Woke Up in a Strange Place by Eric Arvin
An unusual, original and imaginative look at the journey of life and love.
Woke Up in a Strange Place by Eric Arvin
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
The Blurb…
Joe wakes up in a barley field with no clothes, no memories, and no idea how he got there. Before he knows it, he’s off on the last great journey of his life. With his soul guide Baker and a charge to have courage from a mysterious, alluring, and somehow familiar Stranger, Joe sets off through a fantastical changing landscape to confront his past.
The quest is not without challenges. Joe’s past is not always an easy thing to relive, but if he wants to find peace—and reunite with the Stranger he is so strongly drawn to—he must continue on until the end, no matter how tempted he is to stop along the way.
So what did I think?
I am really struggling to articulate or even understand my feelings for this book. When it comes down to it, I think the best way to express how I feel is to say I appreciated the story rather than loved it.
I found it difficult to feel fully engaged in Joe’s story. To be perfectly honest, I think the fantasy element dampened my enthusiasm. I don’t read a lot of this genre, and Joe’s journey, filled with mythical creatures and other wonders, just didn’t do it for me. To the extent that I actually struggled to read the first half of the book.
The concept of the afterlife was fascinating and I appreciated the journey, the descriptions, the imagination.
What was interesting was my surprise to find myself a bit teary near the end of the story. Somehow, along the journey, I had found myself emotionally invested in the outcome.
This is the type of book that is thought provoking and definitely very unique. While I struggle to say I loved it, and in all honesty found the first half hard going, it was a book I am glad I completed. Would I recommend it? According to other people’s reviews and it’s overall rating, yes, but from a personal perspective, maybe not. The best option would be to suggest readers check out other reviews or maybe even read the book themselves to make up their own mind.
For more information about Eric Arvin and his books, visit his website.
Buy Woke Up in a Strange Place from Amazon.