otherworld

I recently attended the Write! Canada conference. While standing by one of the book tables, I chatted with conference organizer N.J. Lindquist. She highly recommended one of the books named a finalist in the Canadian Christian Writing Awards.

Before I headed home, I picked up a copy of otherworld by Erin E.M. Hatton. Although I’ve only read a couple of chapters, I also give it two thumbs up. Because I was participating in the debate on which is the best type of story ending (see Join the Debate) and because I had a fairly good idea how the book would end, I jumped ahead and read the last couple of paragraphs.

Did it ruin the story? Not at all. More than ever, I wish I had more time to read. And speaking of endings, Teams Hopeful and Realistic – and maybe even Team Happily Ever After – would find it a very satisfying conclusion. Though the future of the main characters is certain, that future occurs at some point after the end of the book. So, there’s a good chance members of Team Open-ended would also be happy.

otherworld is a love story … a story of pain and heartache … a story of redemption and triumph … a story of sacrifice. It’s also a story of hope and promise.

There has also been another debate floating around cyberspace. Should Christian fiction come with a “warning”? I suppose I would want to know if a book contained course language and graphic violence — and to what degree. Perhaps, other readers would want to know beforehand if a novel contained religious content. That would be all right with me.

What I would deem unwise, however, would be dismissing a book simply because it bore that label. I’ve read young adult books, mysteries, and love stories that I’ve quite enjoyed that weren’t “Christian.”

In the same vein, I would encourage both Christian and non-Christian readers to give otherworld a chance. It’s just plain a good story: one, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to read a little more of before heading to Dreamland.

You can buy your copy at Erin E.M. Hatton’s website.

Goodnight, All … and Happy Reading!

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