The In-Between Bookstore
Ratings1
Average rating3
15
Ratings1
Average rating3
A poignant and enchanting novel about a magical bookstore that transports a trans man through time and brings him face-to-face with his teenage self, offering him the chance of a lifetime to examine his life and identity to find a new beginning.
When Darby finds himself unemployed and in need of a fresh start, he moves back to the small Illinois town he left behind. But Oak Falls has changed almost as much as he has since he left.
One thing is familiar: In Between Books, Darby’s refuge growing up and eventual high school job. When he walks into the bookstore now, Darby feels an eerie sense of déjà vu—everything is exactly the same. Even the newspapers are dated 2009. And behind the register is a teen who looks a lot like Darby did at sixteen. . . who just might give Darby the opportunity to change his own present for the better—if he can figure out how before his connection to the past vanishes forever.
The In-Between Bookstore is a stunning novel of love, self-discovery, and the choices that come with both, for anyone who has ever wondered what their life might be like if they had the chance to go back and take a bigger, braver risk.
Reviews with the most likes.
It was about a 3.5/5 for me. I loved the idea of the book. As someone who grew up gay in a small town, it was healing for me. Overall it was hard to understand how Darby didn't remember what happened between him and his best friend in school. I think many people would remember that type of thing, even when you try to tell a friend major information. I did see that Darby went to Oak Falls with no choice but eventually, he tried to heal past trauma. It is a solid book that I did love and it was eerily healing for me. I think most LGBT kids growing up in small-town America have the same feelings about trying to make space for themselves in a town like that.
The ending though was quite sad. I felt like the first 75% flew by and then the last 20 pages were heartbreak after heartbreak. I more felt bad for Mr. Grumpy and Michael than any other character.
