It seems like forever ago when Delilah found the fairy tale in the library and began reading it. She didn’t expect the characters of the book to do anything other than be that—characters. But when her favorite character, Prince Oliver, revealed to Delilah that maybe the characters of books have lives of their own, Delilah can’t help but get Oliver out of the book. And that’s exactly what she did, back in the novel Between the Lines, because people do crazy things in order to help the person they love. After going through countless plans that resulted failed, Delilah and Oliver could finally be together thanks to their friend Edgar volunteering to take Oliver’s place in the book. With a little bit of magic, Oliver and Edgar switch places allowing Oliver and Delilah to finally be together. And after going through all that, you’d think that the worst had passed and Oliver and Delilah could finally have their happy ending.
Wrong! The book is furious that the story has been changed and Oliver doesn’t have a clue as to how to act like a normal teenager boy. From fooling Edgar’s mom to learning to ride a bike, Oliver is new to everything in the world around him and relaying solely on Delilah for help. Meanwhile, Edgar is trapped inside Oliver’s fairy tale trying to deal with an angry plot line that has a mind of its own. Now Delilah, Oliver, and Edgar must work together in order to find a way for everyone to get what they want; and with time and the book working against them, these friends are in for a challenge to preserve what they wish to keep safe—true love.
I remember when the first book in this series, Between the Lines, came out two years ago. I had read about it in a magazine and then found a copy at my local library while looking for something to read on an upcoming vacation. After reading just the first few pages, I had fallen in love with the novel and the concept it presented: that characters have lives outside of the story they live in. Since finishing that book, I’ve craved more of the story and to know what happens to Oliver and Delilah, who have not your average teenage romance. So, of course, when I heard about Off the Page I dropped everything I was doing and ran out to buy the book. And let me tell you this, this book made studying for final exams a whole lot harder than I anticipated. Filled with hilarious interactions between the characters and new conflicts, Off the Page is a fantastic sequel or standalone novel. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys fairy tales and happily ever after’s; and if you like novels with fantasy elements, like Harry Potter, this book presents just the right mix of such elements and funny teenage behaviors. Therefore, I give this book 5/5 stars, but don’t just listen to me, go out and read this book yourself. You won’t regret it.