The Space Between Trees

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In all honesty, I like where this book started much more than where it ended. In the beginning, Evie was such an awkward character. Like awkward to the point of me actually cringing at some of the things she did. And the thing is, everyone knows at least one person just like this. They crave contact, any contact, with someone and sometimes they act like they're 6 to get it. Not to mention they're oblivious to the obvious body language they're being projected from their target. It' In all honesty, I like where this book started much more than where it ended.

It's uncomfortable to watch and just as uncomfortable to read about. That's what really drew me in. Evie stayed her awkward self until the body was found and she started hanging out with Hadley, the dead girl's current friend as opposed to Evie herself, being the dead girl's former friend. Her personality, from what I saw, visibly shifted. I still read about Evie as she normally was in her head. The awkwardness was still there. But outwardly that seemed to have gone away and, I think, rather abruptly. I just had a hard time trying to figure out why she was still awkward on the inside and not anymore on the outside.

Did she get better at hiding it because of Hadley? Hadley was actually my favorite character, though. I wanted to help her so bad. She was so utterly wrecked after her best friend was killed and the sad thing was, no one was really there to help her. Her parents basically stuck her on drugs and left her to her own devises.

KIRKUS REVIEW

Personally I think that's an excellent portrayal of parenting today. Drugs cure all, right? The thing is, Hadley isn't the type of character that would actually let you help her. She's one of those people with the tough exterior that's constantly putting on a front and constantly on the offensive. But those moments of weakness, when the hurt and the pain broke through, rounded her character out so thoroughly I could see her standing up from the page and telling the story herself. The ending turned into a bit of a Lifetime movie for me.

I wish there were more consequences to Evie's lies and the things Hadley did aside from merely growing as characters.

There didn't seem to be any of that. I kept getting a real Wonder Years monologue going at the very end where all the loose ends were being tied up and wrapped in a pretty box. I'm not a fan of these types of endings. I like them messier. Here, though, everyone seemed to turn out okay and they all moved on with their lives. Pretty boring, if I had to be honest. And I usually do. So while the plot is relatively stagnant, the characters carry the story in The Space Between Trees. I don't think you'll be reading it to figure out who Zabet's killer is because even within the story itself, it's not the main focus.

You'll read it for the characters who are compelling and awkward and nasty and broken. I would change the ending if I could, but I can't. But some people like the kind of neat closure this story will offer and that's fine.

See a Problem?

I'm sure if it were told from Hadley's point of view, I would have gotten an ending as sloppy as her house. Check out the first chapter of The Space Between Trees. This is the one that completely sucked me in if only for Evie's heinous awkwardness. Aug 09, Karen rated it really liked it. This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

This was a pretty great book. I've read a lot of books in my life so far, and i love most of them, but only a few books rank in my view as absolutely amazing like "the book theif" "the giver" "milkweed" "eggs". This was not one of those books, but it was definately above average in it's subtle depth and detail. What really got me was the way the author described Even an action such as picking up a fork, a mother hugging her daughter, or the thought of how a killer would look at their This was a pretty great book.

Even an action such as picking up a fork, a mother hugging her daughter, or the thought of how a killer would look at their victim as they lay dead in a silent bed of leaves. All of these actions or thoughts were written beautifully, really showing how a writer should observe the world. I am a writer, and now I am inspired to take my notebook with me and document simple things, such as how a mother looks at her rebeling daughter either with concern or misunderstanding, or even just simple actions such as an expression of a stranger sitting in a park.

Not to be creepy or anything, it's just that this book has really made me look at how to write down an expression on someones face, the reasoning behind it, the pause in someones voice, what it could mean. All are important for writing, and even though it may not seem deep at first glance, this author really got it down. The protagonist's mother didn't just have beauty, she had beauty that she kept at the ready like a squad of soldiers, making sure her face was always held elegantly. That her legs were crossed in just he right way to make her look like a queen.

Stuff like this is what i'm talking about, and if u read the book you'll know. Nov 10, Heather rated it did not like it. I have this habit of saving books that catch my eye or are recommended to a "to read" list online associated with my library card and request them much later, often having no memory of where the recommendation came from.

I really wish I remembered for this book, because I would totally purge any other recommendations from the same source. This was just lousy, and I only finished it because I was mildly curious to find out which cliched "surprise" the murderer would turn out to be. And amazingly, I have this habit of saving books that catch my eye or are recommended to a "to read" list online associated with my library card and request them much later, often having no memory of where the recommendation came from.

Was there a likable character in this novel? Or, rather, an interesting character?

Because I've read plenty of novels with unlikable characters, but often that makes them all the more interesting, either because you find a reason to understand their flaws or because they're just so extremely over the top, you enjoy hating them. Alas, neither Evie, Hadley, their messed up parents, and so on and so on were this interesting. Evie doesn't really do any self analysis written in the first person, the book would rely on that to give her more depth and is just She's probably a realistic character, but that doesn't make someone I want to read about in fiction.

Hadley's behavior is so erratic that even while you may occasionally start to sympathize with her, she then will do something idiotic enough that you just don't care anymore. Again, realistic, but who wants to read about that? I had to laugh at the synopsis of the book displayed on Goodreads, presumably from the back of the book I don't think that was it publisher that's where most of them seem to be at least What it ended up being was a royal mess.

Jul 06, Kristin rated it liked it. Okay, so I got this as a First Reads Book After finishing the book, I have to say that I was both disappointed and surprised. First of all, I felt that the story idea was really interesting but that the actual plot could have been more exciting. The love side of the story seems out of place. AND, worst of all, the protagonist, Evie, is annoying. I mean, as the story progresses she becomes more interesting and somew Okay, so I got this as a First Reads Book I mean, as the story progresses she becomes more interesting and somewhat likable, but for a long time, she is annoying.

She looks down on the only people who are nice to her being the superior yet friendless person that she is and she is obsessed with an older guy Never a good thing. She added depth to a somewhat flat plot, and, with her being the antagonist, Evie was forced to react to new situations. The underlying questions of whether or not Hadley liked Evie and whether or not it was okay for Evie to pretend to have been Zabet's friend are great motivators for the reader to keep reading.

Overall, the book was really fun to read and a new storyline, but some of the details were sort of annoying. Mar 25, Susie rated it it was amazing. I was invited to read an advance copy of this book, and found it, in a word, delightful. The main character Evie drew me in in an almost flirtatious way right from the start, and then took me for a bit of a ride.

I was continually seduced by her smarts and her wit and as often, I found myself cringing at the choices she made and the predicaments she got into. I think a true YA reader i. That said, it was a gripping and smart read for an adult, too. This isn't an easy book--there's an awful lot at stake here, and the friendship between Hadley and Evie will remind a lot of readers of complicated relationships they've had, too. Apr 05, Kris rated it it was amazing. I was fortunate enough to get an advanced copy of this book, and I'm very glad I read it.

Had I read this book when I was a teenager, I might have felt like the universe or someone in it, at least understood me. It's not that I've gone through what the characters here have, but the mood and the inner dilemmas seem very real and very finely evoked -- the loneliness of the friendless adolescent; the still-blurry line between fantasy and reality and its consequences. Reading it as an adult, I st I was fortunate enough to get an advanced copy of this book, and I'm very glad I read it.

Reading it as an adult, I still felt the need to sit up and listen very closely to the narrator, who might be able to tell me something about my past and even present self, although I also felt the need to protect the characters. Dec 06, Kelly rated it really liked it Shelves: One of my favorite parts of reading a book is when I comment about something peculiar and I think oh no, that's not really going to happen, and then it does happen.

I feel smart, whether I should or not. Loved the writing in this book, and I thought the revelations played out very smartly. I was worried more than once it'd take a track that would make me angry but it did not! Everything clamps into place as it should. The story itself is deceptively simple but the pay off is worth it.

It's a literary read, and some of the ways the language ties right into the story line are brilliant. Dec 15, Dodie rated it it was amazing. I love edgy YA, and this gave me everything I want - flawed parents and teens, dangerous 'friends', sexual innuendo, and creepy atmospheric writing.

Evie is 16, lonely, and not quite recovered from her father walking out on her and her mom. When one of her schoolmates who used to be her friend long away is found dead in the local woods, she is thrown together by her own lies with the dead girls BFF, the strange and sexually charged Hadley. Bad things get worse as Hadley begins to play mind games I love edgy YA, and this gave me everything I want - flawed parents and teens, dangerous 'friends', sexual innuendo, and creepy atmospheric writing. Bad things get worse as Hadley begins to play mind games with Evie and starts to unravel herself.

Dangerous, illicit activities seem to be the only thing Hadley is interested in - and Evie is not sure she can save herself and Hadley, too. Apr 06, Bethany Ainsworth rated it did not like it Shelves: I really can't get behind Evie as a main character. The book is interesting, but for some reason, Evie really annoys me for some reason. Aug 09, Rachael rated it liked it.

Evie mostly keeps to herself. There are mainly two things that Evie likes: But one Sunday is different from all the others because Jonah finds something in the woods—a body. Evie is just as stunned as the Evie mostly keeps to herself. This is the start of a strange relationship with Mr. The Space Between Trees is a murder mystery, but from a new angle. This makes the actual investigation rather lackluster and story sometimes boring to read. I found it difficult to like Evie; she cares about very little and seems to not understand the meaning of friendship, and her awkwardness is not endearing at all.

In the end, all I could really take away from this story was the futility of it all. I was disappointed with The Space Between Trees because I really wanted to like this story, but unfortunately, I found this hard to accomplish. Jan 20, Yune rated it it was ok Shelves: A beautifully written story about Evie, a high school loner who has a paper route by the edge of the woods. Looking at that sentence, it's hard to imagine that situation described lyrically, and yet it was done.

Then there's the perfectly captured mixture of wistfulness and inexperienced minx behind the way she talks everyday to the groundskeeper Jonah, who clears dead animals out of the woods. I probably should have gotten a clue at that point. I mean, who has a job that consists solely of hauli A beautifully written story about Evie, a high school loner who has a paper route by the edge of the woods. I mean, who has a job that consists solely of hauling naturally caused animal carcasses?

Why are there so many dead beasts in a small patch of woods? Why can't they just be taken care of by nature? But it's a little too poetic for Evie to witness him one day discover a human corpse instead. And that body is that of Evie's childhood friend Elizabeth.

They've long since drifted apart, but one day the lie slips from Evie's mouth, that she was Elizabeth's best friend. The real best friend, Hadley, uncovers this lie, then somehow pulls Evie into a search for Elizabeth's undiscovered killer. But this is not a mystery, although it may have the window treatments of one.

I think there may be a couple possible reactions at this point: A coming-of-age story with the ugliness and chaos of teenagehood wrapped in something bitter and haunting, or 2. A tedious tale of girls with little character and some disturbing emotional issues. I ended up in the latter camp. Evie had some fanciful twists of imagination that I guiltily recognized from my own adolescence, but which escalated into some rather stupid and cowardly behavior, while Hadley was reckless and unburdened by conscience.

Maybe others will find the twisted relationships here meaningful and illuminating, but this is not a book ruled by plot or a strong character arc or even balance; subplots and characters jag in and out disjointedly. Strong writing, but I closed this book feeling unsettled and confused, more along the lines of "What was the point?

Sep 09, Lulu rated it liked it Shelves: Let me start by saying my official star rating is a 2. This story just jumps right in. Evie is lonely and socially inept. She delivers newspapers in a well to do neighborhood every Sunday morning where she encounters Jonah Luks, a college drop out who now removes dead animals from the woods.

One Sunday morning both of their lives change when Jonah finds a body in the woods. The st Let me start by saying my official star rating is a 2. I rather like Evie. She is the insecure year-old girl in all of us although she is also quite a liar. Hadley is troubled in a way that is both sad and scary.

She takes advantage of Evie and no doubt took advantage of Zabet as well. Hadley manipulates all situations involving Evie and regularly fails to be a friend. Then there is poor Jonah Luks who was only doing his job. Many of the other characters in this story fall victim to Hadley and Evie's misguided actions. This story comes to an end in a way that is both disturbing and somewhat expected given the patterns of the characters involved.

I think I am not over the moon about this book simply because the characters were real in a way that makes it impossible to love their story, which makes this book better than the rating I have given because it could elicit such a response.

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Jun 19, Alan rated it it was ok Shelves: I'm sorry Katie Williams. This is the story of a 16 year old girl, Evie, who is a loner.

Questions?

Is she sad and lonely, I don't know. I wonder about her emotional detachment, her reaction to her mother when her mother tells her about the death of a classmate friend? First she grins, then she asks her mom for the details of how Zabet was killed. She stumbles into Zabet's father at the funeral, she lies to him about being his daughters friend.

She tries to talk to and befriend Zabet's real best friend Hadley, who wants nothing to do with her at first then after they're both invited to dinner with Zabet's father they slowly become "friends? If it was what kind of friend is Hadley, talk about emotionally damaged. Sorry this book might have an audience, the sad lonely girl sitting by herself in the cafeteria, contemplating violence of one sort or another, but Long story short, when a girl she used to know gets murdered, she just does several twisted things for absolutely no reason.

I faced-palmed several times while reading this book. They try to find the killer. Many metaphors later the book ends. I was surprised I didn't like this book. Maybe I was let down because I started it with high hopes. I had previously read "Absent" by the same author, and I thought it was incredible. Maybe I'm simply just not deep enough to understand this book. To do this better, the designers added the girl outline and changed the color scheme to a very sharp metallic lavender, below:. When I first saw my cover, I genuinely thought, I hope readers judge my book by its cover.

I couldn't believe how different it was, how gorgeous, how evocative. One of the themes explored in The Space Between Trees is that what is not there--a memory, an idea of someone, a lie--can sometimes have more power than what is present and true. The spaces between the trees can be more powerful than the trees themselves. The cut-out cover, which one can open and peer through, expresses this idea better than any flat image could. It truly is the perfect cover for my book.

It's gorgeous and unique.

The Space Between Trees

I can honestly say that I see hundreds of covers and this one is just, like, BAM! PS-I just had to ask Katie where the typo was, and it's indeed on one of the covers shown here. So mad I didn't see it. Can you find it? I'll send a mystery gift package to the first person who comments with its location click to enlarge the covers for a closer look. Here's Katie with the Cover Story: To do this better, the designers added the girl outline and changed the color scheme to a very sharp metallic lavender, below:

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