I’ve been hankering for a good contemporary stand-alone with time travel elements, and this one really did a good job!

Ever since she was young, Aimee has been afflicted with Sensory Time Warp Syndrome. It’s a very rare condition that causes uncontrollable time travel to past memories and is induced by smells linked to said memories.

Usually Aimee is only gone for a few minutes at the time, and her father writes it off as something she will grow out of. But when she disappears for NINE HOURS into a memory of a mother she barely remembers, things start to get too real.

Definitely check TWs, for although this is a YA book, it delves into topics such as grief, personal identity, cultural dynamics and complicated families. Thank you NetGalley for an eARC!

I really enjoyed this book. I thought it gave a different perspective of mental health battles in the form of a created “syndrome” (Sensory time warp syndrome). Aimee is the main character who is in her senior year of high school as she begins experiencing more issues with her STWS. The story follows he investigation and confrontation with her family and past to unravel some long-held mysteries of her life. I would certainly recommend this book, it was a good and easy read, but still gave you something to think about. I also appreciate the end doesn’t provide you with a neatly “happy” ending.

This is a story about a girl who has Sensory Time Warp Syndrome which is similar to PTSD flashbacks with some differences. It is uncertain if STWS is caused by trauma and when someone gets sent back in time, the memory they see is not necessarily a traumatic one. The main character is on a journey to find her mom and uncover more information about STWS. If you know Korean and can read the romanization of it, then that will help you read because it takes place in America and South Korea. The world-building and character development is phenomenal. This is a great YA story with a happy ending.

“The Space between Here & Now” by Sarah Suk follows Aimee Roh, a 17 year old girl who struggles with a condition known as Sensory Time Warp Syndrome. For Aimee, she is sent back in time when she smells a scent connected to a memory. When she spends nine hours in a memory that contradicts the story that her father told her about her mother leaving them, she decides to embark on a journey in Korea to unravel the truth about her mother and her condition.

While the synopsis and cover of “The Space between Here & Now” are what initially drew me in, once I started reading, it was everything else that kept me completely enraptured. The writing style flows so well that it is almost lyrical. Right from the start, I was completely enraptured and stayed that way the whole time. I was completely astounded by how quickly I was reading it. On top of this, the characters are complex and relatable, especially Aimee; her experience with STWS reflected a lot of the feelings I have regarding mental health issues I deal with on a daily basis, so I felt like I really connected with Aimee. I loved how this novel handled deeper topics such as identity, cultural differences, and family dynamics. The strained relationship between Aimee and her father felt so realistic, especially given the differences in their upbringings. I really enjoyed reading about Aimee’s experiences in Korea and discovering things about herself and her family.

I genuinely loved this book and would definitely recommend this to anyone who enjoys books that center on relationship dynamics and character growth.

The Space between Here & Now by Sarah Suk is a beautifully written and gripping YA novel that tells the story of Aimee Roh, a teenager with Sensory Time Warp Syndrome, a rare condition that causes her to time travel to a moment in her life when she smells something linked to that memory. Aimee's fear of vanishing at random has kept her from living a normal life until she disappears for nine hours into a memory of her estranged mom, a moment she has never remembered before. Desperate for answers, Aimee travels to Korea, where she unravels the mystery of her memories, the truth about her mother, and the reason she keeps returning to certain moments in her life.

Suk's writing is lyrical and atmospheric, drawing the reader into Aimee's world of memories and time travel. The plot is intriguing and the characters are complex and relatable, especially Aimee, who struggles with her condition and the pain of her past. The exploration of memory, grief, and the painful silences we must overcome to discover our truest selves is poignant and thought-provoking.

Overall, The Space between Here & Now is a must-read for fans of YA fiction that explores themes of identity, family, and self-discovery. Suk's debut novel is a powerful and emotional journey that will stay with readers long after they finish the last page.

This was a great read. I connected with the main character and love the world the author built (which is, of course, the real world with STWS). I enjoyed the interludes between chapters using messages, diary entries, and lists. Aimee went on an incredible journey, and I was really rooting for her to find her mom. I was worried, but I am so happy with how it resolved. Would definitely recommend to teens interested in fantasy.

I love when an author is able to write about one thing while actually addressing a deeper and more meaningful truth. But, no spoilers, so I’ll leave that there. Such a creative premise, which is darn refreshing. A well written YA novel with beautiful mix of reality and fantasy. Girls will adore the best friendship shown here—finally a nontoxic friendship for us ladies! Also, the love interest, which doesn’t dominate our main character’s life (thank god) is sure to be a hit as well. This book is going to have a huge following, it’s an important story. Especially since it includes some awesome Korean culture! #diversebooks #readit

Aimee's struggle with STWS mirrors many internal struggles affecting teens today, albeit without time travel. This book is sweet without being saccharine and the relationships are portrayed with depth and nuance. Each new location Aimee visits is described with all five senses, and each scene is both unique and seamlessly interwoven with others from Aimee's life. Overall a wonderful book.

These are potentially not a full list of content warnings needed, but I wasn't originally planning on listing them, so I didn't keep notes on it. However, I thought some of them were definitely needed and didn't want to send anyone in blindly, so just take these with a grain of salt.

TWs: depression, anxiety, anxiety attack, missing persons

I found out about The Space Between Here & Now because of it's beautiful cover catching my eye on Netgalley, and I'm so glad it did. This is probably my favorite 2023 release I've read so far, it has everything I love about a book, paired with gorgeous writing.

The story follows Aimee, who has STWS, a medical condition that makes her disappear into a memory when triggered by scents. Not only was this such a creative concept, but it was a breath of fresh air when it came to overused tropes like the main character ignoring their best friend. I absolutely adored Aimee and Nikita's friendship, it was so cute and supportive and reminded me of my own best friend. Also Junho was SO CUTE. Everything about him was awkwardly charming and genuine, and he was the type of YA love interest we need more of. Watching Aimee discover her past and figure out her present contrasted with her time travelling flawlessly, and exploring Korea with her was so much fun. I don't want to get too spoilery, but The Space Between Here & Now is a story of family at it's heart. Both blood and found families too, which I really appreciated.

Honestly, I could ramble about a lot of things, but I think the story is better without knowing too much. Suk's writing will easily draw readers in and keep them enraptured in the tale, and her writing skill. Seriously, I'm jealous of how well this was written. Suk wove various media interspaced between chapters, and made it not only feel completely smooth and natural, but tied it directly into Aimee's story. The repeated echoes through the story held everything together so beautifully that it makes me want to go back and annotate a finished copy when they're out so I can try to learn how to do it myself. The relationships felt so real and the story was so emotional that I ended up lowkey sobbing at one point.

The Space Between Here & Now is a must have for any YA lover, people who love emotional tales, or stories about family. I'm not only planning on pre-ordering myself a copy, but I'm going to be recommending that my local libraries buy copies of it because I loved it so much. I'll be impatiently waiting for Sarah Suk's next novel in the meantime. Please do yourself a favor (or any readers in your life!) and read this book!

The Space Between Here & Now, is unlike anything I've read before. I liked how the author wrote about this fictional disorder the main character and others were inflicted with in a way that felt very real. I also loved that the story was rich with Korean culture and even discussed culture and tradition in a very realistic way. I fluctuated through my feelings while reading this book. There was times where I considered a 3 star review because while interesting, there were moments where the characters and story felt very flat. I bumped up to 4 stars because the ending really was great and finally had the substance I was needing. I admit I did cry toward the end, but I needed more the whole time not just at a rushed ending. There were many relationships shown between the main character and her friends and family that I feel like could have had just a little more substance. Her relationship with her father made sense to be how it was, but all the others felt lost. All in all, I still recommend this book, especially if you are looking for a quick easy read. I found the subject very interesting and would love to see more on it.

Thank you to the publisher for allowing me to read this eARC.

This book made me so emotional. The relationships between the characters are so well written and they feel so relationship, especially the father daughter dynamic. This story was raw and real and the ending was absolutely amazing.

This book was such a good read! From the start it really got me wanting more. I had to force myself to stop reading to take a break a couple times. It had such a captivating story and I loved seeing Aimee reconnect emotionally with her father. Such a heartwarming ending. I would definitely recommend this book!

Wow...this was an amazing story that actually moved me to tears. It's been a while since a book has brought me to this point but this is it. The relationships between all the characters and especially the father-daughter one is filled with a deep and rich love that wins out in the end. Highly recommend!!