In Other Lands

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.

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Published Aug 6, 2019

448 pages

Average rating: 6

17 RATINGS

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Community Reviews

katietopp
Jan 01, 2025
6/10 stars
I didn’t realize this was a YA and how much I have separated myself from that genre. It reads angsty and teenager-y. That being said it wasn’t bad. It was very my whole life is whom I’m dating. Just not what I wanted from the story.
Monica R
Dec 12, 2024
4/10 stars
DNF - I don't know if it was the lengthy writing style, Elliot (the main protagonist) and his way of speaking (which was overwhelming negative and childish), or just the lack of activity going on in the book, but I just couldn't get through the first chapter (which was about 60 or so pages long). My rule of thumb is to give books either to page 50 or the first 3 chapters, depending on engagement level. I could see this potentially picking up past the first chapter but based on browsing other reviews and the way ch.1 is currently going, this seems like it will be less about world building and more about teen angst. After just finishing the Fourth Wing series, I was expecting more of a world building type fantasy novel but this isn't it.

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