GoneAway Into The Land Reviewed
Norm Goldman
December 22, 2009
Using his own unique style and voice, Jeffrey B. Allen withGoneAway Into The Land has really stretched the limits of the traditional fantasy novel. Shifting in and out of fantasy, Allen cleverly intertwines the theme of child and spousal abuse with a land of the unknown. The magic that he has created does manage to make sense to the reader, although at times I must admit I was a trifle confused with the multitude of bizarre quirky characters and the inventiveness of their language.
This ambitious yarn follows twelve-year old John Greber who, along with his mother Ellie, is the object of abuse at the hands of John´s father whom he names "The Beast."
One day, "The Beast" abandons John and his mother while at the same time snatching away John´s six-year old sister Marny. John vows to seek revenge, confront his repulsive father, and rescue his sister Marny. As we discover, all of this transpires during a time where John and his mother will be indirectly involved in a Civil War that has far reaching repercussions that may lead to the destruction of the world.
Tagging along with John and his mother, Allen cleverly uses his mind-boggling world as a vehicle in understanding what life is all about and the human condition. This is particularly in evidence as we witness John´s challenge of making the transition from childhood to adulthood as he self-examines the big questions in life as well as the nature of good and evil, the meaning of life and the quest to understand himself.
What I found quite striking about GoneAway Into The Land is Allen´s skilful narrative pacing in revealing bit-by-bit the various themes to the reader and permitting him or her to slowly discover it. Another plus is that Allen does not resort to is some kind of magic wherein he relies on the fantasy aspect in order to enable John to break out of a thorny situation by manufacturing a super-duper miraculous spell that the reader never even knew about.
With its deftly constructed plot, episodic structure, a lovable hero, interesting secondary characters, and a dash of suspense, Allen´s fascinating debut novel is a haunting tale that jolts along at its own pace. Moreover, Allen´s writing is extremely powerful particularly his imagery and masterful descriptions such as when John meets up with "The Beast." And when all's said and done, we have a novel that is not only amazingly fitting for our times, but one that is rich and rewarding for anyone, young or old, wishing to ponder over insightful questions pertaining to our existence and journey through life. No doubt, I am sure Allen had a great deal of fun writing this novel and I am certain readers will likewise find a great deal of fun in reading this provocative fantasy novel.
CLICK HERE TO READ NORM'S INTERVIEW WITH JEFFREY B. ALLEN
Print
Email
