So yeah, I have never actually read any of the Archie comics, but I found this a fun book to read. I absolutely adore the artwork! Jughead's pretty fun! Archie's a butt, but he's probably supposed to be the lovable type. If you couldn't tell from the cover, there is a huge Sabrina, The Teenaged Witch appearance.

STORY:

"This was why there was music, he realized. There were some feelings that just didn't have words big enough to describe them" (pg 230).

In Between the Lines by Jodi Picoult and her daughter, Samantha Van Leer (352 pages), Deliah Mcphee is a total social outcast and only finds solace in her favorite kids' fairytale Between the Lines. On the other side of reality, in that very book, Prince Oliver knows there's more to life than rehearsing the lines of his book. Deliah wants a new life and Oliver wants out of his book, and, of course, chaos ensues.

If I am to be perfectly honest, the book started off corny. However, the concept of self-aware fairytale characters was intriguing and managed to capture my interest early on.

"Brightening, I smile at her. 'Look at how much we already have in common.'

"She smirks. 'Yeah. Like, for example, I'm talking to a book, and you think you're alive. We're both insane' (pg 53).

I wasn't enthusiastic about Deliah's narrative because she was so boring. I've just seen the "misunderstood high school girl" too many times to not have anything special added to her. Also, I don't know why but I found the real life references cringy, like "Cinderella in Starbucks."

"It hits me with the force of a blow: the understanding that I'd rather die than know I might never have a chance to truly, finally, kiss Deliah Mcphee" (pg 86).

This story had plenty of corny moments, like all fairytales, but they generally elicited the desired effects, an "aww" or an eye-roll.

But I loved the illustrations and the colorful fonts because it truly gave a storybook feel. I enjoyed the grueling process it took to get Oliver out the book. It definitely wasn't easy, and something unexpected happened!

To me, the long-awaited kiss scene was pretty lackluster! I don't know... Considering the book's recommended for 12 and up (honestly, nothing in the book was bad enough to garner that rating; it was innocent), I expected the kiss to be more detailed. It had all the intensity of a grandma kiss.


CHARACTERS:

I like normal girl characters (everyone can't have magic, superpowers, or super abilities) but Deliah was boring. This is not to say I wasn't sympathetic to her horrid school life.

There's not much to say about Oliver. He's just our male lead.

Jules was cool! I just wished Deliah hadn't ignored her only friend so much, but it added need tension I guess. This was one chill girl and a decent female friend, which is sometimes lacking in YA fiction.

I liked Edgar the most even though he was only there for like five to six chapters.

All the kids at Deliah's school fit the perfect American high school typecasts: jock, snobby popular girl, rebellious punk rocker, geek kids, etc. I didn't like any of them.

Also, the mermaids in Oliver's world were not what I would call feminists but that's how they were labeled, which might ruffle some feathers.

OVERALL:

Eh, I found Between the Lines a bit lackluster yet I will definitely be reading the sequel. Hopefully, I will like the next book better because that's when the real story starts.

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So, I stayed up until 1 am last night (or day? I don't know, man) because I just had to know what happened in the last book. Did the book redeem itself? Would I actually care about Deliah and Oliver's love? How would Oliver be in the real world?

"The really crappy thing about being a teenager is that even if you have a legitimate, monumental problem-- the sky is falling or the zombie apocalypse has begun or you've contracted the plague-- you still have to do your geometry homework" (pg 295).

Well, Off the Pages by Jodi Picoult and her daughter Samantha van Leer (368 pages), got better and worst.

What did I like? I thought the death in the book was handled pretty good. I know it sounds morbid to like a fictional death, but I hadn't expected it in such a cookie-cutter book. Thankfully, there were no do-overs either! Some of Oliver's confusion of the real world was somewhat fun. The author (the real ones) tried to add some last-minute depth to the mean girl, Allie but it was like trying to add pecans to an already cooked cookie. You know what I'm saying?

I thought some scenes in this book could have been condensed like Deliah helping Seraphima pick out a bra at Victoria Secrets because all her fat goes to her breast! Yeah, that was an actual line in the book.

The romance was dry. Oliver and Deliah are just too perfectly in love. I don't feel anything for them.

The ending was going to be unsatisfying either way. I don't want to say it, but the ending was a bit on the garbage end. It was so unrealistic... And I am someone that loves happy endings!

I still liked Edgar (and Jules) the most as they had the most personality out of everyone. Chris was a cool one-note character!

OVERALL:

Off the Page gets 2 stars from me. Should you read this book? I don't think anyone over the age of ten would be amazed by this story. It's a cliche book (but the premise is not) but some might find it fun and innocent!

You can read more of my book reviews here

Some of the art styles are cool, but some of the thinking in this book is very dated.

Disclaimer: Received a free ebook copy in exchange for an honest review!

STORY:

"Don't let what your eyes tell you disrupt what your heart already knows" (pg 209).

In Ewan Pendle and the White Wraith by Shaun Hume (468 pages), the book opens with a girl named Betony and her non-talking animal sidekick, a blackbird called Ronan. One chapter later, our real main character is revealed (Guess who. Really, it's easy. There's an obvious hint in the book title). Ewan Pendle's a normal boy with a not so normal ability. He's being raised by non-affectionate foster parents, so unimportant that their names are John and Jane Doe, and bullied and ignored by his four brutish foster brothers. Ewan's life has dragged on monotonously until the appearance of a strange lady who announces that he will be shipped to Firedrake Lyceum, a school with other children that see monsters just like Ewan. While there, an assassination attempt made on the Queen of England's life (not the one you're thinking of) fails, and it's up to Ewan and his friends to prevent another one.

Reminiscent of HP's four houses, Ewan Pendle and the White Wraith has five cliques, Witch (magic-users), Pyros (explosive-users), Stealth (in a sense, ninjas), Vanguard (think knights/swordsmen), and Martial (wrestlers/martial artists). I had assumed everyone would practice magic, but the cliques have their own unique twist. I would most def be in Stealth clique.


I am not used to so many female characters in a novel centered around a boy hero. Usually, it's just mom, sister, and female love interest. At one point, I wondered had Ewan been dropped off to an all-girls academy. I think it's awesome and essential that the girls of this book each played a meaningful role.

"The man wasn't just old, he looked ancient like his face and body had died a long time ago, but somehow there was still someone home" (pg 21).

There's also a bunch of old people that aren't relegated to only all-knowing wise roles.

I have mostly praises for this book, I but have to acknowledge that there were annoying tidbits. For example, way too many references to "coal black dreadlocks" and "liquid black eyes." You could make a drinking game out it whenever this character was mentioned. You can't think for a minute that the girl's gone bald or wonder what color her eyes were. Also, one of Ewan's friends Carrie was sweet, but I can't really stand sickly nice characters.

CHARACTERS:

Ewan's adorably a bit shy and awkward and definitely confused about his monster-seeing ability, lineage, and Firedrake Lyceum. He's a little plain like white bread, but when you add his ingredients of cheese (courage), tomato (loyalty), and lettuce (cleverness) he makes an alright sandwich.

One of Ewan's friends, Mathilde was fun! Bubbly and so optimistic, it's no surprise her classmates were ignorant of the home life that she was glad to escape from.

Enid, the pirate girl, had a tough disposition and a major attitude in the beginning that stemmed from her upbringing. She hailed from a very large and poor pirate family. I didn't like her much when she appeared, but she ended up as my favorite character. Little girl can pack a punch!

The Rosethorn twins, Sneath and Scarlett, were a nasty, demonic pair of kids. It was as if someone perpetually spat in their cereal each morning. Just awful!

Enola, the strange woman that brought Ewan to the academy is strange. Ewan could do no wrong in her sight, and I have no clue why. She was a cool lady with a strong air of authority around her with just enough kindness.

OVERALL:
It's a little long but once you get to know the characters you won't be bored. I liked the twist at the ending too! Word of advice: If someone offers you a pirate kiss, say no and run away. You don't need context but just remember that.

I have never read any Harry Potter books (I know the gist of the story though), so I'm not sure if this will excite or disappoint an HP fan. Just have an open mind! Also, I gotta raise my hand because I had no clue what a wraith was until now. Anyway, maybe it's good I've never formally read HP. I was able to read this unbiased and thought it was a fun adventure. I give it four stars!