Member Reviews
Really delightful and sweet. I was rooting for Amy the whole time, and appreciated her growth. The characters are richly developed, and the sensory details (especially around food) are gorgeous.
The Space Between Here and Now held space for a lot of topics that I felt propelled the story forward. I am not a huge fan of time travel and while this isn't that concept exactly I thought this was the most well done of that vibe that I've read or watched even. I liked to see Aimee and her dads relationship build throughout the book and the resolution. I also appreciated that Aimee's best friend was never left behind even thought Aimee was grappling with her identity and getting a hold of the nostalgic smells process. I would recommend this to the right person to enjoy this kind of light sci-fi story because it was well done. I wanted a little more from the ending but it's still worth the read.
Sarah Suk’s The Space Between Here & Now is a heartfelt young adult novel that blends contemporary realism with a touch of magical realism. The story follows Mina, a girl grappling with grief and her fractured relationships, particularly with her mother. As Mina begins experiencing flashes of memories that aren’t her own, she embarks on a journey of self-discovery, where the line between past and present starts to blur.
Suk’s writing is tender and evocative, capturing the complexities of family dynamics, loss, and healing. The novel explores themes of memory, identity, and the ways in which the past shapes who we are. The subtle magical realism adds depth to Mina’s emotional journey, serving as a metaphor for the unresolved feelings she carries.
With its poignant narrative and relatable characters, The Space Between Here & Now is a moving exploration of coming to terms with the past and finding peace in the present. It’s a beautifully crafted story for readers who enjoy emotional, reflective tales with a hint of magic.
I really wanted to like this book and there are definitely parts of it that I enjoyed but overall the plot was not well conceived and I desired so much more from it.
I was not sure what to expect from this book, but OMG I never expected it to stir so many emotions in me.
I've read a many time travel books, but this one, this one was the best form of it that I have ever read. Her time travel is done due to a smell that links that memory. While the condition is fictional, it is the best explanation ever. In fact, I would call it time travel, because to me that implies she can travel to the future as well, but it only seems to be the past that she is able to travel too. Which again, if I was able to time travel, it would be to my past ot correct some of my mistakes. So that was a huge plus for me.
The book had so many emotions wrapped up into it and I felt every single one of them. I could not recommend this book more.
Thank you to Harper Collins Canada for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
Aimee has Sensory Time Warp Syndrome, a disease that causes a person to travel back to memories outside of their control, triggered by one of the 5 senses. For Aimee, it’s scent. She wants to investigate coping mechanisms and therapy for her disorder, but her father seems to think everything is fine. Her mother left when she was a child, and Aimee begins to think she may have suffered from STWS as well. So, Aimee travels to South Korea to begin to explore her family and its history.
I listened to this novel on Spotify and it was a pretty quick listen, but I also could not stop listening to it. It’s YA so the plot moves forward quickly. The characters are all unique and provide a lot to the story and plot. Aimee shines as a protagonist, thoroughly exploring how hard it is to be a teenager, looking into university choices and also feeling like a piece of you is missing since there are unknowns about your family.
Her travels to South Korea open this beautiful world. The food and scent descriptions are vivid and transportive. Her syndrome reminds me of people exploring chronic illness or mental health struggles. Some people are very guarded around diagnoses and feel they can cope on their own. There are also cultural opinions and biases surrounding this. And the ending has quite a surprise that left me quite emotional.
If you want a light sci-fi filled with love, descriptive visuals and a whole lot of heart you have got to check this one out!
Time travel has been an appealing theme in both books and movies for generations, often portrayed as an exciting and adventurous phenomenon. However, in Sarah Suk's novel THE SPACE BETWEEN HERE & NOW, time travel takes on a unique and poignant twist. The protagonist, Aimee Roh, suffers from Sensory Time Warp Syndrome (STWS), a fictional medical condition that causes her to physically travel back to memories when triggered by specific scents.
The novel delves deep into the emotional and psychological impact of this condition on Aimee's life. Unlike the typical adventurous time-traveling hero, Aimee's experiences are fraught with challenges and complications that mirror those faced by individuals with chronic conditions in the real world. The narrative explores themes of ableism and the ignorance that people with invisible disabilities often encounter. Aimee's struggle is not just with her condition but also with the societal pressures and misconceptions that come with it.
THE SPACE BETWEEN HERE & NOW is a story about family, identity, and the search for belonging, more than just another science fiction tale. Aimee's journey to find her mother, who disappeared when she was young, and her efforts to connect with her father, create a rich tapestry of family dynamics and secrets. The time travel element is not merely a plot device but a means to explore the depths of familial relationships and the longing for connection.
THE SPACE BETWEEN HERE & NOW stands out in the young adult genre for its thoughtful approach to the time travel trope and its sensitive portrayal of complex emotional themes. Thanks to Suk's skill as a writer and her ability to craft a narrative that is both imaginative and grounded in the realities of human experience. For those interested in a fresh take on time travel and a deep dive into the intricacies of memory and grief, this novel is must-read.
The Space Between Here & Now (by: Sarah Suk) is a sci-fi/speculative fiction young adult novel about Aimee Roh, a girl with a rare condition—Sensory Time Warp Syndrome —that causes her to travel in time to a moment in her past. When her condition becomes out of control, she visits her parents homeland, South Korea looking for answers to her own condition as well as what happened to her mom, who she hasn’t heard from in years.
This story was very relatable and heartwarming. It conveyed well what it feels like to be a teenager with parents who might not understand exactly what you’re going through but that love you and want to. I think, as a teenager, I would’ve loved this book, and even reading it as a young adult, I thought it did a good job of conveying what it’s like to become more independent and search for answers of your own.
I would recommend this book most to preteens/teens coming to age, especially those of a minority background or with complex family roots, though I think this has appeal for all ages.
The Space Between Here & Now is a fascinating read! It's wholly original with atmospheric writing that drew me in from the start. It was a thoughtful and entertaining story that kept me hooked the entire time!
Stunning cover, fascinating concept, incredible execution. This was very well done time travel novel that kept me hooked from page 1.
A sweet and thoughtful look at the ways that disability, diaspora, and childhood trauma can make one feel out of sync. Aimee's condition, "Sensory Time Warp Syndrome," is an interesting sci-fi conceit that works well on both a plot level and a metaphorical one. Aimee's relationships and decisions felt realistic for her age. The story moves a bit slowly at times. The ending had the right mix of uncertainty and hope. The romance felt a little cliched (it was the least interesting part of the story) and some of the other relationships felt a bit underdeveloped. But overall, worth reading.
Smells are commonly known to figuratively transport people back in time, into their memories, sometimes quite unexpectedly. For Aimee, this even happens physically: she has Sensory Time Warp Syndrome, a medical condition that sends people back in time when their senses are triggered by a memory.
This is such an interesting twist to the time travel trope, very different from what I've read before. I love time travel in media, and it was super interesting to see it explored this way, not as something fun and adventurous, but as a condition that negatively affects Aimee, and also comes with external issues just like other chronic conditions, such as ableism. People keep telling her she should simply try harder not to travel, or they make ignorant comments about the condition and sensationalize it.
I thought the writing was so good, and the time travel element was expertly interwoven with Aimee wanting to find her mum, who left when she was little, and struggling to connect with her dad. It's not just a time travel story or just a story about family secrets and relationships, but these elements really enhanced each other.
However much I loved this book, I will say I wanted a little more from the ending. I would have loved seeing things resolved and explained a little more.
I enjoyed this story with a focus on family and emotion using time travel as a device and an allegory for a teen with a disability and how they process that. Not my normal fare, but and enjoyable read that kept me turning the pages!
4.5
I was so impressed with this book. It had so much heart, emotion and was incredibly written. Aimee is a diverse character that you could understand, appreciate and root for. Her feelings of loneliness and isolation were described so fully and much more than the ‘YA’ genre I felt. The time travel was realistic, but there were some minor parts I questioned.
The twists and turns kept me really engaged. I thought this was super fast paced and really easy to read. I can’t wait to check out more from Sarah Suk,
I’m still processing this book. If you like YA, if you like emotional stories, if you like stories about family, if you like stories about learning how to accept who you are - you will like this book.
The main character, Aimee, has a disability called “STWS” or sensory time warp syndrome. It is a rare condition that causes her to time travel to a moment in her life when she smells something linked to that memory. Her father often just pushes her worries, fear, and anxiety about her condition aside, saying that she’ll “grow out of it.”
Aimee is constantly feeling isolated, has high anxiety and is depressed. She also is desperately searching for more information about her condition.
Sarah Suk wrote an amazing and emotional story that I connected and related to almost immediately. I loved that Aimee learned how to manage her condition or “disability” as well as the importance of being present, to be here now. Aimee had a big character growth in learning how to have the hard discussions with her father and in finding out the truth of her mother’s disappearance.
Not only was her main characters well written, but Suk also didn’t just add in characters to “forget” about them later - and I really liked the best friend, Nikita.
There is a subplot of a sweet romance that you can watch spark into life in the book, but it is very light.
Overall, this book allowed for a connection for anyone who has felt isolated with a disability, a desire to improve familial bonds and having the hard discussions. But mostly, this book is about self identity/acceptance. I’ll be looking forward to reading more of Sarah Suk.
Suk created an incredible, compelling narrative in this slightly different reality that includes an unexplained syndrome which causes people to travel back in time to their memories. Aimee, the main character, suffers from this but also has real life issues like a complicated relationship with her father made much more difficult after her mother leaves the family behind. Suk incorporates this syndrome seamlessly into Aimee's coming of age and the restoration of her relationship with her father.
This is a lovely and heartfelt YA story of family and blossoming new love that isn't too heavy-handed but is definitely sweet and contemplative. The use of Aimee's "medical condition" reminded me of the treatment of time travel in the Time Traveler's Wife, where it wasn't "fun" but was actually a chronic illness that severely interrupted daily living. I appreciated that use of the magical realism and of the realistic and gut-wrenching development of the relationship between Aimee and her father. The reader genuinely doesn't know what Aimee is going to find, so it's exciting and nerve-wracking to go on this journey of family and personal discovery with her.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book.
I really enjoyed reading The Space Between Here and Now even though I did not quite get to finish it. I was really hooked by the plot of the novel and rooting for the main character to find what she was searching for. I loved reading this book anytime I was on the bus or the tube. It was not like any of the other books that I typically read but I enjoyed that it was a book that dealt with a more serious topic that I had never heard of or known about. I would definitely recommend for people to read this book.
Aimee has a rare disorder called Synsory Time Warp Syndrome (STWS) which causes her to vanish back into her memories. At any moment, a smell can send Aimee into a time warp, so she avoids everyday things like getting a driver's license or going on a date. Lately, all of her time warp memories center around her mom who left home when Aimee was young, so she decides finding her mom might help her understand herself.