All That Holds Between

by S.J. Lee

Life runs efficiently when nothing hurts.

In Meiyu, people clip away their heaviest emotions and store them in memory drives so life can continue neatly and undisturbed. Lena is a courier who delivers these sealed fragments across the island, her days defined by routine, distance, and careful neutrality.

When one delivery goes wrong, a defective drive activates in her hands. The feelings inside are not hers and were never meant to surface. Ignoring protocol, Lena follows its pull through the city, through night markets scented with scallion and fried dough, into noodle shops, and the quiet generosity of neighbors' kitchens, where lives brush against one another. With each step, the walls she's built around herself begin to thin.

All That Holds Between is a gentle speculative novella about rediscovering what's lost, savoring what remains, and allowing life to hold more than function.

149 pages, Kindle Edition

Expected publication April 7, 2026

About the author

S.J. Lee writes speculative fiction about how people fall apart and what they do next. A full-time security specialist with a master's degree in intelligence and two bachelor's degrees in business, Lee draws on years living and working in Iraq, Mexico, Chile, India, Brazil, Guyana, and all over the United States to ground her work. When she isn't writing, she's playing video games or spending time with her spouse and dog.

Follow her at @sjleewriter on Instagram for updates.

Reviews

[Amy HC · Rating 5 out of 5]

You have to rate a book 5 stars when it makes you cry and lingers in your soul after closing the final chapter.

This story is so wonderfully handled and emotionally hard hitting. A slower paced slice of life that follows Lena as an event throws her into a mystery she needs to solve. But this mystery is truly the catalyst for something else she needs to process and the way the Lee handles grief, alongside coupled emotions of joy and the importance of their interconnectedness is stunning.

Additionally, the way food is used to showcase how it can anchor us, connect us, and share moments of togetherness is also beautifully executed in the tale. I loved the sensory descriptiveness of the book and the way it seeps into your soul.

[Elena Enns · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to 42Fold and the author for this ARC.

Have you ever considered what it would be like to store away your biggest emotions to live life more comfortably? In this novella, that is a reality. And it all seems to be going smoothly for Lena, until one delivery goes wrong - and soon she is on an adventure to follow a memory and recon with the emotions she’s never faced.

Not only is this novella beautifully written, but it brings us as readers to reckon with our own emotions and memories and wonder, if we could, would we give them up to live more peacefully?

[Jay · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐️
All That Holds Between is the first standalone Novella by S.J.Lee since the release of her captivating Dystopian/Military Speculative Fiction debut Triology (Altered Earth Series) so I was really excited to see what she got in stall for us this time.

ATHB is quite a different sort of speculative fiction then the Triology but don’t be fooled, the chances of a book written by S.J.Lee triggering and causing some sort of emotional damage will always be high. This one definitely took me on a different kind of emotional rollercoaster, which I honestly wasn‘t quite prepared for.

The story is rather slowpaced and gives you a chance to get situated and slowly pulled into Lena’s World bit by bit, it also fits the cold and moody tone of the story perfectly. We quickly find ourself entwined in the streets of the island city of Meiyu and if there is one thing the Author is pretty good at, besides causing emotional damage to her readers, it‘s the world building. It won‘t take long til you get hit with the declicious smell and taste of scallion pancakes and other delicious taiwanese dishes.
I promise you, your senses will be well entertained in this book, especially your tastebuds. If you aren‘t considering ordering scallion Pancakes in the middle of the night while reading this, I would be surprised. This book should come with a warning label that says: „Don‘t read on an empty stomach“.

I always say the writing is good when the story gets into your head. This was the case here, at least for me. When certain quotes and phrases hit you with feelings and make you really think about what you just read. This book caused a bit of self reflecting and let me face my own grief in some kind of way. So yea it got quite emotional and not just for Lena.
The first part of the book, I was like hey this „clipping“ thing sounds really convenient and nice but the more this story was facing the topic of grief, the more the feeling changed throughout the book.
One of my favorite quotes that has been stuck with me since:
„Grief is proof we care. Even when the mind loses pieces the body remembers who mattered.“

I really enjoyed and loved the conversations between Mrs.Kuan and Lena. But also between Lena and her friend.
And the last part of this book felt cozy, sweet and a bit of healing.

One thing that sometimes make me struggle with Novella‘s, is that they usually feel a bit rushed due to the shorter length. But I didn’t feel like this was the case here. It hit the just right spot and if you get the special copy, you even get a bit of an extra story.

The one takeaway from this book?
It‘s okay to grief but also there are different ways to do it.
There is not right or wrong tho.

Thank you S.J.Lee for trusting me with an early copy of this book.

[Leah E. · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting short story about a woman navigating life through her delivery job and connecting to the people around her.

When one of her delivery attempts goes wrong, Lena’s life seems to spiral at first, but the result of this incident sets her off on a journey that includes delicious food and connecting more closely to the people who have been in her life, but she never really made much of an effort to connect with before.

My favorite part of the story was definitely Soichi, he brought so much fun into the story.
I also greatly enjoyed the descriptions of the food and the layout of the land through Lena’s perspective.

Thank you to the author and 42Fold Limited for this eARC. All thoughts and comments are my own.

[Kristine M · Rating 5 out of 5]

From world building, to the nuances of grief, to the mouth-watering description of the food (I swear I could smell the pídàn shòu ròu zhōu while reading about it), this novella packs so much into its pages.

I loved the way I could picture Meiyu and Lena on her bicycle. The descriptions of the city, the storm, and the restaurants and food carts Meiyu visited were so vivid. The way she moved through her grief was so realistic, and the conversation with Mrs. Kuan brought me to tears.

This novella covers so much, but my main takeaway will be that with negative feelings of loss, sadness, grief, we get the balance of overwhelming joy, closeness, love. We never truly go through anything alone. That’s a powerful message in any world, Meiyu and beyond.

Thank you so much to S.J. Lee and 42Fold for the digital ARC of All That Holds Between!

[Sandra "Jeanz" · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have seen various different covers for this book ranging from quite abstract ones to simplistic ones alluding to Lena’s job as a courier.

All That Holds Between is set in Meiyu a futuristic world where you can put any unwanted emotions on a chip at the Halcyon Integrated Wellness company, the chip can then be destroyed or stored for a monthly cost with the possibility of being restored at a later date.
Lena was once an 'Affect Technician' but was then demoted and is now a courier transporting the chips between clients & the Halcyon depot. Lena has her route already planned out for her down to the minute and if she isn’t on time there are consequences! Even her breaks are meticulously planned and she is more or less forced to take them when told to do so. Lena is on her best behaviour at work she has already had a warning, if she were to get more she could be demoted again to an even lesser job.

Lena prefers to use her bike much to her supervisor Mr Peng’s irritation as he regularly offers her the company vehicle to use especially on bad weather days. It’s on a particularly rainy day that Lena comes across a faulty chip and when circumstances mean she is unable to deliver it she takes it home with her which is expressly forbidden.
Lena has an old machine that she trained to be an Affect Technician on and it’s not long before curiosity gets the better of her and she ends up putting the defective chip in it and experiencing the chips owner’s memory.
Lena becomes obsessed with finding a food stall featured in the memory which leads her to talking to Runi who owns the restaurant she regularly eats ate, resulting in the women becoming closer friends rather than just acquaintances.

By the end of the novella Lena realises that her true obsession is not the defective chip she has viewed but a memory that she chose to have removed, put on a chip and destroyed.

I found the idea of putting undesired memories on a chip a fascinating idea and would have loved some other memories & chips to be explored, though as this is a novella and Lena was given a different job near the end of it which would put her in a position where she would be in contact with peoples memories on a regular and legitimate basis, so I guess there’s the potential for more after this novella. I’d be interested in reading more in this world setting.

Lena seems a rather sad and lonely character only going to and from work with no friends her own age or family around her, though her neighbour does look out for her and cooks “too much” food meaning there is always plenty leftover for Lena. Then slowly through conversations Lena has with her neighbour about the neighbour’s loss of a loved one and her evolving relationship with Runi that Lena reveals her own background and the memory she had removed and destroyed.

Immediate thoughts were that I enjoyed reading the novella, but I wished that it had explored more chips and their content. It could have been so much more.

Summing up, though this novella centred mainly round just one character, Lena, it also revealed quite a lot about those around her too. I loved the concept of having memories, feelings & emotions removed and placed on a chip. Could I do it? I don’t think I would as even our bad, painful memories have value and are an integral part of us. Overall, I did enjoy the novella and I would be interested in reading more set in this world.

[Ellie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonder, yearning, and a rainbow of senses! That’s what I experienced following Lena bike-couriering across the island of Meiyu chasing lost feelings and opening herself up again to the world around her through people and food.

From the luxury neighborhoods to waste disposal sites, and from corporate offices to neighborhood markets, in this novella S.J. Lee expertly weaves us through a sensory and visceral journey of literal typhoons and metaphorical ones as Lena unexpectedly finds herself processing now-unfamiliar feelings in a world where people clip away their heaviest emotions and store them on memory drives or just throw them away.

The first half of the story feels slow, as Lena herself is numb to her feelings, but then we start careening together as we follow Lena unable to resist the pull of those feelings and the tactile memory associated with them. Lena opens up to former coworker Soichi, neighbor Mrs. Kuan, and the noodle shop owner-chef Runi, and together relearns how much more life can hold.

Part mystery and love story straddling speculative and literary fiction, All That Holds Between shows us that finding balance doesn’t mean taking away what hurts, but instead needs both the good and the bad to make us whole.

My favorite lines:

"Funny how the body remembers long before reason catches up"

"Grief is earned. It's not something you can just take away. Not without losing everything else."

"Grief is proof we care. Even when the mind loses pieces, the body remembers who mattered."

"Recovery doesn't always mean returning to an old self. Sometimes it's learning to inhabit the version left behind."

If you take anything away, take the love for Taiwanese food! S.J. Lee’s description of the scallion pancakes alone fires up all the senses—sound, smell, sight, touch, and taste—and is worth an award. Do yourself a favor and go to your nearest Chinese restaurant ASAP and order extra scallion pancake, milk tea, congee, and sticky rice with pork and mushroom. Take with you the book’s appendix of all the mentioned food, written in Traditional Chinese, Pinyin, and English...try them all!

Thank you 42 Fold Studio and S.J. Lee for this Advance Reader Copy (ARC). All That Holds Between, releasing on April 7, 2026, is the first title published under their publishing division, 42Fold Limited. Support indie authors!

[whrohala.reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to the author and 42 Fold Studio for trusting me with a review copy of this novel. All comments below are my own.

I want to start by saying everyone would benefit from reading this novella. The descriptions of grief, community, friendship, joy, emptiness, overwhelm, etc. are all handled so well and support a narrative that anyone can connect with. The prose is lyrical and poetic and create incredibly detailed imagery of the environment our characters are moving within. And that is to say nothing of the descriptions of food. I have never found myself getting so hungry while reading before. Again, because the author knows how to evoke sensations that bring forth my own memories. And that is probably the point - a story about memory that encourages the reader to draw from their own memories, and in that way bring the story to life.

This book brought up every feeling within me. But rather than it feeling like the emotions were hitting me like a bus, it was more like I was on that bus watching the city pass through the window while the perfect playlist beat through my headphones. All of it, even the sad and painful moments resonated in me quietly, peacefully.

It all came together to create a wonderful painting of the human experience.

I rated this 5-stars and I will certainly be looking for the author’s other work. I want to spend more time in the worlds she creates.

[Patrycja · Rating 5 out of 5]

All That Holds Between is a beautifully crafted short novel that bridges the gap between a “little bit futuristic” and the raw reality of our current lives. S.J. Lee manages to create a world that feels just a few steps ahead of ours, making the themes of isolation and technology feel incredibly urgent and relatable.

The writing is wonderfully engaging. The story flows smoothly, making it a quick but deeply impactful read that stayed with me long after the final page.
At its heart, this book is a poignant reminder that humans are wired for connection. It explores how simple acts—like talking and sharing our “trouble feelings”—are the most powerful tools we have against sadness.
I loved how the author balanced the speculative elements with the “present” feel of the characters’ emotions. It didn’t feel like a distant sci-fi, but rather a mirror to our own need for community.
This “near-future” story feels grounded in today’s emotions. S.J. Lee seems to have hit that sweet spot where the sci-fi elements don’t overshadow the human heart of the story.

This is a must-read for anyone who enjoys character-driven stories that tackle the complexities of mental health and human relationships in an evolving world.

Thank you to the author, S.J. Lee, and 42 Fold Studio for providing a free digital review copy. All opinions are my own.

[Kimberly (Bookblurbist) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review of an advanced copy received from the author.

Vibes:
➤ Dystopian Future
➤ Memories/Emotions
➤ Moody and Cozy Sci-fi
➤ Delicious Depictions of Food

Thoughts:
This was such a fascinating idea wrapped up in a novella that feels both gloomy and cozy. A future where people are able to clip their heaviest and most inconvenient emotions to have them stored on a hard drive sounds grim in such a quiet way, which is exactly the tone of the first half of this novella. One thing I particularly appreciate is that Lee isn’t rushed in her writing. Although this is only 150 pages, the author takes her time laying the foundation of this setting. The world is build through character interactions and Meiyu’s real time thoughts and emotions. I think it would have been tempting to just hurry up and explain the world to readers, but Lee takes her time. And don’t even get me started on the food descriptions. The culinary imagery was so indulgent and savory. Recommend to anyone who is looking for a slow paced, character driven speculative fiction novella set in a quiet and grim future.

[En · Rating 5 out of 5]

All That Holds Between is a slice of life speculative fiction. We're brought into a world where big corps monetise mental health. Observing a world fixated on 'balance' through the eyes of a detached protagonist created a soft discordance that kept me turning pages.

Lena felt detached initially. I thought she was just drifting in life. Everyone seems balanced, functional, efficient. Lena appears to fit in, but her balance is the tightrope walking kind.

She appears efficient but not particularly motivated until she stumbles onto a glitching memory drive. Then, we're taken on a journey across Meiyu, chasing a sliver of sight, scent, and sound from a stolen memory. As per the author’s MO, the impending blow simmers under the surface and hits you when you let your guard down.

If you enjoy soft sci-fi that thoughtfully explores food as a lens for human connection, nostalgia, and grief, this one belongs on your TBR.

[Nalini · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a wonderful story that very much felt like a cozy Black Mirror episode. In this novella, emotions risk efficiency so why not just get rid of those pesky emotions. Lena is a courier of these emotions via drives that she delivers across the island. When one delivery goes wrong and a drive activates in her hands she is flooded with emotions that aren’t hers. She follows these feeling across the island in search of scents and familiarity. With each step, the walls she’s built around her begin to fall.

I loved the representation of grief. It was beautifully written. I loved the representation of how our senses hold memories as well. This book hit me in all the feels as I read it. I know there have been times where I definitely wish I could have evacuated some tough feelings, but being rid of sadness would make joy less meaningful.

Also, Don’t read on an empty stomach, the food descriptions had my mouth watering.

Thank you to the author and 42fold for this ARC!

[Olivia · Rating 3 out of 5]

The pacing felt pretty slow overall, and I never really got that moment where it fully clicked or pulled me in. It just kind of stayed at the same level the whole time, which made it harder to stay invested.

The story was also a bit confusing for me. I had trouble fully understanding what was going on and how everything connected, so it made it harder to feel immersed in the plot.

Lena was probably my favorite part. I liked her as a protagonist and she was the main reason I kept reading, but I wish the story around her had been a bit clearer and more engaging.

There’s not really any romance in this, which wasn’t a bad thing, just something to know going into it.

Overall, it didn’t really make me feel much emotionally and nothing stood out in a big way, but it wasn’t bad either, just not super memorable for me.

I’d recommend it more to someone who enjoys short stories and doesn’t mind a slower, more ambiguous kind of narrative.

[Kaycee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to 42 Fold Studio and SJ Lee for the advanced copy.

WOW! What a beautiful novella that completely captivated me. I loved this story, and I was instantly drawn into Lena’s life. SJ Lee paints a portrait of what life is like in Meiyu, where people remove their heaviest emotions so that life can stay orderly.

What a beautiful exploration of grief and feelings. I will warn you that this novella contains vivid food descriptions that will make you put your book down to find a snack. The way I wanted to hit up a food stall at a market after reading Lee’s descriptive imagery.

I loved the underlying message about community and friendship and exploration of what it is to be human. Truly, this novella packed so much into a short amount of pages and gives us, the readers, a truly emotional experience as we read. What a beautiful experience. Everyone should pick this one up.

[Emily Sigel · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Grief is earned. It's not something you can just take away. Not without losing everything else."

Halcyon is a company that helps people by clipping the emotions that they no longer want in order to restore balance in their life. Those emotions are then put into a drive and disposed of or archived. Getting rid of the emotion doesn't remove the memory. There are just no emotions attached to the memory anymore. But what is life without emotion? It makes us who we are and connects our memories to the things that shape our lives.
This beautifully written novella explores how our emotions shape our relationships with others and shows us that what we see on the surface is not always the emotion someone is actually feeling. I loved this story!!

[Verity Thornhill · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a beautiful journey of a book 💗

Lena is working hard as a courier delivering drives around the island city of Meiyu. She keeps her head down, not wanting to give her employers any reason to demote her... again.

But then, after a series of events, she finds herself with a malfunctioning drive. What happens next opens her mind to new possibilities.

All that Holds Between is a beautiful book. The descriptions are atmospheric and pull you into Lena's world. And S.J. Lee's gentle approach to grief and healing is something very special.

Thank you 42 Fold Studio & S.J. Lee for the ARC of All that Holds Between.

[Tracy Trace · Rating 5 out of 5]

Note: I received this book as an ARC in exchange for a honest review.

This was an emotionally packed journey wrapped into a small compact story.

This book reminded me that emotions and the memories they come from, the good or bad, shapes who we are. What if we could get rid of our emotions tied to our worst memories? How would that impact us? How would that change who we are? Would we really become a better person? This book does a great job at tackling those questions. It’s a book filled with lots of heart and lots of food!

I would recommend this book for fans of speculative or cozy fiction or someone who wants a quick read.

[Holly Tammaru · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the story! The descriptions and the way the world looked in my mind felt so real. And the visceral reactions to this book- I could almost taste the food! I felt myself rooting for Lena to find herself and heal from her trauma. There was a good amount of build up and suspense of finding out what happened to her. The dialogue with Lena and the neighbor was profound and healing. Tears were shed; It was cathartic to read. And Lena’s friend Soichi adds a wonderful element of comic relief. I will be adding a physical copy to my bookshelf and recommending to others! 🩵

[Antonia Ferrara · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you like Netflix’s Black Mirror and Cozy Food, please pick up this novella.

This book is out of my usual reads but I am grateful to 42 Fold Studio for putting this in my sights.

Following Lena to what appears to be her day to day of work, except it’s anything but.

The coziness of the story that turns to what memory really holds and the deep grief that life holds.

This gave me the same feelings of Black Mirror where you watch/read it and just sit in these feelings of “holy shit”

The addition of food and light romance just made the story feel so full even if it’s a novella.

If you’re looking to step out of the romance comfort zone, check out this book.