Book Review: Interland by Gary Clark

This is my first book review as a reviewer on Reedsy Discovery! Please do check out the book and the plethora of books by up and coming novelists. I reviewed Interland, a fictional adventure novel by Gary Clark.

Interland is the second book by Gary Clark in the Interland Series. Set in dystopian England, during a devastating economic collapse, there are people who have been born with special powers called The Given and there are people out to annihilate them, known as Readers. The ‘Interland’ is a safe haven for The Given, hidden away underground, where no one can harm them. However, the Readers who are led by a mysterious well-dressed man, are up to something, and it can only mean trouble for The Given. We follow the main character Jay, a powerful Given but with incredibly low self esteem, and her family and friends, Sammy, Cassie and Stitch as they fight against the Readers and a few unexpected enemies to save the Interland.

I did not read the first book before I picked this one up and I was afraid that because I lacked the background of the first book I would have some difficulty following the story but the plot didn’t hinge so much on the first book but rather built on that foundation. Interland incorporates a lot of familiar themes from popular YA fantasy and adventure; it gives Divergent meets Avatar the Last Airbender (except they’re not manipulating the elements but drawing energy from them). The story flows well between each scene. The author also dotted this book with a diverse group of characters and as a black African I liked the book just a bit more because of that.

Having said all this, I found the book hard to follow in the parts that really mattered, where a lot of action and pivotal moments were happening. Often the action scenes fell flat and I had to re-read a paragraph because of how quickly events would happen without a clear description. This might be frustrating to some people. I also felt that the description of the powers and ‘levels’ wasn’t clear however; this is probably explained more clearly in the first book.

In essence, Interland is well-paced, and has a handful of scenes that will have you on the edge of your seat, I recommend it to anyone who would like to delve into a new world of adventure from a new author.

A Dream Within a Dream – I

Her eyelids flew open and she gazed in wonder at the world that unravelled before her eyes. Coral pink confetti descended before her from an unseen source in the sky, encasing her in the magical land that she had stumbled upon. An island that seemed to be made up of her wildest dreams.

She stuck out her tongue and shut her eyes tightly like a small child wanting to taste raindrops. She knew what to expect. Bits of confetti wafted down and landed on her tongue and immediately melted into a syrupy sweet concoction that resembled her favourite candy. A huge grin spread across her face and she could feel the excitement welling up in her chest. She opened her eyes again, to the sound of her name being carried on the wind as someone called from somewhere in the distance. Before her, the confetti had stopped falling and she could see cobbled streets lined by green, neatly trimmed lawn. On either side of the street were rivers of rich, smooth, brown. Children stood on the shores, eagerly dipping buckets, hats, cups and anything they could to get a taste of the chocolatey goodness. Apparently her dreams were sponsored by Willy Wonka.

Once again, her name was called and she turned around to try find the source. Behind her the scene was completely different. A bookstore in the shape of a large novel rose high above her head, a few metres in front of her. The familiar smell of old paper, ink and leather wafted out from the front door which stood slightly ajar. She breathed it in deeply and the memories of her boarding school days flooded her mind. The days she spent curled up on her bed, joining Nancy Drew and the Famous Five on their mystery adventures. The smell of heavy rain and drenched grass also mixed in, putting her in an almost dreamlike state. But then again, this was a dream after all.

She followed the intoxicating smell into the open bookstore. The shop’s bell let out a magical tinkling sound as she entered and she felt the world around her shift. All eyes in the bookstore zoomed in on her as she walked up to the librarian who was scribbling on a notepad before him. A tingle went up her spine as she felt the combined gaze of the entire shop fixated on her. The librarian looked up at her as she approached and he immediately dropped his pen. A wide grin lit up his face. He had the wild look of a man who was always ready for an adventure. His long, illustrious locs were tied in a messy bun on top of his head and his dark-brown eyes smiled at her from beneath glasses that looked as if they belonged in another era. His clothes looked intentionally shabby as if he had put in a lot of effort to look dishevelled and wild. A bright pink scarf that was at odds with his entire outfit hung around his neck. She liked him immediately.

As she approached his desk he eagerly held out a book at her, “It’s ready, just as you asked. Everything is there.” Before she could ask what on earth he was talking about he winked, held up his hand and lowered himself behind his desk as if to get something. A few seconds passed and he didn’t reappear. Much to her surprise, as she peered over his desk – he was gone. As if he had never been there.

This dream had the makings of all the things she loved in a good fantasy book, she thought. Books, disappearance acts…strange men with books who disappear. A subtle hint of magic hung in the air and she breathed it in deeply. She couldn’t control the smile forming on her face. Hugging her hands to her chest, she sighed dreamily and hoped she wouldn’t wake up anytime soon.

The book. She remembered the book the man had just handed to her which she still held in her arms. It was a thick, leather-bound book with one huge clasp on the front. The clasp wouldn’t budge no matter how hard she tried to yank on it. The book had seen much better days, it was worn and had a few pages sticking out. A book that had seen many different owners over many different generations. What could it possibly be for? And why did he say she had asked for it even though they had never met?