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Otherworld
Something strange is happening in Houston and its rural suburb, Trumbull. It starts with the bizarre mutilation of a farmer's cow, sparking rumors of UFO sightings and alien visitations. It's all an annoyance for the police, who would prefer to focus on the recent murders in the area. Mike Walsh is a journalist with a nagging editor and a troubled marriage who finds himself inexorably drawn into the deeper story creeping up on all who dare get close enough: a grizzled small town police captain, a depressed journalist, a disillusioned pastor, and a little old man. They are unlikely allies against the otherworld.
388 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 10, 2013
28 people are currently reading
481 people want to read
About the author
Jared C. Wilson
58 books947 followersJared C. Wilson is the Director of Content Strategy for Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Managing Editor of For The Church (ftc.co), and Director of the Pastoral Training Center at Liberty Baptist Church in Kansas City, Missouri. He is the author of numerous books, including "Gospel Wakefulness," "The Prodigal Church," and, most recently, "The Imperfect Disciple." Wilson blogs regularly at gospeldrivenchurch.com, hosted by The Gospel Coalition and is a frequent speaker at conferences and churches around the world.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 63 reviews
September 3, 2016
This review is a lesson in how to frustrate an author, because my opinion is pretty much exactly opposite of so many of the reviews I just read. This is Christian fiction, supernatural, spiritual warfare, demons-and-hell stuff, and a full-length novel.
Most of the reviews seem to say the front half was good and the back lost it. I'm turning that around. The front half is good but needs trimming by a good editor to keep it moving. The back half rocks.
Several times during the first 33% of the book, I nearly quit reading. It's engaging, but there are draggy parts where one character is bemoaning the fact that his wife left him. He obsesses on it and starts doing crazy things because of it, and that's important, but it goes on, and on, and on, and oooonnnnnn. If those sections lost, say, five thousand words or so, the story would be just as fascinating and even more compelling, because it would no longer drag.
During the middle third of the story (that muddle in the middle), the pace picked up some. I had no problem with the multiple viewpoints (there's no head-hopping), the multiple subplots (all were resolved), or the philosophical technobabble (it's got its own sort of charm). At about the 50% mark, you couldn't have bought the book from me.
The final third is powerful reading, especially for Christian believers. I saw nothing unscriptual in the story, and it leaves The Exorcist in the dust.
Clearly this is a book from the author's heart. He's lavished attention on it, including the formatting and proofreading. It's a quality production. If he'd keep the front bits moving, this would easily be a five-star read. As it is, we'll call it four strong stars and an author to watch.
Most of the reviews seem to say the front half was good and the back lost it. I'm turning that around. The front half is good but needs trimming by a good editor to keep it moving. The back half rocks.
Several times during the first 33% of the book, I nearly quit reading. It's engaging, but there are draggy parts where one character is bemoaning the fact that his wife left him. He obsesses on it and starts doing crazy things because of it, and that's important, but it goes on, and on, and on, and oooonnnnnn. If those sections lost, say, five thousand words or so, the story would be just as fascinating and even more compelling, because it would no longer drag.
During the middle third of the story (that muddle in the middle), the pace picked up some. I had no problem with the multiple viewpoints (there's no head-hopping), the multiple subplots (all were resolved), or the philosophical technobabble (it's got its own sort of charm). At about the 50% mark, you couldn't have bought the book from me.
The final third is powerful reading, especially for Christian believers. I saw nothing unscriptual in the story, and it leaves The Exorcist in the dust.
Clearly this is a book from the author's heart. He's lavished attention on it, including the formatting and proofreading. It's a quality production. If he'd keep the front bits moving, this would easily be a five-star read. As it is, we'll call it four strong stars and an author to watch.
November 14, 2013
Ted Dekker-ish meets Randy Alcorn-ish. Some parts of this are REALLY good. Some parts are downright strange. Overall, I really enjoyed reading it and flew through it in just a couple days. Can't wait to read more of Jared's fiction.
April 11, 2014
I love the premise of this book... Four men with completely different perspectives faced with bizarre happenings, trying to decipher the truth from fiction... Trying discover who or what is behind it all.
But, because I love the premise, doesn't mean that I love the book. There is just too much going on and too many perspectives, and that causes such a tangled web that as the reader is juggling the head jumps from one perspective to another something gets terribly lost.
There are some great things about this book. The writing is very good. Character development is top notch. This study of demonic affected psyche is so on target. There needs to be much more of this kind of in-your-face dealing with how demons work in Christian lives.
However, as you know, I hate head jumping from one character to another especially when the transitions are poor. I hate editorial tactics that try for some unique storytelling but actually makes the story appear jumbled and disjointed. This story line is full of them. As a result, the story flow is jerky, and hard to follow at times. Reading a start-stop-jerk-stop story is very annoying and tiring. For this kind of story, it would have been much better to have charted a storyboard using two characters instead of seven. You have the main four characters, and then there is the supporting cast so you have a jumble of people you are trying to keep track of, and it clogs the story flow so it is more of a seepage rather than white water rafting. The premise of this story promises white water rafting, but you don't get those thrills.
I blame the editor not the author for the above problems. These are things that could have been smoothed out before going to press.
I give it 3 of 5 stars.
But, because I love the premise, doesn't mean that I love the book. There is just too much going on and too many perspectives, and that causes such a tangled web that as the reader is juggling the head jumps from one perspective to another something gets terribly lost.
There are some great things about this book. The writing is very good. Character development is top notch. This study of demonic affected psyche is so on target. There needs to be much more of this kind of in-your-face dealing with how demons work in Christian lives.
However, as you know, I hate head jumping from one character to another especially when the transitions are poor. I hate editorial tactics that try for some unique storytelling but actually makes the story appear jumbled and disjointed. This story line is full of them. As a result, the story flow is jerky, and hard to follow at times. Reading a start-stop-jerk-stop story is very annoying and tiring. For this kind of story, it would have been much better to have charted a storyboard using two characters instead of seven. You have the main four characters, and then there is the supporting cast so you have a jumble of people you are trying to keep track of, and it clogs the story flow so it is more of a seepage rather than white water rafting. The premise of this story promises white water rafting, but you don't get those thrills.
I blame the editor not the author for the above problems. These are things that could have been smoothed out before going to press.
I give it 3 of 5 stars.
August 30, 2015
Outside of Houston and its suburb of Trumbull, old Pops finds one of his cows dead with a laceration created by no earthly means, and through which all her internal organs had been removed. Next thing you know, stories of UFOs and little gray men start circulating and grab national attention.
From there, a wide cast of characters get drawn in to what is no longer a story of UFOs and little gray men, but of violence, evil, and demon possession.
Although the story is definitely Christian Fiction and definitely supernatural, I'm not sure what to think of it. It was compelling enough to keep me going, and Jared certainly knows how to pull a reader in, but there were so many . . . curiosities to the structure of the book that threw me off and yanked me out of the story. Jared presented newspaper or magazine articles, some of which seemed to rehash what he'd just written. POV characters started coming in out of the blue. Far too much time was spent presenting the eulogy and sermon of a minor character--not even a character, really, but a minor character's sister.
And the most curious of all wasn't in the battle between good and evil, but afterward. One night, the sheriff gets his arm shot off, and seemingly the next day he's joining his friend at the cafe--without his arm, of course, but he claims not to miss it. Frankly, I don't know how long it takes to recuperate from blood loss after having an arm shot off, but the turn-around time seemed more unrealistic than the fantastic climax.
Aside from what I've presented here, I think Jared unnecessarily complicated the telling of what would otherwise be a good story.
From there, a wide cast of characters get drawn in to what is no longer a story of UFOs and little gray men, but of violence, evil, and demon possession.
Although the story is definitely Christian Fiction and definitely supernatural, I'm not sure what to think of it. It was compelling enough to keep me going, and Jared certainly knows how to pull a reader in, but there were so many . . . curiosities to the structure of the book that threw me off and yanked me out of the story. Jared presented newspaper or magazine articles, some of which seemed to rehash what he'd just written. POV characters started coming in out of the blue. Far too much time was spent presenting the eulogy and sermon of a minor character--not even a character, really, but a minor character's sister.
And the most curious of all wasn't in the battle between good and evil, but afterward. One night, the sheriff gets his arm shot off, and seemingly the next day he's joining his friend at the cafe--without his arm, of course, but he claims not to miss it. Frankly, I don't know how long it takes to recuperate from blood loss after having an arm shot off, but the turn-around time seemed more unrealistic than the fantastic climax.
Aside from what I've presented here, I think Jared unnecessarily complicated the telling of what would otherwise be a good story.
September 19, 2013
This book is so not what I initially thought it. It starts out to be what I believe will be a typical sci-fi book (though I admit to not having read many other than Orson Scott Card). You have several sub-stories going at the same time - Graham, the police chief; Mike, a writer for a local magazine; Steve, the minister; 'Pops', the farmer, and his wife, Gertie; Dr. Bering, the college professor; Jimmy, the 17-year-old lifelong criminal (essentially); Molly, the estranged wife of Mike; the Diaz family, Carlos, Lisa, and Abby -would-be victims/victim of Jimmy; and Dr. Sutzkever, college professor.
It all begins with a cow, a farmer, and a possible alien encounter. So, as I stated earlier, sounds like your typical sci-fi set up. You follow each of the characters through their lives (both past and present as it pertains to the story). Amazing how they all interconnect. I will not elaborate how the story concludes as to not spoil for those who may choose to read this. Overall, I ended up enjoying this story...much more than I originally anticipated. In the beginning, I had a lot of doubts about this story as it appears totally out of any genre I would pursue. I was pleasantly surprised to how it proceeded and ended. I would not hesitate to recommend to someone with or in need of a little faith.
It all begins with a cow, a farmer, and a possible alien encounter. So, as I stated earlier, sounds like your typical sci-fi set up. You follow each of the characters through their lives (both past and present as it pertains to the story). Amazing how they all interconnect. I will not elaborate how the story concludes as to not spoil for those who may choose to read this. Overall, I ended up enjoying this story...much more than I originally anticipated. In the beginning, I had a lot of doubts about this story as it appears totally out of any genre I would pursue. I was pleasantly surprised to how it proceeded and ended. I would not hesitate to recommend to someone with or in need of a little faith.
July 26, 2016
I struggled through this book and yet my favorite authors write in this genre -- James Rubart, Frank Peretti, Bill Myers, Ted Dekker. The beginning was well done, the middle was toughest to get through, the end was okay. The opening is well written, but then I'm still not certain where that female character fits into the story or who she is supposed to be. Perhaps my biggest issue is that there were too many subplots and they became difficult to follow at points and prevented good character development.
I do think Jared Wilson writes well and I hope he does write another book -- with more character development and less subplots.
I do think Jared Wilson writes well and I hope he does write another book -- with more character development and less subplots.
Read
July 19, 2015Amazing mix of genres creates a fun moving story
X-Files meets Paranormal Activity meets the Bible... What a fun book! Wilson takes you on a wild ride that starts off a lite disjointed but grabs you and pulls you along to the startling conclusion. Wilson, as we all know, is a gifted writer when it comes to theology and exegesis but who'd a thought he could write sci-fi? Recommended
X-Files meets Paranormal Activity meets the Bible... What a fun book! Wilson takes you on a wild ride that starts off a lite disjointed but grabs you and pulls you along to the startling conclusion. Wilson, as we all know, is a gifted writer when it comes to theology and exegesis but who'd a thought he could write sci-fi? Recommended
May 28, 2014
If I could, I would give it 3.5 stars... Wilson can certainly write and the tale was gripping enough, even if a little predictable. Worth the read.
January 15, 2019
Cows supposedly killed by aliens. Senseless murder. Troubled marriages. Mockery of church hymns. A doubting pastor. Oh my.
I did not like the early chapters of this book. The setting: UFO's killing visiting a farm outside Houston, TX. Maybe. Characters who clearly do not approve of guns. A pastor who doubts his ministry. A marriage on the rocks. Mockery of gospel hymns. Murder. Stalking. Dark, dark, dark! Still, somehow, as the story unfolded I was hooked. All things are not as they appear to be, and worldviews can change. About 1/2 way through, the story picked up pace, went in a direction I could see coming (of which I was thankful), and actually contained the best gospel presentation I have ever read in a book of fiction. Finally (no pun intended) the ending, which started to become more obvious as it approached, though not without an unexpected turn, took a bit too long to fully resolve. Overall, I would recommend Otherworld: A Novel if you can press through the first 25% and the final 10% of the book. 387 pages.
I did not like the early chapters of this book. The setting: UFO's killing visiting a farm outside Houston, TX. Maybe. Characters who clearly do not approve of guns. A pastor who doubts his ministry. A marriage on the rocks. Mockery of gospel hymns. Murder. Stalking. Dark, dark, dark! Still, somehow, as the story unfolded I was hooked. All things are not as they appear to be, and worldviews can change. About 1/2 way through, the story picked up pace, went in a direction I could see coming (of which I was thankful), and actually contained the best gospel presentation I have ever read in a book of fiction. Finally (no pun intended) the ending, which started to become more obvious as it approached, though not without an unexpected turn, took a bit too long to fully resolve. Overall, I would recommend Otherworld: A Novel if you can press through the first 25% and the final 10% of the book. 387 pages.
dnf
August 21, 2017DNF-ing this at 43%.
It started off simple. Strange death of a cow, soon becomes a UFO/alien hoax--or maybe not?
Devolving into fourth and fifth dimension theories, spiritual attacks, and visits from a supernatural creature who may or may not turn out to be the devil...
I guess I don't really care for where this story is likely to be going.
(Bullshit radar is pinging)
Edit: Looked at other reviews after writing this and noted like a million comparisons to Peretti. Which is possibly why I didn't like this novel, because frankly, I don't like Peretti's books.
Also noted comparison to Dekker (less, but still there) but I liked The Circle, so I dunno.
It started off simple. Strange death of a cow, soon becomes a UFO/alien hoax--or maybe not?
Devolving into fourth and fifth dimension theories, spiritual attacks, and visits from a supernatural creature who may or may not turn out to be the devil...
I guess I don't really care for where this story is likely to be going.
(Bullshit radar is pinging)
Edit: Looked at other reviews after writing this and noted like a million comparisons to Peretti. Which is possibly why I didn't like this novel, because frankly, I don't like Peretti's books.
Also noted comparison to Dekker (less, but still there) but I liked The Circle, so I dunno.
January 27, 2018
Unexpected
I started to read this book honestly expecting it to be a not so subtle Christian fiction novel. With obvious resolutions and plot lines. Jared Wilson drew me into a story that communicated reality in a compelling way. This is the kind of creativity that we need to see coming from Christianity more often. I am glad to have read this book!
I started to read this book honestly expecting it to be a not so subtle Christian fiction novel. With obvious resolutions and plot lines. Jared Wilson drew me into a story that communicated reality in a compelling way. This is the kind of creativity that we need to see coming from Christianity more often. I am glad to have read this book!
July 29, 2018
This book was sitting on my kindle shelf forever and I’m so glad I finally read it! Such a great book. I loved all the different characters and points of view added throughout the book. I also really liked the twisty storyline of spiritual good vs. evil.
October 17, 2017
This was a pleasant surprise from Jared. Got it as a deal for my Kindle, and I'm thankful I did. Hope he writes more fiction in the future.
September 22, 2018
Really interesting perspective on aliens/ufos/ etc. Not the best writing but definitely kept my interest. Of course the subject matter is one that I'm naturally inclined toward.
November 23, 2022
Great Christian fiction. It's very rare to see theology and fiction done well, but Jared Wilson did it
June 13, 2023
I dunno. I just couldn't get into this one unfortunately. DNF'd at 22%
August 16, 2024
4/5 stars. Pretty good book. The start was a little slow, but when the plot came, I couldn't stop reading.
October 24, 2013
Christian fiction has been a roller coaster of good and bad over the past 20 years. I was drawn into the genre by the earlier works of Ted Dekker (Black, Red, White and Thr3e), and then I moved on to all of Frank Peretti's books. Those books had profound impacts on my life and help to foster a renewed desire to read books in general, again, which is something I had gotten away from in my teen years. However, the recent offerings of both Dekker and Peretti (as well as other Christian Fiction writers) has left a lot to be desired. Current Christian fiction novels seem to put more emphasis on either a feel good story that is lacking in solid theology, or a book that might be pretty theologically sound but the story is incredibly dull and boring. To be honest, I have almost given up hope of finding someone who is both theologically sound and knows how to tell weave together a story that draws it readers in.
In steps Jared Wilson, who has written some really great non-fiction books that I have read, reviewed, and highly recommend. I was thoroughly excited to see what Wilson was going to bring to the table since he is so doctrinally sound, but I was fairly disappointed in Otherworld. Without giving away too much plot, Otherworld takes a somewhat deeper look at the meaning of alien encounters and UFO's from a Christian perspective, without neglecting to describe in pretty good detail all of the other things people believe as it pertains to aliens/UFO's. I loved the fact that Wilson made most of the characters in this story relatable, especially Mike who is struggling with a year separation from his wife and who is struggling with all of the emotions that come from that.
However, the biggest drawback of the book, was the fact that there was just way too many subplots going on at one time. Even though I could relate to a guy like Mike, and have sympathy for his struggles, I still found myself wanting to know more of his backstory than Wilson provided in this book. If I was the publisher, I would have told Jared to tone down the sheer amount of subplots and give more time to character development. The reader should not have to pause countless times through their reading of a book to ask, "Who are we talking about now, and how does this person fit into the story?". In the end, the story does come together pretty good and you can see everyone's involvement. However, the same goals that Wilson wanted to accomplish at the end of his book could still have been achieved minus a great number of the subplots.
My hope is that my constructive criticism of the book, along with the other reviewers who have expressed the same concern with the book as I have, will help Wilson write a much better second foray into the Christian fiction genre. Otherworld was a good enough read that I would definitely read Wilson's second offering in the Christian fiction market if God were to lead him to write another book.
Title: Otherworld
Author: Jared C. Wilson
Publisher: David C. Cook (2013)
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the David C. Cook book review bloggers program on NetGalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255 : "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."
In steps Jared Wilson, who has written some really great non-fiction books that I have read, reviewed, and highly recommend. I was thoroughly excited to see what Wilson was going to bring to the table since he is so doctrinally sound, but I was fairly disappointed in Otherworld. Without giving away too much plot, Otherworld takes a somewhat deeper look at the meaning of alien encounters and UFO's from a Christian perspective, without neglecting to describe in pretty good detail all of the other things people believe as it pertains to aliens/UFO's. I loved the fact that Wilson made most of the characters in this story relatable, especially Mike who is struggling with a year separation from his wife and who is struggling with all of the emotions that come from that.
However, the biggest drawback of the book, was the fact that there was just way too many subplots going on at one time. Even though I could relate to a guy like Mike, and have sympathy for his struggles, I still found myself wanting to know more of his backstory than Wilson provided in this book. If I was the publisher, I would have told Jared to tone down the sheer amount of subplots and give more time to character development. The reader should not have to pause countless times through their reading of a book to ask, "Who are we talking about now, and how does this person fit into the story?". In the end, the story does come together pretty good and you can see everyone's involvement. However, the same goals that Wilson wanted to accomplish at the end of his book could still have been achieved minus a great number of the subplots.
My hope is that my constructive criticism of the book, along with the other reviewers who have expressed the same concern with the book as I have, will help Wilson write a much better second foray into the Christian fiction genre. Otherworld was a good enough read that I would definitely read Wilson's second offering in the Christian fiction market if God were to lead him to write another book.
Title: Otherworld
Author: Jared C. Wilson
Publisher: David C. Cook (2013)
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the David C. Cook book review bloggers program on NetGalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255 : "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."
September 5, 2014
Before I officially give this any kind of critique, I must first say that I enjoyed this book. It kept my attention. At times, I found myself thinking about scientific and extraterrestial theories, and theological leanings all on the same page. I don't normally gravitate towards Sci-Fi/Fantasy unless it's vintage (Wells, Lewis, Tolkien) or Orson Scott Card. But I've read, enjoyed, and personally grown through a few of Wilson's non-fiction books, so because of interest of him, I picked this up.
Wilson can write fiction too. For a debut fictional work, I was impressed. There were some rough spots. Sometimes I thought he tried TOO hard to explain every single minor thing that was happening (sometimes with parenthesis), instead of just letting the plot and characters develop more fully. It wasn't that it took so much from the story, but it was a bit of a drag and wound up sounding cheesy. A few of those times, it sounded like a "joke for ministers", of which he is one, and so am I. So I got it... I could definitely relate to a couple of the characters. I guess when you're focusing on so many different storylines, it's harder to develop characters sometimes, though I felt that he did an admirable job, given the task. I think I would've liked to know a little bit more about them, but maybe Wilson thought that might take away from the story. After I got past the first 70-80 pages, the book really started to pick up and I was able to look past some of the things. So just a couple of minor quibbles.
But again, I enjoyed this book. Christian fiction is a genre I don't really get into. It usually ends up cheesy, too far-fetched, or too poor of quality. I didn't exactly think those things about this book. Personally, I didn't think it was that cheesy, comparitively, to other works of Christian fiction I've read. As far as quality, I think Wilson's touch will get sharper. But I guess because I am a pastor, I was drawn into the realm of spiritual warfare that Wilson presented. Wilson paints this with a robust imagination and a firm hand on biblical theology as it relates to spiritual warfare. And I guess that's why I get it. Would a non-Christian get that as clearly? Probably not.
So I guess it's hypocritical and ironic for me to frown on Christian fiction and yet get something both pastorally helpful and entertaining from this book, without thinking it's either a) cheesy or b) not theologically accurate. That is indeed, a success from the author. Halfway through the book, I felt like I knew where it was going, and sometimes I was right, and sometimes I was wrong. I think the message that shone the most brightly for me, was that sometimes you do not go unharmed, oppression is real and could have real consequences, but we have victory through Christ. Our future in Christ is the hope that "every sad thing will come untrue", to quote Tolkien. That rings true here.
If I was not a pastor, I might give this 3.5 stars, but I am one...so for me, it deserves 4 stars. This is a quality work that I read fairly quickly. I definitely look forward to future works of fiction by Wilson.
Wilson can write fiction too. For a debut fictional work, I was impressed. There were some rough spots. Sometimes I thought he tried TOO hard to explain every single minor thing that was happening (sometimes with parenthesis), instead of just letting the plot and characters develop more fully. It wasn't that it took so much from the story, but it was a bit of a drag and wound up sounding cheesy. A few of those times, it sounded like a "joke for ministers", of which he is one, and so am I. So I got it... I could definitely relate to a couple of the characters. I guess when you're focusing on so many different storylines, it's harder to develop characters sometimes, though I felt that he did an admirable job, given the task. I think I would've liked to know a little bit more about them, but maybe Wilson thought that might take away from the story. After I got past the first 70-80 pages, the book really started to pick up and I was able to look past some of the things. So just a couple of minor quibbles.
But again, I enjoyed this book. Christian fiction is a genre I don't really get into. It usually ends up cheesy, too far-fetched, or too poor of quality. I didn't exactly think those things about this book. Personally, I didn't think it was that cheesy, comparitively, to other works of Christian fiction I've read. As far as quality, I think Wilson's touch will get sharper. But I guess because I am a pastor, I was drawn into the realm of spiritual warfare that Wilson presented. Wilson paints this with a robust imagination and a firm hand on biblical theology as it relates to spiritual warfare. And I guess that's why I get it. Would a non-Christian get that as clearly? Probably not.
So I guess it's hypocritical and ironic for me to frown on Christian fiction and yet get something both pastorally helpful and entertaining from this book, without thinking it's either a) cheesy or b) not theologically accurate. That is indeed, a success from the author. Halfway through the book, I felt like I knew where it was going, and sometimes I was right, and sometimes I was wrong. I think the message that shone the most brightly for me, was that sometimes you do not go unharmed, oppression is real and could have real consequences, but we have victory through Christ. Our future in Christ is the hope that "every sad thing will come untrue", to quote Tolkien. That rings true here.
If I was not a pastor, I might give this 3.5 stars, but I am one...so for me, it deserves 4 stars. This is a quality work that I read fairly quickly. I definitely look forward to future works of fiction by Wilson.
September 16, 2013
There are no spoilers in this review, except for maybe a couple in the Parental Guide.
I've been a reader and follower of Jared Wilson for a while now. He is a pastor, author, and avid Tom Brady fan boy. He blogs at the The Gospel Coalition and you can follow him on twitter (@jaredcwilson).
I happened to be on twitter when Jared posted that his novel would be available for two days for free on Kindle, iBooks, and other e-platforms. I went ahead and downloaded, hoping to get to it at some point in the future. However, after reading the first couple of chapters, I was hooked and blazed through this book! I couldn't put it down. The story takes place in a small town outside of Houston, Texas where an old, tired farmer finds one of his cows has been killed. The nature of how the cow was killed leads a veterinarian to the conclusion that the cow was killed by something "otherworldly," much to the chagrin of the towns police lieutenant. The event on this humble farm turns into a national fiasco, drawing people's attention from miles around, and the people within the town become obsessed with aliens, UFOs, and the like. The story's protagonist is a journalist named Mike Walsh who is instructed to investigate. His journey leads him to a professor, Dr. Bering, who opens Mike's eyes to whole new world. What kind of world? You'll just have to read. Like I said... no spoilers.
I'll be honest—one of the reasons I enjoyed this book so much is because I like Jared as a pastor. I don't know him personally, but when you read a guy for several years, you see his honesty and transparency. So, in a lot of ways, it made my reading of Otherworld more meaningful, because I could see certain themes in the writing that were nods to different things he emphasizes in his preaching and pastoral writing.
Having said that... Jared is a good storyteller. He has the ability to weave several different characters' stories into one.
One of the things I really enjoyed is the several C.S. Lewis references in this book. I won't flesh that out because I don't want to ruin it. But at one point, two of our characters drive by the grassy knoll and they talk about JFK's assassination. That's the same day Lewis died. Was Wilson highlighting Lewis here? Not sure, but there were other references that made me think it was intentional.
PARENTAL GUIDE (Maybe a few spoilers here - I'll try not to)
Though the violent content in this book is not over the top, this is not a book I would read to a kid. There is a murderer on the loose in the town who kills several different people, and one animal. Wilson is not over the top in his description of the murder itself, but he does portray the darkness and evil of the event. It's violent at points, but it's not over the top or gruesome.
SPOILER ALERT:
One of the major themes is spiritual warfare, and there is an exorcism in this book. The scene is pretty intense.
Death and having to face the reality of our own mortality is also a major theme. There are a couple of chapters that deal with seeing corpses.
I've been a reader and follower of Jared Wilson for a while now. He is a pastor, author, and avid Tom Brady fan boy. He blogs at the The Gospel Coalition and you can follow him on twitter (@jaredcwilson).
I happened to be on twitter when Jared posted that his novel would be available for two days for free on Kindle, iBooks, and other e-platforms. I went ahead and downloaded, hoping to get to it at some point in the future. However, after reading the first couple of chapters, I was hooked and blazed through this book! I couldn't put it down. The story takes place in a small town outside of Houston, Texas where an old, tired farmer finds one of his cows has been killed. The nature of how the cow was killed leads a veterinarian to the conclusion that the cow was killed by something "otherworldly," much to the chagrin of the towns police lieutenant. The event on this humble farm turns into a national fiasco, drawing people's attention from miles around, and the people within the town become obsessed with aliens, UFOs, and the like. The story's protagonist is a journalist named Mike Walsh who is instructed to investigate. His journey leads him to a professor, Dr. Bering, who opens Mike's eyes to whole new world. What kind of world? You'll just have to read. Like I said... no spoilers.
I'll be honest—one of the reasons I enjoyed this book so much is because I like Jared as a pastor. I don't know him personally, but when you read a guy for several years, you see his honesty and transparency. So, in a lot of ways, it made my reading of Otherworld more meaningful, because I could see certain themes in the writing that were nods to different things he emphasizes in his preaching and pastoral writing.
Having said that... Jared is a good storyteller. He has the ability to weave several different characters' stories into one.
One of the things I really enjoyed is the several C.S. Lewis references in this book. I won't flesh that out because I don't want to ruin it. But at one point, two of our characters drive by the grassy knoll and they talk about JFK's assassination. That's the same day Lewis died. Was Wilson highlighting Lewis here? Not sure, but there were other references that made me think it was intentional.
PARENTAL GUIDE (Maybe a few spoilers here - I'll try not to)
Though the violent content in this book is not over the top, this is not a book I would read to a kid. There is a murderer on the loose in the town who kills several different people, and one animal. Wilson is not over the top in his description of the murder itself, but he does portray the darkness and evil of the event. It's violent at points, but it's not over the top or gruesome.
SPOILER ALERT:
One of the major themes is spiritual warfare, and there is an exorcism in this book. The scene is pretty intense.
Death and having to face the reality of our own mortality is also a major theme. There are a couple of chapters that deal with seeing corpses.
June 13, 2015
J'ai fait la demande de cet ebook en tant que ARC sur Netgalley sans trop vraiment savoir à quoi m'attendre, je savais seulement que c'était un livre au sujet d'aliens. Mon premier livre à ce sujet.
Je dois avouer que j'ai eu beaucoup de mal à avoir les idées claires par rapport à ce livre, à tel point que j'ai été obligée de faire une liste de points positifs et de points négatifs pour y voir de façon plus claire. Ce qui je pense, n'est pas forcément un bon point mais bon, nous y reviendront plus tard.
Pour ce qui est des points positifs :
Dès le premier chapitre on est catapulté dans le vif du sujet. Habituellement il faut avoir lu 100 pages pour pouvoir commencer à entrevoir un peu d'action, mais c'est pas le cas ici donc j'ai trouvé ça plutôt cool.
L'histoire est raconté sous divers points de vue, ce qui nous permet de mieux connaître la situation, les personnages … J'apprécie toujours plus un livre raconté sous divers points de vue, et ça prouve un effort de l'auteur, parceque selon moi c'est pas un travail facile.
Tout le long du livre l'auteur nous fait part d'une confrontation science/religion, ce qui m'a beaucoup plus au début. Je suis étudiante en économie, et dans l'une de mes matières on a abordé cette confrontation, donc pour moi c'était un peu plus de voir que je ne suis pas la seule à m'intéresser à cette confrontation.
Enfin je dois dire que pendant plusieurs chapitres je me suis sentie complètement impliquée, surtout au début, je trouvais ce livre fantastique, mais plus j'avançais dans ma lecture, et plus j'ai eu du mal.
Ce qui nous mène donc aux points négatifs :
Les facteurs négatifs principaux selon moi c'est que la lecture est ralentie par deux types de facteurs, le premier est que les chapitres sont beaucoup trop longs a mon gout, ce type de structure à le don de m'énerver et donc de ralentir ma lecture. De plus les dialogues et explications sont parfois vraiment beaucoup trop techniques à mon goût. Et il faut savoir que je ne suis pas du tout une fille technique, j'aime pas ça. Donc pour moi ça a été une souffrance.
Enfin, j'ai trouvé certaines descriptions banales et too much, je me suis vraiment ennuyée pendant plusieurs chapitres
Enfin, comme vous l'aurez compris je n'ai pas vraiment apprécié ce livre même si j'aurais vraiment voulu, le début était super prometteur, mais plus ça avancé et plus j'avais envie d'en finir pour lire un autre livre. Je tiens juste à préciser que selon moi l'histoire est bonne, la plume de l'auteur, ma foi, plutôt pas mal, mais c'est vraiment juste pas un livre pour moi.
February 20, 2017
If Screwtape Letters were a novel
This book is a great re-imagining of these derived from C.S Lewis's Screwtape Letters. I couldn't put it down and found myself thinking about the truths in it and the way it portrays them often.
This book is a great re-imagining of these derived from C.S Lewis's Screwtape Letters. I couldn't put it down and found myself thinking about the truths in it and the way it portrays them often.
October 28, 2013
An interesting fiction debut for Jared who has written a number of successful works of non-fiction. Otherworld is a sort of Christian horror/supernatural mystery. It starts off with a potential UFO encounter, moves toward the supernatural and ends with a Christian perspective. It felt like it tried to do too much. The main focus of the story, journalist Mike Walsh, was an interesting hook. A man whose life seems to have veered off course and he doesn't know how to gain control. His life has left him and he feels helpless to do anything about it or take steps to win her back. There are a handful of other characters whose lives we get glimpses of: the pastor who also is wrestling with depression and a life gone off track; the seemingly cranky police captain who is in fact a prayer warrior; the sociology professor who believe in an alien invasion of sorts; the young villain relentlessly killing to appease the voices in his head; etc.
There is some interesting characters and character building involved but it never quite comes together into something more. At times it feels like it wants to be a literary novel exploring the internal lives of characters and their "real" world impact. At times it wants to be action orientated, a sort of supernatural thriller with spiritual themes. The dark aspect of the story brings some tension and their are some gripping scenes as the "Bad Man" stalks a little girl. But the momentum never really gains steam and while the climatic scene has some tension and action, there is too much explication and not enough natural action to real move like a thriller.
Some promising glimpse but didn't really come together for me.
There is some interesting characters and character building involved but it never quite comes together into something more. At times it feels like it wants to be a literary novel exploring the internal lives of characters and their "real" world impact. At times it wants to be action orientated, a sort of supernatural thriller with spiritual themes. The dark aspect of the story brings some tension and their are some gripping scenes as the "Bad Man" stalks a little girl. But the momentum never really gains steam and while the climatic scene has some tension and action, there is too much explication and not enough natural action to real move like a thriller.
Some promising glimpse but didn't really come together for me.
January 25, 2017
When an old farmers cow is found dead with little blood, missing organs, nearly surgical precision, the first place people go is aliens. The town goes just a little coo coo for the thought of aliens in the midst, they need something to explain it and also it is weirdly cold in the southern Texas town.
Mike is wallowing in his own issues as he is sent to investigate and write an article on the occurrence for his publication. He is obsessed with why his wife left to live with her sister. Why she didn't want to stay with him. What could he do to earn her back?
Rating: PG
Tied together by a very bizarre series of events, the characters of the book move through the motions a little mechanically. Where I was expecting, well aliens, I was later greeted by a spiritual warfare twist. The characters were interesting enough, but a little shallow. I really wanted a bit more on who they were and why I should care that they were being pulled into this mystery. There was potential there but it was largely unrecognized. The characters were just deep enough to tell the story, but not to really tie them together. Without giving too much away, I believe the author is on the right track. I feel like he enjoys writing, and that does show in his narrative. It just fell a little flat for me based on the reviews I had read on the book.
Mike is wallowing in his own issues as he is sent to investigate and write an article on the occurrence for his publication. He is obsessed with why his wife left to live with her sister. Why she didn't want to stay with him. What could he do to earn her back?
Rating: PG
Tied together by a very bizarre series of events, the characters of the book move through the motions a little mechanically. Where I was expecting, well aliens, I was later greeted by a spiritual warfare twist. The characters were interesting enough, but a little shallow. I really wanted a bit more on who they were and why I should care that they were being pulled into this mystery. There was potential there but it was largely unrecognized. The characters were just deep enough to tell the story, but not to really tie them together. Without giving too much away, I believe the author is on the right track. I feel like he enjoys writing, and that does show in his narrative. It just fell a little flat for me based on the reviews I had read on the book.
September 30, 2013
This is Jared Wilson's first release in the fiction genre. A well-known pastor, writer, and collaborator, he has published many other works related directly to ministry, writes regularly for the Gospel Coalition and has co-published two works alongside Matt Chandler, the lead pastor of the Village Church in Dallas, TX.
Otherworld requires some time before the reader grows invested, but Wilson's writing style flows well and the story is intriguing as it confronts the spiritual realm from a cautious perspective rather than that vein of entertainment found so often in horror stories today.
The main drawback for me was in the discourse between certain characters. Swearing is absent from the book and most notably in situations where it would have added a punch and realism to the characters where I felt it remained absent. Of course, different people are going to have different opinions over the use of language in these types of publications, but I felt as though it would have made the characters more realistic and thereby more relatable.
Otherwise, I enjoyed the novel and hope to see more in the future.
Otherworld requires some time before the reader grows invested, but Wilson's writing style flows well and the story is intriguing as it confronts the spiritual realm from a cautious perspective rather than that vein of entertainment found so often in horror stories today.
The main drawback for me was in the discourse between certain characters. Swearing is absent from the book and most notably in situations where it would have added a punch and realism to the characters where I felt it remained absent. Of course, different people are going to have different opinions over the use of language in these types of publications, but I felt as though it would have made the characters more realistic and thereby more relatable.
Otherwise, I enjoyed the novel and hope to see more in the future.
October 5, 2013
Word of the day: Disappointing
I was very disappointed in this book.
I am a big fan of Dean Koontz and Ted Dekker, and I love supernatural thrillers. I was hoping this would be up to par...boo, it wasn't.
The first chapter was super engaging, creepy, interesting and I got excited! But I was super disappointed that we never found out who "she" is or what happened to her, but I just now realized..."she" was the cow...ugh!
Whatever.
I enjoy stories being told from different points of view, but this was just confusing. Way too much bouncing around. It was hard to keep track.
The premise is good, but the storytelling was just not there. I could tell where it was going from pretty soon into the book and that's disappointing. I like to be surprised. Even will all the bouncing around, it was still straightforward, I could guess what's going to happen next.
It was a struggle to finish this book, but I powered through.
The spiritual message is a good one, but from a storytelling perspective, it was just (say it with me!) disappointing.
I was very disappointed in this book.
I am a big fan of Dean Koontz and Ted Dekker, and I love supernatural thrillers. I was hoping this would be up to par...boo, it wasn't.
The first chapter was super engaging, creepy, interesting and I got excited! But I was super disappointed that we never found out who "she" is or what happened to her, but I just now realized..."she" was the cow...ugh!
Whatever.
I enjoy stories being told from different points of view, but this was just confusing. Way too much bouncing around. It was hard to keep track.
The premise is good, but the storytelling was just not there. I could tell where it was going from pretty soon into the book and that's disappointing. I like to be surprised. Even will all the bouncing around, it was still straightforward, I could guess what's going to happen next.
It was a struggle to finish this book, but I powered through.
The spiritual message is a good one, but from a storytelling perspective, it was just (say it with me!) disappointing.
October 17, 2013
Still not sure what to say about this book. My preliminary thoughts are that it is a well-written, fast-paced, story. The mixing of science fiction and spirituality is both a creative and effective means of communicating theology... though I am not sure that was the author's intent.
I also think Jared Wilson editorialized the characters too much. He gave into the temptation to explain everything, go into the thoughts and feelings of the characters instead of letting them be mysterious. Therefore, the author has failed in telling too much instead of showing.
As fiction that attempts to tackle theological issues, I would grant the book a 5 out of 10. While not directly preachy and elevating any theological position concerning demons, the author's leanings still show in the story.
The story was effective in showing us how to tackle strange phenomena and spiritual matters that are beyond reason. It promotes caution while at the same time espousing faith.
I "sort of" enjoyed it.
I also think Jared Wilson editorialized the characters too much. He gave into the temptation to explain everything, go into the thoughts and feelings of the characters instead of letting them be mysterious. Therefore, the author has failed in telling too much instead of showing.
As fiction that attempts to tackle theological issues, I would grant the book a 5 out of 10. While not directly preachy and elevating any theological position concerning demons, the author's leanings still show in the story.
The story was effective in showing us how to tackle strange phenomena and spiritual matters that are beyond reason. It promotes caution while at the same time espousing faith.
I "sort of" enjoyed it.
September 19, 2013
Wasn't sure what to expect going into this book. The various story-lines seemed disjointed at first, but all came together in the end. And what an ending: I had no idea going in this was a book with a Christian world-view. It was refreshing and surprising to find this out. I fully expected something different from this book, but found a wonderful message and a happy ending for the main character, Mike Walsh and his wife Molly.
So the story: UFOs and aliens seem to begin invading a Texas town, while one man tinkers with summoning a being from another dimension, and another man struggles with the loss of his marriage. It all works out in the end though: demons are banished by the name of Jesus, and Mike and Molly start to make amends.
There's much more going on within this story, but you need to read it to experience the terror, and the sadness, and the happiness for yourself.
I received an e-galley of this book from NetGalley for review.
So the story: UFOs and aliens seem to begin invading a Texas town, while one man tinkers with summoning a being from another dimension, and another man struggles with the loss of his marriage. It all works out in the end though: demons are banished by the name of Jesus, and Mike and Molly start to make amends.
There's much more going on within this story, but you need to read it to experience the terror, and the sadness, and the happiness for yourself.
I received an e-galley of this book from NetGalley for review.
October 13, 2025
Otherworld is a book in the stream of Peretti's This Present Darkness. It starts slow - slow enough that the first time I started reading it, I only made in a few chapters in before putting it down - but it picks up speed and by the time I reached the halfway point I couldn't wait to see what was going to happen next. The book follows several main characters - a reporter for a magazine, a police chief, a pastor, a professor of religion - as strange and mysterious occurrences start happening in Trumbull, TX. Dead cows possibly killed by aliens, claims of UFO sightings, unsolved murders, and several side characters who appear to be slowly losing their minds. This book is fascinating, it is very well written - the chapters move between different character's point of view, at first giving each character a long time but as the book comes to a climax the pov's jump around fast, lending a sense of urgency to the reading - and the story is compelling. Highly recommend.
October 22, 2013
This is not the sort of book I usually read. Otherworld is a spiritual thriller/suspense novel by an author who is more well-known for his nonfiction writing. Many reviewers have compared this book to some of Frank Peretti's works, and though I have only read one or two of Peretti's books, I think the comparison fits.
Wilson writes with an insight into the human condition which is refreshing. The story is compelling, and there were several occasions when I read longer into the night than I intended. There are times when Wilson overuses adjectives, but this is not distracting unless the grammar millstone has been hung around your neck. (Who...me?)
One brief warning: because of the dramatic nature of this book, I wouldn't recommend it to young readers. Parents would do well to preview this one for their children.
Wilson writes with an insight into the human condition which is refreshing. The story is compelling, and there were several occasions when I read longer into the night than I intended. There are times when Wilson overuses adjectives, but this is not distracting unless the grammar millstone has been hung around your neck. (Who...me?)
One brief warning: because of the dramatic nature of this book, I wouldn't recommend it to young readers. Parents would do well to preview this one for their children.
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