ARC Review: Between the Notes by Sharon Huss Roat

Between the Notes
Author: Sharon Huss Roat
Publication: HarperTeen (June 16, 2015)

Description: After Ivy is forced to move to "the wrong side of the tracks" due to economic hard times, she discovers that not everything—or everyone—is what they seem, even herself. Fans of Jenny Han and Sarah Dessen will love this funny, poignant, and relatable story.

When Ivy Emerson's family loses their house—complete with her beloved piano—the fear of what's to come seizes her like a bad case of stage fright. Forced to give up her allowance, her cell phone, and the window seat in her lilac-colored bedroom, Ivy moves with her family from her affluent neighborhood to Lakeside, aka "the wrong side of the tracks." Hiding the truth from her friends—and the cute new guy in school, who may have secrets of his own—seems like a good idea at first. But when the bad-boy-next door threatens to ruin everything, Ivy's carefully crafted lies begin to unravel . . . and there is no way to stop them.

Once things get to the breaking point, Ivy turns to her music, some surprising new friends, and the trusting heart of her disabled little brother. And she may be surprised that not everyone is who she thought they were . . . including herself.

My Thoughts: This is story about a girl whose perfect life unravels and who doesn't take it very well. Ivy Emerson decides she has to keep it a secret when her family loses their home in the rich part of town and has to move to an apartment in the poor part of town. She is embarrassed and angry. She is also really self-centered. When she learns the the boy next door is the notorious Lenny Lazarski - the guy "everyone" knows is the local drug dealer, she believes her life couldn't be worse. But Lenny is kind to Ivy's mentally handicapped little brother Brady. And he tries to be kind to Ivy too but she is rude to him and rebuffs him at every opportunity.

She is keeping up a pretty good front at school where her best friends are the very rich and snobby social leaders until a new boy comes to school. James Wickerton has secrets of his own. Ivy's best friend Reesa takes one look at him and decides he would be her perfect boyfriend. But James prefers Ivy. Now Ivy is torn between loyalty to her best friend and a new relationship with a boy who really seems to understand her.

Although I didn't like Ivy at all when the story began, I came to like her more and more as the story progressed. This was a story about how to deal when life hands you challenges and it was a story about not accepting the surface appearance of things. I enjoyed it.

Favorite Quote:

Maybe because secrets were all I had left. Or maybe it was inertia...an object in motion stays in motion? Once you start keeping secrets, it's kind of hard to stop.

I got this ARC from Edelweiss. You can buy your copy here.