Somewhere In Between

Product Information

This is a book about how hard it is to grow up. It is definitely that. And for the most part, I really love the fact that Li has managed to write characters who know that it's getting harder and harder to figure out how to be themselves and fit into the world it seems like they have to fit into... but they have no idea what to do about it. She doesn't over-write their angst. They don't talk endlessly about it. She makes maximum impact with minimum verbiage, and the depiction of their desires -- need -- to escape, dissociate, and cling to each other, comrades in pain and confusion, whose comfort in each other is simultaneously -- dangerously -- real and illusory. She managed to speak to my dark soul and gave me a plot line I didn't even know I was yearning for. How did this happen? Did they die? Who? What? WHY THIS AND WHY THAT AND BLABLABLA... THEN THIS BOOK IS DEFINITELY NOT FOR YOU. A conversation at Tim Horton's (a coffee shop) begins the story of a couple looking to buy a ranch in the Chilcotin region of British Columbia. Then the landscape takes over and the first chapter becomes a beautiful description of the expanse of land. It helps to ground readers in place and introduces one of the forms of silence explored in Somewhere In-Between. This particular silence is an appreciation of the surroundings: the old-growth forest, the willow-lined creek and "a haze of coastal mountains."

The cast in this piece is fairly modest in size. It stars Rom, a geek of sorts, though not one with particularly good grades, and Magnolia, a kind of wannabe punk. They're the sort of misfit children that find each other and immediately establish a bond. They're not hipster or antisocial or even outright rejects, they're just kids who struggle with the challenges of adolescent life. They have friends and even relationships, but still have a hard time finding connections that really make them feel alive, ones that make life worth living. They're a far more compelling pair than I'm probably making them sound, though. In spite of how heavily they fall into classic teen angst tropes, these two actually feel very sincerely developed. This is probably because they aren't necessarily rebelling against the world. They don't have some juvenile chip on their shoulder nor do they insist on being miserable, they just can't seem to find satisfaction in life the same way that others do. They simply want something a little more. Readers also get to see them at different points in time and it was great fun to have the different nuggets of character development all come together around the middle of the book and then we get to see the characters grow from there. It's a very clever way to tell a love/friendship story and one I really enjoyed. In terms of the rest of the cast, there really isn't too much going on. There are other characters in the story, but they are largely to the side and you'll never really get to know them very well. 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.But then this book takes a darker turn and the ending left me feeling empty. But perhaps it is supposed to. 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 author has a deep connection with her characters and their conversations are thoroughly enjoyable to read. Magnolia brings up some interesting topics, like her view on time having physical form. Two friends find a portal to another dimension and use this “in-between place” to avoid the stress of their everyday lives. What they don’t realize is that every time they enter, they alter reality. 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!

It's a good thing the blurb is there because, just like Magnolia and Rom, I didn't realize they were altering reality either every time they entered the portal. It does make sense now, though, as far as anything can make sense in this book. This book took me by complete surprise but only because the cover looks so cheerful but it took a dark turn and I loved every second of it! I am so mad at myself for not having read this sooner!! This was the first book I have read by Katie and I fell absolutely in love!!

Advance Praise

I was sent a copy of this book by the author in exchange of an honest review. All opinions stated are mine. Meet Amara, an ordinary twenty-eight-year-old woman trying to navigate her way through life. Amara is a full time carer for her mum, her life isn' t easy but is fairly routine, until one night. She joins her friends at an exclusive BDSM club, somewhere she hasn' t been for so long. Despite it all though the one responsible for her death remains a mystery, glimpses of hidden hate within the characters belying an ending that tears the heart out and leaves it in tatters. Hosmer's ability to touch on real family drama and what one will endure for the sake of their children, paints life into these ordinary people who could live down the street from any one of us.

Here is a novel that I received for review by Caitlin Press. This review will also be on the blog tour for this novel, so welcome aboard! I will put the synopsis here, then I will talk about it because this is what this is for: As for the term "dead white girl," it could become one of those weighty book club questions. Darla recounts a story, "The Legend of Crow," that her boyfriend Levi Johnny told. There's a reverence for the story as she recalls the carved pendant of a crow Levi wore and later gave to her. And then she thinks he "takes this spirit guide thing way too seriously now." She mixes honour and a love for her boyfriend with a dismissing of his traditions. We have a lovely pair of characters who have found a portal to a place where time doesn't seem to exist. (This kind of confused me a bit, and I tried to understand it more through-out the book, but I didn't get the answers I was looking for.) Anyway, this "in-between" place is where they go to avoid certain things or decisions they have to make in life. I'm sure we all would love to have a place like this, huh?A twisted psychological thriller that alternates chapters between then (memories from her past) to now (events she views as a ghost). This was brilliant and addictive. As if the gorgeous cover weren't enough, the description of this novella made it an absolute must-read for me. It's no secret that the young adult genre has been flooded with paranormal plots lately, but Somewhere In Between took it somewhere original and introduced a plot that I've never seen before. What teenager, or adult for that matter, wouldn't absolutely love for there to be an alternate universe that they could visit any time they need to escape from life? If she thought it would be a relatively normal night she would be wrong. Because she met him... Sullivan. He is unlike anyone she' s ever met before.