In a shallow basin of water, separated from a vast ocean by a narrow isthmus, two children play secretly. Behind them lies a dense rainforest, within which two communities wait divided. Both children were born into the tribe, but only one has stayed.

Half-way across the world, a young journalist follows them in his dreams, waking up each morning with no recollection of what he has seen. In his waking life, he begins to feel the tug of an unfamiliar and alien emotion, something telling him to leave his life and seek something else.

Alexander Beiner, who goes by the handle “Ostritt” on the Grow Report Forums, sent me this book for review last month. As the story begins, the rainforest civilization and the Western civilization are juxtaposed. Alex, the young journalist, goes to a party with his friends after being offered a job. He keeps having dreams about a girl, Anjuiga, who lives in the rainforest.

Once Alex arrives for his story about the rainforest, he befriends a crew of scientists studying the local environment. After a few nights with them, he decides to venture alone into the rainforest. His journey into the heart of the jungle is very interesting and he meets quite an array of characters. Eventually, he figures out the where his intuition is leading him and what for. I won’t ruin his discovery for you, so you will just have to read the book for yourself.

The ending of the book was very interesting. Beiner attempts to convey a psilocybin mushroom experience through his writing, which is a very difficult task. He does a decent job, even opting to include some of his own handwritten notes. I was satisfied with the ending of the book, although I couldn’t help but wonder what happened to his friends back in Western civilization, who remind me of some of my own friends. All in all though, the book is a good read and will keep you entertained for quite a while. I definitely will look forward to any further releases from Beiner.

You can find more information on the book at his website Beyond The Basin.

4/5 Stars. 358 pages. Published 2009.