Reviews

Between the Shadow and Lo by Lauren Sapala

jasraj's review

dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

5.0

After devouring her non-fiction books, I wanted to get to know Lauren's story better. This first memoir centres her no-holds-barred early adulthood years in Seattle's 1990s nightlife scene. Grabbed me from the first page. 

kmalexander's review

5.0

We’ve all known someone who’s battled addiction, we’ve seen it destroy lives and ruin relationships. Yet, we struggle to understand it. Lauren Sapala’s Between the Shadow and Lo confronts the blight of addiction head on, and it does so beautifully. The prose is haunting and poetic taking you on a cyclical tour through the life of Leah, a young woman living and drinking her way through Seattle in the early 2000s. Her tale is raw and unabashed—some would say transgressive—but it is oh so important. The details—at times funny, sometimes tragic, yet always reflective—are an intimate window into the mind of a person struggling with addiction and mental illness. In that way, the novel opens a door. It makes the reader see the person beyond the symptoms. As dark as the journey becomes there is a light. We build empathy for Leah, and on the way, it leaves a little room for hope. Outstanding.