REVIEW: Between the Lines- Jodi Picoult and Samantha van Leer

Between the Lines by Jodi Picoult and Samantha van Leer

Young Adult
Hardcover
Emily Bestler Books/ Atria/ Simon Pulse
368 Pages

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Summary from Inside Flap:
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 reread 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 villain, 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. Readers will be swept away by this story of a girl who crosses the border between reality and fantasy in a perilous search for her own happy ending.


Review:
Somehow I ended up reading this right after Chris Colfer's The Land of Stories; now you would think reading two 'fairy tales invading reality' books in a row would be a bit excessive, or that one would pale in comparison to the other. That was not the case with Between the Lines. I loved this book just as much, in completely different ways. This one was more mature and complex, with the same levels of humor and joy that TLoS had. This concept was beyond amazing. The idea that characters in books are simply acting out a play, compelled to act it out, not able to escape the fate that has been written for them, but who actually live a life of their own when the cover is closed. There were no words to describe how much I love this idea. And while I can't think of a book in which I would ever believe that was actually true, in this book it was simple. I could absolutely imagine Oliver trapped in this small rectangle of paper that I loved so dearly. I could picture the world inside. In the acknowledgments the authors mention that they wanted this book to become a keepsake, something treasured for its beauty and design as much as its story. I think that has been achieved. When I first opened the book, flipping randomly through its pages, I actually shouted out 'the words are green!' in utter shock. And when I opened to the first page and saw the full color illustration, I knew that this was something special. The incorporation of color, illustrations, and silhouettes really made this book come to life. And while I didn't completely understand the logic of the ending (perhaps having something to do with staying up until 3am to finish it), there is no denying that this book is magical. Here's to Jodi and Samantha's first YA novel, and hoping that there are plenty more to come.