Review | The Beautiful Between

Title: The Beautiful Between
Author: Alyssa B. Sheinmel
Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers
Pages: 192
Rating: 2.5/5

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 bui...more

"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."

The Beautiful Between, although heartfelt, it didn't come full circle for me. The plot seemed to revolve around three things and three things only. Connelly's relationship with Jeremy, Connelly's desire to find out what happened to her father and Jeremy's family secret. Another thing I noticed about this novel's plot is that it didn't move much and felt repetitive.

I believe the main characters were just thrown into becoming friends and all was said and done. I didn't see a true bond between them. Although, I admit, there was a deeper message between them. That just because someone's from a clique you don't necessarily like that doesn't mean that they don't have problems of their own and that you can't relate to them. Or help each other. I adored that aspect of the novel. I also liked the aspect of high school being thought of as a fairytale.

Although this novel didn't satisfy me as the reader, The Beautiful Between was something that needed to be read for the simple fact about the inner message of the novel. But it's really your choice to read this novel or not. Who knows maybe you'll like it better than I did.