Book Review and GIVEAWAY: Off the Page, by Jodi Picoult & Samantha Van Leer {ends 8/26}

A fairy tale is a snapshot too. You never know what goes on post-happily-ever-after. It's simply a frozen minute, and the only one we seem to remember.

The difference is, in a fairy tale, the story can't be altered. The prince and princess will never have a fight. You'll never hear the queen raise her voice. No one ever gets sick; no one ever gets hurt. 

Maybe love is only safe in places where it can't change.

This novel is a "companion book" to Picoult and Van Leer's Between the Lines, which I reviewed about three years ago. It's called a companion book and not a sequel because you don't have to have read BTL before reading this one; however, I found that reading BTL beforehand definitely benefits the reader when reading Off the Page.

Official synopsis:

From #1 New York Times bestselling authors Jodi Picoult and her daughter and co-writer, Samantha van Leer, comes OFF THE PAGE, a tender and appealing romantic YA novel filled with humor, adventure, and magical relationships.

Sixteen-year-old Delilah is finally united with Oliver—a prince literally taken from the pages of a fairy tale. There are, however, complications now that Oliver has been able to enter the real world. To exist in Delilah’s world, Oliver must take the place of a regular boy. Enter Edgar, who agrees to take Oliver’s role in Delilah’s favorite book. In this multilayered universe, the line between what is on the page and what is possible is blurred, but all must be resolved for the characters to live happily ever after. Includes twelve full-color illustrations, and black-and-white decorations throughout.

Full of humor and witty commentary about life, OFF THE PAGE is a stand-alone novel as well as a companion to the authors’ bestseller Between the Lines, and is perfect for readers looking for a fairytale ending. Fans of Sarah Dessen and Meg Cabot are sure to appreciate this novel about love, romance, and relationships.

I liked how (same as in BTL) the main characters in this novel all had 1st person POV, so we get to get a glimpse into what they are thinking. Delilah, Oliver, and Edgar all have their own POV chapters, each written in a different font color, and books that have this device usually are interesting, plot-wise. 

In BTL, Delilah falls in love with Oliver, a character in a book (who, although two-dimensional, is very real). In this novel, Oliver is now living in the real world, with Edgar (the book author's son, who the character Oliver is based off of) taking his place in the story. The only problem is, the book isn't liking all of these changes, and things start to go awry.

My copy was an ARC (Advance Reader's Copy) so it didn't have all of the illustrations, but the finished copies will have them, and they flowed very well with the story. BTL and also this one are almost like picture books for adults, but with the text copy of an adult/YA book, which makes for a fun read.

Picoult wrote this book and BTL with her daughter, Samantha Van Leer, and I'm hoping they collaborate together again in the future.

4 stars out of 5.

{click here to purchase Off the Page}

{click here to purchase Between the Lines}

*Disclosure: I received a copy of this book for reviewing purposes. The opinions expressed here, however, are my own.

GIVEAWAY:

Enter via the widget below. One of my lucky readers will win a paperback copy of Off the Page. 

Giveaway will end on Wednesday, August 26th, at 11:59pm EST, and the winner will be notified via email the next day and have 24 hours to respond, or an alternate winner will be chosen.

U.S. residents only, please.

Good luck!

Jodi Picoult