The Omitted Place

by Noelle Blanche

Radie used to have a twin brother. When they were twelve, something... inexplicable happened. Officially, an accident caused his disappearance and supposed death. But Radie saw what really happened - she's the only one who knows the truth. Not that anyone would believe her, anyway. Years of pointless counseling proved that. Lately she's been having dreams about a boy in a hellish place who bears a strong resemblance to her. Is it just a recurring nightmare, brought about by her recent bouts of paranoia, or is she actually seeing her long lost brother? (Psychological Horror)

Genres: Horror

307 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 11, 2013

Reviews

[N.B.]

This dark and disturbing, well-written novel is an amazingly emotional ride with great pace and creative world building. The very first page lifted me up and dropped me in a diner next to Radie, the eighteen-year-old protagonist with psychological problems and social difficulties. From here, Radie takes the reader into her intense nightmares searching for her twin brother, Endon, unconvinced he is dead. The fantastical horror depicted throughout is forever changing as Radie discovers more about The Omitted, so that the descriptions are fresh and alive as you move through it trying to solve the mystery of what’s really going on. I loved each theme for the worlds/cities Radie explores: it was like a very dark Alice in Wonderland or The Labyrinth, with so many interesting ideas, and the supporting characters who are bizarre and engaging.

I’m so impressed with how this young writer has created a lead female, in her debut novel, who is lovable and completely relatable. (I was even moved to tears at a couple of points and books don’t generally do that to me unless it was written by Dave Pelzer.) I want to hug Radie; I want it to work out for her; I want her to eat something and dream of a nice place. She really represents the emotionally detached adolescent with issues, without coming across as just another whiny teen so common in books today. Radie’s character is clear and consistent. Her emotions, her angsts and her motivations – or motivation, I should say, because that one and only thing drives her – are recognisably Radie throughout.

The writing (which I will go on about because I love it so much) reminded me of Radiohead song lyrics in style and in the way Thom Yorke tells a story, getting into the mind of a schizophrenic, for example. I used to read a lot of his/Radiohead’s short stories on their website, which are reflective, imaginative, often random, but extraordinary and very absorbing. The Omitted Place really reminded me of those stories and the way Thom Yorke writes in particular. The visuals this book conjured up in my head recalled me to films like Donnie Darko and Melancholia, in the way they were cinematically stunning.

The suspense builds gradually and hints come faster as it nears the conclusion, until its revelation at the end, which I thought I had worked out, but I had not at all. There were clues dropped throughout and it cleverly paid off without giving the unique twist away.

I have a few favourite passages, here's one:

“I’m… looking for someone. Someone who looks like me. I think he might be around here.”
“You must be talking about the Drip-Drip Boy.”
“Drip-Drip?”
“He carries a weapon made of monster insides. It’s always dripping,” explains the cat; Tatter, I think.

(I think his weapon is great!).
Here's another:

“They see but they do not look; they don’t even need to. I’ve been caught in the web and I’m trapped as a fly, no hope of escape. Naked before the judge, I can’t survive in a place like this – end it now, unwrite me, I don’t want to think these thoughts anymore; this guilt is overwhelming.”

I shall definitely be looking out for more of Noelle Blanche's work in the future! I hear she is writing something new and I look forward to it.

[Dani Kass]

the writing is painful.

[Sydney R]

This book was recommended to me by a friend who knows how much I love psychological, surreal, and horror as genres in books, video games, and movies. And "The Omitted Place" does not disappoint with giving me all those things and more. Its first-person point of view does a good job of keeping up the mystery and suspense throughout the novel about what is going on, even after you've finished reading the final page. The pacing is pretty good too, I never felt like there were boring parts I "had to get through" like I have read with other novels, especially with other self-published novels. The setting in the Omitted is diverse, and what goes on in there is like experiencing someone’s unsettling and fascinating trip into demented nightmare world that may or may not exist inside everyone’s mind. There is a unique tone to it, and that's shown in the run-on sentences and obsessive need of the narrator's point-of-view to focus on colors, smells, pain, sickness, and discomfort. But without such emphasis, the reader wouldn't be able to feel as involved, and invested in the story. It’s rare for me to come across a book that uses this kind of narrative well enough to keep me interested the entire time, rather than make parts of the novel boring because the author has the character focus on something too long. Everything seen, heard, and said is done with purpose, even if it doesn’t quite make sense.

The only things I think I could critique the novel on is that as a reader, I would have liked some clearer descriptions during action, and encounters with the bizarre creatures. What was in the book was well done due to the first-person style the author wrote it in; I am just a big fan of monsters and action sequences that I wanted more. The choices made by the author to give the monsters descriptions based only on Radie’s impression of them, instead of going into more details about them, makes the narration more believable too. After all, nobody’s going to stand there and notice every detail about something they want to get away from. So it’s not really something that ruins the book at all. Plus it’s nice to have to use my own imagination to add more details to things if I want them. Because what we create in our own minds can be far creepier than things that are given distinct definition.

People who would like this book are those who enjoy reading things that involve psychological elements, horror, thrillers, surreal worlds, and mysteries. If gross descriptions – even the vague ones – are too much for you, you might get uncomfortable. However, it’s really worth reading through them if you like using the more deranged side of your imagination. Introverts might also really like “The Omitted Place” too, as they can probably sympathize with the main character Radie a lot. Without spoiling anything, the ending is one that doesn’t give a definitive answer, so some readers might get annoyed at that, unless they take the time after reading to think about it all. Most fiction doesn’t let you think like that anymore, even in the horror and mystery genre. That also gives the book value for rereading again, and not in a way where you NEED to reread it in order to get it. It’s just something you’re going to want to do because you want to go through the adventure again with the knowledge you’ve gained at the end.

I wanted to give this book a five star rating because the quality of the book is really good, especially for the price. You can tell the author is a creative person who really put a lot of thought and their imagination into this book, and I’m glad I took the time to read this novel from beginning to end. It’s definitely worth the money, and the time.

[Sailor]

Enjoyed this very different story. It's dark and gruesome and one that keeps you guessing. I liked all the strange characters and the way the story was told.