—Nominated for the 2014 HWA Bram Stoker Award for Superior Achievement in a Young Adult Novel!
–A YALSA 2015 Amazing YA Audiobook
“Bick (the Ashes trilogy) launches the Dark Passages series with this ambitious meta-textual adventure, which invokes Stephen King levels of psychological and physical horror, while defying readers’ perceptions of reality at every turn . . . an excellent job at conveying tension, atmosphere, and the multi-layered premise . . .”–PW
“One of the marks of a classic horror story is the slow and insidious shifting of the rules within the tale’s universe. Bick understands the power of this trope and uses it relentlessly in this sophisticated horror novel for older teens . . . Bick is a master of the genre . . .”–SLJ
“I love it when an author surprises me . . . WHITE SPACE is . . . brilliant, complex, and somewhat disturbing . . . Ilsa J. Bick takes readers on a very bizarre journey.”–Fresh Fiction
“Holy freaking head trip! White Space is crazy!”–No More Grumpy Bookseller
“Bick is brilliant.”–Examiner.com
Seventeen-year-old Emma Lindsay has problems: a head full of metal, no parents, a crazy artist for a guardian whom a stroke has turned into a vegetable, and all those times when she blinks away, dropping into other lives so ghostly and surreal it’s as if the story of her life bleeds into theirs. But one thing Emma has never doubted is that she’s real.
Then she writes “White Space,” a story about these kids stranded in a spooky house during a blizzard.
But . . . “White Space” is virtually identical to an unfinished novel about characters who jump off pages into other stories. Thing is, she’s never seen that manuscript. No one has since the writer, killed years ago, never completed the book.
Which means she’s blinked into the head of the dead guy?
Or has she tripped into the nightmare of her own story? Because now Emma is trapped in a bizarre, fog-shrouded valley with other kids who have their own dark secrets and strange abilities: Eric, Casey, Bode, Rima, and a very special little girl, Lizzie.
Now they must discover why they’ve been brought to this place–a world between the lines where parallel realities are created and destroyed and nightmares are written–before someone pens their end.
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I got so attached to these characters!!! When’s the second book coming out?
So glad you liked the book, Paige! THE DICKENS MIRROR hits shelves in February, 2015.
Your book was absolutely mind-blowing! Thank heavens the next ones just around the corner! Great great book, can’t wait for the next one!
Ah, how excellent is that! Glad you liked it, and as it happens, I just sent off the copy-edited manuscript for the sequel today!
Omg, so excited! I’m more than sure it well be just as great if not more than White Space! I’ll be waiting, you left me with so many question!
And I hope not to disappoint. It’s certainly MUCH different (in a good, unexpected way).
I’m so excited for the next book, will Eric and Emma be reunited?
This is definitely one of the best books I’ve read in a while. It’s one of those books where as soon as I finished reading it (a couple minutes ago) I just sat and made incomprehensible noises. I cannot wait for the sequel. Now maybe I can make my friend read this, and she can understand what I was talking about with my murmurs of ‘whisper-men’ and ‘dark passages’
would say this book completely blew me away, however, seeing as I had finished the book no more than ten minutes ago AND that it is currently 4:45 in the morning, I’m still counting down the seconds until my mind blows. I loved the book though! My mind is currently reeling from it, but I couldn’t be more elated. It gave me some clarity over my writer’s block, about not being afraid to push the limits. You did beautifully on writing a story where a character becomes somewhat self aware in her own story, it opens a whole new door to reality and books! Excited for the next one! Will there be a book signing?
So glad you enjoyed. As for a signing, just depends on if I’m near your town at some point 🙂
So glad you enjoyed!
Wait and see ; -)
This book is amazing, you had me hooked from ashes to monsters and now I can’t put this book down!!
Music to my ears 🙂 Enjoy!
Omg your book is absolutely AMAZING!!! It was really hard to stop reading! I wanna make my friends read it so they can understand my mummers of , ” emma and eric and dark passages and whisper man” ahh cant wait to read the sequel!!!!! You are an amzing author! How do you come with these things like dark passages and book worlds and the dickens mirror?
LOL! Gosh, I don’t know. I’m glad you’re enjoying the book, though. I guess you could say that I owe this one to my daughter, who wondered if I was going to kill her this time. See, I tend to off the kid in a lot of stories.Don’t ask me why, although you think the kid we catch a clue ;-). Anyway, that got me thinking about what might happen if you put too much real life into a book, and then the story just kind of spun itself out from there.
I just finshed White Space this morning, and I cannot even express how much i loved this book. i cannot wait for the second one! also, i was looking, and where might i find a link to find where you do book signings? it would be amazing to ask you some questions in person 🙂
Hey, Cami:
Well, I’m so pleased! I actually don’t have a link for signings, mainly because I’m not traveling anywhere until . . . hmmm . . . February, I think. I’ll be signing at the ALA Midwinter in Chicago, and then I do believe I’ll be at RT Booklovers down in Dallas in . . . May? But that’s all that’s coming up, I’m afraid.
You’re free to ask away, though 🙂 Can’t promise my answers will satisfy you, but . . . you can always ask 😉
Just finished The Dickens Mirror – how many more books will there be in the series? When will the next one be out? Soon, soon, soon, please!
One of my favourite reads in 2014!! Can’t wait to read the next book. Thank you so much, and please keep up your good work.
You are quite welcome! I’m so glad you enjoyed it.
Unfortunately, no…DICKENS MIRROR is the last book in the series :’-( But I’m glad you liked it :-)!
Hello again. Do you know when the cover of The Dickens Mirror will be revealed?
That’s an excellent question, Zaynab. A fan found this on Edelweiss: http://edelweiss.abovethetreeline.com/ProductDetailPage.aspx?sku=1606844210
White Space is my FAVORITE book, I just love is so much! It kept me guessing and it went beyond my expectations. I just finished re-reading it again, and it was just as good as the first time I read it, which doesn’t happen with most books. I can’t wait for The Dickens Mirror, but I don’t want it to end 🙁
Awww, thanks, Erin! I’m really, really glad you liked it! I can tell you that DM is pretty strange, too 😉 Enjoy! (If you don’t…say nothing.)
OhMyGoodness.
This is my new all-time favorite book. I usually don’t go for science-fiction, but everything about this book had me going crazy. Your level of writing is just where I am and it was wonderful to have a book that I had to put some thought into to comprehend.
Definitely going to be looking for more of your books thank you so much! 🙂
You are quite welcome! I’m so glad you enjoyed it. 🙂
This book is amazing!!! I could not put it down! I can’t wait for the second one! But I was wondering will you be having pre orders available when it comes closer to the release date?
Never mind I have found the second book! Sorry I read your past comments too fast because I was so excited to find you website! Can’t wait to get the Dickens Mirror!
LOL!! That’s okay, Alice. I love your enthusiasm 😉
After finally finishing reading White Spaces, I want to thank you for not only thoroughly confusing me and making me question whether my existence is legit or not, but also for making me obsess over you and this series. I’m very very excited to read The Dickens Mirror soon!
LOL! You’re quite welcome, and thank you! 🙂
I am on page 214, ‘Eric’ chapter. My art and love of music keep my mental sojourns well oiled. Reading your book takes me on a path—Back and forth to let my minds eye open vividly through print on page. I leave the present and take a mini vacation. When I return I am recharged. Words by you paint a plethora of vivd, enjoyable and exhilarating experinces.
Glad to hear it 🙂
I just want to tell you that I love your books! I stormed through the Ashes trilogy and recommended them to my friends. Then I was really excited to see that you had put out another book and immersed myself in it. Recently I finally got around to finishing The Dickens Morror and dannnngg. I loved it. I hate that it’s over. The series is a messed up concept but you excite it perfectly. I love your creativity and writing style. You put a unique and fun twist on young adult books. Thank you for your stories 🙂 and I can’t wait to read what you put out next
Thanks! I’ll actually look forward to seeing what I put out next myself. ?
In the meantime, do check out some of my standalone titles through Carolrhoda Lab.
Thanks for getting in touch!
Hi, I was wondering for a book report, what Emma looks like. I couldn’t catch a description in the book.
Thanks! 🙂
Her description is scattered throughout the book. She’s got cobalt eyes with a gold flaw in the right iris (p. 54); dark hair (p. 67); titanium plates in her skull and scars on her scalp (hidden by her long dark hair); and she’s about as tall as Eric who’s . . . tall 😉
I love the friction between all the characters!! Just for clarification, what is all of the character’s gifts? I read the book already and i just wanted to make sure I got it right. Also, me being a young teen Hoping to become a writer reading this book extended my limits of how I can write my own book!its my dream to become a writer in the near future.
So glad you liked it! What have you gleaned so far? I didn’t specify with each character, only the ones who mattered at the time 😉
Hiiii, I’m really enjoying the book white space so far. I have to write a three or four page essay on it for class. I want to incorporate the theme into my thesis statement, so im curious, what is one of the main themes that you had in mind whilst writing the book?
Hey, there,
Well, isn’t that great! I’m glad you’re enjoying the read.
As for themes…well, I’d think that questioning what you think is reality is a big one, don’t you? I mean, who do you KNOW you’re real? Honestly.
When’s the final book coming out?
Hey, there! The final book is THE DICKENS MIRROR and out in all formats. Enjoy! 🙂
I started your book yesterday and i’m sorta really confused but i like it and this comment isn’t special or anything but so far the book is amazing.
LOL!! First off, Mackenzie, I’m so pleased you decided to pick up that book and EVERY comment is special.
Second, yes, I know it’s challenging because it’s very different in the way I structured the chapters and back and forth and stuff. There’s really a reason for this, I swear. Stick with it because it eventually becomes clear why I do what I do. Then, too, if you’re a little confused…that’s okay because that’s how the characters feel 😉
I hope you enjoy the book.
My biggest regret is reading this amazing book and then donating my physical copy, because now the book no longer seems to exist in physical form. I loved and honestly still love this book. I have not read another that can compare to this level of story telling and how it just transported me to every new ‘blink’. It’s my mission to find this book in physical form AND to read the next book.
That’s so odd that you can’t find a physical copy of the book. Physical copies are available on Amazon, for example, as is the sequel, THE DICKENS MIRROR. https://www.amazon.com/White-Space-Book-Dark-Passages/dp/1606845659/ref=sr_1_1?crid=5BDRYR8LG6TV&keywords=white+space+bick&qid=1703328712&sprefix=white+space+bick%2Caps%2C127&sr=8-1
Anyway, hope you find your way to getting a copy–and thanks! I’m pretty fond of this series, too.
Have a lovely holiday and Happy New Year!