This is the premise of Between Two Ends. Yeats, the teenage protagonist, must find out how to get into Arabian Nights to rescue Shari, who has been trapped inside the book for decades and now thinks she is Scheherazade, the legendary queen who tells a story every night to stop her head being chopped off.
There are lots of similarities with the Inkheart trilogy, but Between Two Ends is lighter, doesn't take itself too seriously and is a simply a fun adventure. I love the Arabian Nights (you can see my review here) and the idea of going into a world of genies, sand, enchantment and grand viziers is a great one if you love escapism.
There were some lovely touches too. Yeats gets to the world of Arabian Nights in a boat swimming on a sea of words. He spends time pondering if you can get killed in a story if you aren't a main character. If you forget who you really are, you can get trapped in a story forever. Time passes at different rates in story world and the real world.
However, other parts just didn't tie together. The whole thing between Shari and Yeats' father and how that had an impact on Yeats' parents marriage was never explained to my liking and didn't seem like a plausible explanation for Yeats risking his life. The book was a bit short and I could definitely have read some more action in Arabian Nights, and would have liked Yeats to explore a bit further, rather than just rush in and out. The way they break the enchantment on Shari seems a bit too convenient. Yeats is apparently the luckiest boy ever
Verdict: Great piece of escapism, like reading Indiana Jones.
Score: 3.5 out of 5
Received from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Publisher: Abrams Books
Available: Now!
Which book would you escape in to?
Sounds like a neat book! I used to think I wanted to live in a Jane Austen book but when I stop to consider modern conveniences (fluoride toothpaste, air conditioning, hairdryers, healthcare) that I appreciate and rely on, I don't know that I would really enjoy living in that time period. Lately I've decided that if I could enter a book world it might be the Harry Potter series (but only if I could be young enough to attend Hogwarts) or Jasper Fforde's Thursday Next books. I'd love to live in modern time but still have a bit of whimsical fantasy in the world.
ReplyDelete@lisa :) Yes, I would miss all of the modern conveniences too! Going into the Harry Potter books would be great, agreed, but definitely only if I could go to Hogwarts and be in no personal danger myself!
ReplyDeleteSounds like an adorable read for the beach!
ReplyDeleteSounds interesting. My kids both liked the Inkheart books so this could be something to put on their lists.
ReplyDeleteI love the first line of your review!
ReplyDeleteThis one sounds like a great idea, that fell a little short because of some plot distractions?
I would like to escape into the world of Dickens, with the caveat that I could come back anytime, lol.
@The Book Girl - you're exactly right about the good idea but some plot distractions. Yes, Dickens wouldn't be much fun if you ended up as a poor character!
ReplyDelete@Susan - If they liked Inkheart, they'll love this. It's easier to read too.
I love the first sentence of your post!
ReplyDeleteI think I would want to escape into the world of Dickens, provided I could return anytime I wanted :)
Ah, that's the one you mentioned :) Sounds very interesting ^^
ReplyDelete