Between the Lines Review

Title: Between the Lines

Author: Jodi Picoult & Samantha van Leer

Genre & Age Group: Contemporary, fantasy, young adult

Goodreads Synopsis:

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.

Source: Public library

How I Found Out About It: Goodreads

I have been meaning to read a Jodi Picoult book for the longest time. My Sister’s Keeper has been on my TBR since the dawn of time (literally), but I have not gone around to reading it. When I found Between the Lines at the library, I snatched it right off the shelf- not just because I was dying to check out Picoult’s work, but because the storyline was so intriguing!

Boy, this book did not disappoint one bit! Other than the fact that it didn’t wow me enough to deserve full stars, I have absolutely no complaints about it. Most of the characters were great, and the plot was executed flawlessly!

To briefly synopsize, Between the Lines is about a girl named Delilah. Her favourite book is a special fairy tale book, which is especially special to her because when she turns to a certain page, the characters come to life, which provides good support for her as she doesn’t have many friends in reality. Could she use the book as an escape, or will the characters use her as an escape from their own life?

I felt as if I could relate immensely to the protagonist, Delilah. Just like me, she is a reading machine, but unlike me, she just focuses on one special story. I also appreciated there being a shy protagonist being introduced for once, and I really enjoyed leaping into her relatable thoughts during her POV.

I also loved Oliver, who is the prince that leaps out of the storybook and into Delilah’s life. He was so adventurous, and I adore that in male characters! Since I am not too adventurous and neither is Delilah, I would totally ship them together. Or him with me. Or… I don’t even know, really. XD

Although Between the Lines was a bit slow in the beginning before Oliver and Delilah’s storylines overlapped, once it sped up, I began to devour it. It was simply awesome being able to watch as a book character literally jumped into the world of her ultimate favourite book!

One thing that was extra special about this book was that we actually got to leap into the storybook that Delilah loved with all her heart. Accompanied by full-colour images, the story gives a good background as to where Oliver is coming from and what types of events pique Delilah’s interests. Though not totally necessary, it is for sure what makes this book stand out in the crowd.

All in all, my time reading Between the Lines was amazing. I loved getting to know Delilah and Oliver and exploring their world, and I can’t wait to read the sequel, Off the Page! If you simply love reading and often find yourself wanting to submerge into the worlds of your favourite characters, then this novel is for you. This book will seriously make you feel like you’re in there, following all the events with the awesome characters. 

*4.25 Stars*