Hamlet Dreams,Used

Product Description Zac has always thought himself master of the Other Place, the fantasy world he visits in his dreams. But when Zac falls in love with Cecile and decides to forsake his fantasies, he angers the power behind the Other Place: someoneor somethingthat won't let him leave.Trapped in an unearthly dream, Zac must confront horrors spawned deep within his mind. At risk is his own life, and also Cecile'sfor the bridge between reality and fantasy goes both ways. From Library Journal 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. Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc. 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 SchroederCopyright American Library Association. All rights reserved Review 'Sobering and reaffirming; a fine opening turn upon the stage.' Paul di Filipppo, Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine, May, 2002An unusually strong ending. Booklist Magazine, January 1, 2002Sexual navet lures lovers into psychic and mortal dangers; wellhoned prose; a fine opening turn upon the stage. Asimov's, May, About the Author Jennifer Barlow graduated from Duke University with a degree in physical anthropology. She has since put that degree to good use as a dog groomer, a test scorer, and a technical writer. A native of Philadelphia, she now resides in Durham, North Carolina, where her interests include ballroom dance, bridge, and needlepoint.