Hello readers,

How’s the summer treating you? I’m happy living my hibernation period (aka summer) inside, unless someone wants to tempt me with pool time and margs? No? Well, a guy can dream. Speaking of dreams, this post is all about The Between by Tananarive Due.

This novel is pretty centered on the theme of dreams, and this is my first full length novel read by this author (the only other thing I’ve read by her was short story Patient Zero).

Also, did you know this was her first novel? I had no idea until someone mentioned it. Alright, let’s see how this book went!

Blurb

When Hilton was a boy, his grandmother sacrificed her life to save him from drowning. Thirty years later, he begins to suspect that he was never meant to survive that accident, and that dark forces are working to rectify that mistake.

When Hilton’s wife, the only elected African American judge in Dade County, Florida, begins to receive racist hate mail from a man she once prosecuted, Hilton becomes obsessed with protecting his family. The demons lurking outside are matched by his internal terrors—macabre nightmares, more intense and disturbing than any he has ever experienced. Are these bizarre dreams the dark imaginings of a man losing his hold on sanity—or are they harbingers of terrible events to come?

As Hilton battles both the sociopath threatening to destroy his family and the even more terrifying enemy stalking his sleep, the line between reality and fantasy dissolves . . .

Chilling and utterly convincing, The Between is the haunting story of a man desperately trying to hold on to the people and life he loves as he slowly loses himself.

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***Brief disclosure***

I am an Amazon and Bookshop.org affiliate and earn a small commission for purchases made through the links in this post at no cost to you. It’s a great way to help me keep things running on my blog if you’re already intrigued enough to make a purchase. 

The Review

I had a feeling I would really enjoy this novel, and I was right!

Hilton has been haunted by his past for decades. His Nana lost her life saving him as a boy, but now he lives a happy life with his wife Dede and two kids Kaya and Jamil. Their happy life is shattered when someone starts sending his wife threatening letters. To make matters worse, Hilton has a strange relapse of his grief and begins to have vivid dreams, dreams that seem too real to ignore and affect his waking life. Can Hilton protect his family and discover the truth to his bizarre condition?

I have to say, I love how much depth Due gave the MC Hilton. He has a lot of depth and layers, and as each new layer was exposed we learned more about his present and past. He is a complex character and I loved exploring his mind. Dede was also portrayed very well, and their martial struggles felt real and raw.

I loved how prominent the theme of dreams was in this novel. It was an enigma that doesn’t completely get solved, but I think that was intentional, as dreams are rarely fully understood.

I really enjoyed all the twists and turns and the places that Hilton’s mind took him. The pace was a little slow for my liking but the writing was phenomenal. If you love a good slow burn with some fantastical elements and thrills, I highly recommend this book!

That’s A Wrap!

Well that’s it for this book review. Like what you see? Leave a tip!

Have you read this book? Are there other similar books you’ve read that you simply have to gush about? Feel free to leave a comment. I’d love to start a conversation!

Have a great day!

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