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Between the Lines

by Jodi Picoult (Goodreads Author), Samantha van Leer

3.48 of 5 stars 3.48 · rating details · 8,688 ratings · 1,885 reviews

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...more

Hardcover, 384 pages

Published July 5th 2012 by Hodder & Stoughton (first published June 1st 2012)

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Jul 15, 2012 Eden rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

So Simon & Schuster did it again : they sent me a book I didn't request solely to build buzz. And now they effin' expect a review.

Well, this'll have to do for now (WARNING: snark ahead):

a) Just because a woman/mermaid dislikes men doesn't make her a feminist. Oh my Lord, do I really have to bring this up after the Tempest fiasco? That makes her a misandrist: a man-hater. A feminist is a person who believes in equality for both men and women. GET THAT THROUGH YOUR HEADS. (This is not snark....more

71 likes · like · see review

Jul 07, 2012 Giselle rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: arc, own, fantasy

I'm not sure if the fact that I've read a few books by Jodi Picoult in the past affected my enjoyment of this novel, and even though I knew not to expect her usual story-type since it's written with her daughter, this was a lot different than what I had envisioned. It's a good book. It is. But I think it's aimed at a younger YA audience and this is where I was left a little underwhelmed.

It's a fairy tale in all it's classic glory. This is a story about princes, love, friends, overcoming the imp...more I'm not sure if the fact that I've read a few books by Jodi Picoult in the past affected my enjoyment of this novel, and even though I knew not to expect her usual story-type since it's written with her daughter, this was a lot different than what I had envisioned. It's a good book. It is. But I think it's aimed at a younger YA audience and this is where I was left a little underwhelmed.

It's a fairy tale in all it's classic glory. This is a story about princes, love, friends, overcoming the impossible to get to your ever afters. Delilah, loner, social pariah, loves to lose herself in a story. This takes a whole new meaning when a character from a child's illustrated book - sweet and charming Oliver - starts talking to her! Like all Jodi Picoult novels, the story is told from several perspectives. This case is a bit unique in that we have Delilah, we have Oliver, but also, we have Oliver's story - the actual fairy tale in his book. I thought this gave it an extra kick, without disrupting the flow as they are generally kept short. Being a fan of multiple perspectives to begin with, I really enjoyed getting to know both Delilah and Oliver individually. Delilah is in the "real world" with real problems: a pretty average teenage life. I liked her character; the outcast who's trying to escape by reading. She's kept fairly plain Jane and I think a lot of readers will be able to relate to her. However, I found myself easily favoring Oliver's POV. Oliver has been stuck in his fairy tale since it was written, with a "book" family of his own that makes his chapters vibrate with life. Oliver himself is a very likeable character with imperfections and an enchanting demeanor, but I especially adored every single one of the unusual people - and creatures - that we got to meet alongside him. I did notice some inconsistencies in his character, though, particularly in his knowledge of the real world - or Otherworld as he calls it - by mentioning things that would not have been possible for him to recognize or perceive. Maybe it simply needed to tell us more about how they acquired what they do know. Like I said, as I felt this was aimed at a younger YA audience, these small discrepancies are most likely expected to be overlooked, which is certainly manageable.

The story is, in one word, pleasant. For someone so young as a co-author, the writing is especially fluid with beautiful, almost cinematic, descriptions. Cute humor and adorable passages makes it a lighthearted novel. To spice things up a bit - my favorite part of the book - are the sketches and illustrations that are scattered throughout to give us a very fun reading experience:

-These are from the uncorrected proof and the finished copy may differ (it stated that the final book would have full colored illustrations)

After everything is said and done, a fairy tale is what you get. It's cute, it's fun, and it's refreshing; what you expect from this story will factor in your enjoyment of it. I was effortlessly and quite easily kept entertained by its imaginative plot, but as I was expecting something a bit less fluffy, it failed to completely dazzle me. With that said, readers who are fascinated by fairy tales and have a weakness for happily-ever-afters will surely eat this one up!

--
For more of my reviews, visit my blog at Xpresso Reads

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55 likes · like · see review

Aug 21, 2012 ~Tina~ rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: own, read-2012, fairy-tale, young-adult, contemporary

4.5 stars

Delilah has never felt like she belonged to the real world. Sure, she has her best friend, Jules and her mom, but her life at school is miserable and she never grew up with a dad. So it's no wonder that she clings to her books so desperately. They can never disappoint her and it's where happily ever after exists, if only for a short while.
But what if the characters in your stories don't end after you close the book for the night? What happens if the characters go about their business i...more

13 likes · like · see review

Oct 03, 2012 Maree rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Anyone who is still young at heart

Shelves: ya-magical-fantasy, in-the-bookshelf, 2012-read, favourites-2012

Anyone familiar with Picoult’s solo adult books will know they usually involve moral issues and can be very confrontational. The first thing you need to do when you pick up this book: forget about her solo work and remember this is a joint effort. Trust me when I say it is something completely different from any of her previous works. And, boy, is it wonderful.

Delilah is a teenager who doesn’t really ‘fit in’ to any of the groups at school and she *gasp* spends her lunchtime in the library. She...more

12 likes · like · see review

Jul 13, 2012 Jackie ♥ rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: romance, recommended

Dear Readers,

You'll obviously have seen all the different ratings as soon as you visited the page. Jodi Picoult wrote it with her daughter and you can tell that it is not a classic Picoult novel. Samantha Van Leer, Jodi's daughter wrote this book with her and you can feel when you read it that another writers voice is telling the story. While some reviewers are disappointed by the Jodi Picoult name on the book I say so what? Haven't you ever heard of don't judge a book by its cover? Or its autho...more

7 likes · like · see review

Jul 17, 2012 Julie rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

It was an interesting concept, but not very well executed.

The book was extremely inconsistent. For example, how could Oliver know what a fire extinguisher and orthodontia is but not a sandwich? They had sandwiches back in the Middle Ages, even if they didn't call them sandwiches.

Plus, I'm not sure what the target audience of this book it. It's marketed as YA, but the writing is so straight-forward and simple. The authors try to add themes and "deep meaning" to this book, but it's so ridiculous...more

12 likes · like · see review

Jul 28, 2012 Cass - Words on Paper rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012-release, review-copy, read-2012

4/5

Between the Lines

+ Interesting premise, cutesy but it definitely had me thinking.
+ Issues of abandonment, separation, anxiety and social demise.
+ The storybook characters vs. the "real life" characters - their personalities and the idea that there's more than meets the readers' eyes.
+++ Illustrations. This instantly gets a book brownie points. Every single one of them brings more to the story and enhances the experience rather than hinders or distracts. It's a book about a fairytale - what be...more

5 likes · like · see review

Jul 01, 2012 Emily rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: books-i-own, 2012-favorites

I devoured this book! I was first planning to purchase this book as a NOOKbook, but when I opened it up at the store, I just had to buy the physical copy. The full-paged colored illustrations, the pictures placed beautifully around the pages, and different fonts and colors made this book so pretty. Normally you see books with amazing covers, but this was just all-around gorgeous!

I read this in about three hours. I wasn't sure what to expect, because I hadn't ever read the synopsis on it before....more

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Jul 12, 2012 Lana rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This was a wonderful twist on a modern fairy tale. I won this books through a First Reads giveaway. It was a title I was very interested in because of my fondness for Jodi Picoult books. This collaboration with her daughter did not disappoint me!

Delilah, our heroine, is a social misfit in her school. It seems she regularly does something to further alienate herself from the popular crowd. Her mother is convinced she needs psychiatric help because of her isolation and her fascination with one p...more

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Aug 16, 2012 Carrie rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Written by Jodi Picoult and her daughter Samantha van Leer, and it's evident from the very first line that the only writing Jodi did in this was adding her name to the cover.
The book is targeted YA, but it is a very young YA.
It lacked any of the punch, depth and insight that Jodi's work usually has. The story concept could have been interesting if it had been better written. But it was full of plot holes and continuity issues, and everything really only seemed to be addressed on a superficial...more

17 likes · like · see review

Aug 12, 2012 Kari rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

It's always exciting to see something new from Jodi Picoult, and I'm happy for her and her daughter that they did a project together, it's just Ms. Picoult trying to do a young adult novel seemed a little awkward for me to get used to, what from reading hefty works like 'My Sister's Keeper' and 'Sing You Home', not to mention the other books she's written. (Plus, it also mentions a character likes B movies in Sing You Home, and in Between The Lines, another character also likes B movies. Quiet t...more

3 likes · like · see review

Sep 24, 2012 Mickey (I'm A Book Shark) rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: to-read, 2012, audio

See full review here!

AWWWWW! This book is like every bookworm's dream come true. Who wouldn't want to find out that the book boyfriend in your favorite book was REAL in the pages of the book!? It's such a cute, clever idea. I would love to have been there for a writing session between mother and daughter on this one. The ending is clever, and the whole book is adorable. The audio version of this book is really something special. I love the different narrators for each character, plus the storybo...more

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Sep 28, 2012 Kat (Le Pauvre Cœur) rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: cheesy-romance, cute-as-a-kitten, eh, sucky-writing

Oh LAWD, was that cheesy.
That was one of the most corny books I've ever read.

Excuse me, review to be written after I've stopped vomiting rainbows and sunshine.

Oliver is a prince, trapped inside the same fairytale and desperate to get out. When Delilah picks up the book, she falls in love with the story...and with Oliver. She's also the only one who can hear him.
The two try every way possible to get Oliver out of the fairytale, but nothing works. How can they be together when Oliver is only ink...more

7 likes · like · see review

Jul 14, 2012 Gina rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, fantasy

Delilah is 15 years old. Unlike the other girls in her school, she is unpopular and addicted to a fairytale called Between The Lines. She dislikes suprises and enjoys the comfort of believing in a happy ending. When Oliver, a Prince in the fairytale speaks to her, Delilah must choose whether promise to help Oliver escape from the fairytale, even if it's impossible.

Jodi Picoult is an author I would not normally read, however this book is very different from her previous works. Although, in some w...more

7 likes · like · see review

Dec 01, 2012 Lauren rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

When I first found out that Jodi Picoult was writing a young adult book with her daughter, I was very excited. Then, I found out it had illustrations AND colored ink. While that should not be that exciting, for someone who has to read classic literature for school constantly...I enjoy adding a little bit of pictures and color to my life.

I checked it out after my library purchased it and of course school got in the way. I think I had it out for like a month before I actually started to read it....more

1 like · like · see review

Jul 21, 2012 Shannon Kitchens rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: top-picks-of-2012, ya-reads-for-non-ya-readers, fairy-tale-favorites

There are so many lovely things to say about Between the Lines. The concept is clever, and so representative of my generation (and the number of girls like me who crush over fictional characters). The actual physical design of the book is breathtaking. I mean, I love the illustrations and the colored fonts and all the little touches that just add to the overall magic of this book. The characters are well thought out, and developed. I could relate to both Oliver and Delilah, and never had trouble...more There are so many lovely things to say about Between the Lines. The concept is clever, and so representative of my generation (and the number of girls like me who crush over fictional characters). The actual physical design of the book is breathtaking. I mean, I love the illustrations and the colored fonts and all the little touches that just add to the overall magic of this book. The characters are well thought out, and developed. I could relate to both Oliver and Delilah, and never had trouble believing their motivations. The settings were excellent conveyed, and I loved the world of "Between the Lines" when the book was shut.

In fact, there's nothing I didn't love about this book. There is, however, two things that disappoint me.

1.) The story is not as complex as it could have been. There's a central plot, and a few basic, nearly nonexistent subplots. Delilah and Oliver's obstacles are exists nearly solely in the attempt to remove Oliver from the pages. There are a few attempts at subplots, such as Serafima's attraction to Oliver, and Delilah's mother's attempt to force her to seek mental help. But they feel underdeveloped, and didn't hinder the central conflict enough for me. It left the story feeling a little too simple.

2.) The prose is not as poetic and lovely as I've come to expect from Ms. Picoult. Yes, I know she wrote this with her daughter and for a younger audience, but that didn't mean the language couldn't be beautiful. There are no real stand out sentences and poetic feel that I've come to know from Ms. Picoult, and it's a little disappointing. By no means does it mean I think that this is a poor book. I just felt that it didn't live up to it's maxim potential.

But in the end, those little small complaints didn't detract from my overall love of the book. I have every intention of buying it and adding it to my permanent collection. And I still think the concept is original and very contemporary. I highly recommend this book to anyone who's ever fallen for a make-believe prince.(less)

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Dec 15, 2012 Brandi Kosiner rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The first bit didn't suck me on the way I wanted it to. But once it got to Delilah's chapter, I liked her and her voice, and I was sold. I connected with her on a personal level with her being on the outside of social circles as well as the broken family vibe and of course being an avid reader, and that she does it for escape.
I often wish I could be a part of my stories and I have to admit that I have imagined what happens to my characters when I am not reading but it is usually life after the...more

1 like · like · see review

Nov 11, 2012 Joti rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. OMG!!! - THIS BOOK WAS SO COOL - I LOVED THE IDEA OF THE CHARACTERS IN A STORY BEING REAL & HOW THEIR JOB WAS THE PERFORM THE STORY LIKE A PLAY & THEN AFTER IT WAS OVER, THEY COULD DO WHATEVER. OMGOMG - AMAZING STORY
So Delilah is 15 and a social outcast at her school & she loves this Fairy Tale, Between the Lines about a Prince named Oliver whose father died battling this fiery dragon named Pyro because his mother, Queen Maureen had fallen in love with King Maurice & not Rapscull...more OMG!!! - THIS BOOK WAS SO COOL - I LOVED THE IDEA OF THE CHARACTERS IN A STORY BEING REAL & HOW THEIR JOB WAS THE PERFORM THE STORY LIKE A PLAY & THEN AFTER IT WAS OVER, THEY COULD DO WHATEVER. OMGOMG - AMAZING STORY
So Delilah is 15 and a social outcast at her school & she loves this Fairy Tale, Between the Lines about a Prince named Oliver whose father died battling this fiery dragon named Pyro because his mother, Queen Maureen had fallen in love with King Maurice & not Rapscullio, a man she knew long ago. And Rapscullio comes to the Kingdom in disguise and wants Oliver to save his daughter Seraphima & Oliver agrees; he goes through mermaids, captains, Enchanted Forests, fairies, trolls & scales cliffs and everything, so that he falls in love with Seraphima & they get married on Everafter BEach at the end. But that's not the real story of Oliver's life - he wants out, he wants more than a play for the rest of his life & he deosn't really love Seraphima - she's crazy for him, but his best friend, Frump, who was turned into a dog, loves her but Seraphima only sees Oliver. Plus, the characters are all friends in real life.
So when Delilah notices something amiss in the book - a chess board that was never there, she and Oliver start speaking to each other & they become friends, someone Delilah can talk to everything about. She feels like she can relate to Oliver b/c he lost his father & Delilah's dad also walked out on them. But talking to a book means that her mother thinks she's crazy & obsessed with a child's fairytale & she gets her to see Dr. Ducharme, a psychiatrist. But Oliver also falls in love with Delilah & she loves him too. They grow very close AND ALSO, I LOVE HOW THE BOOK WAS WRITTEN - A CHAPTER FROM THE STORY AS IT WAS WRITTEN, A CHAPTER FROM OLIVER'S PERSPECTIVE & THEN A CHAPTER FROM DELILAH'S PERSPECTIVE!!! That was great. So Delilah & Oliver try to figure out a way to get Oliver out of the story so that they can be together & so he can live the life he truly wants, freely. So the go to the wizard, ORville & even Rapscullio, who tries editing Oliver out but the book always resets itself so Oliver & Delilah are stuck back at square one. They try rewriting the story from a copy of 'Between the Lines' that Oliver finds in Rapscullio's lair & he even tries to burn the book, but it always resets itself. And then, Oliver writes Delilah into the story & suddenly she's in his world. It's amazing that she got to meet him but she was uprooted from her life & mother, best friend, Jules, everything. she can't live there in a book & as soon as someone opened it, she'd go back or something. Devastated, Delilah is first angry at Oliver but still, they make up & they kiss for the first time!!! :D And they go see ORville, where some crazy spell thing happens, which throws Delilah back into her world - it was like this explosion in Oliver's copy of the book. But then Delilah has an idea to visit Jessamyn Jacobs, the author. So she gets Jules, her bff, to drive her to Cape Cod & she visits Ms. Jacobs, where she asks her to rewrite the ending, but Jessamyn says she can't b/c the story is already in the minds of all the readers & it can't be fixed or re-edited. Delilah passes out & then wakes up to find an-Oliver look-alike - EDGAR, jessamyn's son, she based the story on him after her husband died of cancer & wanted Edgar to have his own happy ending. So Delilah plays games with Edgar for while & then Delilah introduces him to Oliver & OMG< EDGAR CAN HEAR HIM TALK TOO, together, they try to get into Jessamyn's story files & crack the code - EVERYONE DESERVES A HAPPY ENDING - EDAHE - and they try to rewrite the ending, which seems to work but then the computer erases all of what they re-wrote so Oliver is still stuck in his story. :(
Dejected and a bit heart-broken, Delilah falls asleep at Jessamyn's house, with the promise of her angry mother coming to pick her up the next morning. But Edgar, early the next morning, takes Delilah's book & offers to Oliver that he'd happily trade places with Oliver, because he's always wanted to a hero in a story & since they looked like twins, no one would ever know So Edgar re-writes the story with zombies & killing stuff into it & it works.
When Delilah wakes up, she's frantic when she finds her book missing & thinks it's Edgar, but then realizes that it's Oliver & is shocked that he'd do that for them - but also for himself. SO OMG, HER & OLIVER FINALLY GET TO TOGETHER & Oliver's thinking after he kisses Delilah, there won't be some The End sign on his head because now, his story was only just beginning.
OMG BTW, I LOVED ALL THE PICTURES OF OLIVER IN THE STORY & ALSO ALL THE SILHOUETTED IMAGES ON THE SIDES - THEY WERE SO CUTE & HILARIOUS - A NICE TOUCH BY BOTH MS. PICOULT & HER DAUGHTER. IT WAS GREAT!!! LOVED IT SO MUCH!! IT WAS SO CREATIVE & OLIVER & DELILAH'S LOVE HAD THIS SWEET INNOCENCE TO IT :)
<3 Great story!(less)

2 likes · like · see review

May 01, 2012 Kim rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ya-and-youth

While the concept was cute and the illustrations fun, I can't help but wonder if this would have made it onto the shelves had Jodi's name not been attached. Don't get me wrong, for a first book written by a teen, it's good, and I am sure Jodi is proud of her daughter, but she has a long way to go before reaching her mom's ability. The characters were very flat, and the ending was unbelievable. It actually started out pretty well and had mysterious build up, only to fall short. I'm glad I didn't...more

25 likes · like · see review

Jul 04, 2012 Tânia rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: read-2012

Ever since I’ve heard of this collaboration between mother and daughter to write a young adult novel that I was very curious about the final result and I must say I was not disappointed but I was also not completely swept away. It’s a good story, no doubt, and it managed to captivate me from the beginning, although I found it a bit odd to be reading a book by Jodi Picoult aimed at younger audiences. For someone like me, used to reading adult fiction written by a mature Jodi Picoult, I was hesita...more

1 like · like · see review

Apr 09, 2013 Angelica rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: owned-books, booksale

Between the Lines has the same plot with the Disney movie Enchanted .

I love the way it was written, perfect for young at heart like me ;) Just a bit disappointed with ending. As if the author lack ideas on how to end the story, that it ended just like that, so simple and very predictable.

1 like · like · see review

Feb 24, 2013 Betsy rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

A cute sweet story written by a popular author and her daughter. No, its' not Jodi Picoult's regular style. And yes, I will take it to school for my moon-y middle school girls to dream of finding their prince in the pages of a book. It was good for what it was,not for what the reader might have expected it to be.

1 like · like · see review

May 12, 2013 Katrien rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I liked this much better than I thought I would. Jodi Picoult gushes way too much at the beginning about her brilliant daughter and her brilliant idea and bla bla bla. But the book itself is really fun. I enjoyed the way they had to solve the problem they created, and they didn't do it cheaply--they really seemed to think through all the possibilities. I liked the modern-day chapters more than the fairy-tale chapters, but it might be fun to see the whole fairy-tale book written out as its own bo...more

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May 01, 2013 Alec rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I think this is a wonderful idea for a YA novel. However, I had some problems with the execution of it (and the ending really left me shaking my head). That being said, let me say! WARNING: SPOILERS! I feel like it could of used a re-write in spots. Now, I do want to take into consideration that the girl who co-wrote, Samantha Van Leer, is a junior in high school. I do not want to beat up on this book too much. Yes, I know her mom is Jodi Picoult. Yes, I know that helps. However, there was a lot...more I think this is a wonderful idea for a YA novel. However, I had some problems with the execution of it (and the ending really left me shaking my head). That being said, let me say! WARNING: SPOILERS! I feel like it could of used a re-write in spots. Now, I do want to take into consideration that the girl who co-wrote, Samantha Van Leer, is a junior in high school. I do not want to beat up on this book too much. Yes, I know her mom is Jodi Picoult. Yes, I know that helps. However, there was a lot of stuff that I kept thinking I could of added or re-written to work better. So, I'll break it down here.

1. The narration of Dalilah does sound a bit well, high-schoolish. Okay, very high-schoolish. I know it's been written by a high school student, but it could be annoying at times. Oliver's narration is a bit childish too. However, I do understand that it's a YA novel.

2. Plot- The plot of this book is a amazing idea, but I felt the execution was a bit off. I finished it, and yes, I did enjoy this novel. However, most of the interaction is between Oliver and Dalilah, and they aren't the most interesting characters in the book. I also wish they brought in the author earlier in the book, as I think that could have been an interesting part of the story. Their love for each other feels a bit too instant-love. I wish also that the love between the characters wasn't so literal. Daliah was literally in love with the book character, and he with her. I think it could be been a lot more interesting if Dalilah was somehow more interested in the fantasy world of Oliver. They spend way too much time being literally in love with each other, and spend too much time with Dalilah trying to get him out of the book. Also, they do repeat way too much in the book, about how hard Dalilah or Oliver is trying to get out of the book. It becomes a bit silly after a while, as Dalilah starts to cry over Oliver speaking or not speaking to her from the book.

3. The ending- The ending is just too weird. (SPOILER) So what if the author's real son is a bit of a jerk? He's STILL HER SON. Her son goes into the book, and the mother takes in Oliver as her own? That makes no sense. If I was the author, I be freaked out. My son is gone so you can have your perfect, fairy tale boyfriend? I'm going to do something I don't usually do. I'm going to give two examples of how the end would been written had I wrote it. Here are two options on how to end the book better:

The author has no son, and wrote this book as the son she envisioned. When the character does come to life, it's a great delight for her, because now she will have a son (yes, I know there are holes to that too but lets just go with it). Maybe Daliah promises to keep in touch with him, and he goes to live with his new mom. This could of set up a squeal to where Oliver is adjusting to being a normal teenager. Cool idea, right?

The author has a son, who is a great guy just like Oliver. Daliah falls for the real son, and the book stops talking to her. It ends up the book's plan all along was to help Daliah find true love in the form of this real guy, and thus she doesn't need the fictional prince anymore.

Okay, I don't know if those endings are better but a lot of people seem to have issues with the ending of the book. I was a bit surprised by the ending too, because even though this is a YA fantasy, there's a lot of emotional issues that seem a bit too resolved. I mean, the reaction to having a son replaced with a fictional creation is well...weird and the reaction is way too "Okay. Whatever! Cool!" No, it's not okay. That's her son, and even if he's a jerky teenager (and jeez, aren't most teenagers jerks anyway) you can't magically replace him. That's just a weird ending.

Anyway, would I suggest this book? Yes, I would. It's a fun romp, and a fast read. However, if you do read this book, I have to warn you that there's a big part that doesn't make sense. I am a big supporter of overlooking stuff in certain books (Hello, Twilight) if it supports the kinda book it is. If it's a big fantasy romance, than whatever. As long as you know that, it's cool. However, I can't support the idea that the real son and the fictional one switch places. It's too weird. That boy is still that women's son.

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Apr 30, 2013 Ben Balazs rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Between the Lines is a great book. Jodi Picoult and her daughter Samantha did a wonderful job looking into the life of a young girl who is experiencing a great deal at her high school. She absolutely hates high school but loves reading. One day she comes across a fairy tale book in her school library and immediately falls in love with it. As she reads it she falls in love with it. Therefore she reads it again. And again. And again. It becomes her favorite book and her fellow peers would not beli...more Between the Lines is a great book. Jodi Picoult and her daughter Samantha did a wonderful job looking into the life of a young girl who is experiencing a great deal at her high school. She absolutely hates high school but loves reading. One day she comes across a fairy tale book in her school library and immediately falls in love with it. As she reads it she falls in love with it. Therefore she reads it again. And again. And again. It becomes her favorite book and her fellow peers would not believe her if she told them how many times she actually read the book.
As she reads the book she realizes that she is in love with the young hero in the fairy tale. But how can that be. He is just a character in a book. What she doesn't realize is that things are different with this book. This book has a whole other story within and soon she will begin to learn about this hidden tale. Prince Oliver is not only the beautiful young prince, but he is also the beautiful young prince who is log with the reader of his book.
This book deals with many young adolescent issues. It begins with the raging hormone issue. Delilah, the main character, is a young girl who is striving for the attention. Someone, anyone to look at her and see her in a boyfriend girlfriend kind of way. However, she finds it in an odd way. Can she be with the one that she loves, or is it just impossible? The other issue looks on students love of reading. Many young adolescents do not want to admit that they are into reading and school. Why would they ever want to tell a teacher that they actually liked reading. Delilah loved to read but just not the things that many of her other classmates did. She loved the fairy tales, the romance, and the prince. Teachers are always trying to find ways to entice students to want to read. Many times that interest is inside, but they fail to see it because it is not students do not want to read what they are told. Many of the books in school do not appeal to students because there is no connection. They want to connect to the book, and they want to read something interesting. Therefore teachers should offer options that are relatable to students, or they should allow the students to choose what they want to read.
I would recommend this book to any one. It is a great read, an interesting read, and a great message to encourge young people to read. (less)

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Apr 19, 2013 Shanel rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I really really loved it! Even though this was geared towards the younger audience, I can't help but love every word and everything about it. The plot was exceptional. A story within a story, a book within a book. Never in my wildest imagination have I ever thought of that. Just blew me away. I hung onto every single word that was written, and my mind just transported me right into the story. Absolutely wonderful!

It was like the whole story was weaved so finely and beautifully, and everything li...more

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Apr 09, 2013 Esty rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2013

You can read the full review on MY BLOG.

Ahh, Jodi Picoult. I'm sure you can understand when I say I had HIGH, HIGH expectations for this book. When I saw it was YA and written with her daughter, I figured it would be different. When I read the back I realized it would be VERY different. Now that I'm finished I can say it was LIGHT YEARS AWAY from My Sister's Keeper and every other book of hers you might have read.

Be honest. Isn't the plot your biggest dream? Speak with your literary crush? Meet...more

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Apr 07, 2013 Kate Grimalkin rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I got this book as a gift for Easter, due to my incessant whining for paper books after reading nonstop on Kindle, and my first impressions were great. The quote on the back really pulled me in- "Real fairytales are not for the faint-hearted...etc, etc" but upon really getting into the book, I realized that this book was tailor-made for the fainthearted. The book was fluff, plain and simple. As someone who relates to the "high school outcast who likes books more than people" stereotype, I was re...more

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Mar 26, 2013 Abbe Hinder rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: adventure, annoying-protagonist, contemporary, disappointments, ebook, fantasy, female-pov, insta-love, male-pov, boring-as-hell, simon-and-schuster, reviewed

I was expecting a lot more from this book. Simon and Schuster, Jodi Picoult and her daughter, Samantha Van Leer got everyone excited for this book. I mean, a fairy tale where the characters literally come to life-who wouldn’t want to read this book? Sadly, it fell very short from what I expected it to be.

Between The Lines was written the perspective of Oliver, Delilah, and the Narrator. The characters’ were typical and felt like they were just words on paper, nothing they did made them come aliv...more I was expecting a lot more from this book. Simon and Schuster, Jodi Picoult and her daughter, Samantha Van Leer got everyone excited for this book. I mean, a fairy tale where the characters literally come to life-who wouldn’t want to read this book? Sadly, it fell very short from what I expected it to be.

Between The Lines was written the perspective of Oliver, Delilah, and the Narrator. The characters’ were typical and felt like they were just words on paper, nothing they did made them come alive to me. I loved the idea for this story because it’s different and I was instantly interested in what it was about and about Oliver’s fate. The writing for this story annoyed me for some reason and there were a few words used in the wrong sense.

Oh man, where do I start? Okay how about the fact that the characters’ were so typical and boring that I almost stopped reading. Yup, this book had so much potential with this amazing idea but the characters didn’t pull throw nor did the writing style. This book didn’t have enough dialogue for me which is something that I didn’t like at all. There was too much explanation in the first few chapters. Delilah was a very typical character that was a loner, had problems with other people (which is fine) and stuff but there wasn’t anything interesting about her other than she could talk to Oliver. I wished the authors made her more mesmerizing and original. There were a lot of parts in the story where I was shaking my head because there were parts that seemed either rushed or disorganized and didn’t fit well with the story. Jules didn’t feel any real to me either and the fight between her and Delilah wasn’t good or entertaining. I was actually yawning while reading it.

Like I said before, the idea for this story is amazing and I loved it. Three stories wrapped up into one bigger story is great and usually exciting. I liked that the authors put the name of which character/narrator we were reading at the top of the page. My favourite parts of this book were the obstacles and challenges that Oliver and Delilah had to go through to find the right way to get Oliver out of the book.

I don’t think this book is a good read for anyone over the age of fourteen because you can bluntly tell that it won’t entertain anyone over that age. If you are a ‘grammar cop’ this book isn’t for you at all. This book might be enjoyable for young teens who like reading three stories in one book because I liked that.

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Mar 23, 2013 Fionnula rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Such an intriguing idea for a book, I wish I had thought of it myself! I ADORED the way the illustrations scattered throughout were part of both Delilah's life and the book she was reading, and the twist at the end was really cute. Also- Oliver's blood coming out like ink? How cool was that!

But I do have a complaint- this was not a YA novel. It wasn't even close to YA. I was really surprised to find out that the main character, Delilah, was fifteen, because the writing seemed like it was aimed a...more

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Discuss This Book

topics	posts	views	last activity
Did anyone else have issues with the ending.	11	58	May 22, 2013 04:00am
Picoult or van Leer style?	3	35	Jan 22, 2013 07:55am
Oliver's Thoughts on Routines!	2	38	Jan 02, 2013 03:41pm
Treasures	4	47	Jan 02, 2013 03:38pm
Books, Wine and G...: Sarah and Ashley-Between the Lines	11	14	Oct 11, 2012 10:43pm
And the winner (o...: My favorite of the month is....Between the Lines by Jodi Picoult & Vanessa Van Leer	1	7	Sep 29, 2012 05:34am

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About Jodi Picoult

Picoult was born and raised in Nesconset on Long Island, New York. Her first story, at age 5 was "The Lobster Which Misunderstood." She studied writing at Princeton University, graduating in 1987, and had two short stories published by Seventeen magazine while still in college. Immediately after graduation, she took on a series of miscellaneous jobs, from editing at a textbook publishing company t...more

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“I’d much rather pretend I’m
somewhere else, and any time I open
the pages of a book, that happens.” — 81 people liked it

“Just because it's fiction doesn't mean it's any less true.” — 56 people liked it

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