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The Space Between
It’s New Year’s Eve, and Beth plans to spend a whole year alone, in her snug, safe house. But she has reckoned without floppy-eared, tail-wagging Mouse, who comes nosing to her window. Followed shortly by his owner, Alice. As Beth’s year of solitude rolls out, Alice gently steals her way first into Beth’s house and later into her heart. And by the time New Year’s Eve comes round again – who knows? A tender and delicate love story in verse, The Space Between is a tale of how warmth, support and friendship can overcome mental anguish.
204 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 30, 2017
1 person is currently reading
1922 people want to read
About the author
Meg Grehan
6 books120 followersMeg Grehan is a young writer hiding away in Donegal in the northwest of Ireland, with a very ginger girlfriend, an even more ginger dog and an undisclosed number of cats (none of whom is ginger).
Her first book The Space Between won the Eilis Dillon Award at the 2017 Children’s Books Ireland Awards. The Deepest Breath won the Judges Special Award at the 2020 KPMG Children's Books Ireland Awards. It was also shortlisted for the Waterstones Children's Book Award 2020.
Her first book The Space Between won the Eilis Dillon Award at the 2017 Children’s Books Ireland Awards. The Deepest Breath won the Judges Special Award at the 2020 KPMG Children's Books Ireland Awards. It was also shortlisted for the Waterstones Children's Book Award 2020.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 68 reviews
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April 5, 2017It's here!!
Feel free to ask any questions!
Meg
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Feel free to ask any questions!
Meg
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December 10, 2017
I received a free copy of this book from Little Island in exchange for an honest review.
The Space Between is a beautiful book completely written in verse about a young woman called Beth who can’t leave her house.
In the book,we learn that Beth has decided she’s not leaving the house for an entire year but it’s soon revealed that she also can’t seem to allow herself to leave the house and she suffers from severe anxiety.
There were so many times this book genuinely took my breath away at just how beautiful, truthful and powerful some lines were in it. I haven’t read many books in verse and I always go into them with trepidation because it’s a form I’m unfamiliar with but this story sucked me right in and Beth just clung to my heart straight away, as did Alice.
“What do you do when your brain is refusing to let you step outside
while screaming that you aren’t safe
that you need to run
you need to go?”
This book also had chapters/pages dedicated solely to Beth’s period and I LOVED this, being a huge advocate of the inclusion of menstruation in books.
This book is also diverse and I believe own voices (in the sexuality aspect at least anyway though I’m not 100% sure about the anxiety)
The Space Between is a beautiful book completely written in verse about a young woman called Beth who can’t leave her house.
In the book,we learn that Beth has decided she’s not leaving the house for an entire year but it’s soon revealed that she also can’t seem to allow herself to leave the house and she suffers from severe anxiety.
There were so many times this book genuinely took my breath away at just how beautiful, truthful and powerful some lines were in it. I haven’t read many books in verse and I always go into them with trepidation because it’s a form I’m unfamiliar with but this story sucked me right in and Beth just clung to my heart straight away, as did Alice.
“What do you do when your brain is refusing to let you step outside
while screaming that you aren’t safe
that you need to run
you need to go?”
This book also had chapters/pages dedicated solely to Beth’s period and I LOVED this, being a huge advocate of the inclusion of menstruation in books.
This book is also diverse and I believe own voices (in the sexuality aspect at least anyway though I’m not 100% sure about the anxiety)
August 20, 2018
This was so amazing! I’m not one to usually read poetry or anything written in verse, so I was reluctant about reading this. However, by the second page this book had me in the palm of its hand. This story follows Beth, who plans to spend a whole year alone in her home. She soon befriends a dog, named Mouse, and the owner, Alice. Their relationship grows and they both help the other with their inner saboteur. What I loved about this book was the representation of depression and anxiety.
“The day she realised
How sad she was
Was the day
She was
Happy”
I also loved the relationship. I know from the sexuality rep, this is own voices. It was just beautifully written and had so many amazing quotes. I really enjoyed this book and I’m so happy I read it.
“The day she realised
How sad she was
Was the day
She was
Happy”
I also loved the relationship. I know from the sexuality rep, this is own voices. It was just beautifully written and had so many amazing quotes. I really enjoyed this book and I’m so happy I read it.
December 25, 2021
This sapphic verse novel about a girl with agoraphobia was gifted to me by my friend, and I read it right away and loved it so much! It was both relatable and very very Soft, and it left me all weepy
June 7, 2024
This story feels so elegant, sweet and honest. It is the literary equivalent of a big hug from a close friend! Finished it in one sitting
September 10, 2017
Im Prinzip berührend, aber etwas kurz. Hätte gerne noch so viel mehr über die Protagonisten erfahren! Außerdem hat das Buch keinen Eindruck hinterlassen, leider.
Toller Schreibstil.
➡️ 3 Sterne
Toller Schreibstil.
➡️ 3 Sterne
December 20, 2019
This was really sweet! The cover makes it look like YA but its not
March 12, 2017
Read & Reviewed for The Bookbag: http://www.thebookbag.co.uk/reviews/i...
The Space Between tells the story of Beth, over the course of a year. We see Beth dealing with her mental illness, locked away in her own, personal 'safe' world where she feels she can maintain her happiness by remaining isolated. Mouse the dog, however, has other ideas about this! With the entrance of Mouse into her life there comes, also, Alice and slowly Alice brings both light and love to Beth's world.
I have a colleague who declared just today that basically, nobody likes poetry! I disagreed with this statement, but I must admit I wasn't entirely sure how I would feel about reading this book. Although there are many books of poetry that I enjoy, I've never read a novel written entirely in free verse before, and I did feel a little trepidation as I began. However, it gave me such an immediately intimate feeling, almost like I was snooping on Beth's personal life, that I found that I was caught up in the book straight away, and rather than being a struggle (as I admit some wordy poetry can be) this felt instead like a pleasure, with the words drifting and rising, ringing and singing, and creating pictures and feelings as I found myself completely tied up in Beth's world.
The style of the writing sits perfectly with the state of Beth's mind, and the ebb and flow of the text, the repetitions, and even the layout of the words on the page all combined to make it a beautiful reading experience. I liked Beth as a character very much, and I felt a great deal of empathy towards her, in her escape from the world into books and routine and isolation, even without knowing what had triggered it. I also really loved Mouse, the dog, who comes along one day to interrupt Beth's solitude requesting that Beth throw the ball. The pleasure that Beth and Mouse enjoy in such a simple game is lovely to read. With Mouse comes Alice, Mouse's owner, and she and Beth tentatively start to become friends, with Alice gently understanding and respecting Beth's situation intuitively.
The story portrays Beth's depression and anxiety effectively, with a range of words and expressions and feelings including three whole pages of just shut up repeated over and over which I found very emotional to read. Yet the sadness and the desperation of the book start to ease as Beth's friendship with Alice grows and it becomes a love story, showing both how Beth falls in love with Alice and also how Alice, with infinite patience, loves Beth in return. There is some sexual content, so this is for older teens, but it is sensitively written.
I was surprised by just how much I enjoyed this book. If you are one of the supposed multitude who doesn't do poetry then it's probably not for you, but as a teen I would have loved it (being a closet melodramatic poet during those years). Sensitively and beautifully written, this is highly recommended.
The Space Between tells the story of Beth, over the course of a year. We see Beth dealing with her mental illness, locked away in her own, personal 'safe' world where she feels she can maintain her happiness by remaining isolated. Mouse the dog, however, has other ideas about this! With the entrance of Mouse into her life there comes, also, Alice and slowly Alice brings both light and love to Beth's world.
I have a colleague who declared just today that basically, nobody likes poetry! I disagreed with this statement, but I must admit I wasn't entirely sure how I would feel about reading this book. Although there are many books of poetry that I enjoy, I've never read a novel written entirely in free verse before, and I did feel a little trepidation as I began. However, it gave me such an immediately intimate feeling, almost like I was snooping on Beth's personal life, that I found that I was caught up in the book straight away, and rather than being a struggle (as I admit some wordy poetry can be) this felt instead like a pleasure, with the words drifting and rising, ringing and singing, and creating pictures and feelings as I found myself completely tied up in Beth's world.
The style of the writing sits perfectly with the state of Beth's mind, and the ebb and flow of the text, the repetitions, and even the layout of the words on the page all combined to make it a beautiful reading experience. I liked Beth as a character very much, and I felt a great deal of empathy towards her, in her escape from the world into books and routine and isolation, even without knowing what had triggered it. I also really loved Mouse, the dog, who comes along one day to interrupt Beth's solitude requesting that Beth throw the ball. The pleasure that Beth and Mouse enjoy in such a simple game is lovely to read. With Mouse comes Alice, Mouse's owner, and she and Beth tentatively start to become friends, with Alice gently understanding and respecting Beth's situation intuitively.
The story portrays Beth's depression and anxiety effectively, with a range of words and expressions and feelings including three whole pages of just shut up repeated over and over which I found very emotional to read. Yet the sadness and the desperation of the book start to ease as Beth's friendship with Alice grows and it becomes a love story, showing both how Beth falls in love with Alice and also how Alice, with infinite patience, loves Beth in return. There is some sexual content, so this is for older teens, but it is sensitively written.
I was surprised by just how much I enjoyed this book. If you are one of the supposed multitude who doesn't do poetry then it's probably not for you, but as a teen I would have loved it (being a closet melodramatic poet during those years). Sensitively and beautifully written, this is highly recommended.
March 8, 2017
Spoiler free!
The Space Between by Irish author Meg Grehan is a tender story about the life of a girl called Beth as she deals with the shattering consequences of mental illness; her self-hatred and severe social anxiety has lead to her shutting herself inside her house for a year to try and… something. Find happiness? Heal herself? Crumble? Even she doesn’t truly know.
The story is a simple one, but I often find that tales unburdened by frivolous adornments and fanfare are the most beautiful. The Space Between is a clearcut tale of a girl battling mental illness while huddled in her own little bubble away from the uncertainty and chaos of outside life. Throughout the course of the book you’ll almost feel like you’re snooping on her, like you’re peering directly into her troubled mind or looking over her shoulder as she writes in a diary. Beth’s plight is open and painfully honest to the reader, which is in stark contrast to how she behaves towards real people in her life. So much so that it almost feels like a privilege we don’t deserve because Beth doesn’t know that we can see behind her walls.
There are few characters in this book, and most are only mentioned in passing aside from Beth herself, her lovely, compelling neighbour Alice and Mouse the dog. Alice brings a little light into Beth’s dark life, but not only that; she brings love with her too. It changes Beth in so many good ways but it also unearths more of her insecurities as she feels the pull of uncertainty again. As a reader, it’s a joy to see Beth tentatively take small steps forward and pry open her shell with the help of Alice and Mouse. You may find yourself with a sappy grin on your face as Beth fights back against her anxiety with Alice’s unyielding help.
I’m not a person who ever reads romance novels – any kind of love story, really – as they’re just not my thing and I don’t get enjoyment out of their typical, easily anticipated plots and characters, but this book is anything but typical. There are no perfect characters in this book; Beth certainly isn’t and neither is Alice. Books so often feature characters that have no flaws; these paper people – as Grehan would brilliantly call them – exist in their perfect bodies and lead their perfect lives with problems that begin and end with ‘two boys like me – who should I choose?’ These characters end up with neat, boring love.
The Space Between is not about being perfect, it’s about being real; it’s about two people finding each other and healing, about just being together under a pillow fort eating pasta with a sleepy dog. It’s about accepting each other just as they are, with all the baggage that comes with mental illness and the knowledge that that’s not just going to magically go away because they’ve found each other.
One of the most striking things about the book is how unique Grehan‘s storytelling is. Her tale is told in free verse, and although this would usually put me off, it worked so perfectly in this book that I know it couldn’t have been done any other way. The emotional effect would not have been the same in any other format. Grehan‘s use of sudden stops and run-on lines beautifully convey the desperation and chaos of Beth’s mind, of her confusion and worries and fears and self-hatred.
Read the rest of my review here: http://www.the-arcade.ie/2017/02/spac...
April 24, 2017
(from The Irish Times, 15 April 2017)
"Meg Grehan’s The Space Between (Little Island, €7.99) is another debut novel, this time set in Ireland and depicting a year in the life of Beth, an isolated, agoraphobic young woman. When a dog presses its nose against her window, and she meets both Mouse and his owner, Alice, she feels “a shy spark of hope” that her world might expand.
Told in verse, this novel carefully balances its portrayal of the power of friendship and love with an acknowledgment that love is not a cure for mental illness (“I can’t be your reason,” Alice gently reminds Beth). It’s a sensitive and hopeful book from a writer to watch."
"Meg Grehan’s The Space Between (Little Island, €7.99) is another debut novel, this time set in Ireland and depicting a year in the life of Beth, an isolated, agoraphobic young woman. When a dog presses its nose against her window, and she meets both Mouse and his owner, Alice, she feels “a shy spark of hope” that her world might expand.
Told in verse, this novel carefully balances its portrayal of the power of friendship and love with an acknowledgment that love is not a cure for mental illness (“I can’t be your reason,” Alice gently reminds Beth). It’s a sensitive and hopeful book from a writer to watch."
July 15, 2020
Rep:
sapphic romance with an agoraphobic MC, and PoC LI.
TW/CW:
agoraphobia, body insecurity, self-mutilation and harm, menstruation.
Really good and short novel told in verse! Definitely deals with sensitive topics but it is done in a way that many can find light and approachable. Much of this story is told in a slice of life way that makes it comfortable to read, because you are reading about real people. This is a look into a lovely relationship between two girls, one of them struggling with their mental health, but also just them being together, and supportive of one another. Just like everyone deserves.
sapphic romance with an agoraphobic MC, and PoC LI.
TW/CW:
agoraphobia, body insecurity, self-mutilation and harm, menstruation.
Really good and short novel told in verse! Definitely deals with sensitive topics but it is done in a way that many can find light and approachable. Much of this story is told in a slice of life way that makes it comfortable to read, because you are reading about real people. This is a look into a lovely relationship between two girls, one of them struggling with their mental health, but also just them being together, and supportive of one another. Just like everyone deserves.
January 6, 2020
4.5 stars
This was beautiful and lovely and the romance was so soft and delicate and the mental health rep was also great.
This was beautiful and lovely and the romance was so soft and delicate and the mental health rep was also great.
January 24, 2018
I don't really have much to say about this, so this will be a pretty short review. All I can say is that it was sweet and simple and cute but poignant and moving and yeah. This is a great book to just curl up with and read from cover to cover. It takes no time at all to read. The reason I gave this three stars was because the story was so simple and straight forwards - some things were solved a little to easily? But this made me smile and whatever, that's what a book is supposed to do.
July 26, 2022
“It’s OK if you aren’t ready
The world can wait
For you
You’re worth waiting for.”
What a beautiful book. The love between Alice and Beth is captured so wonderfully.
The world can wait
For you
You’re worth waiting for.”
What a beautiful book. The love between Alice and Beth is captured so wonderfully.
February 25, 2018
It’s official, The Space Between is the loveliest book I have read that’s written in verse. This didn’t take me long at all to get through and it was quite short and yet I am sat here feeling so many feels. I’m glad it didn’t go on for ages (partially because I need to be awake early and there was not a chance I was putting this book down) but at the same time I need more!!
It’s great for LGBT+ and mental illness rep, there’s no characters being judgemental or nasty in general and it was just so sweet. Also any book that includes a dog that does not have anything bad happen to it gets a big hug from me. Can I just hug this book? Please?
Would recommend to absolutely everyone
It’s great for LGBT+ and mental illness rep, there’s no characters being judgemental or nasty in general and it was just so sweet. Also any book that includes a dog that does not have anything bad happen to it gets a big hug from me. Can I just hug this book? Please?
Would recommend to absolutely everyone
September 8, 2024
I LOVED this.
A beautiful story told in verse about a girl with agoraphobia who falls for her neighbour, Alice.
Representation: Sapphic mc, MC with agoraphobia and anxiety, f/f romance, ownvoices for sapphic rep.
A beautiful story told in verse about a girl with agoraphobia who falls for her neighbour, Alice.
Representation: Sapphic mc, MC with agoraphobia and anxiety, f/f romance, ownvoices for sapphic rep.
June 8, 2018
4.5/5
Such a glorious,tender little book!
Normally I am a little bit apprehensive when it comes to stories told completely in verse,because somehow the author's voice seems to be even more of a hit and miss with them.However,it was beyond easy to dive right into this book and fall in love with the writing from the very beginning.
I must say that the portrayal of mental health issues felt so raw and authentic and at times a little bit too familiar.I was thoroughly impressed with the way Meg managed to put such abstract notions into words so well and so .. right?
I also thought the romance in the book was very soft,wholesome and pretty much the definition of delicate. The two were such a good fit and I found that the love interest was so accommodating and understanding and just the most supportive little thing.The fact that they had a bit of a cinematic meet-cute (in my eyes at least) being brought together because of a dog makes the whole thing even better.
In fewer words,WHAT A JOY OF A BOOK.
Such a glorious,tender little book!
Normally I am a little bit apprehensive when it comes to stories told completely in verse,because somehow the author's voice seems to be even more of a hit and miss with them.However,it was beyond easy to dive right into this book and fall in love with the writing from the very beginning.
I must say that the portrayal of mental health issues felt so raw and authentic and at times a little bit too familiar.I was thoroughly impressed with the way Meg managed to put such abstract notions into words so well and so .. right?
I also thought the romance in the book was very soft,wholesome and pretty much the definition of delicate. The two were such a good fit and I found that the love interest was so accommodating and understanding and just the most supportive little thing.The fact that they had a bit of a cinematic meet-cute (in my eyes at least) being brought together because of a dog makes the whole thing even better.
In fewer words,WHAT A JOY OF A BOOK.
November 6, 2017
I think this novel would be best enjoyed by a much younger demographic than myself! That said, I liked that the novel dealt with important issues such as depression, identity and phobic behaviour but the verse was too distracting for my personal liking. It was also nice to see a novel with a gay protagonist that doesn't feel the need to justify or explain her sexual preferences at any point in the novel.
March 14, 2024
2,5 fin it very boring the first half of the book, the second part was completely different, didn’t like the way the ‘problem’ was solved. The evolution of the characters is weird. I think this might work better like a compilation of short stories.
March 30, 2018
A beautiful story about mental health, love and the power of just one person believing in you. An absolutely beautiful, deceptively simple book, that I didn't expect to finish in one seating. Couldn't put it down.
December 17, 2021
Wow. Such a personal, tender, book about living with anxiety and finding your person. It made me laugh, cry and warmed my heart. Also it’s Sapphic so bonus points. Loved it
December 6, 2022
i am under the firm belief that every time i read a meg grehan book i get gayer
February 11, 2022
3.5 stars
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October 23, 2020Delicate, elegant and straightforward, The Space Between is a notable addition to the recent trend for verse novels in YA. As sorrowful as it is sweet, it tells the story of Beth, a teenager whose life has been slowly whittled away by struggles with agoraphobia and depression, and Alice, the girl who opens up her world (and her window) as if by chance. Or a very curious dog named Mouse. Full of small details and featuring an even smaller cast, the book’s focus is so intense it sometimes feels almost microscopic. It’s not the most exciting of books, but it packs a solid punch for its relatively simple style. If you like books by Sarah Crossan or Deirdre Sullivan, this one is worth checking out.
Read the full version of this review: https://thepaperalchemist.wordpress.c...
Read the full version of this review: https://thepaperalchemist.wordpress.c...
November 5, 2017
I don't think I would have ever even come across this book if I hadn't won a giveaway, but I almost feel like I was meant to read this. At first I was spooked by the fact that it's in verse, but luckily it was very pleasant to read. I see a lot of myself in Beth and her situation, and I feel like this book was a necessary reminder for me to keep going on, because you never know when you will meet the cute girl that matters.
January 1, 2025
* previously rated 4.5, changed it to 5 as i cant stop thinking about it
this IS evermore by taylor swift
this is the third time i've read this book. it is just so beautiful. it has found its way into my being and is now a part of who i am. i'm just so obsessed with it.
another reread. had a good little cry. its so perfect. beth and i are one and the same <3
back again n forever obsessed with this book. i just love it so so much. i am this book’s biggest fan fr
its new years day, so obviously i had to reread. yes i cried again. yes i love this book with all of me always and forever.
this IS evermore by taylor swift
this is the third time i've read this book. it is just so beautiful. it has found its way into my being and is now a part of who i am. i'm just so obsessed with it.
another reread. had a good little cry. its so perfect. beth and i are one and the same <3
back again n forever obsessed with this book. i just love it so so much. i am this book’s biggest fan fr
its new years day, so obviously i had to reread. yes i cried again. yes i love this book with all of me always and forever.
May 7, 2017
Picked this up from the library - I've discovered verse books this year (but have only read Sarah Crossan) and thought it'd be good to give it a go.
The Space Between is the story of Beth who suffers from anxiety and has made the decision to lock herself away in her home for a year away from the outside world. Verse is an excellent way of getting across emotions and we really feel Beth's anxiety and sadness.
The Space Between is the story of Beth who suffers from anxiety and has made the decision to lock herself away in her home for a year away from the outside world. Verse is an excellent way of getting across emotions and we really feel Beth's anxiety and sadness.
June 20, 2020
AMAZING!!
I'll probably write a full blog review for this, I'm in love. Instant favourite.
Rep: mental illness (agoraphobia & anxiety), F/F romance.
update 2020
so I never did end up writing a full review, but just know this is the most seen I've ever felt in a book.
I've just purchased a physical copy and I'll be reading it asap!
anyone reading this, please go buy/request from your library!
I'll probably write a full blog review for this, I'm in love. Instant favourite.
Rep: mental illness (agoraphobia & anxiety), F/F romance.
update 2020
so I never did end up writing a full review, but just know this is the most seen I've ever felt in a book.
I've just purchased a physical copy and I'll be reading it asap!
anyone reading this, please go buy/request from your library!
January 29, 2024
if meg grehan has a million fans i am one of them. if meg grehan has ten fans i am one of them. if meg grehan has only one fan that is me. if meg grehan has no fans, that means i am dead. if the world is against meg grehan, i am against the world.
February 13, 2021
This is beautiful, honest, heartbreakingly wonderful and I loved every page. I’m also in tears now but in all the good ways.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 68 reviews