Between (ARC)

Between 


Author: Jessica Warman


Publisher: Walker Publishing


Pages: 300


Read Time: A week


Tag Words: Dead girl, ghosts, running, death, anorexia, bulimia, affairs, suicide, drugs, rich kids, murder, sexual situations

My Summary:

Elizabeth Valchar is dead and she can’t remember why, but what she discovers Between death and after will change how she saw her world, and how she values the thing that is already gone- her life.

My Review:

I read a galley of this book a long while ago, before the cover was even revealed. I debated whether or not to review this one. SO MUCH could have changed between now and then, but I decided to go ahead and offer my thoughts, as that was the point of the early-early distribution of the galley into my hands. I decided to not review the small details, which could definitely have changed, more give you an overall reaction to the story and the characters.

This was the first Jessica Warman I read. If you’ve read one of her other books and loved it, please read this one as well, don’t let my review discourage you from what you already know! However, if you do want to read on, here’s what I have to say:

I feel like I have read better versions of this book many, many times. Rich mean girl is killed, must find out why, and redeem herself before crossing over. If it came down to someone holding both this book and Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver in their hands at the checkout counter and asking, “Which one?” I would not point to Between.

Next general issue, one of the “dead” characters belittled his parents for attending mass to pray for his soul. I don’t like the bashing of the Catholics, or the Christians, in any context, however the issue felt a bit bigger as I wanted to yell at the character, “That is called love!” The character couldn’t even see how much his parents loved him because the author was so busy belittling the faithful.

The story was obvious, I read about 200 pages waiting to find out the thing I knew was going to happen was where the book was going, going, going, gone.

I did like Richie and I really cared about him, but that was the only character/piece of the plot I cared about.

If this sounds like your kind of book please, please, please pick it up. As always, my opinion is my opinion, your book selection should rest in your hands alone.

Notes on the Names: 

Great names!

Elizabeth called Liz. Elizabeth is one of my all-time favorite names. It is so gorgeous, but I prefer the Eliza nickname.

We also had the gorgeous trio of Josie, Mera (I prefer the Mira spelling) and Caroline for girls. Richie and Topher for boys.

Thoughts on the Cover:

When I saw the cover I thought, “Aw, man!” Because that gorgeous cover will never be on my Mod Podge Bookshelf.

Parental Book Review *spoilers*

Sexual Content:

Heavy.

Sexual situations that include an older man holding information over Liz, he takes semi-pornographic pictures of her, but they never have sex.

After prom Liz takes off her dress and kisses Richie in just a thong.

Josie and Richie are and have been cheating on Liz.

Language:

Heavy

A- 10
H- 8
D- 12
B- 9
Jesus- 5
Christ- 4
God- 14
Fag- 2

Violence:

Heavy.

Death by car crash, the body is slightly gory in description when discovered.

Death by being forcibly drowned.

Death by falling through the glass in the shower and exsanguinating. Blood is somewhat gory.

Bullying.

Other Notables:

Drugs, alcohol, parents who give their children alcohol, Richie is a drug-dealer, his parents are never at the house, his psychologist buys from him.

Josie and her mother go to a “spiritualist church” and Josie uses a Ouija board to contact Elizabeth, just as her mother did to contact Liz’s mother when she died years before.

Affairs.

Mera received a boob job for her 18th birthday.

Severe anorexia and bulimia on the part of Liz’s mother and Liz. Death because of it.

An addiction to exercise.