Between the Lines

"Picoult and her coauthor daughter deliver an enjoyable, metafictive twist on the traditional teen-romance novel.... Book lovers in particular are likely to get a kick out of the blurring of the lines between character and reader, fact and fiction.... Fizzy fairy-tale fun." --"Kirkus Reviews" "A compulsively readable charmer. The teen dialogue and interior monologues feel authentic, while Picoult's practiced hand balances humor with larger issues such as abandonment, hope, and existential quandaries related to fate and human nature. Both silhouette and pencil drawings abound; characters climb in and around the text to excellent effect. Younger readers and their parents will appreciate the gentle, wholesome romance, with nary a shred of paranormal action. The tender, positive tone and effective pacing that builds to a satisfying finish will inspire readers to pass the book to a friend--or reread it themselves." --"Booklist" "A clever YA romance about the magical relationship between a loner and her fictional "Prince Charming." Elements from Picoult's other novels--alternating character viewpoints with distinguishing fonts, snappy chapter endings--are present, and the story is peppered with pop culture references to The Hunger Games, the Kindle Fire, and the X-Men, as well as comic relief in the form of characters like a talking horse that thinks it has a weight problem. Readers...will be swept up by the romantic premise." --"Publishers Weekly" "Engagingly written...a fun romp that fans of both fairy tales and teen romance will enjoy." --Shelf Awareness for Readers "Between the Lines" is a romance between a girl and a boy, but even more, it's a love letter to the visceral bond between a reader and a musty, beloved book.... The fictional "Between the Lines" is funny and unexpected...and it's fascinating to watch the authors address the problem of what it would be like to live not just in a story, but in a physical book..." --"The Washington Post" "An exceedingly clever concept that would be challenging to pull off, if not for the deep understanding of character, plot and pacing provided by Picoult... Conceptually, "Between the Lines" is reminiscent of the "Toy Story" movies... An exploration of the nature of escapism that asks whether reality is any more real than make-believe, "Between the Lines" will delight readers of all ages whose imaginations willfully blur that distinction.""--Los Angeles Times"









Copyright (c) 2012, Los Angeles Times "Picoult and her daughter, Van Leer, have created a multilayered universe where what is real is in the eye of the beholder." --"VOYA"