremendously by one of the sentences on the very last page. I may or may not have leaked a few tears.
Corrine Duyvis has truly written a gem. The book has it all: a fantastic plot, a vivid setting, diverse characters, major feels, wonderful themes, and a stunning conclusion. Also, despite the length of this review, I feel as if I have barely touched upon all the amazing aspects of Otherbound! Overall, I cannot recommend Otherbound highly enough.
5/5 Stars
*I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review!*
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chance! However, I never expected to be so immersed in Nolan and Amara’s story. The writing and settings were exquisite. And, at the end of Otherbound, I felt as if I had lost a friend. This book will stick with me for a long time, and will definitely make it onto my 2014 favorites list.
Let’s start with the two characters and two settings. Our two main characters are Nolan and Amara. Nolan is from our world. However, he is not your average boy. He is missing a good part of one of his legs, and he has “seizures” and “hallucinations”. Of course, the readers learn pretty quickly that Nolan doesn’t have either of these plights, despite what the doctors might say.
Every time Nolan closes his eyes, he finds himself in another world called the Dunelands. More specifically, he sees through the eyes of a girl called Amara. Amara is not only a mute servant from the Dunelands, she is also a healer protecting a cursed princess. This job is not nearly as glamourous as it sounds, as the healing process causes Amara to inflict terrible harm upon herself. Also, Jorn, her master, cruelly punishes Amara often. And, in turn, Nolan has to suffer through terrible pain as well.
Otherbound had a certain uniqueness that other books lack. Not only does the author evidently have a wildly creative mind, she also incorporates diversity into Otherbound. The characters are LGBT, Hispanic, disabled, mute etc. The character relationships were astounding. Whether it was the relationship between two love interests or between family, Otherbound made the interactions realistic, hopeful, and heartbreaking.
Also, I loved the unpredictability of this novel. I was never sure what would occur next. And two revelations in the novel caught me totally off guard, but, when I reread parts of the book, made total sense to me. Both of these new bits of knowledge were about magic and the two worlds! This brings me onto my next topic, the magic and worldbuilding! For fear of spoilers, I won’t say much except the author had her world, and the awesome magic within, down pat!
Otherbound’s ending is spectacular. Nothing is tied up in a nice red ribbon but the story ends at just the right place. Also, I was impacted tremendously by one of the sentences on the very last page. I may or may not have leaked a few tears.
Corrine Duyvis has truly written a gem. The book has it all: a fantastic plot, a vivid setting, diverse characters, major feels, wonderful themes, and a stunning conclusion. Also, despite the length of this review, I feel as if I have barely touched upon all the amazing aspects of Otherbound! Overall, I cannot recommend Otherbound highly enough.
5/5 Stars
*I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review!*
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LibraryThing member pwaites
Otherbound is a stand alone YA fantasy that I enjoyed more than I was expecting. Yet, it still doesn’t reach the level where I’d want to read it again in the future, and it’s hard for me to say why.
Ever since he was five years old, Nolan sees a different life whenever he closes his eyes. The
One of the high points of Otherbound is the incredible diversity of the characters. Amara’s a brown skinned bisexual girl who communicates with sign language. Nolan is Hispanic, needs crutches, and was diagnosed with epilepsy because of his “seizures” whenever he visits Amara’s mind. All this said, the book isn’t really “about” any of those things (i.e. it’s not an issue book). It’s a YA fantasy adventure that happens to have a diverse cast and includes a romance between two girls.
Otherbound has no gaping holes, and I didn’t notice any problems while I was reading it. However, I don’t feel this is a book that I’d want to come back to in the future. The best way to describe why is that Otherbound could just use “more.” The world building could be more immersive and vivid, the characters could be more memorable, the plot could be more enticing. Overall, everything was functional but could have been better. It could be that comparative thinness of Otherbound is related to it being a debut novel.
Duyvis clearly put thought into Amara’s world, and I liked the inclusion of cultural details such as the taboo against saying the names of the dead. At the same time, I never got a good feel of the world. I can tell that it’s more technologically advanced than the average fantasy world, and Duyvis has clearly set up different cultural and ethnic groups. Yet, the world never had that vividness and wonder of the best fantasy settings, and I would have liked some more information on the morals and norms of the different cultures.
The POV is third person alternating between Nolan and Amara. I didn’t have problems with either of their characters while I was reading, but I never really fell in love with them or even any of the secondary characters. Possibly it’s because they were relatively passive, mainly reacting to the situation around them instead of taking charge. To be far, this was almost impossible to avoid with Nolan, but Amara could have been making more active decisions. Another possibility is that they lacked strong motivation, although this does tie into the whole “active” versus “passive” protagonist thing.
Despite my reservations, I would still recommend Otherbound. It’s far from the worst YA fantasy novel I’ve read, and I still enjoyed the time I spent with it. If you are looking for diverse characters, I would especially recommend that you check out Otherbound.
Review posted on The Illustrated Page.
Ever since he was five years old, Nolan sees a different life whenever he closes his eyes. The
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mind he inhabits is Amara’s, a mute servant for a cursed princess who lives in a fantasy world vastly different from Nolan’s small Arizona town. Amara has no idea that Nolan is within her mind, until one day he figures out how to control her body.One of the high points of Otherbound is the incredible diversity of the characters. Amara’s a brown skinned bisexual girl who communicates with sign language. Nolan is Hispanic, needs crutches, and was diagnosed with epilepsy because of his “seizures” whenever he visits Amara’s mind. All this said, the book isn’t really “about” any of those things (i.e. it’s not an issue book). It’s a YA fantasy adventure that happens to have a diverse cast and includes a romance between two girls.
Otherbound has no gaping holes, and I didn’t notice any problems while I was reading it. However, I don’t feel this is a book that I’d want to come back to in the future. The best way to describe why is that Otherbound could just use “more.” The world building could be more immersive and vivid, the characters could be more memorable, the plot could be more enticing. Overall, everything was functional but could have been better. It could be that comparative thinness of Otherbound is related to it being a debut novel.
Duyvis clearly put thought into Amara’s world, and I liked the inclusion of cultural details such as the taboo against saying the names of the dead. At the same time, I never got a good feel of the world. I can tell that it’s more technologically advanced than the average fantasy world, and Duyvis has clearly set up different cultural and ethnic groups. Yet, the world never had that vividness and wonder of the best fantasy settings, and I would have liked some more information on the morals and norms of the different cultures.
The POV is third person alternating between Nolan and Amara. I didn’t have problems with either of their characters while I was reading, but I never really fell in love with them or even any of the secondary characters. Possibly it’s because they were relatively passive, mainly reacting to the situation around them instead of taking charge. To be far, this was almost impossible to avoid with Nolan, but Amara could have been making more active decisions. Another possibility is that they lacked strong motivation, although this does tie into the whole “active” versus “passive” protagonist thing.
Despite my reservations, I would still recommend Otherbound. It’s far from the worst YA fantasy novel I’ve read, and I still enjoyed the time I spent with it. If you are looking for diverse characters, I would especially recommend that you check out Otherbound.
Review posted on The Illustrated Page.
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LibraryThing member juniperSun
A high school boy is pulled into the mind of a similar-aged girl on another planet. Amara's life is lived on the run, servant to a princess whose family is been killed in a revolution. Nolan figures out more about how he has gotten snared, and the implications for Amara (she resents the intrusion,
heard on audiobook, excellent recording.
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but also is able to heal fatal injuries very rapidly), but still has to deal with his life in his own world, where his parents try every treatment they can think of for his "seizures/hallucinations". As events come to a head in Amara's world, Amara/Nolan meet other "travelers" and their lives are threatened.heard on audiobook, excellent recording.
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LibraryThing member bookbrig
There are some serious themes in this book, from violent abuse to dealing with a magically caused disability to political persecution, but the characters and story are so well drawn that the book doesn't feel mired in issues. Fascinating world building and realistic characters. I particularly loved
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Nolan's family. Show Less
Awards
Bisexual Book Award (Finalist — 2014)
Chicago Public Library Best of the Best: Teens (Fiction — 2014)
Original language
English
Original publication date
2014-06-17
Physical description
387 p.; 5.5 inches
ISBN
1419709283 / 9781419709289