American Elsewhere

I am always thrilled to find a book with a unique premise and this book certainly provides one. The plot is unlike anything I have read before and the story is well written. I cared about the characters from the first chapter and I found the end to be logical and satisfying. A good story with a good conclusion populated by believable and likable characters - it doesn’t get any better than that. This is a heck of a good book and if you are a fantasy/scifi fan, you could do much worse than spending a few hours reading it. (PS the Audible narration is pretty good, too.)

The product: When ordered again from amazon to give someone as a gift, it came with sticky glue all over the book, including the covers, spine, and pages. Didn't return because the occasion will pass during the time it will take to receive replacement and can't just order a new one and wait for the refund on this one because it's suddenly twice the price. Very disappointed. Drop a star for that reason.The book:Review based on ARC.Where to begin...This is a cross between sci-fi, fantasy, and "lite" horror, with some conspiracy, mystery, and supernatural thriller thrown in. It was a fun book, a quick read, and satisfying in the end. Mona Bright's father dies at the beginning of the book and, as a consequence, Mona discover that she has inherited a house she never knew existed, in a town she has never heard of, from a mother she never really knew and who died when Mona was about five. Mona is unable to find Wink, NM on any maps and, only as she actually draws close to where Wink appears to be located, based on its proximity to a mesa, has anyone even heard of the town.Mona finally finds idyllic Wink, with its perfect lawns and perfect small-town folk, and begins the process of discovering who she is and, much more importantly to Mona, who her mother is. The existence of Mona's mother appears to be wrapped in secrecy and top-governmental confidentiality. No one remembers her mother, even those who have lived in Wink their whole lives. But the longer Mona hangs around and the deeper she digs, the more she uncovers about not only her mother, but about the town and all of its inhabitants.Bennett explores science-fiction and dips into fantasy in the discussions about pan-dimensional reality, the ability of dimensions to "bruise" each other and permit cross-over, and even touches on theories of alternate realities. There is also "lite-Horror" and supernatural thriller in the inhabitants of Wink, their "monsters" who rule the nights, and the monsters who plague the monsters. The story progresses not only through the single narrative of Mona attempting to discern the mystery of Wink and her own past, but also incorporates the perspectives of other more peripheral characters, those who do not even live in Wink, those who are merely doing as they're told, and those who suffer at the hands of the "monsters" and the monsters' monsters.The story is ultimately about discovery of self and the exploration of familial relations, and Bennett does a nice job of weaving something of a moral into the backdrop of a small town mystery-horror. ... This review may seem a little dry, and that's because (1) trying to summarize a 600-page novel must omit all of the interesting little details, and (2) more importantly, none of this novel should be ruined ahead of time. Each discovery is worth the discovery.The book didn't blow my mind. It didn't make me think that maybe, just maybe.... maybe this could happen. It didn't floor me with a baffling skill of writing or cause me to completely surrender all notions of reality. But I really enjoyed American Elsewhere and highly recommend. Although it was a longer novel, and my life is incredibly busy these days, I stayed up long past bedtime and ignored other necessary tasks in order to read just a little bit more, just a little bit more.... just a little bit more of this novel.I easily red a couple hundred pages in one sitting, and that, if nothing else makes it a worth-reading book. Fortunately, there is more to this book than its simply being a quick read. Bennett's interesting theories on dimension-bruising and his willingness to explore some of the more extreme science-fiction and supernatural areas are impressive amidst a story that takes place in the present world "as we know it," managing to present a sort of magical realism that pushes the boundaries of "reality."Overall, I highly recommend to anyone who enjoys sci-fi, fantasy, lite-horror, supernatural thrillers, and the like.

While I had some minor issues with the writing here and there, I think overall the story is great and definitely worth reading.

The setting for this book is everything, it sets a very Americana town that's not quite what it seems. This part of the novel is great, and probably the book's strongest point. It's other strong point is how well it describes the human experience as something foreign to someone else. I'd give it give stars but the novel takes about 100 pages too long to reach its conclusion, and the way it does seems out of step with the rest of the story. Without spoiling anything imagine an episode of the X-Files but the second part is Mulder turning into a superhero, it just doesn't fit the narrative. Overall a good story though; set aside a few weeks for it though.

This is what Lovecraft might be writing, if he was writing today. Many twists that keep you guessing, and eldritch horrors every step of the way. Cthulhu might be hard pressed to beat this book's villain.

...it seems that Bennett won me over. I picked this up after seeing it recommended in some kind of hokey Buzzwords list. It was the title that did it for me - and once I read the first scene, it had me by the balls.More or less.American Elsewhere is a thriller, or horror, about the creepiest small town you've never heard of. It's got things that go bump in the night. And in the day. It's got monsters from another world. It's got a drifter, your basic hero, but with real punch and style. And, near as I can tell, it has about three hundred thousand or so kilograms of pure heroin.I'm not going to liken this to King, because I don't think Bennett's style is like King's at all. That's not to say if you like King you'll hate Bennet, or the other way around, it's just that it's different, good in its own way. I'm not really into "horror" books because I don't find them scary, but I very much enjoyed Bennett's turn of phrase: the way he writes kept me cranking those pages. It's a book you don't want to put down, and when you do, you're looking forward to picking it up again.If you wanted to be picky, there's a few things to be aware of. American Elsewhere is replete with harsh language. I love that kind of thing, it feels legitimate when used the right way, but it's a personal thing for a reader. The book is long, and if you're low on patience and want to scramble to the end rather than enjoying the journey, you might be frustrated - so much of this story is in the telling of it.The ending of this book is good. Really good. Pretty much everything is squared away, stacked in neat little boxes for you, and it passes you out on a high note. You can be sure that not everyone's going to make it out alive, but you won't be disappointed with the care and attention given to wrapping up a story to leave you ... satisfied.

There's a bit of sci-fi in the build up but it's mostly about meeting 'the other', in a setting of unsettling strangeness rather than simple conflict. The protagonist is engaging, the characters are quirky but believable, and the story moves along quickly while still allowing for foreshadowing. Several times I thought 'I can see where this is going' only for the next chapter to tidy it up and move on to the next thing - very enjoyable. A great read.

I loved the author’s book Mr Shivers so was really looking forward to American Elsewhere. I first heard about the book when browsing the Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge group forum on Good Reads and knew I had to read it. I loved the concept of the book. The book opens with intrigue with Mona trying to find Wink, the town she’s never heard of and can’t trace, a place where she’s supposed to have inherited a house, left by her mother who committed suicide. Why is Wink so difficult to find? Why so secretive? I enjoyed reading about Mona settling in Wink and getting to know the locals while trying to find out about her mother, who worked in a nearby lab but no locals have heard of. Mona gradually learns the truth about Wink. I never saw it coming and it blew me away. I would have loved American Elsewhere but the truth about Wink disappointed me just a smudge. Still, this is a cracking, highly original book.

In my opinion there are several things that make up a good book:A good story, obviously, one that keeps nagging you to go back and read some more.A nice presentation as in nice cover pic, and pages that are warm as in creamy white.The words on the page nicely spaced, unlike those horrific books where the words aresmall and the lines are crammed on the page.And a writing style that sits comfortable on the pages, and straps you in for a nicecomfortable journey.Well....you've found that book right here.OK I've seen reviews pointing out little discrepancies, loose ends untied,but do notlet these minor irritants put you off.This is a bold tale that sends little Mona Bright, ex cop, headlong into the town of WINK,a town of ultra weirdness, a place resonating The Stepford Wives, Invasion Of The Body Snatchers,and serious things that go a mighty bump in the night.Yes, perhaps there are too many characters, and being such a massive book at 662 pages,many odd characters flit in and out. But don't let that put you off.The atmosphere of impending (ultra serious) doom is always on the tip of the next page.This is one book I reckon Stephen King would have been proud of.The author certainly should be.

I've been thinking about a rating for this book while I've been reading it, and it's veered between two stars and five stars.I loved Mr Shivers, and maybe I hoped fur something similar. This is not that book. I loved the idea and the set up, but I never felt immersed in the story and instead at times it just felt like a long slog.

In short, I loved this. I'm a sucker for idyllic small towns in America with dark secrets, so the blurb had me right away. If you are a fan of the best works of Stephen King, HP Lovecraft or Twin Peaks this will be a book you'll love. If you're not a fan of those things this will be a book you'll love!I won't recount the plot but will say that Bennett creates a world full of mystery, secrets and wonder. And most impressive of all is that when the answers to those mysteries start to be revealed the book loses no momentum. The author provides answers to all of the big questions raised and I was left totally satisfied by the conclusion, which is pretty rare, as I'm usually not short of quibbles!Bennett's writes in a clear and straight-forward manner but many of his ideas sparkle with an intelligence. Whilst Lovecraft is clearly an influence on this book, there is also something really fresh about American Elsewhere.One of my favourite novels of recent years.