3 min to read
The Light Between Worlds
- Title
- The Light Between Worlds
- Author
- Laura E. Weymouth
- Published date
- 01/11/2018
- Pages
- 416
- Publisher
- Chicken House
What would you do if you find yourself in the middle of the woods on another world in your pyjamas? That’s what happened to Philippa, Jamie and Evelyn. They got swept from the dark bunker, where they were hiding in London during WWII, to beautiful forest. They are offered a refuge, a place to stay if they help with this new world own problems. Who would refuse, knowing that they can always come back home as no time would pass?
I thought The Light Between Worlds would be retelling of Narnia, as the motive is exactly the same - children go to another world, live there for several years having adventures and then go back home. But actually the most of the story takes place after characters came back from Woodlands. We learn about their time in magical kingdom only form retrospective chapters which don’t give us much details.
First half of the book is written from Evelyn’s point of view. She’s the youngest from the three siblings and she struggles to cope with current reality. She spent few years living different live in another world and she finally thought that she has found her place in the universe, a place where she truly belongs. But then she is forced to go back to our world, to being a kid again in the world torn by war. Everyone thought that after war ended everything would go back to normal. But Ev never stopped believing she will go back to Woodland. She refuses to settle for life here, not letting anyone to get close to her. We meet her six years after she came back to the bunker. She’s very anxious and depressed girl. Her older sister Philippa left for college overseas leaving her to cope on her own. She met a boy, Tom Harper, who seems to be a bright ray of light in her dark and gloomy world. But would he be enough to keep Evelyn from going down her very dark path?
The second part of the book is narrated by Philippa. She’s carrying enormous burden of guilt on her shoulders. She blames herself for the fact, that Evelyn can’t cope with her life. We learn the story from her perspective. All the years she was helping her sister with her depression and always brought her back, when she was over the edge. But one can only do so much for others. Philippa dedicated her life to helping Evelyn, but paid the price in her own health and not having her own life. All the stress and guilt are slowly killing her. She is kind of bullied by her school friends and Evelyn herself to leave London in hope that her little sister will finally find a way to live her own life.
The book is very, very sad. We have a lost girl, who refuses to live her life in hope of going back to the world where she can’t come back. Everyone around her sees that something is wrong, the depression and indifference to the world around her. But not knowing the real cause no one can do anything about it. And Evelyn is lost a little more with every passing day. But can we blame Philippa that she broke at some point and couldn’t stand anymore this life of always vigilant guardian of her sister?
I think this is a very valuable young adult book. It says a lot about family bonds and sisterhood. Shows that even small, kind gestures can save someone else’s life or sanity. It is very sad but it’s worth reading and the author have a really pretty writing style. Also there is a lot of nice poems used throughout a story. And the cover and artwork inside are just stunning.
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