tweetybugshouse
Written on Dec 30, 2015
An enchanting YA novel from Number One bestselling author Jodi Picoult, co-written with her teenage daughter.
Meant for each other . . .
Meet Oliver, a prince literally taken from the pages of a fairy tale and transported into the real world. Meet Delilah, the girl who wished Oliver into being. It's a miracle that seems perfect at first - but there are complications. To exist in Delilah's world, Oliver must take the place of a regular boy. Enter Edgar, who agrees to play Oliver's role in the pages of Delilah's favorite book. But just when it seems that the plan will work, everything gets turned upside down.
In this multilayered universe, the line between what's on the page and what's possible is blurred. Is there a way for everyone to live happily ever after?
OFF THE PAGE is a stand-alone novel as well as the sequel to the authors' bestseller BETWEEN THE LINES, and is perfect for readers looking for a fairytale ending.
- ISBN10 0553535587
- ISBN13 9780553535587
- Publish Date 1 January 2015
- Publish Status Active
- Out of Print 9 June 2015
- Publish Country US
- Publisher Penguin Random House Children's UK
- Imprint Random House Children's Books
- Format eBook
- Language English
Reviews
jeannamichel
Written on May 31, 2015
After reading what the book was about, I was intrigued. This concept of having the main character outside the book he has lived in for his whole life was so interesting. It had me thinking about all the books I have ever read. Could all those books have minds of their own when I wasn’t reading them? Picoult and Van Leer’s idea kept me up at night, staring at my bookshelves, wondering at the possibilities. The story was a unique, fresh twist.
Off the Page is a companion novel to Picoult and Van Leer’s first novel, Between the Lines. Not having read Between the Lines, Off the Page still made absolute sense.
At first, I thought this was definitely a middle-grade book. The characters seemed very young. High school was over-dramatized and clichéd but made for some good comic relief. The love between the prince, Oliver, and Delilah seemed like a feeling beyond their years or too mature for them. As the story progresses though, I began to realize the depth to the characters.
As for the plot, I think most of the story revolves around the marvelous concept of having a fictional character outside his own book that there was not much need for too much else. The romance was there but it did not carry the plot like it may have done in Between the Lines. Off the Page was sort of the aftermath of Oliver dealing with the changes of the real world and how his book dealt with the swap.
Picoult and Van Leer’s writing is gorgeous and their small inserts between chapters are quotes I would love printed on posters. However, one thing that bothered me was their insistence of a happy ending for all. It was not—please, remember your side characters.
Off the Page is YA, but I would peg it for younger YA, though it can be enjoyed by someone of any age. There is a little something for every reader.
inlibrisveritas
Written on May 22, 2015
Off the Page is the companion novel to Between the Pages, though I see it as more of a proper sequel than a book I would pick up without having read the first one. It is possible to enjoy it without the back story, as it does go over everything that has happened, however I think I wouldn’t have enjoyed it nearly as much if I wasn’t already familiar with the characters. I thought it was just as a good as the predecessor and was just the heartfelt read I needed. There may be spoilers for book one in the following review, so if you planned to read the series then I would skim it or not continue onward.
So when we left Between the Pages, Oliver and Delilah had the whole world ahead of them. Off the Page picks up a few months after that, and Oliver is now enrolled in her high school. When I read this I was so hesitant to continue, because I wasn’t sure how it was going to play out. If it had been one of those, “he’s a natural” things I would have just breezed through this one without bothering to enjoy it. But nope, it was as awkward as I’d hoped it would be. Oliver now has to learn how to be an actual person and not just some storybook prince. There are new words to learn, to skills to master, and schoolwork unlike anything he has ever seen. We also have a ton of miscommunication as Delilah and Oliver work through their first major relationship hiccups. We also get to see how Edgar and the rest of the book characters are doing, and how the book is faring with the new changes. This one had a lot more conflict than I was expecting, and I’m actually glad for it because it addressed a lot of the things I was sort of miffed about with the previous book. I’m also really happy we got to see more of Jules in this book and learn a bit more about who she is as a person, and I thought her role in the book was one that the first book needed more of.
This one is still a book of heartfelt fluff, though there are moments where you get a lot of deep growing experiences. Add that with Picoult & Van Leer’s writing style and you have a book that is very easy to read in a few sittings. If you love fairy tales with a modern day twist this is definitely one to check out. It’s fun and fresh, and has some gorgeous illustrations scattered throughout.
Angie
Written on Apr 16, 2015
I really enjoyed Off the Page. I'm a total sucker for "misplaced" characters trying to fit in. Oliver's high school blunders are quite hilarious, and he's just so enchanted by everyday things that have lost their magic to most of us. Like spelling BOOBS with a calculator! But he does fit right in with the drama club, since acting is something he's excelled at his whole life. But things are falling apart in his story, and Oliver knows he must fix it and lose the love of his life. Obviously there's a twist that takes care of that though!
Off the Page did get a bit depressing. Something super, duper sad happens toward the middle. I didn't see it coming at all, and hoped that there would be a magical solution to it. Alas, there is not, since our world has no magic. And then the twist also involves sad stuff, but I thought it felt a little forced. Like, I didn't fully accept that this was the only way for everything to get to rights. I don't know. It just felt like sadness for the sake of sadness and to make this ending work out, even though it probably would have worked without that happening. I'm sure I'm not making any sense, but it was a weird twist for me.
In the end, I thought Off the Page was really cute other than those depressing things. I adored watching Oliver become a real boy and find his real happily ever after. Seraphima was also quite hilarious! I do have to say though, that this is definitely a sequel and not a companion novel (it's probably just marketed that way because it's from a different publishing house). While the characters do fill us in on what happened previously, it'll make much more sense if you've actually read Between the Lines first.
Read more of my reviews at Pinkindle Reads & Reviews.