Line Between A Novel

2021 Re-read/listen

5 stars. Another dystopian with a twist – escaping an Iowa cult while a pandemic forms and spreads across the US. And oh yeah, saving the world. Very realistic, sadly – human beings suck – but there's lots to love. A few convenient plot points – relation to a CDC employee, for example – but it didn't detract from the story.

If you're into dystopian fiction, this one's a winner.

I read this entire book in just under a week. I did not expect that to happen as I tend to be a slow reader. The combination of Lee's flowing prose and a story that would not let me go became a formula to keep me glued. Even when I would read at 1:00 AM to help myself wind back down to go back to sleep, I found myself reading for a couple of hours!

Lee illustrates so well how a person can be hurt and broken when someone uses religion as a weapon. While most of us haven't grown up in a cult, many of us can identify with being on the receiving end of someone's weaponized religion. 

One of the main themes of the Bible is love for another they don't deserve or cannot repay. Lee illustrates this nicely, as well. I like that this comes from people who aren't doing these things for the reward. 

This isn't to say that religious people are all abusive and non religious people loving. Broad strokes don't represent entire populations. Simply put, religion without a relationship based on love and respect for God and others is simply a lifestyle.

Full review to come!

3.5 stars out of 5.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Line Between appealed to me because I'm going through a mystery phase and the description drew me in. This is an apocalyptic thriller mixed with a cult escape. Protagonist Wynter escapes from a cult she has been a part of since childhood only to enter a world where a mysterious virus is quickly spreading.

On one hand, I really enjoyed this book because the writing was captivating, I couldn't put it down until I knew what happened. On the other hand, although this book is a work of fiction, it still seemed too much of a stretch. I think we could have enjoyed more character and story development had the author stuck to either a book about a cult or a book about a viral apocalypse. The blending of two detailed stories seemed like too much.

Would I recommend The Line Between? Listen, if you read a lot and you're just looking for a book to hold your attention to read, yes. It's worth a few hours of your time. But if you read 5 books a year, this novel is not worthy of taking one of those sacred spots.