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Between Here and Forever

by Elizabeth Scott (Goodreads Author)

3.65 of 5 stars 3.65 · rating details · 3,025 ratings · 361 reviews

Abby accepted that she can’t measure up to her beautiful, magnetic sister Tess a long time ago, and knows exactly what she is: Second best. Invisible.

Until the accident.

Now Tess is in a coma, and Abby’s life is on hold. It may have been hard living with Tess, but it's nothing compared to living without her.

She's got a plan to bring Tess back though, involving the gorgeous...more

Hardcover, 250 pages

Published May 24th 2011 by Simon Pulse

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Jun 22, 2011 Lora rated it 2 of 5 stars Recommends it for: fans of Elizabeth Scott

Shelves: g-ya-realistic, lib-read

Actual rating: 2.5 stars

Abby's just a normal junior in high school - one who's always been used to living in her sister's shadow. With Tess around, Abby fades into the background until it as if she doesn't exist. It doesn't help that Abby is below average in the looks department and has virtually no confidence.
And then there's Tess: perfect, pretty, popular Tess. Every one - male and female, young and old - loves Tess. She's always had the most friends and the most suitors.
Until a tragic car acc...more

20 likes · like · see review

Apr 17, 2011 Isamlq rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc-galley

ABBY is yet another MC that I want to shake some sense into. Are all Elizabeth Scott’s leads this insecure? Abby truly believes and thus behaves as if she deserves no happiness! Abby behaves exactly as the girl in Perfect You does, only her life is a tad bit more complicated. See, she’s grown up in with a sister who she thinks perfect, whom she thinks everyone thinks perfect. She truly believes she doesn’t and will never measure up. This belief shapes her interactions with others turning her int...more

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May 02, 2011 April rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: for-review, ya, contemporary

I learned several important things after reading Between Here And Forever by Elizabeth Scott. Number 1) A coma and a persistent vegetative state are not the same thing. Number 2) I am the master at figuring out ‘secrets’ by the 20th page. Number 3) I want to read more Elizabeth Scott, but not for the reasons you might think.

Read the rest of my review here

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Mar 25, 2011 Vinaya rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc-galley, bleh, books-i-ought-to-love-but-dont, could-have-been-better, romance, ya-fiction

Confession Time: I love books about angst-ridden, troubled teens who find true love and set their lives back on track. For me, it's the best kind of escapist fiction, even better than the blandness-is-me white bread of most romance novels these days. These characters are tortured and disturbed and have more issues than a political manifesto, but they eventually emerge triumphant, proving to one and all that true love can surmount any barrier. It's cheesy as hell, but great entertainment.

Nobody...more

13 likes · like · see review

Sep 01, 2011 Glass rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011, realistic-fiction

Uh, uh... She was in the car accident on New Year's night, she's in coma, everybody loves her, she's clinically depressed, and she's lesbian. Only thing which is missing is third leg growing from her neck.... Boy is gorgeous and he has OCD...OK... Did you ever hear that less is more?

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Aug 29, 2011 Lisa (lisaisbusynerding) added it

Shelves: read-it-want-it

in a sentence or so: Abby's sister Tess was in a car accident that's left Tess in a coma and left Abby wondering who she is beyond the little sister living in her perfect older sister's shadow.

Abby visits her sister every day. and every day, things stay the same. Tess doesn't move. Abby doesn't know what to feel doesn't know what to do. Abby's parents don't know what to feel and don't know what to do.

after Eli, the boy from the gift shop, walks by and says something in passing, Abby swears she...more in a sentence or so: Abby's sister Tess was in a car accident that's left Tess in a coma and left Abby wondering who she is beyond the little sister living in her perfect older sister's shadow.

Abby visits her sister every day. and every day, things stay the same. Tess doesn't move. Abby doesn't know what to feel doesn't know what to do. Abby's parents don't know what to feel and don't know what to do.

after Eli, the boy from the gift shop, walks by and says something in passing, Abby swears she sees Tess's eyes move. she knows what she has to do to wake her sister up and get things back to the way they were before. there are several snags with this plan, however. Abby has always been in her sister's shadow...does she want to go back to that? Does she want to be the not-as-pretty or not-as-talented sister? does Abby really want Eli to fall for Tess?

allow me to open with the fact that i've never read a book by Elizabeth Scott. obviously, i've heard of her, but i just haven't picked up one of her books. not for any particular reason - it just hasn't happened.

allow me to now share with you that i'm kicking myself about that. i was floored. i was completely and utterly invested emotionally with this story. i literally finished this book like, 4 minutes ago and i had to hammer out my review right now because that's how excited and amazed i am.

to put it into words that might actually be helpful (beyond my blathering and omgitssoawesome chatter), Abby is a broken character. she doesn't give herself enough credit and she doesn't see things the same way everyone else does...but she also sees things that others miss. she knows she's not her sister and that everyone loves Tess, but she takes that to mean she's not worthy of adoration or affection or love. the worst part is, she accepts these as fact.

i know.

what's worse is, this happens. in real life. we are down on ourselves and tell ourselves we don't deserve something because that's just who we are. it takes someone like Clement, the adorable old man at the hospital, or someone like Claire, Tess's former best friend, or someone like Eli, the smexy boy from the gift shop, to invest in us and show us that we DO matter. that we ARE worthy of love.

this book is about so much. it's about loss. it's about hope. it's about how friggin complicated all of our relationships can be. it's about finding out who we are. but mostly it's about knowing that we matter and that we are someone worth being cared about. this is a message we all need to hear, and thank goodness for Elizabeth Scott for framing that message in a book with a totally swoonworthy boy, mysterious circumstances and a twisty-turny plot that sucked me in, heart and soul.

fave quote: "I'm not saying I want to run around hugging everyone or skipping through fields of flowers, but the hard knot of anger - the one that's lived and breathed across and around my heart - has loosened." (180 | 262 Nook)

fix er up: i've been using this one a lot lately, but i'm not in love with this cover. and by not in love with it i mean i don't like it at all...but seriously the writing and the experience more than makes up for that biz.
(less)

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May 30, 2011 Sonia rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: galley-grab, books-i-own, serious-issues

This was my first Elizabeth Scott novel, and after reading it, I can wholeheartedly say that I'm eager to read another.

Between Here and Forever tells the story of a girl with rock bottom self-esteem put into a difficult situation that she tries her very hardest to change. It is unique, haunting and touches on a lot of tough topics.

Abby... is a difficult main character to love. This girl literally has no sense of self-worth and spends a lot of time comparing herself to her older sister, Tess, wh...more This was my first Elizabeth Scott novel, and after reading it, I can wholeheartedly say that I'm eager to read another.

Between Here and Forever tells the story of a girl with rock bottom self-esteem put into a difficult situation that she tries her very hardest to change. It is unique, haunting and touches on a lot of tough topics.

Abby... is a difficult main character to love. This girl literally has no sense of self-worth and spends a lot of time comparing herself to her older sister, Tess, who to her is like perfection personified. Just when I thought her character was going to build a little confidence, the notion was knocked down immediately. It was scary for me to read about Abby because I do know people like her. It's terrifying for me to believe that people could think that lowly of themselves, but there are those that do just as much as Abby.

In terms of the writing, I really liked it. There is some quality that I just can't put my finger on that made me want to keep reading. It was a great combination of dialogue and description - something that can be difficult to balance.

The characters in this story were so diverse. I'm talking personality, race, sexuality... you name it. There were multiple issues looked at and I really appreciated that aspect of the story. It* makes for a story that sticks out in my mind and stays close to my heart. I appreciate my diversity in YA.

Overall, I think Between Here and Forever was a really great book. Act now and there may or may not be a hot boy in the deal - read and find out!**

*Yes, that's right - IT. Spoilerspoilerspoiler if I elaborate.
**Okay, you caught me. There is a hot boy.

Cover Comments: I like it. My brain hurts too much right now to decode the symbolism behind the flower but whatever it is, I'm sure it's brilliant and meaningful. Unless it's just a pretty flower, in which case I would have gone with a blue one because clearly, blue flowers are magnificently more attractive than yellow ones. Yes, I'm tired. Yes, I need to sleep. Good night.

-
This review is also posted at http://thestoryqueen.blogspot.com/(less)

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Mar 14, 2011 Yan rated it 5 of 5 stars

Before picking up Between Here and Forever, I urge readers to read or reread Bloom, Scott’s debut novel. No, it’s not because I love that book (well partially yes), but because Lauren (Lauren’s Crammed Bookshelf) pointed that the characters from Bloom make a reappearance. After making that connection, Between Here and Forever became so much…more in a way. Anyway I’ll gush about that later on.

Between Here and Forever focuses on Abby and her relationship with her sister Tess. Abby is always in the...more Before picking up Between Here and Forever, I urge readers to read or reread Bloom, Scott’s debut novel. No, it’s not because I love that book (well partially yes), but because Lauren (Lauren’s Crammed Bookshelf) pointed that the characters from Bloom make a reappearance. After making that connection, Between Here and Forever became so much…more in a way. Anyway I’ll gush about that later on.

Between Here and Forever focuses on Abby and her relationship with her sister Tess. Abby is always in the shadow of perfect, prefect Tess. Tess is always so careful, but fate decides to be ironic. Tess decides to leave a bit later from a party to avoid riding with a drunk, but on her way home she gets into a car accident. The car slips on black ice. Now Tess is in a coma and Abby is desperate to wake her up even if it means asking a random stranger, Eli, to talk to Tess. Only so Tess can leave.

Between Here and Forever rekindled by love for Scott’s works. This is really similar to Bloom where the main character has low self-esteem, somewhat overshadowed, and is afraid to be happy for the sake of happiness. Abby is constantly in the shadow of Tess even when Tess is in a coma. Her sister is perfect in Abby’s eyes and she’s nothing much in comparison. Between Here and Forever uses simple words to express dark feelings that pulls readers in. While Abby doesn’t turn to cutting, starving herself, or other very serious actions, she lives invisibly. Without a real goal, very close friends, or the drive to be who she can be, Abby isn’t truly living. Between Here and Forever emphasizes that no one is perfect—not Tess, not Abby—but there will be someone who thinks you are. And when you find that person be happy.

Another important element in Between Here and Forever is Eli. Eli has OCD and has a mix heritage: “I’m half Japanese, part black—and this is what counts in Milford—part white….I don’t like being divided into little pieces of color” (101). That last line speaks for itself; it’s a strong sentence but comprised of very simple words. Eli’s OCD is part of Eli but doesn’t make him, him. I think Scott does a great job of depicting his life and his hardships and how it affects others’ viewpoints of him. Eli is a great hero for all his faults because he’s a supportive character who’s nice, gentle, and flusters easily.

Elizabeth Scott also doesn’t poke lightly on sexuality—particularly lesbianism—and death and teenage pregnancy. These two things build up the foundation of some of the side plots and characteristics. In ways I don’t appreciate living in a big city for all its advantages until someone points it.

Okay so going back to Bloom and its connection to Between Here and Forever. I really urge you to be familiar with the book because it brings to light some minor details that will cast Between Here and Forever that will elevate the book. At first I really liked the book but now I love the book. My heart broke more than once, but it also fluttered because you get a sort of happily ever after that I wasn’t expecting. For all its dark elements I can’t help but smile. And be giddy. And reread the book like a million times over again.(less)

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Jan 01, 2012 Jess rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya

I think this is a great story that the author decided to tackle.

However, it felt like I was reading about an MC that was at least five years younger than she was--I kept flipping back to make sure she was, in fact, seventeen. Abby was very repetitive in her thinking, in the things she said, which made her much less likable. I felt like I was always having to wait for her to catch up to what I, the reader, already knew. I also found it hard to believe that given the way she was reacting to her s...more

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Jun 17, 2011 Michelle added it

Elizabeth Scott’s Between Here and Forever is a rather dark coming-of-age drama. Abby has lived in the shadow of her sister forever, but when Tess hits a patch of ice, crashes her car and falls into a coma, Abby really struggles to separate her identity with that of her sister. The true tragedy is not the fact that a teenage girl is left in a coma, possibly never to wake up, but rather how inferior Abby feels in comparison to Tess and how she has let that impact every relationship she has.

As Ab...more Elizabeth Scott’s Between Here and Forever is a rather dark coming-of-age drama. Abby has lived in the shadow of her sister forever, but when Tess hits a patch of ice, crashes her car and falls into a coma, Abby really struggles to separate her identity with that of her sister. The true tragedy is not the fact that a teenage girl is left in a coma, possibly never to wake up, but rather how inferior Abby feels in comparison to Tess and how she has let that impact every relationship she has.

As Abby struggles to find a way to wake Tess up, it really is Abby’s own awakening that captures the heart of the reader. As with most novels of this sort, Abby’s knowledge of her sister is imperfect, but she has let it cloud her entire being, to the point where she does not even believe in her own happiness. The inevitable discoveries of Tess’ true character make for a predictable but still effective plot.

As one might expect, there is a lot of introspection and angst-y self-dialogue as Abby faces her crossroad. It is a bit over-dramatic but remains authentic to a teenager’s voice in which the end of the world is as simple as saying the wrong thing to the wrong person. The descriptions are fairly superficial, which again is symbolic of a teenager’s point of view in which life is still extremely superficial. As Abby matures and faces some stark realizations, so too does the narration.

Between Here and Forever is another example of a young adult novel that does not cross the generational gap very well. It isn’t that it is a horrible story. There is a lot to like about it, including the feelings of unworthiness Abby feels about her friendship with Claire and burgeoning relationship with Eli. However, there is little that is new in this well-trod path of a coming-of-age story. Even the truth about Tess, which is meant to be shocking, is anything but surprising by the time of the big reveal. For younger audiences, however, Ms. Scott does present much food for thought on the idea of self-identity and the need to seek the truth during introspection. Unfortunately, as an adult, I’ve already been there and done that, and I do not necessarily want to go through it again.

Thank you to Simon & Schuster's Galley Grab for my e-galley!(less)

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Jan 09, 2013 7megan rated it 5 of 5 stars

In the book Between Here and Forever, Abby's popular sister, Tess, is in a coma from a car accident and Abby finds herself being popular because of her sister. All Abby wants is for her sister to wake up and life to be back to normal again, so she finds this guy to talk to Tess that would hopefully wake her up. Instead of falling for Tess, Eli fell for Abby and they became lovers. I really loved this book because it really kept you wondering everyday if Tess would wake up or what Eli and Abby we...more

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Oct 31, 2012 Melanie rated it 1 of 5 stars

Ugh, I really feel for people who have zero self esteem, but I can't stand it. Abbey is my least favourite kind of self hater, she's the kind that figures she better hate herself the most so that no one else can make her feel as crappy as she already makes herself feel.

This book makes me wonder if I was this annoying; I don't think I was, because I was too self conscious to be so cavalier and forward, the way Abbey is.

I love Eli. His character makes me giggle a bit though, because the idea of...more

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Sep 25, 2012 Chloe Sturgill rated it 2 of 5 stars

Abby feels like her older sister, Tess, is as perfect as you get. She had come to except that she would always be in Tess's shadow, until one day Tess gets in a car accident and enters into a coma. After that everything changes, her parents are no longer happy, everyone only cares about how Tess is doing and all Abby wants to do is wake her up. Every day Abby returns to the hospital to talk to Tess and it's always the same until Eli comes. Abby is so sure that Eli could wake up Tess that she doe...more

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Sep 15, 2012 Ana Victoria rated it 3 of 5 stars

Termine de leer este libro hace unos dos minutos, asi que supongo que la reseña va a estar 'fresca' y no voy a omitir detalles importantes.
El libro me lo recomendo una chica por twitter, dijo que Elizabeth Scott es una de sus autoras favoritas y lei la sinopsis de este libro, y...me llamo la atencion. Es de lectura facil y rapida, me gusta mas leer libros sobre fantasia, eventos y criaturas sobrenaturales, pero puedo decir que este libro me gusto mucho. Al principio no me atrapo como crei que l...more

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Jul 02, 2012 Krista Ashe rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: my-112-of-2012

Since Elizabeth Scott is one of my all time FAVORITE Contemp writers, I feel terrible giving this book 3 stars. However, I just couldn't bring myself to love it like I do all her other books.

First of all, Abby was an annoying contradiction. She was a firecracker and vivacious one minute and the next minute she was a cowering wallflower. It just didn't add up. And srsly, I couldn't believe how long it took for her to have the major lightbulb moment about Tess's dark secret.

She hated Tess and be...more

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Jun 27, 2012 Harmony Beaufort rated it 3 of 5 stars

Between Here and Forever is my first foray into Elizabeth Scott's writing, so I went in with some pretty high expectations. I've heard amazing things about Scott and while I didn't get what I was expecting, I did enjoy reading Between Here and Forever.

Abby is a kind of conflicting character for me and let me just take a moment to explain why. I know what it's like being the youngest sibling to a sister that seems to be successful in everything she does. Seriously, I do. But Abby's personality ju...more Between Here and Forever is my first foray into Elizabeth Scott's writing, so I went in with some pretty high expectations. I've heard amazing things about Scott and while I didn't get what I was expecting, I did enjoy reading Between Here and Forever.

Abby is a kind of conflicting character for me and let me just take a moment to explain why. I know what it's like being the youngest sibling to a sister that seems to be successful in everything she does. Seriously, I do. But Abby's personality just bomb-dropped into the negative numbers because of Tessa and I really hated the fact that every time Eli tried to approach her or something, she'd be like: "Why you even talking to me? Bleh. I'm not Tessa. Bleh. Everyone hates me. I can't be loved, etc, etc". But by the end of the novel, she did become more of a realistic character for me once Clarie gives her a good talking too, especially. I just waited to smack her across the head sometimes for being so down on herself all the time. (But that might just be me, because I have a very low toleration for people who are constantly putting themselves down and saying that no one wants to be their friend.)

The plot wasn't really a big surprise to me, considering I knew all of Tessa's big secrets by the third or four chapter while it takes Abby nearly the entire novel to figure things out. But, in context, Abby does live a pretty sheltered life on this small island where they are only white people so I can imagine that Tessa's problems probably don't happen too often there and so it was some huge big surprise for her.

Eli was a really, really nice guy. Seriously, he has some mega-patience because when a girl comes up to you and says: "Your voice can wake up my comatose sister"? Your first reaction isn't usually to agree. And it wasn't his either, but he went nonetheless and that was pretty impressive. Also, the whole "being the most gorgeous thing in the universe" thing? I actually didn't mind because I imagine they don't get half-black, half-white, half-asian people walking around there everyday.

Overall, a contemporary fluff with some serious issues and a relatable voice.(less)

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Mar 10, 2012 Cornmaven rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: high-school

The premise of this novel is that people (including you) are not always who you think they/you are, and that it is much better to acknowledge and accept who you are than to live a lie. I appreciated Abby's journey to discovering this basic truth, but I had a hard time following the dialogue. I felt that, in an effort to portray teen conversations accurately, with all of their stops, starts, and unfinished sentences, she made it hard for readers to follow the story. Plus, the tension that I expec...more

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Feb 19, 2012 Barbara rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: pregnancy, self-esteem

Abby has lived in the shadow of her smart, beautiful, charismatic sister Tess all of her life. But after a car wreck leaves Tess in a coma, Abby visits her daily, hoping that Tess will awaken so that she can move on with her own life. When she happens upon an attractive guy in the hospital, Abby thinks that hearing him talk will inspire her sister's recovery. At times it seems as though she is responding to his voice. But Eli is actually more interested in Abby despite her certainty that no boy...more

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Feb 01, 2012 BAYA Librarian rated it 3 of 5 stars

Abby lives in the shadow of her sister. Tess is gorgeous and dynamic and could have any guy she wanted. That is, until a car accident puts Tess in a coma. Now Abby is determined to bring her sister back. Abby isn’t just the lesser-than sister anymore; she’s inextricably tied to Tess’s frozen life and wants her own life back. And hottie Eli who works in the hospital gift shop is the perfect lure for Tess’s return. The matchmaking scheme doesn’t quite unfold an planned, but instead shows Abby, in...more

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Oct 14, 2011 Angelic Zaizai rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011-read, non-terjemahan, young-adult

Hmmm...

Tess, kakak Abby yang 'sempurna' terbaring koma
Abby sebagai adik ga terima, kakaknya lemah tak berdaya
berjuang agar kakaknya kembali sadar, berjuang agar orang-orang ga menganggap Tess sudah tak ada
selain tiap hari dateng ke rumah sakit, Abby meminta Eli, untuk mengajak Tess bicara tiap hari
kenapa?
karena waktu Eli bicara, Abby 'melihat' ada gerakan di balik pelupuk mata sang kakak
dan karena Eli tampan, Abby yakin banget begitu sang kakak sadar, pasti akan suka padanya
yah rencana tinggal r...more

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Sep 23, 2011 kari rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011, ya

I've waited a few days after finishing this one to write a review, wasn't quite sure how I felt about it. So here goes.
While I understood Abby's feelings about herself, always being in her older sister's shadow, I didn't quite get how she could see herself as a complete nothing. At least at first that's how I saw her, but then I realized that she had set out to make herself into nothing, so no one would notice her. Her reasons for doing this were sad, but she had made decisions that were not in...more

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Sep 02, 2011 Shannon Krone rated it 3 of 5 stars

Here's the thing...I had this figured out way before Abby did. Abby doesn't "get it" until page 190 something and I got it pretty much as soon as the meatball story came out.

But anyway, Abby is the 17 year old sister of her older sister Tess whose shadow always keeps Abby in the dark. Tess is perfect, all the guys want her, no one has a bad thing to say about Tess. But now..Tess is in a coma and Abby is here, waiting for Tess to wake up so she (Abby) can live a life back in Tess' shadow because...more

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Aug 21, 2011 Karin rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: coma, siblings, rivalry, jealousy, sisters, families, friendship, relationships, relationship-problems, realistic, young-adult-fiction, romance, terminal-illness, lesbian, borrowed-from-the-library

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Abby has always lived in the shadow of her sister, Tess, who is beautiful, desirable, friendly, perfect. When a terrible car accident puts Tess in a coma, Abby becomes obsessed with getting her sister to wake up. She doesn’t feel that her life can go on while everyone is so focused on Tess. If Tess doesn’t regain consciousness, Abby will never be able to be her own person. When Abby meets Eli – one of the most beautiful and enigmatic boys she has ever seen – at the hospital and when Tess appears...more Abby has always lived in the shadow of her sister, Tess, who is beautiful, desirable, friendly, perfect. When a terrible car accident puts Tess in a coma, Abby becomes obsessed with getting her sister to wake up. She doesn’t feel that her life can go on while everyone is so focused on Tess. If Tess doesn’t regain consciousness, Abby will never be able to be her own person. When Abby meets Eli – one of the most beautiful and enigmatic boys she has ever seen – at the hospital and when Tess appears to react to his voice, Abby begs him to help her out. She believes that Eli can wake Tess up, and that when they see each other, Tess and Eli will immediately fall in love, and Tess will want to get well.

It doesn’t quite work out that way. Eli falls for the wrong girl. Abby is still heartbroken after Jack, another of Tess’ suitors, tries to let her down, gently. Abby can’t forgive him – for being with her, but wanting Tess. And now, she believes that no one will love her or want her because she isn’t pretty or smart or perfect enough – she isn’t Tess. But Eli sees her. Will Abby ever realize that he has feelings for her? Will Tess ever wake up? And what was going on with Tess anyway? Why did she suddenly hate her best friend, Claire? Why did her roommate return all of her stuff and say things weren’t working out?

Mostly, you’ll find yourself asking, “When will Abby get a clue?” Part mystery, part love story, part sibling rivalry, Between Here and Forever is a heart-breaking story of a girl who can no longer see her worth through her obsession. Headstrong, impatient, and determined, Abby refuses to give up. But she also refuses to listen to anyone else’s opinions or thoughts if they don’t fit in with what she already believes. When she finally does take a moment to analyze and reassess, she realizes just how wrong she’s been about everything. This was a short, fast-paced read – mostly enjoyable except for Abby’s ponderous obsession with her sister. Tess this, Tess that. Enough already!(less)

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Jul 07, 2011 Michelle (FabbityFabBookReviews) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-young-adult

The more I read Elizabeth Scott, the more I appreciate her books, her writing.

The book description makes the plot seem deceptively simple, no? A younger sister, forever thinking she will live in the shadow of her gorgeous, beloved older sister Tess, now in a coma. The younger sister, Abby, meets a beautiful boy named Eli at the hospital where she visits Tess. Whatever could happen? I thought I had most of the plot points figured out...but I did not. (Maybe other readers did, but I did not).

Two t...more The more I read Elizabeth Scott, the more I appreciate her books, her writing.

The book description makes the plot seem deceptively simple, no? A younger sister, forever thinking she will live in the shadow of her gorgeous, beloved older sister Tess, now in a coma. The younger sister, Abby, meets a beautiful boy named Eli at the hospital where she visits Tess. Whatever could happen? I thought I had most of the plot points figured out...but I did not. (Maybe other readers did, but I did not).

Two thirds of the way through the novel, events sort of explode. Well, that's not entirely true. I guess in retrospect, little bits of information about Tess (and Eli) are brought to the surface, making for a snowball effect. However, I was actually surprised at the turn of Tess's history. There's not many YA novels that I can say do that! I was right there along with Abby, comprehending and putting together missing puzzles together about Tess's life (and Eli's).

The one major problem I had with this novel was repetitive statements and thoughts from Abby. How many times do we have to read that Abby is sick of being compared to Tess, that Abby feels unworthy and ugly in comparison to Tess, etc. That kind of low self-esteem and extreme self-doubt really leap off the page. As a reader, you start to think, well, if she really thinks she is that unattractive, strange, unlikeable, etc., why would Eli be interested in her as a person? Why should we be rooting for her here? Which is not a good thing to be thinking! Especially since Abby is the protagonist!

That being said, Abby is an intriguing, if not prickly, protagonist. I like her sharpness, her wit. She is a conflicted character, with tremendous sorrow, and complicated feelings about her family. She both hates and loves her sister, and is in conflict about why she wants her sister to wake up from her coma. I also like Eli. He is a well-drawn character. He is mixed race in a town where it sticks out, and is used at his school as an example of diversity. He has a sad history with his parents, partially because of his major struggle with OCD. Eli and Abby do not seem to be typical teens. These older teens have much bigger issues to deal with; tragedy and accident have pushed them into a world that is threatening to swallow them whole.

Other than my major qualm with Abby's repetitive refrains about herself and Tess, I really, really enjoyed this novel. Scott handles and presents significant and weighty young adult and adult issues very deftly. As I mentioned in a previous review of a Scott book, she writes about difficult (and day-to-day) subject matter so well; her writing and approach is thoughtful, considerate, yet pronounced.

Verdict: Very Good. Recommended. (less)

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Jul 01, 2011 Eleni ( La Femme Readers ) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Elizabeth Scott, is one of the sweetest authors I've come across. With a heart of gold, her stories shine with plots anyone could relate to. In Between Here and Forever, I met Abby, a girl whose existence was hidden behind her beautiful sister's shadow. Her constant insecurity stemmed from the feeling of never being good enough. I'd assume Abby would despise her sister, but she actually felt the opposite. The pure sincerity of Abby's actions following Tess's tragic accident, was touching. Every...more

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Jun 22, 2011 Michael rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2011, young-adult

After listening to a couple of other novels by Elizabeth Scott on audio, I decided to go the old fashioned way and actually read her latest novel, "Between Here and Forever." In the interest of full disclosure, I'll say that I'm not the target audience for Ms. Scott's novels, but I have found the audio books to be a nice distraction while doing other things. Her female characters struck me as flawed but authentic characters.

And then there's "Between Here and Forever."

Maybe the experience of list...more After listening to a couple of other novels by Elizabeth Scott on audio, I decided to go the old fashioned way and actually read her latest novel, "Between Here and Forever." In the interest of full disclosure, I'll say that I'm not the target audience for Ms. Scott's novels, but I have found the audio books to be a nice distraction while doing other things. Her female characters struck me as flawed but authentic characters.

And then there's "Between Here and Forever."

Maybe the experience of listening to the audio novels hid the flaws in Scott's other works. Or it could be that "Between Here and Forever" is just a bit too much of a good thing.

Abby's the younger sister of Tess, the seemingly perfect girl who is every guy's fantasy woman and every female's best friend. Abby is in the shadow and it's hurt her in the past, including getting romantically and physically entangled with a guy who is pursuing Tess. The flashbacks of how Abby got her heart stomped on are both awkward and pretty devastating. (The guy actually calls her by Tess' name during an extremely intimate moment!).

But now Tess is in a coma from a car crash while heading home on New Year's morning. Desperate for her sister to wake up, Abby clings to any shred of hope that her sister might magically wake-up and life will return to "normal." So when the hot guy named Eli comes into the room and Abby thinks she sees Tess' eyes moving under her eyelids when Eli talks, Abby hatches a plan. She'll have Eli talk to Tess and bring her out of the coma. Tess will then fall madly in love with Eli and everyone will live happily ever after.

It's a bit like the premise to "While You Were Sleeping." It makes a little less sense here, as does the fact that Eli goes along with it. Of course, given where the story goes, maybe it's not too big a shock that Eli goes along with it for motives other than bringing Tess back.

However, that's not all that's in play here. Before the car crash and the coma, Tess had a HUGE secret....only it's the most obvious huge secret ever. This secret is one of the bigger sticking points of "Between Here and Forever" since it was fairly obvious what it was the first time Abby mentions it. (view spoiler). The only thing I can figure is that Abby is so convinced for Tess' perfectness that the reality of the situation doesn't occur to her until it's pretty much spelled out for her by Tess's former best friend.

Along those lines, Scott seems to be hinting that there could be some connection between Tess's wreck and her big secret. Or maybe I was looking too hard for something to be there that wasn't or I've seen one too many melodramas.

Another big issue with the book is Abby herself. In previous novels, I was struck by the fact that Scott created flawed but authentic female characters. Again, this may go back to the narration of the books in audio form. But Abby seems stuck in a rut where she refuses to believe anyone would find her interesting in any way, shape or form for far too long in the story. At certain points in the book, you just want to reach into the page and shake Abby. Again, it's not until someone points out that Abby is being just like Tess and alienating those who want to love her than any change occurs. And it happens so late in the story that it feels a bit tacked on and rushed.

It all adds up to a book that disappoints more than it should. Even though the ending leaves Abby in a better place, there are still too many threads and questions left open. It may be that was Scott's point to make it feel like real life...but it's just too bad the chapters leading up to that didn't ring as authentic.

(less)

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Jun 14, 2011 Alicia rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: chicklit, dysfunctional, glbt, romance

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Abby is full of self-hate and doubt because her sister has always been the center of attention. But, when Tess is in a terrible accident and left in a coma, Abby still continues to live in her shadow. Fairly early on, Abby becomes overwhelmingly annoying with her low self-esteem and ambivalent toward her own worth. Too far through the story does the real story start to unfold that Tess is actually gay if not bisexual. Tess' best friend in high school, Claire, who is now a nurse at the hospital w...more

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Jun 09, 2011 Jessica rated it 3 of 5 stars

Abby's sister is in a coma after a car accident. Abby visits her sister daily. However, it is the same thing with Tess day after day. Until one day Eli stops by to say hi and Abby thinks she sees her sisters eyes move. Then she has a plan but she has to decide is she really wants her sister to wake up. After all, she has lived in her sister's shadow all her life.

This book was just okay for me. I hated how insecure Abby was. She spent the whole first half of the book comparing herself to her sis...more

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May 30, 2011 Miglet rated it 5 of 5 stars

I eagerly await every new Elizabeth Scott book because I really dig the individual worlds, families, communities that she creates. To me she has a unique gift for immediately immersing you within a place that you don't know but instantly recognize.

To sum it up, she is an extraordinarily gifted storyteller.

I won't summarize because others have done so much better than I ever could, but having grown up with four older, seemingly perfect, and beautiful stepsisters gave me instantly recognition of...more

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May 24, 2011 Sherry Thompson rated it 5 of 5 stars

Between Here and Forever by Elizabeth Scott. Simon & Schuster, 2011.

For years, Abby has worshiped her “perfect” older sister, Tess, whom everyone loves. But now Tess is lying in a hospital bed in a coma, the result of a car accident. Abby just wants Tess to wake up and get on with her life so that Abby can get on with hers. Abby’s daily visits to Tess’s bedside to talk to her and wait for her to wake up consume Abby’s life. Enter Eli, the most gorgeous boy Abby has ever seen; even his voice...more Between Here and Forever by Elizabeth Scott. Simon & Schuster, 2011.

For years, Abby has worshiped her “perfect” older sister, Tess, whom everyone loves. But now Tess is lying in a hospital bed in a coma, the result of a car accident. Abby just wants Tess to wake up and get on with her life so that Abby can get on with hers. Abby’s daily visits to Tess’s bedside to talk to her and wait for her to wake up consume Abby’s life. Enter Eli, the most gorgeous boy Abby has ever seen; even his voice is beautiful.

Abby comes up with a plan to help Tess wake up. She enlists the help of Eli, whom she asks to spend time talking to Tess. Surely, his wonderful voice will jerk Tess out of her coma. Of course, when Tess wakes up, she will see Eli, and it will be love at first sight. Everyone will then live happily ever after.

But things don’t always work out like they’ve been planned. Abby never counted on having feelings for Eli, and she always thought Tess would wake up. She didn’t know that Tess and their neighbor, Claire, were carrying around secrets that had affected both their lives and their futures. What Abby comes to realize is that no one is really perfect; perfection is in the eyes of the beholder.

Elizabeth Scott has touched on many sensitive subjects—self-perception, sexuality, racial discrimination, and OCD—in her lovely story. Abby feels she has always been overshadowed by her older sister, nearly to the point of invisibility. Everyone loves Tess, wants to be around Tess, wants to date Tess. Abby feels she will never measure up to Tess, even when Tess is in a coma. Even though Abby says she hates Tess, it is apparent that is exactly the opposite. Why else would Abby try so hard to wake her up?

The way that Eli’s OCD is presented is both touching and believable. Many people with OCD cannot live a normal life, even on medication. Although Eli still exhibits some symptoms, he is able to cope in a fairly normal way. However, on top of his disorder, he also has to deal with the fact that his parents consider him damaged goods, and send him to live with his grandfather. Additionally, Eli is half Japanese, part black, and part white. While he is taunted and ostracized by the students at his school for his disorder, he is accepted at the school for his ethnicity. While this makes for a heavy burden, Eli is still sensitive, caring, and even gets ruffled at times. I loved Eli; he was a “knight in shining armor” for Abby!

Claire, Abby’s neighbor, now works at the hospital where Tess is. Much to her surprise, Abby discovers that Tess and Claire had been much more than best friends. When they had their falling out, Claire wanted Tess to “come out” so that they could be seen as a couple. Tess was afraid that everyone’s perception and expectations of her would change; she would no longer be perfect in everyone’s eyes. Claire was wounded by Tess’s actions, got pregnant and had a baby boy. Tess could not forgive Claire and, thus, ruined her senior year. This part of the book was extremely interesting, especially seeing these events unfold, in retrospect, through Abby’s eyes. She finally was able to understand that her sister was very unhappy, and possibly depressed. Of course, this was not how everyone else saw Tess!

I found out, after reading the book, that Abby’s parents had actually been teenagers in another of Elizabeth Scott’s novels, Bloom. While Between Here and Forever is a stand-alone book, if readers want some background information, they might want to read Bloom first.

This novel is a sensitive, flowing read. I recommend it for high school and public libraries!

*Note: I read an advanced readers’ copy of Between Here and Forever that I received from Simon & Schuster’s Galley Grab on nook. The book will be released on May 24. 2011. (less)

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About Elizabeth Scott

Hey there, I'm Elizabeth. I write young adult novels. I live just outside Washington DC with my husband and dog, and am unable to pass a bookstore without stopping and going inside.

All right, and I can't leave without buying at least one book.

Usually two. (Or more!)

My website and blog are at elizabethwrites.com, and I'm also on facebook and twitter.

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“...sometimes, you have to break your own heart.” — 70 people liked it

“Anger can try to break your heart, but sorrow is what will. What can. What does.” — 40 people liked it

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