I struggled with this book, which was super disappointing because I was so excited to read it. I felt as though it read too young, the characters came across a bit too immature, considering the ages they were supposed to be.

Ona was a great character in that she progressed a lot throughout the book. After experiencing awful abuse, she was strong and proud. That being said, I didn't feel particularly attached to her.

The pace of the book was good, although the end came very quickly and almost felt a bit rushed.

The author is clearly very talented, with an amazing writing technique that makes for a good read. I just wasn't particularly into this particular story, unfortunately.

I was provided an e-copy by Netgalley for review.

I could not get through this book, so I didn't think it fair to officially rate it, but my thoughts on it lie around 2/5 stars. I made it around 35-40 percent through before I DNFed.

The writing was my main problem with this novel. It had a relatively immature voice for characters that were supposed to be in college. I think part of the problem with this novel was that it couldn't decide what it wanted to be: the themes and the writing all led to be a YA or even middle-grade novel, but the characters' ages put it at an adult novel. It simply was just not written for an adult audience.

I did, however, love the contrast between the main character's roots in her village and her adulthood spent in a cityscape, at a modern college. I noticed in other reviews that some people disliked this aspect, but I found it very alluring and realistic— (on a smaller scale from this novel) coming from a small town myself, these kinds of situations and disparities do exist in our world, but they are not often portrayed in fiction, so this aspect was very interesting to me.

But the writing really brought me down. I could not get through it, no matter how I tried. Hopefully, this novel will find an audience out there who the writing is more attractive to.

The Place Beyond Her Dreams - Oby Aligwekwe - 2.5/5 Stars
TW: domestic abuse, emotional manipulation

A tale of great loss and great gains, great suffering and great love.
In this story, Aligwekwe takes a deep dive into the complex issues of how we find out life's true purpose and the great costs we pay along the way. A romance at its core, the store also weaves in mystery and fantasy elements, making for an interesting read.

The plot of this book was not my favorite. The plot twists were cliche, to the point they surprised me in their simplicity. The resolution of the novel felt a bit simplistic. After the suffering Ona had gone through just to live her life, everything falling neatly into place with little effort at the end didn't feel like a good payoff. The story felt very real up to a point, with Ona facing tough choices and having to deal with the conflicting priorities of true love, safety, and duty to family. Then, in the end, a convenient solution comes along that makes the tough choice she had to make a very easy choice, and then all the pieces to bring about the resolution of this choice fall easily into place. Crimes that have been committed for at least 20 years in secret are revealed by simple slips of the tongue and barefaced admissions with little or no prompting. Again, the novel was compelling up to a point, then the payoff at the end, though it is the ending I was rooting for, felt like a total let down.

My biggest problem with this book, and why I've given it such a low rating, is that even though the main character is an African woman with much of her own agency, it feels like her entire existence is only there to serve the plots of the 3 central men in her life. She goes to a secret world, simply to be a pupil of her grandfather. She is abused, solely to add a dark character element to her otherwise perfect fiance. And she is there as a target, solely to service the social advancement of her true love. It doesn't feel like the main character in the story serves her own plot at any point in the book. When she develops her talents to access Luenah, it is at the behest of her love. When there is a miscommunication caused by eavesdropping and a hasty decision of Okem, her true love, she is the one that apologizes during their reunion. Throughout the entire story, she is told to find her purpose in life, but she never does anything beyond being in a relationship with a man. The story was very disappointing in this aspect.

I had very high hopes for this book and I was let down immensely. That being said, if cliche romance is your thing, then this book is for you. I was excited for an own voices fantasy novel with an exciting female main character and was let down quite a bit.

If you are looking for a traditional parable with a strong moral center look no further than Oby Aligwekwe’s The Place Beyond Her Dreams. Set in Africa between two warring towns, this tale of Ona’s coming of age is sure to inspire young adult readers with messages about the consequences of our choices, the difficult journey to find our own power and purpose, and how to find our way back when we go astray. There are plenty of twists and turns along Ona’s journey that will likely surprise and enthrall young adult readers. Be aware there is a darker thematic element dealing with physical abuse and overcoming its repercussions that is not graphic in nature.

Ona’s grandfather is a dignified and respected chief of Ntebe which has been at odds with its neighboring town of Ide for many years. When the household takes in Ona from Ntebe and an older boy named Okem from Ide, the two children bond quickly and become steadfast companions as they grow up together. Enter the most eligible bachelor in the region, the Crown Prince Albert who has taken a fancy to Ona and begins courting her.

Choosing between the men she loves is no easy thing. Their contrasting personalities and perspectives offer Ona the possibility of happiness in different ways. Okem is a kind-hearted, wise, and gentle protector while Albert believes in more traditional ways that may have outgrown their purpose in the modern world. While riots continue to escalate in the towns, Ona’s relationship with both men is at the center of her conflict as she struggles to find strength from the trials placed before her by her own actions.

Integral to Ona’s story is the paradise of Luenah, a fantastical place only some chosen people can access. It serves as a place of wisdom where her grandfather’s spirit gives her a special box as a rite of passage. To stay in Luenah, Ona must place something of great value in the box. Finding the answer to what that is surrounds the central conflict of the tale. By the end of the story, Ona and the readers may come to understand that our journey is often the destination itself even if we wander or fall from our path from time to time. It is in those places that we are tested and have the potential to become stronger than we ever thought possible.

** Thank you to Eclat Books and NetGalley for the advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest, unbiased review **

A brilliant and intricate story, very creative and with mature elements such as domestic violence and self-improvement.

The lack of effective characterisation really let this book down for me - I had no reason to like or root for any of the characters. In fact, the narration was thin and I found the main character a little unlikeable.

Having said that, the plot and the twists in this tale along with the alternate world element are very imaginative. The book pushes you to reflect on your faith and your morals.

Thanks NetGalley for giving me a read of this book in exchange for a fair review.

I wasn't blown away with the book, but I did like some of the character development in Ona that she became stronger after she had experienced the horrific abuse that she did. The story was simple enough to follow, but I felt that the involvement of a mystical place was more of shoehorned in that the feature. I liked the philosophical elements to the story, like the advice that the grandfather gave really made me think about my own life and how I act in it.
There were some problematic instances; abuse, the idea that Okem and Ona (who were raised in a brother/sister way) had a romantic relationship, legitimately nobody calling out the horrid attitudes from any character especially the sexist and abusive ones. What I liked were the political and civil unrest side of things, and I wish there was more of it in the book. Overall, I thought the story was decent. It did hold my interest but there was something missing in the writing style that just didn't make me love the book. I feel that there should be a content warning added to the book when it is released though as it could trigger someone. I would not say this is for younger readers at all, but for adults. If you like realistic fiction with a slight whimsical magic added into it, then I think you would like the book.

I really couldn't get into the story! Maybe not my kind of tale cause the pace was too slow! Hoping that the book finds its readership! Did not finish.

DNF @ 21%

I had to quit at 21% because I just didn't give a single shit about anything or anyone. This is a whimsical book, reads a bit young, needing some edits, but it is an ARC. It isn't a bad book, I just couldn't get invested. I didn't want to know what happened next, and I have a lot of books on my TBR, so I gotta move on.

I had a big fantasy block and tried to stay away from it because it couldn't get into it. But this story catched my eye, so i gave it a try and it sucked me right in. A beautiful young adult story that has everything to be something big. A fmc that tries to find her place in this world. A mc who has been in love with the fmc since childhood. A devastaning death. Unknow magic powers. And one hell of a journey to find their place in this world.

It was so easy to read that i was sucked right in and couldn't stop until i finished this book. The way its written it so easy to get lost in your mind in this amazing beautiful setting of Africa.

This is definitly a author to keep your eye on!


*i got a free arc from Netgalley and leave this review voluntarily.

Thanks to the publisher for providing an eARC of The Place Beyond Her Dreams in exchange for an honest review.

In theory this book isn't my type, but Aligwekwe's handles it so well that I was surprised to find myself thoroughly invested from beginning to end.

The Place Beyond her Dreams is a high-society romance with fantasy overtones set in Africa with some heavy religious overtones and considering I tend to stay away from high-society dramas and am not religious, I figured I'd picked up a bad book for my personal tastes and would slug through it, but I was pleasantly surprised by how wrapped up I got in this story. The ending is a tad rushed but other than that, this is a really immersive, unique story. If I liked it even though this is the exact type of story I normally flee from, then that means that if this is normally your genre, you've definitely got to give this one a shot.

This is the story of a woman and how she finally fulfills her purpose using advice and guidance from a certain family member who passed to the next plane of life.
A story about finding what we're all here for mixed with a Hamlet like treason plot to the local royal family, a heavy love triangle and a dash of spirituality and a lot of drama.

I find that the book had a lot of potential, and maybe if I was a bit younger I would have enjoyed it more and not thought about the lack of coherence in the plot a bit less. The characterization was quite nice and I thoroughly enjoyed seeing Ona find this new world after going through a major trauma. I would still recommend this but maybe to a slightly younger audience.

First a trigger warning for the following things might be appropriate: domestic abuse, death of a family member.

This book features two of the Tropes one associates with YA literature: coming of age and the love triangle.

I think this book might be more onn the younger end of YA regarding the writing style but the story itself seems to be interesting for all ages and geners even though I suspect the target audience are teenage girls.

The cultural aspects in this are certainly interesting and I think it works well with the story not being so heavily focused on its magical aspects (even though I was a bit disappointed by this).

I had a bit of trouble rooting for the main character. I did not really connect with her and her struggles but I don't have to because the story in itself is great and I can understand the main character.

4 mysterious and ethereal stars

This book is a coming-of-age novel that features a love triangle and a touch of mystery. This book follows Ona, a girl who finds out she is an Eri and can travel to another world. She must learn to find her balance and her place in the world. Torn between choosing a houseboy who she has grown up with and a prince from a neighboring town, Ona must choose wisely who will help her find her purpose and who will cause her to lose herself.

What initially drew me to this book was the intriguing cover art. The next thing that drew me in was that it was a fantasy set in Africa. I went for the book on those two things alone and I can say that I am not disappointed. I loved the ending and the coming-of-age theme with a mysterious twist. Once the book picked up, I found myself having a hard time putting it down. The writing style was lovely and very detailed. I liked the two main male characters and the way they developed throughout the book.

The beginning of the book was a bit slow and the ending seemed a little rushed to me. I would have liked to see story after the climax so that all my questions were answered. The main character left me exasperated at times as she seemed to claim exhaustion and put off her feelings and problems using the excuse
*I received an ARC for free for my honest review

Amazing work by this author. I hardly read fantasy, but when I heard about a fantasy set in Africa, I went for it. Though it was light on the fantasy and gave more romance, I still enjoyed it and would recommend to my network.

This book really surprised me. I didn't really know what to expect when I started reading this book.
I thought this book had a great fantasy story and was very well planned and thought out, as well as being very nicely paced.

I really liked the connections that were formed between characters. For the small size of the book it holds a lot of story.

Unfortunately for me I wasn't able to form much of a connection with the main character. And as much as I really enjoyed the pacing, I wish there would have been a bit more build up leading towards the climax of the story.

This book had a lot of potential. It featured a lovely writing style, but plot-wise it just wasn't there, It felt very jumpy, with events not flowing in a coherent manner. The characters weren't likeable, and the plot was hard to follow. I couldn't tell you what happened in the novel due to how unclear it was. The author is a very talented writer, but I believe this book could have done with further reviewing to make the plot a bit more easy to follow.

A little book full of life lessons. I would have loved a more in dept connection with the characters. A little book with a lot of story.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

This book, The Place Beyond Her Dreams, is suited for an early high schooler. The writing style isn’t very sophisticated, though some of the topics are.
The story itself was interesting and well thought out. It is a fantasy set in Africa and the reader is very quickly thrown int the deep end. I was quickly able to imagine a very different life and landscape than what I’m used to hearing about in fantasy books and I loved that.
I found it hard to attach myself to the characters because the writing style itself is sort of detached. You are told what is happening and what the character feels, but you aren’t shown or immersed in it. This seems very much like the start of the Author’s journey into writing larger stories.

An interesting premise with a great style of writing. I haven’t read anything quite like it. Time moves fast in this book and we watch the protagonist, Ona, grow up and her adult struggles between two loves. Eventually she is stuck in an awful relationship and with the help of her connection to Luenah, finds her true love and purpose.

CW: violence, domestic abuse, death of a family member, grief