Boundary

The Other Horizons Trilogy #1

by Mary Victoria Johnson

Never try to open the locked doors. Never question what you are told. And never attempt to cross the Boundary.

Kept inside an eerie estate for their entire lives, Penny and her five friends have had no contact with the outside world, with their only windows being a handful of books, a sinister master and a secretive housekeeper.

Fed up of living a mystery, Penny begins breaking all the rules and finally tries to escape; but what she uncovers is far more devastating than she could have imagined. It rapidly becomes a deadly struggle for the truth in a world where nothing is what it seems, and friendship can be either your greatest weapon…or your biggest liability.

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Fiction, Gothic, Young Adult Fantasy, Horror, Historical Fiction

296 pages, Paperback

First published December 11, 2015

Reviews

[Becky Shaknovich · Rating 2 out of 5]

I hate to say negative things about people's hard work, but I have to be honest. This was one of the worst books I've ever read in its entirety. Too many undeveloped characters, plot holes, completely unrelatable motivations. Like, someone's keeping a secret or something really weird happens, but the characters just drop it and do something else? Plus, there are spelling/editing errors on nearly every page. Sometimes more than one per page. I know this isn't really the author's fault, but it's totally unacceptable. Is this the future of books? Do we no longer care about such things? I say this because I recently a book with a few errors, and then this one was rife with them! Looking at the back cover, I even see an error in the short, two paragraph blurb! It says "fed up of" instead of "fed up with!" I also learned from the back cover that this book was written by a 14 year old. That makes me feel even worse about publicly criticizing the work, but definitely helps me understand why characters living in a vaguely Victorian setting say words like "sucks." However, Ms. Johnson really has potential as a writer, and I look forward to reading her future work, after she hones her skills a bit. The novel was scary, which is the intent. The author totally pulled off that aspect. I like the strong female protagonist, Penny. She is complex and compelling. Maybe this story is more appealing to teens (teens are the intended audience after all, not thirty-something librarians). While I probably won't pick up books two and three in this series, I congratulate this young author on getting published. I definitely will check out her future work, as I mentioned above. And what do I know, maybe I'm critiquing the next Mary Shelley...

[Jypsy · Rating 3 out of 5]

The definition of Boundary is something that a teenager will attempt to cross every time they are told not to. Penny and her friends grew up isolated with everything they could need. But, in a gothic Victorian style mansion. Sounds awesome in my opinion. The story has a dark menacing vibe to it that's great for atmospheric feels. Of course, these kids cause some trouble and stuff happens that I won't tell you. Overall a good read. Thanks to NetGalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

[Sue Wallace · Rating 4 out of 5]

BoundaryThe Other Horizons Trilogy - Book One by Mary Victoria Johnson.
Never try to open the locked doors. Never question what you are told. And never attempt to cross the Boundary. Kept inside an eerie estate for their entire lives, Penny and her five friends have had no contact with the outside world, with their only windows being a handful of books, a sinister master and a secretive housekeeper. Fed up of living a mystery, Penny begins breaking all the rules and finally tries to escape; but what she uncovers is far more devastating than she could have imagined. It rapidly becomes a deadly struggle for the truth in a world where nothing is what it seems, and friendship can be either your greatest weapon...or your biggest liability.
Very good read. 4*.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review originally posted on Rach Lawrence Books.

*I was provided a copy of Boundary by the author in exchange for an honest review. I am not compensated for my honest opinion.*

To an outside observer, Penny and her five friends live a life of luxury. They have everything they need provided for them, they live in a mansion, and they can do almost whatever they want within the boundary of that space. But it’s that boundary that makes Penny question everything around her. Touching the invisible wall surrounding the property will fry someone to a crisp, and Penny and her friends are essentially being held hostage inside it. They’re not exactly being held against their will, at least not until Penny begins questioning how they got there and why they can’t leave.

Penny’s curiosity not only angers their already sinister master, but it also begins a series of trials that pit friend against friend because the winner will get to leave the boundary. Alliances are formed and help is provided from unexpected sources, but not everything is as it seems. As the trials become more and more dangerous, it will be every man for him or herself.

Boundary is book one of the young adult The Other Horizons Trilogy, and although it is a standalone book, it does set the stage for the next book in the series. It is full of action and adventure, mystery, and fantasy, as well as being historical. This made for quite an interesting combination.

Although the story felt slow-moving at first, there was always the feeling that something more was under the surface. I immediately wanted to read on to find out why Penny and her friends were not able to leave the boundary. Even the somewhat mundane parts showing everyday life at the manor kept me involved and turning pages. The author did a good job of including small details that played into the plot in a larger way.

Overall this was a great book that I enjoyed reading, however I was left confused by some issues at the end. I’d be giving away too much of the story to go into detail, so suffice it to say these were not the type of issues that will be resolved in the next book; rather, they were the type that were resolved within this book but either done too quickly or without enough explanation for me. Still, I appreciated the journey and would be likely to read more by this author.

[Andrew Cairns · Rating 5 out of 5]

Captivating atmospheric novel with twists and turns!
Aimed at young adults, the story follows a group of six teenagers growing up in a strange mansion surrounded by an impenetrable 'boundary'. The other main characters are Beatrix - a kindly teacher/cook/healer and Madon - the cruel enigmatic master of the house.
It has elements of Harry Potter, Hunger Games or the film The Village, while managing to create it's own unique supernatural Victorian era atmosphere and captivating story with twists and turns.
My young adult days are far behind me, but I still enjoyed the book. The story is certainly very gripping and suspenseful. It also leaves quite a few unanswered questions, which make you want to go on and read the next two books in the trilogy when they come out.
Review by Andrew Cairns, author of "The Witch's List" - http://facebook.com/thewitchslist | http://thewitchslist.blogspot.com

[The Geeky Bibliophile · Rating 3 out of 5]

Never try to open the locked doors.
Never question what you are told.
And never attempt to cross the Boundary.

The entire blurb had me intrigued, but this is the part that really caught my eye and sparked my curiosity. (Why are there locked doors? Why is total obedience required? And what the heck is the Boundary?)

It's been quite some time since I read this book, and my lingering impressions of it are few and far between. Given my rating, I suppose it was enjoyable enough to read, though I recall some minor annoyances along the way. (Given the setting, it was likely due to details or language that didn't quite fit the setting, as that is usually the case.)

I wasn't particularly motivated to go on and read the next book in the trilogy at the time, and it's unlikely that I ever will.

I received an advance reading copy of this book courtesy of Lodestone Books via Netgalley.

[Nigel Cooper · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't normally read novels aimed at the young adult market, but this is a really interesting premise - well written and keeps the reader on edge throughout. Penny's journey from dissatisfaction to questioning the 'boundary' to full on rebellion is compelling - as is her relationship with her friends. Nicely set up for the sequel, also. A lovely, supernatural Victorian thriller.

[Christina · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great YA book, with a fresh and interesting story. Considering this is her first book and she's quite young herself, the author has done a fantastic job. I did catch a few minor spelling inaccuracies, but otherwise it was a fluid read. The plot also leaves a strong opening for the next book in the series.

[Ray Simmons · Rating 5 out of 5]

Boundary: Book One of the Other Horizons Trilogy by Mary Victoria Johnson is a tale of a group of children being raised in an old English manor in a forest. They have no contact with the outside world and for fifteen years they only see and know two people. First and foremost is the Master, Madon, a cruel and dark man with magical powers whose only purpose seems to be to mete out punishments. The other person to inhabit their strange little world is Beatrix a prim woman of around sixty who acts as governess, housekeeper, and cook. Beatrix has taken care of the children all their lives and while not as mean as the master, it’s obvious she can’t really afford to be kind to the children either. The story is told from the point of view of Penny, a rebellious spirit who yearns to be free and learn what the outside world is like.

The tone of Boundary is dark and almost gothic. There is nothing as depressing as imprisoned children yearning to be free. Mary Victoria Johnson slowly introduces us to the children, their keepers, and their small narrow little world. I began to want Penny to unite the children and somehow escape and I think most readers will feel the same. The kids are adorable and I quickly empathized with them and their plight. The story moves forward step by step and good writing kept me enthralled up to the very end. I liked Boundary and I think many other reads will like it too. I want to know what lies ahead for these children and look forward to reading the next book in the series.

[Shivangi · Rating 2 out of 5]

*I'd like to thank the publishers and NetGalley for sending me an eARC of this book for an honest review.*

This story made me think of Harry Potter meets Doctor Who but in such a strange, crazy, messed up way? The writing was good and initially, the story was very intriguing and engaging but it started going down a very weird path at some point. It's probably mainly because there were so many mysterious things going on, too many riddles unsolved and unexplained, all those bizarre things without a head or a tail going on, it was all too much. I think it would have been better if some questions were answered, it might have been a lot easier to follow that way. There were absolutely no explanations though and my confusion just kept increasing as I progressed through the book. The ending kind of blew my mind, I really don't understand what's happened at this point. I mean, it wasn't bad, I feel like the idea behind this was good, it's just that there were a lot of missteps in the execution. Hopefully the sequel makes more sense.

[Kristy McRae · Rating 2 out of 5]

Given that the author was only 14 when she wrote this, I give her a star for effort. I think she has potential. That said, I just couldn't love this book. The setting was vaguely Victorian, but there were lots of inconsistencies, especially in the language used by characters. I found myself wondering what time period the author was really shooting for. Also LOTS of grammatical and spelling issues! This isn't the author's fault entirely--where was the proofreader? But still, it was a huge distraction for me. I worked as a proofreader for several years, and those things automatically glare off the page at me. The plot was full of holes, and the characters behaved inconsistently throughout.

Seeing all the rave reviews here on Goodreads, I was actually wondering if we read the same book! Even if this is intended for a YA audience, YA readers are savvy, and this novel doesn't stand up, in my opinion. I will not be seeking out the second or third in this series.

[Bobbi Madderra · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although well written, I didn't find this book to be up my alley. Though please take my review with a grain of salt, as I felt it just didn't speak to me. I found myself lack-luster in enthusiasm as I began this book, and by page 110 I was no more interested in the plot than I had be at the beginning. Something about the way that the characters are presented make them less relateable to me, and I am unable to connect.

[Destiny Bridwell · Rating 4 out of 5]

I got a copy of this for a fair and honest review. Penny and the others seem to live in a world that seems perfect, but that is only a smoke screen. They are cut off from the outside world and thing change when Penny longs for something that is just out of her grasp. This is the first book in The Other Horizons. What she wants changes the fates of all those involved. 

[Hannah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Six children have grown up inside the boundary, all they know of outside comes from books and who knows how much of that is fiction? One dreams of freedom, days that are not repeats, where the master does not control them. Will their friendships survive the trails that will grant such freedom. Will they survive at all?

[Laura Henderson · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a great YA book! I thoroughly enjoyed reading this eerie tale. I actually read on another review, that the author had wrote this book when she 14! This fun book is an imaginative story and full of surprises. I would love to read the next installment as this book leaves some questions unanswered. The story while moving a little slow at first quickly picks up and has you racing to read to the end as you wonder what could actually be happening. You can feel from page one that so much is left under the surface. This book will have you guessing and just when you have it figured out, you find more terrors and more surprises. Super fun read! 3.5 stars from me.

[Sam Miller · Rating 2 out of 5]

Weird story. Too confusing, had a hard time following the characters and plot. Didn't really do it for me.

[Camille · Rating 1 out of 5]

While this had an interesting premise, that was the only thing of merit about Boundary. It was one of the very few books I've read that I've thought about DNFing. The characters were flat and 2 dimensional. Their thought processes made no sense. The dialogue and character interactions were absolutely terrible and I spent most of the book rolling my eyes at them. The villains weren't scary, and while the characters kept talking about how much they feared him, then they would go up and sass him. These kids who in theory are friends - and you would think family after literally living their entire lives together - don't seem to actually like each other. The end product was that it read like a terrible version of a Victorian version of the Hunger Games. Would absolutely not recommend.

[LAWonder10 · Rating 4 out of 5]

THIS IS LIKE NO OTHER BOOK I HAVE READ BEFORE. IT CROSSES MANY GENRES. IT WOULD BE GOOD FOR MIDDLE SCHOOL BUT NOT FOR YOUNGER THAN TWELVE YEARS OF AGE, DUE TO THE TERRORS.

YOU WILL "BE ON THE EDGE OF YOUR SEAT" WHILE READING THIS BOOK, YET YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO PUT IT DOWN FOR LONG!

THIS IS ABOUT SIX YOUNG MEN AND WOMEN RAISED ON A LARGE ESTATE BUT NEVER ALLOWED TO GO OUTSIDE THE BOUNDARIES. LIFE IS GOOD AND PREDICTABLE UNTIL HE COMES HOME.

MS. BEATRIX IS COOK, NANNY, HOUSEKEEPER, AND EVERYTHING TO THEM. THEY ARE NOW FIFTEEN YEARS OF AGE - DO ANY OF THEM REALLY KNOW WHEN THEIR BIRTHDAY IS?- AND PENNY IS DISCONTENT. SHE WANTS MORE!

WHEN THIS IS DEMANDED OF BEATRIX ALL THEIR LITERATURE DISAPPEARS IN ONE SWISH! THUS BEGINS THE DOUBT AND BETRAYAL OF ALL THE CHILDREN. WHAT FOLLOWS ARE EERIE, DREAMS, VISIONS, CONTENTIONS AND SURVIVAL!

THIS IS A VERY WELL THOUGHT OUT PLOT. THE CHARACTERS ARE MOSTLY ENDEARING , EXCEPT FOR THE VILLAINS AND THEY ARE VERY REAL AS WELL. THE TITLE WOULD HAVE BEEN MORE EFFECTIVE IF SLIGHTLY WORDED DIFFERENTLY. THE BOOK COVER IS GOOD BUT - THEN AGAIN - WOULD BR BETTER IF A LITTLE MORE COLOR WAS ADDED TO MAKE IT MORE APPEALING TO THE "BROWSER".

THE ACTION, SUSPENSE AND INTRIGUE WERE OUTSTANDING AND KEPT ONE IN SUSPENSE UNTIL THE VERY END! WHAT COULD HAVE EASILY BEEN A SAND ALONE WAS CLEVERLY LED INTO ANOTHER SEQUEL.
*I was sent this book in exchange for an honest review, of which I have given.

[Gemma · Rating 2 out of 5]

Five 15 years olds have lived their whole lives in a sprawling estate, with only a terrifying Master and a secretive housekeeper for company and a dangerous #Boundary that’s keeps them inside the estate.

Penny decides she has had enough of being trapped and having no contact with the outside world, and so begins to defy the rules in hope of escape. Her actions lead to ‘trials’ for them to endure in order to escape. But can they all escape?

This sounded like a Victorian Hunger Games, but unfortunately I liked the premise rather than the actual book. It was a very slow burn, and the ending set up for a sequel, and wasn’t at all satisfying. I found the whole book to be confusing, and no answers were given. This book just isn’t for me.

Thank you to #NetGalley and the publisher for my free copy in return for an unbiased review.

[Annette · Rating 4 out of 5]

Boundary is the fantastic story of Penny, a fifteen-year old girl and her five teenage friends trapped in a beautiful Victorian-era world. If it weren’t for evil Master Madon who keeps everyone in fear and Penny’s urge to find out what’s beyond the boundary, she’d be just fine. But unlike her friends, Penny wants freedom and when the housekeeper offers a possible way of escape, Penny doesn’t think twice.

But nothing is as it seems and Penny sets in motion a string of events that endangers everything she holds dear, including her friends. Boundary is a thoroughly engrossing tale of alternate worlds that keeps you guessing till the end.

[Tammy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Did I read the same book as everyone else? From all the rave reviews I expected something better than a college fiction project. The writing was plagued by spelling and grammatical errors, the writing clumsy and childish and completely took away from the story. I couldn't take it seriously and did not enjoy it.

And now I just read that the author wrote this when she was 14. That explains everything. Props to her that I found it comparable to short stories I read in a 300 level college course? My rating still stands. I would say the same in a classroom workshop.

[Julia · Rating 2 out of 5]

Pros:
Mystery of the boundary at the beginning kept me turning those pages.

Cons:
I found the characters hard to like.
I found the whole story line with the "trials" confusing and boring.
After finishing the first novel I didn't want to jump to the next book in the series. I know it's not out yet but I won't be returning to this world in the future.

Ultimately, I didn't find it all that enjoyable but there were many others who.

[AliceXaphanBooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Title: Boundary
Author: Mary Victoria Johnson
Genre(s): Dystopian, Fantasy
Rating: 5 stars

Loves, Likes, Adores:
I found the story to be very unique and interesting. I can't wait to see whats next in Penny's adventure.

Dislikes, Hates, Ignores:
N/A

[Teresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This flowed so well that there a couple nights I didn't stop reading until I saw the sky lightening on a new day. This is dark and edgy. There was never a moment where I said this is a good point to take a rest. Ugh. No. There was no rest while reading this fresh take on YA Fantasy. A word to the wise...you'll want the second book by your side to pick up right away. 😉

[Jeanie Ski · Rating 1 out of 5]

Incoherent. The word "Whilst" gets overused. obviously written by a 14 year old.

[Cosima demaglie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Better than expected. The character development was actually really good. The tropes in the book prevented me from fully loving it, however, this is a solid plot with a solid idea. Definitely not a waste of an afternoon.Cant wait to read the next book.

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

The premises of Boundary is a familiar one. Penny and her friends live a sheltered, yet luxurious life, but there is something sinister at work that is triggered by a brash decision on Penny's part. I found myself rather conflicted about some parts of this book, but I will start with the good.

While the premises feels familiar and and seems to have elements from other YA novels, it is executed in a creative way. There are nice plot twists and turns throughout and for the most part, the writing is nice and the writer has her own style which I did enjoy reading. I did feel like the writing felt more like that of an older children's book as opposed to a typical YA book. The characters seemed much younger than the 15 that there were supposed to be so I had a hard time comparing it to other YA books, as they seemed like there were closer to 11 or 12. The book was pretty clean and did not involve anything sexual and language was minimal- I believe only d*** was used.

A few things that could have been improved upon:

There were definitely some editing issues: Misspellings, words flipped, and minor details. However, I feel it worth mentioning if I notice more than a few, which I did here. Some of the author's writing also felt a bit awkward and wordy. I'm also a wordy person so I certainly understand, but there where parts where the "less is more" philosophy was obvious, even to me.

The characters seemed a bit lacking. Most of the characters seem a bit lacking in depth and development. With exception to a few, they were relatively static. I also felt like the ages seemed quite off. It has been 10 years, so I don't perfectly remember being 15, but I found it odd that only two characters in the book seemed to have any romantic feelings and that they were so interested in hide-and-seek. Perhaps it was the sheltered lifestyle they had prior to that point, but it just felt a little odd. However, for those who do not care for love stories added into mysteries, the lack of an engaging romance is probably a plus!

The beginning of the book was very SLOW. I found it kind of boring until about 1/3 of the way through, but it started to get a lot better after that so I would recommend continuing it if started, because it really does improve greatly. I easily finished the book within a day as I keep reading to find out what happens. Some parts felt a bit redundant- like mentioning how bad the food tastes....over and over and over and over and over and over again. I get that she was probably just trying to be descriptive, but it goes back to the "less is more" concept again.

All in all, it was a pretty good debut book. There was a nice plot line with an engaging mystery that drew me in. While there were some issues, I feel like they should not keep anyone from reading the book and I believe the authors next book probably improve upon some of these critiques. It seems like she really put a lot of thought into the book and would definitely give an A+ on her effort! I am excited to read her second book in this serious to see what happens next!

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh wow, this was a surprise! What a fantastic concept - 6 teenagers mysteriously being raised by a cruel and barely / non- human master, in a mansion totally segregated from the rest of the world.

Penny is inquisitive, questioning and has many dreams of other people and wonders what exactly is beyond the boundary of the mansion. Her questions cause her to break some of the rules, and put in motion a test for them all.

I really want to read what happens next....

[Felicia Allen · Rating 5 out of 5]

6 teenagers are trapped inside the barrier. Penny gets curious and starts asking questions. She is given things that start something that can't be stopped. Can they figure out the puzzles before they all die?

This was an oddly intriguing book. I loved the level of details and the plot twists. It kind of reminds me of the move "The village". But nothing is told about hte outside world until the last chapter when one of them makes it to the year 1939. Eagerly moving on to the second one.

[Becca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Boundary
4/5 Stars


A very engaging book full of questions that demand answers. The characters are all well done, if a bit whiney at times – but then, what teenager isn’t whiney? As Avery mentions, the plot twist was rather unexpected, and very well done. The premise is kind of like Under the Dome but on a much much smaller scale, it’s the sort of story that stays with you, I still don’t understand some of it and that’s going to drive me mad until I can read the sequel.

A solid 4 out of 5 stars, and a book I definitely recommend to any fans of the genre.