Between the Lines by Jodi Picoult

“Just so you know, when they say, “Once upon a time”…they’re lying.

It’s not once upon a time. It’s not even twice upon a time. It’s hundreds of times, over and over, every time someone opens up the pages of this dusty old book.”

-Oliver (Between the Lines Character)

“Between the Lines” by Jodi Picoult was the book that sparked my interest in reading. I originally read this book in junior high and it is still one of my favorites, this book connects with the audience no matter the age group. If you haven’t read this book or anything by Jodi Picoult highly suggest her books. I have reread this book more times than I can count and it evokes emotion in me every time. This is one of two books in the series and after reading the first one you will be wanting more the second book is “Off the Page by Jodi Picoult”

In the novel “Between the Lines” Picoult emerges the reader in a fantasy world in ways no author has done before. She takes the idea of being so emerged in a book you feel a part of the story and makes it a reality, the main character Delilah is a school loner and grows attached to books, specifically a fairytale book that she finds in her school library. This book feels different than any other and Delilah keeps taking the book out of the library, something draws her to it. Over time she starts noticing things being different every time she opened the book and realizes that all the characters are alive! Once the characters have revealed themselves to Delilah they start to form relationships with each other, especially Oliver the Prince in the fairytale. Delilah and Oliver end up becoming close and discussing their hopes and dreams, as she bonds with these characters she learns that Oliver is nothing like a prince and has other ambitions that don’t include being a prince trapped in a fairytale book, this drives the two of them to create a plan to get Oliver out of the book. This novel evokes so much emotion that whenever the characters succeed you feel joy and when they fail you are disappointed. They face many challenges along the way may it be a dragon with braces or finding our way out of a fairytale you will feel for the characters and grow a connection.

Through out the book “Between the Lines” by Jodi Picoult, Picoult analyzes the idea of choosing your own destiny by showing that the path you are on doesn’t need to be your end path, you can change your path and follow happiness. Oliver was forced into the life of repeating is life over and over by slaying dragons and doing princely duties and it wasn’t what made him happy. Delilah and Oliver try to get Oliver out of the book and face many challenges along the way. This book made me realize that the path of life isn’t just one path, you may need to change course and follow a different path, and there is nothing wrong with doing that. Life throws challenges at us everyday, the way you determine how to deal with the problem and the outcome can change the path that you were on. Most importantly you need to follow what your heart says to do.

Book lovers in particular are likely to get a kick out of the blurring of the lines between character and reader, fact and fiction. Periodic illustrations from the fairy tale Between the Lines function well as reminders of Oliver’s fictive “reality,” but others, too closely resembling clip art, are distracting and out of place. Fizzy fairy-tale fun.

Kirkus Reviews