The Otherlife | TheBookSeekers

The Otherlife


No. of pages 416

Published: 2016

Great for age 12-18 years

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I always get away with it when I try stuff like this. Partly it comes down to sort of assuming that I'm going to. I've got loads of confidence. And Loki got away with everything. Well, almost everything. When troubled, quiet Ben begins at the ruthlessly competitive Cottesmore House, school to the richest, most privileged boys, he is befriended by Hobie: the wealthy class bully, product of monstrous indulgence and intense parental ambition. Hobie is drawn to Ben because he can see the Otherlife: a violent, mythic place where gods and monsters roam. Ben has unnerving visions of Thor and Odin, and of the giant beasts that will destroy them, as well as Loki, god of mischief. Hobie is desperate to be a part of it. Years later, Ben discovers someone very dear to him is dead. And he cant help wondering if Hobie wild, restless, dangerous Hobie, had something to do with it Beguiling, shocking and richly imaginative, The Otherlife is about the darkest impulses within us all.

 

 

This book is the winner of numerous awards

There are 416 pages in this book.

It is aimed at Young Adult readers. The term Young Adult (YA) is used for books which have the following characteristics: (1) aimed at ages 12-18 years, US grades 7-12, UK school years 8-15, (2) around 50-75k words long, (3) main character is aged 12-18 years, (4) topics include self-reflection, internal conflict vs external, analyzing life and its meaning, (5) point of view is often in the first person, and (6) swearing, violence, romance and sexuality are allowed.

This book was published in 2016 by Andersen Press Ltd .

Julia Gray is a writer and singer-songwriter. She studied Classics at UCL and has a diploma in Children's Literature and an MA in Creative Writing from Birkbeck, for which she received the Sophie Warne Fellowship. She has released three albums with the trip-hop/jazz collective Second Person, and more recently two solo albums, I Am Not The Night and Robber Bride.

 

This book has been nominated for the following award:

Branford Boase Award
The Branford Boase Award is a prestigious literary award in the United Kingdom that celebrates outstanding debut children's novels. Established in 2000, the award honours the memory of Branford Boase, a children's book publisher, and aims to recognize new authors who demonstrate exceptional storytelling skills and originality in their first published work. The award is aimed at children's literature, specifically focusing on works for readers aged 8 to 12 years. A panel of judges reviews submissions to create a shortlist of nominated titles. There is no public voting process.

"Gripping, bold and completely original" -- Katherine Rundell

 

"A big, mysterious book full of dangerous characters and half glimpsed truths. An absorbing and unusual read. I loved it" -- Melvin Burgess

 

"A bold, original and engrossing collision between the Norse gods and our high-pressured school system. I love books about gods in modern times and this one had me gripped. An auspicious debut." * Francesca Simon *

 

"Stunning... a searing satire on the pressures that privileged children are put under by pushy parents." -- Amanda Craig * New Statesman *

 

"Grand and gripping" * Literary Review *