Review Detail

First Impressions: I previously read Jessica Warman’s novel, Breathless, and was impressed with this young debut author’s style of writing, so I knew I wanted to read more from her. I love the cover art that Between has so I knew I had to read this book. I’m a sucker for pretty cover art!

First 50 Pages: All I can really say is WOW! Right from the start, this story totally sucked me in and wouldn’t let go. I knew after the very first chapter that I wouldn’t be able to put this book back down, and that is exactly what happened. I sat all day reading this book and ignoring my other pressing matters I had to attend to. But, that’s okay. This book is completely worth the time!

Characters and Plot: The story at its core is essentially a ghost story, but is the most believable and real ghost story I have read in a long time. So many authors will try to write a ghost story and they can’t pull it off well because they put their characters out of touch with reality. They aren’t believable.

Every single character Jessica Warman created in Between could easily step out of the book and be someone you know. Take the character Liz for example: She is popular, perfect, and pretty. Oh, and she is rich. And she acts the part of a total snob who needs to be brought back down to earth because she is so full of herself. She is the girl that you love to hate. Any high school kid could point you in the direction of at least one other student who could fill that description. Liz’s father is a workaholic, her friends are a bunch of bullies who torment the less popular kids. I almost don’t feel bad about what happens to Liz in this book, even though she does become remorseful about her actions from when she was alive.

Poor, poor Alex Berg. He is the character I really felt for throughout this story. His life was just so pathetic and sheltered and he never really was able to live while he was alive. He never got to witness life outside of high school, which is a shame because of the way he was treated, like he was invisible. I guess being invisible is better than being picked on every single day at school. I was a nerdy kid myself, so I can relate to Alex in so many different ways.

As for the plot, there is this humongous mystery weaved into the story. How did Liz really die? Was it accidental or did someone kill her? She has no memory at first, then pieces of the puzzle start to unfold and she gains her memories back with Alex’s help. There are also smaller, less central mysteries that take place parallel to the big mystery that helps this book become more interesting and less repetitive. The reader is also trying to figure out who killed Alex and if Josie is really Liz’s half sister instead of her step-sister. There are clues everywhere throughout this book that lead to revealing all of the answers. I took a guess towards the middle of the book as to what the final outcomes would be, and I was partly correct at the end.

Final Thoughts: I’m not going to reveal any more then I already have. I will say that you need to read this book. It is a must-read, must-have, type of book. I literally could not put it down. The writing is fantastic and the characters are very human-like in emotion and presence. I highly recommend!