Otherplace

by Donald White, Virtual Voice (Narrator)

Evil always comes first for the young. Two girls trapped in a nightmare world must struggle to survive. A place where dolls move and bears operate. It is a land of heartless children, and brutal discipline; a realm of witches and shadowy beasts. Fear reigns supreme, and dragon’s breath sets courage ablaze. The girls will be tested at their core, exposing the wicked things lurking underneath. Help will come in unexpected forms, and a battle will be waged for their very souls. You find yourself in a place to find yourself.

Audible Audio

First published May 16, 2014

About the author

Donald White grew up on the coast of North Carolina with his mother and father, an older and a younger sister. He has a degree in Information Systems, having graduated with honors. He is also an avid reader of classical and modern literature. After ten years in the IT business, he decided to focus on writing. His work can be seen in the June 2012 issue of Down in the Dirt Magazine; the winter 2013 issue of Cemetery Moon Magazine; and the Grave Robbers and Memento Mori anthologies edited by James Ward Kirk. The following books are available: Hallowed: the Collection, Tales of Faygaea, Otherplace, Getaway and Afterworld.

Reviews

[Mark Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's hard to say what Otherplace is about. It's about two young girls and a fight for survival. Seemingly trapping in Otherplace, they battle evil doctors and nurses (who are not what they seem), dragons and other, heartless, children, while helped by two telepathic stuffed animals.

Sound weird?

It is.

Part horror, part bizarro, Otherplace is a step apart from author Donald White's previous work. Did I say step apart? I mean step forward. It's better. Is it great? Perhaps. The story is well structured, and it is well written and edited. Its dream-like portrayal of the world is fascinating, and to be honest it's hard to put down.

The only notable distraction I can think to mention is the authors sudden inclination to call characters 'The Boy' or 'The Girl' instead of their given names. It's clearly an artistic choice, but it is certainly odd.

Otherplace is White's crowning achievement in story-telling (from what I have read so far), and I do hope that he revisits the genre and stylings of Otherplace, if not the place itself.