Review: Thin Space by Jody Cassella

Ever since the car accident that killed his twin brother, Marshall Windsor has been consumed with guilt and crippled by secrets of that fateful night. He has only one chance to make amends, to right his wrongs and set things right. He must find a Thin Space—a mythical point where the barrier between this world and the next is thin enough for a person to step through to the other side.

But, when a new girl moves into the house next door, the same house Marsh is sure holds a thin space, she may be the key—or the unraveling of all his secrets.

As they get closer to finding a thin space—and closer to each other—Marsh must decide once and for all how far he’s willing to go to right the wrongs of the living…and the dead.

Thin Space was a really cold book - I felt so disconnected from it because the tone was so... I guess I'd call it distant. However, the tone did actually fit the book because Marsh and Maddie are both going through difficult times so they walk around feeling very distant from themselves, as well as the fact that the book is set in a freezing cold winter, so the bleak tone kind of fit the setting and time.

Casella writes grief so well and whilst I've never lost someone very close to me, I felt that Marsh was grieving so well - his search for a thin space showed his disbelief and anger that his brother is dead, especially his going as far as walking around with bare feet, even in the middle of a freezing cold winter. I didn't feel like anyone else was acting as though they had lost someone but I'm going to blame this on the fact that very few of the backing characters are developed at all - Maddie and Marsh are the only people who matter in this book. Marsh's voice reads so well and he was such a realistic person to follow.

The relationship between Maddie and Marsh developed from curiosity to friendship to something more and the progression did feel very realistic and well developed, so I applaud Casella on this, however the ending where Maddie forgives him for the big secret seemed a little unrealistic, at least make him work for it girl! Speaking of the secret... well that threw me off big time! I was not expecting that and whilst it didn't affect my judgement of the book, I still don't think it was necessary!

Overall, Thin Space was a bleak and dreary read - and I mean that in the best way! The tone and mood of the book really matched the content. I liked the romance but would have liked more characters to be developed, and I think the big twist ending should have been either foreshadowed more or omitted from the book.

Book released 10th September 2013 by Simon Pulse

Book received from the publisher in exchange for an honest review (Edelweiss)