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Between the Lines

(Between the Lines #1)

Jodi Picoult (Goodreads Author),

Samantha van Leer

3.57 · Rating details · 42,158 ratings · 5,611 reviews

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 princ ...more

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Hardcover, 353 pages

Published June 26th 2012 by Simon Pulse

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2012 Debut Authors (Young Adult & Middle Grade)

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Jun 19, 2015 Christine Riccio rated it really liked it

This was super fluffy, cute, and easy to read. It felt like I was reading a fairy tale as a child! It doesn't feel like young adult, but it's a charming, refreshing read! Here's my booktalk: https://youtu.be/D59k9BvRTVg ...more

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Apr 17, 2012 Eden rated it it was ok

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. This is pure naked truth.)

b) Just because you make a lack of courage your hero's tragic flaw doesn't mean you can make him perfect in every other way. I'm a little sick and tired of all the b ...more

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May 26, 2012 Nafiza rated it it was ok

Shelves: read-2012, source-review-books

There is a very famous play by Tom Stoppard called Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead. The play deals with metaphysical elements of two-dimensional characters who question their existence and its cyclical nature. Between the Lines reminded me of that play. It, too, deals with a character in a fictional piece of work fighting against his existence or, perhaps, the lack of it. There are some very delightful illustrations accompanying the text – my favourite is the one where Prince Oliver is cli There is a very famous play by Tom Stoppard called Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead. The play deals with metaphysical elements of two-dimensional characters who question their existence and its cyclical nature. Between the Lines reminded me of that play. It, too, deals with a character in a fictional piece of work fighting against his existence or, perhaps, the lack of it. There are some very delightful illustrations accompanying the text – my favourite is the one where Prince Oliver is climbing the text. The premise is definitely promising and in the beginning, I was quite entertained by the novel.

Unfortunately, it started unraveling for me after the first few chapters. While the exchanges between Delilah and Prince Oliver are engaging, Delilah herself is not a character I can empathize with or even relate to. I understand her love for reading but her fascination with one book to the point where she reads it over and over again consecutively is somehow not very believable. Maybe it’s just me. The thing that turned me off Delilah completely is the way she treats her best friend. How am I supposed to like a main character who throws away her only friend for a fictional character? Who doesn’t return her friend’s calls, ignores her entreaties to spend time together, lies to her – all for a guy who may or may not be able to change the medium of his existence. And then when we do get the requisite turning over a new leaf, will love you better and yay from Delilah, it is only for the express purpose of getting her friend to drive her somewhere – oh it’s not written as such but really, I read Between the Lines and yes, pun is intended.

Another thing that pretty much sealed the deal where the book is concerned is Delilah’s comment about the mermaids. For some context, the mermaids are written as boy-loving when the book is being read but once the covers are closed, they do not care for men at all. Apparently, according to Delilah, this makes them “hard-core feminists.” Right. I do not understand what not liking men or thinking that you do not need a man to complete you as a person has to do with being a feminist. Feminism has very little to do with men. Hating men is not feminism. Not wanting to be in a relationship is also not a sign of feminism. Feminism is not, I repeat, a disease. God. This makes me so angry. Okay.

Delilah is fifteen years old and from what I read, has not experienced life at all. She hasn’t met many people, has not had life altering experiences, has not lived and yet, she is talking about “destiny” and “fate” and meant to be together with you forever. Yep. Also, the ending is pretty ridiculous. I will not believe that a person would sacrifice so much so quickly. I don’t think so. It seemed too neat and too contrived.

Conclusion? I cannot recommend this book to you because I didn’t like it. This is not saying that you shouldn’t read it – I don’t dictate what you read and what you don’t. I’m just saying that there are better books out there. ...more

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Aug 16, 2016 Aj the Ravenous Reader rated it liked it

Recommended to Aj the Ravenous Reader by: Pinky

Shelves: unexpectedly-good, fantasy, lol, physically-owned-books, easy-read, young-adult, with-a-touch-of-paranormal

That was a fun, quick and adorable read for youngsters as if straight from a Disney movie and I won’t be surprised if it does make it to the big screen. It’s imaginative and entertaining and the premise of the novel is indeed a curious thought- that characters of the books we read could be alive and could be living a life of their own, could jump from page to page when the reader isn’t reading the story written in the book. I already knew my 12 year old niece would love it and when I passed her ...more

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Jan 11, 2012 Giselle rated it liked it

Shelves: arc, own

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 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

...more

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Jul 08, 2014 April (Aprilius Maximus) rated it liked it · review of another edition

I would have been OBSESSED with this when I was a tween!! Adorbs.

Around the Year in 52 Books Challenge Notes:
- 7. A book about books

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Feb 15, 2013 cazzy rated it did not like it

(This review will contain major spoilers)

I really wanted to like this book. The idea of it was good- what book-loving girl hasn't wanted a fictional character? I've always been a sucker for fairy tales, and that's why the book appealed to me.
But oh, was this book terrible. I could go on for hours talking about why I didn't like it, but I'm just going to talk about a few major points.

1.) The High School/Delilah
Cliche, cliche cliche. In the introduction, Jodi mentioned how her daughter was a junio ...more

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Apr 20, 2012 Michelle rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Recommends it for: Anyone who is still young at heart

Shelves: i-own-a-copy, 2012-read, ya-magical-fantasy, favourites-2012, usa-ya

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

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Aug 16, 2012 Carrie rated it did not like it

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

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May 01, 2012 Kim Benouski rated it it was ok

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

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Sep 08, 2012 Booknut rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites, forever-re-read

Have you ever wondered what happens when you close a book?

Do the characters stay frozen?
Do they play chess on the beach?
Do they rehearse their lines and try on outfits?
Do they gossip about characters and munch on snacks?
Or do they long to escape their 'happily ever after'?

A mesmerising tale of a young girl and a fictional prince who enlist the help of the other to escape their worlds and to discover how their own stories end. ...more

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Jul 30, 2015 Pinky rated it it was amazing

What if your fictional crush spoke to you? Think about it... Imagine Will Herondale started talking to you and asked you to rescue him and take him out of a book. Wouldn't it be a dream come true?

Well that's what happened to fifteen year old Delilah, a miserable teenager who wants nothing more but for her fictional crush, Prince Oliver to come to life. Between the Lines is one of the books made by the author and it's one of a kind, and Delilah found it in her library. Between the Lines is one o What if your fictional crush spoke to you? Think about it... Imagine Will Herondale started talking to you and asked you to rescue him and take him out of a book. Wouldn't it be a dream come true?

Well that's what happened to fifteen year old Delilah, a miserable teenager who wants nothing more but for her fictional crush, Prince Oliver to come to life. Between the Lines is one of the books made by the author and it's one of a kind, and Delilah found it in her library. Between the Lines is one of Delilah's favorite fairy tales and she cannot stop reading it over and over again. She loves the book but since it is a book for kids, she keeps the fact that it is her favorite book a secret. One day, while she was reading, Prince Oliver spoke to Delilah. He explained that he wanted nothing more but to get out of the book. Delilah is trying to find a way to get Prince Oliver out of the book. Is this real, or is this a dream?

I fell in love with this book it was just such a sweet and simple read. I finished it in 2 hours and in one sitting. It was just so addicting to read. The way this book was formatted was just amazing, I love how it switched from the actual story, to Prince Oliver's POV, and to Delilah's POV. It was nice to see what both characters were thinking and see how the story was supposed to end.

One of the main reasons why I loved this book was because of the characters. Prince Oliver is charming and Delilah is AMAZING!!! There are so many things that I can relate to in this book and it felt so real. Delilah and I have so much in common and I really wish that the events that happened in the book were real. Whenever Delilah opened her book and her mom would tell her to stop reading, it felt like my mom was telling me to stop reading. (It happens to me all the time because she thinks I read too much...)

The plot was unique and although we all know how the story ends, it's still worth reading. Sometimes I am too lost into the story that I feel like I'm Delilah and it's just too good to be true. I didn't expect the plot twists, but that was amazing too. The writing style is different in the story, Prince Oliver's POV and Delilah's POV and I really like that. It makes the story more realistic, if the writing style were the same for all three parts it would feel unrealistic.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and I should have read this book sooner. I'm gonna dive into the next book ASAP! I RECOMMEND THIS TO EVERYONE AND I MEAN EVERYONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Happy Reading! ...more

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Jun 14, 2021 Kerri rated it liked it · review of another edition

I wavered between two and three stars for this one story-wise, and four and five stars for the artwork. I've settled on three overall, though it's the illustrations that mostly scored that. They are beautiful and made the reading experience so fun. As well the lovely and detailed full-page images that fit in with the fairytale within the book, by Yvonne Gilbert, there are wonderful smaller illustrations, typically silhouettes that often play off the text -- in one for example the character is cl I wavered between two and three stars for this one story-wise, and four and five stars for the artwork. I've settled on three overall, though it's the illustrations that mostly scored that. They are beautiful and made the reading experience so fun. As well the lovely and detailed full-page images that fit in with the fairytale within the book, by Yvonne Gilbert, there are wonderful smaller illustrations, typically silhouettes that often play off the text -- in one for example the character is climbing the words of the story. These are by Scott M. Fischer and I loved them. Both art styles worked well together as well. The book itself was decent, with a few moments that I really loved, but more that I didn't click with. At times the 'old-fashioned' fairytale characters spoke in sentences that felt jarringly modern. The book was very romance focused, which I don't always mind, but here I was interested in all the things that weren't the romance. The love story felt overly-familiar and kind of like a missed opportunity to do something unexpected. To balance that out though, the book never felt like a chore to read and I will be borrowing the follow up.

There was an inconsistency that bothered me, particularly because when I first noticed it I thought it had been done deliberately as a plot point. Having finished the book now, I can only assume it was missed in editing. On page 28 there is this: Last year when we were playing softball in gym, I swung the bat and broke the left knee of Allie McAndrews. She also says that her friend Jules moved there a week after it happened. On page 155 Jules says this: When you accidentally tripped Allie McAndrews last year during the hundred-meter dash at Field Day and she broke her knee, I was the first one to know. So did she break the poor girls knee on two separate occasions or was it during softball or track? And just when did Jules arrive? She also (view spoiler). Delilah's reaction the injuries she causes are one of the reasons she I struggled to like her. Yes, Allie is a mean girl, but breaking someone's bones is a big deal, accidental or not. I would be horrified if it was me and full of concern for the person it happened to, regardless of whether I liked them. Instead it felt like Delilah saw herself as the victim because people wouldn't talk to her, which seemed incredibly insensitive. It felt like causing these injuries was supposed to make her clumsy and relatable, but I really just thought she should promptly be banned from group sports.

Another thing that confused me was that Delilah and Oliver converse easily and Delilah even reads words that Oliver has carved into a cliff, and in Oliver's world there are books by Shakespeare and a copy of War and Peace all of which he can read, but on more than one occasion he observes that words in Delilah's world as being in a foreign language he cannot read. But if they speak the same language, and he was written by a woman who speaks English, and he can apparently read and write, shouldn't he be able to read the words on the computer screen? Maybe I'm missing something there, but it felt odd each time he thought/said it.

As I said, I am interested in the next one because this felt like it wrapped up too easily and predictably. But a sequel could make good use of the more original parts of the story, including the interesting aspects of the world Oliver is from and the way the 'reality' of it differs so wildly from the way it is written. That was the part that intrigued me the most and I hope they expand on that. Also more about Edgar would be good! ...more

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Sep 20, 2016 Rachel Maniacup rated it really liked it

Recommended to Rachel by: Hannah

Shelves: love-love, fantasy, fun-read, fiction, for-children-and-teens, surprisingly-good, entertaining, magical

This is my first book of Jodi Picoult,and I must say she's got quite a talent for fiction and fairy tales. And just reading the author's introduction made me admire her already,even her daughter Samantha van Leer,for teaming up with her,to do this kind of unique tale.Their joint imagination and ideas made the writing beautiful.

I like the concept of this book because it was really a fun read! Who wouldn't want to read a book where their favorite characters seems to be talking to you,or seems to b ...more

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Jun 15, 2012 ~Tina~ rated it really liked it

Shelves: young-adult, contemporary, own-copy, read-2012

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

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May 16, 2021 RoshReviews rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 4-stars

Imagine this. The characters in the book you are reading have a life of their own, beyond what is written for their characters. And they do what they want to every time you close the book, only to be pulled back in their roles when you reopen the book. Unbelievable, right? Goes without saying then that I've never read a story like this before! That doesn't necessarily mean that I loved it. But the concept is mind-blowing for sure.

Delilah, a fifteen year old introverted bookworm, is shocked to di Imagine this. The characters in the book you are reading have a life of their own, beyond what is written for their characters. And they do what they want to every time you close the book, only to be pulled back in their roles when you reopen the book. Unbelievable, right? Goes without saying then that I've never read a story like this before! That doesn't necessarily mean that I loved it. But the concept is mind-blowing for sure.

Delilah, a fifteen year old introverted bookworm, is shocked to discover something new appear in the illustrations of her latest favourite read, a fairy tale about a cowardly prince who uses his wits rather than his valour to fulfill his royal duties. Soon, she realises that the protagonist, Prince Oliver, can actually talk to her, that he dreams of getting out of his routine and predictable "plotlife", and that the book world has a life of its own. Can Delilah help Oliver escape his two-dimensional fairy tale?

Jodi Picoult fans need to keep in mind that this is unlike her typical work, which is much darker thematically. As she has co-authored this with her teenage daughter, the plot is distinctly YA in flow and content. So you need to realign your expectations accordingly. You will find Jodi's usual twists and turns, and you will also find her favourite style of writing from multiple perspectives (which works wonderfully in this book.) What you won't get is emotional or moral dilemmas, something that is omnipresent in her books.

I found the plot quite intriguing, though not foolproof. There are a few loopholes in the book character's breaking of the fourth wall. I tried hard to keep the logical side of my brain turned off but sadly, it turned out to be stronger than my romantic side, which is long past its expiry date! 🥴 Then again, for such a storyline, I imagine writing something without a single gap in the plot would be impossible. As a YA Fantasy-Romance, it does its job pretty well. And for the sheer idea itself, of getting a book character to fantasize about the reader and about escaping from the restriction of the pages, the book deserves a try! Teenagers will certainly enjoy it more than us rational kooks.

My teenaged daughter relished this book and wanted me to give it 4.75 stars.("I didn't like the way the plot dragged in between, so I can't give 5 stars, Mamma." 🤭🙄) I was bordering more towards a 3.5 - I liked it enough without loving it. So a happy compromise is to rate it 4 stars.

Give it a try if you want to read a storyline that is quite unique, even if the execution could have been better. But remember, it's a YA book. Don't think too hard about the solidity of the plot. It serves its target readers well, and that's what matters.

I'm off to read the sequel.

***********************
Join me on the Facebook group, Readers Forever! , for more reviews, book-related discussions and fun.

Follow me on Instagram: RoshReviews ...more

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Jun 29, 2012 Giselle rated it it was amazing

Shelves: from-publishers, unsolicited, genre-fantasy, age-young-adult, genre-fairytale, genre-romance, 5-star, genre-contemporary, 2012

A finished unsolicited copy was provided by the publisher for review.

Not many books have the white paper with colored ink, but I’m so glad this one does because the illustrations are gorgeous. There are also little silhouettes scattered through out the pages to identify important characters, scenes and plot. I love how the colours and typeface are different when it changes from Oliver’s viewpoint to Delilah’s viewpoint.

I love how Oliver wants to be something more than just an actor in a book. He ...more

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Jun 03, 2012 Becca rated it did not like it

I hate not finishing books. It kills me not to finish a book, no matter how many issues I may have with it. That said, I could not stomach sitting through all of Between the Lines. I did not have it in me. I was so eager to read it, too. I love any take on fairytales. I love retellings, re-workings, anything. I love the television show Once Upon a Time. I. Love. Fairytales. When I saw that this was about fairytales, I was excited to read this book. A few chapters in, however, I knew it was going I hate not finishing books. It kills me not to finish a book, no matter how many issues I may have with it. That said, I could not stomach sitting through all of Between the Lines. I did not have it in me. I was so eager to read it, too. I love any take on fairytales. I love retellings, re-workings, anything. I love the television show Once Upon a Time. I. Love. Fairytales. When I saw that this was about fairytales, I was excited to read this book. A few chapters in, however, I knew it was going to be a daunting task to finish.

First of all, the different fonts that they use for different POV chapters is ridiculous. I've seen soup cans with better font choices. I hope it was changed to different fonts for the final product because it was terrible. It seemed like a third grader choose the different fonts that were used.

Then there is Oliver, our hero, our protagonist, our love-interest. He quite literally only has one flaw. One. He has no courage but apparently he is 100% perfect in every other way. I get it, Delilah, you think Oliver here is perfect. Wonderful. A-ma-zing. Handome. Hot. Etc. I lost track at how many times she described how attractive Oliver is. It was nauseating. He also had no depth. For a hero, he felt very flat. Everyone in this novel felt very flat and underwhelming to me. Though, a younger audience might not mind that he lacks depth and only has one flaw.

The story had potential. Really, it did. However, everything just felt so flat. If I had to pick one word to describe this book it would be that. Or fluffy. Despite all of that, it was still nicely written. Sometimes I thought that maybe this book wouldn't have been published at all if it wasn't for Jodi's name attached but for her first novel, Samantha did a decent job.

Maybe I'm too old for this book. That's something I never thought I would say. Especially since I love YA books. This book might be more suited for middle school children as opposed to the young adults it's aimed at. It's cute, it's fluffy, it's entertaining if you're not looking for much else and it's a fun, fast read; just what middle schoolers are probably looking for. ...more

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Jan 30, 2019 Tatevik is on semi hiatus (trying to finish PHD) rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: read-in-2019, about-books-in-books, authors-picoult, age-ya, i-want-to-literary-kill-the-book

Dear Jodi Picoult,
I have a short letter for you.
Oh, God. The idea of the book was so good. And you killed it. A note at the beginning of the book says that you wrote the whole book with your daughter. Actually it seems she wrote the first 200 pages and you wrote the last 150. The first part was 1 ⭐ and the second part was 3⭐.

You are a good writer. What happened here? The characters were so undeveloped and weak. I know your characters. Your story is always an interesting one to follow. Just go a ...more

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Dec 16, 2014 Natalie (Never trust a duck) rated it really liked it

Shelves: i-own, british-boyz, laugh-out-loud, hardcover

This was a really really REALLY cute book. Enjoyed it immensely. I only wish it would actually happen. To me. I want an Oliver. Specifically one named William Herondale or Daemon Black.

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Jun 06, 2015 Lizzie rated it it was amazing

Oh my goodness, ALL OF THE STARS FOR THIS BOOK!! Honestly, this is one of my new all-time favorite books, I wouldn't change anything about it. It was so perfect!! <3
I'm not going to write a long review, but... just read it. Please. It's seriously perfect, and I am now going to be telling everybody that I know to just buy it and read it, because it will truly touch your life. So so soo good. :')
I'm so excited to start the sequel/companion novel, Off The Page! I will be starting it... probably rig ...more

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Sep 15, 2017 Lexy rated it it was amazing

I thought between the lines was a cute romance between reader and character

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Jul 09, 2012 Mel rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: read-in-2015, 4-stars

I have to say, my rating for this one surprised me. It's no secret that Jodi Picoult is one of, if not my favorite author. I now own 21 of her books and my collection is only growing from here. But this one was not cutting it for me. 60% through the book this was still only a 2.5/5 star book for me. But it got so much better near the end and improved and I really enjoyed it to the point where it became a 4 star book.

This book had a GREAT concept. It follows a character named Oliver and a charact I have to say, my rating for this one surprised me. It's no secret that Jodi Picoult is one of, if not my favorite author. I now own 21 of her books and my collection is only growing from here. But this one was not cutting it for me. 60% through the book this was still only a 2.5/5 star book for me. But it got so much better near the end and improved and I really enjoyed it to the point where it became a 4 star book.

This book had a GREAT concept. It follows a character named Oliver and a character named Delilah. Delilah is reading a fairy tale book when one day the character inside her book reaches out to her for help. What we don't know is that characters in books have actual lives whey the book is closed and Oliver has spent his entire existence wanting to be outside the book. The novel follows them and also there are chapters of the actual fairy tale in the book (which were my favorite chapters)

I will say, as much as I loved the plot, I DO think that this concept could have been done better by someone else. Jodi Picoult is mainly an adult fiction writer. That's not to say she can't write young adult/middle grade books, I mean I know her daughter worked with her, but I just don't think this is the genre I would tell her to stick with. There were a lot of really cheesy and unbelievable moments that I just felt like the book could have done without. As well, I realize fairy tales ALWAYS have insta love and this book is meant to be read like a fairy tale, but the insta love was just not well done in my opinion in this one.

Oliver is a really great character. Actually Oliver's world inside the book with Frump and stuff were just the best parts. I loved all the characters. But Delilah was where the characters fell flat for me. She was really juvenile for a teenager. Just immature and young and extremely annoying. She gets mad at her mom because her mom is worried about her, but girl you're talking to a novel, of course she's going to worry. She also gets mad that other people can't hear Oliver but like again no one really expects a novel to talk to them so of course they can't hear him. She was just senseless for a character and I was never rooting for her.
Also the fact that she just dumps everyone in her life for a boy really disgusts me but that's just something that bothers me in general in life so I just gravitated towards anger when she did this.

Overall enjoyable. Best book ever? Definitely not. But cute, fun and easy to read. I can definitely see the appeal for little kids (and adults) who like fairy tales and they'd probably really enjoy this. ...more

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Jun 30, 2012 Emily rated it it was amazing

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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May 23, 2016 Maddie rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: completed-series

I really loved how the story was told, with a mixture of the actual fairy tale, 'Between the Lines' and then from both Oliver and Delilah's perspective. It was immersive and I definitely found myself invested in their romance. The moral we can get from this is try, try, try again, because the lovers try at least six different ways to get Oliver out of the book, and nothing seems to work until it does.
I may have liked it more than I normally would've, because of all the 'Inkheart' feels it was g ...more

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Feb 05, 2018 Suzzie rated it liked it · review of another edition

Pretty good story but not the typical Jodi Picoult novel and understandably so since she co-wrote it with her daughter. I love takes on fairytales and fairytales in general (so much so that my doctoral dissertation is on the use of fairytales in therapy) so I was pretty happy reading this book. I will read the second book of the series for sure as I have a 2018 goal of reading all of Jodi’s novels. However, I do not think some will enjoy this one because they may be use to her novels because a b ...more

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Mar 18, 2018 Dianna ☾midnight reads☽ marked it as to-read

heard this is a book with the main character falling in love witH THE READER AND WTF I NEED TO READ THIS

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Sep 06, 2014 Indah rated it did not like it

Shelves: never-again

I wanted to love this book. Hell, I wanted to adore it. It has gorgeous pictures and silhouettes and just the entire lay-out is incredible. Also Jodi Picoult's name is quite a known one, and not for the worst. The fact that she had written it with her daughter only made me more interested, as well as an interesting premise: what happens to the characters when you close a book.

BUT GUESS WHAT: IT WAS POORLY EXECUTED!

The Plot:

At the beginning, I was interested in how the story was going, as you g ...more

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Mar 07, 2020 Lia Carstairs rated it liked it

Shelves: romance, contemporary, fantasy, young-adult

Just so you know, when they say "Once Upon a Time".......they're lying.

I've always dreamed of jumping into a book—it just sounded so amazing. Being able to live the story of your favourite books is like a dream come true.

In this case, Between the Lines, was pretty similar except the character in said story was able to speak with the MC!!!😍 And at one point, Delilah actually appears in the book Oliver wants to escape from. Kind of ironic, lol.😂

That ending was truly a Happily Ever After for e ...more

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Jul 13, 2012 Kat (Lost in Neverland) rated it liked it

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

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

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topics	posts	views	last activity
Play Book Tag: Between the Lines - Jodi Picoult & Samantha Van Leer - 4*	1	7	Dec 23, 2019 01:51PM
What's the Name o...: SOLVED. YA Fantasy. A girl reads the same fantasy book over and over again, and she falls in love with a dude in it. She can travel inside the book and interact with the characters. Possible Spoilers ahead. [s]	10	29	Mar 23, 2019 06:16PM
What's the Name o...: SOLVED. YA Romance: Female Protagonist Falls in Love With Book Character. Spoilers ahead. [s]	3	30	Feb 20, 2018 07:38AM
YA Buddy Readers'...: Between the Lines by Jodi Picoult & Samantha van Leer - Restarting October 5th AND November 9th 2015	38	155	Nov 27, 2017 12:49PM

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About Jodi Picoult

Jodi Picoult

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Jodi Picoult is the author of twenty-six novels, including the #1 New York Times bestsellers Small Great Things, A Spark of Light, Leaving Time, The Storyteller, Lone Wolf, Between the Lines, Sing You Home, House Rules, Handle with Care, Change of Heart, Nineteen Minutes, and My Sister’s Keeper. She lives in New Hampshire with her husband and three children.

Her new novel, THE BOOK OF TWO WAYS, is ...more