Off Book

by Jessica Dall

Twenty-year-old Eloise has learned all she can from the School, where characters live until joining their novels. No one knows genre and plot structure better than her, but despite her knowledge, she’s yet to be assigned to her own story. All her friends are off starting their lives with their authors—and if Eloise doesn’t get assigned soon, she’ll fade away, forgotten by all.

When she is offered a job at the Recording Office, instead, she takes the chance to write her own future. Suddenly living among the post-storied, Eloise meets Barnaby Fitzwilliam, a former romance novel hero who hasn’t lost any of his in-story charm. But just as their relationship begins to get serious, Eloise is sucked into a novel she was never meant to be part of, turning everything they thought they knew about their world upside down.

Now, caught where the only rules are made by authors and truly anything is possible, Eloise must find her way back home—or her life might end before she ever gets the chance to live it.

Set in an intriguing, unique world, OFF BOOK explores the story beneath the stories we all know and love, taking readers and characters alike on an adventure just waiting to be written.

Genres: New Adult

Paperback

First published April 28, 2015

About the author

Jessica Dall finished her first novel at age 15 and been writing ever since. She is the author of such novels as Raining Embers and The Stars of Heaven and a number of short stories which have appeared in both literary magazines and anthologies. When not writing, she works as an editor in the Washington, DC metro area.

Reviews

[Neil Cochrane · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had the pleasure of being the editor for OFF BOOK, and I have to say that this is one of my favorite projects to have ever worked on. OFF BOOK is a clever and inventive literary adventure that takes our favorite conventions and writing strategies and looks at them from the other side. One of my favorite pieces of advice is that as writers, it's our job to cause problems for our characters, and it's for our characters to solve those problems. Well, here we have exactly that, in a way that really makes you think about how to approach your own fiction! This is a great read for writers and readers alike, particularly those who like to have a giggle at common tropes.

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is going to be one of those books that sticks with me. Off Book boasts a unique storyline, fluid writing, and a concept unlike anything I've encountered in book form before. It's like Toy Story, but with book characters. I guarantee that no matter what book I read, Off Book will pop into my head, considering what the characters' lives will look like once they are no longer in-story. Very creative, and I think it is especially enjoyable for writers and English teachers, given all the literary element references. It almost makes me feel guilty about all the stories I started to write and then abandoned...


There were, however, a few questions I wanted answered that I didn't quite feel were fleshed out enough (why was it so important that they break the sets? Just to bring the stuck people home? And how do authors write stories now? What will happen to the very construct of their world??), but over all this is the most memorable book I've read all year. A+

[Jess · Rating 3 out of 5]

Visit my stop on the blog tour here

*I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thanks to REUTS Publications and Jessica Dall*

Twenty-year-old Eloise lives at the School where characters are trained. Waiting to be assigned to a story, Eloise worries that she’ll never leave.

Then Eloise is offered a job at the Recording Office and she jumps at the chance. Her work colleagues are post-storied so Eloise pretends that she is too. She strikes up a relationship with Barnaby Fitzwilliam who was in a romance novel.
Things are going well until Eloise finds herself inside a story even though she wasn’t assigned there.
Will Eloise make it home?


Off Book was an intriguing read. It did remind me slightly of the Thursday Next series by Jasper Fforde but the only similarities were that there is a book world where characters exist.
My favourite part was the beginning which grabbed my attention immediately. I did find my attention wavering slightly towards the middle and the end of the book but I did want to keep reading to find out what would happen.
I liked the writing style and the plot was interesting. I didn’t guess the reason behind what was happening and I liked that the characters were taking things into their own hands.
Eloise was a good protagonist – she was stubborn, smart and relatable. I enjoyed her relationships with Columbine and Barnaby who were characters that I also liked. In fact, I don’t think there were any characters I didn’t like.

Overall this was an enjoyable, unique read.

[Nicole Tommasulo · Rating 4 out of 5]

The premise of OFF BOOK drew me in immediately. Full disclosure: I’ve never read meta anything before, but I’m dying to read more like this. Eloise, the main character, was someone I instantly connected with: she’s smart, but doesn’t fit in. She’s watching all of her friends go off and become part of stories while she has to sit back and wait for something to happen—or fade away. Luckily, she’s given a job where she meets the handsome, former romance main character Barnaby.

While the romance didn’t hold my attention, the story happening around Eloise and Barnaby definitely had me turning the page. I wanted to see what fallout (if any) there was from not telling Barnaby the truth about being pre-story. But that was definitely put on hold when Eloise found herself inside a story—without being written into it.

As a writer, I thought OFF BOOK was very thought provoking. I loved seeing the chaos of story creation from a character’s perspective. Not only am I more closely considering the merit (or lack of) of common tropes, I’m really evaluating the idea of plotting versus “pantsing”, and staying true to the character. Giving characters the control over the situation, rather than forcing them to follow a pre-determined plot, is something that gives the story strength.

I definitely recommend OFF BOOK to writers, and anyone looking for a quick, but great, reading adventure (and, okay, maybe to have a laugh at some silly tropes we all know and love).

[Andy Peloquin · Rating 4 out of 5]

First off, I have to say that I loved the concept. It's unique and gives an interesting look at the world of writing--both from the perspective of the characters and that of being a writer.
The intro was pretty solid, but it lost my interest after a few chapters. It takes a bit to understand what the characters are talking about, but once you get it, the book makes a lot more sense.
The character of Eloise is solid, though perhaps a bit two-dimensional. There's no real character growth in the story, no personal suffering that leads her to the climax in the end. The loss of her friend is the closest it gets to hardship for the character.
Also, the romance between her and Barnaby just felt a bit too contrived for my tastes. There's no real reason for her to have fallen in love with him, no real connection between the characters. More like a girl falling in love with a guy because he's there--almost too convenient to be real.
As the book nears the climax, the characters mention that their stories needs that high point, but I felt no fear, no potential to lose. It was an anti-climactic ending, one that didn't really make me worry about the fate of the character at all.
The concept was interesting, the world was fascinating, and it was a fun read, but it's not a book I'd read again because it was exhilarating.

[Candice · Rating 4 out of 5]

** I received an eARC of "Off Book" from REUTS Publications, in exchange for my honest review **

Off Book is so unique. It gave me answers to things I’ve always pondered: what are the lives of book character’s like, before they’re in the books? Thanks to the amazing author, Jessica Dall, I finally know.

Off Book is intensely imaginative, and well thought out. The characters are interesting, and vastly diverse. To see the lives of the book characters before, during, and after being in their books is very fulfilling. This is the kind of story that is going to stick with you for a long, long time.

It is the only book of its kind, and one of the best books I’ve read in 2015. I’m interested in seeing more to go along with this book. A sequel, or prequel perhaps? I’m glad to have had the chance to read Off Book.

I highly recommend ordering yourself a copy, you won’t regret it!

Have a great day!

[Carolyn Dall · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fun book to read! It was a wild ride from the start with the most intriguing idea- that characters are in another realm waiting to be assigned to a book and appear as a Main Characters, minor characters or several other designations, but have an entire life "off book" first. When the main character of this book gets sucked into a story in which she does not belong it becomes the wildest read ever! Not like anything I've ever read before but includes poking fun at all the book types out there and the typical tropes and genres that already exist while never succumbing to any. What fun! I enjoyed it from beginning to end, never knowing where it would lead next. I highly recommend it for a fun, quick read.

[A Story Explorer · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved the concept of the story, it's what drew me to want to read the story in the first place. I've not read many stories about characters waiting to have a story of their own and the idea of it intrigued me. I wanted to see and explore what the author had in mind for the characters.

The characters didn't quite hit me in the right places emotionally. I felt impartial to most of the characters. I suppose Barnaby is the one who I found most compelling because of his drive to help Eloise get out but I felt indifferent to Eloise. I could sort of sympathize with her and her situation but I felt that there wasn't enough at stake for me to care about any of the characters. I did like Alice though but she was a minor character.

I do think it's a unique read but I felt like it didn't quite live up to the expectations I had for it. The world building seemed incomplete and lacked in details. I couldn't imagine the world as vividly as I would have liked because it didn't allow me to fully immerse in the story. We don't get to see how or why people get chosen for the stories. We do sort of see it at the end but it wasn't satisfying enough for me.

The writing read as simplistic and I found I skimmed through the text as I read. I felt the writing needed more editing because I didn't feel like all the words used were significant to the story. Some of the dialogue seemed pointless and it lacked in descriptions. I wanted to know more about the world, the different departments and the people who ran it.

Another issue I noticed but may be fixed in future editions is the interior formatting in my .ePub file. There were breaks mid-sentence which sort of bothered me as I read but wasn't a huge deal since I already was skimming the text. As a note, this may bother other future readers.

Overall, I think it's a fascinating concept but the execution seemed lacking to me but it may be different for others. If you like an "out-of-the-box" quick read then you might be interested in picking this story up.


3 out of 5 rating for me!

(A copy was provided for an honest review. I was not compensated in any other way.)

[Kathleen · Rating 3 out of 5]

The premise of this story was unique and intriguing, I mean I've never thought of the characters in books having lives outside their stories! The world was very cool! To travel from the set of one book to another was super fun, certainly never something I have thought of. The writing is solid. The characters left me wanting more, I just didn't feel like I was really in their heads. The romance was lacking a bit for me, though romance isn't my thing.
Overall it's a fun, fast read.

[Sandra Lopez · Rating 3 out of 5]

When you read a book, your main focus is typically on the story with the characters being pieces in this grand plot puzzle. Just like when watching a movie, you never think about the life that goes on behind the scenes with the actors, directors, casting crew, and all. Well, this book does!

Eloise is a fictional character (actor) awaiting her casting call in a story. While others are getting cast as wizards, spies, nymphs, vampires, Martians, cowboys, and whatnots in all sorts of novels, Eloise continually sits on the sidelines, taking useless classes on character development and generally what authors (directors) are looking for, feeling more and more discouraged. At her age, the chances of getting cast are only getting slimmer. If she doesn't get called soon, she will be a teacher ("Those who can't do, teach!") and fade away, forgotten.

I was intrigued by this unconventional story. It's a behind-the-manuscript documentation, detailing the tasks and efforts in the making of a novel. I liked it!

Right off the bat, you root for Eloise and hope she gets a part. Then she does get a part--a part as a recorder, a part of the stage crew. "Now she wasn’t teaching people who were going to go off and have lives. She was watching people who already had lives in progress." (22) Kind of a bummer, especially knowing that most of your co-workers are "post-stories" (people that have been in stories and are now working behind-the-scenes.) Of course, one of which is a former and starred in an erotic romance novel. Nice! Barnaby is a charismatic British stallion that sees something in Eloise, who flushes whenever he's around.

"We are all tools authors use to perfect their art. They make us wait around for months, years, picking us up, killing us off all for the purpose of getting their story told. And we have to put up with it because our entire existence is based on them giving us a story. We have no free will. Either you give yourself over and let those people do whatever the hell they want to do to you, or you’re stuck in that damn School left to fade away. If they want to break us, bash our heads in, slowly flay us alive, we just have to take it. It’s like .. . I don’t know. Mind rape. Life rape.” (34)

But Eloise didn't want to be "just another character sacrificed in the name of the plot." (53) Then, suddenly, she accidentally finds herself in a story--a strange, medieval-fantasy hybrid story. At this point, we cross back and forth between the story and the story within the story, all spliced with dialogue and a fleeting narrative.

Frankly, I wasn't so interested in the story Eloise found herself in. It sounded like she was in a world where King Arthur meets Robin Hood or Harry Potter or something. Regardless, I did want to know how it would turn out for her. Could she be trapped? And would it be the absolute worst thing if she were to stay? Did she break some sort of cosmic rule by falling into a story? I actually thought that Eloise was going to take initiative and write her own story.

It's funny because Eloise being trapped in the story made me think of those Bugs Bunny episodes, ones that had him arguing with the cartoonist over silly things like forgetting to draw his ears. In this case, Eloise would converse with the author, pleading for assistance. I thought that was kind of weird and the interplay would be confusing at times.

I was more fascinated by the concept and how it all began rather than the quandary, which is where the story started losing me. From that point on, I was mainly just muddling through it. And even though I didn't really know how Eloise ended up where she did or why Barnaby needed to go through the endless tedium of going through proper channels and procedures, I still kind of wondered how this would end.

[Nick Rossi · Rating 4 out of 5]

First and foremost, I must concede that Jessica Dall’s “Off Book” is one of the most original and extraordinary narratives I have read in quite some time. Everything about the novel is so new and vivid that it’s fairly difficult for me to highlight what I liked best about it because it was sincerely all so special.

The story itself is a clever twist and commentary on the meaning of life and defining what one’s true purpose really is. Guised under the genre of sci fi/new adult/fantasy, the work itself reminded me of a modern day "Into the Woods" with its momentum and subversion of the definition of what writing is and how characters are developed.

Integrated with the mechanics of plot and structure and pace and other literary devices, the lead character, Eloise, is still awaiting her own assignment in a story despite her clear superior knowledge of what makes the quintessential character. In fact, if she isn’t placed in a story soon, she will fade away forever.

Fortunately, for both the reader, and for Eloise, her luck changes and she becomes a renegade of sorts. Instead of conforming to what she thought what her life should be like, she opts to dwell an individual existence. Questioning her own motivations and the formalities of the story she inevitably gets assigned to, Eloise becomes aware that only she can make the changes required to live her happiest life, in or out of a story.

[S.M. Nystoriak · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quirky, off-beat, but quite charming, I really liked the unique premise of OFF BOOK. Many of us (I expect) have wondered what it would be like to exist in a story, or what characters lives might be like after the novel is over. But author Jessica Dall goes one step further here, and presents the reader with a world of characters before they are written into novels. This existence poses many questions to those who are unwritten. For example, when they finally get chosen, would their existence span a long time, as a main character within a series, or be brief, as in killed off, or somehow written out another way. What would happen to them, then? Another character reality...what if their author starts writing them into a novel, but never finishes it (writer's block...)? What happens to those characters then?

As both a reader and author, I have sat at both sides of the table: The author who brings the characters to life on the page, and the reader, welcoming the characters into my life. What really is impressive about OFF BOOK, is the perspective of a character, believing they may never be chosen to become part of an author's book.

If you are a reader who enjoys unique character perspectives, check this one out. Highly recommended!

[Alexandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

I was surprised by this book! I've never read anything like this before and I am sure that any author out there will never think of his or her characters the same way ever again!
The story of Eloise takes place into a somewhat parallel universe, where all pre-storied characters await thei 'call' from the authors' imagination. Then they are assigned into a story until its end, so they later return back home.

If they are not killed in the proccess by the authors' plot. Eloise meets Barnaby and after a strange incident she is transported into the set of a story. And then the adventure begins.

This read was funny, a great shock to my writer's spirit since I never thought that characters would have the ability to think, act and love like Eloise and her world does. In every page Eloise mentions all the funny facts about the writer-world like "Plot Bunnies", "Climax", "Love at First Sight" and more! I loved how she tried to save everyone and that didn't stop her from being a strong heroine.

It was an enjoyable read and I totally recommend it!