When Books Turn and Read Readers

Photo Credit / Paige Moran "Between the Lines" blurs the lines between fantasy and reality.

Paige Moran

Staff Writer

The novel “Between the Lines” is by Jodi Picoult and her daughter Samantha Van Leer.

Finally, a book written by Jodi Picoult that isn’t sad! Because let’s face it, “My Sister’s Keeper” is one of the saddest movies you’ve ever seen and book you’ve read.

The novel follows the two main characters, Delilah and Oliver. They aren’t separated by miles or hours, but by different worlds.

Delilah discovered her favorite book at the school’s library a month ago. The book is a child’s fairytale, and it was shoved it the shelf. When she went over to fix it she got a shock, literally!

The book was tattered and looked like it was going to fall apart, that must mean it was a well-loved book.

She took it home and had read it many times in the month since she found it.    

But recently, she had noticed some changes in the book. Her mom told her that she must’ve overlooked a small detail in the book.

At school, she takes the book out again! She can’t stop thinking about Oliver and how she knows something changed!

Finally, as she stares at the book, she sees Oliver start to climb a rock wall in the book with his knife in his mouth. He starts to scratch something on the rocks, “HELP ME”.

“How?” Delilah says to herself, and not expecting anyone to answer. Oliver, however, asks if she can hear him, and she can!

Delilah can speak to a character in her book and he can talk back!

Oliver is tired of living in his fairytale. Living the same story over and over. He wants Delilah to help get him out of the story.

What Delilah doesn’t know is how much Oliver actually knows about her. While she has been reading the story, Oliver has been taking note.

Like he knows she bites her nails when she is nervous and how she “mispronounces” schedule wrong because of her American accent as opposed to his British one.

This was the first time I read anything like this! A character being able to literally talk back to the reader!

And being an avid book reader, I only wish I could be able to talk to all of the characters I read about!

The books had a cool concept that I’ve also never seen before! Every few pages, there is an illustration that looks like its been ripped out of a child’s fairytale!

Another amazing feature is because the story is told in different point of views, each character has their own color.

There is a sequel to this story and is just as amazing as this one! With the same characters and they added a few more, more amazing illustrations, and new adventures!

Email Paige at:

pmoran9@live.esu.edu