My take on: Otherwise

After a devastating loss, Delilah Gray is returning to her childhood home. If you can really it a home. Her grandmother, Meema, has passed away and has left Delilah with a huge burden. Meema was a hoarder, and now Delilah is left with the mess. But there is more than just garbage in Meema's little cottage. When we meet Delilah, she just magically appeared in the town of Green Lake. How did she get there? Is she really there?

But I have to be honest, the hoarding angle is what drew me into Otherwise by Jennifer B. White. I don't get hoarding from that cover. I'm thinking Twilight when I look at that cover. But fortunately this story isn't about vampires. 

Cleaning out Meema's house is no easy task. Or is it? Cleaning supplies show up in the house out of nowhere. Who put them there? The house is eventually cleaned one day, but then days later it's trashed again. What is going on? How is that even possible? There has to be a force greater than man at work here. A clean home doesn't become hoarded over night.

The town of Green Lake is rather strange. Flower shop owner Winnie can see her dead husband. The mysterious Shane pops out of nowhere every time Delilah is around, and he disappears just as quickly. Delilah feels a strong attraction to Shane, but doesn't understand the attraction. What does Shane do for a living? Where does he live? Why does he really want to be around Delilah? I'm left wondering what is he hiding? Why is he so mysterious? A "friend" of his, Casimir, is equally mysterious. He comes and goes much like Shane.

Delilah knows something is going on in town. But she can't put her finger on it. She is dealing with the loss of her daughter Kendall. In the midst of her grief, Delilah has an unbelievable vision. She sees Meema in the house. How? Why? Is she going crazy? What is real and what isn't? I had a hard time figuring that out, and so was Delilah. Winnie and Shane shed a little light on the situation. Green Lake is no ordinary town. I saw it as a town for wandering souls. They're not ready to leave the physical earth, they still want to feel like they are apart of the world. As the Keeper, Casimir helps the dead make a choice to between the physical and spiritual world. Shane is the gravedigger for lost souls, helping them find a final resting place. And, as the Sender, Winnie helps souls on their journey into the after life.

Everyone seems to have a place, but what is Delilah's place? She doesn't understand what's going on. Who is real? Who is dead?

This was a departure for me. I tend to gravitate to books based in reality, which sometimes made it hard for me to connect with the book. But there are a lot of good elements in the book. The town is very mysterious and unusual. You start wondering what is real and what isn't? Is there a future for Delilah and Shane? Will Delilah overcome her grief? It's a paranormal story, but with some human touches mixed in. Give it a whirl!!

Rating: Give it a try


Note: I received a copy of the book from the publisher (OakIvy) in exchange for an honest review.