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The Line Between #1
The Line Between
Goodreads Choice Award
Nominee for Readers' Favorite Mystery & Thriller (2019)An extinct disease re-emerges from the melting Alaskan permafrost to cause madness in its victims. For recent apocalyptic cult escapee Wynter Roth, it’s the end she’d always been told was coming.
When Wynter Roth is turned out of New Earth, a self-contained doomsday cult on the American prairie, she emerges into a world poised on the brink of madness as a mysterious outbreak of rapid early onset dementia spreads across the nation.
As Wynter struggles to start over in a world she’s been taught to regard as evil, she finds herself face-to-face with the apocalypse she’s feared all her life—until the night her sister shows up at her doorstep with a set of medical samples. That night, Wynter learns there’s something far more sinister at play and that these samples are key to understanding the disease.
Now, as the power grid fails and the nation descends into chaos, Wynter must find a way to get the samples to a lab in Colorado. Uncertain who to trust, she takes up with former military man Chase Miller, who has his own reasons for wanting to get close to the samples in her possession, and to Wynter herself.
When Wynter Roth is turned out of New Earth, a self-contained doomsday cult on the American prairie, she emerges into a world poised on the brink of madness as a mysterious outbreak of rapid early onset dementia spreads across the nation.
As Wynter struggles to start over in a world she’s been taught to regard as evil, she finds herself face-to-face with the apocalypse she’s feared all her life—until the night her sister shows up at her doorstep with a set of medical samples. That night, Wynter learns there’s something far more sinister at play and that these samples are key to understanding the disease.
Now, as the power grid fails and the nation descends into chaos, Wynter must find a way to get the samples to a lab in Colorado. Uncertain who to trust, she takes up with former military man Chase Miller, who has his own reasons for wanting to get close to the samples in her possession, and to Wynter herself.
384 pages, Paperback
First published January 29, 2019
488 people are currently reading
32610 people want to read
About the author
Tosca Lee
22 books3,355 followers"Superior storytelling."
-Publishers Weekly starred review
Tosca Lee is the New York Times bestselling author of The Line Between, Havah: The Story of Eve, The Progeny, The Legend of Sheba, Iscariot, The Long March Home (with New York Times bestselling author Marcus Brotherton) and others. Her work has been translated into seventeen languages and been optioned for TV and film.
She is the recipient of three International Book Awards, Killer Nashville's Silver Falchion, ECPA Book of the Year, and the Nebraska Book Award, and has finaled for numerous others including the Library of Virginia People's Choice Award, the High Plains Book Award, a second Silver Falchion, a second ECPA Book of the Year, and the Christy. The Line Between was a Goodreads Choice Awards semifinalist for Best Mystery/Thriller of 2019.
You can find Tosca at ToscaLee.com, on social media, or hanging around the nearest snack table. To learn more, please visit ToscaLee.com
For book release news and giveaways, join Tosca Lee's Nocturnal Cafe.
-Publishers Weekly starred review
Tosca Lee is the New York Times bestselling author of The Line Between, Havah: The Story of Eve, The Progeny, The Legend of Sheba, Iscariot, The Long March Home (with New York Times bestselling author Marcus Brotherton) and others. Her work has been translated into seventeen languages and been optioned for TV and film.
She is the recipient of three International Book Awards, Killer Nashville's Silver Falchion, ECPA Book of the Year, and the Nebraska Book Award, and has finaled for numerous others including the Library of Virginia People's Choice Award, the High Plains Book Award, a second Silver Falchion, a second ECPA Book of the Year, and the Christy. The Line Between was a Goodreads Choice Awards semifinalist for Best Mystery/Thriller of 2019.
You can find Tosca at ToscaLee.com, on social media, or hanging around the nearest snack table. To learn more, please visit ToscaLee.com
For book release news and giveaways, join Tosca Lee's Nocturnal Cafe.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,123 reviews
February 3, 2021
4.5 starscult community along with her mother and older sister.
There was something truly...wrong...lurking beneath the surface.
Being on the outside for the first time in such a long time...it's disjointing.
It's thrilling, terrifying and all things in between.
Oh. And the apacolypse - the very one that Magnus was preaching for the past few decades seems to be actually happening. Oh crap.
There's a mix-up (sabotage?) involving New Earth and precious samples that belong in the hands of those trying to combat the disease.
Wynter grabs the samples and makes a run for it. If no one else wants do it, she will.
The characters were vibrant and realistic.
I loved Wynter. She was so brave, and strong, and brilliant - all without being too much or verging onto the Mary-Sue territory. In short - she was a delight to read!
The way she overtake the challenges was so incredible.
The cult was intriguing without being over-the-top.
The slow unveiling kept me on my toes and the reveal - wow. Did not see that coming (okok, I totally saw a little bit of it coming...but not the whole picture!)
The plot felt realistic in the worst way.
As someone who doesn't directly work with the disease that inflicted the world - but who has done research in a similar field, let me tell you - it holds pretty dang well.
Almost too well.
Time to drop the bacon...
With many thanks to the author for a free copy in exchange for an honest review.
YouTube | Blog | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | Snapchat @miranda_reads
Wynter Roth (reluctantly) joined the New Earth
"I quit believing."
"Well, thank God you've always been able to think for yourself."
There was something truly...wrong...lurking beneath the surface.
When Magnus took the pulpit, he stared out at us in silence.Magnus holds Wynter and her sister captive, circling ever nearer as they grow older.
"Have I not told you what is to come?"
"You look so much like your mother," he said..."She was beautiful, too."But Wynter, the rebellious sister, never quite fit into the New Earth society - no matter how much she tried.
But all the while, something was crumbling inside me.Wynter manages to escape into the arms of one of her late-mother's best friend.
My faith.
Being on the outside for the first time in such a long time...it's disjointing.
It's thrilling, terrifying and all things in between.
Oh. And the apacolypse - the very one that Magnus was preaching for the past few decades seems to be actually happening. Oh crap.
There's a mix-up (sabotage?) involving New Earth and precious samples that belong in the hands of those trying to combat the disease.
Wynter grabs the samples and makes a run for it. If no one else wants do it, she will.
"Okay then," I say. "Save the bacon, save the world."Overall - I was really impressed with this one.
The characters were vibrant and realistic.
I loved Wynter. She was so brave, and strong, and brilliant - all without being too much or verging onto the Mary-Sue territory. In short - she was a delight to read!
The way she overtake the challenges was so incredible.
The cult was intriguing without being over-the-top.
The slow unveiling kept me on my toes and the reveal - wow. Did not see that coming (okok, I totally saw a little bit of it coming...but not the whole picture!)
The plot felt realistic in the worst way.
As someone who doesn't directly work with the disease that inflicted the world - but who has done research in a similar field, let me tell you - it holds pretty dang well.
Almost too well.
Time to drop the bacon...
With many thanks to the author for a free copy in exchange for an honest review.
YouTube | Blog | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | Snapchat @miranda_reads
March 5, 2019
Accretion
The Line Between is a beautifully written page-turner, that is clever, duplicitous and shrouded in menace from beginning to end. A new author for me and I'm totally blown away with Tosca Lee’s ability to weave a powerful plot, a varied mix of intriguing characters, a cataclysmic setting and personal conflict of faith, into an immersive and thrilling story.
From the first page, the narrative is off and running with the dramatic and life-changing event of 22-year-old Wynter Roth, being cast out from the “Enclave – New Earth”, where she has lived, separated from the world, for the last 15 years.
With Wynter cast out from the Enclave, the story is told along 2 threads, one from that moment on, and the other from when Wynter arrived at the compound 15 years earlier, with Sylvia her mother, and her sister, Jaclyn. The New Earth group and their leader Magnus is extremely well crafted to illustrate the typical dimensions and pressures of a cult and a self-proclaimed ambassador of God. The cult traits of isolation, secrecy, intolerance, manipulation, loss of self-sufficiency and supremacy of the leader, are brilliantly described. Of course, these leaders typically operate with a “Do as I say! Not as I do!” attitude and this is the case with Magnus, who will make up laws and rules to ensure he gets what he wants. He also came from a science background and has an ongoing involvement in acquiring new seed strains and believes the world will be destroyed and they will be the sanctuary for the believers.
In the present day thread, world news reports normal people suddenly experiencing a sudden and rapid onset of dementia, often accompanied by violence. The growing pandemic is identified as an ancient pion released through pork and attaching itself to an influenza strain. Before long the impact of the pandemic has seen attacks resulting in the shutting down of utilities such as electricity, vigilantes controlling their own areas and wide-scale looting.
Jaclyn arrives secretly one night after Wynter has left the compound to give her several containers that contain sample material that could be used to develop a vaccine for this pandemic disease. They have been taken from Magnus! Wynter must now get these containers to someone who can develop the vaccine but there are forces seeking to prevent her, including law enforcement who believe she stole the material. Knowing who to trust is always a difficult decision but in the middle of a brain-wasting pandemic that gets much more challenging, yet she needs help.
In the end, we witness Wynter’s consideration of Heaven and Hell, the journey she has been on, physically, spiritually and mentally, and how her view has transformed throughout the novel. There is good and evil everywhere, but we expect mostly good from those that lead us. Be careful which steps we take, they may only be a foot and a half in length, but the direction is critical.
The research conducted by Tosca Lee is really interesting and does have us wondering, with the climate change how many forms of prions, bacteria and viruses are being released with the thawing of the permafrost. I had no expectation or idea of the storyline or any knowledge of Tosca Lee before I lifted this book but when I set it back down, I was hooked – I have a new storyteller to follow. I would like to thank Tosca Lee for providing me with a copy of her book in return for an honest review.
The Line Between is a beautifully written page-turner, that is clever, duplicitous and shrouded in menace from beginning to end. A new author for me and I'm totally blown away with Tosca Lee’s ability to weave a powerful plot, a varied mix of intriguing characters, a cataclysmic setting and personal conflict of faith, into an immersive and thrilling story.
From the first page, the narrative is off and running with the dramatic and life-changing event of 22-year-old Wynter Roth, being cast out from the “Enclave – New Earth”, where she has lived, separated from the world, for the last 15 years.
“Conventional wisdom dictates that there’s an insurmountable divide—an entire dimension of eternity and space—between Heaven and Hell. But I can tell you it’s closer to a foot and a half.Throughout the book the reader will ponder and reassess which environment Wynter associates with Heaven and which one Hell. The characterisation of Wynter is wonderfully developed and the turmoil she faces trying to reconcile the teaching she grew up with. From the Enclave's charismatic leader, Magnus, whom she once believed to be God’s “Interpreter” on Earth to the real world she now struggles to adapt to, with its corrupt and dangerous influences. The confusion, yet determination, in her mind is discernible and it's easy for the reader to develop empathy towards Wynter.
The distance of a step.
Or a leap of faith.”
With Wynter cast out from the Enclave, the story is told along 2 threads, one from that moment on, and the other from when Wynter arrived at the compound 15 years earlier, with Sylvia her mother, and her sister, Jaclyn. The New Earth group and their leader Magnus is extremely well crafted to illustrate the typical dimensions and pressures of a cult and a self-proclaimed ambassador of God. The cult traits of isolation, secrecy, intolerance, manipulation, loss of self-sufficiency and supremacy of the leader, are brilliantly described. Of course, these leaders typically operate with a “Do as I say! Not as I do!” attitude and this is the case with Magnus, who will make up laws and rules to ensure he gets what he wants. He also came from a science background and has an ongoing involvement in acquiring new seed strains and believes the world will be destroyed and they will be the sanctuary for the believers.
In the present day thread, world news reports normal people suddenly experiencing a sudden and rapid onset of dementia, often accompanied by violence. The growing pandemic is identified as an ancient pion released through pork and attaching itself to an influenza strain. Before long the impact of the pandemic has seen attacks resulting in the shutting down of utilities such as electricity, vigilantes controlling their own areas and wide-scale looting.
Jaclyn arrives secretly one night after Wynter has left the compound to give her several containers that contain sample material that could be used to develop a vaccine for this pandemic disease. They have been taken from Magnus! Wynter must now get these containers to someone who can develop the vaccine but there are forces seeking to prevent her, including law enforcement who believe she stole the material. Knowing who to trust is always a difficult decision but in the middle of a brain-wasting pandemic that gets much more challenging, yet she needs help.
In the end, we witness Wynter’s consideration of Heaven and Hell, the journey she has been on, physically, spiritually and mentally, and how her view has transformed throughout the novel. There is good and evil everywhere, but we expect mostly good from those that lead us. Be careful which steps we take, they may only be a foot and a half in length, but the direction is critical.
The research conducted by Tosca Lee is really interesting and does have us wondering, with the climate change how many forms of prions, bacteria and viruses are being released with the thawing of the permafrost. I had no expectation or idea of the storyline or any knowledge of Tosca Lee before I lifted this book but when I set it back down, I was hooked – I have a new storyteller to follow. I would like to thank Tosca Lee for providing me with a copy of her book in return for an honest review.
November 14, 2019
oooh, goodreads choice awards semifinalist for BEST MYSTERY & THRILLER 2019! what will happen?
this book just showed up at my house one day.
it’s not a book i’d requested, nor a book i’d been approached about reviewing, it just showed up, knowing where i lived.
my first reaction was FREE BOOK YAY!
and i read the back and i thought POST-PANDEMIC APOCALYPSE, YAY!!
and then i saw it was on howard books; S&S’s christian imprint, and i thought MUST REIN IN THE YAYS!!!
which has nothing to do with religious belief or nonbelief and everything to do with writing style. in my experience, christian fiction has a tendency to be either too didactic/dogmatic or too gentle/treacly for my tastes.
this movie, for example. which i watched. in its entirety.
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3920060/...
it makes nicholas sparks movies look like slasher films by comparison.
i decided to give this a shot anyway, because pandemic apocalypse is my nightsweat bread and butter, and — success! it does not fall into the didactic/dogmatic OR the gentle/treacly!
it’s a good addition to the genre, but it’s a genre that is already stuffed to the gills, getting more and more stuffed every day (LGM), and in order to stand out at this point, you really need to bring something unforgettable to impress someone who reads widely in the ‘live through this’ category.
but for regular people (i.e. people without such a narrow, pokémon approach to their reading habits — must have ALL THE BOOKS!), it will probably appeal more. the parts of wynter entering the doomsday cult as a little girl with her mother and sister, the indoctrination of herself and her family, the growing up within a new kind of family, isolated but still secretly questioning a little bit, the pure creepiness of magnus theisen: entrepreneur-cum-messiah, is all very strong stuff. also, the origin, spread, and effects of the prion-based disease was terrifying, and all-too plausible.
somewhat less-plausible is the narrative occurring after wynter’s expulsion from New Earth, back into the larger world. she seems to adjust too well given her circumstances, both before and after the outbreak. i mean, the cast of Third Rock form the Sun was still having difficulty grasping everyday earthling concepts five seasons in, and here’s wynter driving a car and saving the world from early-onset dementia with science. with a handsome man by her side, naturally. warning to those with the same romance-allergies as me: this becomes very romantic suspense.
for me, it’s a good-not-great, like-not-love book, but unless you have the exact dappled brindle pattern of reading preferences as me, your experience will be different.
and for something that followed me home and showed up in my box without my consent, this could have been a lot worse.
come to my blog!
this book just showed up at my house one day.
it’s not a book i’d requested, nor a book i’d been approached about reviewing, it just showed up, knowing where i lived.
my first reaction was FREE BOOK YAY!
and i read the back and i thought POST-PANDEMIC APOCALYPSE, YAY!!
and then i saw it was on howard books; S&S’s christian imprint, and i thought MUST REIN IN THE YAYS!!!
which has nothing to do with religious belief or nonbelief and everything to do with writing style. in my experience, christian fiction has a tendency to be either too didactic/dogmatic or too gentle/treacly for my tastes.
this movie, for example. which i watched. in its entirety.
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3920060/...
it makes nicholas sparks movies look like slasher films by comparison.
i decided to give this a shot anyway, because pandemic apocalypse is my nightsweat bread and butter, and — success! it does not fall into the didactic/dogmatic OR the gentle/treacly!
it’s a good addition to the genre, but it’s a genre that is already stuffed to the gills, getting more and more stuffed every day (LGM), and in order to stand out at this point, you really need to bring something unforgettable to impress someone who reads widely in the ‘live through this’ category.
but for regular people (i.e. people without such a narrow, pokémon approach to their reading habits — must have ALL THE BOOKS!), it will probably appeal more. the parts of wynter entering the doomsday cult as a little girl with her mother and sister, the indoctrination of herself and her family, the growing up within a new kind of family, isolated but still secretly questioning a little bit, the pure creepiness of magnus theisen: entrepreneur-cum-messiah, is all very strong stuff. also, the origin, spread, and effects of the prion-based disease was terrifying, and all-too plausible.
somewhat less-plausible is the narrative occurring after wynter’s expulsion from New Earth, back into the larger world. she seems to adjust too well given her circumstances, both before and after the outbreak. i mean, the cast of Third Rock form the Sun was still having difficulty grasping everyday earthling concepts five seasons in, and here’s wynter driving a car and saving the world from early-onset dementia with science. with a handsome man by her side, naturally. warning to those with the same romance-allergies as me: this becomes very romantic suspense.
for me, it’s a good-not-great, like-not-love book, but unless you have the exact dappled brindle pattern of reading preferences as me, your experience will be different.
and for something that followed me home and showed up in my box without my consent, this could have been a lot worse.
come to my blog!
December 30, 2019
🏆 One of my top reads of 2019!
Wowza this was quite the unexpected gem of a pre-apocalyptic story!
This is not my usual reading genre, but boil boy this book sucked me in from the very first page! Tosca Lee thread together a remarkable story... an intense pre-apocalyptic story laced with a generous amount of thrills and romance... this is such a well written book that I think will appeal to a wide audience of readers!
Wynter grew up in the compound of the New Earth doomsday post apocalyptic cult... as she grew up she began to question things including the teachings of the leader of the cult Magnus... this leads to her eventually being cast out, only to find that the outside world is going a bit mad.... there is an epidemic sweeping the US the spreading of early onset dementia, and there appears to be no cure in sight.... when Wynter’s sister shows up at her door with a case filled with vials of a potential cure... Wynter soon finds herself on the road to Colorado with the possible fate of the world in her hands.....
Wynter was so smart and so strong and yet she had such a naïveté to her... she is one of those characters that will get under your skin and who you won’t soon forget, there was just something so beautiful and comforting about her inner strength... for some reason I never doubted that this girl who grew up extremely sheltered could manage to make it from Chicago to Colorado in dire circumstances.... admittedly though it was very fortunate that she ran across X military XMMA fighter Chase along the way... Chase was another strong smart character who definitely reassured me... The strength and charisma of these characters really set the tone for the story and I think that’s what I really was drawn to... I felt as though the thread running throughout the story was that of hope rather than doom... this book was uplifting rather than depressing, and that’s not something I often find in books of this genre... add in a plot that will keep you riveted and a sprinkling of romance... and you’ve got yourself one stellar story!
An addictive pre-apocalyptic thriller full of some pretty amazing characters and a generous peppering of hope! Absolutely recommend!
🎵🎵🎵 song running through my head! If you have read this book you will know why I chose this one, this was a song that ran through Wynter’s head...
There's somethin' wrong with the world today
I don't know what it is
Something's wrong with our eyes
We're seein' things in a different way
And God knows it ain't his
It sure ain't no surprise
Livin' on the edge
Livin' on the edge
Livin' on the edge
Livin' on the edge
There's somethin' wrong with the world today
The light bulb's gettin dim
There's meltdown in the sky
If you can judge a wise man
By the color of his skin
Then mister you're a better man than I
Livin' on the edge
You can't help yourself from fallin'
Livin' on the edge
You can't help yourself at all
Livin' on the edge
You can't stop yourself from fallin'
Livin' on the edge (everybody, everybody)
Tell me what you think about your situation
Complication, aggravation is getting to you
If chicken…
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=7nqcL0m...
*** many thanks to Tosca Lee for my copy of this book ***
Wowza this was quite the unexpected gem of a pre-apocalyptic story!
This is not my usual reading genre, but boil boy this book sucked me in from the very first page! Tosca Lee thread together a remarkable story... an intense pre-apocalyptic story laced with a generous amount of thrills and romance... this is such a well written book that I think will appeal to a wide audience of readers!
Wynter grew up in the compound of the New Earth doomsday post apocalyptic cult... as she grew up she began to question things including the teachings of the leader of the cult Magnus... this leads to her eventually being cast out, only to find that the outside world is going a bit mad.... there is an epidemic sweeping the US the spreading of early onset dementia, and there appears to be no cure in sight.... when Wynter’s sister shows up at her door with a case filled with vials of a potential cure... Wynter soon finds herself on the road to Colorado with the possible fate of the world in her hands.....
Wynter was so smart and so strong and yet she had such a naïveté to her... she is one of those characters that will get under your skin and who you won’t soon forget, there was just something so beautiful and comforting about her inner strength... for some reason I never doubted that this girl who grew up extremely sheltered could manage to make it from Chicago to Colorado in dire circumstances.... admittedly though it was very fortunate that she ran across X military XMMA fighter Chase along the way... Chase was another strong smart character who definitely reassured me... The strength and charisma of these characters really set the tone for the story and I think that’s what I really was drawn to... I felt as though the thread running throughout the story was that of hope rather than doom... this book was uplifting rather than depressing, and that’s not something I often find in books of this genre... add in a plot that will keep you riveted and a sprinkling of romance... and you’ve got yourself one stellar story!
An addictive pre-apocalyptic thriller full of some pretty amazing characters and a generous peppering of hope! Absolutely recommend!
🎵🎵🎵 song running through my head! If you have read this book you will know why I chose this one, this was a song that ran through Wynter’s head...
There's somethin' wrong with the world today
I don't know what it is
Something's wrong with our eyes
We're seein' things in a different way
And God knows it ain't his
It sure ain't no surprise
Livin' on the edge
Livin' on the edge
Livin' on the edge
Livin' on the edge
There's somethin' wrong with the world today
The light bulb's gettin dim
There's meltdown in the sky
If you can judge a wise man
By the color of his skin
Then mister you're a better man than I
Livin' on the edge
You can't help yourself from fallin'
Livin' on the edge
You can't help yourself at all
Livin' on the edge
You can't stop yourself from fallin'
Livin' on the edge (everybody, everybody)
Tell me what you think about your situation
Complication, aggravation is getting to you
If chicken…
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=7nqcL0m...
*** many thanks to Tosca Lee for my copy of this book ***
January 29, 2019
4.5 super unique, I wouldn't have thought to combine these ideas stars!!
Happy Publication Day to Tosca Lee's The Line Between! Full review featured on my blog Recipe & a Read!!
Wynter Roth has lived in the doomsday cult known as “New Earth” for the last 15 years. Brought to the settlement by her mother, along with her older sister Jaclyn when they were fleeing their alcoholic and abusive father. New Earth is led by the charming, enigmatic, handsome and all-knowing, all-caring leader Magnus Theisen. Wynter is raised within the confines of the compound and gives up all her worldly wants, and possessions upon her family being accepted into the waiting arms of her new “family”. While Jaclyn seems to flourish within the strict rules and confines set by the leaders of New Earth, Wynter struggles and fails to meet their expectations growing up.
I had a purpose once. Believed the lie that I was special if only because I had managed to claim a slot in heaven. A reservation that was by no means guaranteed but had to be reclaimed daily by faith and toil if only to keep it from the hands of another.
As time elapses, and Wynter opens her eyes more and more to the world around her she begins to see this life she’s been thrust into a little bit differently. She sees the cracks in the testaments that Magnus has written, the cracks and flaws within Magnus himself. However, this is the only life Wynter has ever known, she has been brought up to believe that the world outside their walls is doomed to crumble, and if she is not within the safety of her new home – she will perish with a world of sinners. When Wynter is cast out in shame from the only community she ever called a home, she is thrust into a cruel world that has begun to tear apart at it’s seems.
Faith had never been about being perfect – good thing for me – but about being more perfect than the world it devoured. The spiritual equivalent of outrunning the person behind you when getting chased by a bear.
Coinciding with Wynter’s revelations about this “family” and her subsequent banishment a new disease is ripping it’s way across America, leaving nothing but devastation in it’s wake. A new rapid onset dementia is taking the United States by storm and it’s spreading like the flu. No one is safe and as more and more people fall prey to the disease, society itself begins to crumble. Months after Wynter has been banished, her elder sister Jaclyn shows up on her doorstep with samples that could save not just Wynter but the entire world and Wynter has been tasked with getting them to Colorado. The question is – can a girl banished from a doomsday cult, with no real world experience manage to cross the country with hotly sought after specimens and arrive in one piece?
But I am no longer one of the Select.
This book, was NOTHING like I expected it to be. The synopsis definitely drew me in initially, but I was skeptical to say the least when I began this story. However, Lee really proved her skill and wove an intricate story that doesn’t just tell one fascinating story, but two, in tandem with one another. This is told in a somewhat typical flash-back format, with the reader both learning about before Wynter’s banishment from the Enclave as well as a current timeline, after her banishment. I couldn’t decide at any point throughout reading this which I liked more. They each had their own elements that drove me forward with a need to see how this story would progress.
I am one in 7.5 billion trying to figure out what’s real.
I loved Wynter as a narrator and main protagonist. She was smart, and savvy while still being vulnerable and accessible. The cult side of this story I found particularly interesting but the pandemic aspect didn't disappoint either. I found this entire read to be very unique and entertaining - I think it'd make an excellent movie and I'd be surprised if it doesn't get picked up. My main hang up here and my reason for rounding down was a few implausibilities throughout the story. For a girl who spent nearly her entire life in a doomsday cult, she's awfully knowledgeable about doing things she has no experience doing (like hurdling down the highway at breakneck speed while people are going crazy around her). However, this didn't detract too much and I really enjoyed this.
I read this with the Traveling Sisters and we're all enjoying it immensley so far! Thank you to Netgalley and Howard Books for a copy of this ARC
Happy Publication Day to Tosca Lee's The Line Between! Full review featured on my blog Recipe & a Read!!
Wynter Roth has lived in the doomsday cult known as “New Earth” for the last 15 years. Brought to the settlement by her mother, along with her older sister Jaclyn when they were fleeing their alcoholic and abusive father. New Earth is led by the charming, enigmatic, handsome and all-knowing, all-caring leader Magnus Theisen. Wynter is raised within the confines of the compound and gives up all her worldly wants, and possessions upon her family being accepted into the waiting arms of her new “family”. While Jaclyn seems to flourish within the strict rules and confines set by the leaders of New Earth, Wynter struggles and fails to meet their expectations growing up.
I had a purpose once. Believed the lie that I was special if only because I had managed to claim a slot in heaven. A reservation that was by no means guaranteed but had to be reclaimed daily by faith and toil if only to keep it from the hands of another.
As time elapses, and Wynter opens her eyes more and more to the world around her she begins to see this life she’s been thrust into a little bit differently. She sees the cracks in the testaments that Magnus has written, the cracks and flaws within Magnus himself. However, this is the only life Wynter has ever known, she has been brought up to believe that the world outside their walls is doomed to crumble, and if she is not within the safety of her new home – she will perish with a world of sinners. When Wynter is cast out in shame from the only community she ever called a home, she is thrust into a cruel world that has begun to tear apart at it’s seems.
Faith had never been about being perfect – good thing for me – but about being more perfect than the world it devoured. The spiritual equivalent of outrunning the person behind you when getting chased by a bear.
Coinciding with Wynter’s revelations about this “family” and her subsequent banishment a new disease is ripping it’s way across America, leaving nothing but devastation in it’s wake. A new rapid onset dementia is taking the United States by storm and it’s spreading like the flu. No one is safe and as more and more people fall prey to the disease, society itself begins to crumble. Months after Wynter has been banished, her elder sister Jaclyn shows up on her doorstep with samples that could save not just Wynter but the entire world and Wynter has been tasked with getting them to Colorado. The question is – can a girl banished from a doomsday cult, with no real world experience manage to cross the country with hotly sought after specimens and arrive in one piece?
But I am no longer one of the Select.
This book, was NOTHING like I expected it to be. The synopsis definitely drew me in initially, but I was skeptical to say the least when I began this story. However, Lee really proved her skill and wove an intricate story that doesn’t just tell one fascinating story, but two, in tandem with one another. This is told in a somewhat typical flash-back format, with the reader both learning about before Wynter’s banishment from the Enclave as well as a current timeline, after her banishment. I couldn’t decide at any point throughout reading this which I liked more. They each had their own elements that drove me forward with a need to see how this story would progress.
I am one in 7.5 billion trying to figure out what’s real.
I loved Wynter as a narrator and main protagonist. She was smart, and savvy while still being vulnerable and accessible. The cult side of this story I found particularly interesting but the pandemic aspect didn't disappoint either. I found this entire read to be very unique and entertaining - I think it'd make an excellent movie and I'd be surprised if it doesn't get picked up. My main hang up here and my reason for rounding down was a few implausibilities throughout the story. For a girl who spent nearly her entire life in a doomsday cult, she's awfully knowledgeable about doing things she has no experience doing (like hurdling down the highway at breakneck speed while people are going crazy around her). However, this didn't detract too much and I really enjoyed this.
I read this with the Traveling Sisters and we're all enjoying it immensley so far! Thank you to Netgalley and Howard Books for a copy of this ARC
October 4, 2021
**4.5-stars**
An engrossing and fast-paced Apocalyptic Thriller!!
When Wynter Roth was just a child, her mother moved with her and her sister to live within the New Earth Commune.
Shut off from the rest of the world, it's a humble and sheltered existence where the members swear off any connections to the outside world.
Now as a young adult, Wynter begins to rebel against the oppressive and corrupt nature of the commune. Ultimately, she finds herself excommunicated for her subversive behavior.
Harshly shoved out into a world she doesn't recognize or understand, Wynter goes to live in the home of her mother's best friend from 'before'.
Coincidentally, at this same time a lethal virus is sweeping the country, essentially creating a hauntingly realistic version of The Walking Dead.
Even amidst the chaos, Wynter's main focus is on going back for her sister and niece, who she left behind at New Earth.
Her sister, now the dutiful wife of the cult's charismatic leader, Magnus, will be hard to reach, but Wynter knows she must try.
As the world quickly devolves into an apocalyptic wasteland, against all odds, Wynter begins her journey back to New Earth.
I really enjoyed this book so much. I liked how, unlike most books in the genre, this one starts with the first infection and follows the apocalypse. Instead of jumping into a post-apocalyptic world, you get a front row seat to the events creating the downfall of society as we know it.
In a way, this reminded me of one of my favorite books ever, The Stand, where you follow how the initial infection is released and spread.
I found the scientific basis behind these events realistic and quite scary if you really think about it.
The narrative follows Wynter both present day, and through flashbacks, during her time within the New Earth compound.
I found both timelines equally interesting and if you are someone who enjoys books with a cult-like atmosphere, you should definitely pick this one up!
A huge thank you to the author, Tosca Lee, for providing me with a copy of this book, as well as its sequel, A Single Light to read and review.
I am so happy to add these to my collection.
An engrossing and fast-paced Apocalyptic Thriller!!
When Wynter Roth was just a child, her mother moved with her and her sister to live within the New Earth Commune.
Shut off from the rest of the world, it's a humble and sheltered existence where the members swear off any connections to the outside world.
Now as a young adult, Wynter begins to rebel against the oppressive and corrupt nature of the commune. Ultimately, she finds herself excommunicated for her subversive behavior.
Harshly shoved out into a world she doesn't recognize or understand, Wynter goes to live in the home of her mother's best friend from 'before'.
Coincidentally, at this same time a lethal virus is sweeping the country, essentially creating a hauntingly realistic version of The Walking Dead.
Even amidst the chaos, Wynter's main focus is on going back for her sister and niece, who she left behind at New Earth.
Her sister, now the dutiful wife of the cult's charismatic leader, Magnus, will be hard to reach, but Wynter knows she must try.
As the world quickly devolves into an apocalyptic wasteland, against all odds, Wynter begins her journey back to New Earth.
I really enjoyed this book so much. I liked how, unlike most books in the genre, this one starts with the first infection and follows the apocalypse. Instead of jumping into a post-apocalyptic world, you get a front row seat to the events creating the downfall of society as we know it.
In a way, this reminded me of one of my favorite books ever, The Stand, where you follow how the initial infection is released and spread.
I found the scientific basis behind these events realistic and quite scary if you really think about it.
The narrative follows Wynter both present day, and through flashbacks, during her time within the New Earth compound.
I found both timelines equally interesting and if you are someone who enjoys books with a cult-like atmosphere, you should definitely pick this one up!
A huge thank you to the author, Tosca Lee, for providing me with a copy of this book, as well as its sequel, A Single Light to read and review.
I am so happy to add these to my collection.
January 7, 2020
Tosca Lee with be joining us in our Behind the Pages group for a spoiler-free Q & A on January 15, 2020, 7:00 pm EST. We will be asking her about both of her books and also get some insight into her writing process.
You can find the thread here:
https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/...
Read The Line Between, save the bacon, save the world!!!! Don’t miss out on this one! It’s not your typical dystopian and apocalyptic novel!
4.5 Stars!!!
Intensely entertaining, an unexpected gem & a gripping page-turner!
THE LINE BETWEEN by TOSCA LEE is a fascinating, chilling, action-packed and an engaging apocalyptic thriller that had me on the edge of my seat in anticipation for the entirety of reading this novel. I found myself fully engrossed and absorbed in this tale which was part of an end of the world type of scenario along with a twisted doomsday cult. The cult perspective totally fascinated me and I found the storyline extremely thrilling to read without any unnecessary disturbing or graphic scenes. The telling in itself is what made this book so thrilling and exciting to read.
TOSCA LEE delivers a fantastic, intriguing, unique, well-written and plotted read here with an incredibly suspenseful storyline, an interesting and angst-driven setting, and believable and realistic characters. Our young main protagonist here was such a driven and dynamic character that I absolutely loved right from the get-go and right down to her name, Wynter. The race to save the world and the bacon (inside book joke) was just as intense for us readers as it was for Wynter and Chase. I was fully invested in these characters and rooting for them all the way.
The story is told in alternating chapters between the past and present day which I thoroughly enjoyed equally and thought they complimented each other so well and flowed perfectly.
There were quite a few scenes in this book that I thought was extremely well-written and very meaningful but one that really stood out to me that I feel like I should mention is this one………
“What did you mean, ‘Welcome home’?” I ask.
“Did you see his hat? Guy’s a Vietnam vet. They didn’t get the kind of respect or homecoming the military do today.”
The dialogue of that scene made me pause to reflect and it just really resonated with me.
Norma’s Stats:
Cover: Intriguing, suspenseful, troubling, frigid and a fitting representation to storyline.
Title: Intriguing, interesting and loved how the title played so fittingly into storyline.
Writing/Prose: Well-written, entertaining, compelling, engaging and fluid.
Plot: Unique, unpredictable, suspenseful, intense, interesting, intriguing, fast-paced, and entertaining.
Ending: An absolutely wonderful ending that I was thoroughly satisfied with and totally loved.
Overall: TOSCA LEE melds two storylines into one heck of a heart-pounding intensely written thriller novel. I thoroughly enjoyed the adventurous escape that this book provided and would highly recommend.
Thank you so much to Howard Books / Simon & Schuster and Tosca Lee for sending me a physical ARC of this book to read and review! It was an absolute pleasure reading this book and this was probably one of the most exciting book swag that I have received to date so a very special thank you to Tosca Lee for this extra special reading experience and goodies!!!
This review can also be seen on our blog:
https://twosisterslostinacoulee.com/
You can find the thread here:
https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/...
Read The Line Between, save the bacon, save the world!!!! Don’t miss out on this one! It’s not your typical dystopian and apocalyptic novel!
4.5 Stars!!!
Intensely entertaining, an unexpected gem & a gripping page-turner!
THE LINE BETWEEN by TOSCA LEE is a fascinating, chilling, action-packed and an engaging apocalyptic thriller that had me on the edge of my seat in anticipation for the entirety of reading this novel. I found myself fully engrossed and absorbed in this tale which was part of an end of the world type of scenario along with a twisted doomsday cult. The cult perspective totally fascinated me and I found the storyline extremely thrilling to read without any unnecessary disturbing or graphic scenes. The telling in itself is what made this book so thrilling and exciting to read.
TOSCA LEE delivers a fantastic, intriguing, unique, well-written and plotted read here with an incredibly suspenseful storyline, an interesting and angst-driven setting, and believable and realistic characters. Our young main protagonist here was such a driven and dynamic character that I absolutely loved right from the get-go and right down to her name, Wynter. The race to save the world and the bacon (inside book joke) was just as intense for us readers as it was for Wynter and Chase. I was fully invested in these characters and rooting for them all the way.
The story is told in alternating chapters between the past and present day which I thoroughly enjoyed equally and thought they complimented each other so well and flowed perfectly.
There were quite a few scenes in this book that I thought was extremely well-written and very meaningful but one that really stood out to me that I feel like I should mention is this one………
“What did you mean, ‘Welcome home’?” I ask.
“Did you see his hat? Guy’s a Vietnam vet. They didn’t get the kind of respect or homecoming the military do today.”
The dialogue of that scene made me pause to reflect and it just really resonated with me.
Norma’s Stats:
Cover: Intriguing, suspenseful, troubling, frigid and a fitting representation to storyline.
Title: Intriguing, interesting and loved how the title played so fittingly into storyline.
Writing/Prose: Well-written, entertaining, compelling, engaging and fluid.
Plot: Unique, unpredictable, suspenseful, intense, interesting, intriguing, fast-paced, and entertaining.
Ending: An absolutely wonderful ending that I was thoroughly satisfied with and totally loved.
Overall: TOSCA LEE melds two storylines into one heck of a heart-pounding intensely written thriller novel. I thoroughly enjoyed the adventurous escape that this book provided and would highly recommend.
Thank you so much to Howard Books / Simon & Schuster and Tosca Lee for sending me a physical ARC of this book to read and review! It was an absolute pleasure reading this book and this was probably one of the most exciting book swag that I have received to date so a very special thank you to Tosca Lee for this extra special reading experience and goodies!!!
This review can also be seen on our blog:
https://twosisterslostinacoulee.com/
April 12, 2020
Tosca Lee joined us in our Behind the Pages group for a spoiler-free Q & A
You can find the thread here
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
Read The Line Between, save the bacon, save the world!!!! Don’t miss out on this! It’s not your typical dystopian and apocalyptic novel.
The Line Between has all the elements to make it an exciting yet moving dystopian thriller but without any disturbing events and unrealistic scenes or Zombie’s walking around. The actual apocalyptic storyline is realistic and a bit frightening and there is an added interesting storyline here with the cult. There is some action, a conspiracy and a little romance going on. There is some drama here to move the story forward that some of us found a bit unlikely to happen however this didn’t affect how they felt about the story. It just left us questioning some things.
Tosca Lee does a great job creating a very interesting and likable character here with Wynter Roth. She is vulnerable yet driven. I loved the dynamics between her and Chase. As the world sinks deeper into madness Wynter races to save the world. The tension builds and I was on the edge of my seat as I was rooting for Wynter every step of the way. I couldn’t turn those pages fast enough to that very satisfying ending.
We received a copy and an extra fun package to go with it from the author. We were so intrigued and excited to read The Line Between, we shared this reading experience with a few of our Traveling Friends from IG. The story made for an excellent discussion and we highly recommend for buddy reads or group reads.
For more thoughts from our friends
https://twosisterslostinacoulee.com/2...
You can find the thread here
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
Read The Line Between, save the bacon, save the world!!!! Don’t miss out on this! It’s not your typical dystopian and apocalyptic novel.
The Line Between has all the elements to make it an exciting yet moving dystopian thriller but without any disturbing events and unrealistic scenes or Zombie’s walking around. The actual apocalyptic storyline is realistic and a bit frightening and there is an added interesting storyline here with the cult. There is some action, a conspiracy and a little romance going on. There is some drama here to move the story forward that some of us found a bit unlikely to happen however this didn’t affect how they felt about the story. It just left us questioning some things.
Tosca Lee does a great job creating a very interesting and likable character here with Wynter Roth. She is vulnerable yet driven. I loved the dynamics between her and Chase. As the world sinks deeper into madness Wynter races to save the world. The tension builds and I was on the edge of my seat as I was rooting for Wynter every step of the way. I couldn’t turn those pages fast enough to that very satisfying ending.
We received a copy and an extra fun package to go with it from the author. We were so intrigued and excited to read The Line Between, we shared this reading experience with a few of our Traveling Friends from IG. The story made for an excellent discussion and we highly recommend for buddy reads or group reads.
For more thoughts from our friends
https://twosisterslostinacoulee.com/2...
January 29, 2019
A post apocalyptic, dystopian, psychological thriller? Totally not my norm, and I was hooked! ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ���️
Wynter Roth has been a member of a doomsday cult, and when she finally escapes, she enters a chaotic end-of-world scenario the cult predicted.
A long extinct disease re-forms in Alaska, emitting itself from the permafrost as it melts. The disease causes dementia in humans no matter the age.
Utter chaos is ensuing and an apocalypse is looming if something doesn’t change fast. Wynter’s sister arrives one night with medical samples that may offer understanding and perhaps uncover something much more sinister.
The power grid is failing, and as the situation continues to become more bleak, Wynter needs to take the samples to Colorado, and to get there, she needs the help of Chase, former military and someone she hopes she can trust.
The Line Between is action-packed and thrilling, while also having a possible romance on the horizon; all on the backdrop of an impending apocalypse. The cult perspective fascinated me, and Wynter and Chase were characters I loved right out of the gate. The story feels plausible, and I’m still pondering that this could actually happen.
With chapters alternating between past and present, I enjoyed both of the seamless timelines. Tosca Lee has written a page-turning, genre-spanning novel that left me breathless and full of adrenaline. Wow!
Thank you to the author for the complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.
My reviews can also be found on my blog: www.jennifertarheelreader.com
Wynter Roth has been a member of a doomsday cult, and when she finally escapes, she enters a chaotic end-of-world scenario the cult predicted.
A long extinct disease re-forms in Alaska, emitting itself from the permafrost as it melts. The disease causes dementia in humans no matter the age.
Utter chaos is ensuing and an apocalypse is looming if something doesn’t change fast. Wynter’s sister arrives one night with medical samples that may offer understanding and perhaps uncover something much more sinister.
The power grid is failing, and as the situation continues to become more bleak, Wynter needs to take the samples to Colorado, and to get there, she needs the help of Chase, former military and someone she hopes she can trust.
The Line Between is action-packed and thrilling, while also having a possible romance on the horizon; all on the backdrop of an impending apocalypse. The cult perspective fascinated me, and Wynter and Chase were characters I loved right out of the gate. The story feels plausible, and I’m still pondering that this could actually happen.
With chapters alternating between past and present, I enjoyed both of the seamless timelines. Tosca Lee has written a page-turning, genre-spanning novel that left me breathless and full of adrenaline. Wow!
Thank you to the author for the complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.
My reviews can also be found on my blog: www.jennifertarheelreader.com
December 31, 2019
An extinct rare disease re-emerges from the permafrost in Alaska, a cult with a leader with a hidden agenda, and a nation which is in the midst of a crisis.
Wynter Roth has been kicked out of New Earth, a doomsday cult, and is just getting her bearings when it becomes evident that something is wrong - seriously wrong. People are acting strangely; often violent, then they become seriously physically ill. One night her sister shows up on her doorstep, sick herself with a cooler which contains medical samples, which she must deliver to a lab in Colorado.
She sets out on her mission, soon meets a former military man, Chase Miller, who joins her on her journey to Colorado.
The Line Between is told through dual storylines that alternate between the past when Wynter was at New Earth and the present day. This was an absorbing read which has me turning the pages until the very end. This book is packed full of interesting characters, some sympathetic, some likable, and some that are sinister. I found Wynter and Chase's interactions to be endearing and sweet.
I loved the pacing of this book. It had suspense, mystery and a sense of dread as people reacted to what was occurring in the world around them. I also loved both timelines. I find that I usually prefer one over the other but that was not the case with this book. I found both to be equally engaging and riveting.
This was such a captivating and absorbing book. Highly recommend.
Wynter Roth has been kicked out of New Earth, a doomsday cult, and is just getting her bearings when it becomes evident that something is wrong - seriously wrong. People are acting strangely; often violent, then they become seriously physically ill. One night her sister shows up on her doorstep, sick herself with a cooler which contains medical samples, which she must deliver to a lab in Colorado.
She sets out on her mission, soon meets a former military man, Chase Miller, who joins her on her journey to Colorado.
The Line Between is told through dual storylines that alternate between the past when Wynter was at New Earth and the present day. This was an absorbing read which has me turning the pages until the very end. This book is packed full of interesting characters, some sympathetic, some likable, and some that are sinister. I found Wynter and Chase's interactions to be endearing and sweet.
I loved the pacing of this book. It had suspense, mystery and a sense of dread as people reacted to what was occurring in the world around them. I also loved both timelines. I find that I usually prefer one over the other but that was not the case with this book. I found both to be equally engaging and riveting.
This was such a captivating and absorbing book. Highly recommend.
February 2, 2019
3.5 stars!
A suspenseful, fast-paced, action-packed thrilling ride!
Wynter Roth is in her twenties when she leaves New Earth, a dark and controversial cult that she has called ‘home’ since she was a child. She enters the real world at the same time that a strange outbreak of an unknown disease is rapidly overtaking the country, causing early onset dementia and death. After reuniting with family friends from long ago, Wynter finds herself in the possession of secretive and highly valuable samples that need to get to a lab hundreds of miles away. Facing devastating personal losses along the way, Wynter surges ahead on a dangerous and unpredictable journey of self-survival, aiming to resolve the nation’s shocking epidemic.
This novel took me outside of my comfort zone and I loved it! I am not one to read ‘end of the world’ type books, but this one had me hooked. I felt this could actually happen and it had my heart pounding. The tension was palpable, the suspense was addictive, the writing was excellent! The characters were unique and left a lasting impression that I am sure I will be thinking of long after I write this review.
For me, the first half of the book was more enjoyable than the second half. While I loved Wynter’s character, I felt that she became slightly unrealistic in the sense of what she was capable of after just escaping a sheltered life in a cult. Regardless of this, I was still rooting for her throughout and continued to feel an urgency for her character to accomplish her feat.
I read this with my Traveling Sisters and we all enjoyed it! To find this review, please visit our blog at:
https://twosisterslostinacoulee.com/2...
Thank you to Tosca Lee for providing me with a physical ARC to read and review!
The Line Between is available now!
A suspenseful, fast-paced, action-packed thrilling ride!
Wynter Roth is in her twenties when she leaves New Earth, a dark and controversial cult that she has called ‘home’ since she was a child. She enters the real world at the same time that a strange outbreak of an unknown disease is rapidly overtaking the country, causing early onset dementia and death. After reuniting with family friends from long ago, Wynter finds herself in the possession of secretive and highly valuable samples that need to get to a lab hundreds of miles away. Facing devastating personal losses along the way, Wynter surges ahead on a dangerous and unpredictable journey of self-survival, aiming to resolve the nation’s shocking epidemic.
This novel took me outside of my comfort zone and I loved it! I am not one to read ‘end of the world’ type books, but this one had me hooked. I felt this could actually happen and it had my heart pounding. The tension was palpable, the suspense was addictive, the writing was excellent! The characters were unique and left a lasting impression that I am sure I will be thinking of long after I write this review.
For me, the first half of the book was more enjoyable than the second half. While I loved Wynter’s character, I felt that she became slightly unrealistic in the sense of what she was capable of after just escaping a sheltered life in a cult. Regardless of this, I was still rooting for her throughout and continued to feel an urgency for her character to accomplish her feat.
I read this with my Traveling Sisters and we all enjoyed it! To find this review, please visit our blog at:
https://twosisterslostinacoulee.com/2...
Thank you to Tosca Lee for providing me with a physical ARC to read and review!
The Line Between is available now!
December 8, 2019
Hang on tight (like a spider monkey) ‘cause things are about to get wild!
So much more than I ever expected! A dystopian novel that has a dash of everything that will appeal to all. Cults, a gruesome pandemic....and oh yes, and just a hint of love. ❤️
Wynter has spent her life growing up in a doomsday cult.
She became a devout believer, though she always had a bit of a rebellious streak to her.
But now the leader of the cult proclaims it’s time for marriage. Wynter has to make a choice. Agree to an arranged marriage she doesn’t believe in, or leave the only home and family she truly knows.
Meanwhile the flu season is taking a fierce hold and rapidly becoming much more dangerous than your average Influenza A. And just for good measure, a bit of Prion mixed in, creating devastating effects. Like a massive storm, it spreads across the country with no one safe and panic setting in.
I absolutely devoured this book. Late into the night I would put it down and tell myself okay, I can finish tomorrow. Only to pick it right back up for another 20+pages!
Tosca Lee writes an absolutely unputdownable book! That will have your heart thumping like a drum as you remember.... flu season is just around the corner!
I cannot wait to begin the sequel A Single Light. Oh it’s on!
A fast and frightening buddy read with Susanne that we both absolutely loved!
Thank you to Tosca Lee for a copy to read and review.
So much more than I ever expected! A dystopian novel that has a dash of everything that will appeal to all. Cults, a gruesome pandemic....and oh yes, and just a hint of love. ❤️
Wynter has spent her life growing up in a doomsday cult.
She became a devout believer, though she always had a bit of a rebellious streak to her.
But now the leader of the cult proclaims it’s time for marriage. Wynter has to make a choice. Agree to an arranged marriage she doesn’t believe in, or leave the only home and family she truly knows.
Meanwhile the flu season is taking a fierce hold and rapidly becoming much more dangerous than your average Influenza A. And just for good measure, a bit of Prion mixed in, creating devastating effects. Like a massive storm, it spreads across the country with no one safe and panic setting in.
I absolutely devoured this book. Late into the night I would put it down and tell myself okay, I can finish tomorrow. Only to pick it right back up for another 20+pages!
Tosca Lee writes an absolutely unputdownable book! That will have your heart thumping like a drum as you remember.... flu season is just around the corner!
I cannot wait to begin the sequel A Single Light. Oh it’s on!
A fast and frightening buddy read with Susanne that we both absolutely loved!
Thank you to Tosca Lee for a copy to read and review.
Read
July 17, 2019A cult escapee and a disease release from the melting permafrost. These were two separate storylines I took to a meeting in New York with my publisher. To my massive surprise, he said, "I love them both. How about putting them together?" The result--one of my favorite adventures I've ever written. I'm also so happy to have Cassandra Campbell, who narrated Firstborn and, more recently, Bird Box and Where the Crawdads Sing, reading the Audible version!
The sequel to The Line Between, A Single Light, releases September 17. I had so much fun writing this second installment and can't wait to share it with you!
(Want to start reading early? I hid a code in The Line Between that opens early access to the beginning of book two. To unlock it, locate the code and then go to: https://toscalee.com/code/. Be prepared to say what the code stands for. Get it right, and you could be reading the first chapters of A Single Light today!)
Sending love!
-Tosca
The sequel to The Line Between, A Single Light, releases September 17. I had so much fun writing this second installment and can't wait to share it with you!
(Want to start reading early? I hid a code in The Line Between that opens early access to the beginning of book two. To unlock it, locate the code and then go to: https://toscalee.com/code/. Be prepared to say what the code stands for. Get it right, and you could be reading the first chapters of A Single Light today!)
Sending love!
-Tosca
December 9, 2019
5 Insanely Awesome Stars
“The Line Between”: It's a Riddle, Wrapped in a Mystery, Inside an Enigma: also known as a Cult, and an Apocalypse, wrapped into a Dystopian Novel and believe it or not, it works Beautifully. Who would have thought?
For most of her life Wynter Roth has resided in New Earth, a doomsday cult. She has never known safety, compassion or love. The day she escaped was one of the most difficult and proudest of her life.
Wynter imagines starting over until she realizes that what Magnus, the leader of the cult prophesied has come true. The Apocalypse has arrived. Signs of madness and rapid early onset Dementia take over, the disease spreading from the melting of the permafrost in Alaska. When her sister shows up with medical samples that are the key to a cure, Wynter knows she must help instead of fleeing to safety. Knowing she can’t go it alone, she enlists the help of Chase, a former military man and the two brave the elements and who ever stands in their way in order to save their world.
Can I just say WOWZA? “The Line Between” absolutely blew me away and rocked my world (or my apartment.. lol!). I loved how well all of the different storylines intertwined and how intricate they all were and I adored the characters of Wynter and Chase! At first glance you’d never think this type of novel would work and yet it works impeccably and that is to the credit of the exemplary writing of the author, Tosca Lee.
Tosca, this was my first read of yours, but it will not be my last. You have made me a fan for life! This book will be in my best of list for 2019. I did not want it to end - my only consolation is that I have the sequel in my hands as I speak! If any of you are looking for an entertaining, high velocity, intriguing read, this is it.
This was a buddy read with Kaceey and both of us had the best time reading it and can’t wait to read the sequel “A Single Light.”
Thank you to Tosca Lee for gifting me this copy in exchange for an honest review.
Published on Goodreads and Amazon on 12.8.19.
Excerpt to be published on Instagram.
“The Line Between”: It's a Riddle, Wrapped in a Mystery, Inside an Enigma: also known as a Cult, and an Apocalypse, wrapped into a Dystopian Novel and believe it or not, it works Beautifully. Who would have thought?
For most of her life Wynter Roth has resided in New Earth, a doomsday cult. She has never known safety, compassion or love. The day she escaped was one of the most difficult and proudest of her life.
Wynter imagines starting over until she realizes that what Magnus, the leader of the cult prophesied has come true. The Apocalypse has arrived. Signs of madness and rapid early onset Dementia take over, the disease spreading from the melting of the permafrost in Alaska. When her sister shows up with medical samples that are the key to a cure, Wynter knows she must help instead of fleeing to safety. Knowing she can’t go it alone, she enlists the help of Chase, a former military man and the two brave the elements and who ever stands in their way in order to save their world.
Can I just say WOWZA? “The Line Between” absolutely blew me away and rocked my world (or my apartment.. lol!). I loved how well all of the different storylines intertwined and how intricate they all were and I adored the characters of Wynter and Chase! At first glance you’d never think this type of novel would work and yet it works impeccably and that is to the credit of the exemplary writing of the author, Tosca Lee.
Tosca, this was my first read of yours, but it will not be my last. You have made me a fan for life! This book will be in my best of list for 2019. I did not want it to end - my only consolation is that I have the sequel in my hands as I speak! If any of you are looking for an entertaining, high velocity, intriguing read, this is it.
This was a buddy read with Kaceey and both of us had the best time reading it and can’t wait to read the sequel “A Single Light.”
Thank you to Tosca Lee for gifting me this copy in exchange for an honest review.
Published on Goodreads and Amazon on 12.8.19.
Excerpt to be published on Instagram.
November 8, 2019
Apocalyptic thrills and doomsday cult chills! 3.5 stars. Final review, first posted on Fantasy Literature:
The Line Between is a chilling and believable take on what happens when a long-extinct disease emerges from the frozen tundra in Alaska. Apparently free-range hogs will eat almost anything, including a disease-infested caribou carcass exposed by the melting permafrost (nod to global warming here). The prion-based disease promptly teams up with a modern flu virus. Invariably fatal cases of rapid early-onset dementia ensue.
These sobering events are seen through the eyes of twenty-two-year-old Wynter Roth, who, as the story begins, is escaping/being kicked out of her apocalyptic cult in rural Iowa. It’s a combination of both: she did want out, but the method and timing were taken out of her hands, and she’s deeply torn because her older sister Jaclyn and her four-year-old niece Truly are still locked into the New Earth cult’s life. Plus, Wynter has spent fifteen years being indoctrinated with the doomsday beliefs touted by New Earth and its millionaire leader, Magnus Theisen. So she can’t help but think that all of the natural and man-made disasters she sees in the news are evidence that Magnus may have been right after all. The latest and worst disaster is the deadly pandemic that inexorably spreads across the U.S. and — thanks to modern transportation — internationally.
But Jaclyn shows up at the home where Wynter is staying with one of their mother’s old friends, claiming that Magnus has a connection with this pandemic disease, and handing Wynter some tissue samples she stole from Magnus, begging Wynter to get them into the hands of a scientist who can use them to analyze the disease. So begins a race against the fall of a disintegrating society and Magnus’s agents, who are determined to reclaim the tissue samples.
Apocalyptic tales featuring widespread death and the disintegration of society stories always pull me in, but in The Line Between the pandemic is mostly a backdrop for Wynter’s story of her life in the New Earth cult, told through flashbacks, and her fleeing across several states with the hot tissue samples. Luckily for Wynter, there’s a cute guy who comes along to help her on her journey. It’s there that the plot becomes rather predictable, and Lee pulls her punches.
Offsetting that, at least to some extent, is the unexpected way that this book ends. Though this novel would work reasonably well as a stand-alone read (albeit with an unresolved ending), at the same time it’s clear that there’s much more that can be told. The sequel, A Single Light, was just published in September 2019, and I plan on reading it soon.
Initially I was dubious about the cult-follower portion of the plot, but in the end I thought it was well done. We get an up-close view of the hypocritical Magnus and his insidious ways of maintaining control over his flock. Magnus, along with the other adult men, use the cult women (especially the younger ones) to satisfy their sexual desires, cloaking them with a religious veil to justify their actions. At the same time, author Tosca Lee, who has written several Bible-based novels, briefly offers another honest religious character as a counterpart to the slimy Magnus, but The Line Between overall is a more secular tale, rather than preachy.
The title of this novel, The Line Between, was interestingly elusive for me. In an email exchange I had with Lee, she commented that there are several lines, both physical and metaphorical, that play a role in the story: “the main one being the line between heaven and hell (the one she steps over as she steps out of the compound at the beginning), but also the line between safety and danger, the fine line between crazy and the crazy things we do to protect those we love … between faith and fanaticism, fear and bravery in the face of that fear.”
I received a free copy of this book from the author for review. Thank you!
Content notes: PG rated. It's pretty mild considering the subject matter.
The Line Between is a chilling and believable take on what happens when a long-extinct disease emerges from the frozen tundra in Alaska. Apparently free-range hogs will eat almost anything, including a disease-infested caribou carcass exposed by the melting permafrost (nod to global warming here). The prion-based disease promptly teams up with a modern flu virus. Invariably fatal cases of rapid early-onset dementia ensue.
These sobering events are seen through the eyes of twenty-two-year-old Wynter Roth, who, as the story begins, is escaping/being kicked out of her apocalyptic cult in rural Iowa. It’s a combination of both: she did want out, but the method and timing were taken out of her hands, and she’s deeply torn because her older sister Jaclyn and her four-year-old niece Truly are still locked into the New Earth cult’s life. Plus, Wynter has spent fifteen years being indoctrinated with the doomsday beliefs touted by New Earth and its millionaire leader, Magnus Theisen. So she can’t help but think that all of the natural and man-made disasters she sees in the news are evidence that Magnus may have been right after all. The latest and worst disaster is the deadly pandemic that inexorably spreads across the U.S. and — thanks to modern transportation — internationally.
But Jaclyn shows up at the home where Wynter is staying with one of their mother’s old friends, claiming that Magnus has a connection with this pandemic disease, and handing Wynter some tissue samples she stole from Magnus, begging Wynter to get them into the hands of a scientist who can use them to analyze the disease. So begins a race against the fall of a disintegrating society and Magnus’s agents, who are determined to reclaim the tissue samples.
Apocalyptic tales featuring widespread death and the disintegration of society stories always pull me in, but in The Line Between the pandemic is mostly a backdrop for Wynter’s story of her life in the New Earth cult, told through flashbacks, and her fleeing across several states with the hot tissue samples. Luckily for Wynter, there’s a cute guy who comes along to help her on her journey. It’s there that the plot becomes rather predictable, and Lee pulls her punches.
Offsetting that, at least to some extent, is the unexpected way that this book ends. Though this novel would work reasonably well as a stand-alone read (albeit with an unresolved ending), at the same time it’s clear that there’s much more that can be told. The sequel, A Single Light, was just published in September 2019, and I plan on reading it soon.
Initially I was dubious about the cult-follower portion of the plot, but in the end I thought it was well done. We get an up-close view of the hypocritical Magnus and his insidious ways of maintaining control over his flock. Magnus, along with the other adult men, use the cult women (especially the younger ones) to satisfy their sexual desires, cloaking them with a religious veil to justify their actions. At the same time, author Tosca Lee, who has written several Bible-based novels, briefly offers another honest religious character as a counterpart to the slimy Magnus, but The Line Between overall is a more secular tale, rather than preachy.
The title of this novel, The Line Between, was interestingly elusive for me. In an email exchange I had with Lee, she commented that there are several lines, both physical and metaphorical, that play a role in the story: “the main one being the line between heaven and hell (the one she steps over as she steps out of the compound at the beginning), but also the line between safety and danger, the fine line between crazy and the crazy things we do to protect those we love … between faith and fanaticism, fear and bravery in the face of that fear.”
I received a free copy of this book from the author for review. Thank you!
Content notes: PG rated. It's pretty mild considering the subject matter.
February 7, 2019
Thanks to Netgalley and Simon and Shuster for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Wow, Wow, and Wow! Apocalyptic storylines have never been my forte, but Tosca Lee had me on the edge of my seat from beginning to end. The female protagonist Wynter Roth was relateable, the atmosphere as she headed across the American prairie maintained an exciting momentum, and I was very sad to reach the end. This is definitely a book that I will be recommending for the many months to come.
Wow, Wow, and Wow! Apocalyptic storylines have never been my forte, but Tosca Lee had me on the edge of my seat from beginning to end. The female protagonist Wynter Roth was relateable, the atmosphere as she headed across the American prairie maintained an exciting momentum, and I was very sad to reach the end. This is definitely a book that I will be recommending for the many months to come.
Read
December 10, 2018Wow! Rarely would I begin a review with just “wow” but rarely have I read a book this amazing! Wow! The Line Between is a seamless marriage of dystopia meets thriller that will have you on the edge of seat from start to end which, if you’re like me, will be a day of non-stop reading!
Wynter Roth had lived in a doomsday cult since her mother entered New World when Wynter was 7 years old. It was a cross between apocalyptic fear mongering meets vegan preppers with a lot of male chauvinism thrown into the mix. The cult leader was “Magnus,” a former scientific researcher who developed seeds. Now Magnus is attempting to bring about the end of the world to prove his prophecies are true. Wynter, for reasons you have to read to know, is kicked out of the cult shortly before a pandemic begins sweeping across America. Only she knows who is behind the deadly disease and only she can stop it.
Wynter is one of the best written characters I have read in ages. She’s vulnerable, yet strong; naïve but keenly intelligent. Most of all, she is fearless. All of these qualities will be needed in order for her to trek across America in an attempt to bring the knowledge that she has in her possession to a researcher who can find a prevention or antidote for a virus that is creating madness in the human race.
Tosca Lee is a masterful story-teller. At no point throughout the book did I doubt the plausibility of the characters or their actions. Lee takes time in the beginning of the book and through a “flashback” dual timeline, to allow readers to truly know Wynter, the cult members and their lifestyles and, through her eyes, we are able to watch as her disbelief begins to grow as well as her struggle with her faith as doubt creeps into her thoughts. I also thought that way Lee described Wynter’s post-cult re-integration was deftly written. However, the writing toward the end of the book was brilliant and breath-taking! The ending itself is nothing short of perfection – except, I WANT MORE!!
The Line Between is an amazing thriller, an even better dystopian novel and an absolute must read for 2019! You can pre-order your copy today for a January publication.
A million thanks to #Netgalley, #ToscaLee and #HowardBooks for my advanced copy of The Line Between
Wynter Roth had lived in a doomsday cult since her mother entered New World when Wynter was 7 years old. It was a cross between apocalyptic fear mongering meets vegan preppers with a lot of male chauvinism thrown into the mix. The cult leader was “Magnus,” a former scientific researcher who developed seeds. Now Magnus is attempting to bring about the end of the world to prove his prophecies are true. Wynter, for reasons you have to read to know, is kicked out of the cult shortly before a pandemic begins sweeping across America. Only she knows who is behind the deadly disease and only she can stop it.
Wynter is one of the best written characters I have read in ages. She’s vulnerable, yet strong; naïve but keenly intelligent. Most of all, she is fearless. All of these qualities will be needed in order for her to trek across America in an attempt to bring the knowledge that she has in her possession to a researcher who can find a prevention or antidote for a virus that is creating madness in the human race.
Tosca Lee is a masterful story-teller. At no point throughout the book did I doubt the plausibility of the characters or their actions. Lee takes time in the beginning of the book and through a “flashback” dual timeline, to allow readers to truly know Wynter, the cult members and their lifestyles and, through her eyes, we are able to watch as her disbelief begins to grow as well as her struggle with her faith as doubt creeps into her thoughts. I also thought that way Lee described Wynter’s post-cult re-integration was deftly written. However, the writing toward the end of the book was brilliant and breath-taking! The ending itself is nothing short of perfection – except, I WANT MORE!!
The Line Between is an amazing thriller, an even better dystopian novel and an absolute must read for 2019! You can pre-order your copy today for a January publication.
A million thanks to #Netgalley, #ToscaLee and #HowardBooks for my advanced copy of The Line Between
April 5, 2019
The human brain tends to fear the unknown and some cults prey on these thoughts. In this book cults, a threatening disease, and the grave possibility of an apocalypse propel this book into being a thrilling thriller.
“In that instant I knew that as bad as it was, it was going to get much worse.”
For Wynter Roth, a former resident of a doomsday cult New Earth, life seems to be a shaky ground. Brought to the cult by her now dead mother, joined by her older sister, the ladies tried to escape an abusive husband and father. Little did they realize that what they thought would be salvation turned out to be quite the opposite.
New Earth is led by the charismatic Magnus. Wynter and her family learn about faith, a faith that was created by Magnus, formed to his will and ideals, and allowing for no deviations to his rules. Outside the cult, in the world, recently melted ice in the Permafrost carries a disease which is reasserting itself upon the planet. It has no cure and leaves its victims experiencing madness, a descent into dementia. Into this world, Wynter is thrust, totally unprepared, scared, and alone. It seems that all the warnings about the world's end taught by Magnus are coming to fruition.
Before her departure from New Earth, thrown out by Magnus when she refuses his advances to her, Wynter is given medical samples by her sister, who is married to Magnus. She must find a way to get these samples to where they can be used to possibly engineer a vaccine to ward off the ravages of the disease. In route, with the world falling apart around her, she meets and teams up with Chase Miller, a former military man. Together they must battle the forces that are so intent on stopping them from delivering the samples that might save the planet.
It's a time of madness and through an innovative story line with characters that are compelling, brave, and forcible, we experience the tension, the fear, and the scare factor of knowing that our world is once again in the throes of extinction.
“In that instant I knew that as bad as it was, it was going to get much worse.”
For Wynter Roth, a former resident of a doomsday cult New Earth, life seems to be a shaky ground. Brought to the cult by her now dead mother, joined by her older sister, the ladies tried to escape an abusive husband and father. Little did they realize that what they thought would be salvation turned out to be quite the opposite.
New Earth is led by the charismatic Magnus. Wynter and her family learn about faith, a faith that was created by Magnus, formed to his will and ideals, and allowing for no deviations to his rules. Outside the cult, in the world, recently melted ice in the Permafrost carries a disease which is reasserting itself upon the planet. It has no cure and leaves its victims experiencing madness, a descent into dementia. Into this world, Wynter is thrust, totally unprepared, scared, and alone. It seems that all the warnings about the world's end taught by Magnus are coming to fruition.
Before her departure from New Earth, thrown out by Magnus when she refuses his advances to her, Wynter is given medical samples by her sister, who is married to Magnus. She must find a way to get these samples to where they can be used to possibly engineer a vaccine to ward off the ravages of the disease. In route, with the world falling apart around her, she meets and teams up with Chase Miller, a former military man. Together they must battle the forces that are so intent on stopping them from delivering the samples that might save the planet.
It's a time of madness and through an innovative story line with characters that are compelling, brave, and forcible, we experience the tension, the fear, and the scare factor of knowing that our world is once again in the throes of extinction.
January 23, 2020
Tosca Lee crafts an excellent plot that is very captivating. I was a little slow to warm up because I am typically a monogamous reader, and I found myself playing the field. Falling back in love was a little slower than I expected. If I hadn’t known I was reading an apocalyptic thriller, the epigraph at the beginning of the book, the definition of the word prion, “an infectious agent that causes proteins to misfold, causing progressive deterioration of the brain and nervous system in mammals, including humans,” would certainly have clued me in. Throw in a cult, electrical grid failure, and a cast of characters that range from sympathetic to highly deranged, and yes, I am turning the pages.
Wynter Roth is taken in by the New Earth cult when she’s seven years old, along with sister, Jaclyn, twelve, and their mother. It’s a safe haven and there’s food and shelter. Immersed into a completely different way of life, their self-styled leader and prophet, Magnus has written his version of Testaments and his revelations are their Bible. It’s a life of sacrifice and submission, but after so many years, it becomes its own kind of second nature. However, things begin to happen that cause Wynter to question everything she has been taught.
Tosca Lee patiently and expertly builds up Wynter’s story, creating a credible existence inside a controlling cult atmosphere where unquestioning loyalty is a ticket to higher status. When a mysterious illness breaks out, Lee has already broken ground for its appearance in the backstory. Unfortunately, this part of the story is horribly realistic and way too credible. Wynter has been kicked out of New Earth (not a spoiler, part of the book blurb), and struggles with coming to terms with the ending of the world in a way that had been described by New Earth. Opening her mind up to new views and perspectives is not easy. When critical medical samples come to be in Wynter’s possession, what she does with them and the people that help or derail her form a large portion of the second part of the novel.
I thoroughly enjoyed Tosca Lee’s references to seed banks and heirloom seeds in her author’s note. The diminished diversity of our seed supply has been of great concern to me for several years. In our great hurry for progress and profit, according to Lee, “we have lost 93% of the variety in our seeds.” Seed diversity would offer greater food security with increasing climate change. As well, I enjoyed that Lee’s fiction premise is set within the realm of science. As the permafrost thaws, what kinds of viruses and bacteria are lurking?
Wynter Roth is taken in by the New Earth cult when she’s seven years old, along with sister, Jaclyn, twelve, and their mother. It’s a safe haven and there’s food and shelter. Immersed into a completely different way of life, their self-styled leader and prophet, Magnus has written his version of Testaments and his revelations are their Bible. It’s a life of sacrifice and submission, but after so many years, it becomes its own kind of second nature. However, things begin to happen that cause Wynter to question everything she has been taught.
Tosca Lee patiently and expertly builds up Wynter’s story, creating a credible existence inside a controlling cult atmosphere where unquestioning loyalty is a ticket to higher status. When a mysterious illness breaks out, Lee has already broken ground for its appearance in the backstory. Unfortunately, this part of the story is horribly realistic and way too credible. Wynter has been kicked out of New Earth (not a spoiler, part of the book blurb), and struggles with coming to terms with the ending of the world in a way that had been described by New Earth. Opening her mind up to new views and perspectives is not easy. When critical medical samples come to be in Wynter’s possession, what she does with them and the people that help or derail her form a large portion of the second part of the novel.
I thoroughly enjoyed Tosca Lee’s references to seed banks and heirloom seeds in her author’s note. The diminished diversity of our seed supply has been of great concern to me for several years. In our great hurry for progress and profit, according to Lee, “we have lost 93% of the variety in our seeds.” Seed diversity would offer greater food security with increasing climate change. As well, I enjoyed that Lee’s fiction premise is set within the realm of science. As the permafrost thaws, what kinds of viruses and bacteria are lurking?
February 2, 2019
Light, Entertaining Apocalypse fiction!
When Wynter Roth was seven years old, she, along with her mother and older sister, Jaclyn joined a doomsday cult known as New Earth. For the next fifteen years Wynter called the compound home, indoctrinated to fear the outside world, until that fateful day when she was banished by the prophet leader, Magnus. Forced to leave her family behind, Wynter finds sanctity in the home of her mother's best friend, her husband, and teenage daughter. Just as she's starting to adjust to life on the outside, a deadly epidemic begins spreading through America, infecting everyone in its past with early-onset dementia. When, Jaclyn shows up on her doorstep with a stolen case of medical samples, it is up to Wynter to drive across country and deliver the vials to a lab at Colorado State University. The fate of the human race depends on it!
I only heard about the existence of this book a week ago, but as soon as I read the book summary I knew I had to read it asap. Cult storylines have always fascinated me, as have apocalypse/post-apocalypse ones, and this book did not disappoint. It's fast-paced, action-packed and encompasses a wide range of genres – thriller, action, adventure, sci-fi, drama, romance, women's fiction, chick-lit, and contemporary. It reminded me a little of Birdbox since the dementia led to madness.
I enjoyed the first half a bit more, particularly the cult flashbacks – how at first everyone was all welcoming and friendly, but you just know sinister motives will soon be revealed. Another of my favourite bits was Wynter adjusting to life outside the cult. The technology and pop culture references made for amusing reading.
Considering the serious subject matter, this was a very tame read, which had its advantages, giving the book a hopeful feel, as opposed to a dark, dreary one. The violence that there is, is mild, with no blood and gore, and zero profanity. The most violent scene occurs in the opening chapter with the farm pigs.
Some parts were somewhat unrealistic. Wynter was a little too worldly considering the sheltered life she had led, but to be honest there just wasn't time to focus on this, and doing so would've stalled the quick moving plot. The only other issue I had was that any obstacle Wynter faced was too easily resolved.
I'd like to thank Netgalley, Howard Books, and Tosca Lee for the digital copy. All in all, an exciting, fantastic novel. Pick up a copy today!
When Wynter Roth was seven years old, she, along with her mother and older sister, Jaclyn joined a doomsday cult known as New Earth. For the next fifteen years Wynter called the compound home, indoctrinated to fear the outside world, until that fateful day when she was banished by the prophet leader, Magnus. Forced to leave her family behind, Wynter finds sanctity in the home of her mother's best friend, her husband, and teenage daughter. Just as she's starting to adjust to life on the outside, a deadly epidemic begins spreading through America, infecting everyone in its past with early-onset dementia. When, Jaclyn shows up on her doorstep with a stolen case of medical samples, it is up to Wynter to drive across country and deliver the vials to a lab at Colorado State University. The fate of the human race depends on it!
I only heard about the existence of this book a week ago, but as soon as I read the book summary I knew I had to read it asap. Cult storylines have always fascinated me, as have apocalypse/post-apocalypse ones, and this book did not disappoint. It's fast-paced, action-packed and encompasses a wide range of genres – thriller, action, adventure, sci-fi, drama, romance, women's fiction, chick-lit, and contemporary. It reminded me a little of Birdbox since the dementia led to madness.
I enjoyed the first half a bit more, particularly the cult flashbacks – how at first everyone was all welcoming and friendly, but you just know sinister motives will soon be revealed. Another of my favourite bits was Wynter adjusting to life outside the cult. The technology and pop culture references made for amusing reading.
Considering the serious subject matter, this was a very tame read, which had its advantages, giving the book a hopeful feel, as opposed to a dark, dreary one. The violence that there is, is mild, with no blood and gore, and zero profanity. The most violent scene occurs in the opening chapter with the farm pigs.
Some parts were somewhat unrealistic. Wynter was a little too worldly considering the sheltered life she had led, but to be honest there just wasn't time to focus on this, and doing so would've stalled the quick moving plot. The only other issue I had was that any obstacle Wynter faced was too easily resolved.
I'd like to thank Netgalley, Howard Books, and Tosca Lee for the digital copy. All in all, an exciting, fantastic novel. Pick up a copy today!
March 11, 2019
Wynter Roth is banished from the cult New Earth. Now in her twenties, Wynter has lived with them since she was a kid. New Earth has cut itself off from the rest of the world and maintained a self-sufficient environment. New Earth has always told its members that the end of the world was coming. When Wynter leaves, she enters a world where a mysterious disease is quickly spreading. She has been told the apocalypse was coming, and now she is faced with that reality. However, Wynter soon learns she may be able to help save the world.
Wynter is a smart and courageous young woman. She wants to protect her sister and her niece, but she doesn't know how after she is banished from New Earth. When Wynter's sister locates her and gives her some medical samples, along with information that Wynter did not know, Wynter does all she can to help. Wynter needs to get the samples to Colorado, and she's not sure who she can trust along the way. Enter Chase, a former military man.
A fast-paced and exciting thriller. Intriguing characters. Suspenseful story. Great for fans of novels involving cults and apocalyptic storylines.
I received a free digital copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
Wynter is a smart and courageous young woman. She wants to protect her sister and her niece, but she doesn't know how after she is banished from New Earth. When Wynter's sister locates her and gives her some medical samples, along with information that Wynter did not know, Wynter does all she can to help. Wynter needs to get the samples to Colorado, and she's not sure who she can trust along the way. Enter Chase, a former military man.
A fast-paced and exciting thriller. Intriguing characters. Suspenseful story. Great for fans of novels involving cults and apocalyptic storylines.
I received a free digital copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
November 14, 2019
4.5 stars
Absolutely fascinating!!!
I had a hard time putting this audiobook down, and actually sneaked in some listening at work.
From the topic of a cult escapee saving humanity by traveling through a nation that has descended into chaos, to the idea of extinct diseases escaping a melting permafrost - I was HOOKED!!!
The writing was superb, and the romance between the heroine and a supporting character was exactly the right amount for a thriller.
I'm excited to start the second book and conclusion A Single Light today and will have a more detailed review ready soon.
Absolutely fascinating!!!
I had a hard time putting this audiobook down, and actually sneaked in some listening at work.
From the topic of a cult escapee saving humanity by traveling through a nation that has descended into chaos, to the idea of extinct diseases escaping a melting permafrost - I was HOOKED!!!
The writing was superb, and the romance between the heroine and a supporting character was exactly the right amount for a thriller.
I'm excited to start the second book and conclusion A Single Light today and will have a more detailed review ready soon.
January 29, 2019
3.5 fever-crazed stars to this book that has a little of everything! Cults, romance, mysterious illness
This fast-paced tale takes us into the heart of a doomsday cult and through the all-too-possible reality of a flu epidemic.
As a young girl, Wynter Roth is forced to quickly adopt the rules in the cult as the family flees an abusive situation. It was fascinating to see how people make a new reality in the cult and mostly forget about elements of their previous lives. Things begin to take a sinister turn and Wynter is thrown out of the cult and exiled from the only family she knows.
She struggles outside the gates of the community, grappling with what she was taught in the cult and the new realities. It does seem like the world is coming to an end with all the news stories she sees and the epidemic that seems to be taking over the country. Wynter is given a chance to help determine the cause of the epidemic, but it's a battle against renegades and the all-powerful cult still exerting influence over her life. Along the way, she meets a military man who helps her.
This was a quick, engaging read with some interesting plot twists. Makes me want to get a double flu shot this year!
Thank you to NetGalley and Howard Books for an early copy of the book to read.
This fast-paced tale takes us into the heart of a doomsday cult and through the all-too-possible reality of a flu epidemic.
As a young girl, Wynter Roth is forced to quickly adopt the rules in the cult as the family flees an abusive situation. It was fascinating to see how people make a new reality in the cult and mostly forget about elements of their previous lives. Things begin to take a sinister turn and Wynter is thrown out of the cult and exiled from the only family she knows.
She struggles outside the gates of the community, grappling with what she was taught in the cult and the new realities. It does seem like the world is coming to an end with all the news stories she sees and the epidemic that seems to be taking over the country. Wynter is given a chance to help determine the cause of the epidemic, but it's a battle against renegades and the all-powerful cult still exerting influence over her life. Along the way, she meets a military man who helps her.
This was a quick, engaging read with some interesting plot twists. Makes me want to get a double flu shot this year!
Thank you to NetGalley and Howard Books for an early copy of the book to read.
December 31, 2018
The Line Between is a thriller from bestselling author, Tosca Lee. As a fan of the author, I had high expectations and she did not disappoint. The storyline alternates between the present and flashbacks from the viewpoint of the main character, Wynter Roth. The transition between the timeframes is smooth, so there is no confusion.
Wynter has just been ousted from New Earth International, an apocalyptic cult. She’s been sheltered inside the Enclave, the cult’s compound, and doesn’t know what to expect of the outside world. She feels like she’s leaving Heaven and entering Hell. The question is: Is the line between Heaven and Hell a great chasm or just the distance of a single step?
The world is on the brink of the apocalypse that Wynter was raised to expect at any moment. Rapid Early Onset Dementia (REOD) is spreading and threatens to usher in the end of the world as we know it. Unexpectedly, Wynter’s sister arrives at her door with medical samples that could be the world’s salvation or it’s destruction. Wynter begins her journey to save the world. Along the way she meets Chase and eventually realizes he’s there not just to save the world, but to save her as well.
Chase Miller, military veteran and MMA fighter, just wants to get to his buddy’s property and go ice fishing. He intends to wait out the apocalypse in peace. When he encounters Wynter he knows that his life has just changed, and he vows to help her save the world.
The Line Between is a riveting example of apocalyptic fiction. The author’s strong depiction of the scenery brings you into the story. Alaska’s permafrost, the beautifully manicured Enclave, and the barren expanses outside the Enclave are all vividly described. Lee has created the perfect characters for the storyline. The plot is exciting and scarily real. There’s plenty of action and adventure for the thrill seekers. I love the ending. It’s a fitting conclusion or an appropriate setup for a sequel.
I recommend this book to those who like thrillers and/or apocalyptic fiction. This may not be the book for the squeamish, as there is some violence. I really enjoyed The Line Between and give it 5 out of 5 stars.
My thanks to Howard Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book. However, the opinions expressed in this review are 100% mine and mine alone.
Wynter has just been ousted from New Earth International, an apocalyptic cult. She’s been sheltered inside the Enclave, the cult’s compound, and doesn’t know what to expect of the outside world. She feels like she’s leaving Heaven and entering Hell. The question is: Is the line between Heaven and Hell a great chasm or just the distance of a single step?
The world is on the brink of the apocalypse that Wynter was raised to expect at any moment. Rapid Early Onset Dementia (REOD) is spreading and threatens to usher in the end of the world as we know it. Unexpectedly, Wynter’s sister arrives at her door with medical samples that could be the world’s salvation or it’s destruction. Wynter begins her journey to save the world. Along the way she meets Chase and eventually realizes he’s there not just to save the world, but to save her as well.
Chase Miller, military veteran and MMA fighter, just wants to get to his buddy’s property and go ice fishing. He intends to wait out the apocalypse in peace. When he encounters Wynter he knows that his life has just changed, and he vows to help her save the world.
The Line Between is a riveting example of apocalyptic fiction. The author’s strong depiction of the scenery brings you into the story. Alaska’s permafrost, the beautifully manicured Enclave, and the barren expanses outside the Enclave are all vividly described. Lee has created the perfect characters for the storyline. The plot is exciting and scarily real. There’s plenty of action and adventure for the thrill seekers. I love the ending. It’s a fitting conclusion or an appropriate setup for a sequel.
I recommend this book to those who like thrillers and/or apocalyptic fiction. This may not be the book for the squeamish, as there is some violence. I really enjoyed The Line Between and give it 5 out of 5 stars.
My thanks to Howard Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book. However, the opinions expressed in this review are 100% mine and mine alone.
December 31, 2023
I felt like a reread of the thriller of the Line Between. I read it back in 2020 and so enjoyed it I wanted to experience the book again. I read this before covid and this book deals with an illness that is spreading across the world and Wynter is the only person with the information to stop it. I loved the cult storyline in the book as well the journey her and her new friend Chase goes on to try to save the world of this awful disease. It will have you on the edge of your seat and wondering if there is enough time to save the world. Highly recommend!!!
November 30, 2020
Interesting concept, but didn't quite get on with the writing.
September 5, 2019
Guys- I don't even to know where to start on this one. It's unlike anything I've ever read. Part terrifying dystopian, part cult memoir, part coming of age, part heart-pounding pandemic mystery, part tender faith exploration, part innocent love story.
Whew.
That said, I'm not telling you more. Just read it. I flew through this book and I couldn't put it down. I absolutely cannot wait to read the sequel.
March 30, 2019
In The Line Between, when Wynter is evicted from a doomsday cult, she rejoins the world at the same time that a mysterious outbreak of dementia is spreading across the country. While she is trying to adjust to life in the real-world, she also realizes that she may be able to do something to help the research into the epidemic, all the while trying to figure out how to get her sister and her niece out of the cult too.
Whew, there is a lot going on in this book. In the first half, I was so into the story that the pages were practically turning themselves. We follow Wynter after she leaves the cult, alternating chapters with her life in the cult and what eventually led to her expulsion. The first half of the book is also when the outbreak first captures the public's attention, and it was fascinating to read the author's take on what the first weeks of an epidemic could look like as the country slowly experiences a breakdown of its infrastructure and services.
Then we hit about the middle of the book, and everything slows down to a snails pace. We reach the part in the story that is the bane of every apocalypse book I have ever read, and that is the run/hide/scrounge for resources/keep alive section. It's just not that interesting to read chapter after chapter of characters driving around, looking for gas and food, hiding in various dwellings, fighting off crazy people, and being tired and dirty. This section really dragged on.
Eventually, in the end, everything does come together in a somewhat satisfactory (though unsurprising) way. Since there is an epidemic, this book isn't able to wrap all that up, but rather leaves it open-ended. And it looks like the author is writing another book to continue Wynter's story further.
Even though the epidemic story line has been written many times, the cult element brings an interesting new dimension to this book. I particularly enjoyed the first half of the book, with all of its action and fast-pacing. It also has a slew of sweet and kind-hearted supporting characters who really make the book feel warm when it could easily have been depressing and cold. In the end, there is enough that is new and interesting in this story to keep my attention, and I'm glad I picked it up.
Whew, there is a lot going on in this book. In the first half, I was so into the story that the pages were practically turning themselves. We follow Wynter after she leaves the cult, alternating chapters with her life in the cult and what eventually led to her expulsion. The first half of the book is also when the outbreak first captures the public's attention, and it was fascinating to read the author's take on what the first weeks of an epidemic could look like as the country slowly experiences a breakdown of its infrastructure and services.
Then we hit about the middle of the book, and everything slows down to a snails pace. We reach the part in the story that is the bane of every apocalypse book I have ever read, and that is the run/hide/scrounge for resources/keep alive section. It's just not that interesting to read chapter after chapter of characters driving around, looking for gas and food, hiding in various dwellings, fighting off crazy people, and being tired and dirty. This section really dragged on.
Eventually, in the end, everything does come together in a somewhat satisfactory (though unsurprising) way. Since there is an epidemic, this book isn't able to wrap all that up, but rather leaves it open-ended. And it looks like the author is writing another book to continue Wynter's story further.
Even though the epidemic story line has been written many times, the cult element brings an interesting new dimension to this book. I particularly enjoyed the first half of the book, with all of its action and fast-pacing. It also has a slew of sweet and kind-hearted supporting characters who really make the book feel warm when it could easily have been depressing and cold. In the end, there is enough that is new and interesting in this story to keep my attention, and I'm glad I picked it up.
January 27, 2019
Between this book and a couple of movies I watched over the holidays, I really feel like I need to begin doomsday prepping, Lol! Are those people who build underground bunkers in their backyard really all that insane?
Basic plot: Wynter is kicked out of a cult only to be thrust into what might be the end of the world. A virus has broken out across the country that is causing people to have early onset dementia and do erratic and sometimes violent acts. But, Wynter has information that could save society.
The book is told from Wynter's point of view and is told in flashbacks between present day and the time she spent in a religious cult. Wynter's sister is also part of the cult. Cults are always interesting in the way they exert ultimate control on people and distort reality, and the unwavering devotion to another human being. Wynter's adjustment to the world outside the cult is cut short by the virus and she doggedly tries to save the world and at the same time understand it.
While this was a fun read, there were some pretty implausible parts. Once Wynter sets off to save the world, her adjustment is a little too good to be true. Maybe it is like the mothers who can lift cars to save their children - a tough situation brings out the hero in all of us? There is also a love interest thrown in that didn't really feel necessary. I liked him, or the idea of him (who wouldn't like a handsome man in uniform who is willing to risk all to help a stranger save the world), but other than the possible end of the world and them being two attractive 20-somethings, I didn't really feel the connection between them.
It may not seem like it, but I did actually enjoy the book. I think what kept this book interesting was that the possibility of a deadly or mind altering virus isn't really too far fetched. And, a road trip with little things like a gas shortage and people with dementia on the roads, is actually entertaining.
Basic plot: Wynter is kicked out of a cult only to be thrust into what might be the end of the world. A virus has broken out across the country that is causing people to have early onset dementia and do erratic and sometimes violent acts. But, Wynter has information that could save society.
The book is told from Wynter's point of view and is told in flashbacks between present day and the time she spent in a religious cult. Wynter's sister is also part of the cult. Cults are always interesting in the way they exert ultimate control on people and distort reality, and the unwavering devotion to another human being. Wynter's adjustment to the world outside the cult is cut short by the virus and she doggedly tries to save the world and at the same time understand it.
While this was a fun read, there were some pretty implausible parts. Once Wynter sets off to save the world, her adjustment is a little too good to be true. Maybe it is like the mothers who can lift cars to save their children - a tough situation brings out the hero in all of us? There is also a love interest thrown in that didn't really feel necessary. I liked him, or the idea of him (who wouldn't like a handsome man in uniform who is willing to risk all to help a stranger save the world), but other than the possible end of the world and them being two attractive 20-somethings, I didn't really feel the connection between them.
It may not seem like it, but I did actually enjoy the book. I think what kept this book interesting was that the possibility of a deadly or mind altering virus isn't really too far fetched. And, a road trip with little things like a gas shortage and people with dementia on the roads, is actually entertaining.
March 5, 2019
This was... well, it was pretty freaking good! And I'd been eyeing the release date on this one for a while. Was worried my expectations would ruin or diminish it. I'm very pleased to say that was not the case here. It's a perfect book for someone who enjoys soul searching tales, self discovery combined with a suspenseful thriller plot, fast paced but still meaningful, paranormal or not, both welcome. This book was that, without paranormal aspects.
I should say, I was attached to this book initially because of the apocalyptic, pandemic plot. I did get a feel from some reviews, it was similar to a zombie novel. That definitely sold it for me! However, important to note, there are no zombies here, no reanimation or paranormal. That said, I easily overcame that hope quickly. It was engrossing, well written and overall a solid read. I'll be checking out the other books from this author.
Last now: I'm thrilled (pun intended) to learn the story will continue! That was unexpected. It's a solid book that would be just fine on it's on. However, more from these characters and this story? One would be a fool not to be excited about that;)
I should say, I was attached to this book initially because of the apocalyptic, pandemic plot. I did get a feel from some reviews, it was similar to a zombie novel. That definitely sold it for me! However, important to note, there are no zombies here, no reanimation or paranormal. That said, I easily overcame that hope quickly. It was engrossing, well written and overall a solid read. I'll be checking out the other books from this author.
Last now: I'm thrilled (pun intended) to learn the story will continue! That was unexpected. It's a solid book that would be just fine on it's on. However, more from these characters and this story? One would be a fool not to be excited about that;)
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