276°
Posted 20 hours ago

Somewhere In Between

£9.9£99Clearance
ZTS2023's avatar
Shared by
ZTS2023
Joined in 2023
82
63

About this deal

This book is gorgeous! Seriously, if I hasn't gotten a review copy, I might have just gotten it for the cover alone (I tend to do that a lot...). Anyway, I really wanted to like this book. 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. This is one reminded me of China Mieville - you are either willing to go with it and be okay with ambiguity or not because the book may be about the actual characters and actions/plot or it may entirely be a metaphor for something else and you may never know which. Or maybe it's both. Or neither. The story is lyrical, beautiful, heart breaking. It says a lot with very few words, written in stark, spare, lyrical prose that wonderfully captures loss, depression, anxiety, and yearning. I couldn't put it down and devoured it in two days. It's been a while since a book had that effect on me. 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. Vlahos’scompassionate,beautifully written book contains profound wisdom. It is for anyone with an open heart who loves a good story and anyone who fears but would like to better understand hospice and the end of life.” —Katy Butler, New York Times bestselling author of The Art of Dying Well

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. THE BOOK IS WEIRD and it would not be everyone's cup of tea, but even so, I would still recommend that people give this book a try. If you don't mind finding the answers to all the unanswered questions left at the end, you will enjoy the book. I will consider reading this author again. I want to explore more of her works. TW: SA, domestic abuse, depression, self harm, and likely a few others. Please be aware before reading the book. 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. As the story unfolds, readers are introduced to the O'Dales' daughter, Darla, who communicates from her state of "in-between." These sections are reminiscent of Alice Sebold's The Lovely Bones in which the young victim speaks from beyond the grave.

Success!

In The In-Between, Vlahos recounts the most impactful experiences she’s had with the people she’s worked with—from the woman who never once questioned her faith until she was close to death, to the older man seeing visions of his late daughter, to the young patient who laments that she spent too much of her short life worrying about what others thought of her—while also sharing her own fascinating journey. I received a digital ARC of this book from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

If you're expecting some YA romance with a bit of urban fantasy mixed up with it, you're going to be in for an interesting (no pun intended) ride. My GOD, this book was intense! 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. 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.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. How did this happen? Did they die? Who? What? WHY THIS AND WHY THAT AND BLABLABLA... THEN THIS BOOK IS DEFINITELY NOT FOR YOU. 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. She managed to speak to my dark soul and gave me a plot line I didn't even know I was yearning for. I should preface by saying that I am not a fan of magical realism. I am a very straight-forward, factual type person. It's just how my brain works.

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. They were beautifully developed. They are lonely people who create their own realities to survive on their own. I really enjoyed and appreciated the characters of ROM and MAGNOLIA. 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. So, this is not your typical somewhere-in-between-book (pun intended). If you like magic realism, metaphorical writing, and aren't afraid to delve into some deeper levels of emotions: read this book. If you're expecting something more fantasy-ish: don't read this book; it'll only end up as another negative review, which it doesn't deserve. Katie Li's writing in this book is metaphorical. Everything is not explained thoroughly to please your mind. I'm still processing some of it even after I have finished reading.

Become a Member

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.

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!! Another thing I loved were the illustrations at the end of each chapter. There are blossoms that grow with every chapter and it was amazing! I couldn't stop smiling at them. Also, I loved how the text font changes whenever something was related to the in between. I just wish this book were longer and I would watch this nonstop if it ever became an anime!!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. I don't think I can categorically and enthusiastically recommend this book to everyone, as in, "Even if you think this isn't your thing, try it anyway! Let it blow your mind!" Because that's where the comparisons with Eternal Sunshine need to stop. Even if you don't think Eternal Sunshine is your cup of tea, you should watch it anyway. Let it blow your mind and make you cry and frustrate and enrage and touch you. Whether you get 20% of it or 95%, you'll be enriched. I'm not sure Somewhere In Between has quite that much substance to it; nor do I think you'll be more-enriched-than-frustrated if you only get 20% of it. So, I have a soft spot for any story that uses ghosts/spirits in an interesting way, and Somewhere In Between scratches that itch.

Asda Great Deal

Free UK shipping. 15 day free returns.
Community Updates
*So you can easily identify outgoing links on our site, we've marked them with an "*" symbol. Links on our site are monetised, but this never affects which deals get posted. Find more info in our FAQs and About Us page.
New Comment