Review: The World Between Blinks by Amie Kaufman & Ryan Graudin

I had to read this gorgeous looking story. As I adore both these lovely authors and their books. I felt certain that this book would be for me. As it sounded so special and fun. And it was for me, I just sadly did not love it as much as I had hoped I would. And so I have to give this three stars. Not perfect, but still so very good.

I will try not to write such a long review of this book, just going to share a few of my thoughts about it. I will begin with the writing. Which was pretty much perfect, though I knew it would be. I had no trouble with reading this one and no trouble getting a little lost in the world. Just wish I had loved the story more. But still great.

This book tells the story of twelve year old Marisol and Jake, her cousin. They just arrived at their Nana's beach house for the last time. As she died a little while ago, and now their families have to sell her house, and so they are packing everything down. The two cousins are not happy about it. After they find a hidden map their Nana had left behind a photo, they set out on an adventure. Stealing or borrowing a small boat to take to a lighthouse nearby. Which is not at all allowed. Things go badly, and they climb up to try to signal their family. While doing so, they suddenly enter a different world. Which was called The World Between Blinks. Which they learn is a place where all lost things end up. Lost famous humans, places, treasures. Everything you can think of.

I did like reading about all of this. I liked this different world. I just had trouble connecting with everything. It annoyed me a little how an exclamation mark was used almost all the time. I did love the writing, but I hated that smaller part. Marisol and Jake arrive in this new strange place. And they learn so many new things. Like how they could get lost there forever, slowly losing all their memories. How the mega shark might eat them. How they can visit underwater cities and visit deserts as well. They both loved this place.

Yet decided to try everything to get back home. Right after they arrived, they were tricked by the villain of this book. And have to spend the entire book trying to hunt him down. I did find some parts of this a little silly, even more so when the villain was revealed. Yet kind of interesting too, and I did like reading about these cousins and their adventures. I simply wish I had been able to love this book more. Maybe I wanted it to be more fantasy. I don't fully know. It was a stunning book, yet sadly not that perfect to me personally.

Marisol is not at all ready to leave behind her Nana's house. She does not want them to sell her beach house at all. As she loves being there every summer, even with Nana now being gone. Jake is a boy that wants to forget things. All the friends and places he had to leave behind, all the bad memories. Marisol keeps holding on to things, Jake just wants to let go. All of this I did find to be pretty interesting. But I felt that the way it was dealt with, at the end of the book, was not done very well at all, sadly. Was too rushed.

I think one of the reasons for why I had a few issues with this book was that the boy and girl was cousins. Which is totally a me thing. As I can't help but ship every characters that I read about, especially in middle grade too. And with this book, that was not possible, with them being related. Still. I did adore them both a whole lot. I also felt like it was a little too much, a little too many famous people and places in this World Between Blinks. I know, that was the point of it, but I still grew tired of it, to be honest. Still. Not that bad.

Even though The World Between Blinks was not fully perfect to me, it was still such a great read. And I am glad that I read it. As it was pretty much adorable. And I will for sure be reading the sequel when it comes out. And reading more books by both these authors. I am hoping I will have more luck with book two, that I will love it a little more. Still. This book look stunning. The Australian paperback even more so. You should all read this story. The cousin relationship was written really well. I think you will all adore this.

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