Friday, August 6, 2021

The In-Between


It's been three years since his dad left, but Cooper is still struggling to make sense of things.  How could his dad just abandon his family to start a new life with a new family somewhere else.  His mom is working and going to school, so a lot of the responsibility for his younger sister and her diabetes falls to him.  He loves Jess, but he finds himself increasingly frustrated for no reason.  He's even been pulling away from his friends.  

Plus, there's a new girl who moved in to the house next door, and all she does is sit in the front yard swing and stare at him.  It's annoying and a little creepy.  

When Jess tells him about a historical unsolved mystery, his interest peeks.  After a terrible train accident, there were two unidentified bodies, both children, and no one ever claimed the bodies.  The only clue to their identity was a crest on their shirts.  It's the same crest on the creepy next door neighbor's jacket.

They dig into their research even more and discover that symbol tends to show up after a disaster on unidentified bodies.  Is this girl some kind of sign that disaster is coming?  Maybe she's there to cause a disaster?  Cooper and Jess aren't sure, but they do know something bad is about to happen.

Rebecca Ansari's book is a perfect blend of fantasy and mystery with a historical twist.  Cooper is a relatable character struggling with his feelings about an absent father and taking responsibility for his younger sister.  The mystery of the neighbor's true identity and purpose is engaging, and the ending is open for a possible sequel.  Recommended.  

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