The Space Between Time

by Charlie Laidlaw

[Quirky Cat]

I received a copy of The Space Between Time in exchange for a fair and honest review.

The Space Between Time is a beautiful and heartbreaking novel about love, loss, and the space that forms between people. It's emotionally powerful and compelling. It follows Emma Maria Rossini on her journey through life, and it uses math to help broach some of the more difficult subjects of her life.
The Space Between Time is both beautiful and heavy. It's one of those novels that will hit you in the gut, emotionally speaking. For that reason I feel like as powerful as it is, you have to be in the right moment to read it. For example, I can honestly tell you that this novel broke me. I mean that in a good way, truly. But it did make me cry at several different points. For me a lot of this novel hit very close to home (well, not the famous family member part, but you know what I'm saying), and that just added to the impact.


Warnings: This novel, as I briefly touched upon already, has a lot of heavy moments within. There are examples of self-harm (two somewhat graphic moments, in particular), suicide and suicide attempts, mental health issues, and many elements that can fracture a family as well. So take care when picking this one up.
The Space Between Time is a beautiful and compelling read. It's also heartbreaking at times, though all of the heartbreaks are ones we can expect to see in our lives. Perhaps that is what made this novel so painfully human – the fact that the pain was real, and it was believable.
While being the daughter of a famous actor may not be the most relatable part of Emma's story, almost every other element is, in one way or another. Her family isn't perfect, and she's dealt with her fair share of love and loss. She has her own ways of coping with it, and her ways of distancing herself from things she isn't ready to deal with. In that sense she felt very human to me.
The math elements in this novel, such as the chapter titles and references back to Emma's grandfather, helped ground the novel. It was unexpected, but it worked so well. It made this novel go from fascinating to one of a kind. It was a brilliant touch, through and through. And I'm not just saying that because I liked the way the chapters were titled!
I mentioned this above, but I truly believe that there is a right time and place to read The Space Between Time. To be honest, I'm not even sure if I read it at the right moment in my life. I think I did – I've been dealing with loss myself, so this novel tore open those wounds and soothed at the same time. It was an interesting feeling. I think I'm grateful for the experience, on the whole. I can't say that the same would happen for everyone though.
I loved The Space Between Time so much. It isn't the sort of novel I read every day, but I deeply enjoyed the break from the normal. And the emotional study made it well worth it. But seriously, get the tissues ready before you start this one!


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