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Out of Nowhere
A boy wakes up in bed in a room built of stone. He knows his name is Stephen, but he can remember nothing else about himself. He discovers that he's in a remote monastery being looked after by a group of monks. Beyond the monastery walls, all traces of human life have simply disappeared. Villages deserted, doors left open, with taps left running, but no people. And with all means of communication down, he has no way of knowing if the rest of the world has disappeared too. Then the visitors arrive, strange men with unnatural powers, and when he discovers who they really are it turns his whole world inside out and changes everything he ever believed. Out of Nowhere was shortlisted for the Reading Association of Ireland Award 2001.
240 pages, Paperback
First published October 11, 1999
30 people want to read
About the author
Gerard Whelan
14 books3 followersGerard Whelan is an Irish author born in 1957 in Enniscorthy, County Wexford. He has lived and worked in several European countries. After some time living in Dublin, he returned to live in his native Wexford.
He is the author of many books for children and is a multiple award-winner. He has also written the non-fiction book Spiked: Church, State Intrigue and the Rose Tattoo, and edited the anthology Big Pictures. He is married and has one son, Davy.
The Guns of Easter, A Winter of Spies, and War Children are historical novels based on the Irish struggle for independence in the early 20th century, while Dream Invader and Out of Nowhere are fantasy novels.
He is the author of many books for children and is a multiple award-winner. He has also written the non-fiction book Spiked: Church, State Intrigue and the Rose Tattoo, and edited the anthology Big Pictures. He is married and has one son, Davy.
The Guns of Easter, A Winter of Spies, and War Children are historical novels based on the Irish struggle for independence in the early 20th century, while Dream Invader and Out of Nowhere are fantasy novels.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
January 4, 2022
Words can’t describe how happy I am I found this book! After 12+ years of searching I’d nearly given up, and then a goodreads thread about lost books saved me! I read this book in Ireland at school as part of my English lessons and adored it, so much so that it’s haunted me (in a good way) for all these years and across the pond!
I felt so nostalgic reading this book, and although I did remember some details I had completely forgotten the plot, which is great might I add!
I would recommend this book to kids 10+ and any adults you love a cheeky YA!
I felt so nostalgic reading this book, and although I did remember some details I had completely forgotten the plot, which is great might I add!
I would recommend this book to kids 10+ and any adults you love a cheeky YA!
March 14, 2012
'Stephen was woken at some dead hour of the night by a dreadful sound - a long, singing howl that made his flesh creep and the hairs on the back of his neck stand erect.'
Summary in the back of the book:
When they wake up one morning in an old monastery, Stephen and Kirsten find that they have lost all memory of their past lives. Who are they and what has brought them here? Overnight, all traces of human life outside the monastery have disappeared. Houses stand empty, doors have been left open, villages deserted. But worst of all is the terrifying threat posed by the unseen, savage killers who leave bloodless corpses in their wake.
Even if Stephen and Kirsten could remember the events that led to this, it still wouldn't prepare them for what happens when the fix-it men arrive!
This book was pretty good as far as I am concerned. We are first introduced to Stephen as he realizes that he doesn't know who he is. He talks the abbot and asks what's happening but the abbot couldn't provide a decent explanation. The abbot did tell him of their situation: how they were cut off from the outside world, how everyone but them disappeared, and the other people who were found like Stephen.
I liked this part of their conversation:
'The reason I was pleased that you'd lost your memory, ' he said, 'can be explained by the very first words I said to you when I came in. Do you remember what they were?'
Stephen didn't have to think. 'Yes. You said: "You're sane".'
'Indeed. You're sane. So is our other amnesia victim. But those of our guests who seem to have memories, they, alas, are not sane. None of them. They are all hopelessly mad.'
Stephen eventually meets Kirsten, the other amnesia victim. They get along and they even join Brother Philip in a quest to get supplies in the villages. Stephen suspects that there's more to Brother Philip after he spies him carrying a shotgun. But that was quickly driven off from his mind when the three of them encounter strange things that makes Stephen question what he really is.
Meanwhile, in the outside world that they were cut off from, the Irish Minister is asking for help in finding out what the heck Reputation One is. Apparently, an area of Ireland was covered by a giant sphere that was penetrable. It was the very same area Stephen and the others were in. The mystery thickens...
I recall the tingling in my spine when I first read Out of Nowhere. It was full of suspense and I wanted to devour the whole thing in one sitting (which I did). I like how the author wrote this. It was slow and fast at the right bits. There was no dragging scenes. The characters were OK. The abbot was the nicest and calmest one - he certainly freak out when they were visited by the fix-it men. Brother Simon was pretty calm too; not as calm as the abbot but he managed to keep a level head. They're my favorites. I also like Stephen. He accepted what came to him and did his best to protect Kirsten. Then there the ending was completely unexpected. Okay sure, I suspected a bit of the truth, but most of it was surreal. I rather not spoil what happened so I'll stop here. Of course, I advise you don't reply on my opinion and read this yourself.
Summary in the back of the book:
When they wake up one morning in an old monastery, Stephen and Kirsten find that they have lost all memory of their past lives. Who are they and what has brought them here? Overnight, all traces of human life outside the monastery have disappeared. Houses stand empty, doors have been left open, villages deserted. But worst of all is the terrifying threat posed by the unseen, savage killers who leave bloodless corpses in their wake.
Even if Stephen and Kirsten could remember the events that led to this, it still wouldn't prepare them for what happens when the fix-it men arrive!
This book was pretty good as far as I am concerned. We are first introduced to Stephen as he realizes that he doesn't know who he is. He talks the abbot and asks what's happening but the abbot couldn't provide a decent explanation. The abbot did tell him of their situation: how they were cut off from the outside world, how everyone but them disappeared, and the other people who were found like Stephen.
I liked this part of their conversation:
'The reason I was pleased that you'd lost your memory, ' he said, 'can be explained by the very first words I said to you when I came in. Do you remember what they were?'
Stephen didn't have to think. 'Yes. You said: "You're sane".'
'Indeed. You're sane. So is our other amnesia victim. But those of our guests who seem to have memories, they, alas, are not sane. None of them. They are all hopelessly mad.'
Stephen eventually meets Kirsten, the other amnesia victim. They get along and they even join Brother Philip in a quest to get supplies in the villages. Stephen suspects that there's more to Brother Philip after he spies him carrying a shotgun. But that was quickly driven off from his mind when the three of them encounter strange things that makes Stephen question what he really is.
Meanwhile, in the outside world that they were cut off from, the Irish Minister is asking for help in finding out what the heck Reputation One is. Apparently, an area of Ireland was covered by a giant sphere that was penetrable. It was the very same area Stephen and the others were in. The mystery thickens...
I recall the tingling in my spine when I first read Out of Nowhere. It was full of suspense and I wanted to devour the whole thing in one sitting (which I did). I like how the author wrote this. It was slow and fast at the right bits. There was no dragging scenes. The characters were OK. The abbot was the nicest and calmest one - he certainly freak out when they were visited by the fix-it men. Brother Simon was pretty calm too; not as calm as the abbot but he managed to keep a level head. They're my favorites. I also like Stephen. He accepted what came to him and did his best to protect Kirsten. Then there the ending was completely unexpected. Okay sure, I suspected a bit of the truth, but most of it was surreal. I rather not spoil what happened so I'll stop here. Of course, I advise you don't reply on my opinion and read this yourself.
January 17, 2012
http://nwhyte.livejournal.com/1875221...
One of the sff books set in Ireland that has been on my list for many years and which I got off Bookmooch back in the days when Bookmooch actually worked. It starts as a fairly standard tale of alien intrusion into our world (northwestern Ireland in this case) and the two young people who find themselves caught up in it, complete with stock scene of bellicose American general wanting to nuke the problem. But the author's reluctance to give proper names to most of the settings and incidental characters made it feel a bit unmoored, and the twist at the end as the viewpoint character discovers his own place in the scheme of things was not executed or explained terribly elegantly. Not a terrible book but not one I'll be recommending either.
One of the sff books set in Ireland that has been on my list for many years and which I got off Bookmooch back in the days when Bookmooch actually worked. It starts as a fairly standard tale of alien intrusion into our world (northwestern Ireland in this case) and the two young people who find themselves caught up in it, complete with stock scene of bellicose American general wanting to nuke the problem. But the author's reluctance to give proper names to most of the settings and incidental characters made it feel a bit unmoored, and the twist at the end as the viewpoint character discovers his own place in the scheme of things was not executed or explained terribly elegantly. Not a terrible book but not one I'll be recommending either.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews