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The Orryn Novellas #1
Going Home
Orryn ran away from home as a young teenager. After years spent trying to forget, she is forced to face the memories she’s been hiding from.
Thea never understood why her sister left. Her childhood was happy and she lives her adult life surrounded by people she loves, but she never stopped wondering.
When the two sisters meet again, a struggle to mend the bond they once shared, and reconcile their differing memories of their childhood, begins.
In a world where blending in is valued above everything else, scars can be a dangerous thing to show. After years of drifting and hiding, Orryn returns to her homeland and must choose between baring her scars and losing her sister a second time.
Thea never understood why her sister left. Her childhood was happy and she lives her adult life surrounded by people she loves, but she never stopped wondering.
When the two sisters meet again, a struggle to mend the bond they once shared, and reconcile their differing memories of their childhood, begins.
In a world where blending in is valued above everything else, scars can be a dangerous thing to show. After years of drifting and hiding, Orryn returns to her homeland and must choose between baring her scars and losing her sister a second time.
78 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 10, 2014
12 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
January 22, 2015
Originally posted on my blog, LoveBooks&Blush.
Emma Lindhagen’s first novella, Going Home, is fantastic. Full stop. It’s short and to the point (duh, it’s a novella not a novel), but I’ve never wanted to read more of anything in my life. The novel is about a young woman named Orryn who lives in a dystopian world where the mail is frequently checked, the number of people who are in a family unit are controlled and people are examined to determine whether or not they are “deviant.” Orryn is returning home after running away from her father, mother and sister at the age of fifteen. When she returns home years later her parents are dead and Orryn must learn to live with a sister she no longer knows or has anything in common with. At the same time, Orryn is holding onto tons of baggage involving her reason for leaving, something that will affect Orryn’s relationship with her sister completely.
One of the things I loved about Lindhagen’s novella is the word building behind the tale. While the central story of Going Home is the relationship between Orryn and her younger sister, Thea, there is also another aspect that impacts them: the dystopian world they struggle to live in. It seems as if Orryn and Thea’s world is a toned down version of the controlling government seen in the novel 1984 by George Orwell. There are Decency Offices, which has the slogan “React and Report,” Wardens that keep the peace and an online emailing system where emails are reportedly monitored. In this novella, this world flows seamlessly with the lives of Orryn and Thea. You never forget that the central point of this novella is the relationship between Orryn and Thea; however, you also never forget that they live in a different world with strict rules and where anyone deemed different will have to continually look over their shoulder. The world Lindhagen creates is scary and troubling, and the readers are left as equally interested in the dystopian world as they are in the reasoning behind Orryn’s disappearance from her family.
Another great aspect to the novella are the characters of Orryn and Thea. Lindhagen’s characters are distinct and three dimensional. As a reader, you feel like you know Orryn and Thea despite the short amount of time you get to know them. Orryn has a troubled past that impacts her interaction with people. She feels uncomfortable in a room full of strangers and is more used to being alone. Thea is an optimistic, anxious baker who does well with children. She teaches the kids that live with her while their parents are at work. These little details make Orryn and Thea who they are, and fill in the mental profile readers have when they try to picture the characters.
There is also another part of the novella that strikes a reader’s interest, something that Orryn and Thea both share.I won’t explain what that is to keep the spoilers at bay; however, that shared characteristic adds another element to the story that Lindhagen will no doubt elaborate on in her stand-alone sequel (to be released mid-2015).
The ending of Going Home left me wanting more. I was entirely engaged in the story between Orryn and Thea and the dystopian world they lived in. I’d no doubt pick up the sequel if given the chance. I give the novella a resounding 5/5 review.
Emma Lindhagen’s first novella, Going Home, is fantastic. Full stop. It’s short and to the point (duh, it’s a novella not a novel), but I’ve never wanted to read more of anything in my life. The novel is about a young woman named Orryn who lives in a dystopian world where the mail is frequently checked, the number of people who are in a family unit are controlled and people are examined to determine whether or not they are “deviant.” Orryn is returning home after running away from her father, mother and sister at the age of fifteen. When she returns home years later her parents are dead and Orryn must learn to live with a sister she no longer knows or has anything in common with. At the same time, Orryn is holding onto tons of baggage involving her reason for leaving, something that will affect Orryn’s relationship with her sister completely.
One of the things I loved about Lindhagen’s novella is the word building behind the tale. While the central story of Going Home is the relationship between Orryn and her younger sister, Thea, there is also another aspect that impacts them: the dystopian world they struggle to live in. It seems as if Orryn and Thea’s world is a toned down version of the controlling government seen in the novel 1984 by George Orwell. There are Decency Offices, which has the slogan “React and Report,” Wardens that keep the peace and an online emailing system where emails are reportedly monitored. In this novella, this world flows seamlessly with the lives of Orryn and Thea. You never forget that the central point of this novella is the relationship between Orryn and Thea; however, you also never forget that they live in a different world with strict rules and where anyone deemed different will have to continually look over their shoulder. The world Lindhagen creates is scary and troubling, and the readers are left as equally interested in the dystopian world as they are in the reasoning behind Orryn’s disappearance from her family.
Another great aspect to the novella are the characters of Orryn and Thea. Lindhagen’s characters are distinct and three dimensional. As a reader, you feel like you know Orryn and Thea despite the short amount of time you get to know them. Orryn has a troubled past that impacts her interaction with people. She feels uncomfortable in a room full of strangers and is more used to being alone. Thea is an optimistic, anxious baker who does well with children. She teaches the kids that live with her while their parents are at work. These little details make Orryn and Thea who they are, and fill in the mental profile readers have when they try to picture the characters.
There is also another part of the novella that strikes a reader’s interest, something that Orryn and Thea both share.I won’t explain what that is to keep the spoilers at bay; however, that shared characteristic adds another element to the story that Lindhagen will no doubt elaborate on in her stand-alone sequel (to be released mid-2015).
The ending of Going Home left me wanting more. I was entirely engaged in the story between Orryn and Thea and the dystopian world they lived in. I’d no doubt pick up the sequel if given the chance. I give the novella a resounding 5/5 review.
June 4, 2015
Going Home is a dystopian novella with an interesting twist. Focused around the story of two sisters, Orryn and Thea, readers are transported to a world where the deviant are outlawed, forced to comply or band together in small communities.
Orryn is a runaway, returning home to her sister after their parents have passed away. The two have grown within their separate lives over the years, creating the premise for the story. The relationship between the two sisters is strained, and we feel this within the short time-frame of the novella itself.
Read my full review here: http://gcmacquarie.weebly.com/reviews...
Orryn is a runaway, returning home to her sister after their parents have passed away. The two have grown within their separate lives over the years, creating the premise for the story. The relationship between the two sisters is strained, and we feel this within the short time-frame of the novella itself.
Read my full review here: http://gcmacquarie.weebly.com/reviews...
February 14, 2015
An easy read with good character development and world-building. The relationship between the sisters was particularly effective.
March 18, 2023
A decent dystopia read but I wish it had delved a little deeper in some aspects.
Touches on a possible bit of fantasy at the end which was interesting.
Touches on a possible bit of fantasy at the end which was interesting.
January 6, 2015
An intriguing start
This is Emma's first offering and its intriguing in its premise. There are hints of fantasy and dystopian lifestyle, which means that some people will band together rather than be considered outsiders.
Orryn returns to her home to see her sister that she hasn't seen for nearly twenty years. Thea was only 7 when Orryn left without a word, and while Orryn doesn't want to talk about it, The a wants to know why she left.
There are other elements to the story and I hope Emma will cover those in the future stories
This is Emma's first offering and its intriguing in its premise. There are hints of fantasy and dystopian lifestyle, which means that some people will band together rather than be considered outsiders.
Orryn returns to her home to see her sister that she hasn't seen for nearly twenty years. Thea was only 7 when Orryn left without a word, and while Orryn doesn't want to talk about it, The a wants to know why she left.
There are other elements to the story and I hope Emma will cover those in the future stories
February 3, 2015
This is more of a 3.5 than a 4. I was asked by the author to read and give an honest review and she initially brought me in saying that it was set in a dystopian setting. I love dystopias, but this book really put it in the back burner rather than it being a dystopian novel. Which is fine, but it really affected how I saw this book. In the sense it being advertised as dystopian, there wasn't enough world building and I didn't really know what made it a dystopia. I enjoy what this book was like in the end, though.
May 20, 2015
Hmmmm. This is two and a half. I think.
Sadly, premise is all there really is here. The novel dabbles in dystopia, magic and LGBT themes without really settling in, and expanding on, any of them. So we’re left with some engaging characters, and some intriguing plot lines, that all just kind of go nowhere.
http://leatherboundpounds.com/2015/05...
Sadly, premise is all there really is here. The novel dabbles in dystopia, magic and LGBT themes without really settling in, and expanding on, any of them. So we’re left with some engaging characters, and some intriguing plot lines, that all just kind of go nowhere.
http://leatherboundpounds.com/2015/05...
July 10, 2018
I read this all in one day which maybe isn't surprising because it's short, but I still didn't expect to finish it so quickly--it was just so engaging I couldn't put it down! It works very well as a character-focused SFF book, with the dystopian setting serving a purpose but not distracting from the relationship between the sisters, which is the core of the book. Everything about that was well done: their conversations, the emotional beats, . The story left me so satisfied; this is exactly the kind of book I've been looking for.
However, unfortunately there were a few issues that kept it from being a full five stars:
1. Awkward writing at times. The prose just could've used a(nother?) pass from an editor; there was some over-explaining and awkward phrasing at times. Also a few typos.
2. POV switches. Sometimes we would jump from one character's POV to another's mid-scene, and maybe that isn't automatically a bad thing, but it always makes me cringe because it's jarring and just feels very awkward, and definitely didn't feel necessary in this book. Going along with that, I felt the book would've been stronger if we stayed in Orryn's POV the whole time--Kella's POV sections especially didn't seem to serve any purpose, as she's not a very fleshed-out character and doesn't have an arc of her own. We also get a little of Thea's POV, but again it didn't really add much because it never lasted long. I think this could have worked as a dual-POV book between Thea and Orryn if the parts from Thea's POV were longer/more in-depth; but as I said before, I think the best decision would've just been to stay with Orryn. She was the most interesting character and most of the book is from her POV already.
3. Too many side characters. In a book this short, you just can't have that many named characters--it's impossible to keep track of them all/remember who everyone is, and it just wasn't necessary. I think the setting could have been the same but the narrative could have singled out just a few of the other people at the commune to name/go into detail about.
But other than those issues, I loved it, and I bought the second one right after I finished! Planning to make that tomorrow's read. :)
However, unfortunately there were a few issues that kept it from being a full five stars:
1. Awkward writing at times. The prose just could've used a(nother?) pass from an editor; there was some over-explaining and awkward phrasing at times. Also a few typos.
2. POV switches. Sometimes we would jump from one character's POV to another's mid-scene, and maybe that isn't automatically a bad thing, but it always makes me cringe because it's jarring and just feels very awkward, and definitely didn't feel necessary in this book. Going along with that, I felt the book would've been stronger if we stayed in Orryn's POV the whole time--Kella's POV sections especially didn't seem to serve any purpose, as she's not a very fleshed-out character and doesn't have an arc of her own. We also get a little of Thea's POV, but again it didn't really add much because it never lasted long. I think this could have worked as a dual-POV book between Thea and Orryn if the parts from Thea's POV were longer/more in-depth; but as I said before, I think the best decision would've just been to stay with Orryn. She was the most interesting character and most of the book is from her POV already.
3. Too many side characters. In a book this short, you just can't have that many named characters--it's impossible to keep track of them all/remember who everyone is, and it just wasn't necessary. I think the setting could have been the same but the narrative could have singled out just a few of the other people at the commune to name/go into detail about.
But other than those issues, I loved it, and I bought the second one right after I finished! Planning to make that tomorrow's read. :)
December 5, 2023
"Going Home" by Emma Lindhagen takes you on a rollercoaster of emotions as Orryn confronts her past, and two sisters navigate the twists of rebuilding their bond. While the story hints at magic, it's the complex relationships and the dystopian world's secrets that truly captivate. Orryn may be a tough nut to crack initially, but the promise of her character's evolution adds an intriguing layer. In a world where conformity is prized, Lindhagen explores the dangers of revealing one's scars. The dystopian backdrop, with its unique rules and consequences, adds a compelling layer to the narrative. Brace yourself for shocking revelations that will leave you both surprised and eager for the next installment!
March 22, 2023
Going Home sets out an interesting premise: a woman in a dystopian future returns home to a community full of undercover delinquents. The atmosphere was pretty chilling and I really got the feeling of being watched, so kudos to the author for that. This book sets up a lot of things, but there's no resolution to anything (which is understandable - this is the first in a series of novellas, after all). Still, I wish we had seen some growth or resolution in this first novella. 3.5 stars.
Trigger Warnings: homophobia, child abuse, domestic partner abuse, kidnapping, self-harm
Trigger Warnings: homophobia, child abuse, domestic partner abuse, kidnapping, self-harm
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews