Alone. Stranded. Richards Parks, a college student from Washington State, finds himself on Other World, a place of fantasy and horror. With no companion but a makeshift journal, Richard must quickly learn the unfamiliar dangers around him as he struggles daily to survive. From the approach of winter to eerily intelligent packs of nightmarish creatures, each entry details another trial of life or death. But when Richard finds the remnants of an ancient civilization, he begins to wonder if he is truly alone, and whether or not the lost people of Other World still hold the secrets that could return him home to Earth.
Told in the form of journal entries, this book is an intriguing exploration of the psyche. Richard records his life while trapped in an alien environment, eventually coming to a point where he–unknowingly–regards the notebook as a listener to whom he’s telling a story. He grows and regresses and grows again. Sometimes he can tell that’s happening, and sometimes he can’t.
There is a lot of minutia, though I imagine the little details of survival would occupy one’s mind quite a bit in this type of situation. Generally, it works, as his excitement, despair, fear, and pride show through. There were a few places that I glazed over for a paragraph or two as bizarre creatures were described, but these bits were few and far between.
While it’s good, the only thing this book couldn’t manage was to keep me from putting it down. I had no trouble tearing myself away from it. On the other hand, I also had no trouble picking it back up. The short sections and entries really worked well for wedging a bit of reading here and there into a busy day.
As others have said, this is a lot like Castaway, only set on an alien planet instead of an island. If you liked Castaway, you’ll like Lost Under Two Moons.