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    Between the Lines
    Between the Lines
    Between the Lines
    Audiobook8 hours

    Between the Lines

    Written by Jodi Picoult and Samantha van Leer

    Narrated by Jodi Picoult, Robert Ian McKenzie, Suzy Myers Jackson and Nick Cordero

    4/5

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    About this audiobook

    For her first-ever YA novel, #1 New York Times best-selling author Jodi Picoult collaborates with her teenage daughter Samantha van Leer on an exhilarating work of cross-generational appeal. A story of romance, adventure, and humor, Between the Lines features high-schooler and social outsider Delilah, who discovers a charming fairy tale in the school library and can't resist turning to it again and again. But one day she finds the book has hidden depths-and that the story's handsome prince has somehow stepped from the page into her very own world.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherRecorded Books, Inc.
    Release dateJun 26, 2012
    ISBN9781464033360
    Author

    Jodi Picoult

    JODI PICOULT is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of twenty-six novels. She is the recipient of numerous awards, including the New England Bookseller Award for Fiction, the ALA’s Alex Award, the New Hampshire Literary Award for Outstanding Literary Merit, and the prestigious Sarah Josepha Hale Award in recognition of her distinguished body of written work. She lives in New Hampshire with her husband. They have three children. You can visit her website at wwww.jodipicoult.com  

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    Reviews for Between the Lines

    4/5

    108 ratings52 reviews

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    • 2/5
      Boring to the bone! Another user wrote CUTE... yeah, well, Jodi is an outstanding writer for settling with CUTE. She is s master of plots... dunno what happened here. :(
    • 5/5
      I honestly loved this book!! Super adorable and sweet story
    • 2/5
      This book was okay. It took me a while to read it. I thought the ending was crap. I was expecting more from the ending and it just left me flat. The whole story was all over the place. I think I would rather read the book that inside the book. It sounded more interesting than this story was.
    • 5/5
      So adorable, I’m always a sucker for a somewhat real-life fairytale.
    • 3/5
      Between the Lines By Jodi Picoult and Samantha Van Leer
      3.5 ⭐️
      YA Fiction/Fantasy
      Format: Paperback/Audio Book
      Book 33 of 2022
      ????

      This is Jodi Picoult's first YA Book cowritten with her daughter. I discovered it when I saw ads for Between the Lines the Musical. This book has an interesting concept. It's written in three parts first the actual fairytale Between the Lines, Oliver the Prince in the Fairytale, and Delilah the reader of the fairytale. Oliver is tired of his life in the fairytale and wants out, Delilah finds out she can talk to Oliver and they try to figure out a way to get him out of the book. It's full of illustrations and clip art. As far as YA books go this is on the younger end. 12-14 years old. It also reads very slow. That's why finished it on audiobook. The audio book made it seem even younger. I am interested in reading the second book Off the Page. I really like to see the musical too.
      ????
      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.

      #books #fairytale #yabooks #bookstagram #reading #bookworm
    • 5/5
      Magical story for book lovers

      Best YA story I have ever read. Mind-stretching, wonderful romp that breaks through the theatrical fourth wall to bring reader and author together in the magic of storytelling.
    • 3/5
      I can't decide if I adore this book or am disgusted/disappointed by this book. It depends on how I feel. I'd much rather see strong female characters able to be fine without a guy, yet I do enjoy old fashion romance mixed in.
    • 3/5
      So am I the only one who thinks this is a poor knock off of "The Great Good Thing"?
      Also I'm halfway through the book and find a glaring error- at the beginning Delilah explains that she is hugely unpopular because during gym she swung a bat and accidentally broke the knee of a popular cheerleader. Her best friend Jules moved into town the next week and became her best friend because she thought it was funny and was the only one who would speak to Delilah. Now halfway through, Jules is asking why Delilah is neglecting their friendship and she says when Delilah accidentally tripped the cheerleader during the hundred meter dash during field day and broke her knee, Jules was the first to know and talk her out off running away to Mexico. Whaaaaat? I hate errors in punctuation and grammar, but errors such as the characters not even knowing their own back story is just laziness by the authors and editors and contempt for the reader.
      Just found another one- Oliver earlier in the book mentions that the Dragon has new red bands on his braces during downtime from the story. Later on he says the Dragon's braces disappear every time the book is closed.
      While I'm at it, another thing that bugs me is everyone's insistence that it is abnormal for a teenage girl to read fairytales. Yeah, right. So then why are YA fairytale retellings so popular? I read the complete works of Hans Christian Anderson and the Grimm Brothers several times through in high school. Those are two LARGE books to lug around, let me tell you.
      Still, I might read the sequel just to see how they work it out. Hopefully the editing will have gotten better? Maybe?
    • 3/5
      I have 5 Jodi Picoult novels sitting on my shelf and have yet to read one of them but somehow I got around to picking up this fairy tale. I think that it's very sweet that she wrote the book with her daughter because sometimes kids have the best ideas. This however is for a very young readers as it lacks the complexity of the kind of new YA stories that are hooking the adults as well as teens. This would probably be best 9-11 year old girls. Still fairy tales are in right now, as evidenced by Once Upon a Time and the updated Beauty and the Beast on TV so this will probably hook a few mom and daughters readers. I read it thinking that I could share it with my thirteen year old daughter but after her enjoyment of hunger Games and Harry Potter, this was just too young for her. The story is based on the concept that the people in books carry on regular lives when the book is closed. When there is a reader present they act out their parts, the same way every time the story is read. One day the book is picked up by Delilah who uses it as an escape from her real life teen problems like an absent father and snotty girls at school. To her surprise she finds that she can talk to the lead character of the novel, prince Oliver. Of course they fall for each other and try various remedies to get Oliver out of the book. At one point Delilah is even dragged into the book. The story is told in three parts. The story the way it is written in the book, Olivers perspective, and Delilahs perspective. Like all good stories, this one has a twist at the end resulting in the proper "happily ever after". The concept of the story is quite clever and the illustrations are beautiful. With a little more story sophistication I think this could have appealed to a wider audience.
    • 3/5
      “Between the Lines” is a joint venture between Jodi Picoult and her daughter, Samantha Van Leer. The book revolves around a teenage girl, Delilah, who doesn’t fit in at school and finds escape through the books that she reads. While in her school library she happens to come across a disheveled, one-of-a-kind fairy tale.

      What if characters in the books that we read are merely actors that present the story to us every time we open the covers? What if these characters led their own lives, unimpeded from the plotline once the book was shut? What if by chance, you could communicate with a favorite character, telling them about your life, chatting about hopes and dreams? While a basic idea it is a unique one. In Picoult and her daughter’s hands it is one well-woven young adult tale. With chapters that change perspective from Delilah to Oliver and even providing snip-its of the actual fairy tale we are presented a comprehensive modern Romeo and Juliet (minus the deaths).

      Picoult’s influence and writing style are very visible in this novel. While this book did not contain the same level of emotion, research and drama as her previous, I believe that is mostly due to it being a young adult novel. Van Leer does an excellent job of adding teenage culture, emotions and dreams to the writing. I found the mini silhouettes scattered within the pages to be refreshing. The illustrations were incredible and I enjoyed looking at them equally as much as I enjoyed this book. While the storyline is a tad predictable, the plot anti-climactic it was still an enjoyable read.
    • 4/5
      Having read a number of paranormal and dystopian novels recently, "Between the Lines" is a breath of fresh air. It's cute, romantic and very entertaining. I love the different perspectives and how the actual fairytale is woven between Prince Oliver and Delilah's alternating viewpoints. The premise is extremely clever, and the beautiful illustrations and black and white silhouettes throughout add to the book's overall charm. Having always been a fan of fairy-tales, I found this a magical read with a delightful happily-ever-after ending. While this won't appeal to everyone, I loved it.
    • 5/5
      This really was a good book for those who are in a slump and needs to start reading again. It’s a fun book to bring back your mood up again. I really enjoyed it. A lot better than the 2nd one.

      I would just recommend sticking with this book.
    • 3/5
      I was so looking forward to reading this book, and had high expectations. Maybe that's what I did wrong. Never expect the unexpected. Mrs Picoult is known for her stories and her ability to tell a story. She is my favourite author, with her talent for writing and creating an unforgettable story. Unfortunately, this didn't happen here. I'm not quite sure what role she had in writing this book, but it didn't seem like she had any. There was nothing in Between The Lines that was screaming Jodi Picoult.I didn't hate the book, but I didn't love it either. Delilah, the main character was a young girl that I could relate with on some levels. She loves books, and live books. She brings characters to life (literally, in this book!), she lives the stories. Other than those points, I had a hard time with the characters. There wasn't much development with any of them, or between any of them before they fell madly in love and that was unfortunate. I just didn't get it. What I did get, and enjoyed were the different point of views, and the illustrations throughout the story. Both these aspects added a little something to the book.There was a quote in Between The Lines, "An author makes a house, the reader makes it a home" (quoted from ARC, do not quote me on this) that I loved! It is so true and it really hit home for me. I've said things like that before, that the author is the one to tell the story and it is up to us, as readers to make it more. So to see that this quote was in this book, it was awesome. In the end, Between The Lines was missing a lot for me. The story just didn't come alive for me, the characters didn't so anything for me. And the writing wasn't what I expected. I was really looking forward to reading this highly anticipated YA novel written by Jodi Picoult and her daughter Samantha Van Leer, but it fell flat for me.
    • 5/5
      In this story we have a lonely 15 year old girl who's only comfort is books. Delilah, through no fault of her own, does not seem to fit in at school and a string of accidents involving one of the popular girls leaves her an outcast for good. She does have Jules, her only friend, but upon discovering a the book Between the Lines in the school library, Delilah has now found another friendships of sorts with the characters in this book for kids much younger than her self.Delilah's obsession with this book is getting out of hand, her mother is worried about the amount of time she spends reading, but she doesn't understand the connection she has or the spark she felt when she first held it. For Delilah, its how the story stays the same that draws her in but the prince Oliver who keeps her coming back for more. She knows the story is for children, but the she cant help but see her self in Oliver, someone who like herself grew up without a father. She loves the familiarity of knowing what's going to happen and how things stay the same, until one day everything changes. She soon finds out that where she longs to jump into the story, Prince Oliver is desperate to get out.She's gone crazy, or isn't far of. That's the only explanation as to why the characters, or one in particular, is now talking to her right?. Oliver needs her help to break free of his role, they are all actors he tells her, every time the book closes they go about their life waiting till their next performance, the next time the book is opened and read. But Oliver is not happy any more, he longs for a different life and he believes Deliah can give it to him.She was focused on the book before, but now its completely consumed her life. She's stopped taking notice of anything going on around her, even her best friend, her sole purpose now to help Oliver. But in doing so she finds her self more alone than she was before, no one can hear him talking other than herself and when her mum forces her to get help, believe she is just crazy, she starts doubting her self. Everything she's trying to do in order to help Oliver is falling, and its looking more and more like he will forever stay apart of this book despite what he wants. I have been a fan of Jodi Picoult since I was 18, I have read 9 of her books ( I have to start reading her books again) and I have felt wowed after every single one, so when I first heard she was doing a YA I was partly worried and excited. I was worried because I thought that it wouldn't be as good as her others and that it just wouldn't work and that's why I put of this book for so long. I wish I hadn't though, I wish I didn't doubt her.I love everything about this story. I love the character's, I love the story within a story, I love the little illustrations I just love it. But what I love the most about it is I really feel like I connected with Delilah. How many of us have read a book and become so obsessed with it that we wished to pluck a character out or just jump in ourself? I know I have and I think you'd be lying if you said you hadn't felt it even once. The way a connection between the reader and book is captured in the story is amazing. Yes I saw the ending coming but it didn't take away the joy I felt having read it.The characters were lovely, even the sub characters. Each of them had their own story to tell and each of them got to tell that in one way or another. The only character I felt we didn't get enough about was Jules so that was a bit of a let down but I'm happy to say it was the only one. The idea behind this story was just so unique and brilliant that it leads me to ask the question, why hasn't anyone thought of it before? and if they have and I'm just missing the books where can I find more like this? I know some people had grievances about the book, not everyone can like it. But I for one am not one of those people :).
    • 4/5
      A Jodi Picoult book that didnt make me cry, I think it actually a little more her daughter's book. I love this concept and it was done really well here. I like it much better than The Magician's, which I read for the travel into a story concept
    • 5/5
      I've always loved reading Jodi Picoult books, I've only read 3-4 of her adult novels but all of them captivated me in a way thats hard to compare too. Her books always tug at your heartstrings, make you question your feelings regarding certain issues, and really make you think, which good novels should make you do (in my opinon). When I heard she was coming out with her first YA novel paired with her daughter I knew right away I wanted to read it. This book is unlike any of her other novels, in fact I honestly couldn't tell from the writing style that it was even Jodi Picoult, and if I didn't know who wrote the book, I never in a million years would have guessed that she was the author. That being said, the writing was PHENOMENAL, just not typical Picoult that's all. This was a modern day fairy tale. It flipped between the fairy tale, a character in the fairy tale; Oliver, and The girl reading the book; Delilah. I liked how it flipped between the three different perspectives, and the illustrations in the book (althought I read the ARC and the artwork was not final) was stunning. I loved the illustrations that clung to the words in the beginning of the book, I felt it added to the book in a way that was unique and fun. This book was magical, fun, and I think any book lover will truly enjoy the concept of this book, we all know we've "fallen" for a fictional character before and maybe not to this extreme but its fun to imagine the possibilites of having a magical book that truly comes to life when you open the pages. I truly hope that Jodi Picoult partners on more YA books with her daughter because it certainly was a magical duo.
    • 4/5
      3.75 stars. I think this is a fun book to recommend for younger teen girls. And I thought the multiple view points and use of color and illustrations added a nice feel to the story. I didn't have any expectations for this going in so I may have enjoyed it more than those expecting more.
    • 3/5
      This book is sweet and funny. A girl falls in love with the handsome prince in a fairy story, and has to work out how to free him from the book.There is nothing hugely unexpected about this story, and it felt slightly longer than it needed to be. I also felt sorry for Edgar - he runs away deeper to live in a fantasy world, as the price of Oliver's freedom. The love is very teenage, OMG Emotions - Oliver doesn't do much to make Deliah fall for him other than be handsome and in need of help. Well, I guess story-Oliver is clever and daring, but the whole point of the book is that story-Oliver is not real-Oliver, so that doesn't help. It's a nice analogy if you view it as someone who falls in love with a character in a movie getting together with the movie star though.
    • 3/5
      I enjoyed this book and devoured it within 24 hours, but overall it is quite a shallow read. The fairy tale nature to it is delightful - and the illustrations are gorgeous and I also rather liked the concept. The idea that the characters in a book are desperate to escape is an original one. However, the storyline was instrinsically stagnant - the entire book is devoted to finding ways to get Oliver out of the book, with the majority of them failing miserably, when I think the more exciting story would be: what happened next? How is a prince from a fairytale kingdom where nothing ever chances, going to adapt to life in the vast and strange world that is Earth?

      Also, whilst I did initially like Delilah as a character - the lonely outsider that seeks solace in books, and would rather fantasize about imaginary "perfect" boys than real world (and thus imperfect) ones, her selfishness and stubborness grated on me after a time. She becomes so obsessed with Oliver, a fictious character, whom she barely knows, that she abandons her best friend, upsets her mother and skips out of school. Still, she is a teenager.

      Overall, the story was interesting enough to keep me reading and had some quite amusing moments. A decent read, but nothing to rave about. It felt kind of fluffy, the sort of teenage fantasy that one might develop should one be a teenage girl with few friends and a love of literature. Oh wait, it is.

      There were some cute quotes and nice observations about books too - that once the book is written it ceases to be the author's and becomes the reader's, for example.
    • 3/5
      The story of Delilah, a 15 year old social pariah ( she broke the knee and nose of a cheerleader - 2 different episodes) with only one friend she becomes obsessed with a children's fairy tale. Her mother worries when she claimsthat she can speak to the prince in the tale. The story follows the Prince Oliver and Delilah strategize to get hime freed from the pages of the book. The characters in the book lead interesting lives when the pages of the book are closed, just as actors are quite different from their on-stage roles and lead interesting lives away from work. The best character is Frump the Basset Hound who is a boy under a curse that made him a dog, he is in love with the princess in the book. I"m not sure why it is classified as young adult I think 10-12 year olds will love it, older kids will find it a little childish.
    • 4/5
      My love of reading and books started with the classic fairy tales, which found their natural progression into books by Enid Blyton. I remember being fascinated with toys which came to life in the nursery, at night or when no one was there. (Before there was 'Toy Story', there was Amelia Jane.) I often imagined about the lives of Saucepan Man and Moon-Face atop the Magic Faraway Tree, and when I was not reading about them, I wondered what they were up to and dreamt about joining them on their adventures. But I digress...

      It is on a somewhat similar premise that this book is based: a book character wanting to be more than just the role he plays in the story, and of a teenage reader who reads between the lines and sees beyond the printed page, who attempts to set him free.

      Despite being marketed as a teenage / young adult read, there are some morsels of philosophical food-for-thought. (WARNING: *Some* disclosure (not spoiler) which you might not want to read before the book, in which case, skip the rest of this paragraph) -------- When the book is closed, the characters in the fairy tale live lives outside of the plot written for them in the story. They are imbued with abilities and personalities not evident or contradictory to the roles cast for them in the fairy tale. The observation was made (by one of the protagonists) that when the creator (author) penned those words, the characters were also woven with abilities and knowledge inherent in the author. This made me think of us mere mortals 'programmed' with innate gifts and talents (blessings) from our Creator, to be actualized outside of the day-to-day roles we play.

      I picked up this book because I am a fan of Jodi Picoult's and was curious to see how different this one would be, being that it was co-authored with her daughter, and a deviation from her usual genre. For a book with such a simple premise, it certainly had enough twists and turns -- which while I was reading, I kept thinking that I would not have thought about that (twist).

      I say this book is for the young-at-heart, for those who dream of stories coming alive, or for those who find themselves easily lost in the stories they read.

    • 3/5
      In short: Between the Lines by Jodi Picoult and Samantha van Leer was a cute read, but ultimately too fluffy and lacking in substance for my taste.Between the Lines was billed as Jodi Picoult's YA debut. And yet - except for the cover and the age of the protagonist - everything about this book read more like Middle Grade. The plot, the illustrations included in the text, the writing - all read very young. And that's fine - it's just not what I was expecting, nor is it really the type of Middle Grade fiction that I tend to enjoy. Some parts of Between the Lines were cute... but quite simply, this just wasn't the book for me.I loved the concept of finding out that your favourite story is real and getting sucked into the pages, getting to meet the characters that you already know so well, reliving the scenes that you know by heart. And I really liked the imagery of the text of the book floating in the sky and the characters being whipped into place to act for their scene as the pages were turned. All very neat ideas that were executed well - and I credit Jodi Picoult's sixteen-year-old daughter, Samantha van Leer, for coming up with them.Unfortunately, I would've appreciated the concept a lot more if the story hadn't been so fluffy and if the writing had been a bit more sophisticated. I am also split on the illustrations - some were quite nice, clearly expertly drawn, and could only be even more beautiful in colour in the finished copy of Between the Lines, compared to my ARC copy. Other little pictures that were included among the text seemed entirely random and unnecessary, however.It's hard to criticize a book that just isn't your thing. Certainly, my biggest problem with Between the Lines - that it was too fluffy and young - might be the very same thing that some people would love about it. I have to say though that the ending was one of the most ridiculous things I have ever read, completely indefensible. This was my first exposure to Jodi Picoult, which is unfortunate because I know a lot of people love her books, so I would like to read something else of hers sometime to change my mind. I would recommend Between the Lines to younger MG readers who like cutesy Princess-type fluff stories.
    • 5/5
      Between the Lines is perfectly balanced with romance, action and modern day problems. What caught my attention was the first paragraph, about Oliver not having a dad growing up, then in the next chapter when he says, 'You know when they say happily ever after? It's not.' It was that line that caught my attention entirely! This book reminds me on what drama to expect in High School. Truthfully I really like Jules' attitude on the popular people and horror movies. I nearly cried when Oliver got hit in the chest with fire from Pyro. Frump, by all was the greatest friend Oliver has.
    • 5/5
      I loved this story! What an intriguing plot line. What if the characters in the books you read were real, and they were just putting on a show each time you read the words? What if those same characters had a desire to escape their pages and become a part of your world. Oliver is stuck inside the pages of a fairy tale he was written to, never thinking he could be heard, until one reader, Delilah, sees him as a person, not a fictional character. Their lives intertwine as they search for a way to get Oliver to escape his pages.
    • 4/5
      Okay, so characters in a book being alive on their own when the story isn't being read and wanting to leave the story? This is one of those things that is really hard to write believably, but the mother-daughter team pulled it off. I guess the thing that amazes me the most about this story is the fact that they made it work. The love story is cute, the fairy tale within the story is pretty good on its own, and the way everything is woven together works well. I'll definitely be hunting for more of Picoult's books (that's how I ended up reading this one), but I'll also be watching for Van Leer.
    • 3/5
      First, let me say that I love Piccoult. I usually get her books in hardback because I just can't wait. This book is a collaboration with her daughter and it's bent is very different from the usual moral issue exploration. In fact, it's a fairy tale. What would happen if you could actually talk to one of the characters in your book? What if they had lives beyond the written words on the page? This is a charming YA book and I read it in nothing flat, but it is definitely not Piccoult's usual fare. Not bad, but not as great. I'd recommend it, but only in paperback. 3.0
    • 4/5
      Before I picked this one up from my library, I'd read a lot of not very great reviews of it. However, I thought the story sounded cute and decided to give it a chance. Let me start off by saying that I've only read one other book by Picoult (and that was about 3 years ago) and so didn't have expectations based on her "style" of writing. I really enjoyed the story! It labels itself as a fairy tale, and so the few things that didn't quite make sense didn't really bother me. It tells the story of a girl, Delilah Eve McPhee, who is a bit of a loner and recently obsessed with a children's book and especially with the main character, Prince Oliver. The idea of the story was very original, and I found myself really intrigued by the situation of the characters. It didn't play out quite the way I expected it too, but the journey was a lot of fun. The book itself was quite beautiful. It was told alternating between Oliver and Delilah's point of views, and it also included the actual children's book that Delilah is reading. I thought it was very well done and I really enjoyed the illustrations and various silhouettes scattered throughout the book.
    • 5/5
      I think just about every little girl out there loves a good fairy tale. One that has the typical happy ending where the prince and the princess ride off into the sunset together. Wouldn't it be interesting though if the fairy tale were just a little bit different? What if you opened up a fairy tale and the characters came alive? In fact they had there own unique world when the book was closed and considered themselves actors when it was opened? This book is one such story about a girl named Delilah. A girl that finds herself abandoned by her father and a burden to her mother. Trying to forget her pain she buries herself in a fairy tale and begins to imagine the main lead character come to life. Is she having a nervous breakdown or is there something really special about the story? I truly enjoyed this book! It was such a different spin on the standard fairy tale story that it was very refreshing. I loved the concept and it was incredibly unique. The illustrations in the book are fabulous and really add something special to the story. I found myself really rooting for Delilah! I have to recommend this story and would actually say that if you do not read this book then you are missing out on a new genre. It was very different from most young adult novels that I have read and would love to see more stories like this. I think if there were more books like this than they would be bought up. Great job authors!
    • 3/5
      Review courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales.Quick & Dirty: This was a really cute book with romance, friendship, and fun characters. I would recommend it for a younger audience, but it is a fun light read.Opening Sentence: Once upon a time in a land far, far away there lived a brave king and a beautiful queen, who were so much in love that wherever they went, people stopped what they were doing just to watch them pass.The Review: Have you ever fallen in love with a character in a book? Well Delilah has and she can’t stop reading his fairy tale story. Delilah is 15 years old and has never really fit in at school. She has always been somewhat of a social outcast and her family life isn’t ideal either. Her father left when she was little and now he has a whole new family. She only talks to him a few times a year and her mom has never really recovered from him leaving. To escape her life she reads books. She recently found a children’s fairy tale from the school library that she is able to really relate to. She knows that she is too old to be reading it but she can’t help herself. Prince Oliver is the perfect guy, and there is no way she will ever find anyone like him in real life. Then one day Oliver starts talking to Delilah. Is she going crazy or is her fairy tale prince real?Prince Oliver lives in a book. While someone is reading the story he acts out his part, but when the book is closed everyone goes back to normal life. He has always wondered if there is something beyond his little world. Where are the people who read the story? Is there any way for him to become a part of their world? Then Oliver meets Delilah and he can’t help but be smitten with her. Together they embark on a journey to see if they can set Oliver free from his fairy tale prison.The story is told in three different parts. The first part is the fairytale that Oliver is in and Delilah keeps reading. Then you enter into Oliver’s head. Oliver is funny, smart and cute. He is a likeable character and he has a lot of redeemable qualities. Delilah is a sweet young girl that has a lot of insecurities. I loved that to escape she goes to books, because that is what I do as well. I am guilty of falling in love with swoony boys from books too. Overall, she was a fun character and I liked reading her story. The only thing with the characters is they were a tad bit forgettable and after I finished the book they didn’t leave a much of an impression on me.This was a fun read for me. The idea was very unique and entertaining. I enjoyed getting to know the characters and their stories. There were parts that dragged a little, but overall the pacing was good. The romance was sweet, but it was a little too fast for my liking. I’m not a big fan of instalove and this has that a little bit. The story was fun, but it was a little immature for me. I think that a younger group of people would love this book. It is really clean and a light easy read. Overall, I did enjoy this and I would recommend it to anyone that enjoys fairy tales and wants a light read.Notable Scene:Okay , first of all, this is not happening.My mother is right. I need more sleep. It’s bad enough that I’m talking to a book, much less entertaining the thought of how to get a character out of it.“I don’t think it works that way,” I say. “It’s not like springing someone out of jail-““I’m hardly a felon!”“No, you’re a two-dimensional, inch-high illustration,” I point out. “If you were to get out, what would you do? Live in a shoe box? Be Flat Stanley?”“Who’s Flat Stanley?”“Another fictional character,” I say. I have a sudden flash of second grade, when my teacher had us take our cutouts of Flat Stanley all around the world during spring break. My mother and I took pictures of him in Boston, eating clam chowder and waving at the seals in the aquarium.So maybe Oliver isn’t the first fictional character with a hankering to travel.“You don’t know that I’d stay this size. Perhaps I’d be scaled to fit your worlds, if I were lucky enough to reach it.”“Why are we even discussing this?” I explode. “You can’t take a character out of a book!”FTC Advisory: Simon Pulse/Simon & Schuster provided me with a copy of Between the Lines. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.
    • 4/5
      Fun story concept!