The Between

Audiobook review: this could have been the narrator though the way some of the dialog just didn???t gel very well. Jay was especially obnoxious and the tone for Min-wu was a bit too excitable. The story concept was pretty cool but I lost it among the different ???role??? names after they met up with the others (Supria, Corinne) and then the lore got a bit much. It turned into a litrpg or something. It was interesting but didn???t really hit on the character pieces.

I received a free copy of The Between by Ryan Leslie from The Parliament House in exchange for an honest review. I enjoyed The Between. This debut novel by author Ryan Leslie combines elements of science fiction and horror that at times reminded me of The Hike by Drew Magary and Off To Be The Wizard by Scott Meyer, all while being something distinctly different. I enjoyed the world building and conceptual framework employed by Leslie throughout the book, as well as the delightful moments of fear and tension woven into the narrative. There were also some fun references throughout the book, and it was partially set in my home state of Texas! While there was much to be enjoyed, this book is not without some issues. The characters seemed juvenile and unbelievable at first, though over time they grew on me and I became invested in them. There were also some elements in the book that I felt were not adequately explained or resolved, and the plot as a whole stuck me as being a bit off. Toward the middle (actually, maybe more like 1/3rd) of the book a major problem seemed to be resolved, and the decisions the characters made next seemed...insufficiently motivated to be believed. Nevertheless, I enjoyed everything that happened in the plot, but this slightly disjointed plotting clearly betrayed that this work is a debut. I don't know if Leslie will write a sequel to this book or not, but if he did I'd probably read it. I want to know more about this world he's created and what happens next for the protagonist. I would consider leaving me wanting more to be the mark of a good book.