The Edge of In Between

I absolutely LOVED the authors 1st book, but she kicked everything up a notch with this book, & I loved this even more than the 1st because of it. This just might be my favorite Secret Garden reimagining. I'd have to look through the ones l've read to be sure, but WOW! I LOVED how the author kept the core parts of the story very similar to the classic, & wove her own story around that to make it her own. I loved the idea of the magic of this world showing in a color inside you, & also in everything you see in the world. Also, when something happens like a tremendous tragedy & the grief that brings, that it rips the magic/color from you, as well as all the color you used to see..everything becomes gray. What honest, relatable imagery of grief this paints.Because magic or no, it feels like all the color is torn from the world & inside you when you’re grieving. Having lost my dad, & now my pup I felt so seen with this book, & so emotional, & it felt like a part of my path to my own healing(that I'm hopeful will come) reading this. Also, the important messages of healing-that it IS possible, & all the important messages that go with that alone, like the guilt you feel at 1st for even thinking of being happy again. The imagery painted with the authors words with the healing process was also so honest & a beautiful representation. What she did with the garden, "the crying boy", the maid, the gardener, & the garden(all core parts of the original that she made her own)were SUPERB! Every detail about the garden, especially that miraculous tree is so magical & breathtaking. The backstory & details of the characters mentioned were sooooo well done. I wasn't left overly comparing anything to the classic:like it wasn't close enough to the original, or it was too close so you then compare it to death....NO! None of that. Brilliantly done. The bird is 1 thing I left out. Because it's 1 of the most beautiful aspects. What the author does with the cardinal of her story, what it represents..took my breath away, & I'm getting teary-eyed now just thinking about it. Beautiful. I don't want to give anything away, so all I'lI say about this next thing is, there's 1 character who you don't know if they're good or bad or what..but what they end up representing is yet ANOTHER honest heartbreakingly beautiful in a way image representation of what they are. This has beautiful, vivid, detailed, imaginative writing that is magical in its own right. It has incredible relatable characters. Honest, relatable themes of grief, loss, trust, courage, family, friendship, & healing. So atmospheric. All the details of some of the town Lottie originally lives in, & then especially in Forsaken & the house there itself, the garden & more, plus the glimpse of in Between & Ever After we see. I absolutely LOVED the ending. Every single part came together beautifully, & was such a satisfying conclusion. I cannot wait for the authors next book, whatever it may be l'll be there if it's MG. Thank you to the author for writing such an honest book that will help so many on their path to healing. HIGHLY recommend (duh lol). STUNNING cover by Tracy J. Lee too.💜

Loved this book! If you like characters with depth, who endure real struggle, and are given no easy way out, then you will love this book as well. I either never read The Secret Garden, or I read it so long ago that I don't remember it, but that didn't hinder my enjoyment of this story at all. It may even have enhanced it because the garden and its secrets in The Edge of In Between were entirely fresh to me. I am a huge fan of C.S. Lewis and The Great Divorce is one of my favorite books. Savaryn's nod to Lewis's work offers a fresh take on what it would be like to experience the 'refrigerarium' and what one must do to move on from it. Like all truly great stories, The Edge of In Between is simple enough for a child to understand while at the same time being deep enough for an adult to truly appreciate.

A magical and luminous retelling of The Secret Garden. Fascinating! I loved the magical plants in the garden. And the role color plays in this beautifully-written novel.

Somewhere between the Land of the Living and Ever After lies a place where souls wander, processing their realities before arriving at where they need to be. Twelve-year-old Lottie loves her life; filled with the magic everyone is born with, she channels her feelings into beautiful works of art that are as colorful as she is. But when her loving parents fail to return home as promised one night, Lottie watches as the future she had envisioned for herself crumbles before her eyes. A long-lost uncle claims her in her darkest moments, and she makes a choice that takes her far from home and everything that once brought her joy. And as each day passes, Lottie discovers that there is more to life than she ever realized.Beautifully crafted, this story is one that is filled with magic, heartbreak, love, and healing. Anyone who has ever suffered great loss will recognize the metaphor of losing one’s color when life becomes challenging, and Lottie’s emotional journey will resonate with readers of all ages. Elegant descriptions bring Lottie’s world to life, both when it appears in vivid color and when shades of gray dominate the landscape. Readers are held captive by the poignant storytelling, especially as homages to other literary works are embedded within the narrative. Fans of The Secret Garden and Beauty and the Beast will appreciate how these stories intertwine within a new and unique context.Though this story is initially intended for a middle grade audience, it is one that will speak to readers of all ages. Friendship and emotional healing lie at the heart of this tale, but an element of light horror will catch readers by surprise, increasing the stakes as the mystery in which Lottie has found herself begins to unravel. As often happens when grief overtakes one’s heart, the truth in the world becomes more difficult to recognize and, while the supernatural elements of Lottie’s story may be more fantasy than reality, they represent the very honest feelings of people who are suffering emotionally. This is a fantastic, stand-alone adventure that will keep readers pinned to their seats as they anxiously await a resolution for Lottie and her companions. Perfect for libraries serving middle grade readers, this is a tale that will speak to readers in profound ways, especially to those who are struggling to regain their own color and happiness.