Book Review: Off the Page by Samantha Van Leer and Jodi Picoult

Summary: 

Delilah and Oliver shouldn’t be together. But they are together. And just as they’re getting used to the possibility that happily ever after may really, truly be theirs, the universe sends them a message they can’t ignore: they won’t be allowed to rewrite their story. Delilah and Oliver must decide how much they’re willing to risk for love and what it takes to have a happy ending in a world where the greatest adventures happen off the page.

Release Date: May 2015

Age Group: YA

Source: Publisher

Reviewed by: Madi B

 

Review: 

I LOVED the first book to this story, Between the Lines. I was a freshmen and IN LOVE with it. The concept of a girl and a character falling in love and trying to be together was so creative and relatable to my little bookworm self. 

Off the Page was about the aftermath of their happily ever after. Oliver was trying to go to high school, Delilah was trying to be his girlfriend, and everyone else was freaking out. Then the book starts trying to reverse what they did in the first book. 

Off the Page has a magical element to it but what’s different about it is that if there are any rules, they are unknown. Delilah is trying to figure out how the book works just like we are. They try all these schemes to let Oliver stay in the real world and what I don’t like is that there are no rules to govern what will work and what won’t. So every scheme feels like it’s going to work and then there’s some far-fetched explanation for why it doesn’t. Maybe this bothers me because I’m older and need more explanations for things. I really liked seeing more of Oliver and especially seeing Oliver in the real world. He’s this fairy tale prince shoved into a pair a jeans and a t-shirt and his interactions with other people are hilarious.

To me, Delilah was not thankful enough for Oliver. She was always annoyed when he would mess up and insecure about him leaving her. I feel like her character could have been done a little better. The book was very cheesy and sweet and a tad cliche. Okay, a lot cliche. But it’s well written and the plot line is well thought out. 

What made this book readable for me was Frumo and Seraphima and Edgar and his mom. Their relationships really brought dimension that this book really needed. Take into account that I am judging this book harshly because I had such high expectations. I really thought hard about why I wasn’t completely in love with it so I got a bit nitpick-y. Overall I think this book is best for ages 12-16. It’s sweet and lighthearted and impossible to put down once you pick it up.