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booktribe's review against another edition
dark
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
When Hilton was just a child, his grandmother sacrificed herself to save his life, but was he meant to survive? 30 years later, his wife starts receiving racist death threats directed at their whole family, including their two children. Dealing with that and terrifying nightmares, can Hilton hold on to his sanity? And is he really supposed to be alive?
Tananarive Due is my favorite author of all time, so I was so very excited to read her debut novel! She is a phenomenal writer, so nothing she ever writes will be disappointing. However, this wasn’t my favorite novel of hers.
This novel was very slow paced. Don’t go into it expecting action. But if you expect a slow burn, more cerebral horror, this is perfect for you!
Sadly, this novel wasn’t as enjoyable as it could’ve been to me for two reasons other than the slow pace. Firstly, it was very hard for me to read all the racism in this book. There was a lot of use of racial slurs, so one of the main emotions I felt while reading was anger. It took me months to finish this book because of that. And secondly, I didn’t really care about the characters. I didn’t want anything bad to happen to them, but I also didn’t root for them. Hilton was just not a great guy and his wife, DeDe wasn’t incredibly likable either.
I still gave this three stars though because it’s physically impossible for me to not enjoy Tananarive Due’s work. She is just a terrific writer and even the work that’s not her best is still better than most horror out there. It picked up a lot for me after about 60%. The story started moving along more at that point and we started getting answers to the mysterious happenings in the book. Also, something I love about Mrs. Due’s writing is that she leaves little Easter eggs all throughout her books. So something will be alluded to in one chapter and ten chapters later, she’ll write something that’ll make you tell “That’s what that meant!”.
Overall, I’d recommend this book to anyone who enjoys slow paced horror and anyone who is looking for a Black woman killing it in the horror genre. I’ll never get enough of Tananarive Due’s writing!
Thank you Harper Perennial and NetGalley for this arc! All opinions are my own.
TW: racism; racial and homophobic slurs; death; animal death; rape mentioned; AIDS related death; graphic sexual content; infidelity
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racial slurs and Racism
Moderate: Death and Infidelity
rorikae's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
In 'The Between,' Tananarive Due tells a haunting story surrounding one man's attempt to save his family from threats and the affect it has on his mind.
Hilton is living a good life with his wife and his two children until his wife suddenly begins receiving racist threats. As the only elected African American judge in their county, they suspect this is coming from one of the men she previously prosecuted but there is trouble pinning down exactly who is sending the threats. As these threats stack up, Hilton begins to have bizarre dreams that seem to merge into his reality. Seemingly tied to these threats and potentially to a near fatal accident when he was a child, Hilton begins to wonder if his dreams are caused by the stress of the threats or by a supernatural force.
Tananarive Due is so good at introducing relatable characters and then slowly turning up the horror in their lives. That is true in the first book of hers I read, 'The Good House,' and is just as true in 'The Between.' Due introduces us to Hilton as a child and then we jump into his life as an adult as we get to know his family, his job, and his day to day life. She then promptly disrupts this normalcy with the racist threats that Hilton's wife receives and his mental state as he tries to protect his family. As his dreams begin to escalate, Due keeps the reader guessing right alongside Hilton, wondering if he is having a psychic break or if there is something supernatural to his increasingly frightening dreams. Due weaves in grander themes just as we are pulled into the specificity of Hilton's experience.
I'm a bit conflicted about the ending but I do think it would be a good book to discuss as part of a book club. I think the ending fits even if it isn't the ending that I would have hoped for.
Whenever I am looking for a book that will bring horror right alongside an engaging story and relatable characters, I will definitely be turning to more of Due's work.
Hilton is living a good life with his wife and his two children until his wife suddenly begins receiving racist threats. As the only elected African American judge in their county, they suspect this is coming from one of the men she previously prosecuted but there is trouble pinning down exactly who is sending the threats. As these threats stack up, Hilton begins to have bizarre dreams that seem to merge into his reality. Seemingly tied to these threats and potentially to a near fatal accident when he was a child, Hilton begins to wonder if his dreams are caused by the stress of the threats or by a supernatural force.
Tananarive Due is so good at introducing relatable characters and then slowly turning up the horror in their lives. That is true in the first book of hers I read, 'The Good House,' and is just as true in 'The Between.' Due introduces us to Hilton as a child and then we jump into his life as an adult as we get to know his family, his job, and his day to day life. She then promptly disrupts this normalcy with the racist threats that Hilton's wife receives and his mental state as he tries to protect his family. As his dreams begin to escalate, Due keeps the reader guessing right alongside Hilton, wondering if he is having a psychic break or if there is something supernatural to his increasingly frightening dreams. Due weaves in grander themes just as we are pulled into the specificity of Hilton's experience.
I'm a bit conflicted about the ending but I do think it would be a good book to discuss as part of a book club. I think the ending fits even if it isn't the ending that I would have hoped for.
Whenever I am looking for a book that will bring horror right alongside an engaging story and relatable characters, I will definitely be turning to more of Due's work.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity, Mental illness, Racial slurs, Racism, Violence, Grief, Stalking, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
Moderate: Car accident
Minor: Drug use, Sexual content, and Suicidal thoughts
ofbooksandechos's review against another edition
challenging
dark
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Racial slurs, and Racism
Moderate: Bullying, Infidelity, Medical content, and Stalking
Minor: Child abuse and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
Additional content warnings: mentions of HIV and death by AIDSseawarrior's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Dazzling with imagery and mystery, The Between presents a horror story on multiple fronts that keeps the reader disoriented with every chapter. Due's characters propel the plot, where their rich histories and personalities provide the necessary depth to pull us into their world. The most frightening part of this story is not so much what Hilton is experiencing supernaturally, but how he lacks the knowledge to make sense of it once he realizes that his family is under threat by a racist terrorist who is undoubtedly real. The secret of his dreams unravels slowly, but once revealed, the surrounding unexplainable events instantly line up into a rational narrative, which I appreciate as a reader who aches for stories to make sense.
I highly recommend this book to those interested in unconventional horror novels, but please be warned that the threat of racist violence hangs heavy over the James family throughout most of the book, and the verbal intimidations issued by the perpetrator are more than disturbing to read. If that's something you're able to stomach though, I imagine you will also become quickly engrossed in this story and Due's skill in writing it.
I highly recommend this book to those interested in unconventional horror novels, but please be warned that the threat of racist violence hangs heavy over the James family throughout most of the book, and the verbal intimidations issued by the perpetrator are more than disturbing to read. If that's something you're able to stomach though, I imagine you will also become quickly engrossed in this story and Due's skill in writing it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child death, Death, Hate crime, Racial slurs, Racism, Terminal illness, Blood, Grief, Stalking, Car accident, Death of parent, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Fire/Fire injury, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Bullying, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, and Medical content
Minor: Homophobia
amandaquotidianbooks's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
I love how this book plays with the idea of what is real and what isn’t. I do wish we had more concrete explanations for what is happening to Hilton, but that might be clearer upon rereading. Hilton was a complex character and oftentimes unlikable. But he and the other characters were very well drawn. I’m eager to read more by Due!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racial slurs and Racism
Moderate: Death and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
Minor: Child abuse
librarian_erinn's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Racial slurs, Racism, and Violence