One of my favourite topics to read about in fiction is about cults as I always find the idea of them quite fascinating, especially with those who have spent so many years in the real world, how easy it is for them to shed what they know and accept a new way of life in order to fit in somewhere in the world. When Wynter was a little girl, her mother moved their family to a cult called New Earth. Once settled in, the family found it hard to dissociate from the outside world especially Wynter who spent a lot of time in Pentinence. Over the years, her mother got sick and passed away, and the girls became orphans of the church. As the years went on their cult leader's original wife, Kestrel passed, and Magnus took on a new wife - Wynter's older sister Jacqui. The pair eventually had a daughter called Truly.As time passes and Truly gets older, and Jacqui focused her time on her daughter Magnus's interest moved over to Wynter. Jacqui knew she had to do something and planned to get Wynter excommunicated. During this time there is also a disease ravaging the world which is leaving patients with the symptoms of early onset dementia and turning them crazy. Is this the end of the world? Wynter gets a call from her sister who is now sick and discovers that the disease is all Magnus's doing. Can Wynter with the help of her new friends and some old ones too save the world from losing any more innocent lives? The Line Between was a good read and touched on a few topics from Cult Fiction, Thriller, Adventure, Science Fiction with the Disease and the idea of the apocalypse. The Line Between by Tosca Lee has something for everyone and readers will not be disappointed.

Yes.

I'm not sure what else to say. This book is AH-mazing. So good. I need to read more books like this. I have read a couple of other of Tosca's book but I am pretty sure this is my favorite.

It was a combination of "Walking Dead" and "Birdbox" yet even more real than those movies/shows. Like what happened in this book is something that REALLY could happen.

I devoured this book and couldn't wait to get back to it. If you like something different I highly recommend this book!

A copy of this book was given to me through Netgalley.com. All opinions are my own.

I love stories that are flavored with reality and fiction. The reason I enjoy that kind of stories primarily is that there is just enough to believe and allow my mind to suspend the rest of my beliefs in the tale. Today, I have a book that I am reviewing that has layers of reality mixed with fiction in a cocktail of delicious discord. Get your peas separated and canned, make sure you don't leave your lipstick behind in the van and whatever you do, read the prescription before you consume the contents, or you may not like what happens. It’s time for a review of “The Line Between” by Tosca Lee.

Opinion
Tosca Lee’s fantastic team contacted me and asked me to review this book for her, and I was sent a NetGalley invitation, so I downloaded it and read it to review. I want to thank NetGalley and everyone involved for such a treat.

Let’s talk about my first impressions of the book and the story for this initial part of the review. Immediately I loved the color. It’s simple, it has a lot of beautiful colors mixed in a sea of white, and it spoils nothing that I encountered. When I opened the first pages and got through the first chapter, I was blown away by the initial premise to the story. I live several hours from Waco Texas. Even if you were living under a rock, the words “Waco” would mean something very profound to those who hear it when it’s not about the actual city. It’s almost a verb now when it comes to stand-off precautions between a government and a group of citizens. So let me just start this off with, I’m very impressed with the first chapter and how it threw my mind toward when I was in Highschool watching TV for days on end as the news was covering a crisis. The book never lets up; the story moves from the beginning of terror to something so much scarier but also profound.

We follow the story of Wynter, and to begin with, her life is the worst possible life imaginable. I swear I haven’t ever seen an MC start at a lower point I think. Her story is beautifully done from the beginning to the end and anyone who could not cheer for her, cry for her, or rejoice at her good times, must be soulless and calloused.

For this part of my review I’m going to go into critiques I have from “The Line Between.” For this one, I will be choosing from the “Story Structure, Foundation, and Presentation” portion of my scoring. In comparison to the times I’ve discussed this last month specifically with most of the classics, this is minor. The issue is that there isn’t a space between the paragraphs. That said, what there is are beautiful markers between sections, and also some very lovely indentation. So unlike the issue with endless walls of unbroken text, some very lovely breaks work rather well to keep the eyes from straining as severely.

Let me go into t his part of the review with what I enjoyed about “The Line Between” and first, it’s the perfect grammar and punctuation because the editing on the book is polished and beautiful. Margins are gorgeous as well, and someone took much time to correctly format this book for the e-copy that it reads gracefully. I enjoy this.

Next, I love the plot, sub-plot and secondary sub-plot that was woven together. Initially, this story reads as though it’s just about the life of one person and how she deals with the hand she has. However, slowly and through creative plotting, bits of things begin to flow in. It’s woven into this tapestry that mixes post-apocalyptic sci-fi with YA coming of age and the dangers of cults. I love how this was done. I want so badly when I grow up to become a real author and have books, to be this brilliant with how I layer stories together.

I found that the story of Wynter also had an exciting movement of progression. It went to a weird place, in the end, something I never imagined but should have. Many breadcrumbs take you through the story, but when it comes together, it is glorious. The layout of the story left me thoroughly entertained with how perfectly all the threads of the story came together at the end. Every plot point, sub-plot point and movement of the story, had a perfect ending. This wasn’t one of those novels that leads you to a cliff’s edge and drops you with a “Tune in next book so you can find out what happens” kind of cruddy ending. No, this is a PERFECT ending to a story that is rich and well done. I needed this, a book that restores my faith in modern fiction. This could be a one-off, or maybe there are plans for sequels, but honestly, if there are, I’m buying. That’s what we need more of with stories of this nature. We need books that have the story at heart and tell it so that the reader feels the full range of emotions and is not disappointed at the end for lack of story.


Score

Happily, I am here to let you all know that “The Line Between” scores a 98/100 which is a five-star review on Goodreads and Amazon. Also, it’s going in the “Mrs. Y Recommends” pile because I do. I want others to read this book and learn from it about plot-lines, and bringing stories together. I want everyone to learn about layered stories. This is wonderful!

It’s near-future North America. Wynter Roth has just escaped the pseudo-Christian cult she’s lived in for the last sixteen years. Disease is sweeping the land. And Wynter is afraid the cult leader might have been right … maybe the outside world was all heading for hell.

Wynter is a character who is both brave and naive. She knows little of the ways of the modern world, because she was only five when she entered the cult’s compound and has rarely been permitted to leave. Her views of God and the world have been twisted by the cult leader, Marcus. Yet she has a strong sense of right and wrong and is prepared to risk everything she knows for right … which means leaving the cult.

The story is fast-paced and disturbingly believable. That’s the key with dystopian fiction: twist something in our reality (in this case, infectious rapid onset dementia), and use that to destroy everything the characters know and rely on. Then see how they react.

The story flips back and forth between Wynter’s present and the events that led her to leaving the cult, and this weaving provides added layers of complexity, and propel the present plot forward. It’s masterful writing, and I challenge any fan of dystopian fiction such as The Hunger Games or Divergent or Maze Runner to put this one down.

Recommended. And the sequel will be out in September! Thanks to Howard Books and NetGalley for providing a free ebook for review.

Man I love a thriller and Tosca Lee definitely delivers in this edge of your seat thriller. Really unique in its storytelling, 'The Line Between' follows Wynter in a post-apocalyptic world after a deadly disease reemerges. The world building is so vivid that I felt like I was right there in the thick of it and the character development is everything you want a story like this to be. A surprise read for me, I'm definitely going to be picking up more of Tosca Lee's books in the future.

The Line Between by Tosca Lee is what I would call an apocalyptic thriller. Our main character, Wynter Roth is kicked out of the doomsday cult, New Earth, where she enters the outside world that is in the middle of a mysterious outbreak.

The synopsis of this book immediately caught my attention because I love reading about cults, whether fiction or nonfiction and I also really enjoy the apocalyptic/post-apocalyptic genres.

I enjoyed the plot of this book and I especially enjoyed reading about the cult, because cult fascinate me. This was a fairly fast paced read and I do think the book could have used some edition detail in certain areas. Overall, it was an interesting apocalyptic thriller based around a really interesting plot concept.

Thank you to the publisher, Howard Books, and NetGalley, for sending me an ARC of this book.

This story is a thriller that involves a girl who spent her entire life in a cult and is trying to survive in a world that is not familiar to her. The world is also experiencing a medical crisis that people from her past might have a way in curing it. This story was unique and intricate in how it weaves the storylines together. Definitely would recommend to my friends to read.

Tosca Lee has done it : sharp dialogue, terrific twists and a smart, gutsy heroine you’ll root for. The Line Between is a taut, timely thriller that delivers."

Wynter was taken into a cult by her mother. After the unfortunate passing of their mother, Wynter and her sister are pretty much nothing more than cult property. Her sister follows the rules, Wynter longs for what lies beyond the walls enclosing in their camp.

After breaking one of the most enforced rules, Wynter is cast out into the world. A world she has been taught to fear. Not knowing what awaits her, Wynter goes with her mother's oldest friend and her daughter. Hoping that one day she'll be able to see her sister and niece again.

Shortly after her banishment, the world starts to go mad. A virus is quickly attacking people and the power grid is slowly starting to fail. All of Wynter's worst nightmares are beginning to manifest, but nothing prepares her for the sudden appearance of her sister and the evidence she has with her.

A journey ensues that will test all of Wynter's skills and her trust in the human race outside of the walls where she has lived for so long.

An intriguing and suspenseful story.

I thoroughly enjoyed this fast paced thriller. Tosca Lee gives us a glimpse at how a nation wide epidemic could happen and how everyone would react. I also enjoyed the look at life in a religious cult. The cut leader was creepy and realistic. I would recommend this book to readers that enjoy end of the world fiction and suspenseful stories.

I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley for the pupose of review.

https://www.runalongtheshelves.net/blog/2019/2/18/the-line-between-by-tosca-lee

The end of the world happens a lot in our genre. It’s a test of character as to will our humanity or our more basic instincts prevail? Unsurprisingly religions are also often keen to pose the question – will the righteous prevail or the devil? In this entertaining thriller Tosca Lee mixes the two to give us a fast-paced thriller in modern America with an intriguing main lead who is looking at our world through a very unusual perspective.

When we first meet Wynter she is being evicted from New Earth a base for a religious cult ran by the typically charismatic leader Magnus. Wynter has transgressed and so is now banished to the damned i.e. our world. While this is going on a pig farmer and those he shares the meat with become ill and the disease that leads to loss of memories, hallucinations and eventually death. Wynter who has spent her childhood in New Earth is finding a world of 24-hour news, mobile phones and TV. The cult would not even allow her sister to have a Star Wars t-shirt (true evil). But Wynter finds herself embroiled in the growing epidemic – firstly a family member is sent to investigate the outbreak and then her sister also escapes from the cult and gives her evidence that somehow Magnus is involved. Wynter finds herself driving into the epidemic seeking someone to get answers and then with the help of the mysterious Chase Miller she tries to find a way out of what appears to be the end of the world.

I was pleasantly surprised at how engrossed I got into this thriller as on one level the tale of cults and diseases can appear well a bit old testament; luckily Lee has a great ability to provide a fascinating lead character and the heart of the novel is Wynter. We see in alternating chapter her years in New Earth growing from a child to a woman that Magnus seems to have an unhealthy interest in and then Wynter trying to adapt to the new world outside the camp. Lee really shows us the ways cults operate in taking control of people’s lives (and fortunes). This is one of the more sinister parts of the novel. There is also an intriguing mystery for the reader to unravel as to how Wynter got released and what exactly Magnus is up to. I really liked how post release Wynter is shown to be suffering from a form of PTSD – the idea of someone so sheltered suddenly seeing news stories about natural disasters, crime and just the sheer vibrancy of the planet is well done. Her reactions are totally understandable, and you do really want to cheer as she slowly adjusts to using phones, emails and modern life. Unfortunately, this coincides with a very fast spreading and nasty epidemic that may wipe this all out.

The second half of the novel is the more familiar apocalyptic road trip through a country imploding. This feels a little more stereotypical with bands of murderous locals, fights over the price of petrol and Wynter suddenly finding herself on the run. However, it’s done with energy and pace so having spent so much of the time understanding and sympathising with Wynter you really do care if she escapes and there is never a feeling in the novel that everyone is going to be safe. If I had a niggle it was the very end of the novel goes global scale in a short space of time and I think tries to juggle too many things at once. It may have been better to show us more of the modern world collapsing to allow us to get a sense of scale rather than simply the odd news story. For me Wynter’s internal battles to fight her fears was the bigger draw of the book.

I think if you would like a straightforward tale of cults and the apocalypse you will enjoy reading this tale and Wynter is an engaging lead. It doesn’t do anything too new but sometimes you just want to get into a story and although the views are predictable you will still enjoy the ride!

This was my first Tosca Lee novel. Wow. I am going to be processing for a while. I was amazed at the complexity of the plot and the depth of the research. The storyline was compelling and the pages flew by. Wynter was a complicated character and Chase had great hidden depth. Very good.

I am a huge fan of Tosca Lee and will pretty much read everything she writes. She amazes me with historical fiction and has an eye for detail. Her thrillers are filled with suspense that keeps me on the edge of my seat reading. However, I found The Line Between to not be a little disappointing. The world-building seems very unrealistic to me. There is very little action in the story and Wynter was a bland protagonist. Tosca Lee is still an excellent writer and one of my favorites. It is just the story was not her best. I still recommend this for those that love dystopian novels and science fiction thrillers.

Underwhelmed and over hyped book. Maybe it just wasn’t my cup of tea. I heard tons of great things about this book but, I struggled to stay engaged and found myself putting it down to start or finish other books.

Wow, Wow, Wow! This was my first Tosca Lee book and it was fantastic! A solid 5star rating coming from me! Must get my hands on more of her work asap!!

The plot of this story is intense, a fast paced page turner you won't want to put down. I have always found cults extremely fascinating and this book did not disappoint. The cult leader definitely gives the reader that uncomfortable vibe that has come to be expected with that lifestyle. Wynter Roth on the other hand stole my heart. She was dealt a bad hand in life, was forced to face her obstacles and overcome them. I enjoyed watching her character grow and evolve throughout the story.

I really like how the story alternates between the past and present day and really felt as though I was getting all the information. I didn't find the ending rushed and felt it wrapped up perfectly. A truly great read!!


Thank you NetGalley for my Kindle copy of The Line Between. Another thank you goes out to Norma & Brenda of Travelingsistersread for hosting yet another fantastic group read!

When I learned that Tosca Lee had an upcoming release, I immediately pre-ordered the book. Without reading the book blurb or even knowing what the cover looked like. She is that kind of writer.

Lee’s writings keep the reader on the edge of their seat, along for a wild and crazy ride. The Line Between is one such ride, twisting and turning from a Doomsday cult in Illinois through the backroads to Colorado.

After growing up New Earth, a doomsday cult, Wynter Roth is kicked out after her refusal to become the second wife of its leader. With her she was permitted the clothes on her back, and knowledge the leader of New Earth was unaware she possessed.

Like many fresh out of such a cult, Wynter found herself confused by what she was taught as truth and what was actually truth. With debilitating anxiety, she seeks the assistance of a therapist who suggests she not watch tv or listen to the radio or go online, in order to adjust her mind and body to her new environment. After a time, she slowly begins to watch the news once again, quickly coming to an awareness that the horrifying things she hears is somehow linked to the knowledge she carries with her.

When her sister shows up at her doorstep with samples, Wynter realizes the knowledge is somehow a major part of what is in that box of samples. Racing west to get the samples and information to someone who can potentially slow the atrocities occurring across the country, she meets Chase Miller, former military who joins the race. It’s a race full of detours and those who will do anything to stop them.

The Line Between, does one read it non-stop to find what happens next or does one take their time, savoring the journey, knowing at the end, waiting is a serious book hangover? Quite the conundrum. I chose to read it almost non-stop, leaving me breathless and yep, hungover.

One more thing, 🥓.

This book was hard to put down once I started reading it. Wynter is banned from a doomsday cult that she grew up in just as a major catastrophic event his the U.S. In flashbacks, the reader sees how Wynter's family started with the New Earth cult, then slowly reveals why she was turned out of New Earth. What was scary about the story was how real it felt--the domino effect of chaos spreading across the country due to a major calamity that cannot be contained. The part where the country starts to fall apart as resources become scarce felt like something that could happen today. As Wynter realizes New Earth's connection to the major disaster, she has to race to stop it. I liked all of the secondary characters in the story, especially Wynter's interactions with Chase (hint of romance there). I appreciated reading a thriller that didn't have unnecessary language, violence, sex, or nihilism about God. Although this is a faith-based publisher, it is not preachy and Wynter is able to differentiate between God and the nefarious leader of New Earth, Magnus. The ending is not a cliff-hanger but it does leave it open for a sequel. Exciting read!
* I received this book free of charge from NetGalley.

This book kept me up at night, turning page after page. The book opens with Wynter, a young woman who was indoctrinated into a cult with her mother and sister before she was old enough to decide for herself, being kicked out and having to find her way and determine what was true and not. Even after her removal, she has difficulty knowing if Magnus, the leader of the Enclave, was even wrong. Honestly, being inside Wynter's head through this process is fascinating.

Then an epidemic begins. A disease starts to spread through the city and the nation. Wynter is faced with the question of whether Magnus was correct in his teaching that the world was coming to an end and that the cult was, in fact, saving them from the devastation of the apocalypse.

As a reader, I was thrown in different directions at first and wasn't sure where this was all leading. One night, I had to put the book down because the diseased and crazed people infected with this epidemic creeped me out so, and I was concerned they were going zombie. I DON'T do zombies! But alas, (spoiler) it's just a basic disease that makes people go a little nuts. Well, it's a lot worse than that, but you know, not zombies.

Wynter, of course, finds herself in the midst of slew of secrets the cult leader has kept, and the ability she unlocks one that can help find a solution to this crazy epidemic. Wynter is such a complex character, and while I didn't feel a deep, emotional connection with her, she certainly kept me turning the page.

Although, I will say, THIS IS WHY I WAIT TO READ SERIES UNTIL THEY ARE COMPLETE!!!! I didn't realize it was going to have a sequel until I was already into it when I read the author say she is finishing up the draft to the sequel. So now, while this does have a conclusion with only a mild cliffhanger, I am already VERY read to read what happens next.....
I guess that's a good problem for the author. But erg!

For fans of dystopians, this book is great. The cover says it’s a thriller but it’s really more than that. It has some interesting, strong characters with a chaotic and original end-of-civilization plot. If you’re not a huge fan of dystopian you may still really like this book. The main character deals with some really interesting personal issues, having been raised in a cult. So we basically have the bigger end-of-days plot and the personal escaped-from-cult plot working consecutively. There’s a hint of religious talk because of how she was raised. I actually saw it categorized as “Christian Fiction” on Goodreads. I wouldn’t call it that at all, in case that’s a no-go for you. It would be for me, if it was a huge part of the plot, but it really wasn’t.

It's the end of the world as we know it and the cult leaders were right!

Tosca Lee sets off on an accelerated ride through the breakdown of American society but she does it through the eyes of a former cultist.

Wynter Roth, along with her mother, joined The New Earth community. Through flash-back chapters you'll learn more of that backstory and why she's out in the real world - which happens to be coming loose at the seems.

This is an interesting approach to the apocalyptic genre - driving stolen, abandoned vehicles, avoiding shady-looking garage clerks, finding hideouts; all while delivering a possible cure?

Is this going to be like The Walking Dead with big surprises? Will there be an easy cop-out ending?
This book delivers!

I thought Lee did a good job keeping the characters interesting and growing on us while they journey through the not-so-quite wasteland. Wynter's experiences after being in an exclusive and her reactions to life outside, even when they are going nuts, was a nice twist to read.

I wasn't thrilled with the constant use of bad language. I treat stuff like that as I do sex in entertainment: do we really need to see/read it? Does it truly add anything to the story/experience by including it?

Perhaps for some it makes it more realistic? But I guess I'm not one of those people.

I thought the book had a great pace. I didn't get bored reading about Wynter and, when she meets him, Chase as they drove west together. It could have gotten really slow at those points but Lee kept the tension and pace flowing.