The Beautiful Between by Alyssa B. Sheinmel

Summary from Amazon:

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.

This lovely and memorable debut by Alyssa B. Sheinmel contains many of the hallmark themes found in young adult literature—friendship, coming of age, finding a place to belong, and overcoming the death of a loved one. Emotionally moving from start to finish, The Beautiful Between introduces a strong new voice to the genre, a voice with a long future ahead of it.

Review:

The Beautiful Between ended up surprising me in more ways than one.

First off, it's one of the of the most beautifully written books I've read in a long time, which leaves me to think Alyssa B. Shenimel is an author you're going to be hearing a lot about as the years go on and her book total rises.

And number two. This book had no romance, something that I always find kind of necessary in the books I read, but with this it worked perfectly, much to my surprise. Since when it comes down to it The Beautiful Between is about friendships and how important they can be in making you who you are; giving this an overall aura that I adored.

Connelly is a girl who seems to be average at first look, but once you get to know her she's one extraordinary girl simply because she's smart, supportive, loving, and just a person that I would simply love to have in my life, and you probably will too once you read this. She has her quirks. Such as her love for books, something that I can relate to, and imagining her high school as fairy tale kingdom, a trait about this book I liked, even if it seemed a bit immature at times. And while she can be a bit hard of on herself, in end she's someone who has all these different characteristics that make her likable and relatable.

Adding to this, I loved reading about her friendship with Jeremy, her school's prince charming who is not nearly as perfect as he looks. It was a relationship built on convince but soon enough Alyssa created it in being something amazing, yet so simple.

Lastly, while the plot was one that never truly had you on the edge of your sit, The Beautiful Between was still a fantastic book because of two big things- the characters and Alyssa's lyrical writing. This book actually reminded me a bit of something Jillian Cantor would write, so if you heart her books like I do be sure to check this one out!

Overall, The Beautiful Between was one spectacular debut that I'm sure will be bought up like ice cream on a hot, sunny day in summer once it's released! So check it out! :)

Grade: A-

The Beautiful Between will be released May 11, 2010.

Source: Around the World Tour