Elliot is the best arsehole ever!

In Other Lands by Sarah Rees Brennan

Hardcover, 432 pages Published August 15th 2017 by Big Mouth House

Sometime ago I was watching the ABC Book Show and the author CS Pacat was talking about this novel and highly recommended it. I was intrigued enough to make the purchase and I am glad I did. 

You meet Elliot at the same time Elliot discovers that he can see a field in the middle of a field that none of his class mates can. Elliot is offered an opportunity to go over the wall and study in this ‘somewhat’ magical land. On this new land he meets Serene a beautiful elf and Luke who comes from the most influential families. Serene and Luke are warriors, whilst Elliot is a diplomat but in this land it might of the sword that counts. 

Let me straight up say this is a corker of a novel. It is character driven and primarily from Elliot’s point of view. As the reader you are standing right next to Elliot and everything reveals itself as he discovers what happens. Normally I find this device limiting but not here, Rees Brennan makes it work brilliantly and the reason why? Elliot, the main character. You cannot help love and hate Elliot at the same time, he is such an arsehole. He is so sure of his brilliance, his uncanny ability to read people and he is awful with his patronising behaviour. Yet, he is also so wonderfully flawed. As the story progresses you understand why he has built these walls to protect himself and it is quite heartbreaking. He develops, he learns and he may not redeem himself completely but he tries. 

The relationship that Elliot forges with Luke and Serene is complex and endearing, Luke has the weight of expectation upon him. As a member of the most powerful family, he is expected to be a leader, the best warrior but he has a secret. Serene is a young woman who is trying prove herself and comes from a background that does not deal with change. The three of them learn who they are and what they are capable of. 

I do not want to give anything away but apart from family issues all three deal with their sexuality and recognising the feelings of others. Rees Brennan really excels in exploring teenage angst but not belittling what they go through. This might be a strange world they reside in but their emotional and relationship development is real. The humour sprinkled through this book is clever and Elliot is one sarcastic wit. 

In the world that Rees Brennan has created there is turmoil and constant upheaval. The humans are expanding their territories and are happy to do at the expense of any alliances. There is uneasy truth with the elves and dwarves. With all the other races, trolls, harpies, mermaids there is distrust and hatred due to a lack of understanding. 

This book was a wonderful surprise, well written and with a beautiful well realised love story. It is a fantastic read and deals with subjects of sexuality and racial differences with sensitivity and mature understanding of what teenagers are going through. Read this book, you will not be disappointed. 

For more on Sarah Rees Brennan check out her website.