Review: Between the Lines by Jodi Picoult and Samantha Van Leer

Title: Between the Lines
Author: Jodi Picoult and Samantha Van Leer
Pages: 358
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Genre: Fairy Tale
Release: June 26th 2012
Buy the Book at: Book Depository / Indigo Chapters

What happens when happily ever after…isn’t? 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.

"Just because it's fiction doesn't mean it's any less true" 

 (p.278, from arc of Between the Lines)

With the popularity Jodi Picoult has, I am ashamed to say that this is the very first novel of her I ever read, but definitely not the last. Picoult and her daughter Samantha are an extraordinary team that has brought a delightful story to life. In fact, Between the Lines is their wonderful first success in the YA genre, and hopefully, the first of many more to come!

The writing of this book is very captivating. This is a story that shines with beauty in its lines, (and in between of them as well) Between the Lines is the kind of book that you want bookmark and quote many, many times. Jodi Picoult and Samantha Van Leer have definitely brought to the shelves a precious story where fictional characters have a different life between the lines. Delilah, a fifteen year-old girl, is in love with a picture book that she keeps reading over and over. Until one day, she realizes that the Prince of the story is much more than a fictional character. So, torn between fiction and reality, Delilah starts to fights for what she believes in, even if this goes against all reason (like believing that Oliver, the Prince, is as real as she is)

I love so many things about this novel. Starting with the idea itself and the way the book is build. There are parts where readers can follow Oliver’s tale as it is written in the picture book. Then, there are parts that are told from Oliver's point of view while he is not playing the role of the Prince, and finally, there is Delilah's point of view. Also, the characters are pure magic and so many times, I wished them to be as real as Oliver was in Delilah's picture book. In addition, the story is accompanied by beautiful illustrations. However, in the advance reader's copy of this novel, only sketches are provided. Yet, I was dazzled with the sketches I had the chance to look at. Now I can only imagine how beautiful the final product will be like! Believe me, it is something worth keeping on a treasure chest!

I really love this novel and I think that for Picoult and Van Leer's first YA novel Between the Lines is a great achievement! However, I have one BUT for this novel and that is the ending. Even though all of the characters get a happy ending, it is only a partial happy ending for me. There are some moral issues concerning the outcome of Edgar, a character that we meet almost at the end of the book that bothers me a bit (100% personal opinion). Without being specific and not giving much away, that's all I can say. Regardless that, I think this novel is beautiful!

Between the Lines is a beautiful story where, for a few hundreds pages, you can let yourself believe that the impossible can happen and that fictional characters are real. Yet, regardless how well we know the differences between fiction and reality (if any of us actually know them), there is one things that should always prevail in fiction and in reality, that is that "everyone deserves a happy ending" (p.318 from arc) Don't you think?... still, whatever your opinion is, I highly recommend you this book!

The End

❤Arc received from Simon & Schuster Canada for review. - Thanks so much!❤

Watch the Trailer!!

(This trailer is from the Australian publisher Allen & Unwin)

Visit the author's website at http://www.jodipicoult.com