The In Between

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Author(s)

Marc Klein

Publisher

Poppy

Genre(s)

Age Range

14+

Release Date

June 01, 2021

ISBN

978-0316457712

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This heartbreaking story—perfect for fans of If I Stay and Five Feet Apart—follows a girl swept up in the magic of her first love, until it all comes to a tragic end that might lead her into the afterlife itself. Soon to be a motion picture on Paramount+ starring Joey King!

After bouncing around in foster homes for most of her childhood, seventeen-year-old Tessa Jacobs doesn’t believe she deserves love—not from her adoptive parents, and certainly not from anyone at school.

But everything changes when she has a chance encounter with Skylar, a senior from a neighboring town who’s a true romantic. Their budding relationship quickly leads to the kind of passion you only see in the movies. As her heart begins to open, Tessa starts to believe she might be deserving of love after all.

When tragedy strikes, Tessa wakes up alone in a hospital room with no memory of how she got there. And then she learns the horrifying news: Skylar is dead. As Tessa searches for answers, Skylar’s spirit reaches out to her from the other side. Desperate to see him one last time, Tessa must race against the clock to uncover the shocking truth of their relationship—a truth that might just lead to the afterlife itself.

User reviews

1 review

Overall rating

3.3

Plot

4.0(1)

Characters

3.0(1)

Writing Style

3.0(1)

Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)

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intriguing look at love and loss

March 16, 2022

Overall rating

3.3

Plot

4.0

Characters

3.0

Writing Style

3.0

Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)

N/A

THE IN BETWEEN is a YA contemporary story about grief, loss, and depression. Tessa has been on her own for a long time, as a foster child who feels separate from the world around her. Everything changes after a chance meeting in a movie theatre when a handsome boy helps to translate the film. Skylar is perfect in just about every way, and they feel like magnets coming together.

Told in alternating timelines, the reader knows that this ends with an accident that leaves Tessa in the hospital and Skylar gone but follows the start of their relationship interspersed with glimpses from the present where Skylar is gone.

What I loved: This was an intriguing look at consuming love and terrible loss. Skylar and Tessa have an immediate connection that grows as they spend time together. For someone who feels as lonely as Tessa does, this connection changes her life. Her life is then changed again when he dies and she is again refinding her way on her own. The supernatural elements of a connection from beyond adds something extra to the story - a closure so many wish they could have from their own losses.

What left me wanting more: As a small thing, the dual timelines could be confusing at times. Some of the connections and characters did not feel as deep as I was hoping, making it harder to really connect with them and fully buy into the relationships. Tessa seems to be dealing with a lot mentally and emotionally, in both timelines, and I would have appreciated some deeper examinations of this in past and present.

Final verdict: An intriguing look at grief and loss, THE IN BETWEEN is an emotional read about consuming love and the pain of losing a loved one.