Outview by Brandt Legg
Sarah’s Review
Frankly, I am usually not a paranormal kind of person; that genre seems to go in one ear and out the other. Imagine my surprise when I started reading Brandt Legg’s Outview and was totally hooked from beginning to end!
I am, however, a sucker for great characters I can relate to, and this author certainly does not disappoint. Enter Nate, a teenager experiencing repeatedly violent visions/dreams and worrying he’s going insane. Added to the mix is a beloved dead father, a distant mother, a brother who’s been committed to a mental institution, two Vietnamese-born best friends, and a fatherly neighbor, Sam. Totally believable and, in the case of his best friends, extremely likeable, this cast instantly helps draw the reader into Nate’s life. More and more, Nate discovers that not only is he not insane, he actually possesses mystical powers. Now, normally, this is the point where I would jump off, but not so in this book, because the way these Buddhist-like, reincarnation-oriented powers are explained and demonstrated is totally authentic and plausible. Now, that takes talent!
In short, this book grabbed me–Legg’s beautiful, movie-like descriptions of different time-traveling, portal-based lands were wonderful; his philosophical take on the evils of corporate and political greed and power, riveting and spot-on, and his basic storytelling outstanding. A true, 5 star recommended read!
Read on for more about Outview and Brandt Legg!