Between the Lines

April 23, 2012
Prolific and bestselling author Picoult teams up with her teenage daughter to pen a clever YA romance about the magical relationship between a loner and her fictional “Prince Charming.” Imagine 15-year-old Delilah McPhee’s surprise when she starts to have a conversation with Prince Oliver, the hero of a fairy tale she adores. From Oliver she learns that characters in a story lead very different lives when a book is shut—in Oliver’s “reality,” the story’s villain is actually a butterfly aficionado, and Oliver has no interest in his betrothed, Seraphima. 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. The reason given for Delilah’s obsession with the fairy tale—like her, Oliver grew up without a father—is weak, but that’s unlikely to trouble readers who will be swept up by the romantic premise. Ages 12–up. Agent: Laura Gross, Laura Gross Literary Agency.

August 1, 2012

Gr 7-10-Fifteen-year-old Delilah likes nothing better than to escape into a book when high school life gets too depressing. But after the hero of her favorite fairy tale comes to life before her eyes, she starts to wonder if she's been spending too much time with books and not enough time with real people. Oliver, a 16-year-old prince, feels trapped in his story, reliving the same scenes over and over. He longs to leave his book, and he is attracted to Delilah, the reader he sees most often hovering above the pages. Delilah and Oliver may be from two different worlds, but they have an emotional connection. Will it be strong enough to bridge the gap that separates fantasy and reality? Written in collaboration with her teenage daughter, this light novel is a departure from Picoult's usual milieu. The story shifts between Delilah's and Oliver's perspectives and is interspersed with sections from the fairy tale in which Oliver is trapped. Full-color and black-and-white illustrations decorate some pages. While the writing style is polished and the pacing is good, the characters lack depth and the ending falls flat. On the whole, this book is a fluffy, fun read for younger teens, but one that lacks emotional punch.-Misti Tidman, Boyd County Public Library, Ashland, KY

Copyright 2012 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

May 15, 2012
In her first foray into teen fiction, Picoult and her co-author daughter deliver an enjoyable, metafictive twist on the traditional teen-romance novel. Delilah is a 15-year-old, self-professed loner who would rather have her head buried in a book than gossip about boys or play fashion police in the halls between classes. But it's not just any book that Delilah wants to lose herself in; it's an obscure fairy tale called Between the Lines with a dashing young prince who literally comes to life before her very eyes. Prince Oliver is equally captivated with Delilah, and the two embark on a quest to find a way and a world in which they can finally be together. Told from Delilah and Oliver's alternating points of view, this take on the traditional star-crossed-lovers tale will make for a light read for those preteens and early teens who aren't looking for more mature, emotionally complex love stories. 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. (Fantasy. 9-13)

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May 1, 2012
Grades 7-10 Quirky loner Delilah discovers a fairy tale in her high-school library and develops a raging crush on its handsome prince. She is startled but delighted to discover that he can actually see her and speak to her. In alternating chapters Oliver and Delilah relate their adventures in liberating Oliver from the two-dimensional page into Delilah's three-dimensional world. Picoult's teenage daughter pitched the idea to her mother, and together the two have created 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 friendor reread it themselves. HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: Picoult's brand-name presence on the cover will draw readers for her first foray into YA lit, and a mother-daughter tour will help spread the word.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2012, American Library Association.)