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The Light Between Us
‘A will they, won’t they tale with a jaw-dropping twist at its heart’ Sunday ExpressPerfect for fans of Sliding Doors.Thea and Isaac have always been friends, despite his constant jokes, despite her stubborn belief in time travel . . . despite the distance between them.But when Isaac returns home from New York when their friend goes missing, suddenly things aren't as they were. Something is different.Thea and Isaac have always been friends. But maybe that wasn't how it was supposed to be.*'Stunning, mesmerising and intricately beautiful. This book is a diamond.' Carrie Hope Fletcher'A love story with a great twist that takes it beyond a classic 'will they, won't they?'' Stylist'Gripping, fascinating, funny, romantic, exciting, and hopeful with a great cast of women, The Light Between Us is a cracking good read.' Rowan Coleman
313 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 9, 2018
33 people are currently reading
1708 people want to read
About the author
Katie Khan
2 books210 followersKatie Khan's first novel, Hold Back the Stars, was published in the UK by Doubleday (Penguin Random House) and in the U.S. by Gallery (Simon & Schuster) in 2017, and translated into twenty-one languages.
A film of Hold Back the Stars is in the works at studio Lionsgate, to be directed by Justin Baldoni (Five Feet Apart) from a screenplay by Christy Hall (I Am Not Okay With This), produced by Shawn Levy and Dan Cohen (Strange Things and Arrival).
Her second novel, The Light Between Us, was published in 2018. Katie is a writer from London who also works for a major film studio on a magical British film franchise.
Follow her on Twitter and Instagram @katie_khan.
A film of Hold Back the Stars is in the works at studio Lionsgate, to be directed by Justin Baldoni (Five Feet Apart) from a screenplay by Christy Hall (I Am Not Okay With This), produced by Shawn Levy and Dan Cohen (Strange Things and Arrival).
Her second novel, The Light Between Us, was published in 2018. Katie is a writer from London who also works for a major film studio on a magical British film franchise.
Follow her on Twitter and Instagram @katie_khan.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 119 reviews
January 9, 2019
Decided to rate my own book, which is something I never do, to balance out the 3-star rating from a lady in Illinois who meant to review 'The Light We Lost' (because my novel wasn't even finished when she gave it 3 stars, and she reviewed 'The Light We Lost' 45 seconds after rating mine). Ah, goodreads, what fun we have.
THE LIGHT BETWEEN US publishes August 9th in the UK! It's a story about a scientist convinced she can establish time travel... with one major glitch.
THE LIGHT BETWEEN US publishes August 9th in the UK! It's a story about a scientist convinced she can establish time travel... with one major glitch.
June 19, 2018
The Light Between Us by Katie Khan is a story about time travel and friendship.
Thea and her friends foolishly attempt a time travel experiment that goes terribly wrong and one of the friends Rosy is now missing. They are trying to find her or a way to bring her back.
I would like to thank NetGalley and Random House UK, Transworld Publishers for my e-copy in exchange for an honest review.
Thea and her friends foolishly attempt a time travel experiment that goes terribly wrong and one of the friends Rosy is now missing. They are trying to find her or a way to bring her back.
I would like to thank NetGalley and Random House UK, Transworld Publishers for my e-copy in exchange for an honest review.
July 14, 2018
I have mixed feelings about this book - there were lots of aspects that I really loved...I love that Thea gets kicked out of Oxford for trying to prove her time travel theory. I love that she's a bit odd. I love that she's using crystals to fragment light to make her time travel theory work. I also really liked her friendship group, and the support they give her.
It's a very readable book - once I started reading it I raced through in just a couple of evenings.
But, as with her previous book, it was the ending that let the story down, and this time I've notched down to a 3 star rating rather than 4 as I just became very frustrated.
*****SPOILERS AHEAD*****
It's impossible to write about this book without potentially giving things away, so I've thrown in a spoiler warning.
I had issues with the time travel aspect - I *know* that time travel is always problematic, and there is some discussion of this in the book, but what drove me absolutely crazy is that despite having lots of description & discussion of what the theory was with Thea's experiment, and things being explained in a way that made you feel like it might even make sense and be real, there are suddenly a whole ton of loose ends, and oddities, that just don't get resolved. I'm a bit one for resolution in stories, so these drove me pretty crazy!
What on earth was the deal with the old picture of Thea/her bank account etc. The whole run up to this storyline was very exciting & engaging and really, really good. And then it's as if that whole part of the story just gets dropped! I need to know! When did she go back there? What happened? How did she get back?
Lost Rosy - again, there was a massive lack of explanation here. We know something goes wrong. We know she's lost. But where is she lost? All that historical research...we never really get an explanation of where she went.
The dimensional/time travel jumping: erm, what? I get the concept. I like the concept. But what were they doing? A bit of both? How did they go back back in time to the right moment where they'd messed everything up before? How did they control the crystal/diamond to do that? What about the clue with the lining up of the rings? Why was none of this explained?!
I did enjoy the book, and the writing, and there is a LOT to like here. But that makes the frustrations all the more frustrating...because it could have been even better.
With thanks to Net Galley for the review copy.
It's a very readable book - once I started reading it I raced through in just a couple of evenings.
But, as with her previous book, it was the ending that let the story down, and this time I've notched down to a 3 star rating rather than 4 as I just became very frustrated.
*****SPOILERS AHEAD*****
It's impossible to write about this book without potentially giving things away, so I've thrown in a spoiler warning.
I had issues with the time travel aspect - I *know* that time travel is always problematic, and there is some discussion of this in the book, but what drove me absolutely crazy is that despite having lots of description & discussion of what the theory was with Thea's experiment, and things being explained in a way that made you feel like it might even make sense and be real, there are suddenly a whole ton of loose ends, and oddities, that just don't get resolved. I'm a bit one for resolution in stories, so these drove me pretty crazy!
What on earth was the deal with the old picture of Thea/her bank account etc. The whole run up to this storyline was very exciting & engaging and really, really good. And then it's as if that whole part of the story just gets dropped! I need to know! When did she go back there? What happened? How did she get back?
Lost Rosy - again, there was a massive lack of explanation here. We know something goes wrong. We know she's lost. But where is she lost? All that historical research...we never really get an explanation of where she went.
The dimensional/time travel jumping: erm, what? I get the concept. I like the concept. But what were they doing? A bit of both? How did they go back back in time to the right moment where they'd messed everything up before? How did they control the crystal/diamond to do that? What about the clue with the lining up of the rings? Why was none of this explained?!
I did enjoy the book, and the writing, and there is a LOT to like here. But that makes the frustrations all the more frustrating...because it could have been even better.
With thanks to Net Galley for the review copy.
July 6, 2018
I found this to be a fascinating and touching sci-fi/romance that was full of smart female characters who showed ambition and determination and that makes for a much more pleasurable reading experience!
I haven't read the first book from this author - Hold Back The Stars - which is to be made into a movie, and I can see the film studios grabbing hold of this book too as it had so many elements that would make it perfect for adapting to the big screen!
It's the story of Thea and Isaac who are firm friends from when they meet at University, but it never got past that stage as Thea is a woman on a mission, and she is never one to back down from a challenge if it means she gets proven right! She is determined to show that she can time travel, and even being thrown out of university doesn't dampen her enthusiasm, so along with some female friends she sets out to achieve the impossible! And when one of her friends goes missing after an experiment, the impossible seems to have been proven possible! If only it was that easy to get their friend back.
They get back in touch with Isaac to help them try and figure out a way of making progress and their reconnecting sparks something in their friendship they'd never picked up on before.
There's a nice little delve into the historical genre along the way as certain things don't seem to be making much sense and they must look back into the past to find out the truth of the dangers and effects of messing with time!
I really enjoyed the whole set up of this book - it was touching and intelligent, and was thought provoking throughout and I'm looking forward to going back and reading Hold Back The Stars too!
I haven't read the first book from this author - Hold Back The Stars - which is to be made into a movie, and I can see the film studios grabbing hold of this book too as it had so many elements that would make it perfect for adapting to the big screen!
It's the story of Thea and Isaac who are firm friends from when they meet at University, but it never got past that stage as Thea is a woman on a mission, and she is never one to back down from a challenge if it means she gets proven right! She is determined to show that she can time travel, and even being thrown out of university doesn't dampen her enthusiasm, so along with some female friends she sets out to achieve the impossible! And when one of her friends goes missing after an experiment, the impossible seems to have been proven possible! If only it was that easy to get their friend back.
They get back in touch with Isaac to help them try and figure out a way of making progress and their reconnecting sparks something in their friendship they'd never picked up on before.
There's a nice little delve into the historical genre along the way as certain things don't seem to be making much sense and they must look back into the past to find out the truth of the dangers and effects of messing with time!
I really enjoyed the whole set up of this book - it was touching and intelligent, and was thought provoking throughout and I'm looking forward to going back and reading Hold Back The Stars too!
August 7, 2018
I had high expectations for this book (I gave Khan's previous book, Hold Back The Stars, five stars), but I gotta tell you I kinda hated this one. This felt more like three interconnected novellas than a novel... Or at least, I think Khan had three distinct stories to tell:
First, there’s Thea, who’s just been kicked out of Oxford for messing with time travel in pseudo-scientific ways that would never get past the academic phase, let alone experimental. Second, there’s her friend Rosy, who’s "missing in time"—and given that Thea doesn’t know where on earth she could be, somehow she decides it "makes sense"(??) to see if she can find any trace of Rosy in "historical records". Third, there’s Isaac, who's Thea's love interest (I think? They don't seem to really give a crap about each other. He only seems to care when she's not available to booty call). But somehow they fall in love in a parallel timeline, or the present timeline? It's all very confusing because "falling in love" is as straightforward as uttering the words, without much behind them.
Plots 1 and 3 could possibly make for a good novel—something like a YA take on a novelization of The Fountain. But the entire Rosy subplot seems painfully tacked on. I reckon her developmental editor told her she needed a compelling reason for Thea to travel in time in search of something meaningful. The most obvious problem with this book (in my opinion) is that it tries to deal with Rosy retroactively. The few throwaway lines afforded to her arc indicate that at some point Khan decided Rosy should have equal billing as Thea's "person" to Isaac (her "love"), but Rosy barely gets a meaningful mention before disappearing, only to be brought back when convenient. And given that we’re told that Thea cares about Rosy so deeply, why does she seem to forget that she’s utterly absent except when it's useful to move the story along? The whole Rosy arc feels rushed and incoherent. Thea’s idea to pursue Rosy through history is simply shrugged off when she finds a painting resembling her, which I think is meant to "prove" that she’s traveled through time. This then leads Thea to seek the provenance of the painting, but then *poof* this arc is discarded with no resolution because... Isaac? It's maddening.
My advice... There's a Japanese anime movie called The Girl Who Leapt Through Time, that's basically a better version of this story. Go seek that out in lieu of reading this book.
First, there’s Thea, who’s just been kicked out of Oxford for messing with time travel in pseudo-scientific ways that would never get past the academic phase, let alone experimental. Second, there’s her friend Rosy, who’s "missing in time"—and given that Thea doesn’t know where on earth she could be, somehow she decides it "makes sense"(??) to see if she can find any trace of Rosy in "historical records". Third, there’s Isaac, who's Thea's love interest (I think? They don't seem to really give a crap about each other. He only seems to care when she's not available to booty call). But somehow they fall in love in a parallel timeline, or the present timeline? It's all very confusing because "falling in love" is as straightforward as uttering the words, without much behind them.
Plots 1 and 3 could possibly make for a good novel—something like a YA take on a novelization of The Fountain. But the entire Rosy subplot seems painfully tacked on. I reckon her developmental editor told her she needed a compelling reason for Thea to travel in time in search of something meaningful. The most obvious problem with this book (in my opinion) is that it tries to deal with Rosy retroactively. The few throwaway lines afforded to her arc indicate that at some point Khan decided Rosy should have equal billing as Thea's "person" to Isaac (her "love"), but Rosy barely gets a meaningful mention before disappearing, only to be brought back when convenient. And given that we’re told that Thea cares about Rosy so deeply, why does she seem to forget that she’s utterly absent except when it's useful to move the story along? The whole Rosy arc feels rushed and incoherent. Thea’s idea to pursue Rosy through history is simply shrugged off when she finds a painting resembling her, which I think is meant to "prove" that she’s traveled through time. This then leads Thea to seek the provenance of the painting, but then *poof* this arc is discarded with no resolution because... Isaac? It's maddening.
My advice... There's a Japanese anime movie called The Girl Who Leapt Through Time, that's basically a better version of this story. Go seek that out in lieu of reading this book.
December 2, 2018
If two books establish a pattern, then it's safe to say that Katie Khan's books are difficult to rate. There are parts that are absolutely astonishing in their awesomeness, researched to sound as realistic - or at least as possible - as possible. These are the parts you want to shout spoilers about and shove the book into everyone's hands.
But there are other parts of the book that you're just not interested in, or you disagreed with the author's choices for storylines or focus.
This was true of HOLD BACK THE STARS, and it's true for THE LIGHT BETWEEN US. Turns out I'm interested in the sciencey stuff, but not the romancey stuff. The friendship stuff is cool, though, how Thea, Isaac, Urvisha, and Ayo come together to help find Rosy.
Despite my mixed feelings, I'm still eager to get my mitts on whatever the author writes next. The more sciencey stuff, the merrier!
But there are other parts of the book that you're just not interested in, or you disagreed with the author's choices for storylines or focus.
This was true of HOLD BACK THE STARS, and it's true for THE LIGHT BETWEEN US. Turns out I'm interested in the sciencey stuff, but not the romancey stuff. The friendship stuff is cool, though, how Thea, Isaac, Urvisha, and Ayo come together to help find Rosy.
Despite my mixed feelings, I'm still eager to get my mitts on whatever the author writes next. The more sciencey stuff, the merrier!
December 17, 2019
Started strong and intriguing, but the more it went on, the more it lost me. Too much explaining the science behind it all (I want a good story, not a science essay), and dangling back stories/character secrets for too long without a reveal. Still curious about Katie Khan, as I really liked her debut, which was unexpected and unique.
October 7, 2019
I'm somewhat torn between 3 and 3.5 stars because there were parts I really enjoyed but also parts during which I was confused or a bit bored. The Light Between Us is a creative and beautifully written book, but it couldn't fully grip me or hold my attention.
Good things first.
I loved the idea behind this: romance with a hint of science fiction makes for an interesting mix. I also enjoyed the writing style. The author uses a very fluent yet poetic language, I found the book to be very beautifully written at parts. The relationships between the characters as well as their feelings were well written and believable.
I liked the characters as well. There are 4 young women who are diverse and have their very own personalities. They're all strong female characters in their own way and I loved their friendship. Isaac, the male main character, was likeable too. He was quite different than the females but seemed like such a nice guy.
The plot seems well thought through, but sometimes I couldn't quite follow the author's thoughts. The science in this book was a bit over my head at times and that's what I didn't like. I understood everything up until a certain point and then the book lost me. There was one scene in particular I didn't get at all and I found rather unrealistic.
The book is also rather slow, it takes the characters quite a while to find out what truly happened. But when they do, it's a nice twist :)
The romance was also believable and quite sad. I really liked the ending though, because even though it's not exactly a happy ending, the book ends on a hopeful note and you can easily picture in your head what may (or may not) happen afterwards.
I'm still not entirely sure how to rate it, I'll make it 3 stars for now. I overall enjoyed the book and its idea but the execution was sometimes a bit off, and it was a bit too slow for my liking.
Good things first.
I loved the idea behind this: romance with a hint of science fiction makes for an interesting mix. I also enjoyed the writing style. The author uses a very fluent yet poetic language, I found the book to be very beautifully written at parts. The relationships between the characters as well as their feelings were well written and believable.
I liked the characters as well. There are 4 young women who are diverse and have their very own personalities. They're all strong female characters in their own way and I loved their friendship. Isaac, the male main character, was likeable too. He was quite different than the females but seemed like such a nice guy.
The plot seems well thought through, but sometimes I couldn't quite follow the author's thoughts. The science in this book was a bit over my head at times and that's what I didn't like. I understood everything up until a certain point and then the book lost me. There was one scene in particular I didn't get at all and I found rather unrealistic.
The book is also rather slow, it takes the characters quite a while to find out what truly happened. But when they do, it's a nice twist :)
The romance was also believable and quite sad. I really liked the ending though, because even though it's not exactly a happy ending, the book ends on a hopeful note and you can easily picture in your head what may (or may not) happen afterwards.
I'm still not entirely sure how to rate it, I'll make it 3 stars for now. I overall enjoyed the book and its idea but the execution was sometimes a bit off, and it was a bit too slow for my liking.
August 6, 2018
All reviews can be found on my blog at https://thewritinggarnet.wordpress.com
Look I'll be honest - if I was watching TV and a film about time travelling came on, I would instantly switch over. For me personally, the whole science fiction, portal, time travelling sorta stuff has never been my cup of tea. Until now. Yes, yes, I know. I am as surprised as you are. However, my feelings on the theme of the book have changed due to Katie Khan. Whether I would find another fictional novel containing science fiction, as outstanding as this one, I'm not too sure. All I know is, is that Katie Khan has completely and utterly blown me away. What a beautifully written, engaging, mind-blowing and thought-provoking read this is. I have honestly never read anything like it, but if Katie Khan's future releases are going to be anything like this one, I think I have now found my go-to author for science fiction and the like.
It is incredibly difficult to write this review without giving away spoilers, so I am hoping my vagueness will intrigue you enough to buy yourself a copy.
That said, have you ever believed in something so much, you couldn't think about anything else except that one thing? Have you ever felt so determined to prove people wrong, you end up doing things out of character? Some might say that that is going overboard. Others might say that being passionate isn't a bad thing. But, if you end up being close to losing people you love because your mind is heading down one path, and one path only, sometimes the only question you need to ask yourself is, 'Is this all really worth it?'.
How many of you have sat thinking about your past, wondering what situations would have been like if....oh I don't know, Santa Claus wore green and Christmas Day was in July? Or what would have happened if you chose not to hold a grudge because your best friend borrowed your pencil and never returned it? Or even, what things would have been like if you were brought up differently, your parents chose different paths for you, and the decisions you made weren't the ones you actually wanted to make? We all have done something like that, I'm sure. Granted the grudges and Christmas Day ideologies may be slightly different, but I had to throw them in there just in case.
Thea, like us, has sat pondering about her life and wondered 'what if'. Two short ones, yet they're full of copious amounts of uncertainty. Unlike us, Thea has science at her fingertips, and boy does she know how to use it. I'm no science buff at all yet I believed I could turn into a physicist after reading this book! Not going to happen, obviously, but Thea made me believe! Whilst I didn't understand the scientific experiment completely, I still managed to get bowled over by the intelligence within, including the outstanding historical facts that feature later on in the book. People say that you don't learn anything from fictional books, and I can say that that is a load of tosh as Katie Khan and 'The Light Between Us' taught me multiple things!
The only way I can describe my true feelings of this book is if I told you to sit and imagine a dark sky, splattered with millions of twinkly stars, no background noise except the sound of your own breathing, feeling content with every minor detail of your current life. So much so, that quiet night sky has turned into a rainbow of colour as fireworks light up the sky....just because. When I closed the book early hours of this morning, I felt like anything was possible. I felt the frisson of excitement thanks to Thea's enthusiasm. But, most importantly, my heart was beating like fireworks, with a massive grin plastered on my face. I'm not sure if that makes sense, but that is how I felt.
I wish I could give this more than five stars, I really do. I just hope that when the author looks up at the night sky tonight to see the stars, she realises that the millions of twinkly stars in the sky still is nowhere near the amount of stars this books deserves, yet its close enough.
Katie Khan, you lit up my world for the duration of the book and for that, I thank you. What a powerful, powerful read - I urge you all to get yourself a copy and ignore everyone and everything whilst you read it.
Look I'll be honest - if I was watching TV and a film about time travelling came on, I would instantly switch over. For me personally, the whole science fiction, portal, time travelling sorta stuff has never been my cup of tea. Until now. Yes, yes, I know. I am as surprised as you are. However, my feelings on the theme of the book have changed due to Katie Khan. Whether I would find another fictional novel containing science fiction, as outstanding as this one, I'm not too sure. All I know is, is that Katie Khan has completely and utterly blown me away. What a beautifully written, engaging, mind-blowing and thought-provoking read this is. I have honestly never read anything like it, but if Katie Khan's future releases are going to be anything like this one, I think I have now found my go-to author for science fiction and the like.
It is incredibly difficult to write this review without giving away spoilers, so I am hoping my vagueness will intrigue you enough to buy yourself a copy.
That said, have you ever believed in something so much, you couldn't think about anything else except that one thing? Have you ever felt so determined to prove people wrong, you end up doing things out of character? Some might say that that is going overboard. Others might say that being passionate isn't a bad thing. But, if you end up being close to losing people you love because your mind is heading down one path, and one path only, sometimes the only question you need to ask yourself is, 'Is this all really worth it?'.
How many of you have sat thinking about your past, wondering what situations would have been like if....oh I don't know, Santa Claus wore green and Christmas Day was in July? Or what would have happened if you chose not to hold a grudge because your best friend borrowed your pencil and never returned it? Or even, what things would have been like if you were brought up differently, your parents chose different paths for you, and the decisions you made weren't the ones you actually wanted to make? We all have done something like that, I'm sure. Granted the grudges and Christmas Day ideologies may be slightly different, but I had to throw them in there just in case.
Thea, like us, has sat pondering about her life and wondered 'what if'. Two short ones, yet they're full of copious amounts of uncertainty. Unlike us, Thea has science at her fingertips, and boy does she know how to use it. I'm no science buff at all yet I believed I could turn into a physicist after reading this book! Not going to happen, obviously, but Thea made me believe! Whilst I didn't understand the scientific experiment completely, I still managed to get bowled over by the intelligence within, including the outstanding historical facts that feature later on in the book. People say that you don't learn anything from fictional books, and I can say that that is a load of tosh as Katie Khan and 'The Light Between Us' taught me multiple things!
The only way I can describe my true feelings of this book is if I told you to sit and imagine a dark sky, splattered with millions of twinkly stars, no background noise except the sound of your own breathing, feeling content with every minor detail of your current life. So much so, that quiet night sky has turned into a rainbow of colour as fireworks light up the sky....just because. When I closed the book early hours of this morning, I felt like anything was possible. I felt the frisson of excitement thanks to Thea's enthusiasm. But, most importantly, my heart was beating like fireworks, with a massive grin plastered on my face. I'm not sure if that makes sense, but that is how I felt.
I wish I could give this more than five stars, I really do. I just hope that when the author looks up at the night sky tonight to see the stars, she realises that the millions of twinkly stars in the sky still is nowhere near the amount of stars this books deserves, yet its close enough.
Katie Khan, you lit up my world for the duration of the book and for that, I thank you. What a powerful, powerful read - I urge you all to get yourself a copy and ignore everyone and everything whilst you read it.
August 9, 2018
Thea Colman and Isaac Mendelsohn met on a cold night at St Catherine’s College in Oxford to witness a great celestial event. Five planets aligned and under a blanket of stars they’re fates aligned too. He was studying psychology, philosophy and linguistics. She was armed with a theory to prove time travel possible and a determination to succeed no matter what. Instantly a friendship sparked between them. A bond unlike any other.
Some years later and they have gone their separate ways. Their close friendship lost, their lives changed. The college professors forbid Thea exploring her theory further but she goes ahead with a dangerous experiment. It ends in disaster and Thea is thrown from the college and returns to her old home to find answers because just before it went wrong, Thea had a breakthrough. With the help of three fellow students, she proceeds with a second experiment. When her friend goes missing, Thea bands together with Ayo, Arvisha and Isaac to find her. But Rosie’s disappearance is by no means simple.
Bold, determined Thea and kind, supportive Isaac were parted for years after a dispute rendered their relationship broken. But they are brought back together and now they hold the possibility of mending it and finding out what might have been. I loved seeing their back-story unfurl through the book, discovering the reason behind their dispute and seeing how the bond they share draws them back together. Something I also really enjoyed about this book is the friendship Thea has with her three fellow students. They are incredibly intelligent, supportive and loyal. It was so lovely reading about them – I didn’t want to say goodbye to these characters come the end.
The Light Between Us is an examination of memory, identity, hope and loss. It is a love story that will touch its readers in the most profound of ways. Katie Kahn blends science, history, comedy, romance and so much more in this spellbinding novel. It couldn’t last long enough for me – utterly wonderful!!
Touching. Surprising. Fabulous.
Some years later and they have gone their separate ways. Their close friendship lost, their lives changed. The college professors forbid Thea exploring her theory further but she goes ahead with a dangerous experiment. It ends in disaster and Thea is thrown from the college and returns to her old home to find answers because just before it went wrong, Thea had a breakthrough. With the help of three fellow students, she proceeds with a second experiment. When her friend goes missing, Thea bands together with Ayo, Arvisha and Isaac to find her. But Rosie’s disappearance is by no means simple.
Bold, determined Thea and kind, supportive Isaac were parted for years after a dispute rendered their relationship broken. But they are brought back together and now they hold the possibility of mending it and finding out what might have been. I loved seeing their back-story unfurl through the book, discovering the reason behind their dispute and seeing how the bond they share draws them back together. Something I also really enjoyed about this book is the friendship Thea has with her three fellow students. They are incredibly intelligent, supportive and loyal. It was so lovely reading about them – I didn’t want to say goodbye to these characters come the end.
The Light Between Us is an examination of memory, identity, hope and loss. It is a love story that will touch its readers in the most profound of ways. Katie Kahn blends science, history, comedy, romance and so much more in this spellbinding novel. It couldn’t last long enough for me – utterly wonderful!!
Touching. Surprising. Fabulous.
September 2, 2018
Something beyond science? The Light Between Us might just be your cup of tea!
Full Review: https://bookiemunchie.wordpress.com/2...
Full Review: https://bookiemunchie.wordpress.com/2...
May 19, 2023
3.8/5
August 8, 2018
Katie Khan has a habit of leaving me with a HUGE book hangover; it took me a week to get over her debut novel (Hold Back the Stars) and six days after finishing The Light Between Us I am still a little punch drunk! Katie's writing is absolutely beautiful and I wanted to savour every word and relish in all the emotions.
A desire to succeed in her field and regrets from the past result in Thea's attempts to control time. She is aided in her quest by fantastic group of female friends (Rosy,Urvisha and Ayo); I loved seeing the dynamics of this friendship and how loyal they were to each other. Their "heist" at the beginning of the book was hilarious! When things go wrong Thea turns to Issac; after once being close they have been driven apart by Thea's doggedness in her quest to prove time travel is possible but it becomes obvious that still rivers run deep and past issues will have to be faced head on in order to solve a mystery.
What can trip up a story about time travel is confusion but with this book you don't need to understand the complexities of science to know what is happening. A friend asked me for the blurb of this book and I basically said TIME TRAVEL, HISTORY, ART, LOVE!!! Obviously there is a lot more but in that moment I was a blubbering wreck and pretty incoherent!! I loved that there were so many things I could relate to in this book - I (very briefly) studied the History of Art at university, I live near The Yorkshire Sculpture Park and The Hepworth so am familiar with the works which are referenced and my family love a good time travel/philosophy debate. These details drew me in to the story even more.
All the stars for this amazing book and consider me signed up to the Katie Khan fan club!
A desire to succeed in her field and regrets from the past result in Thea's attempts to control time. She is aided in her quest by fantastic group of female friends (Rosy,Urvisha and Ayo); I loved seeing the dynamics of this friendship and how loyal they were to each other. Their "heist" at the beginning of the book was hilarious! When things go wrong Thea turns to Issac; after once being close they have been driven apart by Thea's doggedness in her quest to prove time travel is possible but it becomes obvious that still rivers run deep and past issues will have to be faced head on in order to solve a mystery.
What can trip up a story about time travel is confusion but with this book you don't need to understand the complexities of science to know what is happening. A friend asked me for the blurb of this book and I basically said TIME TRAVEL, HISTORY, ART, LOVE!!! Obviously there is a lot more but in that moment I was a blubbering wreck and pretty incoherent!! I loved that there were so many things I could relate to in this book - I (very briefly) studied the History of Art at university, I live near The Yorkshire Sculpture Park and The Hepworth so am familiar with the works which are referenced and my family love a good time travel/philosophy debate. These details drew me in to the story even more.
All the stars for this amazing book and consider me signed up to the Katie Khan fan club!
May 18, 2019
To find a novel as enjoyable as The Light Between Us is almost like a syzygy - it happens once every ten years. Khan’s ability to portray the trials of time travel and long lost love whilst simultaneously highlighting strong female friendships is a masterpiece in itself.
The story follows Thea, a grad at Oxford, who is studying physics. Fueled by her interest for time travel, Thea wishes to further her study of it but is renounced by her professors. She secretly builds her own ‘time machine’ - a glass prism which she attaches a laser to to reflect light. With the help of her friends, a failed attempt results in one of them going missing. Where did she go? Or more importantly, what point in time did she go to? With the help of her long lost friend, Issac, Thea finally gets the answers she’s looking for but at a questionable price.
What a delightful read. It did start off a bit slow, but once I got to know the characters more and mystery was added in to the storyline, I was hooked. Katie really has a knack for writing realistic, authentic people. They’re just so human. She interweaves her characters with interesting concepts that have me turning the page to find out more.
My points of interest:
- Thea was such a great main character. We get to see two versions of her in two parallel dimensions so her character range was interesting to explore. She’s smart and career focussed but still has the emotional capacity to understand there’s more to life than her work. She was just so human.
- The romance was well fitted to the novel and didn’t distract or deter from the core storyline. Thea and Issac have been plutonic for years but we see them slowly fall in to the love territory through strength bonding experiences and beautiful flashbacks of their initial days as friends. I felt inexplicably drawn to them, and felt the natural progression of friends to lovers was done cohesively.
- The science behind time travel and the explaining of quantum physics was done so in a manner that anyone could understand it. I’ve had a fondness for quantum physics since reading Dark Matter by Blake Crouch, so I was intrigued by the concept of a prism that reflected light being used to time travel, or as we learn, a way to alternate dimensions. We were walked through the logistics of it and it was spoken about fluidly and concisely for even an unknowledgable reader.
- Strong female friendships made this story such a standout in modern literature. We have a group of women who are all well educated, supportive of one another and never undermine each other. Despite having vastly different personalities, they unite in support of one another and are always there at times of need.
Overall, The Light Between Us has solidified Katie Khan as an auto buy author for me. Her knack for writing realistic characters and creating unique storylines in the sci-fi universe makes me excited for what’s next in the genre.
Let’s just say, she’s one to keep an eye on.
The story follows Thea, a grad at Oxford, who is studying physics. Fueled by her interest for time travel, Thea wishes to further her study of it but is renounced by her professors. She secretly builds her own ‘time machine’ - a glass prism which she attaches a laser to to reflect light. With the help of her friends, a failed attempt results in one of them going missing. Where did she go? Or more importantly, what point in time did she go to? With the help of her long lost friend, Issac, Thea finally gets the answers she’s looking for but at a questionable price.
What a delightful read. It did start off a bit slow, but once I got to know the characters more and mystery was added in to the storyline, I was hooked. Katie really has a knack for writing realistic, authentic people. They’re just so human. She interweaves her characters with interesting concepts that have me turning the page to find out more.
My points of interest:
- Thea was such a great main character. We get to see two versions of her in two parallel dimensions so her character range was interesting to explore. She’s smart and career focussed but still has the emotional capacity to understand there’s more to life than her work. She was just so human.
- The romance was well fitted to the novel and didn’t distract or deter from the core storyline. Thea and Issac have been plutonic for years but we see them slowly fall in to the love territory through strength bonding experiences and beautiful flashbacks of their initial days as friends. I felt inexplicably drawn to them, and felt the natural progression of friends to lovers was done cohesively.
- The science behind time travel and the explaining of quantum physics was done so in a manner that anyone could understand it. I’ve had a fondness for quantum physics since reading Dark Matter by Blake Crouch, so I was intrigued by the concept of a prism that reflected light being used to time travel, or as we learn, a way to alternate dimensions. We were walked through the logistics of it and it was spoken about fluidly and concisely for even an unknowledgable reader.
- Strong female friendships made this story such a standout in modern literature. We have a group of women who are all well educated, supportive of one another and never undermine each other. Despite having vastly different personalities, they unite in support of one another and are always there at times of need.
Overall, The Light Between Us has solidified Katie Khan as an auto buy author for me. Her knack for writing realistic characters and creating unique storylines in the sci-fi universe makes me excited for what’s next in the genre.
Let’s just say, she’s one to keep an eye on.
August 9, 2018
I read this book in 2 sittings, completely addicted to this storyline and how it was written in such a captivating and believable way. Katie has done it again, creating a fantastic and unique plot with characters that I loved, flaws and all. I may even be a little in love with Isaac. Also... KATIE! I CAN’T BELIEVE YOU PUT ME IN THE ACKNOWLEDGMENTS! I’M SO HONOURED, I EVEN CRIED WHEN I SAW IT! THANK YOU SO MUCH!
Overall, a brilliant book that I will be reviewing in more detail over on my blog:
Book Review: The Light Between Us
Overall, a brilliant book that I will be reviewing in more detail over on my blog:
Book Review: The Light Between Us
June 12, 2018
The Light Between Us is a sci-fi romance done right. Thea is a physicist at Oxford who thinks she’s close to figuring out the secret to time travel - but her experiment goes wrong and she’s kicked out of Oxford. I don’t want to give too much of the plot away but it features some fantastic female friendships (though poor Ayo seemed under utilised as a character and I’m not sure what she added to the plot) and a lovely romance and lots of science, but very accessible science. I loved Katie Khan’s previous novel too and will definitely be looking out for more of her work.
(Thanks to the publisher for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review)
(Thanks to the publisher for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review)
October 28, 2018
So happy to have read this! Review to come as part of the blog tour.
July 10, 2018
Review to follow
November 7, 2018
This is a book about 4 women friends. They are academically gifted, gorgeous, and fearless. It is so good to see such positive young female role models in a sci-fi novel. Then there is Isaac Mendelsohn, a credible male lead and the heroine's love interest. There are many reviews of Katie Kahn's book outlining the plot so I am not going to elaborate on what actually happens. I just want to make a couple of points.
Firstly, I like the way the science is handled without too many complicated, mind-numbing details. I like the fact that time travel is not simply travelling back and forward in time. It has a spiralling, evolutionary capacity that creates deep entangled complexity. I LOVE the way Katie Khan is able to work with this multi-dimensional timeline and weave its circular, complex nature into the plot. This had the feel of T S Eliot: "We shall not cease from exploration, and the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started and know the place for the first time." This aspect alone has left me pondering on the novel and making me think I need to reread it again.
I also loved the jaunts around London that the author took me on. She obviously knows this remarkable city like the back of her hand and it really shows in the prose. I am travelling the roller coaster with her.
Lastly, I am fascinated by the dual aspect of personality that is explored in this novel. Without giving too much away, a portrait of someone who is both light and dark, warm, compassionate and indeed passionate, and at the same time is cold, repressed and 'speaks like Spock' really interested me.
Khan delivers so much more than a clever sci-fi story. She also delivers more than 'romance'. There is a depth to her writing that stretches my aching heart, delves deftly into the human condition and the nature of suffering, and leaves me feeling both expanded and emotionally shattered at the same time. I don't want the story to end.
This is only Book Two from this unusual female voice. I can't wait to read the next one.
Firstly, I like the way the science is handled without too many complicated, mind-numbing details. I like the fact that time travel is not simply travelling back and forward in time. It has a spiralling, evolutionary capacity that creates deep entangled complexity. I LOVE the way Katie Khan is able to work with this multi-dimensional timeline and weave its circular, complex nature into the plot. This had the feel of T S Eliot: "We shall not cease from exploration, and the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started and know the place for the first time." This aspect alone has left me pondering on the novel and making me think I need to reread it again.
I also loved the jaunts around London that the author took me on. She obviously knows this remarkable city like the back of her hand and it really shows in the prose. I am travelling the roller coaster with her.
Lastly, I am fascinated by the dual aspect of personality that is explored in this novel. Without giving too much away, a portrait of someone who is both light and dark, warm, compassionate and indeed passionate, and at the same time is cold, repressed and 'speaks like Spock' really interested me.
Khan delivers so much more than a clever sci-fi story. She also delivers more than 'romance'. There is a depth to her writing that stretches my aching heart, delves deftly into the human condition and the nature of suffering, and leaves me feeling both expanded and emotionally shattered at the same time. I don't want the story to end.
This is only Book Two from this unusual female voice. I can't wait to read the next one.
December 25, 2023
Not sure why I put off reading this for so long - I really loved Hold Back The Stars, so maybe I was worried this would not compare well? No worries then on that score, as this book is completely different!
I really enjoyed Katie Khan’s writing style, and her particular perspective on time travel - it’s a well-worn plot, but there are enough wrinkles here to make it a fresh and interesting story.
I can’t say much more without spoilers, but definitely pleased I finally picked it up!
I really enjoyed Katie Khan’s writing style, and her particular perspective on time travel - it’s a well-worn plot, but there are enough wrinkles here to make it a fresh and interesting story.
I can’t say much more without spoilers, but definitely pleased I finally picked it up!
March 11, 2019
Beautiful
April 6, 2019
2.5 ⭐
This was super confusing. I'm really sorry but I simply couldn't enjoy this book
This was super confusing. I'm really sorry but I simply couldn't enjoy this book
June 18, 2021
Made me cry, so 5*. Wine might have something to do with it.
September 19, 2021
Just boring
August 8, 2018
4.5 stars
I was drawn to The Light Between Us as soon as I set eyes on that beautiful cover and having read the book I can confirm that it's just the perfect choice for this touching and unusual love story. Thea and Isaac become friends at Oxford University but have drifted apart over the past few years. Isaac believes Thea has become too single minded to the point of obsession while she resents what she perceives as his lack of belief in her work. She fervently believes she can prove time travel is possible but after the University refused to allow her to write her PhD on time travel, she has spent the past eight years carrying out her own research. She's now at the point where she has to take what could be a personally and professionally dangerous next step if she is ever to prove her theory. There is a lot of Physics in the book and it is necessarily complicated - these are advanced concepts, after all - but thankfully complex scientific theories are explained to Isaac in terms which most lay people will be able to understand.
The idea of time travel being possible is fascinating and the relationship between Isaac and Thea is utterly compelling but this is also a book about the importance of friendship. Though Thea endured a tragic event in her childhood, she has been fortunate to have found a group of independent, strong women who are always there for each other. I loved all characters in The Light Between Us; Thea is the driving force, she is highly intelligent but her determination to be right has meant she has neglected the other areas of her life and she struggles to open up emotionally. When Isaac returns to Thea's life it's not as a white knight, there to save the day but as a concerned friend who respects the superior knowledge of others and just wants to help. Ayo, Urvisha and Rosy are forthright, brilliant women, perhaps best summed up through Ayo's description of the four of them;
'A crazy genius, a sarcastic hacker, an upper-class lady, and a Naija queen? Sounds like a good team to me,' Ayo says haughtily as they cross the three stepping stones leading to the barn. 'Strong. Diverse. Different.'
After one experiment has an unexpected result, the friends are forced to work to their strengths and Thea finds herself paired with Isaac once more after he makes a startling discovery. There is such a lyrical artistry to the writing in The Light Between Us, I loved how it juxtaposes science fiction with art, with Barbara Hepworth's sculpture, Stringed Figure (Curlew) being particularly significant. There's an almost palpable sense of longing in the book with its poignant exploration of loving the right person at the wrong time. If I'm being really picky, I was slightly disappointed that the storyline regarding the historical discoveries was perhaps sacrificed a little for the sci-fi exposition but this is a minor quibble because there are some resulting scenes which are just breathtakingly beautiful.
The Light Between Us is an intriguing, funny, romantic and intelligent novel which thoughtfully examines the theories behind space-time and the risk of changing too much should time travel be possible. There are parts which are achingly sad but this ambitious, bittersweet novel really tells a universal human truth and is a captivating paean to the power of friendship and love.
I was drawn to The Light Between Us as soon as I set eyes on that beautiful cover and having read the book I can confirm that it's just the perfect choice for this touching and unusual love story. Thea and Isaac become friends at Oxford University but have drifted apart over the past few years. Isaac believes Thea has become too single minded to the point of obsession while she resents what she perceives as his lack of belief in her work. She fervently believes she can prove time travel is possible but after the University refused to allow her to write her PhD on time travel, she has spent the past eight years carrying out her own research. She's now at the point where she has to take what could be a personally and professionally dangerous next step if she is ever to prove her theory. There is a lot of Physics in the book and it is necessarily complicated - these are advanced concepts, after all - but thankfully complex scientific theories are explained to Isaac in terms which most lay people will be able to understand.
The idea of time travel being possible is fascinating and the relationship between Isaac and Thea is utterly compelling but this is also a book about the importance of friendship. Though Thea endured a tragic event in her childhood, she has been fortunate to have found a group of independent, strong women who are always there for each other. I loved all characters in The Light Between Us; Thea is the driving force, she is highly intelligent but her determination to be right has meant she has neglected the other areas of her life and she struggles to open up emotionally. When Isaac returns to Thea's life it's not as a white knight, there to save the day but as a concerned friend who respects the superior knowledge of others and just wants to help. Ayo, Urvisha and Rosy are forthright, brilliant women, perhaps best summed up through Ayo's description of the four of them;
'A crazy genius, a sarcastic hacker, an upper-class lady, and a Naija queen? Sounds like a good team to me,' Ayo says haughtily as they cross the three stepping stones leading to the barn. 'Strong. Diverse. Different.'
After one experiment has an unexpected result, the friends are forced to work to their strengths and Thea finds herself paired with Isaac once more after he makes a startling discovery. There is such a lyrical artistry to the writing in The Light Between Us, I loved how it juxtaposes science fiction with art, with Barbara Hepworth's sculpture, Stringed Figure (Curlew) being particularly significant. There's an almost palpable sense of longing in the book with its poignant exploration of loving the right person at the wrong time. If I'm being really picky, I was slightly disappointed that the storyline regarding the historical discoveries was perhaps sacrificed a little for the sci-fi exposition but this is a minor quibble because there are some resulting scenes which are just breathtakingly beautiful.
The Light Between Us is an intriguing, funny, romantic and intelligent novel which thoughtfully examines the theories behind space-time and the risk of changing too much should time travel be possible. There are parts which are achingly sad but this ambitious, bittersweet novel really tells a universal human truth and is a captivating paean to the power of friendship and love.
September 3, 2021
I can’t say I understood the attempt ‘science’ references throughout the story regarding time travel. While I appreciate the time travel concept is used in many books (not my cup of tea, I will admit) to me it felt particularly poorly executed in this one - perhaps trying to be too smart for a book of this nature. Not sure this genre lends itself to quantum-anything.
I went in hoping for a light and fluffy read. I came out wishing I hadn’t picked it up in the first place.
I went in hoping for a light and fluffy read. I came out wishing I hadn’t picked it up in the first place.
October 12, 2020
The Light Between Us was described as being for lovers of The Time Travelers Wife, a book I really loved, but I was disappointed in this novel. It follows the life of Thea Colman during her doctorate degree in physics as she becomes obsessed with proving time travel to be real. Involving her friends in the experiments, it appears her theory worked but when Rosy goes missing and doesn't return, Thea knows something went wrong. Her friend Isaac vows to help her get Rosy back and in doing so, fix what went wrong with the experiment.⠀
⠀
This book has a twist in it that was interesting but made the ending kind of anticlimactic for me. I felt as though there were a lot of good ideas that were thrown together into one book and it made it underwhelming. I was so excited to read this and although I'm sad that it didn't cut it for me, I hope other people love it the way I wanted to.⠀
⠀
This book has a twist in it that was interesting but made the ending kind of anticlimactic for me. I felt as though there were a lot of good ideas that were thrown together into one book and it made it underwhelming. I was so excited to read this and although I'm sad that it didn't cut it for me, I hope other people love it the way I wanted to.⠀
July 28, 2018
Rather muddled and confusing. Later chapters jumped backwards and forth in time without much warning. Also it was hard to tell which reality was which. And the love story had a really unsatisfactory ending.
I really wanted to like this and it could have been good, the potential was there was it was sadly missed.
Thank you Transworld and Netgalley for giving me a the chance to read this book in exchange for my honest review.
I really wanted to like this and it could have been good, the potential was there was it was sadly missed.
Thank you Transworld and Netgalley for giving me a the chance to read this book in exchange for my honest review.
August 5, 2018
Conflicted by this one, I really enjoyed parts of it but certain aspects just didn't make sense and overall it felt unresolved.
I love the mixture of science fiction and romance, and I loved her first book. I think maybe time travel is too speculative for it to work easily.
Fingers crossed for the next one.....
I love the mixture of science fiction and romance, and I loved her first book. I think maybe time travel is too speculative for it to work easily.
Fingers crossed for the next one.....
August 9, 2018
this is the first I've read from this author
I loved these characters and highly recommend this story to alot of people to give this author a shot.
I loved these characters and highly recommend this story to alot of people to give this author a shot.
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