Rated of 5
by Laura Not So Sweet
I generally enjoy Sheri Reynolds, but The Sweet In Between will not be on my favorites list. This “dysfunctional Southern family” novel is long on dysfunction. Our heroine’s mother died of cancer, her father is in prison, and she has significant problems with OCD and sexual confusion; Dad’s girlfriend (with whom the heroine lives) is a drug and alcohol abuser with three kids of her own: a sex-obsessed older son, a skateboard-obsessed younger son, and a developmentally-delayed daughter. But why should we care? There’s not much action here; even a murder next door merely spawns more obsession and confusion. When someone does step in the help, the help comes from what the book jacket describes as “a most unimaginable source” – translate that “Where did these people come from?” While the writing itself is good, and Reynolds is particularly skilled in the use of irony and a sort of black humor, this wasn’t a book I enjoyed, and it’s not one I’d recommend.
Rated of 5
by E S Bittersweet In-between
It can be quite painful to be in-between, as Alice in Wonderland and Kenny Lugo in this novel clearly show. Whether she is a girl growing too quickly to fit into a house, as Alice was, or a girl ace-bandaging her growing bustline--neither is comfortable in her own skin. Kenny is still a frightened girl, believing herself to be all alone; and her neurotic gender-confusion proves it! But is it really just she against the world, or does she have allies who can help her through it? The author, Sherrri Reynolds does a masterful job showing just how confusing growing up can be, and how a little help from friends and family, even though imperfect, can really make a difference. Great sense of place--small town in Tidewater Virginia; excellent depiction of flawed, realistic characters.
Rated of 5
by Eileen Sheri Reynolds does not dissapoint
As a long time fan of this author I eagerly looked forward to reading "The Sweet In Between". The story and characters are endearing, and while this book does not have the depth of "The Rapture of Canaan", it is still a wonderful read. Anyone who has enjoyed Reynold's other books will enjoy this one as well. It, like all her books, paints a picture of adversity, struggle, and the peace that can come with acceptance. I love a book where you truly grow to care about the characters, and this is that kind of book.
Rated of 5
by Diana Classic Sheri Reynolds
I first fell in love with Sheri Reynolds as an author after reading The Rapture of Canaan, one of the best books I have ever read. The Sweet In Between is an unconventional coming of age story about an almost 18 year old young woman living with what could be termed society's misfits. Despite their meager economic circumstances and her gender confusion, the book proves that dysfunction and all of its baggage can sometimes substitute for idyllic, depending on one's perspective. The characters are rich in spirit although flawed, but through all of this Sheri Reynolds manages to prove that "family" can be defined in many ways.
Fearless, gripping, at once darkly funny and tender, spanning three continents and numerous lives, Americanah is a richly told story set in today's globalized world.
The story of an American family, middle class in middle America, ordinary in every way but one. But that exception is the beating heart of this extraordinary novel.
First time novelist Vaddey Ratner captured my heart and senses in this novel based on her childhood in Cambodia. Her story transcends any news story...
read more
From the first page, I was drawn in by the lyrical writing of the author and mesmerized as the narrator, eight year old Raami, remembered the years...
read more
Trite but true, all good things must come to an end. I so wanted to keep reading the wonderful prose, the settings that let one think they are part...
read more
Kenn Nesbitt is new Children's Poet Laureate(Jun 12 2013) Kenn Nesbitt has been named the new Children's Poet Laureate: Consultant in Children's Poetry to the Poetry Foundation, which noted that the two-year position...
Full Story
of 5
by Laura 
of 5
by E S 
of 5
by Eileen 
