Review of The Space Between

[Nzube Chizoba Okeke]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The Space Between" by Troy Bastian.]

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3 out of 4 stars

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Todd Mahoney is a single father juggling to raise his only daughter Misha and maintain his successful career in fake food art. His seemingly stable life truncates when Misha is caught in the draining web of addiction, and Todd has to sacrifice much more than he bargained. Caught between following the rules of the difficult Judge Fink, who runs the Juvenile Drug Offender Program (J-DOP), and the bitter memories of his past, Todd must learn to let go of his anger and reconcile himself to the realities of his past and present. In The Space Between by Troy Bastian, the struggles of addicts are brought to the fore.

Portrayals of addiction of any kind in the media and movies tend to ignore the fundamental truth that addiction is a lifelong disease. Addicts, even when they have recovered, still have to deal with the possibility of a relapse. This statement from the book captures it perfectly: "Once you're inflicted with addiction, you're always one bad day away from relapse." Behind the scenes of the addict as a menace, there is an unpopular underground work of tough love — groups and individuals offering a way out to addicts. In The Space Between, we go beyond the anonymous meetings and see the real struggles of those whose lives have been changed forever by substance abuse.

This book is brutal in its honesty and focuses on the recovery process. Although some characters might come across as unfeeling, it is necessary if recovery is to be attained. This is a difficult pill to swallow, and I can feel and understand Todd's frustration at the never-ending rules and seemingly cruel treatment the judge metes out. The reader gets to wear Todd's shoes through the programs and meetings he has to attend.

There are substantive errors within this book, mainly typos, some omitted prepositions, and missing articles. Readers should also be aware of the generous use of swear words and that the story jumps through different timelines (mainly as Todd recalls memories). However, the organization and touching narratives within are commendable. The author's successful portrayal of each character's story makes this book all-encompassing. We get to hear from the addicts and those helping with their recovery, and we get to understand the success stories and the unsuccessful ones.

I will recommend this book to readers who want an in-depth knowledge of the background works needed to curb addiction. Although fictional, the information passed across is useful. Finally, I will rate this book 3 out of 4 stars. This book captures the saying that it isn't what happens that matters but how we react to what happens. It shows how to deal with addiction through a personal story, and perhaps, it might be a deterrent.

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The Space Between
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[Diyagyan11]

I love how this book really shows readers who haven’t gone through the pain and difficulty of being an addict how it feels through someone else shoes.


This book would raise more awareness about drugs and addictions people have to drugs and alcohol. I would for sure read this book.

[Tarie07]

Substance abuse and addiction are very real and most youths struggle with these issues. Hats off to the author for addressing them. Thank you for the great review I would love to read this book.

[Amy Luman]

I have never been nor have I ever dealt closely with an addict. I think that this book, even though it’s fiction, tells the truth about dealing with it.

[collinsogw555]

I know how hard it is to be a single parent coupled with the fact that he was working hard to meet ends means. I would love to read and recommend this book to people who are struggling with addiction. Great review.