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A review by betwixt_the_pages
Between the Lines by Jodi Picoult, Samantha van Leer
5.0
Delilah is a bit of a loner who prefers spending her time in the school library with her head in a book—one book in particular. Between the Lines may be a fairy tale, but it feels real. Prince Oliver is brave, adventurous, and loving. He really speaks to Delilah.
And then one day Oliver actually speaks to her. Turns out, Oliver is more than a one-dimensional storybook prince. He’s a restless teen who feels trapped by his literary existence and hates that his entire life is predetermined. He’s sure there’s more for him out there in the real world, and Delilah might just be his key to freedom.
A romantic and charming story, this companion novel to Off the Page will make every reader believe in the fantastical power of fairy tales.
- - - - -
Rating: 5/5 Stars
Quick Reasons: an inventive, modern-day spin on classic fairy tales; realistic, captivating characters; gorgeous, flowery prose and quirky, unique details; charming illustations that bring the characters AND the story more fully to life (and are semi-interactive with readers!); graphic, awesome world-building
Before I outline my entire review in bold letters and flowing praise, let's jump into the review, yes? I've read Jodi Picoult before, but it's been a while—her books always leave me very emotionally unstable, and I haven't been feeling masochistic enough for that type of heartache lately. So when I started really paying attention to booklr and uncovered some of the finer details of this read I'd missed before, I freaked—and immediately vowed to pick up a copy as soon as I possibly could. THAT took a while; I went in knowing I NEEDED a hardback version—which I just couldn't seem to find! (Obviously, I did finally find one, as I'm now writing this review; hark, dear readers, I was not let down in the end!)
Jodi Picoult has, in my opinion, always had a knack for world-building. Her stories, while tackling heavy-handed and deeply emotional subjects, have always leapt off the page for me while reading. But THIS book. This book takes world-building to a whole new level—and introduces a huge amount of 4th-wall breaking at the same time. I really LOVED how much the authors played with this technique; I found myself cackling like a mad woman each time. Of course, it helps that I majored in English—I appreciated each subtle nod to the art of story telling, each not-so-subtle mockery of the form. I REALLY appreciated the fact that Oliver knows, perhaps more than anyone, what I've never thought to consider: the characters in a book ALWAYS have larger lives than the one scripted on the pages for them. After all, many authors cut out scenes, leave out details...keep secrets hoarded close to their chests like rare gems. For an author, there's no end to their characters; they live on despite the closing of a book or project.
True to fairy tale form, the characters in the book WITHIN the book (does that even make sense? This is such a hard thing to explain!) stick to their roles pretty well when the book's open and being read...but I LOVE that once the cover closes, we find out there's much more to them. This really helped make them 3 dimensional and realistic for me; obviously there's more to them than what we see. There were so many awesome and unique twists to this, I would be here forever trying to explain all the reasons I loved this read! The same is true for the prose itself—there are THREE different perspectives happening in this book: Delilah, our “real life” girl; Oliver, our “prince” when the book is closed; and the fairy tale, who Oliver is when the pages are being read.
The prose is top-notch in this; there are so many unique, entertaining descriptions and moments. Each section or perspective holds a freshness, a sense of “never been done before” that I fell in love with almost immediately. Even at the beginning, I was floored by the amount of NEW; the world-building is brilliant and starts immediately. I found myself swept into a world where book characters can be more; where mermaids are all about girl power; where sometimes, if a reader listens really hard, a book can speak. I found myself taking this journey WITH Delilah, instead of reading about it happening to her. I found myself rooting for her, rooting for Oliver, rooting for an ending I wasn't even sure was possible.
There's so much happening in this story, but the characters are complex and willing to go the distance to make it work. No scene seems flat; no moment feels forced or put in just to keep the story going. Jodi Picoult and Samantha van Leer crafted this to be a work of art, weaving their words like tapestries, sewing the scenes together diligently. There's a sense of urgency to the words, a sense of REALness to the story within the story, that I don't know I've encountered anywhere else before. And the IDEA itself! That alone kept me enthralled, entertained, and amazed.
I've never seen anything QUITE like this before, and I think that's what I love most about this book; it's like Inception, in the written word. I loved every moment of it, and recommend to readers of fairy tales, lovers of happy endings, and dreamers seeking something magical. Forewarning, though: once you pick it up, you might not be able to put it down. You might instead find yourself trying to crawl into the pages.
And then one day Oliver actually speaks to her. Turns out, Oliver is more than a one-dimensional storybook prince. He’s a restless teen who feels trapped by his literary existence and hates that his entire life is predetermined. He’s sure there’s more for him out there in the real world, and Delilah might just be his key to freedom.
A romantic and charming story, this companion novel to Off the Page will make every reader believe in the fantastical power of fairy tales.
- - - - -
Rating: 5/5 Stars
Quick Reasons: an inventive, modern-day spin on classic fairy tales; realistic, captivating characters; gorgeous, flowery prose and quirky, unique details; charming illustations that bring the characters AND the story more fully to life (and are semi-interactive with readers!); graphic, awesome world-building
Before I outline my entire review in bold letters and flowing praise, let's jump into the review, yes? I've read Jodi Picoult before, but it's been a while—her books always leave me very emotionally unstable, and I haven't been feeling masochistic enough for that type of heartache lately. So when I started really paying attention to booklr and uncovered some of the finer details of this read I'd missed before, I freaked—and immediately vowed to pick up a copy as soon as I possibly could. THAT took a while; I went in knowing I NEEDED a hardback version—which I just couldn't seem to find! (Obviously, I did finally find one, as I'm now writing this review; hark, dear readers, I was not let down in the end!)
This must be what an addict feels like, I think, trying to fight the pull of one last, quick read. My fingers itch toward the binding, and finally, with a sigh of regret, I just grab the book and open it, hungrily reading the story.
Jodi Picoult has, in my opinion, always had a knack for world-building. Her stories, while tackling heavy-handed and deeply emotional subjects, have always leapt off the page for me while reading. But THIS book. This book takes world-building to a whole new level—and introduces a huge amount of 4th-wall breaking at the same time. I really LOVED how much the authors played with this technique; I found myself cackling like a mad woman each time. Of course, it helps that I majored in English—I appreciated each subtle nod to the art of story telling, each not-so-subtle mockery of the form. I REALLY appreciated the fact that Oliver knows, perhaps more than anyone, what I've never thought to consider: the characters in a book ALWAYS have larger lives than the one scripted on the pages for them. After all, many authors cut out scenes, leave out details...keep secrets hoarded close to their chests like rare gems. For an author, there's no end to their characters; they live on despite the closing of a book or project.
True to fairy tale form, the characters in the book WITHIN the book (does that even make sense? This is such a hard thing to explain!) stick to their roles pretty well when the book's open and being read...but I LOVE that once the cover closes, we find out there's much more to them. This really helped make them 3 dimensional and realistic for me; obviously there's more to them than what we see. There were so many awesome and unique twists to this, I would be here forever trying to explain all the reasons I loved this read! The same is true for the prose itself—there are THREE different perspectives happening in this book: Delilah, our “real life” girl; Oliver, our “prince” when the book is closed; and the fairy tale, who Oliver is when the pages are being read.
I've never been in love, but I've always imagined it--weirdly--like some sort of OxiClean commercial. The TV host shows a scene from an ordinary day, and then takes a big old sponge soaked in love and swipes away the stains. Suddenly that same scene is missing all the mistakes, all the loneliness. The colors are like jewels, ten times richer than they were before. The music is louder and clearer. "Love," the host will say, "makes life a little brighter.
The prose is top-notch in this; there are so many unique, entertaining descriptions and moments. Each section or perspective holds a freshness, a sense of “never been done before” that I fell in love with almost immediately. Even at the beginning, I was floored by the amount of NEW; the world-building is brilliant and starts immediately. I found myself swept into a world where book characters can be more; where mermaids are all about girl power; where sometimes, if a reader listens really hard, a book can speak. I found myself taking this journey WITH Delilah, instead of reading about it happening to her. I found myself rooting for her, rooting for Oliver, rooting for an ending I wasn't even sure was possible.
There's so much happening in this story, but the characters are complex and willing to go the distance to make it work. No scene seems flat; no moment feels forced or put in just to keep the story going. Jodi Picoult and Samantha van Leer crafted this to be a work of art, weaving their words like tapestries, sewing the scenes together diligently. There's a sense of urgency to the words, a sense of REALness to the story within the story, that I don't know I've encountered anywhere else before. And the IDEA itself! That alone kept me enthralled, entertained, and amazed.
I think that when you live in a world with limits... when you've met everyone and seem everything you're going to see - you lose the hope that something extraordinary will happen in your life.
I've never seen anything QUITE like this before, and I think that's what I love most about this book; it's like Inception, in the written word. I loved every moment of it, and recommend to readers of fairy tales, lovers of happy endings, and dreamers seeking something magical. Forewarning, though: once you pick it up, you might not be able to put it down. You might instead find yourself trying to crawl into the pages.