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The Sky Between You and Me
Raesha can’t let go. Not of the ache she feels at the loss of her mother. Or her loneliness from the long hours her father spends on the road. And certainly not of her jealousy of the new girl who keeps flirting with her boyfriend and making plans with her best friend. So she focuses on training for Nationals.
For Raesha, competing isn’t just about the speed of her horse or the thrill of the win. It’s about honoring her mother’s memory. Raesha knows minus five on the scale will let her sit deeper in her saddle, make her horse lighter on her feet. And lighter, leaner, faster gives her the edge she needs to win—to run that perfect race that will make everyone proud.
But the more Raesha focuses on the win, the more she starts to push away the people she loves. And if she’s not careful, she will lose herself and all she loves to lighter. Leaner. Faster.
For Raesha, competing isn’t just about the speed of her horse or the thrill of the win. It’s about honoring her mother’s memory. Raesha knows minus five on the scale will let her sit deeper in her saddle, make her horse lighter on her feet. And lighter, leaner, faster gives her the edge she needs to win—to run that perfect race that will make everyone proud.
But the more Raesha focuses on the win, the more she starts to push away the people she loves. And if she’s not careful, she will lose herself and all she loves to lighter. Leaner. Faster.
352 pages, Hardcover
First published February 7, 2017
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1530 people want to read
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dnf
January 29, 2017DNF at 7%
I'm not sure if it's the authors writing style not jiving for me, or the awful NG formatting/lack of punctuation, but that 7% was painful for me to get through.
I'm not sure if it's the authors writing style not jiving for me, or the awful NG formatting/lack of punctuation, but that 7% was painful for me to get through.
February 7, 2017
4.5 Stars
Overview:
No, this book isn’t perfect.
Yes, the writing style isn’t for everyone.
But it is single-handedly the best book about eating disorders I have ever read.
All too often eating disorders are romanticized into some pretty girl with a shy smile meekly pushing a plate of food away from her. Or it’s all treated like an after school special where someone faints, is told a few kind words, and then are magically "fine.”
Eating disorders are what the name implies—disordered thinking. A disordered relationship with food that creeps into all aspects of someone’s life. The reality is harsh, gritty and not-always pretty to look at, but it’s also not as straight forward as we want to imagine it is.
I received an ARC of this in exchange for an honest review via Netgalley. Thank you to the publisher and author for the opportunity!
Pros:
This was a visceral, realistic and incredibly personal account of mental illness. Catherine Alene's writing style forces us into the mindset of Raesha as her entire manner of thinking slowly changes. It bleeds into her relationships and her hobbies without holding back.
Some passages in this were absolutely gut-wrenching for me, not because they were so dramatic, but simply because they weren’t. Raesha’s actions are easily justifiable and common-place to her, even when she knows they shouldn’t be. I lack the words to truly express how powerful I found it. Which is why I’m rounding up to 5 stars.
The author's note at the end of this was almost as powerful as the book itself. I applaud Alene for writing something so personal, and handling it with such grace.
I don’t typically read 'horse books,' but something about this setting and the animals involved really worked for me. It wasn’t the primary focus, but it felt natural and like the huge part of Raesha’s life it was.
I love, love, the focus on familial relationships in this. Raesha’s relationship with her father was handled in a realistic and beautiful way, the same as her relationship with her best friend and deceased mother. YA contemporaries all too often focus on romance as some sort of tethering pole, and while romance was present, it was secondary to Raesha's own characterization and arc.
Cons
Cody and Raesha’s relationship was very interesting at the start, but he didn’t seem very supportive. I understand she changes in ways he doesn't comprehend, but he simply seemed judgmental and not conducive to her healing. It felt realistic, but I wish it had been addressed.
I was initially thrown by the writing style, especially since I was unaware this was told in verse. At times the verse really didn’t seem like poetry, but rather short, descriptive sentences divided by line breaks. While I got used to it and the manner of story-telling, I can see how others would not. I’m not entirely certain the book benefited from being told in verse, and couldn’t help wonder if it would have been better as a straight-forward novel.
I can completely see how others DNF-ed this book due to the choppy writing style, but I believe they are missing out on an important and masterfully told story.
In Conclusion
Gripping, beautiful novel in verse. The poems themselves don’t particularly stand out, but the story as a whole is one of the best portrayals of eating disorders.
Overview:
“I wish I could explain, what it was like. Fingers counting the bones that were becoming me.”
No, this book isn’t perfect.
Yes, the writing style isn’t for everyone.
But it is single-handedly the best book about eating disorders I have ever read.
All too often eating disorders are romanticized into some pretty girl with a shy smile meekly pushing a plate of food away from her. Or it’s all treated like an after school special where someone faints, is told a few kind words, and then are magically "fine.”
Eating disorders are what the name implies—disordered thinking. A disordered relationship with food that creeps into all aspects of someone’s life. The reality is harsh, gritty and not-always pretty to look at, but it’s also not as straight forward as we want to imagine it is.
I received an ARC of this in exchange for an honest review via Netgalley. Thank you to the publisher and author for the opportunity!
Pros:
This was a visceral, realistic and incredibly personal account of mental illness. Catherine Alene's writing style forces us into the mindset of Raesha as her entire manner of thinking slowly changes. It bleeds into her relationships and her hobbies without holding back.
Some passages in this were absolutely gut-wrenching for me, not because they were so dramatic, but simply because they weren’t. Raesha’s actions are easily justifiable and common-place to her, even when she knows they shouldn’t be. I lack the words to truly express how powerful I found it. Which is why I’m rounding up to 5 stars.
The author's note at the end of this was almost as powerful as the book itself. I applaud Alene for writing something so personal, and handling it with such grace.
I don’t typically read 'horse books,' but something about this setting and the animals involved really worked for me. It wasn’t the primary focus, but it felt natural and like the huge part of Raesha’s life it was.
I love, love, the focus on familial relationships in this. Raesha’s relationship with her father was handled in a realistic and beautiful way, the same as her relationship with her best friend and deceased mother. YA contemporaries all too often focus on romance as some sort of tethering pole, and while romance was present, it was secondary to Raesha's own characterization and arc.
Cons
Cody and Raesha’s relationship was very interesting at the start, but he didn’t seem very supportive. I understand she changes in ways he doesn't comprehend, but he simply seemed judgmental and not conducive to her healing. It felt realistic, but I wish it had been addressed.
I was initially thrown by the writing style, especially since I was unaware this was told in verse. At times the verse really didn’t seem like poetry, but rather short, descriptive sentences divided by line breaks. While I got used to it and the manner of story-telling, I can see how others would not. I’m not entirely certain the book benefited from being told in verse, and couldn’t help wonder if it would have been better as a straight-forward novel.
I can completely see how others DNF-ed this book due to the choppy writing style, but I believe they are missing out on an important and masterfully told story.
In Conclusion
Gripping, beautiful novel in verse. The poems themselves don’t particularly stand out, but the story as a whole is one of the best portrayals of eating disorders.
July 12, 2020
CW: eating disorder, dealing with loss of mother through illness, suicide, mental health
I don't know if this is a good, accurate or respectful exploration of someone developing an eating disorder but I liked how it was an aspiration that gradually developed into this all consuming beast that poisoned all aspects of her life. I had to dig deep to push through the very slow first half and I didn't 'enjoy' the novel, but I was invested enough to want to know how things turned out.
I don't know if this is a good, accurate or respectful exploration of someone developing an eating disorder but I liked how it was an aspiration that gradually developed into this all consuming beast that poisoned all aspects of her life. I had to dig deep to push through the very slow first half and I didn't 'enjoy' the novel, but I was invested enough to want to know how things turned out.
February 18, 2017
** 2.5 / 3 stars **
I really wanted to love The Sky Between You and Me, and at first I was. However, that quickly changed. There were a couple of moments (6 or 7 times) that I thought about DNF'ing this.
Full review to come.
I really wanted to love The Sky Between You and Me, and at first I was. However, that quickly changed. There were a couple of moments (6 or 7 times) that I thought about DNF'ing this.
Full review to come.
May 18, 2017
I'd almost given up. I could barely make it through the first chapter because of the way the story is written. But thankfully, I stuck with it. For one, I love different and I love stories that aren't always too obvious so this ended up working for me.
Everything seemed almost poetic; so alluring. As I read the more it became clear that she was going through a tough time. Not only with the lost of a parent and the constant absence of another, but she also had struggles with her body.
I can understand why many readers will have difficulty with this story but give it a shot. You may end up finding it relatable, especially since it's about a teen girl coming into her own, learning to cope with death and trying to love the skin she's in.
Everything seemed almost poetic; so alluring. As I read the more it became clear that she was going through a tough time. Not only with the lost of a parent and the constant absence of another, but she also had struggles with her body.
I can understand why many readers will have difficulty with this story but give it a shot. You may end up finding it relatable, especially since it's about a teen girl coming into her own, learning to cope with death and trying to love the skin she's in.
dnf
August 25, 2017DNF... the writing style is not for me. I don't know if it's the ARC that is missing punctuation or not but it's very confusing.
April 3, 2018
written in prose form this is a story of a teens experience of anorexia. I did find this a little bit disjointed sometimes but the message was good
April 7, 2018
My secret
Is
Out
While I can't say this is the type of book I normally go for, the topic/issue is really hard to ignore. I admire Catherine Alene for writing a novela, too personal for her, and that she was able to talk about the sensitivity of eating disorder, an issue everyone is afraid to address in the first place.
This book is about a girl named Rae who is on the Rodeo team and wants to compete for the Nationals. Her goal? Minus Five on the scale.
After her mom died, everything was different. It was always her dad beside her and Blue behind her – it is her perfect remedy. As a horseback rider who wants to be better and be as good as her mom, living up her mother's memory comes with a prize that she was not able to see but too much in denial to admit. Her goal made her fixated to the numbers on the scale. She didn't seem to see that she has been building a wall from everyone she cares about – Asia, Cody, Micah and even her dad. And when a new girl, Kiera went in to the mix flirting with her boyfriend and befriend to her best friend, Rae was just getting further and out of reach and has likely used that to focus more on her goal.
Well, I don't think Asia and Cody understand Rae and I could almost think that they took her for granted. They haven't tried to look deeper on what was really happening to her or care about what she might feel about everything. I would really love to punch Cody straight right to his face for the lack of sensitivity for her girlfriend. He didn't do good for her. Actually he even made Rae worse, dropping a lot of weight feeling insecure and left behind. Same goes with Asia who instead the first person to truly understand what's going on with her, unfortunately also the first one who let her down and gives likely more attention to Kiera than their friendship. Her dad also seems to almost forgot her. I wonder, did he even checked on Rae or he was too preoccupied because he's still nursing his own broken heart from his wife's death?
I almost don’t have to think
About the fact that this is what I do
Break everything I love
Then cry when it’s gone.
A distant relationship with her dad, an uncured depression over her mom's death, her jealousy and envy over Kiera to Cody and Asia were some of the strong factors that lead to her obsession of losing weight and putting herself at risk from having an eating disorder.
Yes, I admit the writing style almost made me DNF-ed this book while some elements of the story made the plot all over the place. But I knew nothing about anorexia nervosa and it was the first book I read about eating disorder. It inspired me to dig in and do my own research. I know that the author's style of telling the story in verse with short descriptive words may seem off but I believe in her and knew that the book is real with no emerging fallacy or too looking good protagonist who's story relies on hearts and flowers without carefully addressing the truth and sensitivity of the issue.
It was a self aware made book and I would like to categorize this as self help read. It wasn't perfect, I know, but at least, it's real and I applaud Catherine Alene for the bravery of putting a story out there base on her personal experiences.
***Thank you NetGalley, Sourcebooks Fire, and Catherine Alene for providing me an ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review!
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Is
Out
While I can't say this is the type of book I normally go for, the topic/issue is really hard to ignore. I admire Catherine Alene for writing a novela, too personal for her, and that she was able to talk about the sensitivity of eating disorder, an issue everyone is afraid to address in the first place.
This book is about a girl named Rae who is on the Rodeo team and wants to compete for the Nationals. Her goal? Minus Five on the scale.
After her mom died, everything was different. It was always her dad beside her and Blue behind her – it is her perfect remedy. As a horseback rider who wants to be better and be as good as her mom, living up her mother's memory comes with a prize that she was not able to see but too much in denial to admit. Her goal made her fixated to the numbers on the scale. She didn't seem to see that she has been building a wall from everyone she cares about – Asia, Cody, Micah and even her dad. And when a new girl, Kiera went in to the mix flirting with her boyfriend and befriend to her best friend, Rae was just getting further and out of reach and has likely used that to focus more on her goal.
Well, I don't think Asia and Cody understand Rae and I could almost think that they took her for granted. They haven't tried to look deeper on what was really happening to her or care about what she might feel about everything. I would really love to punch Cody straight right to his face for the lack of sensitivity for her girlfriend. He didn't do good for her. Actually he even made Rae worse, dropping a lot of weight feeling insecure and left behind. Same goes with Asia who instead the first person to truly understand what's going on with her, unfortunately also the first one who let her down and gives likely more attention to Kiera than their friendship. Her dad also seems to almost forgot her. I wonder, did he even checked on Rae or he was too preoccupied because he's still nursing his own broken heart from his wife's death?
I almost don’t have to think
About the fact that this is what I do
Break everything I love
Then cry when it’s gone.
A distant relationship with her dad, an uncured depression over her mom's death, her jealousy and envy over Kiera to Cody and Asia were some of the strong factors that lead to her obsession of losing weight and putting herself at risk from having an eating disorder.
Yes, I admit the writing style almost made me DNF-ed this book while some elements of the story made the plot all over the place. But I knew nothing about anorexia nervosa and it was the first book I read about eating disorder. It inspired me to dig in and do my own research. I know that the author's style of telling the story in verse with short descriptive words may seem off but I believe in her and knew that the book is real with no emerging fallacy or too looking good protagonist who's story relies on hearts and flowers without carefully addressing the truth and sensitivity of the issue.
It was a self aware made book and I would like to categorize this as self help read. It wasn't perfect, I know, but at least, it's real and I applaud Catherine Alene for the bravery of putting a story out there base on her personal experiences.
***Thank you NetGalley, Sourcebooks Fire, and Catherine Alene for providing me an ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review!
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February 16, 2017
The Sky Between You and Me caught my interest because it deals with mental illness as well as the struggles of a teen girl dealing with friendship issues and the loss of her mother. This is the second book that I read in verse and once again I enjoyed it. It's like a heady mix of poetry and narrative. I was so caught up in the writing and the story that I raced through it.
The Sky Between You and Me is the story of Raesha, a teen cowgirl who is on a Rodeo team and wants to compete at Nationals. Her mother died of cancer a few years back and she lives on her farm with her dad who is away a lot of the time purchasing cattle and taking care of their farm business. Dealing with her mother's absence, her desire to win so that she can honor her mother's memory, and the new girl in town Kierra who befriends both her best friend Asia and her boyfriend Cody, Raesha begins to eat less and less. She struggles with anorexia nervosa and loses respect for herself and blames herself for everything that is happening around her.
As a mother of a teen girl, I truly felt for Raesha. She misses her mom and although she has a good relationship with her dad, he is away a lot and also dealing with the loss of his wife. It was heartbreaking to see her go into this downward spiral alone. Raesha is a teen girl in a lot of pain. The author captures the struggles and inner turmoil of Raesha so well, especially since the story is written from Raesha's point of view and by an author who has fought hard to recover from this eating disorder.
At the beginning of the book we see a confident Raesha who loves the farm life, which is well described in this book (I'm a city girl through and through) and who loves her best-friend-since-childhood Asia and her strapping cowboy boyfriend Cody. But with the introduction of a new girl who seems perfect in every way, in looks and in cowgirl skill, Raesha's self-worth slips away and she becomes obsessed with losing weight so she can be lighter on her horse for the competition.
As she becomes more sick, it seems that both Asia and Cody are too busy with their own stuff to really notice. I was so frustrated by their lack of caring. These were the two people closest to her and they didn't do anything! None of the adults seemed to notice either. Asia and Cody actually were not pleased with her for not liking Kierra, and their standoffish behaviour only served to make Raesha feel like it was her fault they were distant, which just spiralled her deeper into her illness. Cody wasn't much of a boyfriend. He treated her more like a brother at times, showing some signs of affection, but that's pretty much it. There wasn't much substance to their relationship except that they shared the love of rodeo sports.
I would have liked for some acknowledgement from Asia and Cody that they could have done more to help Raesha. That they were sorry for not truly recognizing Raesha was ill. (Even though she was sickly thin, bruised easily, and fainted in school. Hello? Didn't it occur to them she could have had cancer? Or some other disease that was making her lose her appetite?) Yes, I get that teens can be selfish thinking mainly of themselves and perhaps not knowing enough about mental illness. But what about after learning that Reasha saw a doctor and was now in therapy? I don't want teens reading stories about mental illness thinking that it's okay to ignore blaring signs that their friend is ill. Even talking to a counsellor at school or an adult they trust about their concern for a friend would have been a start. This message has to come out in stories such as this one.
The Sky Between You and Me is a captivating and enlightening read. It can help teens, adults and parents become more aware of what it's like for a young person to live with an eating disorder. As a parent, it reminded me how important it is for me to keep telling my teen girl she is beautiful and worthy.
The Sky Between You and Me is the story of Raesha, a teen cowgirl who is on a Rodeo team and wants to compete at Nationals. Her mother died of cancer a few years back and she lives on her farm with her dad who is away a lot of the time purchasing cattle and taking care of their farm business. Dealing with her mother's absence, her desire to win so that she can honor her mother's memory, and the new girl in town Kierra who befriends both her best friend Asia and her boyfriend Cody, Raesha begins to eat less and less. She struggles with anorexia nervosa and loses respect for herself and blames herself for everything that is happening around her.
As a mother of a teen girl, I truly felt for Raesha. She misses her mom and although she has a good relationship with her dad, he is away a lot and also dealing with the loss of his wife. It was heartbreaking to see her go into this downward spiral alone. Raesha is a teen girl in a lot of pain. The author captures the struggles and inner turmoil of Raesha so well, especially since the story is written from Raesha's point of view and by an author who has fought hard to recover from this eating disorder.
At the beginning of the book we see a confident Raesha who loves the farm life, which is well described in this book (I'm a city girl through and through) and who loves her best-friend-since-childhood Asia and her strapping cowboy boyfriend Cody. But with the introduction of a new girl who seems perfect in every way, in looks and in cowgirl skill, Raesha's self-worth slips away and she becomes obsessed with losing weight so she can be lighter on her horse for the competition.
As she becomes more sick, it seems that both Asia and Cody are too busy with their own stuff to really notice. I was so frustrated by their lack of caring. These were the two people closest to her and they didn't do anything! None of the adults seemed to notice either. Asia and Cody actually were not pleased with her for not liking Kierra, and their standoffish behaviour only served to make Raesha feel like it was her fault they were distant, which just spiralled her deeper into her illness. Cody wasn't much of a boyfriend. He treated her more like a brother at times, showing some signs of affection, but that's pretty much it. There wasn't much substance to their relationship except that they shared the love of rodeo sports.
I would have liked for some acknowledgement from Asia and Cody that they could have done more to help Raesha. That they were sorry for not truly recognizing Raesha was ill. (Even though she was sickly thin, bruised easily, and fainted in school. Hello? Didn't it occur to them she could have had cancer? Or some other disease that was making her lose her appetite?) Yes, I get that teens can be selfish thinking mainly of themselves and perhaps not knowing enough about mental illness. But what about after learning that Reasha saw a doctor and was now in therapy? I don't want teens reading stories about mental illness thinking that it's okay to ignore blaring signs that their friend is ill. Even talking to a counsellor at school or an adult they trust about their concern for a friend would have been a start. This message has to come out in stories such as this one.
The Sky Between You and Me is a captivating and enlightening read. It can help teens, adults and parents become more aware of what it's like for a young person to live with an eating disorder. As a parent, it reminded me how important it is for me to keep telling my teen girl she is beautiful and worthy.
February 6, 2017
Thanks so much to Raincoast Books for sending me an ARC of this book for an honest review, as always, all opinions are my own.
**TRIGGER WARNING: Before I get into this review, I just want to say that this book deals with eating disorders, specifically anorexia nervosa, and I will be discussing these elements throughout the review.**
I want to talk about the way this story is told first because it was very different from the usual books I read. It is written in verse, so even though it is almost 5oo pages, I read it in a couple hours. The writing is, of course, very lyrical. I don't think I have ever read a novel told in verse before but I really enjoyed this unique element, as well as the way it was paired with a topic of this severity. I think that with issues such as eating disorders and other mental illnesses, the way a story is told makes a great difference to how it is perceived.
The story itself focuses on Raesha or Rae for short. She is a horseback rider who wants to compete in Nationals - and she's good, but not as good as she thinks she could be, not as good as her mom was. Rae struggles with balancing her passion for riding and living up to her mother's memory. She died after complications with cancer treatment, and Rae blames herself for not seeing that something was wrong.
A lot of elements go into Rae's inability to eat, the fact that if she loses a little more weight she'll improve their competition time and win, she doesn't think she deserves it, after what happened with her mom, her boyfriend is getting friendly with another girl, so she must not be enough. All these little elements of environment, trauma, grief - cumulate into a storm of despair.
My heart broke over and over again for Rae. She struggled to see that she was enough - for her dad, for her friends, for herself. And no matter what she did, she couldn't stop thinking about how many grams of fat, sugar - anything - was in the mouthful of lemonade she accidently swallowed when she was expecting water.
I'm by no means an expert in eating disorders, so I can't really speak to the author's portrayal of the disease in terms of accuracy, but I will definitely say that there is no worry of romanticization of mental illnesses we sometimes see in YA. Rae struggles so much, none of this was fun or idealized - it was raw and heartbreaking. In the author's note, Alene talks about her own struggles with anorexia, the ongoing battle she faces. But before I even read this, I knew she had to have a personal relationship with the illness. You can tell she has an intimate experience with what her character goes through, it really shows through her depiction.
I think the hardest part for me to read about in this novel was just before the people around Rae do something about her disorder - when she is at her darkest and she doesn't know what to do. Her friends aren't sure if they should turn a blind eye, or help, and her father is too busy to notice. But there is a moment that changes everything when everyone finally decides something needs to be done to help Rae. The part where Rae and her dad eat a cheese sandwich together wrecked me like no other scene has.
This wasn't a perfect book, it had its flaws - but it is a book I will never forget, and for that, I am forever grateful.
**TRIGGER WARNING: Before I get into this review, I just want to say that this book deals with eating disorders, specifically anorexia nervosa, and I will be discussing these elements throughout the review.**
I want to talk about the way this story is told first because it was very different from the usual books I read. It is written in verse, so even though it is almost 5oo pages, I read it in a couple hours. The writing is, of course, very lyrical. I don't think I have ever read a novel told in verse before but I really enjoyed this unique element, as well as the way it was paired with a topic of this severity. I think that with issues such as eating disorders and other mental illnesses, the way a story is told makes a great difference to how it is perceived.
The story itself focuses on Raesha or Rae for short. She is a horseback rider who wants to compete in Nationals - and she's good, but not as good as she thinks she could be, not as good as her mom was. Rae struggles with balancing her passion for riding and living up to her mother's memory. She died after complications with cancer treatment, and Rae blames herself for not seeing that something was wrong.
A lot of elements go into Rae's inability to eat, the fact that if she loses a little more weight she'll improve their competition time and win, she doesn't think she deserves it, after what happened with her mom, her boyfriend is getting friendly with another girl, so she must not be enough. All these little elements of environment, trauma, grief - cumulate into a storm of despair.
My heart broke over and over again for Rae. She struggled to see that she was enough - for her dad, for her friends, for herself. And no matter what she did, she couldn't stop thinking about how many grams of fat, sugar - anything - was in the mouthful of lemonade she accidently swallowed when she was expecting water.
I'm by no means an expert in eating disorders, so I can't really speak to the author's portrayal of the disease in terms of accuracy, but I will definitely say that there is no worry of romanticization of mental illnesses we sometimes see in YA. Rae struggles so much, none of this was fun or idealized - it was raw and heartbreaking. In the author's note, Alene talks about her own struggles with anorexia, the ongoing battle she faces. But before I even read this, I knew she had to have a personal relationship with the illness. You can tell she has an intimate experience with what her character goes through, it really shows through her depiction.
I think the hardest part for me to read about in this novel was just before the people around Rae do something about her disorder - when she is at her darkest and she doesn't know what to do. Her friends aren't sure if they should turn a blind eye, or help, and her father is too busy to notice. But there is a moment that changes everything when everyone finally decides something needs to be done to help Rae. The part where Rae and her dad eat a cheese sandwich together wrecked me like no other scene has.
This wasn't a perfect book, it had its flaws - but it is a book I will never forget, and for that, I am forever grateful.
August 19, 2021
Not sure what to say about this book. The plot was good, but it would’ve been so much better if it wasn’t written in verse.
December 12, 2018
Catherine Alene’s debut, THE SKY BETWEEN YOU AND ME, is inspired by a true and very real story. The book follows a girl named Raesha, a teen suffering from anorexia. She also deals with many other struggles and some heavy teenage challenges through the story.
After the tragic loss of her mother a few years ago, Raesha felt lost and alone. Her dad’s constant job on the road doesn’t help. What Raesha does have is her love and skill for riding and her friends: Cody, her loving boyfriend and Micah. Raesha couldn’t live without Asia either, her best friend and the only person she can truly talk to.
One day, a new girl arrives at annual round-up and there’s a small accident with Raesha’s dog. From that moment on Raesha has trouble getting to know her, though she later finds out it was Keira, the new girl down the road. Even though Raesha can’t seem to like her, Cody and Asia certainly do. Jealous and feeling alone, Raesha decides to focus on Nationals --- and what will get her there? Being lighter, leaner, faster.
Raesha does it not only for herself, but for her mother. She wants to prove that she can be just as good, just as fast, just as light. She starts to lose her identity, continuing to distance herself from the people who care. Keira is a threat to Raesha, and becoming a faster rider is the only thing she knows to do. The closer Kiera seems to get with her new friends, the farther Raesha pushes herself away; to something she can “control.” Written in first-person point-of-view, free-verse poetry, Raesha tells the story of many girls all around the world who lose themselves to the need of being loved.
I was very surprised by the nature and storyline of THE SKY BETWEEN YOU AND ME, as it was much more complex than I could imagine. When I first opened the book, I was confused because the story was in free-verse poetry, and I have never read anything that long in any sort of poetry. But for a first free-verse poetry book, the book was a delightful surprise. With short verses limited to a few words a line, it maintained a great flow and was still easy to follow. It was as if the author was living the story as she wrote it, just taking mental thoughts and observations as she went. For example, one part said “Which is why I’m sitting here. At the lunch table. Next to him. Staring at the brown paper bag. Holding a sandwich. I’m not going to eat.”
The book was ultimately something I was drawn too. Even though I haven’t ever suffered from an eating disorder, Raesha was still very easy to compare with and feel for. Asia, her dedicated “sister from another mister,” was the perfect model of a supporting friend who knew when it became too dangerous to sit on the sidelines. She was always there for Raesha, even when she didn’t know it. I loved all the characters, they were all good people portrayed in separate ways throughout the story but understood as the same.
The author did do a fantastic job of telling a full-of-heart story with great characters and flow. This story is perfect for someone who does want to be heard and wants to know how he or she can rise from challenges like this. Depending on how heavy you like your reading; the strong ones could take this on in an all-night-long read, most might want to draw it out to deepen their experience. Even after finishing this a few days ago, I am still thinking about the story and have gained a new understanding for eating disorders and how you can never judge a book by its cover.
Reviewed by Lillian B., Teen Board Member
After the tragic loss of her mother a few years ago, Raesha felt lost and alone. Her dad’s constant job on the road doesn’t help. What Raesha does have is her love and skill for riding and her friends: Cody, her loving boyfriend and Micah. Raesha couldn’t live without Asia either, her best friend and the only person she can truly talk to.
One day, a new girl arrives at annual round-up and there’s a small accident with Raesha’s dog. From that moment on Raesha has trouble getting to know her, though she later finds out it was Keira, the new girl down the road. Even though Raesha can’t seem to like her, Cody and Asia certainly do. Jealous and feeling alone, Raesha decides to focus on Nationals --- and what will get her there? Being lighter, leaner, faster.
Raesha does it not only for herself, but for her mother. She wants to prove that she can be just as good, just as fast, just as light. She starts to lose her identity, continuing to distance herself from the people who care. Keira is a threat to Raesha, and becoming a faster rider is the only thing she knows to do. The closer Kiera seems to get with her new friends, the farther Raesha pushes herself away; to something she can “control.” Written in first-person point-of-view, free-verse poetry, Raesha tells the story of many girls all around the world who lose themselves to the need of being loved.
I was very surprised by the nature and storyline of THE SKY BETWEEN YOU AND ME, as it was much more complex than I could imagine. When I first opened the book, I was confused because the story was in free-verse poetry, and I have never read anything that long in any sort of poetry. But for a first free-verse poetry book, the book was a delightful surprise. With short verses limited to a few words a line, it maintained a great flow and was still easy to follow. It was as if the author was living the story as she wrote it, just taking mental thoughts and observations as she went. For example, one part said “Which is why I’m sitting here. At the lunch table. Next to him. Staring at the brown paper bag. Holding a sandwich. I’m not going to eat.”
The book was ultimately something I was drawn too. Even though I haven’t ever suffered from an eating disorder, Raesha was still very easy to compare with and feel for. Asia, her dedicated “sister from another mister,” was the perfect model of a supporting friend who knew when it became too dangerous to sit on the sidelines. She was always there for Raesha, even when she didn’t know it. I loved all the characters, they were all good people portrayed in separate ways throughout the story but understood as the same.
The author did do a fantastic job of telling a full-of-heart story with great characters and flow. This story is perfect for someone who does want to be heard and wants to know how he or she can rise from challenges like this. Depending on how heavy you like your reading; the strong ones could take this on in an all-night-long read, most might want to draw it out to deepen their experience. Even after finishing this a few days ago, I am still thinking about the story and have gained a new understanding for eating disorders and how you can never judge a book by its cover.
Reviewed by Lillian B., Teen Board Member
January 29, 2018
So this book was incredibly difficult for me to read for a variety of reasons, mainly because it hit far too close to home for me. Between the horses, the boy, the jealousy, and the eating disorder, I low key felt as though I were reading a book about me from a few years ago. That said, it was an excellent book. The author was completely flawless in her descriptions of the character’s motivations and the plot itself was wonderfully handled. While it wasn’t entirely what I was expecting—I was wanting far more horses, but that’s just because I always want more horses on literature—it was definitely a solid book.
A lot of people have taken issue with the formatting of this book. While I can see why so many people don’t like the broken line format, I think it works here. It followed the way someone thinks versus more of an outsider’s perspective and I feel like it brought me closer to the character. There were times it did get frustrating, but overall, I liked it and thought it was a unique storytelling device.
A lot of people have taken issue with the formatting of this book. While I can see why so many people don’t like the broken line format, I think it works here. It followed the way someone thinks versus more of an outsider’s perspective and I feel like it brought me closer to the character. There were times it did get frustrating, but overall, I liked it and thought it was a unique storytelling device.
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August 11, 2021I don’t cry while reading very often, and this book made me tear up. The poetry worked very well when Rae was in her own head, thinking/talking about/processing her eating disorder. The scenes with multiple characters, the ones that moved the plot, maybe would have been better as prose. I’d like to see authors do that more— mix prose with poetry—lots of stories could be enhanced by poetry, but I find that many stories actually lack depth when they’re told only in verse. Novels-in-verse are becoming a popular sub-genre of YA, but I fear they box authors in to a format that doesn’t work for all stories all the time. But who am I? Certainly not a published author!
I liked that this story was about kids who love horses and rodeos. I don’t see a lot of books with those types of characters, while also addressing issues like eating disorders.
I enjoyed this book. Did I mention it made me cry? Rae’s pain hit me hard.
I liked that this story was about kids who love horses and rodeos. I don’t see a lot of books with those types of characters, while also addressing issues like eating disorders.
I enjoyed this book. Did I mention it made me cry? Rae’s pain hit me hard.
March 31, 2023
I rate this book 2.5 stars. it wasnt my favorite thing to read but some of the parts are really interesting and make the book good. This book is about a girl named rae who suffered a tough loss with someone she loved and does her best to prove her worth throughout horse riding. I like how the author portrays the main characters feelings throughout the book. I alsoliked how the author showed the characters detemrination to win something after a terrible loss of someone she loves. I recommend this book to people who like to read about competive stuff.
November 19, 2020
Raesha had brought out all of the problems in her life. Her mother’s death, her father never being home, her eating disorder. Her life just seems to be tough. I can for sure say it's not a life i would enjoy. This book was extremely good and kept me always wondering what was going on. I always wanted to jump in and help Raesha. I wanted to help her out of her problems. I also connected with her when they started talking about competing. Her eating disorder came out of her wanting to fit into her saddle. She wanted to be just as skinny as her mother was. However, this leads to her growing further and further away from her friends, family, and boyfriend. Her story just really reached to me and felt like my own life.
This book was amazing. It always kept me turning pages and always kept me wanting more. The novel in verse format also made the book flow super well. It really helped the book go quicker. I enjoyed reading this book. It had a good storyline that was easy to follow even with the novel in verse format. I was something new to me that I really enjoy and plan on reading more of. Overall, the story was very well thought out and planned. It was a good read that flowed very well.
This book was amazing. It always kept me turning pages and always kept me wanting more. The novel in verse format also made the book flow super well. It really helped the book go quicker. I enjoyed reading this book. It had a good storyline that was easy to follow even with the novel in verse format. I was something new to me that I really enjoy and plan on reading more of. Overall, the story was very well thought out and planned. It was a good read that flowed very well.
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January 15, 2019Personal Response: The book The Sky Between You and Me hits on a personal level for me. This being because I had close friends suffer from eating disorders like Raesha. Otherwise, this book is very good despite what I previously said.
Summary: The Sky Between You and Me by Catherine Alene is about a girl named Raesha suffering from an eating disorder called anorexia. Raesha or Rae’ for short lost her mother at a very young age, and all she wants to do is be like her. She had it all a great friend group a loving dad, boyfriend and her horses. Until Kierra came, that’s when everything came crashing down for her. In Raesha’s mind, she thinks that Kierra is trying to steal Cody (Raesha’s boyfriend) away from her. From then on She keeps telling herself “that number, minus five” so she can try to be thin like Kierra, and so she doesn’t have to “compete” against her.
Recommendations: I recommend this book to girls specifically struggling to see their self-worth. This is a great book to help you see this. Or to anyone willing to read.
July 25, 2025
I love this book It's so good! Sometimes it's just a little bit hard to understand what's going on if you're not 100% locked in, but other than that it is well-written, and you'll find yourself crying, laughing, or smiling for hours while reading this book! i completely recommend!!!
February 5, 2017
Review link: https://booknerdmomo.wordpress.com/20...
Thank you to Sourcebooks Fire and NetGalley for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
I was so excited to read this because one, I love books written in verse, and two, I knew it was going to be covering an important topic. Now that I’ve read it, I’m left with a lot of mixed feelings. There were so many times where I was beyond frustrated. I nearly marked this as DNF twice. However, it portrayed the topic very realistically. I’ll admit that I don’t have very much knowledge when it comes to eating disorders but you could tell that this author knew what she was writing about. The frustrating part? For a good chunk of the book other things overshadowed that important topic.
The Sky Between You and Me is about a girl named Rae who is a competitive horseback rider. She and her friends compete in their town’s rodeo every year and this year Rae is determined to win at Nationals no matter what. While in the midst of struggling with how much she misses her mom (who passed away before the beginning of the book), her eventual obsession with winning, and the introduction of a new girl who seems perfect in every way that she isn’t, Rae begins to develop an eating disorder.
Sound pretty straight forward? It wasn’t. In the beginning, when we’re first introduced to the new girl, Kierra, an accident happens that leads to Rae not liking Kierra at all. By accident, I mean that Kierra had no control over what happened. The dislike that said accident fosters leads to a lot of friendship and boy drama that takes up about 75% of the book and at times completely overshadowed what I knew the author was trying to accomplish.
There was also this one part with Rae and her group of friends where her best friend, Asia, actually calls her out on not eating in front of everyone. The words that were spoken and the manner in which it happened had my jaw dropping. I couldn’t believe it. What “best friend” does that? Toward the end, the author tries to give Asia some redemption but I couldn’t get past that.
And don’t even get me started on her boyfriend, Cody. That is a whole other can of worms that I don’t even have the energy to open. He also made an offhanded comment that I really didn’t like. In the beginning I liked him but by the end I couldn’t stand him.
So, yeah, I felt that most of this book lacked in the friendship department. It had its moments but they were far and few between.
All of that aside, there were aspects of this book that made me glad that I choose to stick with it.
The portrayal of a family struggling with loss – Rae and her dad are both struggling with the loss of a wife and mother. The way Catherine Alene wove this family dynamic was so honest and heartbreaking. Books written is verse require very little in the realm of words but it didn’t even matter because I could feel the grief they were going through and it broke my heart. I also loved the relationship Rae and her dad had. Sure, it was a bit strained at times but they had a great father/daughter relationship.
The way in which Catherine Alene wrote Rae’s growing struggles as she develops an eating disorder was so raw and realistic. I can’t even count the number of times that I sat there reading with tears in my eyes because all I wanted was for someone to notice how much Rae was struggling. Not point it out in a negative fashion like her friend did but notice so that they could get her the help she needed. You could tell that the author knew firsthand what she was portraying in Rae. Which is something that she actually goes into detail about in her author’s note.
Also, the ending. I won’t go into any detail but it wasn’t an ending wrapped up in pretty bows. It was realistic and I enjoyed that fact.
Is this a book that I would recommend to everyone? If you can push past everything that frustrated me then I say go for it because it does depict an important topic very well. However, a lot of the bad did overshadow the good and if you're a reader who does get easily frustrated, like me, then you may want to pass on it.
Thank you to Sourcebooks Fire and NetGalley for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
I was so excited to read this because one, I love books written in verse, and two, I knew it was going to be covering an important topic. Now that I’ve read it, I’m left with a lot of mixed feelings. There were so many times where I was beyond frustrated. I nearly marked this as DNF twice. However, it portrayed the topic very realistically. I’ll admit that I don’t have very much knowledge when it comes to eating disorders but you could tell that this author knew what she was writing about. The frustrating part? For a good chunk of the book other things overshadowed that important topic.
The Sky Between You and Me is about a girl named Rae who is a competitive horseback rider. She and her friends compete in their town’s rodeo every year and this year Rae is determined to win at Nationals no matter what. While in the midst of struggling with how much she misses her mom (who passed away before the beginning of the book), her eventual obsession with winning, and the introduction of a new girl who seems perfect in every way that she isn’t, Rae begins to develop an eating disorder.
Sound pretty straight forward? It wasn’t. In the beginning, when we’re first introduced to the new girl, Kierra, an accident happens that leads to Rae not liking Kierra at all. By accident, I mean that Kierra had no control over what happened. The dislike that said accident fosters leads to a lot of friendship and boy drama that takes up about 75% of the book and at times completely overshadowed what I knew the author was trying to accomplish.
There was also this one part with Rae and her group of friends where her best friend, Asia, actually calls her out on not eating in front of everyone. The words that were spoken and the manner in which it happened had my jaw dropping. I couldn’t believe it. What “best friend” does that? Toward the end, the author tries to give Asia some redemption but I couldn’t get past that.
And don’t even get me started on her boyfriend, Cody. That is a whole other can of worms that I don’t even have the energy to open. He also made an offhanded comment that I really didn’t like. In the beginning I liked him but by the end I couldn’t stand him.
So, yeah, I felt that most of this book lacked in the friendship department. It had its moments but they were far and few between.
All of that aside, there were aspects of this book that made me glad that I choose to stick with it.
The portrayal of a family struggling with loss – Rae and her dad are both struggling with the loss of a wife and mother. The way Catherine Alene wove this family dynamic was so honest and heartbreaking. Books written is verse require very little in the realm of words but it didn’t even matter because I could feel the grief they were going through and it broke my heart. I also loved the relationship Rae and her dad had. Sure, it was a bit strained at times but they had a great father/daughter relationship.
The way in which Catherine Alene wrote Rae’s growing struggles as she develops an eating disorder was so raw and realistic. I can’t even count the number of times that I sat there reading with tears in my eyes because all I wanted was for someone to notice how much Rae was struggling. Not point it out in a negative fashion like her friend did but notice so that they could get her the help she needed. You could tell that the author knew firsthand what she was portraying in Rae. Which is something that she actually goes into detail about in her author’s note.
Also, the ending. I won’t go into any detail but it wasn’t an ending wrapped up in pretty bows. It was realistic and I enjoyed that fact.
Is this a book that I would recommend to everyone? If you can push past everything that frustrated me then I say go for it because it does depict an important topic very well. However, a lot of the bad did overshadow the good and if you're a reader who does get easily frustrated, like me, then you may want to pass on it.
March 27, 2017
this book was a very touchy book. the friends knew that the girl was anorexic but they didn't do anything to stop it or help her. it made me kind of mad. there was a bunch of f-bombs but that's normal. I just wouldn't recommend it to a person
February 11, 2017
The Sky Between You and Me was a book I was actually pretty iffy on picking up. I did request it so I could review it but then I realized I am pretty ignorant to any and all things farm or horse related. I don't herd cattle or do 4h club stuff, although, I do own a bunny and that is the extent of my farm knowledge. I am glad that I pushed through the beginning because the rest of the book was pretty good. But it was so slow for the first 50 or so pages that I did find myself wanting to pick up another book. After those pages? I got the book done in one sitting.
So we have Rae as the protagonist. She lives with her dad on a farm. The entire town she lives in is pretty much close, farm town people. Everyone knows everyone and people help each other. That means, her best friend is from the town, her boyfriend is from the town, so everything in pretty close knit. Rae lost her mother a few years back and it has just been her and her dad. Rae strives to be just as good as her mom when it comes to rodeos. And her striving for this make her want to lose 5 pounds so she can fit in her moms old saddle better. That is where everything starts to go wrong and it just spirals out of control.
On top of Rae's declining health, a new girl had just moved to town to live with her grandmother. For some reason this sparks jealousy in a girl who normally isn't jealous. I also think this girl moving in was maybe the breaking point for Rae and her eating disorder.
I would definitely say Rae is an unreliable narrator. I had no idea whether the stuff between her boyfriend and the new girl was actually happening or if her messed up brain was actually amplifying some of the stuff. If it wasn't all in her head then Cody was a horrible person. I understand being friendly and wanting to help the new girl but some of the things he said/did were way out of line.
Then we have Asia. She is Rae's best friend and ends up being just like Cody with the new girl. She also wasn't exactly very understanding of Rae's situation and you think she would be considering they have been best friends for pretty much their entire lives. So I was kind of pissed about her being like that. I know how hard it can be to be friends with someone who is mentally ill and I also know what it's like to BE the ill one. Both sides are pretty crappy but you can't turn your back like that on someone who needs you. No matter how much they try to push you away.
I felt pretty satisfied with the ending. I am glad Rae ended up where she was. Things definitely could have ended a lot worse for her. Mental illness is really no joke and it can cripple anyone at any age. I know Rae is a fictional character but there are hundreds of thousands of girls out there who are just like her right now. This is silly but I hope Rae moves on with life and is fine. And I hope anyone suffering the same pain can move passed the horrible crap and go on to live a great life!
Regardless of the fact that I didn't know a lot of things about horses or farm life, I can say that Catherine Alene could very well be the next Ellen Hopkins. Yes, I know no one could ever really BE Ellen Hopkins but I have hope that it could one day be possible. This book had a lot of emotions and a really hard hitting subject and that is how Ellen's books are.
Overall, I gave the book 4/5 stars.
So we have Rae as the protagonist. She lives with her dad on a farm. The entire town she lives in is pretty much close, farm town people. Everyone knows everyone and people help each other. That means, her best friend is from the town, her boyfriend is from the town, so everything in pretty close knit. Rae lost her mother a few years back and it has just been her and her dad. Rae strives to be just as good as her mom when it comes to rodeos. And her striving for this make her want to lose 5 pounds so she can fit in her moms old saddle better. That is where everything starts to go wrong and it just spirals out of control.
On top of Rae's declining health, a new girl had just moved to town to live with her grandmother. For some reason this sparks jealousy in a girl who normally isn't jealous. I also think this girl moving in was maybe the breaking point for Rae and her eating disorder.
I would definitely say Rae is an unreliable narrator. I had no idea whether the stuff between her boyfriend and the new girl was actually happening or if her messed up brain was actually amplifying some of the stuff. If it wasn't all in her head then Cody was a horrible person. I understand being friendly and wanting to help the new girl but some of the things he said/did were way out of line.
Then we have Asia. She is Rae's best friend and ends up being just like Cody with the new girl. She also wasn't exactly very understanding of Rae's situation and you think she would be considering they have been best friends for pretty much their entire lives. So I was kind of pissed about her being like that. I know how hard it can be to be friends with someone who is mentally ill and I also know what it's like to BE the ill one. Both sides are pretty crappy but you can't turn your back like that on someone who needs you. No matter how much they try to push you away.
I felt pretty satisfied with the ending. I am glad Rae ended up where she was. Things definitely could have ended a lot worse for her. Mental illness is really no joke and it can cripple anyone at any age. I know Rae is a fictional character but there are hundreds of thousands of girls out there who are just like her right now. This is silly but I hope Rae moves on with life and is fine. And I hope anyone suffering the same pain can move passed the horrible crap and go on to live a great life!
Regardless of the fact that I didn't know a lot of things about horses or farm life, I can say that Catherine Alene could very well be the next Ellen Hopkins. Yes, I know no one could ever really BE Ellen Hopkins but I have hope that it could one day be possible. This book had a lot of emotions and a really hard hitting subject and that is how Ellen's books are.
Overall, I gave the book 4/5 stars.
March 4, 2017
3.5/5 Stars! RTC
February 6, 2017
I received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
I wish I had known when I requested this one that it was written in verse. I am kind of picky when it comes to those because there have only been a few that I have really enjoyed. I was really interested in the premise of a girl (Rae) who becomes anorexic because she wants to be lighter for her horseback championship. In some ways, this book was well done. I thought the portrayal of her eating disorder was very realistic. Rae starts out like any other girl. She is concerned about her weight yes, but she doesn't start out thinking that she needs to lose so much weight and she is going to stop eating to do it. It's just about losing five more pounds. But then she decides to lose just five more . . . and so on and so on. She constantly obsesses about food and she feels less hungry the longer she goes without food. Rae constantly compares herself herself to the new girl in town, Kierra. It's annoying, but I get it. I loved the family stuff. Rae's mom was a horseback rider and she died years ago, but she is very close to her father.
I was not a fan of the people in Rae's life. Everyone notices Rae's eating disorder, but no one seems to want to do anything about it. Her best friend, Asia, seemed more annoyed about Rae not eating than concerned. She would call out Rae for not eating in front of everyone and she would just dismiss Rae when she wouldn't eat like Asia wanted her to. And Rae's boyfriend was no better. Cody seemed supportive enough at the beginning, but he continues spending time with Kierra, knowing that it bugs Rae. And when Rae loses all that weight, does he seem concerned? Not really. He makes a comment about how no one likes to hug a skeleton. Really? Crazy. Part of the problem I had with this book was the boy drama. I wanted more about the eating disorder and also more about the horseback rising championships. The horseback riding was kind of a subplot and there wasn't as much written about the competition aspect as I would have liked. And I hated that Rae spent so much of the book mad at Kierra for nothing and worried about whether she was stealing her best friend and her boyfriend. It kind of overshadowed the eating disorder part.
My other problem was with the writing. Honestly, the narrative was just not that good. It didn't even seem like verse so much as a regular narrative that was formatted differently. Maybe the unique formatting was an attempt to add more depth to the story, but I thought it fell flat. I just couldn't connect emotionally to the characters. It was an okay story, but the combination of the boy drama and the narrative just disappointed me.
I wish I had known when I requested this one that it was written in verse. I am kind of picky when it comes to those because there have only been a few that I have really enjoyed. I was really interested in the premise of a girl (Rae) who becomes anorexic because she wants to be lighter for her horseback championship. In some ways, this book was well done. I thought the portrayal of her eating disorder was very realistic. Rae starts out like any other girl. She is concerned about her weight yes, but she doesn't start out thinking that she needs to lose so much weight and she is going to stop eating to do it. It's just about losing five more pounds. But then she decides to lose just five more . . . and so on and so on. She constantly obsesses about food and she feels less hungry the longer she goes without food. Rae constantly compares herself herself to the new girl in town, Kierra. It's annoying, but I get it. I loved the family stuff. Rae's mom was a horseback rider and she died years ago, but she is very close to her father.
I was not a fan of the people in Rae's life. Everyone notices Rae's eating disorder, but no one seems to want to do anything about it. Her best friend, Asia, seemed more annoyed about Rae not eating than concerned. She would call out Rae for not eating in front of everyone and she would just dismiss Rae when she wouldn't eat like Asia wanted her to. And Rae's boyfriend was no better. Cody seemed supportive enough at the beginning, but he continues spending time with Kierra, knowing that it bugs Rae. And when Rae loses all that weight, does he seem concerned? Not really. He makes a comment about how no one likes to hug a skeleton. Really? Crazy. Part of the problem I had with this book was the boy drama. I wanted more about the eating disorder and also more about the horseback rising championships. The horseback riding was kind of a subplot and there wasn't as much written about the competition aspect as I would have liked. And I hated that Rae spent so much of the book mad at Kierra for nothing and worried about whether she was stealing her best friend and her boyfriend. It kind of overshadowed the eating disorder part.
My other problem was with the writing. Honestly, the narrative was just not that good. It didn't even seem like verse so much as a regular narrative that was formatted differently. Maybe the unique formatting was an attempt to add more depth to the story, but I thought it fell flat. I just couldn't connect emotionally to the characters. It was an okay story, but the combination of the boy drama and the narrative just disappointed me.
February 14, 2017
Grade: D
1.5 stars
Raesha has never gotten over the loss of her mother. Although she has a great best friend and boyfriend, a faithful dog, horse and riding hobby, she becomes increasingly insecure when a new girl with similar interests befriends her group. With her father often away working, Raesha becomes anorexic and begins to lose herself.
Despite Raesha's story being sympathetic, I didn't find her likable or easy to champion. Her jealousy/insecurity and lack of empathy for her new classmate, especially after hearing Kierra's backstory, made me dislike Rae even more. The only person she treated with respect and kindness was kindergartener Lacey, the reading buddy she acquired to avoid eating lunch.
Telling, or I should say showing a story in free verse probably more difficult than writing straight prose. Every word matters. Writers have to create characters, scenes, plots and whole stories with fewer sentences. Only the most skilled can overcome the monumental obstacles. Unfortunately, Catherine Alene fell far short of the task.
Except for dialogue, Alene used no punctuation except for dialogue. Free verse requires little punctuation, so I don't know why she chose none, but it was distracting.
I the hands of a writer with talents like Ellen Hopkins, THE SKY BETWEEN YOU AND ME could have been a breathtaking story. Alene's characters and setting were unique, different from typical stories about eating disorders. Some of the verse was engaging and unique. Perhaps if Alene had mixed prose and verse she would have told a story that intrigued me more.
I'm torn between one and two stars, only because I hate giving 1 star to a debut writer.
1.5 stars
Raesha has never gotten over the loss of her mother. Although she has a great best friend and boyfriend, a faithful dog, horse and riding hobby, she becomes increasingly insecure when a new girl with similar interests befriends her group. With her father often away working, Raesha becomes anorexic and begins to lose herself.
Despite Raesha's story being sympathetic, I didn't find her likable or easy to champion. Her jealousy/insecurity and lack of empathy for her new classmate, especially after hearing Kierra's backstory, made me dislike Rae even more. The only person she treated with respect and kindness was kindergartener Lacey, the reading buddy she acquired to avoid eating lunch.
Telling, or I should say showing a story in free verse probably more difficult than writing straight prose. Every word matters. Writers have to create characters, scenes, plots and whole stories with fewer sentences. Only the most skilled can overcome the monumental obstacles. Unfortunately, Catherine Alene fell far short of the task.
Except for dialogue, Alene used no punctuation except for dialogue. Free verse requires little punctuation, so I don't know why she chose none, but it was distracting.
I the hands of a writer with talents like Ellen Hopkins, THE SKY BETWEEN YOU AND ME could have been a breathtaking story. Alene's characters and setting were unique, different from typical stories about eating disorders. Some of the verse was engaging and unique. Perhaps if Alene had mixed prose and verse she would have told a story that intrigued me more.
I'm torn between one and two stars, only because I hate giving 1 star to a debut writer.
February 5, 2017
Review also found at http://kristineandterri.blogspot.ca/2...
I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you! The expected publication date is February 1st 2017.
If I have to be honest, I struggled with the way this story was written. It took me a while to get used to the fact that it was all in verse. The lack of periods at the end of sentences really bothered me and I desperately wanted to correct it. That being said, this review will most likely be riddled with grammatical errors so who am I to judge? I did get used to it after a while so my advice to anyone who feels the same way is to keep going and give it a chance.
As the synopsis suggests, this is a story of a teen girl struggling with an eating disorder. I felt it was an effective way, for the audience intended, to tell the story of how it not only affects the body but the relationships with people. For a slightly older audience like myself, I felt it only touched the surface of the topic however this was written for the YA audience. With that in mind I think it did a good job of telling the story without giving so much details the reader loses interest.
Another key point that I enjoyed about the story is that Raesha was an everyday average teen and not necessarily who you would pick to have an eating disorder. It showed that anyone can be impacted by this disorder and that is something that I think audiences will appreciate, in particular the young female audiences. I am sure that every girl can see a bit of themselves in Raesha.
After a rocky start, I am glad that I stuck with this book. I found it entertaining and insightful.
I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you! The expected publication date is February 1st 2017.
If I have to be honest, I struggled with the way this story was written. It took me a while to get used to the fact that it was all in verse. The lack of periods at the end of sentences really bothered me and I desperately wanted to correct it. That being said, this review will most likely be riddled with grammatical errors so who am I to judge? I did get used to it after a while so my advice to anyone who feels the same way is to keep going and give it a chance.
As the synopsis suggests, this is a story of a teen girl struggling with an eating disorder. I felt it was an effective way, for the audience intended, to tell the story of how it not only affects the body but the relationships with people. For a slightly older audience like myself, I felt it only touched the surface of the topic however this was written for the YA audience. With that in mind I think it did a good job of telling the story without giving so much details the reader loses interest.
Another key point that I enjoyed about the story is that Raesha was an everyday average teen and not necessarily who you would pick to have an eating disorder. It showed that anyone can be impacted by this disorder and that is something that I think audiences will appreciate, in particular the young female audiences. I am sure that every girl can see a bit of themselves in Raesha.
After a rocky start, I am glad that I stuck with this book. I found it entertaining and insightful.
July 14, 2017
Raesha is not the stereotypical girl with an eating disorder from the "after school specials" of my youth. She isn't the super-popular girl who is afraid to lose it all if she gains a few pounds, nor is she the unpopular fat girl who thinks that she will finally be accepted by her peers if she loses some weight. This story is much more realistic, so I think it's only fair to provide a *TRIGGER WARNING* for people recovering from eating disorders.
While Raesha doesn't set out to be anorexic, she is so dedicated to making it to (and winning) Nationals that she decides to lose a few pounds. After all, being lighter will mean that her horse can run faster. The worst thing is that she isn't pressured by anyone else to compete in barrel racing but rather competes to honor the memory of her mother. Between grieving for her mother and her father's frequent absences (for work), Raesha is often very lonely. And, with the change in behavior that accompanies her eating disorder, she only drives her boyfriend and her friends further away. I would recommend this book for Ellen Hopkins fans and readers of Laurie Halse Anderson's Wintergirls .
Happy Reading!
While Raesha doesn't set out to be anorexic, she is so dedicated to making it to (and winning) Nationals that she decides to lose a few pounds. After all, being lighter will mean that her horse can run faster. The worst thing is that she isn't pressured by anyone else to compete in barrel racing but rather competes to honor the memory of her mother. Between grieving for her mother and her father's frequent absences (for work), Raesha is often very lonely. And, with the change in behavior that accompanies her eating disorder, she only drives her boyfriend and her friends further away. I would recommend this book for Ellen Hopkins fans and readers of Laurie Halse Anderson's Wintergirls .
Happy Reading!
August 8, 2017
I liked this book, really I did, but I would give it 3.5 stars if I could and not the 4 or 5 stars that books like this usually garner from me, because something was just... missing.
It's not that this book wasn't good, because it was. I thoroughly enjoy any sort of issue books, and this one was no different. In addition, I liked that the girl affected by this eating disorder wasn't portrayed as some vapid shallow idiot, but also a girl who helps her dad run a farm and is capable of taking care of herself, because that shows that eating disorders can affect anyone, not just idiotic girls who needs to cut carbs after one too many pumpkin spice lattes.
I like issue books, and eating disorder books in general, and I enjoyed this. I enjoyed reading about her descent into madness and the obsessive thoughts and behaviours that came with that. It was interesting to read about Rae's loneliness, the isolation forced upon someone by an eating disorder and all the lies and secrets that person must keep, how they alienate everyone, and how sufferers aren't nearly as good at hiding things and pretending it's not happening as they think they are. Ok, perhaps "enjoyed" isn't the right word, because that makes it sound like I'm taking pleasure in the suffering of others, and I'm not. But I find these particular types of stories fascinating for some reason and I'm drawn to them.
My biggest issue with this book though, or rather what nags at me, is the motivations for trying to become thinner in the first place. Not that anyone ever decides to develop a disorder, obviously, but the factors that contribute to Raesha developing her eating disorder don't fully make sense to me, or rather, they don't seem serious enough to warrant such an outrageous response (though perhaps that's the point, sometimes it doesn't have to be something majorly traumatic, sometimes it's just the little things that get under your skin, and the little nagging thoughts that play on a loop in your head, slowly torturing you). I suppose actually, it could be considered a combination of factors: the initial trigger of wanting to lose weight to get a better time in racing, and her lack of control of all the people in her life, her mom dying, her dad always being gone, new people changing things. I suppose it makes sense, it just feels like there's a correlation between Kierra being around and trying to make friends, and just generally existing, and Rae being jealous of the way Kierra is easily fitting in, and the fact that everyone is welcoming her, and Rae developing her disorder. I'm sure those tow aren't as connected as I feel they are. I'm sure that the author wanted to use Kierra to illustrate how disconnected Rae feels, how to Rae, it seems like someone new is easily coming in and living her life better than she is herself, because Rae is an outsider whose lacking something. It just feels to me like there's a jealousy component, like Rae is jealous of Kierra, and because of that, feels insecure about herself, and that translates into fuel for her eating disorder.
I just don't like that it reads as girl competition being too much. And perhaps that's just my opinion, but it just feels like it reads as girls can't handle it when other girls are pretty and nice and friendly, and instead of embracing another cool person, they irrationally view it as competition, and get jealous for no reason and get a little crazy. That stereotype bugs me.
Now to be fair to Rae, there was a lot of emotion behind her feelings, and at times, she realized how irrational some of her feelings of jealousy were, but unfortunately, she couldn't stop them from seeping into her head and bothering her, which is truly what this disorder is all about. You can't stop things that shouldn't affect you from affecting you. And in that sense, you really do get to see all the emotion behind Rae's problems, and how wildly messed up her thinking is, how she justifies all her actions, and makes them out to be not that big of a deal, even though she's really hurting herself. We get to see the lengths she goes to to hide things from everyone, and how she thinks it's working, and justifies all the things she's doing in order to keep her secrets, but how obvious it actually is to anyone paying attention. In that way, this book does depict eating disorders well, but I just feel like ti could've gone deeper. It could've shown MORE, we could've gotten further, and felt MORE of Raesha's mess. I dunno, I just felt like a greater connection could have been made, and though her eating disorder is depicted well, it could have been shown BETTER, and we could have delved far deeper into things.
That said, I liked how things ended. I liked that Rae struggled with getting help in the beginning, because that's accurate, and I like that she kind of missed her disorder, because that's very accurate too. you become so used to this disordered thinking that it's hard to let go. I like that in the end she's getting better, but she knows she's not fixed, and that things weren't tied up all pretty and nice.
See, I did, I really did like this book, and I really think that the country girl who loves horses and barrel races really adds to it. I guess the format bugged me too. It wasn't poetry for most of it, it was just line breaks, and that didn't enhance to story really. It only serves to highlight how disordered Rae's thinking was, because the prose FELT that disordered, but otherwise, I don't think it served this book. And I didn't care for that. Overall, I liked this book, but unlike some of my other eating disorder and general issue books, I didn't like it enough to re-read it again and again. (It has to be the way I feel about Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson. I could read that book a hundred times (and I have re-read it a lot) even though it's spoiled now because I know what happens, it doesn't make it any less, actually it makes it better, because you understand more. It has to be like that for me to re-read issue books, and this one just wasn't.) So I liked it, I did, but I don't' think I'll be keeping it or reading it again. It was lovely to read Rae's story this time, but I don't think I want to read her story again or ever revisit it.
It's not that this book wasn't good, because it was. I thoroughly enjoy any sort of issue books, and this one was no different. In addition, I liked that the girl affected by this eating disorder wasn't portrayed as some vapid shallow idiot, but also a girl who helps her dad run a farm and is capable of taking care of herself, because that shows that eating disorders can affect anyone, not just idiotic girls who needs to cut carbs after one too many pumpkin spice lattes.
I like issue books, and eating disorder books in general, and I enjoyed this. I enjoyed reading about her descent into madness and the obsessive thoughts and behaviours that came with that. It was interesting to read about Rae's loneliness, the isolation forced upon someone by an eating disorder and all the lies and secrets that person must keep, how they alienate everyone, and how sufferers aren't nearly as good at hiding things and pretending it's not happening as they think they are. Ok, perhaps "enjoyed" isn't the right word, because that makes it sound like I'm taking pleasure in the suffering of others, and I'm not. But I find these particular types of stories fascinating for some reason and I'm drawn to them.
My biggest issue with this book though, or rather what nags at me, is the motivations for trying to become thinner in the first place. Not that anyone ever decides to develop a disorder, obviously, but the factors that contribute to Raesha developing her eating disorder don't fully make sense to me, or rather, they don't seem serious enough to warrant such an outrageous response (though perhaps that's the point, sometimes it doesn't have to be something majorly traumatic, sometimes it's just the little things that get under your skin, and the little nagging thoughts that play on a loop in your head, slowly torturing you). I suppose actually, it could be considered a combination of factors: the initial trigger of wanting to lose weight to get a better time in racing, and her lack of control of all the people in her life, her mom dying, her dad always being gone, new people changing things. I suppose it makes sense, it just feels like there's a correlation between Kierra being around and trying to make friends, and just generally existing, and Rae being jealous of the way Kierra is easily fitting in, and the fact that everyone is welcoming her, and Rae developing her disorder. I'm sure those tow aren't as connected as I feel they are. I'm sure that the author wanted to use Kierra to illustrate how disconnected Rae feels, how to Rae, it seems like someone new is easily coming in and living her life better than she is herself, because Rae is an outsider whose lacking something. It just feels to me like there's a jealousy component, like Rae is jealous of Kierra, and because of that, feels insecure about herself, and that translates into fuel for her eating disorder.
I just don't like that it reads as girl competition being too much. And perhaps that's just my opinion, but it just feels like it reads as girls can't handle it when other girls are pretty and nice and friendly, and instead of embracing another cool person, they irrationally view it as competition, and get jealous for no reason and get a little crazy. That stereotype bugs me.
Now to be fair to Rae, there was a lot of emotion behind her feelings, and at times, she realized how irrational some of her feelings of jealousy were, but unfortunately, she couldn't stop them from seeping into her head and bothering her, which is truly what this disorder is all about. You can't stop things that shouldn't affect you from affecting you. And in that sense, you really do get to see all the emotion behind Rae's problems, and how wildly messed up her thinking is, how she justifies all her actions, and makes them out to be not that big of a deal, even though she's really hurting herself. We get to see the lengths she goes to to hide things from everyone, and how she thinks it's working, and justifies all the things she's doing in order to keep her secrets, but how obvious it actually is to anyone paying attention. In that way, this book does depict eating disorders well, but I just feel like ti could've gone deeper. It could've shown MORE, we could've gotten further, and felt MORE of Raesha's mess. I dunno, I just felt like a greater connection could have been made, and though her eating disorder is depicted well, it could have been shown BETTER, and we could have delved far deeper into things.
That said, I liked how things ended. I liked that Rae struggled with getting help in the beginning, because that's accurate, and I like that she kind of missed her disorder, because that's very accurate too. you become so used to this disordered thinking that it's hard to let go. I like that in the end she's getting better, but she knows she's not fixed, and that things weren't tied up all pretty and nice.
See, I did, I really did like this book, and I really think that the country girl who loves horses and barrel races really adds to it. I guess the format bugged me too. It wasn't poetry for most of it, it was just line breaks, and that didn't enhance to story really. It only serves to highlight how disordered Rae's thinking was, because the prose FELT that disordered, but otherwise, I don't think it served this book. And I didn't care for that. Overall, I liked this book, but unlike some of my other eating disorder and general issue books, I didn't like it enough to re-read it again and again. (It has to be the way I feel about Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson. I could read that book a hundred times (and I have re-read it a lot) even though it's spoiled now because I know what happens, it doesn't make it any less, actually it makes it better, because you understand more. It has to be like that for me to re-read issue books, and this one just wasn't.) So I liked it, I did, but I don't' think I'll be keeping it or reading it again. It was lovely to read Rae's story this time, but I don't think I want to read her story again or ever revisit it.
March 10, 2018
Going into this book, I wasn’t sure I was going to line it. The synopsis made it sound like a jealous suck up girl who rides horses. THIS. BOOK. IS. SO. MUCH. MORE. THAN. THAT. Raesha, a young girl who is still coping with the loss of her mother is dating a boy named Cody, and her best friend is a girl named Asia. Everything is okay, as okay as it could be, until kierra comes. Kierra who is the image of perfect. Kierra who quickly befriends Asia and Cody, kierra who Raesha cannot stand. Amidst this confusion, deception, and jealousy, raesha develops nervosa anorexia, a servers eating disorder that drives holes into relationships and into her body. Everybody watches as raesha gets more and more sick, but nobody reaches out to help her. As this developes so do other things, as she drives people out of her life, and invites others into it. This book is unlike anything I have ever read, and IT. IS. CAPTIVATING. Written in immaculate poetry this book makes u feel EVERY. SINGLE. WORD. Highly reccomend this book.
December 27, 2016
Full disclosure: this book, which was kindly given to me as an ARC by Sourcebooks Fire and Netgalley, was the first YA novel in verse I read. While I like classic verse and poetry, I'm sad to say this foray into YA verse was not for me. I felt like the plot, the novel, lost out on being fully developed by choosing this style of composition.
The novel follows Rae, a competitive rider who *not too spoilery spoiler alert* develops an eating disorder. We meet her friends, her boyfriend, her family but I never felt connected to her or to any other characters. The novel, in a sentence, fell flat for me.
I liked the fact that the ending isn't all tied up into a bow, the depiction of an ED is quite well done but it was just scratching the surface. There was real emotion there, no doubt based on the author's own experience with an ED, but it never quite got to full connection.
Thanks to Netgalley and Sourcefire for giving me an ARC.
The novel follows Rae, a competitive rider who *not too spoilery spoiler alert* develops an eating disorder. We meet her friends, her boyfriend, her family but I never felt connected to her or to any other characters. The novel, in a sentence, fell flat for me.
I liked the fact that the ending isn't all tied up into a bow, the depiction of an ED is quite well done but it was just scratching the surface. There was real emotion there, no doubt based on the author's own experience with an ED, but it never quite got to full connection.
Thanks to Netgalley and Sourcefire for giving me an ARC.
October 2, 2016
I was invited to read this book, because I'm a colleague of the writer--but that just means I was fortunate to read it before everyone else.
This novel in verse begins with poems that evoke the richness of Rae's life--community working together to bring in the cattle. As Rae puts it, "me and dad suddenly have more family than we can count." Her life is full--best friend and boyfriend, beloved horse and dog, school and barrel racing.
But as Rae is overtaken with her obsession with being lighter, leaner, faster, this evocative verse whittles down to bone and her need to be thin carves away her flesh, friends, and family.
I found this story to be honest, unflinching, and painfully beautiful, and I believe that THE SKY BETWEEN YOU AND ME offers a gift of understanding and hope to those who struggle with eating disorders and the ones who love them.
This novel in verse begins with poems that evoke the richness of Rae's life--community working together to bring in the cattle. As Rae puts it, "me and dad suddenly have more family than we can count." Her life is full--best friend and boyfriend, beloved horse and dog, school and barrel racing.
But as Rae is overtaken with her obsession with being lighter, leaner, faster, this evocative verse whittles down to bone and her need to be thin carves away her flesh, friends, and family.
I found this story to be honest, unflinching, and painfully beautiful, and I believe that THE SKY BETWEEN YOU AND ME offers a gift of understanding and hope to those who struggle with eating disorders and the ones who love them.
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