Review: Between the Lines

Title: Between the Lines
Author: Jodi Picoult and Samantha Van Leer 
Pages: 352
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Publication Date: June 26th 2012

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.

Delilah and Oliver work together to attempt to get Oliver out of his book, a challenging task that forces them to examine their perceptions of fate, the world, and their places in it. And as their attraction to each other grows along the way, a romance blossoms that is anything but a fairy tale.


Wow, all I can really say is, wow.

I knew I was going to like this from the start. Having read the synopsis, I knew this was the book for me. After all, I am a lover of fairy tales! I read this in one day, starting in the wee hours of the morning (try 3:00 am, after having fed my daughter) until around mid afternoon. I just did not want to put this book down! I should have been putting up my Christmas decorations like I promised myself, but instead I was so engrossed by this book, I had decided Christmas decorations could wait.

The book is as it sounds. Delilah becomes obsessed with a book, Between the Lines, and becomes attached to Oliver, our handsome prince. Delilah has read this book, a billion times, the same old book, until one day Oliver speaks to Delilah, and she listens. From then on Oliver and Delilah try, with a few fail attempts, to free Oliver from the story. It isn't until we meet a special character does Oliver and Delilah's dream come true.

I absolutely, positively, loved the lay out of the novel! It was unlike any YA book I've read before. Your standard YA books are in the usual; chapters. Not this beauty. Not only was the cover beautiful, but the book was full of beautiful illustrations that just added to the overall tone of the fairy tale. The book wasn't just in Delilah's or Oliver's point of view, instead you had chapters where Delilah spoke, then Oliver, but then you had chapters where it told the story of Between the Lines that Delilah reads and Oliver acts out. It was so much fun reading their story, while also first-hand reading the story Oliver lives in. And can I mention the illustrations again? Beautiful, color drawings of Oliver and his adventures.

Here I am, gushing about the beauty of this book, and I don't even talk about the characters? Well, you'll love them, I know I did! I could totally relate to the characters, especially Delilah. As a fellow book lover, I could relate to her desire to be a fictional character. I'm sure we've all come across a book we loved so dearly that we couldn't help but fantasize about us in that story. Don't lie. And Oliver, he was your handsome prince! What wasn't there to love about him. Handsome, brave, and sweet, I completely understood Delilah's love for him.

I honestly can't say there were any parts in this book I did not love, other than the fact it ended. And so my readers, this has to be one of my favorite reads of 2012. I'm now jealous of those of you who have not read this for you get to experience this new world, where I have already experienced it. Rereading this will never be like the first.

Happy Reading!

My rating: