Whateverland
by
Zachary Richards
@aripub
Jim “Gam’pa” August was living the dream. Recently
retired and financially comfortable, he spent his care-free days in the company
of his four-year-old grandson Bosco O’Bama the Third. Together they enjoyed all
the amenities of Jim’s personal amusement park, Whateverland. They rode horses
and interacted with the many animals who roamed free in the Land o’ Jungles.
Were awestruck by the amazing demonstrations in Land o’ the Future and thrilled
by the rides and games of chance in the Land o’ the Midway.
Yes, Jim was living the dream and heartily embraced every
minute spent there with his red-haired, gapped-toothed, amazingly brilliant
grandson.
There was only one problem.
None of it was real.
Nearly a year earlier Jim contracted a life-threatening viral infection whose
high fever ravaged his brain and neuro-pathways, leaving him with intermittent
memory loss, vivid long-term hallucinations and an inability to fully function
in the real world.
His two adult daughters, Anne and Eleanor, tended to his needs and kept him out
of trouble during his “hallucinatory excursions”. But now, with his condition
worsening, and them undergoing life-changing experiences of their own, their
everyday life is spinning out of control.
When a period of clarity is brought about by a new experimental drug, Jim is
stunned to see the devastation his illness has had upon his loved ones and
determinedly sets out to make things right before time runs out.
Zackary Richards lives in upstate New York. His first
success, Frostie the Deadman won the Writer's Voice Award for best young
adult novel and was later published by Burns Publishing. He has since written
several new books including a follow up to Frostie the Deadman titled 'Half Moon
Falls' which has been published by Ari Publishing.
In addition he also has
several non-fiction novels titled Divorce-The Middle Aged Man's Survival
Guide, How to Write. Publish & Market Your Novel into a Bestseller, The
Marriage Rules, How to Start Over, Rebuild your Mind, Body & Finances and
five adult fiction novels, Noon-The Rise to Power, The Messiah Complex, The
Dead Machine, a collection of his most popular short stories titled Storytime and his most recent, Noon 2: The Resurgence.
In addition all of his
non-fiction novels are available as audio books through Audible.com See
www.aripublishing.com for new releases.
People are talking
5.0 out of 5 stars
This story of Jim “Gam’pa” August was a
mixture of fantasy, epic adventure, heart-tugging sorrow and laugh out loud
moments. So many times, I found myself
smiling while tears welled behind my
eyes.
The world Jim August lives in, also known
as Whateverland, is not real. However, Jim does not realize it. Trapped inside
the broken recesses of his mind, Jim’s memories misfire, and bits and pieces of
his life are rewired, producing a false environment. A poignant passage spoken
by the caretaker hired by Jim’s daughters, Anne and Eleanor, sums up the crux
of the story line:
“A doctor once told me the brain is like a
computer, and like a computer, when the brain contracts a virus, the
information it stores becomes corrupted, causing a number of completely
unrelated files, that is, memories, to merge.”
The story is told through Jim’s skewed
perspective and the eyes of his daughters. My heart broke for the girls as they
struggle to understand and cope with their father’s diminishing mental state,
all while trying to maintain their own lives.
Tight dialogue, vivid imagery and full of
plenty heart-wrenching pages, Whateverland showcases the talent of the author
and was thoroughly enjoyable.
5.0 out of 5 stars
I want to shout to the world, “Read
“Whateverland!” It has to be the most captivating and heart rendering
story I have read in years. It is brilliant and beautiful. Yes, I cried
through parts of it, but I left the adventure with a big smile pasted on my
heart. This book needs to be grabbed up by the likes of Steven Spielberg and
star Tom Hanks or an actor who has yet to make a name for himself. It wasn’t
just a good book, it was a vivid and moving experience my heart will long
remember.
5.0 out of 5 stars
While "Whateverland" was
difficult for me, initially, it was an ultimately rewarding read. I especially
liked the fact that, while tackling the subject of brain injury/illness, it
does so in a believable way. It sidesteps the usual solipsism (that now banal
twist, "Oh my god! You mean it was all I his head the whole time?!?)typical
of these kinds of stories and plays straight with the reader.
Which, in a way,
is a twist itself.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Clever and entertaining, all rolled into
one. Though fiction, this story takes an unusual look into dementia by
revealing the world created by Jim, a devoted father, that is a blend of his
past life and present surroundings. Although the book contains some of the
author's penchant for action, tension, and tight dialogue, overall it's a great
departure that features his strong
sense of humor and wild imagination.
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