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The Worlds Behind Her Eyelids
"Tell me, kid... How do you feel about desecrating a graveyard?"
Suffocated by her narcissistic mother's constant complaints, Grace retreats into the refuge of her mind. Her imagination becomes her only source of escape, and there she meets a grizzly treasure hunter, Mitch, with a history of rescuing strays. Taking Grace under his wing, Mitch allows her to accompany him on the search for a long-lost artefact.
Split between her mundane reality and the exhilarating new world she has created, Grace leads an exciting double life. In one, she is a normal teenager, but in the other, she travels with Mitch, slowly discovering more about the shadowy world he is involved in and those hunting him down.
The lines between reality and imagination blur as Grace continues to delve into her daydreams whenever reality is too hard to deal with, but soon, she finds other worlds. However, they are not as welcoming as she expected, and escape may not be quite so simple...
Suffocated by her narcissistic mother's constant complaints, Grace retreats into the refuge of her mind. Her imagination becomes her only source of escape, and there she meets a grizzly treasure hunter, Mitch, with a history of rescuing strays. Taking Grace under his wing, Mitch allows her to accompany him on the search for a long-lost artefact.
Split between her mundane reality and the exhilarating new world she has created, Grace leads an exciting double life. In one, she is a normal teenager, but in the other, she travels with Mitch, slowly discovering more about the shadowy world he is involved in and those hunting him down.
The lines between reality and imagination blur as Grace continues to delve into her daydreams whenever reality is too hard to deal with, but soon, she finds other worlds. However, they are not as welcoming as she expected, and escape may not be quite so simple...
- GenresFantasy
666 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 26, 2023
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
October 12, 2025
2023 52 Book Challenge - October Mini Challenge - 3) Has A Graveyard Scene
This is a bit of a weird book. I love the premise - who wouldn't love this premise? - and I was recommended this book for this specific book prompt, which it did work for.
I found it really interesting, and I wanted to know more about how Grace moves between these worlds or fantasies, but it's never explained. Something is hinted at, about halfway through, but we never go back to it again, and by the end of the story, it's never explained. I need to know how Grace is doing this, whether the other people are actually Grace, how Grace is working on both sides at the same time, for instance, she gets changed into a swimming costume in her grandparents house while she is in the fantasy with Mitch. I need to understand if she's just splitting her attention or is somebody else taking over Grace?
That's the annoying part of this novel - it feels like it has no purpose. Grace daydreams a life with Mitch to get away from her own life, and they do some treasure hunting, but that's the extent of the plot. It felt very much like the book was wandering aimlessly, and then it just ends. There's no conclusion. Because the book has no overarching plot or explanation, it feels like it finishes when the author got bored of the book, rather than coming to a conclusion to finish the book. It feels like you need to read a second book just because this book feels unfinished - which it shouldn't when the book is over 600 pages long.
That being said, the early parts of the book felt fantastical, and I really enjoyed the first half of the book with how Grace moved between the fantasies and how she used the different parenting by Mitch to recognize the difficulties of her own mother.
So, while I did really enjoy the world building of this book, notably the parts of the novel that were set in Mitch's world, the parts with the mom and the grandparents in Scotland felt so repetitive, ie, how many times do we need to be told that the grandparents are unable to accept their daughter and granddaughter as they are and the horror of syrups in coffee, and how to dress correctly around them. It felt like we were told every other sentence that the grandparents were horrible, and this caused their daughter to be horrible and Grace wants to skip out of the family cycle and Mitch has helped her to realise this. We get it.
Honestly, I did enjoy this book, but it was a meandering, pointless and repetitive read that really did not need to be almost 700 pages long.
This is a bit of a weird book. I love the premise - who wouldn't love this premise? - and I was recommended this book for this specific book prompt, which it did work for.
I found it really interesting, and I wanted to know more about how Grace moves between these worlds or fantasies, but it's never explained. Something is hinted at, about halfway through, but we never go back to it again, and by the end of the story, it's never explained. I need to know how Grace is doing this, whether the other people are actually Grace, how Grace is working on both sides at the same time, for instance, she gets changed into a swimming costume in her grandparents house while she is in the fantasy with Mitch. I need to understand if she's just splitting her attention or is somebody else taking over Grace?
That's the annoying part of this novel - it feels like it has no purpose. Grace daydreams a life with Mitch to get away from her own life, and they do some treasure hunting, but that's the extent of the plot. It felt very much like the book was wandering aimlessly, and then it just ends. There's no conclusion. Because the book has no overarching plot or explanation, it feels like it finishes when the author got bored of the book, rather than coming to a conclusion to finish the book. It feels like you need to read a second book just because this book feels unfinished - which it shouldn't when the book is over 600 pages long.
That being said, the early parts of the book felt fantastical, and I really enjoyed the first half of the book with how Grace moved between the fantasies and how she used the different parenting by Mitch to recognize the difficulties of her own mother.
So, while I did really enjoy the world building of this book, notably the parts of the novel that were set in Mitch's world, the parts with the mom and the grandparents in Scotland felt so repetitive, ie, how many times do we need to be told that the grandparents are unable to accept their daughter and granddaughter as they are and the horror of syrups in coffee, and how to dress correctly around them. It felt like we were told every other sentence that the grandparents were horrible, and this caused their daughter to be horrible and Grace wants to skip out of the family cycle and Mitch has helped her to realise this. We get it.
Honestly, I did enjoy this book, but it was a meandering, pointless and repetitive read that really did not need to be almost 700 pages long.
October 14, 2023
Balancing worlds
In a story that shifts between worlds, Lee does a phenomenal job balancing the two, never quite letting the reader prefer one over the other. I continuously wanted to know what was happening in both worlds at the same time.
This is a wondeful take on the fantasy genre, not afraid to dip fully into adventure or moments of horror. High recommendation for all of those people out there who want to read something new for once.
In a story that shifts between worlds, Lee does a phenomenal job balancing the two, never quite letting the reader prefer one over the other. I continuously wanted to know what was happening in both worlds at the same time.
This is a wondeful take on the fantasy genre, not afraid to dip fully into adventure or moments of horror. High recommendation for all of those people out there who want to read something new for once.
April 22, 2024
Entertainingly written YA novel about a young girl who escapes form her real life into her fantasies where she adventuring a `Professor Langdon mixed with Indiana Jones`-style treasure hunter.
September 9, 2025
🖤MY DNF REVIEW: The Worlds Behind Her Eyelids🖤
💭 Started magical, ended frustrating: why I stopped reading The Worlds Behind Her Eyelids at 60%
I was immediately drawn in. The idea of stepping into fully realized dreamscapes by simply closing your eyes is magical and emotionally rich. Following Grace through these worlds was exciting—the dreamscapes are vivid, layered, and breathtaking. Lee has a real gift for world-building.
At first, the story evoked real wonder. The balance between Grace’s waking life and her adventures behind her eyelids kept me curious. Early chapters felt like the whimsical, immersive YA fantasy I hoped for, full of heart, intrigue, and clever exploration of fears and hopes.
💔 By 60%, my experience shifted.
While the dreamscapes with Mitch remain enjoyable, the story lost much of its adventure and magic. Pacing feels uneven, stretches of the book drag, and teen drinking, sexual discussions, foul language, a small gory scene, and crude artwork at Grace’s grandparents’ house make it inappropriate for teens, and uncomfortable even for adults.
As a parent and step-parent, I take reviewing books seriously before letting kids read them. The concept is brilliant, but the execution falls short. Wonder has diminished, pacing feels uneven, and content drifts into material unsuitable for YA.
⚡ DNF at 60%. Moments of brilliance remain, but I’m no longer engaged and increasingly disturbed by the content marketed for YA audiences.
⚠️ Content warnings: alcohol use, sexual content, foul language, gore (small scene), crude references — not suitable for children despite YA marketing.
⭐️⭐️⭐️ (3 stars at 60% for creativity)
The Worlds Behind Her Eyelids is a story of contrasts: stunning dreamscapes alongside content unsettling for younger readers. Incredible premise and captivating early chapters, but momentum, adventure, and appropriateness fade. I’m leaving this one unfinished.
💭 Started magical, ended frustrating: why I stopped reading The Worlds Behind Her Eyelids at 60%
I was immediately drawn in. The idea of stepping into fully realized dreamscapes by simply closing your eyes is magical and emotionally rich. Following Grace through these worlds was exciting—the dreamscapes are vivid, layered, and breathtaking. Lee has a real gift for world-building.
At first, the story evoked real wonder. The balance between Grace’s waking life and her adventures behind her eyelids kept me curious. Early chapters felt like the whimsical, immersive YA fantasy I hoped for, full of heart, intrigue, and clever exploration of fears and hopes.
💔 By 60%, my experience shifted.
While the dreamscapes with Mitch remain enjoyable, the story lost much of its adventure and magic. Pacing feels uneven, stretches of the book drag, and teen drinking, sexual discussions, foul language, a small gory scene, and crude artwork at Grace’s grandparents’ house make it inappropriate for teens, and uncomfortable even for adults.
As a parent and step-parent, I take reviewing books seriously before letting kids read them. The concept is brilliant, but the execution falls short. Wonder has diminished, pacing feels uneven, and content drifts into material unsuitable for YA.
⚡ DNF at 60%. Moments of brilliance remain, but I’m no longer engaged and increasingly disturbed by the content marketed for YA audiences.
⚠️ Content warnings: alcohol use, sexual content, foul language, gore (small scene), crude references — not suitable for children despite YA marketing.
⭐️⭐️⭐️ (3 stars at 60% for creativity)
The Worlds Behind Her Eyelids is a story of contrasts: stunning dreamscapes alongside content unsettling for younger readers. Incredible premise and captivating early chapters, but momentum, adventure, and appropriateness fade. I’m leaving this one unfinished.
March 4, 2026
I love every word. It's so easy to follow, so easy to get into the characters' skin. Grace is basically a mirror to all neurodivergent people, always living one foot out of this world. How she feels and how she copes with the cruelty of her life is so true. So if you are an acosial person and daydreaming about crazy adventures where you are a hero, this is definitely for you!
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews