Between the Lines by Jodi Picoult & Samantha van Leer

Release Date: Out now!

Publisher: Allen & Unwin

Pages: 353pgs

The Story

What happens when happily ever after . . . isn't?

Delilah hates school as much as she loves books. In fact, there's one book in particular she can't get enough of. If anyone knew how many times she has read and re-read the sweet little fairy tale she found in the library, especially the popular kids, she'd be sent to social Siberia . . . forever.

To Delilah, though, this fairy tale is more than just words on the page. Sure, there's a handsome (well, okay, hot) prince, and a castle, and an evil gvillain, but it feels as if there's something deeper going on. And one day, Delilah finds out there is. Turns out, this Prince Charming is real, and a certain fifteen-year-old loner has caught his eye. But they're from two different worlds, and how can it ever possibly work?

Together with her daughter Samantha Van Leer, #1 New York Times bestselling author Jodi Picoult has written a classic fairy tale with a uniquely modern twist.

The Review

A big thanks to Allen & Unwin for sending me a review copy of this book!

I was pretty skeptical of this book when it landed on my doorstep. With not having read any of Jodi Picoult's previous work and not having a fair enough opinion of her work to then compare to it this young adult novel of her and her daughter's (I mean, seriously, how cool that her young daughter co-wrote this book with her mother!), I will have to admit that I would have probably not have read this book if it weren't for the publisher who'd sent me it to me. But boy oh boy, I'm so very glad they'd introduced this book to me because I ate this book right up from the beginning - the words, the illustrations, the fairy tale within itself - and it is one of the most unique books I've ever come across and it will remain one of the best titles that I've ever read.

BETWEEN THE LINES has this fairy tale vibe to it and you know how much of a sucker I am when it comes to my fairytales. Now with this book however, it is told between alternating two main characters and it's the kind of book that's a story within a story within another story which is the most exciting part of all. Firstly we have Deliah, a teenage girl who is in love with a fairy tale book and whom can't get enough of it, and secondly, we have another main character, Oliver, a charming prince of the actual fairy tale book and one of whom is so very real in the book. The thing I loved about Deliah and Oliver was how real they seemed to me. Deliah, for example, was someone who I could easily connect with, especially when it came to her love of books and reading. And Oliver . . . well, he was such a charming prince and I loved him to bits. The relationship Deliah and Oliver shared, no matter the cliche romance lying between them, but I adored them so MUCH! Together or not, they were such awesome characters and I just didn't want to let them go in the end!

Aside from the characters and the storyline, what really captivated me was the illustrations. The illustrations alone was what drew me in and it was what made this book so very unique. I mean, some of the pages were filled with fairy tale sketches of the prince in question, the full-size coloured printed variety kind of sketches and they were so "oh my god" beautiful. I just wanted to reach out and touch them, hoping for the magic to get to me too. Then there were other illustrations - the small and the black-and-white variety kind of illustrations, that were displayed on many edges of the pages and ones that translated to what was actually happening in the storyline which were equally as beautiful as the full-page coloured ones. Honestly, I just couldn't get enough of this book and everything single page in it. It wasn't just your average young adult read with a bit action here and a bit of romance there. It was and is a fairy tale book of magic all on its own and it made me want to be a child once more. Seriously it was that good.

Overall, BETWEEN THE LINES may be something you will overlook in a bookstore but it's definitely a read you wouldn't want to miss out on. Both adorable and out of this world, this book was the perfect escape for me and with a mother-and-daughter duo writing it together for the very first time, I'm sure you too will want to escape along with me and this book . . . it was so beautiful!

The Rating

5/5 stars