Title: The Light Between Worlds
Author: Laura E. Weymouth
Rating: ★★★★

ARC received through #booksfortrade on Twitter.

“Inside me something aches and aches, and I wonder if it will ever stop. I reach out and hold tight to my sister’s hand because I can’t fathom going home without her, but can’t imagine her anywhere but here.”

Based on how this is being described, I believe a lot of readers are going to go into this with certain expectations, and may be severely disappointed. Yes, The Light Between World has certain aspects that are very similar to The Chronicles of Narnia. However, this is also an extremely different sort of book than Narnia, so if you’re expecting a whimsical story full of magic and mythical creatures, this is not that book.

Once I got over my initial disappointment, I really learned to love this book. As I said, it’s light of fantasy elements, so don’t be misled by many of the reviews and other descriptors of the novel. The Light Between Worlds is a character driven book, that deals with important issues and heavy subjects such as familial bonds, war, grief and guilt, depression, and mental illness. Not many of the pages are dedicated to the characters’ time in another world, but instead in their return to their own world and their ways of coping.

The writing is poetic and really quite lovely. The pace is much slower, but I enjoyed every part of it and had no problem cruising through it. I did connect with one sister more than the other, but I really liked reading from both their prospectives, as they were both so distinct and interesting.

The Light Between Worlds was nothing like what I had expected, and yet I loved it anyway. If you want to read a book full of magical creatures and fantasy worlds, this is not that book. If you want to read a beautiful story about coping mechanisms, mental illness, sibling bonds, love and heartaches, with lyrical writing and engaging characters, than I would highly recommend giving The Light Between Worlds a chance!