Review: Between the Lines

Between the Lines

Jodi Picoult and Samantha Van Leer
Published By: Simon Pulse
Released: June 26, 2012

So I first heard about this book in a magazine. Not a very reliable source. Then during vaction in South Carolina when it was listed as one of the top 5 books to read on the Today show. A much better source. The only problem was, it didn't come out until the next week -_-

I sat around wanting to get my hands on it, broke because I blew off all my money on other books, needing to read this one story. Finally it came out and I gave my mother a very convincing case on why I should get the story. In the end, it was placed in the cart. (Special shout out to Mom: THANKS A LOT! Love, your broke daughter who needs to get a job).

This book was cute, enlightening, adorable, and such a wonderful read. It's completely different from any sort of YA book that I'm used to reading and I loved that. The storyline was simple: A prince in a book who realizes that he is fictional, he wants out, a girl who reads the book and is able to hear him, they both try to find a way to get him out and live his happily ever after. Awesome! I practically read it from cover to cover, unable to put the thing down in order to do my day-to-day things like eat and sleep.

I love how the book was set up. It would start out with an actual page from the make-believe fairy tale, telling the story of Prince Oliver. Then it would switch to Oliver's POV and how the story happens whenever somebody is not reading the book. The characters are different, they are able to go about and do their own thing. Then it would go to the "Outerworld" to Delilah's POV and how she can talk to Oliver, even though she should not be able to communicate with them.

Then there's the pictures. Before each chapter dealing with the actual fairy tale, there is a picture from the actual page in the book and that really blew my mind! And in Oliver's and Delilah's chapters, there are silhouettes of whatever they happened to be talking about at that moment. It was really cool to be reading a "Big Girl" book, but still have those pictures in it.

The concept of the story is just amazing. I would have never thought of having fictional characters having their own life outside of you reading the book, the story itself only a role they play whenever the book is opened. It makes me wonder how some of my all time favorite fictional characters would be doing right now with the pages closed. And then the fact that Delilah fell in love with a fictional guy. Way to go girl! She took the whole "Fictional Boyfriend" thing literal. I know every die hard reader has a secret dream of dating a fictional guy *Cough Cough. Will Herondale!*

I can easily see myself sitting down and reading this book to my little pals at my aunt's daycare. That is, if I can get them to sit down that long. Even though it's labeled as YA, it could easily be a story that can delight the hearts of any age from 6 to 86.

So I highly recommend this book if you are a sucker for a fairy tale with a slight twist and have a die hard fictional crush. Okay, just kidding on the last one. But if you want to read a book that is totally different from all the other YA books out there, pick this one up. It brings back the good ol' days when you were a little tike just reading about a damsel in distress needing her beloved prince. I'm positive you won't regret it.

Review by Calypso