Review | Between the Lines by Jodi Picoult and Samantha van Leer

Title: Between the Lines by Jodi Picoult, Samantha van Leer
Series: N/A
Genre: YA - Contemporary/Fantasy
Publication: June 26, 2012 by Simon Pulse
Format: Hardcover
Source: Publisher
Rating: ★★★★★

Synopsis: 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.

Thoughts: I think the first thing to note when starting this book is that it is not only a Jodi Picoult book. While I haven't read any of her other works (I know, I must!) I kept seeing reviews where this book was compared to her previous books and the readers were disappointed that it didn't live up to her amazing writing. I went into this book not knowing what to expect and it turned out that Between the Lines is an adorable and sweet book that I simply adored.

Once upon a time...there was a loner named Delilah who loved to read. She came across a children's fairy tale one day and the book spoke to her. Literally. Prince Oliver has been stuck in "Between the Lines," playing his part as a not-so-brave prince and he is simply tired of it. He wants more from life; he wants a life. Oliver and Delilah form a friendship once they figure out that they can talk to each other and are determined to figure out how to get him out of the book and into the real world. Sound like a fairy tale? It is. Between the Lines is a unique, but incredibly cute fairy tale that I couldn't get enough of.

Told from alternating points of view, we get to meet and learn about both Oliver and Delilah and what their lives are like. We also get to read the fairy tale that Oliver belongs to, which ties into their stories pretty well. I liked both characters instantly, and really was rooting for their ideas to work. The story was lighthearted, humorous and emotional, at times. The writing was cleverly done between mother and daughter, creating a cute story that book lovers (or anyone who has ever wanted to pull a character out of a book) will be able to relate to.

One of my favorite things about the book were the beautiful drawings, along with the constant silhouettes scattered throughout the pages. Also, as each point of view changes, so does the font color. While this might be bothersome for some, it was one of my favorite additions to the book.

Overall: Between the Lines is a sweet, romantic and quick story with a unique twist that I am sure many will enjoy. It is definitely a fairy tale that makes you think and flip through the pages quickly as you try and find out what happens next. While it is not as deep as you might expect from Picoult, this book is definitely a treasure that I am glad I got a chance to read. I definitely recommend it to younger teens (12+) as well as adults who are looking for light, fun read.