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"Corrine gave him another of her silences. This one roughly translated into: Indeed, you are a fucking idiot."

— Ryan Leslie, The Garden of Before

#ryan leslie #the garden of before #the between #silence #idiot #fucking idiots #book quotes #books #Q:

The Garden of Before by Ryan Leslie

"Corrine gave him another of her silences. This one roughly translated into: Indeed, you are a fucking idiot."

Year Read: 2025

Rating: 3/5

Thoughts: I wasn't sure I wanted to read a sequel, but much like for the characters, The Between had a way of drawing me back in. If you liked the first, you should definitely read this one, and if you haven't read the first, you should give it a try if it at all sounds like a vibe-- and especially if you're feeling a little burned out on major publishers churning out the same old things. I like these books for the same reason I usually like recommendations from Roberta at Offbeat YA: because they're almost guaranteed to be unlike anything else I've ever read.

My favorite thing about this duology is the world-building. (Shock and awe, right? I'm usually not a world-building person.) Leslie has created something really cool and unique with the many layers of The Between. I love its vintage video game flavor that makes it feel both familiar and nostalgic, while still managing to be something entirely new. I loved learning about the different sub-worlds, and I especially love the roles that players can take on and how they eclipse or shape those characters. It's so fresh and original, and I had half a mind to change my gaming handle to gardistaro just for giggles.

I enjoyed being back in this weird world with these characters, and my sense that Julie would carry a novel better than Paul was absolutely right. She's a powerhouse, and I really enjoyed her perspective. I also unexpectedly loved getting more of Skull Girl's point of view. She's strong in a different way from Julie, and her ability to resist the lure of the game's roles and create her own persona really sets her apart. Jay is still an idiot, and I would have liked to see more of Supriya, my favorite character from the first book, but it is what it is. The new characters add another interesting layer to things, but unfortunately I think the overall villains manage to be the least compelling of the bunch.

Plot- and pacing-wise, there are ups and downs. I enjoyed the set-up and easing back into this world. However, things seemed to flounder a bit in the middle, as if the story wasn't quite sure of where it was going or how to get there. I enjoyed the way it all came together though, and it's a satisfying ending for these characters (while still leaving a thread or two open, should Leslie ever decide to revisit this world). Also, how great are those covers? I received a free e-ARC through NetGalley from the publicists at BooksGoSocial.