When you are a fan of an author, or at least with me, I find one of two things happening with a book: Either I love it so much that even if it is bad, I don’t notice. I am just a fan blinded by my fangirling mind. Or I am terribly disappointed and figure that there is no way my author wrote it, as I have way too high expectations for it. Thankfully Inbetweens by Faith Erin Hicks was neither.
It is in between the two. Not WOW Best Book Ever! And not Eeeh. It is a fun book that deals with sexism in a field few might know about but does not make it the center of the story. There is much more happening along the way, such as self-doubt, friendship changes, and family dynamics. The tension is realistic but not overly dramatic. A lot is brought into play to help shape the characters. The movie references are a delightful treat as several were favorites of mine too, though I’m a bit older than the characters were during the time the story is set (it looks like it is around 1999 and the characters are about 13). It follows a set of twin sisters who are the perfect balance of same and opposites. Their love of drawing, their friendship and their own expectations shape everything they do, or don’t, do. It is an easy, but solid way of introducing the aged 10 to 14 reader to the themes.
Strong illustrations and story perfectly represent the author’s talents as the majority of the book is centered around animation and we are in a “flat medium” yet I feel Hicks makes things move along without any actual movement. The bold, rich colors help along with the sweepingly charming and bubbly images, along with the fact that the focus will be centered on the part needed to keep with the story allows you not to be distracted by “extra” but no detail is left hanging. Illustrations and text support each other.
Currently available, read via an oline reader copy before it came out.
