A review by bookishmiranda
The Between by Tananarive Due
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Hilton James, director of the Miami New Day Recovery Center, is a busy man striving to give back to his community. However, one day, his wife, who is the only elected African American judge in Dade County, begins to receive racist death threats. Triggered by the danger, Hilton begins to spiral as he obsessessively tries to keep his family safe. Soon, the darkness of his past and the monster endangering his family begin to blur together, warping Hilton's reality until he struggles to perceive what is real... and what is not.
I wish I had read this so much sooner. Tananarive Due is a phenomenal writer who crafts compelling characters immersed in horrific circumstances. This psychological horror is a blend of nightmares and monsters that may be a figment of our imagination, but are also very real and present in society. The themes depicted in this novel (e.g., racism, mental health, white supremacy, family, mortality) deepen the tension within the novel as Hilton spirals. It's dark and terrifying because, for many, this is reality. The monsters may vary in form, but they are real. And that horror is what Due has brought to life in The Between.
I wish I had read this so much sooner. Tananarive Due is a phenomenal writer who crafts compelling characters immersed in horrific circumstances. This psychological horror is a blend of nightmares and monsters that may be a figment of our imagination, but are also very real and present in society. The themes depicted in this novel (e.g., racism, mental health, white supremacy, family, mortality) deepen the tension within the novel as Hilton spirals. It's dark and terrifying because, for many, this is reality. The monsters may vary in form, but they are real. And that horror is what Due has brought to life in The Between.