Between

By Jessica Warman

Only the good die young. Right?

It’s The Lovely Bones for teens.

Elizabeth Valchar has it all: friends, money, beauty, a cute boyfriend and assured popularity. But on the eve of her eighteenth birthday, she is found drowned next to her parents’ boat. Everyone thinks it was a tragic accident – teens drinking on a boat, a misstep leading to a watery death. But Liz is still here after death, and she doesn’t know why. There are gaps in her memory. Her only company Alex, a boy killed by a car a year earlier, Liz sets out to piece together her life.

But their small coastal town is hiding many secrets – about families, boyfriends and friendship. Plus, Alex hates Liz for being mean when they were alive. Was she as squeaky clean as she thinks she was? Could it be that she herself is hiding the biggest secret of all? Can Liz discover the truth? And if she does, who can she tell?

Between is an engrossing, compelling thriller that peels back the layers of small-town life to expose true, ugly, cruel human nature. A stunning book for teens from Jessica Warman, a hot new talent on the YA thriller scene.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Electric Monkey
• Release date: Oct 3, 2011
• ISBN: 9781780310930

Jessica Warman

JESSICA WARMAN is also the author of Breathless, which received three starred reviews and was an ALA Best Book for Young Adults, and Where the Truth Lies. The idea for Between came from an incident in her childhood, when a local boy went missing after a party on a yacht (he was eventually found, alive). www.jessicawarman.com  

Reviews for Between

[longdogmom · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I didn't know anything about this book when I started reading it but it grabbed me right from the start and didn't let go. Lots of layers and it kept me guessing right to the end. One of the best YA books I've read in a long time.

[jfleck_9 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

An annoying thumping noise wakens Liz Valchar the morning after her 18th birthday blowout. Turns out, it's the sound of her boots bumping against the hull of her parents' boat as she lays face-down in the Long Island Sound, dead. Adding to her disorientation and confusion--How can she be dead? How did she even die?-- is the presence of former classmate, Alex Berg. The two have nothing in common. Liz is, or was, beautiful, popular, and rich. Alex was poor and unmemorable. Why should Liz have to share her hereafter with him?Despite her rudeness, Alex shows Liz the afterlife ropes and guides her, Charles Dickens- style, through an examination of the people and events that made up her life. To her horror, Liz realizes that as a ghost, she's something of a snob, but as a human being, she was even worse.Now she must rely on Alex, a boy she never treated very well, to help her find out how she died and why she's still here.Readers who liked Gabrielle Zevin's Elsewhere and Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac, Lauren Oliver's Before I Fall, or Gayle Forman's If I Stay might also enjoy this book.

[ishanella · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

When I received this book at BEA, I first thought it was another book - I’m not sure why, it was a long day - so when I brought it home and read the back of it and realised that it wasn’t a fantasy novel I was a bit cautious. While I step outside of fantasy novels every once in awhile, it’s mostly on recommendations or because I’ve heard great buzz about it, so going with no buzz and no expectation I started to read Between.

I was blown away.

Jessica Warman spins the tale of a high schooler named Elizabeth. Liz is pretty, rich, popular, dating a popular boy at school and at the top of the high school social food chain. Liz is a runner. Liz has a secret. Liz is dead.

When Liz awakes to her death she finds that she cannot remember the events leading up to her body being found face down in the water near her parent’s boat.

The biggest thing that struck me about Between was how much I disliked Liz. Yet, I still wanted to hear what she had to say; this is a balance that I don’t often find in books where I dislike the protagonist. Jessica Warman kept the mystery alive long enough to see past Liz’s superficialness and realise that she was a living and hurting teenager just like the people she tormented in her life. Joining her in her death is Alex, a boy from her school who died the year before. In her life she would never be caught dead with him - death is indeed the great equalizer.

As their time together unfolds, Jessica paints a portrait of the life of Alex and Liz through Liz’s eyes. After a point I started to like Liz as a character. She is more complex than we are initially lead to believe and these complexities all tie into the path that leads to her death.

The more I read, the faster I wanted to get to the resolution, while, at the same time, not wanting it to end. The writing is gripping, and as the mystery slowly unraveled, the depth of the players are revealed as well. Yes, you might be able to figure it out before the big reveal, but it was the character development and the emotions that came bursting through the pages that was the most fascinating part of this novel. I could almost close my eyes and see high school again.

Once the story was over and the book was closed I still carried the characters around in my head. It shook me a bit, how easily life can be taken away, how delicate a world we live in and how much the things we think matter don’t matter at all when we die. Sobering, Between is a must-read.

[suz4haugland · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Between is a book that is richly filled with great build up in anticipation and was overall very well written and developed. I fell in love with how compelling this novel became at times, mixing and blending the paranormal with much more contemporary elements. The mystery and intrigue is enough to draw any reader in and keep them engrossed from start to finish and Jessica Warman does an excellent job in keeping suspense and mystery exciting and fresh for the audience. The darker issues and themes that were introduced, were very well addressed and handled in a smart manner. It provided the just enough bittersweet emotion, before you realized a certain thing pertaining to the main protagonist of the story. It's hard to write a review about this novel, for fear of giving too much away. One of the things I ended up liking the most about it, was the fact that the romantic developments in the story, ended up taking a backseat to the more important issues (such as drinking and bullying) were concerned. For once, there's a fantastically written and highly compelling young adult novel out there that doesn't focus all of it's energy on the romantic aspects.The flashbacks were handled beautifully providing background knowledge that lends itself well to the story and Liz was this character that I wasn't sure if I would personally enjoy or not, in fact a good portion of the time she's not quite as likable as I would have liked her to be ideally, but she's real and she comes with these flaws that make her understandable as you continue reading the story. Give or take a couple of drawn out moments and you'll find that you're reading a novel that sort of fits together much in the same way that a gigantic jig-saw puzzle might. I have to say that it's quite interesting to see how well the story itself comes to life and resolves itself in such an surprising way, filled with heightened bittersweet emotion, heartbreak, betrayal, lies, and a great flare of mystery that leaves you coming back for more in the end.

[shaelipar · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Between is a haunting, all-consuming character study of how one girl chose to live her life and the things she discovers after her death.At the start of the novel we're introduced to Liz, a snotty, rich, mean girl who's life seems all but perfect till she discovers her own dead body floating in the water. Together with Alex, another ghost, Liz must figure out what happened the night she died and what kind of person she truly was.I have NEVER, EVER liked a mean girl in a YA book before. Even after her death Liz is rude, selfish and entitled, I shouldn't care that she died, but I do. Through the use of flashbacks, which are interwoven throughout the novel, we get a deeper understand of Liz and how she ended up the way she did. It doesn't really justify the awful things she said or did to people, but I do think it helps you understand her better. There is a redeeming quality to Liz (you do root for her) and its wonderful to see how she starts to listen and learn from Alex.Alex is shy, sensitive and ackward, everything Liz is not. He's the perfect companion for her, showing her how her actions in life effected others, most notably him. He isn't afraid to be tough on her and though their interactions could be hostile at times, there's also a nice kinship there.While she was alive Liz surrounded herself by a popular clique of friends and a wealthy family. After her death everyone begin to fall apart revealing their secrets, lies and betrayals. Richie (Liz's boyfriend and Caroline (best friend) held the biggest surprises for me and through their eyes you get a much larger picture of who Liz was.The novel's pacing isn't very quick focusing more on character interaction then building up suspense, though there are plenty of twists and turns. Although one key plot point was easy to predict, it didn't ruin my enjoyment of the novel. The ending was wrapped up well and felt perfect for this kind of story.Between is so much more then just a mystery about a dead girl. Its about the people who shape use, the decisions we make and the ability to change. I look forward to reading more books by Jessica Warman, she has a distinct YA voice and an incredible knack for encompassing you in her novel's world. I would highly recommend the book to fans of Lauren Oliver, Gayle Forman or any who enjoys YA contemps. Its not a contemporary but it sure reads like one.

[susan_gregerson_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

On the surface, it seems that Elizabeth Valchar has the perfect life. She's perfectly pretty and perfectly popular, a perfectly spoiled little rich girl. But her 18th birthday party on her daddy's yacht is less than perfect. In fact, she wakes up and sees her own body in the water between the boat and the dock. She has woken up dead. As Liz struggles to make sense of her death, she is thrown into solving the mystery of it all with a very unlikely partner that is also stuck in the "between" of life and death - a boy that she and her snobby posse have verbally abused at their local high school for years. Liz needs to come to terms with her life and her death in order to move on...

[ahandfulofconfetti · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Liz Valchar is one of those annoyingly beautiful, popular and perfect girls you meet in high school. However, on the eve of her eighteenth birthday, when she and her equally popular and good-looking friends are partying it up on her father's boat (which is named after her, of course), Liz is roused from her sleep by a thumping sound that irritates her so much she gets up to see what it is, and is completely shocked when she finds her own body face down in the water, dead. Soon after, she meets Alex, a schoolmate (but not a friend) who was killed the previous year in a mysterious hit-and-run accident, and the two of them set out to discover the truth behind Liz's death. How did she die? Who is responsible? Throughout it all, Liz must come to terms with the fact that she really wasn't as perfect as she wanted everyone to believe.This book grabbed me from the get-go, especially once Liz sees her own body in the water. Liz is not a nice girl: there are several instances throughout this book where we get to see just how awful she really was. And then there's Alex, whom Liz doesn't like, mostly because he was a "nobody" in school: poor, nerdy, and a loner. I especially liked how he stood up to her in death (in a way he never could have in life) and made her realize exactly what type of person she was. I liked their growing relationship, as Liz had to come to terms with not only her death, but having to spend this "between" stage with someone she treated horribly in life. This was very much a coming of age book, in that Liz has a lot of growing up to do in order to figure out what exactly happened to her that night on the boat.There were lots of twists and turns in this story; I was constantly guessing about what had happened, and who was responsible, and why Liz died in the first place. The pacing and writing in this book were really first-rate; there was never a moment where things slowed down or lulled, but at the same time it wasn't non-stop, can't catch my breath action, either. Once I hit the midway point I simply didn't want to stop reading until everything was figured out. It was gripping and intense, and I enjoyed every bit of it.I do want to point out that Liz is suffering from anorexia in this book, though, and the scenes when she's talking about calorie intake or her nonstop need for control might be triggering for people who are suffering from the disease, so just a heads-up regarding that bit of the story.Also, it was really nice to see a stand-alone book! So much of what's released nowadays are series books that it was great to see a title that managed an entire plot arc in one volume.

[bookaddictdiary · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Oddly enough, I wasn't expecting that much from Between. I had never heard of Jessica Warman prior to this novel, and it can always been tough to try out someone new, especially if you've never heard of them or their books before. But the blurb for Between fascinated me, so I thought it was would be worthwhile to try it out. I'd say that Between definitely exceeded my rather low expectations, and that it made me want to read more of Warman's novels -not to mention be more willing to take chances on new authors.In Between, readers follow the adventures of Elizabeth, a young girl who seems to have everything: friends, boys, clothes and anything money can buy. Until the night of her sixteenth birthday, where she finds her own dead body floating in the water near her father's yacht. She meets a boy, who is also dead. Together, they explore the past and the present, uncovering the mysteries and lies in Jessica's past, as well as the strange and unexpected reactions to her death. And, most importantly, how difficult, but how important it is, to let go.The plot of Between is unexpected and, in some ways a little out there. But not in a bad way. Warman took me on a great adventure, complete with a wild roller coaster of emotions and excellent plotting, especially with the flashes between the past and present. They shifts felt natural and comfortable, as well as vital to the plot instead of being some kind of gimmick to get readers to pick up the book.Did I also mention that Warman is an amazing writer? The way she blends all the intriguing elements of her story together is incredible, inspirational and seamless.I found myself completely pulled into Liz's story, cheering her on, and fully engaged in the unexpected and wild mysteries of her life. Reading Between was almost like going into some kind of trance, but with an odd edge to it that makes it feel real.I would warn some readers though: there really isn't a romance subplot here. So, if you enjoy YA paranormal romance, I'd say to move along. But if you go for YA contemporary novels with a splash of paranormal, Between is a great novel. I'd note though, that some of the material in this book may been too adult for younger teens. I'd recommend Between for ages 17 plus only (just my opinion).

[renkellym · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Liz wakes up on her eighteenth birthday to find herself dead. While she and her friends had been celebrating on her yacht, Liz somehow slipped off the side of the boat and drowned. Now, Liz is stuck in some sort of “between”—she can observe the living world, but cannot touch it. But she isn’t alone: Alex, a boy who had been killed via hit-and-run a year earlier, is lingering as well. Unfortunately, Alex isn’t exactly Liz’s biggest fan. Still, he helps her sort through resurfacing memories to try to figure out just how she died.Between starts out fairly slow, and this pace remains for a majority of the novel. The languid pace gives the reader a good taste of what Liz and Alex experience—slow days filled with reflection and slight revelations. This isn’t to say that Between is uneventful, but the way in which things are laid out is very measured. The slow pace isn’t a deal breaker, though—things heat up in the last hundred or so pages of the book, and Between shifts from casually absorbing to gripping.The method of storytelling that Jessica Warman uses is perfect for this kind of tale: the reader begins the story entirely in the dark, and uses flashbacks, along with events currently happening, to piece together the mystery of Liz’s death. I’ll admit, there was an ‘aha’ moment for me a little over halfway through—the solution to the mystery isn’t entirely unpredictable. Still, there are certain details that are complete surprises, so ultimately Between succeeds in keeping you on your toes.Liz is a likable heroine, but her character before death certainly isn’t. Although Dead Liz is a nice individual, as memories resurface, she discovers that in life, she was a real rhymes-with-witch. Fortunately, through flashbacks, the reader gradually accepts and understands the unlikable aspects of Liz—she’s much more than she seems. Jessica Warman does a fantastic job of making Liz a complex, sympathetic, well-developed character.Alex, Liz’s only companion, is similarly textured. His true nature is revealed to the reader piece by piece, but unlike Liz, most of his secrets make this sweet boy all the more endearing.Intricately woven and detailed, Between is a powerful story involving the affects of grief and guilt. Jessica Warman’s standalone novel is intense and heartbreaking, but its has moments of laughter and hope, too. Fans of contemporary novels will not want to miss Between. The supernatural and murder-mystery elements aren’t as prominent as the synopsis would lead one to believe—it’s ultimately a character-driven novel about forgiveness.

[wilowraven · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Ghost story, murder mystery, love story - Between has a little of all of these and more. I know I was in for a good read when after, only intending to read a page or two, I realized I had read about 100. The story was always moving and there seemed to be something waiting around every turn of the page that even with the slightly hefty weight of almost 450 pages, Between never dragged along. Instead I was pretty much at the edge of my seat the whole time.I'm actually surprised I liked Between as much as I did because I really could not stand it's MC, Liz. She's conceded, shellfish and shallow and she thinks she is better then pretty much everyone else. And after she dies, she doesn't really get much better. I almost felt like, as a reader, we were suppose to feel sorry for her and I never did. Even after finding out all the details of her life and her death, I didn't have much compassion for her. Might sound harsh, I mean, she is dead and all but...read it for yourself and maybe you'll see what I mean.Between was a really easy book to get lost in. After Liz dies, she has very little memory of her life. She knows who she is and who her friends are but the details are all a little fuzzy. When Alex appears he explains to her that it was like that for him at first as well. By revisiting old memories, Liz might find out what exactly happened to her life. As a reader, we're seeing things as Liz remembers them. Her knowledge is ours. I really liked knowing I would get answers only when Liz did. I had figured out the 'twist' ending before it actually happened but it didn't really take away from the overall quality of the book for me. Some things might have been wrapped up a little too neat and clean and quick but again, it kind of worked with the story so it didn't really bother me.All in all, I very much enjoyed Between. A different take on a ghost story mixed with a pretty classic murder mystery. Don't be daunted by it's size as it's definitely worth your time.

[eheinlen_1 · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

This book was terrible. The writing style was ok, but it was entirely too slow and I hated all of the characters, especially the main characters. I gave it 80 pages and then flipped to the end of the book to find out the ending (which I had mostly predicted).

[taleofnight · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I love ghost stories. So when I read that this book was about a girl who died and couldn't figure how, I was hooked. Liz was part of the 'popular' crowd when she was alive. She was, basically, a horrible person if you got on her wrong side. She was very superficial and wouldn't even consider talking to someone who she thought was poor. With that description of the main character, I was a little scared. I wasn't sure how I would enjoy reading about her, but to my surprise, I actually felt sorry for her. Her mom died when she was 9, so that ache of losing her mom was always there, and there were always rumors that her dad was having an affair before her mom died, so she never knew, if her step sister was also her half sister. Once Liz died she is stuck, basically, in between the living world, and where the dead go once they move on. So she is stuck watching everyone else around her continue on after her death. When she first dies and is starting to realize what has happened, she meet's Alex. The only other 'ghost' that she can talk to. I really enjoyed reading about them. They were basically enemies, but they both helped each other out anyways. This story is quite heartbreaking. It deals with anorexia and drugs, so it's definitely not something to take lightly. But I loved this book and want to run out and buy my own copy.

[staceydeere-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book was one of the best I have read in a long time. It is about a girl and a boy from very different backgrounds that are trying to help each other figure out a mystery in each of their lives. I love the use of memory/flashbacks. It gives you such a great picture of the reasoning behind the character's positive and negative traits. I love the author's mode of writing and the plot flows quickly making this a fast easy read. It makes you think about how you treat people and the consequences of your actions. It also makes you realize that you never really know what is going on in people's private lives. The only bad thing I can say is that I figured out the mystery about half to two thirds way through the book. However I am an adult and this book was written for a younger audience so I still gave the book five stars.