Never try to open the locked doors.
Never question what you are told.
And never attempt to cross the Boundary.


The entire blurb had me intrigued, but this is the part that really caught my eye and sparked my curiosity. (What are there locked doors? Why is total obedience required? And what the heck is the Boundary?)

It's been quite some time since I read this book, and my lingering impressions of it are few and far between. Given my rating, I suppose it was enjoyable enough to read, though I recall some minor annoyances along the way. (Given the setting, it was likely due to details or language that didn't quite fit the setting, as that is usually the case.)

I wasn't particularly motivated to go on and read the next book in the trilogy at the time, and it's unlikely that I ever will.

I received an advance reading copy of this book courtesy of Lodestone Books via Netgalley.

BoundaryThe Other Horizons Trilogy - Book One by Mary Victoria Johnson.
Never try to open the locked doors. Never question what you are told. And never attempt to cross the Boundary. Kept inside an eerie estate for their entire lives, Penny and her five friends have had no contact with the outside world, with their only windows being a handful of books, a sinister master and a secretive housekeeper. Fed up of living a mystery, Penny begins breaking all the rules and finally tries to escape; but what she uncovers is far more devastating than she could have imagined. It rapidly becomes a deadly struggle for the truth in a world where nothing is what it seems, and friendship can be either your greatest weapon...or your biggest liability.
Very good read. 4*.

I'm sorry I was not able to read and review this book before it was archived due to serious health issues

Thank you so much for allowing me to read and review your titles.
I do appreciate it and continue to review books that I get the chance to read.
Thanks again!

This book was absolutely fantastic. I've already added it to our library collection and will recommend it to students.

Amazing read! I loved it! How can a book get into your skin like that! So much mystery, such a well written book

This flowed so well that there a couple nights I didn't stop reading until I saw the sky lightening on a new day. This is dark and edgy. There was never a moment where I said this is a good point to take a rest. Ugh. No. There was no rest while reading this fresh take on YA Fantasy. A word to the wise...you'll want the second book by your side to pick up right away. 😉

Five 15 years olds have lived their whole lives in a sprawling estate, with only a terrifying Master and a secretive housekeeper for company and a dangerous #Boundary that’s keeps them inside the estate.

Penny decides she has had enough of being trapped and having no contact with the outside world, and so begins to defy the rules in hope of escape. Her actions lead to ‘trials’ for them to endure in order to escape. But can they all escape?

This sounded like a Victorian Hunger Games, but unfortunately I liked the premise rather than the actual book. It was a very slow burn, and the ending set up for a sequel, and wasn’t at all satisfying. I found the whole book to be confusing, and no answers were given. This book just isn’t for me.

Thank you to #NetGalley and the publisher for my free copy in return for an unbiased review.

Thanks for the copy! Well, the blurb was quite promising but the actual story and the writing style didn't go well with me, unfortunately. I hate to say negative things about books, but I really didn't like this one. It was messy and hard to follow.

A slow burn plot adds to this atmospheric read. it was the fear it instilled made sure i couldn't put it down.

While this had an interesting premise, that was the only thing of merit about Boundary. It was one of the very few books I've read that I've thought about DNFing. The characters were flat and 2 dimensional. Their thought processes made no sense. The dialogue and character interactions were absolutely terrible and I spent most of the book rolling my eyes at them. The villains weren't scary, and while the characters kept talking about how much they feared him, then they would go up and sass him. These kids who in theory are friends - and you would think family after literally living their entire lives together - don't seem to actually like each other. The end product was that it read like a terrible version of a Victorian version of the Hunger Games. Would absolutely not recommend.

I thought the tone of this book was spot on! Menacing and eerie but with just the amount of reliability to keep Young Adults hooked. Loved the description of this book and it did not disappoint! Really kept me on the edge of my seat.

The definition of Boundary is something that a teenager will attempt to cross every time they are told not to. Penny and her friends grew up isolated with everything they could need. But, in a gothic Victorian style mansion. Sounds awesome in my opinion. The story has a dark menacing vibe to it that's great for atmospheric feels. Of course, these kids cause some trouble and stuff happens that I won't tell you. Overall a good read. Thanks to NetGalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

Boundary by Victoria Johnson
BLURB~
“Never try to open the locked doors. Never question what you are told. And never attempt to cross the Boundary. Kept inside an eerie estate for their entire lives, Penny and her five friends have had no contact with the outside world, with their only windows being a handful of books, a sinister master and a secretive housekeeper. Fed up of living a mystery, Penny begins breaking all the rules and finally tries to escape; but what she uncovers is far more devastating than she could have imagined. It rapidly becomes a deadly struggle for the truth in a world where nothing is what it seems, and friendship can be either your greatest weapon...or your biggest liability.”
REVIEW~
The premise of this book was very intriguing. It is the first in The Other Horizons Trilogy. I don’t want to give too much away, so suffice it to say the blurb does a good job of reeling you in and letting you know the basic plot outline. I am not sure the cover does the story justice. I would probably have looked this book over this, but it is quite an interesting read.
The writer uses very descriptive language throughout the story.  You can become immersed even in the mundane experience of the youth’s lives in the manor and their feelings.  There were a few typos but none distracting enough to keep my mind wandering from the plot. The plot, by the way, was very thought out and it drew me in almost immediately.  The mystery and suspense were great.
The characters were endearing and compelling though they seemed a bit younger than 15. I attribute this to their sheltered life. The menacing manor master was portrayed very well, as were the cook/nanny, Ms. Beatrix. I like the characters and became engulfed in the story when the action really got going.
It was an easy and enjoyable read that I was able to finish in a day, off & on. I found that when I left it to go attend to a chore, I wanted to get back to it. I am looking forward to the next book to see what happens and how some things wrap up and some questions can be answered. The author certainly has a talent for mystery and suspense writing as she leads you right to a point where you want to continue with the books.
Definitely worth the read. I would recommend it to younger audiences as well. The writing is not so that it would be “above their heads” and there aren’t any naughty scenes or anything like that. I could actually see it being made into a film. Overall, I will give this book a 4.75.
I was given this book by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
This review, or portions thereof, will be posted (when able) on Amazon, B&N, Goodreads, Kobo, IG, FB, Pinterest, Litsy, and my own blog.
Unfortunately, I am unable to provide links to all sites as I am using my phone.
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Litsy~ Karylahn or Karyl White

A new series is always a draw for me. I love being able to watch characters develop and adapt. This trilogy looks to be one I will find satisfying through the end. The description drew me in, describing the main theme of the book in an excellent manner.
6 children are being raised in a Victorian mansion where they never want for anything. There are a few rules, mainly never try to cross the boundary. Their education teaches them there is much beyond the boundary but they are forbidden to cross it. Being teenagers, if there is a rule, it must be broken.
This is book one in a planned trilogy that will undoubtedly only get better as it progresses.

The challenge put upon Penny and the others was a wonderfully imaginative story line. Fantasy to the full It was well written, with lots of humor, and a novel I'd read again!I would love to read the next installment as this book leaves some questions unanswered. The story while moving a little slow at first quickly picks up and has you racing to read to the end as you wonder what could actually be happening.

This book would have so much potential if the writer got an excellent editor to fix all the grammar and spelling errors. Also, some of the plot could have flowed better instead of having the reader wonder what the writer is trying to say. I understand she was young when she wrote this and while I applaud her efforts, she should have waited a year or so then rewritten it. I do not believe that this book is at its full potential and the trials could have been explained better along with the rips and what the heck faeries had to do with anything. I was confused about who was speaking at times as the characters did not have distinct voices.
I am sure the author has matured in her writing by now, and all of her future books will be amazing.
For my full review check out my blog at https://bookgirlreviewsbooks.blogspot.com.

3/5 stars

This story made me think of Harry Potter meets Doctor Who but in such a strange, crazy, messed up way? The writing was good and initially, the story was very intriguing and engaging but it started going down a very weird path at some point. It's probably mainly because there were so many mysterious things going on, too many riddles unsolved and unexplained, all those bizarre things without a head or a tail going on, it was all too much. I think it would have been better if some questions were answered, it might have been a lot easier to follow that way. There were absolutely no explanations though and my confusion just kept increasing as I progressed through the book. The ending kind of blew my mind, I really don't understand what's happened at this point. I mean, it wasn't bad, I feel like the idea behind this was good, it's just that there were a lot of missteps in the execution. Hopefully the sequel makes more sense.

Penny and her friends live a life of luxury in a mansion, spending their time free of the outside world and its problems. One day, however, Penny begins to question the boundary that holds them in, and how they even got there.

The premise for Boundary is extremely intriguing and everything started out very good. As the book went on, though, things got a little mundane and not much was ever resolved. I didn't feel much connection with any of the characters, and the parts I enjoyed most were the setting.

While I enjoyed the overall ambiance created in Boundary, the actual story felt rushed. There was an unfinished quality to the book which could be explained by the author's lack of experience. Of course, Johnson still has plenty of time to grow as an author and if this is her first attempt into the world of YA then she certainly has the capacity to exceed expectations. The characters fell a little flat but were in the majority likable which aided the reading experience. With a little more practice and a little more patience I think the concept for this story could go far.