The Beautiful Between

by Alyssa B. Sheinmel

Book Overview

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... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0375861823
• ISBN13: 9780375861826
• Release Date: May 2010
• Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers
• Length: 184 Pages
• Weight: 0.75 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 5.8" x 8.5"
• Age Range: 12 years and up
• Grade Range: Grade 7 and higher

Customer Reviews

i Want to cry over this book - Kristen

A female sophomore named Connelly Sternin always thought she was Rapunzel, cooped up in her apartment studying nonstop. But one day a really popular guy named Jeremy Cole asks her if she needed help with physics. In return he needed help with SATs. She thinks Jeremy could be a prince from the fairy tales. She said yes. As every page is turned and read, Connelly tries to discover the cause of her father's death. Jeremy befriends Connelly because his sister and Connelly's father have something in common which will be revealed if you read to the end. Alyssa Sheinmel has an appealing plot. Connelly tries to understand her life in terms of fairy tale worlds. Thankfully, there's no romance in this one. Jeremy and Connelly are best friends and that's all. Also the author's words are really enticing. Her writing style is simple and straight to the point. One of her messages in this book is never give up on your life or else the other people around you will become sad and may feel other negative emotions such as hatred, revenge, etc. I think another message of the author is it's okay to be friends with a boy, because you may have a lot in common. It is not really that embarrassing to be friends with a boy. I think the book is great because it has a story that can really move you. I almost cried but luckily I didn't cry in when the truth about Connelly's dad is revealed and when my favorite character diieeeessssss. I would recommend this book to teenagers, who enjoy real life stories. It doesn't have any magical elements, but daily life routines, struggles and so on. Also it is recommended to those who like friendship and family themes.

A top pick for young adult collections!

Alyssa B. Sheinmel's THE BEAUTIFUL BETWEEN tells of a high school girl who has kept secrets about her family, and a high school boy who is son of a rich New York family. When the two get together, they discover their shared secrets evolves a special friendship - one which may involve sharing their secrets. A top pick for young adult collections!

Great debut!

Great debut. Looking forward to her next book already! The characters and writing were lovely. Unique in the crowded world of YA lit.

Unexpectedly enjoyable

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.All too often when I pick up books, I feel like I can easily predict coming conflicts and/or resolutions. It's refreshing to pick up a novel and have it truly surprise you with how its events play out. Alyssa Sheinmel's debut novel managed to do just that. The Beautiful Between doesn't have a traditional plot. The story is more about the characters and their growth than about what happens to them. Connelly was a pretty lonely character at the outset of the novel. Her loneliness sets the tone for the story and gives us, and her, more insight into the loneliness of those around her. Connelly and the characters the fill her world are all well-developed. Each of them carries their own burdens and, I have to say, they are a depressing bunch. However, death and lies will do that to a person and all of them must cope. The events of the novel revolve around the relationship that Connelly forms with Jeremy. They find solace, openness and honesty with one another in a world populated my tight-lipped adults. Not only is their friendship touching, but it's also novel in that it doesn't evolve into a trite romance. I hate to give away the story and there's not much I can say about it without doing that. Suffice it to say that I greatly enjoyed reading this book. It was sad, beautiful and utterly believable in its simplicity. My only issue with it lies with the end - I wished more happened it that last scene. It was a bit abrupt for my taste but I can't deny that it did feel realistic.

Nearly Spectacular!

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-