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3.49 AVERAGE
3.49 AVERAGE
Great book about randomness of HS plus the importance of kindness and making wise decisions for the long term even though it's hard to see what that is in high school. Also loved the first person look at 5 different teens as clearly everyone's inner problems no one can guess from what appears to be beautiful or happy exteriors.
adventurous
challenging
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
To be honest I was going to give it two stars because when I initially read this book I thought it was going to be them becoming friends over time and I mean they did but at the very end! I'm not even sure if it was that that I didn't like I think it was how the points of view were so brief and so random. I got confused quite a bit or got focused on a character and forgot other ones. The ending was really sweet and I liked it and it made it worth reading but I probably wouldn't recommend this book to anyone and if I did they'd be like a freshman or sophomore in high school
"Not necessarily the beginning and not really the end, either. It was the infinite in between, all those minuscule and major moments when they'd dipped in and out of each other's lives. That had been their journey and somehow, even though they hadn't realized it, they'd been on it together."
The five of them meet at high school orientation.
Gregor plays cello and he loves his family. His world feels far too small to be starting high school where older kids like his sister seem so much more together. He is hopelessly in love with Whitney but he has no idea how to tell her especially when his grand gestures manage to go awry. Getting Whitney to notice him is Gregor's biggest problem until a sudden tragedy changes everything.
Everyone saw the viral video of Zoe's actress mother screaming at her in a dressing room. She knows everyone sees her as a spoiled brat who is just like her mom. But that isn't the whole story. It isn't even close.
Jake knows he's gay. He knows it the same we he knows he's an artist and the same way he knows he can't play football anymore after what happened on the bus. The harder part is dealing with his crush on his best friend, Ted.
Whitney is pretty and popular. She seems to have it all. Except things at home are starting to unravel and there's a constant push and pull to balance expectations people have of who Whitney should be like--her white mother or her black father.
Even at orientation, Mia is an outsider. She doesn't have many friends or much of a family with her parents more interested in work than her. Mia is an observer and an expert at blending in. But before high school ends she'll have to figure out where she fits and how to speak up before it's too late.
Five teens. Four years. One journey that changes everything in Infinite in Between (2015) by Carolyn Mackler.
Infinite in Between is written in close third person perspective which shifts between Gregor, Zoe, Jake, Whitney, and Mia. The novel starts with their orientation the day before high school and follows all of them through four years to graduation day.
Despite the broad scope and large cast, Infinite in Between is fast-paced and populated with well-developed characters. While each character has their own journey--often without much overlap--all five of their stories intersect in interesting ways throughout the novel often in ways only apparent to the reader.
Infinite in Between is an inventive novel ideal for readers making their own way through the labyrinthine passages of high school as well as readers who appreciate overlapping narratives and stories reminiscent of Six Degrees of Separation. Highly recommended.
Possible Pairings: In Some Other World, Maybe by Shari Goldhagen, The Smell of Other People's Houses by Bonnie Sue Hitchcock, One of Us is Lying by Karen M. McManus, The List by Siobhan Vivian
*A copy of this title was provided by the publisher for review consideration at BEA 2014*
The five of them meet at high school orientation.
Gregor plays cello and he loves his family. His world feels far too small to be starting high school where older kids like his sister seem so much more together. He is hopelessly in love with Whitney but he has no idea how to tell her especially when his grand gestures manage to go awry. Getting Whitney to notice him is Gregor's biggest problem until a sudden tragedy changes everything.
Everyone saw the viral video of Zoe's actress mother screaming at her in a dressing room. She knows everyone sees her as a spoiled brat who is just like her mom. But that isn't the whole story. It isn't even close.
Jake knows he's gay. He knows it the same we he knows he's an artist and the same way he knows he can't play football anymore after what happened on the bus. The harder part is dealing with his crush on his best friend, Ted.
Whitney is pretty and popular. She seems to have it all. Except things at home are starting to unravel and there's a constant push and pull to balance expectations people have of who Whitney should be like--her white mother or her black father.
Even at orientation, Mia is an outsider. She doesn't have many friends or much of a family with her parents more interested in work than her. Mia is an observer and an expert at blending in. But before high school ends she'll have to figure out where she fits and how to speak up before it's too late.
Five teens. Four years. One journey that changes everything in Infinite in Between (2015) by Carolyn Mackler.
Infinite in Between is written in close third person perspective which shifts between Gregor, Zoe, Jake, Whitney, and Mia. The novel starts with their orientation the day before high school and follows all of them through four years to graduation day.
Despite the broad scope and large cast, Infinite in Between is fast-paced and populated with well-developed characters. While each character has their own journey--often without much overlap--all five of their stories intersect in interesting ways throughout the novel often in ways only apparent to the reader.
Infinite in Between is an inventive novel ideal for readers making their own way through the labyrinthine passages of high school as well as readers who appreciate overlapping narratives and stories reminiscent of Six Degrees of Separation. Highly recommended.
Possible Pairings: In Some Other World, Maybe by Shari Goldhagen, The Smell of Other People's Houses by Bonnie Sue Hitchcock, One of Us is Lying by Karen M. McManus, The List by Siobhan Vivian
*A copy of this title was provided by the publisher for review consideration at BEA 2014*
While I enjoyed the characters, plot points and general concept, I thought it wasn't as well developed as I wanted. Due to the multiple characters and long time period (it spanned the entire high school time frame) some things seemed rushed and or not fully rounded out emotionally. But it was still fun to read.
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
For the most part, this book was way too drawn out and mundane. I felt no drive to finish reading it. For the longest time, these kids were too weird, too awkward, too angsty, and far too self-absorbed. But as the years went on, they all became more likeable people. Their identities changed. They grew into themselves. They all transformed into the people they should have been from the start. We are all one of these characters at some point in our lives. I also really liked seeing all the ways their lives intermingled over the years. From parental crushes to crazy car stories to teddy bears and chance encounters, there was a lot of cool dramatic irony. We got to see things that went without notice, which makes me wonder what we miss in real life just by not asking the right things or paying attention.
Mia: I am PROUD of this girl. At first, I had no idea what her motives were. I didn't understand why she was so obsessive and strange. Makeover? Necessary. Sophie friendship? Necessary. Jeremiah? Necessary. Brock? Essential. Low key, I want her and Brock to truly hit it off.
Jake: Kid's had it rough, and it's all thanks to TED. I like how Jake spent a lot of time finding himself. I'm glad he was an incredible artist, which didn't mean that he suddenly sucked at football (it just wasn't him anymore). I like how Whitney "saved" him. I liked how he saved Mia (temporarily) and Zoe (long-term). I like how he was that universally well-liked guy who didn't subscribe to the whole popularity game.
Whitney: Speaking of the popularity game, hi. I really hated a lot of her "friends," and thankfully they got what they deserved. This was like Mean Girls brought to life. I'm glad she realized how to be happy.
Gregor: Poor kid couldn't catch a break. It was amazing to see him blossom over the years.
Zoe: She was angsty and spoiled and self-entitled. Then, before you knew it, she was something else. I felt like the car scene was pivotal in the sense that it showed how much she had grown, without coming as a surprise/major change in character... and without noticeable changes as the months went by. It's like everything seems to be going at the same pace, until you look back, and before you know it... you're someone completely different. I understand now why people seem to change so much when you haven't seen them in a long time, yet seem exactly the same when you see them every day. There's something cool about changing with people together.
It was slow at first but nice at the end. The pacing made sense though.
Mia: I am PROUD of this girl. At first, I had no idea what her motives were. I didn't understand why she was so obsessive and strange. Makeover? Necessary. Sophie friendship? Necessary. Jeremiah? Necessary. Brock? Essential. Low key, I want her and Brock to truly hit it off.
Jake: Kid's had it rough, and it's all thanks to TED. I like how Jake spent a lot of time finding himself. I'm glad he was an incredible artist, which didn't mean that he suddenly sucked at football (it just wasn't him anymore). I like how Whitney "saved" him. I liked how he saved Mia (temporarily) and Zoe (long-term). I like how he was that universally well-liked guy who didn't subscribe to the whole popularity game.
Whitney: Speaking of the popularity game, hi. I really hated a lot of her "friends," and thankfully they got what they deserved. This was like Mean Girls brought to life. I'm glad she realized how to be happy.
Gregor: Poor kid couldn't catch a break. It was amazing to see him blossom over the years.
Zoe: She was angsty and spoiled and self-entitled. Then, before you knew it, she was something else. I felt like the car scene was pivotal in the sense that it showed how much she had grown, without coming as a surprise/major change in character... and without noticeable changes as the months went by. It's like everything seems to be going at the same pace, until you look back, and before you know it... you're someone completely different. I understand now why people seem to change so much when you haven't seen them in a long time, yet seem exactly the same when you see them every day. There's something cool about changing with people together.
It was slow at first but nice at the end. The pacing made sense though.
3 - 3,5/5
I enjoyed it but something was definitely missing for me.
I enjoyed it but something was definitely missing for me.
Rating: 4.75
I really enjoyed this one. Probably one of my favorite contemporaries. I really connected with the characters and they felt so alive in my head. I could picture everything so well. I really became invested in these characters lives, and I'm said it had to end. If you're looking for a good book with not much drama this is the perfect one
I really enjoyed this one. Probably one of my favorite contemporaries. I really connected with the characters and they felt so alive in my head. I could picture everything so well. I really became invested in these characters lives, and I'm said it had to end. If you're looking for a good book with not much drama this is the perfect one
This book has been on my tbr for longer then I can remember. Decided to pick it up and had trouble getting into it, so I took a speed reading approach. Thank god I did, this book was boring and probably could have been told in less pages if it wasn't for the premise that it is being told over 4yrs of high school. The only character I cared even a smidge about was Gregor. Overall I'm just glad to finally get this off my tbr.