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 ...
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Dec 29, 2011
Cara
rated it: 
I'm having a hard time remembering why exactly I decided to read this book. It wasn't the cover, title, or premise. I actually didn't know what the book was exactly about to be honest. This hasn't happened to me in a long time. Anyways no matter, just have to come to terms with my senile self. Onto the real review...
Connelly keeps to herself mostly. She isn't anti-social just not very social. She also isn't a dork but she isn't popular. No, Connelly prefers to sit in the middle of th More...
Connelly keeps to herself mostly. She isn't anti-social just not very social. She also isn't a dork but she isn't popular. No, Connelly prefers to sit in the middle of th More...
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Nov 10, 2011
Emma
rated it: 
Aw, this one was so sweet. Yeah, it was short, but it’s pages were utilized; making it any longer would have just been drawing it out, which might not have been so bad, not here, but it would have been unnecessary. This book stands at 182 big-print pages, and it does so beautifully.
It’s about an average girl, Connelly, and a perfect guy, Jeremy, who become unlikely friends. However, this book is not so cliché as some others out there, and, at the end of the books, they are still fri More...
It’s about an average girl, Connelly, and a perfect guy, Jeremy, who become unlikely friends. However, this book is not so cliché as some others out there, and, at the end of the books, they are still fri More...
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Oct 18, 2011
Jodi
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I really enjoyed The Beautiful Between. It was one of those books that I just sat down and read the whole way through. The story was sweet and sad with an ending that resolved any lingering questions that I had throughout the story.
Connelly is surprised when Jeremy, the most popular boy in school, suddenly befriends her. The two begin a relationship built on helping each other with schoolwork but soon Jeremy confides that he and Connelly have more in common. Their similaritie More...
Connelly is surprised when Jeremy, the most popular boy in school, suddenly befriends her. The two begin a relationship built on helping each other with schoolwork but soon Jeremy confides that he and Connelly have more in common. Their similaritie More...
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Sep 21, 2011
Laura
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I read this book in about 5 hours because I was so addicted. As soon as I had read the first page I found myself racing onto others. I love how the character compares her life to a fairytale. It makes you realize that life is a fairytale and you have to live it the way you want to. Anyway, back to the review, Alyssa Sheinmel's novel caught me after about 2 chapters. Connie had lost her Dad when she was about two, ever since then she had only spoken about him once with her mother. Now she was six
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May 28, 2011
Rachael
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Connelly Sternin is mostly content with where she is. She gets decent grades, studies for her SATs, and plays nice with her mom. She’s mostly fine with keeping her secrets, like the fact that her father died when she two though she doesn’t know how, in order to stay under the radar. So Connelly couldn’t be more surprised when Jeremy Cole, the most popular guy in school, decides one day to sit with her at lunch. It turns out that Jeremy has some tragic secrets of his own that link him to Connelly
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Feb 26, 2011
Bobbi
rated it:
Putting aside that I don't like the world view that all high schoolers are drunk partiers and that if you're not you're really far out, or that smoking is worth doing (having an aunt and uncle who died of lung cancer), I really liked how this book created a meaningful relationship between a boy and a girl, where the point of the relationship was not hormones. Yes, she finds him attractive, but it is the real human intimacy of getting one another through hard times and understanding and supportin
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Jan 18, 2011
Barky
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Connelly Sternin lives with her mom in an apartment in the city and attends a ritzy private school, even though she’s not really part of the rich and famous set. She’s not unpopular, but she is kind of invisible until Jeremy Cole (who’s practically high school royalty) offers to tutor her in physics. Jeremy is interested in Connelly for his own reasons, though, it’s not what you’d think. His younger sister, Kate, has been diagnosed with leukemia and their whole family is going through a reall
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Oct 14, 2010
Samantha
rated it:
I thought the book was pretty amazing.I like the fact that the book is more of a theme-driven book, rather than a plot-driven book. This is probably why I enjoy this book rather than some of the more popular books that have exciting plots and interesting characters yet lack the theme and moral that guides the plot to its end.
The theme of this book dealts mainly on accepting the truth, no matter how ugly it is. I like how the author weaves Kate's death to the protagonist's father's death; More...
The theme of this book dealts mainly on accepting the truth, no matter how ugly it is. I like how the author weaves Kate's death to the protagonist's father's death; More...
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Apr 12, 2010
Steven
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Firstly I want to thank Alyssa for sending me a copy courtesy of Roshan Nozari from Random House publishing. I seen this book listed on a website and knew I had to read it. Shortly after I had joined the 2010 Debute Author Challenge I noticed it was on the Debute List. I accomplished two tasks in one! I began reading this story on Friday, the first real day of Spring where I live. We were blessed with 81* weather, sun and no rain!
The story is a fantasy comparison to reality and is w More...
The story is a fantasy comparison to reality and is w More...
Jul 20, 2010
Bethany
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Connelly has always imagined her upscale New York City high school to be a lot like a fairy tale kingdom complete with royalty and peasants. She compares herself to Rapunzel, locked away in the apartment that she and her mother share studying for the SATs and trying to understand physics. Jeremy Cole is the prince of the school, and Connelly is shocked when he sits down next to her at lunch and offers to tutor her in Physics. The two grow to be close friends through the tutoring sessions and
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Jun 10, 2010
Heather
rated it:
What a great book! It's not one of the best I've read recently, but it's high on the list. My absolute FAVORITE thing about this book was the ongoing metaphor of the fairy-tale kingdom. LOVE how that was used. And, best of all, it's maintained throughout the story! I thought that was pretty cool, as many times those metaphors are not so well incorporated into an entire book. Plus, I suspect that I'm somewhat like Connelly in that I was a big daydreamer when I was her age. And, really, she's so r
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Apr 26, 2010
Reaganstar
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This book was beautiful... truly named very well... as it just was so eloquently written. Alyssa did a wonderful job with the character growth and the story line, each chapter smoothly moving into the next one as if watching scenes from a loved ones life.
Connelly is a wonderful character who befriends Jeremy as they both start dealing with a loss of there own. Its amazing how wonderfully and unforced this friendship comes. The other main character in this book Kate.. is just a elegan More...
Connelly is a wonderful character who befriends Jeremy as they both start dealing with a loss of there own. Its amazing how wonderfully and unforced this friendship comes. The other main character in this book Kate.. is just a elegan More...
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May 07, 2010
Andrea
rated it:
3.5 out of 5 rating
While I was hoping that I would love this book, it was only just okay to me. I thought that the idea of the story was engaging. And heartbreaking. And there was no romance in this story which is odd for me, but it wasn't a bad thing.
But I just couldn't connect with the main character, Connelly. For some reason, she just seemed distand to me and I couldn't get her. I mean, there were so many ways that I identified with her, when I was in high sc More...
While I was hoping that I would love this book, it was only just okay to me. I thought that the idea of the story was engaging. And heartbreaking. And there was no romance in this story which is odd for me, but it wasn't a bad thing.
But I just couldn't connect with the main character, Connelly. For some reason, she just seemed distand to me and I couldn't get her. I mean, there were so many ways that I identified with her, when I was in high sc More...
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Sep 25, 2011
Melissa
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This was a new addition to our high school library, so I decided to read it in the hopes of having another book to recommend to students. What I found instead was a giant disappointment. I am not oblivious to the activities that many high school students are involved in, but does literature need to represent it as a totally normal reality? Aside from the incessant high school smoking (with total parents condoning the behavior), keg parties, a 12 year old cancer stricken child distributing beer t
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Jan 10, 2011
Chrissy
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Connelly is astonished when Jeremy Cole, the most popular, most stunning boy in her high school, offers to tutor her in physics in exchange for her help with SAT vocabulary. After all, everyone knows the prestigious Cole family could afford the very best tutors in town. So, what is Jeremy's real motive?
Turns out Jeremy knows a secret about Connelly that could affect a secret tragedy that is occurring in his own life. In fact, Jeremy knows more about Connelly's secret than she does!
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Turns out Jeremy knows a secret about Connelly that could affect a secret tragedy that is occurring in his own life. In fact, Jeremy knows more about Connelly's secret than she does!
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Nov 05, 2011
Lisa
rated it:
This book caught me off guard. I had a hard time putting it down, it is well written, and the main character was easy to connect with. I was not expecting the storyline of grief and grieving to be so prevalent throughout the book, tho. I'll admit that I sobbed when a character died. The main character is just now beginning to cope with the death of her father (15 years later) and to finally connect with her mother, but even that doesn't begin until about halfway through the book. Aside from teen
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May 12, 2010
Kristen
rated it:
Why I read this: The reference to Rapunzel stuck out to me and it's a debut novel.
Plot: The usual fairy tale of a popular young man starting to pay attention to a girl who thinks herself not unusual - not worth the attention. Connelly knows there's a reason he has been driven to approach her about helping her with her homework. It's quite an interesting plot because of the way Connelly grew up - knowing nothing about her father's death. Her mother completely shuts off whenever it is More...
Plot: The usual fairy tale of a popular young man starting to pay attention to a girl who thinks herself not unusual - not worth the attention. Connelly knows there's a reason he has been driven to approach her about helping her with her homework. It's quite an interesting plot because of the way Connelly grew up - knowing nothing about her father's death. Her mother completely shuts off whenever it is More...
Mar 23, 2010
Lena ♫ ♪
rated it: 
Rating: 2.5 stars
Everyone knows the tale of Rapunzel. When I read the synopsis, I automatically thought this was going to be a modern retelling of the story. I was anxious to see how The Beautiful Between would play out. Only thing is, this has nothing to do with Rapunzel. This story is more about secrets and lies, truth and knowing, grief and friendship.
Connelly is in her junior year at one of the most prestigious high schools in New York. Her dream is to attend Col More...
Everyone knows the tale of Rapunzel. When I read the synopsis, I automatically thought this was going to be a modern retelling of the story. I was anxious to see how The Beautiful Between would play out. Only thing is, this has nothing to do with Rapunzel. This story is more about secrets and lies, truth and knowing, grief and friendship.
Connelly is in her junior year at one of the most prestigious high schools in New York. Her dream is to attend Col More...
Apr 24, 2011
Mitchii
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
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Aug 11, 2011
James-Elizabeth
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I was quite surprised by this book. I was expecting some fluffy YA romance. Now, I highly dislike fluffy YA romances, but running out of ideas and having poor choices on my e-reader store, I chose this one. Yes there was a little fluff, mostly the times Connelly and Jeremy are studying, but everything is balanced out by Jeremy's little sister's disease. Nothing out of the ordinary here, but Connelly not knowing how her father died? That's a little strange. I'm not convinced it can actually happe
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Jul 27, 2010
A&E
rated it:
The Beautiful Between follows the relationship between bookworm, introvert high-school-nobody Connelly and the handsome, big man on campus Jeremy. One day he suggests they tutor each other since one’s academic weakness is the other’s strength. Connelly is ga-ga and they begin spending time together.
It's soon clear Jeremy has ulterior motives – nothing nefarious. He’s looking for help with a family crisis for which he believes Connelly has insight – how she coped with her father’s il More...
It's soon clear Jeremy has ulterior motives – nothing nefarious. He’s looking for help with a family crisis for which he believes Connelly has insight – how she coped with her father’s il More...
Apr 07, 2011
Asher
rated it:
I was thoroughly disappointed with this book, as it happens. I was expecting this book to be more. Filled with emotion and depth. It isn't. THE BEAUTIFUL BETWEEN has a nice synopsis, and a potentially good story, were it not for the many, many, many things that bothered me about it. While it's still saddening, and holds a touch of sad emotion, there's nothing about it that screams authenticity or amazement.
First, the heroine fell flat to the ideal heroine. This story is supposed to be More...
First, the heroine fell flat to the ideal heroine. This story is supposed to be More...
Apr 09, 2011
Agateophobia
rated it:
I give this book a 2.5.
This book was better than I expected it would be. I felt like it could have been longer, a little more detailed, and more interaction with others. I get that Connelly wasn't a very social person, but I feel like it was a little too much...stuff I didn't want to read. And it was a bit repetitive.
I gave it a 2.5 because I didn't like it, so it doesn't get the 3 stars. It was better than okay though, since it was better than expected.
[spoiler] More...
This book was better than I expected it would be. I felt like it could have been longer, a little more detailed, and more interaction with others. I get that Connelly wasn't a very social person, but I feel like it was a little too much...stuff I didn't want to read. And it was a bit repetitive.
I gave it a 2.5 because I didn't like it, so it doesn't get the 3 stars. It was better than okay though, since it was better than expected.
[spoiler] More...
Jan 10, 2011
Alicia
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Connelly Sternin is not the most popular girl at school. In fact she probably would not consider herself to be in the top 50% of the most popular. She's just a teenager who studies more than she socialized. So why, exactly, is THE most popular boy in school interested in her? Turns out they have something in common, only he knows a lot more about it than she does.
This, by far, is one of the best books I have read in the last year. Sweet, endearing, heart-wrenching, powerful. This is More...
This, by far, is one of the best books I have read in the last year. Sweet, endearing, heart-wrenching, powerful. This is More...
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Oct 24, 2010
Laila
rated it:
At this point in my life, I hate sad books. More than traffic, the B52s, and soggy sandwiches. And this book was sad. It had a sad middle and a sad ending, when all I wanted was a classic happily ever after.
Other than the parts I hated, I enjoyed the book. Great characterization.
It ends with a quote from A Farewell to Arms: "But we were never lonely and never afraid when we were together." I think the author included the quote so the end wouldn't feel so depressing, but (m More...
Other than the parts I hated, I enjoyed the book. Great characterization.
It ends with a quote from A Farewell to Arms: "But we were never lonely and never afraid when we were together." I think the author included the quote so the end wouldn't feel so depressing, but (m More...
Dec 06, 2011
Anncleire
rated it:
Quando ho iniziato “The beautiful between” non mi ricordavo minimamente la trama, period. Ma già dalle prime righe mi ha colpito come uno di quei libri che mi sarebbero rimasti nel cuore.
Connelly è una di quelle ragazze nella norma, diciassette anni, buoni voti a scuola, interessata, ma nel mezzo non fa parte della gente popolare, ma neanche nei nerd. A mensa siede nella tavola centrale, quella in cui siedono tutti. Ma immagina che l’high school sia una sorta di reame incantato con l More...
Connelly è una di quelle ragazze nella norma, diciassette anni, buoni voti a scuola, interessata, ma nel mezzo non fa parte della gente popolare, ma neanche nei nerd. A mensa siede nella tavola centrale, quella in cui siedono tutti. Ma immagina che l’high school sia una sorta di reame incantato con l More...
Oct 09, 2010
Tiffany
rated it:
I wanted to give this book more stars, but I couldn't get past the fact that Jeremy and Connelly's relationship bloomed over a nightly ritual of smoking cigarettes. Especially under the cirumstances in which Jeremy sought Connelly's friendship. He's a chain-smoker. She was a non-smoker only pretending to inhale in the beginning. However, at the end they were excited for spring so that when they met for their nightly ritual it would be warm. This book was written for teens. The author could
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Apr 10, 2011
Emma
rated it:
Connelly Sternin is good at pretending. She's especially good at imagining things and, sometimes, at making things up. It's easy when she has spent most of her life convincing everyone at her school that her parents are divorced when really he died and Connelly has no idea how.
But it's okay. Sometimes Connelly thinks of herself as a kind of Rapunzel--a princess trapped in a tower watching life through a window. Maybe she's being punished, living in the tower. Or maybe it's protection More...
But it's okay. Sometimes Connelly thinks of herself as a kind of Rapunzel--a princess trapped in a tower watching life through a window. Maybe she's being punished, living in the tower. Or maybe it's protection More...
Dec 01, 2011
Lori
rated it:
I really liked this book. I think the writer did such a good job and keeping the main characters relationship mysterious and friendly... and it stayed that way until the very end. It was a sweet story about understanding one another even though you think you have them all figured out. I really loved the relationship between Connelly and her mother and how it was vague and deep and, well... just good.
Great book. I'd give it 5 stars if the character building would have taken place anywhe More...
Great book. I'd give it 5 stars if the character building would have taken place anywhe More...
May 30, 2011
Cherryl
rated it:
I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised with this book. I was expecting a young adult romance slash coming of age story. And although there was a hint of romance, it kinda left me hanging in the end on the romance department. I guess I was just really looking for a good love story.
I did enjoy the story. The part(s) I loved most are Connelly and Jeremy's not-so-secret nightly meetings where they slowly discover things about each other, like the real reason why Jeremy befriended More...
I did enjoy the story. The part(s) I loved most are Connelly and Jeremy's not-so-secret nightly meetings where they slowly discover things about each other, like the real reason why Jeremy befriended More...
