Between Here and Forever

Written by Elizabeth Scott

Goodreads Synopsis: 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 and mysterious Eli, but then Abby learns something about Tess, something that was always there, but that she'd never seen. Abby is about to find out that truth isn't always what you think it is, and that life holds more than she ever thought it could....

My Confession: I was pleasantly surprised by this story. My initial worry was that Abby would turn out painfully one-dimensional, obsessed with her sister and her own perception of inadequacy. But to Scott's credit, she paints a pretty sympathetic picture of a "golden girl," who has everyone wrapped around her finger. Tess, in the snippets we see from Abby's memory, is not a likable person--she's horribly mean and condescending to her younger sister. She's filled with rage while at home with Abby and their parents, but turns on the charm when others are around, causing a warped and false image of Tess' true personality.

Abby does more than live in her sister's shadow--she's swallowed by it. The chip on her shoulder has been earned; she's had painful reminders her entire life that she's not Tess, and never will be. She's been looked-over and picked second one too many times. When she meets Eli, she's so brainwashed into thinking he'll automatically want Tess, she sabotages her own chances at happiness without realizing it. I have to give props to Scott--she really kept the theme consistent, and Abby never wavered in her mentality. Her character was defined and steady, and as much as I wanted to shake her, I felt like she was a real person. As was Eli, a physically beautiful boy with flaws of his own.

Recommendation: The writing was really simplistic and wonderful here. When I closed the back cover, my first thought was of how well-written the entire story had been. Not once did I think Abby was too whiny, or Eli's perfection too improbable. And I never expected Tess' secret to be what it was. It took me off-guard and forced me to revisit the beginning half of the story with new eyes. And that's always a good thing. Unpredictable with growth. All in all, a pretty solid and worthwhile read.

Rating: 4/5

250 pages, published by Simon Pulse (May 24, 2011)