Somewhere In Between

Product Information

Now before this turns into 'My Dear Diary', I have to say there's something about the name Zane that annoys me to no end. Especially if it's the name of a non-caring drug-dealing boyfriend. Then again, it might just be that mostly. I just find it excruciatingly painful to watch or read about women who are together with a guy like that and are still desperately trying to win his love by any means. Bah.

This is a book that could spark discussion for what the book might be all about. It definitely left me thinking.

The descriptions of the physical beauty of Chilcotin country are so exact, so gorgeous that I wanted to drive up there tomorrow. You can smell the fresh air, hear the wind in the trees, see the sparkling lake waters. Pseudo-punk Magnolia and underachieving gamer-geek Rom are two unlikely friends who only hang out during their walks home together after school. When they find the a portal that leads to different worlds, they use the “in-between place” as an escape from their lives in high school, then later, after college. I don't think I feel the same way about that. Or maybe I do and I'm just not ready to admit it yet. I received a digital ARC of this book from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review* Tender and transformative . . . The great surpriseof The In-Between is that it makes dying feel like a peaceful, dynamic, and nourishing event that can potentially transform the lives of those who are left behind. Readers will cheer on Hadley Vlahos and, like me, be forever grateful that she wrote this book.” —Christie Tate, New York Times bestselling author of Group

There were a few minor issues unrelated to my bias that seemed a bit random. And based on the title, I was expecting a more fast paced suspense thriller. However, this does NOT diminish the brilliance of the author’s writing. Dawn is a master of seamlessly moving between time and space with her storylines. And her ability to create solid, believable characters (even ones you hate!) magnifies the talent of her craft. Since her previous dabbling in the BDSM community she has developed uneasy feelings about various subjects. But Sullivan has managed to break through her barriers and expose her deepest desires. He manages to bring out the most intense pleasure she' s ever experienced. Talking about death and dying is considered taboo in polite company, and even in the medical field. Our ideas about dying are confusing at best: Will our memories flash before our eyes? Regrets consume our thoughts? Does a bright light appear at the end of a tunnel? For most people, it will be a slower process, one eased with preparedness, good humor, and a bit of faith. At the forefront of changing attitudes around palliative care is hospice nurse Hadley Vlahos, who shows that end-of-life care can teach us just as much about how to live as it does about how we die.

A Note From the Publisher

I think it's the whole coming of age thing, with which I am still struggling myself, that's so well depicted throughout the book. The whole reluctance towards change, and sometimes taking a mental pause and realizing everything HAS changed, even though you were fighting to keep things the way they are...were. It can be frightening sometimes! Magnolia, a wannabe punk who has just been dumped by her super-cool boyfriend, Zane, is wandering aimlessly on her way home when she meets Rom; a boy who, unbeknownst to her, has been staring longingly at her and her technicolor hair all school year. Their strange friendship becomes even stranger when together, they discover an alternate universe that is much like their own, but so very different. This "in-between" place becomes a refuge for them; a refuge from school, life, and often themselves. What made me fall head over heels was the fact that the other side of the portal, or the 'in between' as Rom and Magnolia call it, was basically a wasteland. Yeah, a ruined beauty. AHH!!!! Let's just say that the most amazing thing an author could give me is an abandoned anything. (House, town, mansion, castle, store, etc.) I love exploring abandoned sights whenever I can and this book definitely made me feel like I was exploring right along with the characters. It’s a rollercoaster, but it’s not fast. And you’re not sitting down. You don’t even really have a body. It’s just the feeling of moving in a roller coaster, January starts, and then it moves forward, sort of—I guess toward you? If you were looking at it. And then February goes, like, upward. And March gets higher, but then sort of plateaus. The statement that came into my head while pondering how to start this review was is: "Somewhere In Between is the book you would get if you took a Stephanie Perkins novel and, every time Perkins wrote a mundane, realistic, straightforward detail, you intentionally subverted expectations with vagueness, enigma, and magical realism." Does that sound interesting to you? Then read Somewhere In Between. Does that sound pretentious and/or pointless? Then don't.

Published by Thought Catalog Books, an imprint of the digital magazine Thought Catalog, which is owned and operated by The Thought & Expression Company LLC, an independent media organization based in Brooklyn, New York and Los Angeles, California. The way it ended was vague. I do believe that Katie should have given it more time, let the world built and ended things more clearly. Even though I really want to know what happened to Rom and Magnolia and if they end up together, it doesn't bother me much, not because I don't care about them but because, through out the book, they were able to give me a nice feeling of happiness which I can't really explain.Erica Maity narrated. I have to say it was fantastic. From pacing to tone, she captured the essence of the story and helped build on the scenes and suspense. Her character voices were flawless, and she added another level of enjoyment to this thriller. Even though it's a challenging read, I found myself having to put little effort into following the story. I still can't tell you what happened exactly, but I went with the flow and finished it in two reading sessions. Not to sound like an overly spiritual Sue or anything, but I guess I just 'felt' it. Halfway through the book, I even had to cry a little, something which happens rarely while reading, not even when one of my favourite characters dies. Vlahos was raised in a strict religious household, but began questioning her beliefs in high school after the sudden death of a friend. When she got pregnant at nineteen, she was shunned by her community and enrolled herself in nursing school to be able to support herself and her baby. But nursing soon became more than a job: when she focused on palliative care and hospice work, it became a calling. The novel is very character driven, the whole plot centers around Julie moving on and her daughter, Darla, encouraging her to move. Virgil Blue is the mysterious dude who silently leads her to the path of forgiveness, who has had a tragic past.