Jody CasellaCritiques

Marsh has been living in a fog ever since the car crash that killed his twin brother and left him injured. He is being crushed by his sadness and guilt over what happened and what's happened since. He no longer cares about his friends at school or life in general... all he cares about is finding a Thin Space and making things right. You see when his elderly neighbor told him about these Thin Spaces- a place where the dead and living can meet-, and that she was going to make one, he thought she was just a nut. But now he's counting on it.

Maddie has moved in to the house that has the best potential for holding a Thin Space. Marsh knows if he can only get close to her, she might let him in to find it. Even with all his craziness, Maddie wants to befriend Marsh. Even though her brother and his new friends are expressly against it. As the two of them become closer and bond over their need to find a Thin Space, Marsh gets closer to coming to grips with what really happened the night Austin died.

My Thoughts:
I loved the idea that drove this book. What if there was a place where you could communicate with a dead loved one? And I can see how someone who is grieving can become completely obsessed with trying to make it happen. Marsh wanted to find a Thin Space so badly that he walked around without shoes at all times. You know just in case he walked into a Thin Space inadvertently. The mere thought of that hurts my feet and grosses me out. But this boy was DESPERATE.

It was hard for me to believe that Maddie would gravitate to Marsh. If I saw a dude walking around without shoes, I'd be like HELL NO. I give her credit for being so open minded.

The downside of this book for me was that I figured out "the secret" pretty early on. There were a few clues that jumped out at me and I just knew. I'm not usually good at figuring things like that out, so I think maybe it should have been disguised a little better. The rest of the book was kind of ruined because after I guessed the secret I looked at Marsh in a completely different way. With that being said there was one thing that happened at the end that I did NOT see coming at all, so it wasn't all ruined.

I think this is a great first book for this author. The writing was fab and kept me reading long past my bedtime. I just wished that the big reveal was more hidden and I didn't FEEL the grief and sadness the way I have with some other books. I mean the boy lost his TWIN and he was super depressed, but the feeling for me wasn't there.

OVERALL: A strong debut from Jody Casella!! It's a book about a boy paralyzed by grief and guilt. He's holding in secrets that he can't share with anyone and his quest to find a Thin Space takes over his life. I liked how the writing hooked me, but I wished I would have felt more. I usually cry like baby when a character hurts as much as Marsh was, but my face remained dry.

My Blog:

After losing his twin brother in a car accident where he was driving, Marsh has completely lost himself in his grief. Obsessed with an old story from an even older neighbour who’s long gone, he finds himself constantly looking for the perfect spot for a “thin space”, or a place where he can cross over to the other side to talk to someone lost to the world. He just wants to talk to him one last time and make things ight. But after wandering around barefoot for months, it’s starting to get cold, and he’s starting to lost hope.

Check out my full review here!

https://radioactivebookreviews.wordpress.com/2021/10/13/book-review-thin-space-b...

I wanted to love this book SO BAD. I mean, the concept of it is amazing. Who out there would not try and find a thin space to see a lost loved one? Unfortunately, the execution fell flat for me.

Alright, you can go now. No need to read the rest of the review. Jking.

The first issue I had was the bare feet. Does this count as a spoiler? I don’t think so. It doesn’t ruin any of the book, it’s just an integral part of the plot. In order to find a thin space, you have to be able to touch it with your bare toesies. Which makes complete sense to me. So he doesn’t miss finding a thin space, Marsh walks around bare foot. All. The. Time. To school, to the mall, in the middle of winter. All. The. Time. And I get that the adults want to let him grieve, but I don’t think in reality, people would let a kid walk around with no shoes on. I would assume the school would have had to send him home, at the very least. I know my parents wouldn’t have accepted it.

I wanted to like both Marsh and Maddie, but I didn’t feel connected to either of them. I’ve never gone through the type of grief and guilt that Marsh was experiencing, but his attitude towards life was a little much for me to handle. I liked the blooming friendship between him and Maddie (the girl who moves into the house with a thin space) but I didn’t really get a good sense of her. She was just kind of there.

Also, how Marsh knows about thin spaces just seems a little too coincidental for me. He learns about them then BAM, his brother is dead. The timing on that is just a little too perfect.

And finally, the ending. This was weird for me. I actually liked the ending, but I walked away going “that’s it?”. Maybe because I was basically done by this point, but I would have liked it if this whole part was a lot bigger. It’s twisty and I like it.

I mean overall, it wasn’t a HORRIBLE book. I read the entire thing, which is saying something since I’ve DNF’ed a couple of books lately. I’m trying not to push myself into reading things that don’t catch my full attention. So if it interests you, pick it up.

Just set your expectations low and maybe you’ll be blown away.

A suspenseful sci-fi novel with some great twists and turns! Marshall lost his twin brother Austin 3 months ago in a car accident; Marsh was driving, and is wracked with guilt as well as grief. Ever since, he has been walking around in bare feet, a rather unusual way to grieve, his parents think--but it's because he is determined to find a "thin space." This would be a spot, hard to see, where the barrier between our world and the next is thinner, so the living can enter the world of the dead. Marsh desperately wants to speak to his brother again, but not necessarily for the reasons you might think. He meets Maddie, a girl his age who moves in next door, and this complicates his search for a thin space because he is sure there is one in her house; but how can he get inside to search without revealing to her his mad quest? I can't talk too much about this book for fear of spoiling too much; it's just a really cool and clever book! It's suspenseful, dark, and keeps you guessing; an excellent psychological study of survivor's guilt, with a supernatural bent. Ohio author.

I won't rehash what the book is actually about here, because plenty of people have already reviewed. I thought the premise of the book was actually pretty awesome. You can escape into these thin spaces and see the people you love? Resolve issues? And ghosts can come through the other way? Creepy and cool! It had just the right amount of sci-fi without getting technical enough that it could be picked apart. I finished it quickly, but I'm giving it 4 stars (instead of 5) because I found the writing inconsistent. There would be passages that were superbly written, followed by some that were filled with mush and filler without getting any real point across. However, this wasn't enough to stop me from reading (and provided some real skimming opportunities) and I finished it in a day. I look forward to seeing what else she comes up with!

This review first posted on Book.Blog.Bake.

I started reading this book on March 22, 2013. I finished on May 6th. For the month and a half I was “reading” this novel, I was thoroughly uncaptivated by the story Casella was telling, which is a shame, because it’s actually fairly well-written, and it’s gotten really glowing reviews. It’s become one of those instances were I wonder if I read the same book as everyone else, because I found Thin Space poorly paced and the middle section of the novel dragged for me enough that I considered not finishing it. Ultimately, I’m glad I did, but I had quite a few issues with Thin Space.

If this novel was being rated on the last 10% of the story alone, it would be a solid five stars. The ending has everything I ever want in a incredible novel– a great twist(even if I saw it coming), emotions so intensely catatheric without being sentimental, and a feeling of firm resolution without everything being wrapped up in a neat bow. I love books about siblings probably more than any other relationship, and the ending delivered on that.

However, there was quite a bit of words I struggled through before I reached that 90% mark. Mainly, I was just bored. The mystery in this book didn’t seem much like a mystery to me, as much as I love the idea of a teenage boy who has lost his brother trying to find a thin space. For the most part, Marsh’s character fell flat for me, and the twist that comes at the end is fairly easy to spot if you’ve been paying attention. The plot in the middle of the book consists mainly of Marsh and Maddie, the girl mentioned in the summary, walking around without shoes trying to find a thin space. There’s a lot 0f walking in this book, and not much of a destination.

Basically, this is plot summary of the book for me:

Introduction to car crash and dead twin. Marsh walks around barefoot a lot, searching for a not-very-well-described “thin space”. Marsh walks some more. He meets a girl, Maddie, who’s also dealing with things. Marsh walks around some alone. Marsh walks around some with Maddie. Marsh tries to walk around barefoot in Maddie’s house to find a thin space he “knows” is in the house. Marsh walks around some more. Plot twist, emotional impact, the end.

The dynamic between Marsh and Maddie is kinda strange. Sometimes I really liked their friendship and thought it was headed for something more, sometimes I thought there WAS something more that they were both denying, and sometimes I thought it was just a strange pairing. I normally like the whole “pair-the-misfits-together-and-show-them-they’re-not-alone” theme, but I’m not a hundred percent sure it worked for me in Thin Space.

As mentioned before, I really like sibling relationships, and that was probably the biggest aspect of Thin Space that I truly enjoyed. Obviously, one of the siblings isn’t actually present due to the car crash, but the entire story line does revolve around the twins, and Maddie and her brother Sam serve as a second story line. This wasn’t the book for me, but it wasn’t bad by any means, and I would recommend it to people who like books about siblings, about misfits, or perhaps even about journeys. This isn’t really that emotional book considering the subject, so if you read hoping for that(as I was) you’ll probably be disappointed.

Final Impression: Even though I can see the appeal of Thin Space for many readers, it did not have that same appeal for me. It had a good start and an absolutely superb ending, but unfortunately I found the majority of the book lacking in pacing, emotions, or mystery. It had a great basis with the sibling relationship as a focused, but felt lackluster to me.

Disclaimer: I was provided an advanced copy of this book by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Marsh is a wreck both physically and emotionally. His identical twin Austin was killed in a car accident, leaving Marsh an injured shell. It’s been a few months of recuperation from the accident but Marsh has turned away from all his friends and his behavior is bizarre. He won’t wear shoes despite the advancing frigid weather. His shoeless state is the result of his attempt to find the thin space that a dying neighbor has left for him. According to legend, a thin space will allow the living to cross over into the land of the dead, but they must do so in bare feet. Marsh is desperate to connect with his dead twin and walks everywhere searching for a thin space. His parents and his school have allowed him his eccentricities and even accepted some of his anger, but their patience is running short. When a new family moves into the deceased neighbor’s house, Marsh sees his opportunity to find the thin space he was promised. He begins to make friends with Maddie, the teenage girl who moved in. She may be his ticket to getting in the house and fulfill his obsession with finding the thin space. Maddie and Marsh are both troubled souls who find a connection through their grief. They are rich characters but the supporting characters are less developed. Casella writes with compassion of the deep sense of loss when a twin dies. She astutely explores the identity problem identical twins face. For much of the book the mystery of the thin space seems to be mere fantasy. The story may not need the supernatural aspect to delve into guilt and loss but the ending would not be as strong without it. Casella has beautifully woven a mystery into the fabric of the story and the search for a way for Marsh to assuage his guilt.

Consumed by guilt and secrets about his twin brother's death, Marsh Windsor is looking for a thin space--a place where the barrier between this world and the next is thin enough for a person to cross over--in hopes of setting things right.

Marshall has been walking around barefoot since his twin brother died. Why? He's hoping to find a "thin space"--a place where he can step through to the afterlife and find his twin. Totally eerie and with a wicked twist at the end. Love it!

*I was provided with an advanced electronic copy of this book from the author and Beyond Words/Simon Pulse in return of an honest review. No monetary compensation was provided in this exchange.*

Review originally posted on Moonlight Gleam's Bookshelf.

FINAL RATING: 3.5/5 stars

Being a sibling is hard. Always having another person to compare one’s accomplishes and life experience to, always having the share the affections of one’s parents. But as hard as being a sibling is, being a twin is infinitely harder. Marshall Windsor – Marsh for short – has had to share his whole life with his twin brother. From friends, sports, dating, constantly getting confused with one another… Marsh and Austin went through life together. Until one moment rips them apart, and leaves a teenage boy to deal with injuries, trauma, sccarring… and the loss of the only other person in the world who could truly understand him.

In the months that follow his brother’s passing, Marsh’s grief and loss lead to his obsession with finding a Thin Space – a mythical area where the worlds of the living and dead (or more correctly, those in purgatory) are thinner. A Thin Space could reunite Marsh with his brother. It could change everything. A Thin Space could fix everything since that fateful night months ago. And when Marsh’s neighbour – who was so convinced of the existence of Thin Spaces – passes away in the spot where her soul had entered her body (a requirement in the creation of a Thin Space), Marsh makes it his goal to get into this house and find the Thin Space.

But the new neighbours make Marsh’s mission so much harder. He bonds with Maddie, who has demons of her own. Her brother Sam has made it his personal goal to keep Marsh as far away from his sister as he can. And reality doesn’t stop for Marsh, despite his honourable mission. His family life is in ruins. Everyone thinks he has officially lost his mind. But little does he know, that his search for the Thin Space will unravel much more than he expected it would… about himself… about his brother… and about the truth that he has been denying to himself for so long.

Thin Space is Jody Casella’s first venture into YA storytelling, and she definitely did not disappoint. It is pretty hard to find a good male POV story nowadays, and this one was special on its own just for that. Marsh is the definition of an unreliable narrator. His point of view left me confused for such a large part of the book. Things just didn’t add up. But then they did. And I loved it so much. I have always been interested in the relationship between twins, and I think that Casella did a great job with her approach to the topic. Marsh and Austin’s relationship was very realistic and I do understand some of the aspects of having a love/hate (mostly love) relationship with a sibling. I sympathized so much with Marsh and to see his growth and acceptance as the story went on was very refreshing, though a bit painful, to read about. I liked Maddie well enough. Her relationship with Marsh was quite realistic and well-developed. They are two broken people who, maybe one day, will be able to help fix each other. And it’s good.

My problem came with Marsh’s peers at the high school and their treatment of a boy who has basically just lost his other half. I’ve seen the treatment that high school students give to someone who has experienced a loss – slow, unsure, wanting to be supportive but not knowing how. And Marsh’s classmates were just brutal to him. They picked fights with him and when they weren’t doing that, they were blatantly ignoring him. That wasn’t something I would ever want anyone to experience. It’s not something anyone should experience. It came off unrealistic.

Otherwise, this is a very solid debut release by Jody Casella. The concept of a Thin Space in itself is so original and creative, and her writing shines with every page and every discovery we make about Marsh and Austin. The direction that Casella chooses to go in is definitely hinted throughout the story if one really looks hard enough, but I liked being surprised. It was a good ending. It was the ending that Marsh needed and it was the ending that Thin Space needed.

Jody Casella has written a beautiful story about the bond between brothers and how loss affects a boy. A twin boy. How one moment can change everything that follows. And for these reasons (and so many more), I wholeheartedly recommend Thin Space to readers of YA, contemporary and a dash of paranormal and romance.

MY Take Away Thoughts On This:

From the first page where Marshall wakes up to find out his twin is dead I was pulled into this book. His bizarre behavior and the love he finds as he works his way through this tragic situation is unbelieveable. I highly reccoimmend reading this book - so put it on your TBR list today. I feel luck to have gotten an ARC for this book. This is absoutely one of those books I could read a second time and each time come up with something different - so yes it's a re-reader.

Check out my full review at: http://bookgirlfromsouthcarolina.wordpress.com

Sometimes you need a book that hurts so good, and Jody Casella's powerful, authentically told debut is one of those books. Thin Space carries you through the heart of what it means to love and lose, to regret and move forward...and won't let you down until long after its riveting finale.

Jody Casella has produced a wonderful story that turns out to be as intriguing as it is unexpected! How many times I thought that I would have reacted the same way the main character does. So many pictures are clearer when the details are defined. I quite enjoyed this book and will recommend it to all!

Beautifully written. Balances a suspenseful plot and the emotional growth of her characters with ease and grace. I couldn't put the book down! As you read each chapter you want to know more and more about the characters and their lives! You will want to have your tissues nearby because I know I was shredding tears as I was reading.

Thin Space was a very promising debut novel. The characters were well-written and well-rounded and the writing didn't get in the way of the story. There was enough description and world-building and the author didn't inundate us with large info-dumps.