The Shaman Boy is the transformational story of a boy living in what some would categorize as a dystopia. This novel unsettles conventions of time and defies traditional categorization of alternate worlds. It is an intricately woven tapestry of dense description in both poetic form and prose. Coarse language contradicts the poetic strains reminding the audience that the world is often an eclectically beautiful contradiction. Exotic language is fused in the text to allow the reader to escape into a linguistic journey across distant and foreign lands. Unlike a traditional hero's journey, the protagonist Drum does not physically travel to these new and unfamiliar places. As his physical and psychological character shifts, the space that surrounds him mirrors his change. The peppering of triumph and challenge draws an intimate parallel to the universalities of life. While at the same time the fusion of the magical and spiritual realms demonstrates the possibilities when approaching the world with an open mind. Each unexpected experience in this fiction begs the comparison to our contemporary social ideals and calls the reader to question their own life philosophies. This is a story of love and loss that will be sure to leave your jaw dropping all along the way.