Between the Lines & Off the Page - Reviews!

Title: Between the Lines / Off the Page
Authors: Jodi Picoult & Samantha Van Leer
Synopsis: Delilah loves a fairy tale she found in her school library. She knows it's just a story, but the characters - the Prince in particular - feel so real to her. And then the Prince talks to her. Between the Lines follows Delilah and Prince Oliver as they try to let Oliver live the life he's always wanted in the real world, and Off the Page picks up a few months after Between the Lines.
Rating for both books: 4 stars.

These books are the perfect light-hearted Summer reads! Not only is the plot incredibly appealing to booklovers - speaking to your favourite characters and bringing them to life? Yes, please! - but the writing is easy to read and the characters are fun and likeable. I think people say you can read these books in any order, but I think reading Between the Lines first will make Off the Page more enjoyable as I think you'll feel closer to the characters, having read another book with them in.

If you're thinking about reading Between the Lines, I would recommend it as it left me feeling happy and comforted in the way good contemporaries do.

*SPOILERS FOR BOTH BOOKS FROM THIS POINT ON*

So, I read Between the Lines first, and I found the whole world when the book is closed fascinating! This was such a unique idea, and I loved how the characters of the fairy tale were completely different when they weren't acting out the story. In a weird way, that setting felt more realistic than the high school, which seemed like the typical school you see in films and nowhere else, perhaps because of the stunning pictures and excerpts from the actual fairy tale that were included.

Oliver was kind, thoughtful - the perfect book boyfriend! - and I absolutely ADORED how well he fit into the high school! It made me smile (well, both of these books made me smile all the time, so I guess it made me smile even more!).

I liked Delilah at first, but then towards the middle of Between the Lines, she started to really annoy me. I get that she really cared for Oliver and felt that he understood her in a way she hadn't before, but that was no excuse to completely ditch her friend Jules, whom I really liked! I just didn't understand why she would do that. But I loved how Jules played a bigger role in Off the Page!

Her and Edgar's relationship was quite heart-wrenching, but it felt a little weird that she forgot about Chris. I think that's the thing with these books: if you think too hard about them, they're ruined. You have to suspend belief, but when you do you get an enchanting (like a fairy tale!) read.

 

Off the Page felt exactly like a rom-com or high school film - which I love - and I think it would make a good film. Off the Page had a stronger plotline than Between the Lines in my opinion, and was also more serious than Between the Lines, which I liked. The ending with Edgar and his mother in the book and Oliver and the Queen - who was one of my favourite characters - out of it was satisfying and felt like the right way to end Off the Page.

The only thing that I did not like AT ALL was Frump's story. He was a great friend to Oliver in Between the Lines, and I loved how he had that (at first) unrequited crush on Seraphima. And then in Off the Page (I think; I read these books one after the other so it's hard to remember what happened in which book) Frump becomes human, and we think yay, now he can be with Seraphima!

And then he DIES. What? I was completely shocked by this, and I didn't think it suited the light mood of the book, especially as everyone else got their happy endings. This was the only plot point that I didn't like, aside from the occasional repetitiveness of Between the Lines.

Have you read these books? What did you think? Who was your favourite character? Mine was either Oliver or the Queen.
Thanks for reading(:

Bowlerhatgirl Recommends...Contemporary Books!

Hi!
I thought I would do another recommendations post, this time recommending my favourite contemporary books! These will be split into two categories: mysteries and summery reads.

Mystery/ Thriller Contemporaries:

1. Dangerous Girls by Abigail Haas - I loved this book so much that I think it's one of my favourite books of 2014! Anna and her group of friends go on holiday to Aruba, but the trip takes a sinister turn when Elise, Anna's best friend, is murdered. Soon, Anna is trying to clear her name, and we discover what really happened to Elise. This was incredible. It has one of the most shocking endings I've ever read, and I think anyone who likes mysteries will love Dangerous Girls.

2. The Burn for Burn trilogy by Jenny Han and Siobhan Vivian - I recently just finished this series, and I'm annoyed at myself for not reading them sooner! On the surface, Burn for Burn is about three girls - Kat, Lillia, and Mary - getting revenge on people who have done them wrong. But once you read Fire With Fire (for those of you who have, my review is here), it sets off in another completely different (but equally amazing) direction. The ending to Fire With Fire was as much of a shock as Dangerous Girls, and the plot remained fast-paced and unpredictable right up until the last page of Ashes To Ashes.

3. The Pretty Little Liars series by Sara Shepard - I have finished EVERY BOOK in this series. ALL SIXTEEN, AS WELL AS THE TWO EXTRAS. There are a lot of books in the PLL series, which often puts a lot of people off, but they are easy to read and I love them. Also, there are points where you can stop reading (after book eight or book twelve, I think) and the story will feel relatively wrapped up. The books are very different to the TV show, though, so if you want to read the books and have watched the show, make sure you know this beforehand. If you still really don't want to read eight books, Sara Shepard has another series out called The Lying Game series (Which I have not read every book in, yet), and a duology consisting of The Perfectionists and The Good Girls. All of these are full of twists and turns and mystery and characters doing bad things and trying to cover them up!

Summery reads:

1. The Anna Lola Isla series by Stephanie Perkins - full of gorgeous boys, funny lines, and OTPs, any of these books are perfect for the Summer. Anna & the French Kiss is set in Paris, Lola and the Boy Next Door is set in San Francisco, and Isla and the Happily Ever After is set in New York, Paris and Barcelona, so if you want to travel the world while staying at home, you can! Each is adorable, and they're all linked together in a lovely way.

2. Since You've Been Gone by Morgan Matson - Emily is shy, and her best friend Sloane isn't. One day, Sloane disappears, leaving Emily a list of things to do. She hopes it will lead to her best friend, but it might take Emily further out of her comfort zone than she would have liked. I love how there are playlists and extras in this book, like in Amy & Roger's Epic Detour - which I would also recommend for summer - and it's just so wonderfully suited to summer!

3. 13 Little Blue Envelopes by Maureen Johnson - this is quite similar to Since You've Been Gone, as both of the protagonists have tasks to do set by people they're close to, but 13 LBE takes us around Europe as Ginny follows her aunt's seemingly crazy instructions, all packaged in blue envelopes. Over the summer, Ginny meets friends, sees the world, and also meets a great boy, which I think is what everyone wants out of a summer! Like Stephanie Perkins' books, it allows you to travel to fantastic places like Rome, Scotland, and Amsterdam, and I love how Maureen Johnson writes, so I loved this book.

4. The Threads trilogy by Sophia Bennett - If you love fashion, Threads is probably your kind of book. It centres around Nonie, daughter of a famous model, and her friends Edie - who wants to save the world - and Jenny - who's going to be an actress - as they befriend a girl called Crow, who has the makings of an incredible fashion designer. The books cover a wide range of issues apart from fashion, like body image, poverty, and deciding what to do with your future, and they have a special place in my heart for being one of the first series to really stay with me (and one of the books managed to find a place in my bath as well, so is now twice the size of the others).

All of these books are wonderful contemporaries! I also have lots of contemporary books on my TBR list, so I may do another recommendation post later on in the year. Have you read any of these? What did you think? What are some of your favourite contemporary novels? Let me know in the comments!
Thanks for reading(: