Book Review: The Light Between Us by Katie Khan

Happy publication day to The Light Between Us by Katie Khan!

I'm so happy to be reviewing this book on my blog. I read Katie's first book - Hold Back the Stars - at the beginning of 2017 and fell in love with it, so when I found out she was writing another book I was so excited. 

So, let's get on to the review...

First, if you would like to know what I thought of Katie's debut novel, Hold Back the Stars, you can view my YouTube video review below (It was one of my first YouTube videos so it's a bit cringey for me, I have long hair and I clearly had enough time to try and make my eyeshadow match the book cover!)

This was one of my most anticipated reads of 2018!


Let me start by saying how stunning this book cover is. I adored the hardback cover for Hold Back the Stars so I hoped this book would have a cover that was just as beautiful, and they delivered.

I know it's not all about the cover, but it helps when it's as pretty as this.

Here's a summary of the story...

Thea and Isaac first met at University. Theirs was an instant connection but it never went further than friendship.

Because, then and now, Thea only has eyes for her work. Not just her course, but also a private project - Thea is determined to prove that time travel is not just the stuff of science fiction. And she has never told anyone the reason why.

When one of their friends goes missing in an experiment, Isaac and Thea must work together to find her - forcing them to re-examine their own friendship.

Is it really as platonic as they used to think?

I love a good science fiction film, but I haven't read very many books that fall into that category. I think that maybe I worry about not being able to understand it because there isn't the visual advantage like there is with a film. However, that was not the case with this plot. This story is portrayed in such a believable and understandable way that I was able to follow it with ease. Also, you might think a book dealing with time travel won't be very convincing or will seem like an unlikely situation, but it was so realistic. You truly do invest in the science and the explanations behind it, like it really could happen.

I also really like that this isn't just a science fiction novel, it has romance and friendship, twists and surprises.

Yet again, Katie has created a fantastically unique story.

I love the characters that Katie creates. My favourite in this book has to be Isaac. I just fell in love with him, from his way with words to his relationship with Thea. But then we have Thea, a fantastic, strong female lead character that doesn't take no for an answer and has a determined head on her shoulders. She's just a girl who wants to achieve her dreams and prove to others that she can do it.

I loved the characters, every single one of them, flaws and all.

Katie's writing is almost addictive. I finished The Light Between Us in just two sittings because I couldn't put it down. The only time I did put it down was at 1am because my eyes were stinging so badly that I had to give in to sleep. Katie's writing just flows so beautifully, hooks you in on the very first page and keeps you gripped through to the very end with the sudden revelations and turns.

Katie truly does have a beautifully addictive writing style.Overall, I thought this was a brilliant book. It ticked all the boxes for me, with endearing characters, an incredibly interesting plot, shocking surprises that I was not expecting and it was a story that I could understand and connect with.

One of my favourite reads of 2018 so far.

Also, when I finished this brilliant book and went to read the acknowledgements, I saw this:

I was so gobsmacked to see my name written there, I actually cried when I read it. I adored Katie's debut novel so much that I was more than happy to talk about it, review it and recommend it to people. I want to say a massive thank you to Katie for including my name amongst this group of fantastic book bloggers, but also for writing two incredible books. I can't wait to see what comes next!

You can buy The Light Between Us here, and you can also buy Hold Back the Stars here.

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Have you read Hold Back the Stars or The Light Between Us?

Let me know what you thought in the comments below or over on Twitter.