The Beautiful Between

Author: Alyssa B. Sheinmel
Publication Date: May 11, 2010
Genre: YA Realistic Fiction
Copy provided by: Traveling ARC Tours
Summary (via Goodreads):

If high school were a fairy-tale kingdom, Connelly Sternin would be Rapunzel, locked not in a tower by a wicked witch but in a high-rise apartment building by the SATs and college applications—and by the secrets she keeps. Connelly's few friends think that her parents are divorced—but they're not. Connelly's father died when she was two, and she doesn't know how.

If Connelly is the Rapunzel of her school, Jeremy Cole is the crown prince, son of a great and rich New York City family. So when he sits down next to her at lunch one day, Connelly couldn't be more surprised. But Jeremy has a tragic secret of his own, and Connelly is the only one he can turn to for help. Together they form a council of two, helping each other with their homework and sharing secrets. As the pair's friendship grows, Connelly learns that it's the truth, not the secrets, that one must guard and protect. And that between friends, the truth, however harsh, is also beautiful.

Why I read this: The reference to Rapunzel stuck out to me and it's a debut novel.

Plot: The usual fairy tale of a popular young man starting to pay attention to a girl who thinks herself not unusual - not worth the attention. Connelly knows there's a reason he has been driven to approach her about helping her with her homework. It's quite an interesting plot because of the way Connelly grew up - knowing nothing about her father's death. Her mother completely shuts off whenever it is brought up and Connelly would like to keep her mother happy. The connection between Connelly and Jeremy is wrought with pain and sorrow, but they make the best of it.

I think it followed the normal arc of two people finding themselves on common ground, neither of them sure if their intentions are completely innocent in the way of their friendship, but enjoying each other's company nonetheless. Definitely a great story.

Characters: Both Jeremy and Connelly are flawed and different. You could tell they were real people as you read the story. They both had their own intricate workings of how the world worked for them and the realizations that you go through during life of having those worlds change - for better or worse. It's nice to see inside of a head that is so different from your normal whiney teenage female character. She's philosophical and wondrous and the author does a fantastic job of reflecting how Connelly grew up on her psyche.

Relatability: There's this great feeling of disconnection from parents in the novel and I know you say "why is it great to be disconnected...". It's not, but it's what happens. Teenagers drift, find their own world, and start to sever that child to parent link that has so strongly held them in childhood. Connelly's has been cut fairly early, she notices the change when she broaches the subject of her father as a child and that's when the drifting starts. I love how real everything felt in the book.

Cover commentary: It's okay - not love at first sight, but not hard on the eyes.

Rating: 5/5 Roses

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