Five years ago, Evelyn and Philippa Hapwell cowered from air strikes in a London bomb shelter. But that night took a turn when the sisters were transported to another realm called the Woodlands. In a forest kingdom populated by creatures out of myth and legend, they found temporary refuge. When they finally returned to London, nothing had changed at all—nothing, except themselves. Now, Ev spends her days sneaking into the woods outside her boarding school, wishing for the Woodlands. Overcome with longing, she is desperate to return no matter what it takes. Philippa, on the other hand, is determined to find a place in this world. She shields herself behind a flawless exterior and countless friends, and moves to America to escape the memory of what was. But when Evelyn goes missing, Philippa must confront the depth of her sister’s despair and the painful truths they’ve been running from. As the weeks unfold, Philippa wonders if Ev truly did find a way home, or if the weight of their worlds pulled her under.
What a surprise The Light Between Worlds was. The synopsis prepared me for a story I knew would be unique, but I still hadn’t expected the type of story I got. Any fantasy fan has read books where the characters slip through the veil to another world, but what happens when they have to come back? When two sisters feel differently about their time spent in the magical world and have completely different responses to coming home? The focus of this book lies in the answers to those questions.
This novel was a much more character-driven, emotional read than expected. I thought there’d be more action and excitement in the Woodlands and more time spent in that magical world. Instead, it went between two timelines and two POVS. I really enjoyed this although I would’ve appreciated more time in the Woodlands, getting to really know the world. Those chapters covered five years in a magical land and it felt like watching a montage and seeing only brief glimpses into a much bigger picture. I had a perfect understanding of the idea of the world—natural, magical, picturesque, talking creatures, wood nymphs, etc.—but it was hard to feel completely immersed when I didn’t really get to know any of the secondary characters and the world was just an idea of magical perfection that was dipped into. Also, those brief flashbacks to the Woodlands time didn’t make me care enough about the big issue that was plaguing that world. It was a vague and undeveloped threat and there wasn’t enough time spent to make me really care. It read like a summary. This bothered me while reading those sections, however it soon became clear that the Woodlands adventures weren’t meant to be the main focus. We knew just enough about the siblings’ time there to understand its effect on them. There was a simplicity to the siblings’ journey to the Woodlands that I really appreciated. It was simple in the way children’s stories are. You don’t need much of an explanation as to how and why they got there, they just did. The kids are quick to accept that they’ve entered a new world and take it all very seriously. Easy and enchanting and very reminiscent of Narnia.
The real focus was the aftermath of the magical world on the girls and their relationship. It was emotional and a bit dark because Evelyn was so lost and alone. I was invested in her and Philippa’s stories and really wanted to see them happy. There are feelings of depression, guilt, overwhelming responsibility, longing to belong and more. There’s some self harm. It’s a story of human emotion and connections, not a fantasy adventure, and it’s an easy one to relate to. The main characters, Evelyn and Philippa, were fantastically written. They’re completely different people with completely different methods of coping (or not coping) that I found realistic and compelling. I cared about them, and that’s what pulled me along in this story. It was a quick book to read but the story is slower. I was surprised by where it went but not by the ending.
Again, I really enjoyed the writing. Weymouth got right into the heads of her characters and beautifully told a story unlike any other I’ve read. It was dark in an unexpected way. Not dark fantasy, but human darkness we can all relate to. Pain and suffering and loneliness. As I said, this book is slow but not in a bad way. It’s the kind of slow you sink into and feel completely immersed in. I loved these characters and their stories.
I would’ve liked more time in the Woodlands but that’s just my own curiosity. I don’t think more was necessary for the story—I knew enough to understand Evelyn and Philippa, the true focus of the book. The Woodlands story was a simple one and was more in the background. I so enjoyed this book. It was a much more emotional story and less fantasy than I think any reader will expect from something classified as fantasy but it’s absolutely worth the read.
4/5
Have you read The Light Between Worlds? What did you think?
Thanks for reading,
Madison