School Library Journal Review
Gr 7-10-Young Prince Oliver wants to escape the pages of the book where he lives and does the same things with the same characters in the same way every day. He attempts to make contact with 15-year-old Delilah, who is somewhat of a loner and escapes her sometimes depressing high school life through her favorite books, particularly Between the Lines, a fairy tale that she discovered in her school library. What really resonates with Delilah is the fact that Prince Oliver has grown up without a father, just like she has, and she believes that he would understand her better than anyone else. When the hero of her favorite fairy tale comes to life, Oliver and Delilah join forces to get the prince out of the book and away from the life he despises. Robert MacKenie, Suzy Jackson, and Nick Cordero read the story (Simon Pulse, 2012) by Jodie Picoult and her daughter, Samantha van Leer, that moves between the perspectives of the two main characters with passages from the fairy tale interspersed. The narration will captivate listeners. This tale earns its "happily ever after."-Sheila Acosta, Cody Library, San Antonio, TX (c) Copyright 2012. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
A lonely teen named Delilah finds comfort in-and frequently rereads-a fairy tale book about a prince who goes on a quest to rescue a princess. What she doesn't realize is that Oliver, the fairy-tale prince, is tired of acting out the same story whenever the book is opened, and yearns to escape into the real world. This audio edition features three narrators, all turning in standout performances. Ian MacKenzie ably narrates the fairy tale; Nick Cordero's Oliver captures the character's old-fashioned princely formality and etiquette, as well as his frustration and longing; and Suzy Jackson's rendition of Delilah is likable, awkward, and modern. But Jackson and Cordero don't merely capture the essence of their roles-they also create a host of appropriate voices for the book's many characters. This is a fun listen that will enchant anyone who loves fantasy, magic, romance, and humor. Ages 12-up. A Simon Pulse/Bestler hardcover. (June) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Horn Book Review
High school pariah Delilah is delighted (and confused) when the prince in her favorite fairy tale begs to be liberated from the confines of his book. The clever premise never quite pans out. Prince Oliver's story is slow and disjointed, and Delilah remains a morose teen. That any teen would be enamored of Oliver and his lackluster adventure is doubtful. (c) Copyright 2012. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
In her first foray into teen fiction, Picoult and her co-author daughter deliver an enjoyable, metafictive twist on the traditional teen-romance novel. Delilah is a 15-year-old, self-professed loner who would rather have her head buried in a book than gossip about boys or play fashion police in the halls between classes. But it's not just any book that Delilah wants to lose herself in; it's an obscure fairy tale called Between the Lines with a dashing young prince who literally comes to life before her very eyes. Prince Oliver is equally captivated with Delilah, and the two embark on a quest to find a way and a world in which they can finally be together. Told from Delilah and Oliver's alternating points of view, this take on the traditional star-crossed-lovers tale will make for a light read for those preteens and early teens who aren't looking for more mature, emotionally complex love stories. Book lovers in particular are likely to get a kick out of the blurring of the lines between character and reader, fact and fiction. Periodic illustrations from the fairy tale Between the Lines function well as reminders of Oliver's fictive "reality," but others, too closely resembling clip art, are distracting and out of place. Fizzy fairy-tale fun. (Fantasy. 9-13)]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
Quirky loner Delilah discovers a fairy tale in her high-school library and develops a raging crush on its handsome prince. She is startled but delighted to discover that he can actually see her and speak to her. In alternating chapters Oliver and Delilah relate their adventures in liberating Oliver from the two-dimensional page into Delilah's three-dimensional world. Picoult's teenage daughter pitched the idea to her mother, and together the two have created a compulsively readable charmer. The teen dialogue and interior monologues feel authentic, while Picoult's practiced hand balances humor with larger issues such as abandonment, hope, and existential quandaries related to fate and human nature. Both silhouette and pencil drawings abound; characters climb in and around the text to excellent effect. Younger readers and their parents will appreciate the gentle, wholesome romance, with nary a shred of paranormal action. The tender, positive tone and effective pacing that builds to a satisfying finish will inspire readers to pass the book to a friend or reread it themselves. HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: Picoult's brand-name presence on the cover will draw readers for her first foray into YA lit, and a mother-daughter tour will help spread the word.--Carton, Debbie Copyright 2010 Booklist