Abstract
Reviewed by: The Beautiful Between Kate Quealy-Gainer Sheinmel, Alyssa B. The Beautiful Between. Knopf, 2010 [192p]. Library ed. ISBN 978-0-375-96182-3$19.99 Trade ed. ISBN 978-0-375-86182-6$16.99 E-book ed. ISBN 978-0-375-89620-0$16.99 Reviewed from galleys R Gr. 9-12 When the painfully gorgeous and generally adored Jeremy Cole sits down next to Connelly at lunch, offering to tutor her in physics, she's a bit suspicious: he is, after all, the crown prince of their New York City prep school, while she is just a lowly subject, invisible and unnoticed. His angle, however, turns out to be more heartbreaking than malicious: Jeremy's younger sister is dying of leukemia, and since Connelly's father died of the same thing, Jeremy is hoping Connelly has some words of wisdom or, at the very least, comfort. Unfortunately, Connelly can barely remember her dad's passing (she was two years old), and since her mother has refused to speak of the event since, Connelly didn't even know what exactly killed her father until Jeremy informed her. Her budding relationship with Jeremy and his family forces Connelly to begin her own mourning process while confronting her mother's inability to grieve. Between the dying sibling and the family secrets, the potential for melodrama here is almost overwhelming, but debut author Sheinmel maintains a quiet restraint, keeping the focus on Jeremy and Connelly as they navigate their respective losses. Connelly's inevitable confrontation with her mother is not so much the climactic revelation of a family mystery as it is a cathartic emotional purge, while the death of Jeremy's sister is handled with a dignified grace that elevates it beyond a simple plot device. The pacing isn't swift, but the contemplative tone of Connelly's narration reflects the story's somber nature; readers initially hoping that Jeremy and Connelly become a couple will understand as the story evolves that the pair are simply too broken right now to offer each other anything more than friendship. Subdued and reflective, this makes for a compelling study in grief and family dynamics. Copyright © 2010 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois
Published Version
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