A review by nikkihrose
In Between by Jenny B. Jones
2.0
The first of the Katie Parker Productions series, this book was not exactly what I expected. I picked it up because of the synopsis: child enters foster care, is sent to live with a kind family, and discovers that some people are genuinely just kind and loving. At the same time, there seemed to be a mystery component where her new family, the Scotts, had a secret they were trying to hide.
Before I dive too deep into this review, I need to say that every book that is published exists for a reason. There is someone in the world who will enjoy and appreciate it. This book was not for me, but I can see reasons why people would enjoy it.
Appreciations
This book is about hope. It's about family - whether they're chosen or given. It's about finding people you can trust and count on, even when you thought the world had given up on you.
The second half of the book gets better. Better from what, you might ask … for that, check out the content under "Criticisms" below. But either way, the second half is better. It's a bit more realistic, and provides a bit more of a story arc that shows improvement and developing characterization.
There is a religious component to this book, as the family taking in Katie are both a Pastor and his wife. But more than this, they bring her to church and she participates in youth services, and she tries to come to terms with her own questionings about God. Personally, this was actually something I didn't care for, as I am not a religious person and it came on a bit heavy for my liking, but I'm placing this in the "appreciation" section simply because it also wasn't too forced or preachy. While I was a bit uncomfortable with it, so was Katie at first. I could relate to her, and isn't that the entire point of reading?
Criticisms
Sadly, I have more criticisms than praises for this book.
First of all, the protagonist, Katie, is supposedly a sophomore in high school, yet for the first half of the book she acts and whines as though she is in middle school. While I understand some high schoolers do this, it was largely unrealistic of the age she was supposed to be representing. Especially since, in my experience, most foster kids end up being forced to grow up so fast, that they typically act older not younger than they are.
Secondly, much of the book takes place in a high school, but I'm not entirely sold on the fact that the author, Jenny B. Jones, knows how high schools operate. Teachers wouldn't be able to get away with abusive behavior - no matter who they are related to. Students wouldn't be able to switch classes in their schedule late into the semester just because they want to try something new. Luckily the student interactions are fairly realistic, but even they tend to border on questionable. For example, a new student is very unlikely to pick a new table of kids to sit with every day at lunch just to avoid the one kid they do know. And while it is a classic cliché for new kids to eat their lunches in the bathroom, it's highly unlikely and impractical that this ever happens. Students typically need a pass to get out of lunch - and most would prefer to eat in a teacher's room, the hallway, or an empty classroom, before they'd ever even consider eating on a toilet.
Thirdly, there's the humor. I need to highlight the fact that writing humor is not easy. Especially since humor for one person might not be considered funny to another. So while I might be criticizing the humor in this book, I do recognize that it is likely to be funny for someone else. But for me, it was a sarcastic humor undertone that was forced. I couldn't enjoy it. Katie's inner monologues were filled with disdain for the world and her quips were often immature rather than purposeful.
Lastly, the names. Mrs. Smartly? Really? "In Between" as a name for a town? Maybe I'm being too critical, but it doesn't seem like Jones put much effort into the name development for this book. But maybe that's just me.
I'll stop there for now.
The Plot
Katie's mom is in jail and she is thrown into the foster care system. She's at a home for girls with a caretaker, until a family decides that they want to give her a chance. But Katie knows she'll be back in the home with the other girls soon enough - that's how it always goes, anyway, isn't it?
But when she gets to In Between, she's mesmerized by the fresh-baked cookies her foster mom whipped up, and the beautifully pink and luxurious room she now no longer wants to live without. But of course, since she's expecting to go back to the home any day now, she can't act as though she likes any of it.
When it's time to start school, she forces herself to act as obnoxious as possible, donning a persona that is not her, in hopes of speeding up the process to avoid this feeling of being stuck in between being happy and knowing where she belongs.
Falling in with the wrong crowd, Katie makes some catastrophic mistakes that end up hurting the only people who have truly been there for her since coming to In Between. Now it's up to her to right the wrongs and set things on the right path.
But Katie's new family seems to be hiding something. And her curiosity gets the best of her until it all comes spilling out. Can Katie help bring happiness to this small town? To her new parents? To a broken family?
---
This book wasn't my favorite, but it definitely had some redeeming qualities. That being said, I don't think I'll be continuing the series.
Before I dive too deep into this review, I need to say that every book that is published exists for a reason. There is someone in the world who will enjoy and appreciate it. This book was not for me, but I can see reasons why people would enjoy it.
Appreciations
This book is about hope. It's about family - whether they're chosen or given. It's about finding people you can trust and count on, even when you thought the world had given up on you.
The second half of the book gets better. Better from what, you might ask … for that, check out the content under "Criticisms" below. But either way, the second half is better. It's a bit more realistic, and provides a bit more of a story arc that shows improvement and developing characterization.
There is a religious component to this book, as the family taking in Katie are both a Pastor and his wife. But more than this, they bring her to church and she participates in youth services, and she tries to come to terms with her own questionings about God. Personally, this was actually something I didn't care for, as I am not a religious person and it came on a bit heavy for my liking, but I'm placing this in the "appreciation" section simply because it also wasn't too forced or preachy. While I was a bit uncomfortable with it, so was Katie at first. I could relate to her, and isn't that the entire point of reading?
Criticisms
Sadly, I have more criticisms than praises for this book.
First of all, the protagonist, Katie, is supposedly a sophomore in high school, yet for the first half of the book she acts and whines as though she is in middle school. While I understand some high schoolers do this, it was largely unrealistic of the age she was supposed to be representing. Especially since, in my experience, most foster kids end up being forced to grow up so fast, that they typically act older not younger than they are.
Secondly, much of the book takes place in a high school, but I'm not entirely sold on the fact that the author, Jenny B. Jones, knows how high schools operate. Teachers wouldn't be able to get away with abusive behavior - no matter who they are related to. Students wouldn't be able to switch classes in their schedule late into the semester just because they want to try something new. Luckily the student interactions are fairly realistic, but even they tend to border on questionable. For example, a new student is very unlikely to pick a new table of kids to sit with every day at lunch just to avoid the one kid they do know. And while it is a classic cliché for new kids to eat their lunches in the bathroom, it's highly unlikely and impractical that this ever happens. Students typically need a pass to get out of lunch - and most would prefer to eat in a teacher's room, the hallway, or an empty classroom, before they'd ever even consider eating on a toilet.
Thirdly, there's the humor. I need to highlight the fact that writing humor is not easy. Especially since humor for one person might not be considered funny to another. So while I might be criticizing the humor in this book, I do recognize that it is likely to be funny for someone else. But for me, it was a sarcastic humor undertone that was forced. I couldn't enjoy it. Katie's inner monologues were filled with disdain for the world and her quips were often immature rather than purposeful.
Lastly, the names. Mrs. Smartly? Really? "In Between" as a name for a town? Maybe I'm being too critical, but it doesn't seem like Jones put much effort into the name development for this book. But maybe that's just me.
I'll stop there for now.
The Plot
Katie's mom is in jail and she is thrown into the foster care system. She's at a home for girls with a caretaker, until a family decides that they want to give her a chance. But Katie knows she'll be back in the home with the other girls soon enough - that's how it always goes, anyway, isn't it?
But when she gets to In Between, she's mesmerized by the fresh-baked cookies her foster mom whipped up, and the beautifully pink and luxurious room she now no longer wants to live without. But of course, since she's expecting to go back to the home any day now, she can't act as though she likes any of it.
When it's time to start school, she forces herself to act as obnoxious as possible, donning a persona that is not her, in hopes of speeding up the process to avoid this feeling of being stuck in between being happy and knowing where she belongs.
Falling in with the wrong crowd, Katie makes some catastrophic mistakes that end up hurting the only people who have truly been there for her since coming to In Between. Now it's up to her to right the wrongs and set things on the right path.
But Katie's new family seems to be hiding something. And her curiosity gets the best of her until it all comes spilling out. Can Katie help bring happiness to this small town? To her new parents? To a broken family?
---
This book wasn't my favorite, but it definitely had some redeeming qualities. That being said, I don't think I'll be continuing the series.