The Between (ARC Book Review)

The Between pulls you in with a gloriously glitchy album-art style cover and the promise of an action-packed ride in a world of video-game-inspired horror but delivers something amateurish at best. 

Reminiscent of House of Leaves mixed with the 1980’s movie Labyrinth but in a way that is shameful to both, The Between follows Paul Prentice after he discovers a trap door in his backyard leading to a series of impossible rooms that change and remake themselves and a host of dangerous roles waiting to be filled. With the help of his friends, Paul begins to understand that the place is a world between worlds, not knowing if it will be enough to truly escape. 

The exciting and fast-paced plot and setting are the highlights of this novel but are dragged down by cliches, cookie-cutter and unlikeable characters with flimsy backstories, and mediocre writing that inserts humor in all the wrong places, sapping the life out of an otherwise interesting world. 

Underdeveloped and disappointing, I rated The Between 2 out of 5. 

Thank you to Netgalley and the Parliament House for an early copy in exchange for an honest review!

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