The dreams that transport Zac to a realm of myths he calls the "Other Place" take second place to his growing love for Cecile, a schoolteacher tormented by her own troubled past. When a creature from the "Other Place" attempts to trap Zac in its realm, Cecile must face her own inner demons before she can rescue him. Barlow's first novel draws on images from myths and legends to tell a tale of lovers drawn apart by forces beyond their control. This modern fantasy thriller belongs in large fantasy and horror collections.
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From Booklist
Our hero, Zac, has fantastic dreams that turn out to be real, but when he is in the other world of the dreams, he can't be waked in the real world. When he is dragged into a dream unwillingly, the resultant coma convinces his girlfriend, Cecile, to have him hospitalized. Meanwhile, Zac is fighting toward the center of the labyrinth in which the evil power that forces him into the other world resides. Ostensibly, his goal is saving Cecile from seduction by the evil power. Meanwhile, Cecile's life is falling apart. Zac's brother won't tell her what is going on, neither will the hospital, and she fears losing him altogether. Also, she is receiving mysterious notes and fears her stepfather has returned to take belated vengeance on her. She clings to the kindness of a neighbor who is none too subtle with his flirtations. An unusually strong ending, acknowledging that events have changed Zac and Cecile and that all might not be roses from here on out, redeems the book. Regina Schroeder
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