Reviews with content warning for Homophobia - The Between: A Novel

<strong>What a debut!</strong>

I read this book for a bookclub I'm in (shout-out to the Ghoulish Discord bookclub!) and I'm very pleased with the pick! It is truly very well written, and it's really hard to believe that this was her debut novel. The characterizations were excellent, and it was easy to slip into Hilton's head as he felt like he was losing his sanity.

By the end I very much cared about each person, and dreaded the conclusion. Even though there were plenty of clues leading up to the final moments, and I had a good idea of what was going to happen, it didn't lessen the emotional impact when it came.

There is a reason Tananarive Due is so well regarded, and this book illustrates it clearly.

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oinkoink's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Eerie, unsettling, disturbing. Major racism TW. You really get a close-and-personal ride along inside the mind of a man becoming undone. Had me questioning what was supernatural vs. clinical all the way to the end, which I both did and didn't like.

given that there were in fact supernatural elements at play, it would've been nice to have a bit more depth/lore/exploration in that department.

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seawarrior's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Dazzling with imagery and mystery, The Between presents a horror story on multiple fronts that keeps the reader disoriented with every chapter. Due's characters propel the plot, where their rich histories and personalities provide the necessary depth to pull us into their world. The most frightening part of this story is not so much what Hilton is experiencing supernaturally, but how he lacks the knowledge to make sense of it once he realizes that his family is under threat by a racist terrorist who is undoubtedly real. The secret of his dreams unravels slowly, but once revealed, the surrounding unexplainable events instantly line up into a rational narrative, which I appreciate as a reader who aches for stories to make sense.

I highly recommend this book to those interested in unconventional horror novels, but please be warned that the threat of racist violence hangs heavy over the James family throughout most of the book, and the verbal intimidations issued by the perpetrator are more than disturbing to read. If that's something you're able to stomach though, I imagine you will also become quickly engrossed in this story and Due's skill in writing it.

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