Sheri Reynolds, The Sweet in Between

The Sweet in Between

Sheri Reynolds

Shaye Areheart (Crown), Nov 2008, $23.00

ISBN: 0307393895

In Virginia seventeen year old Kendra "Kenny" Lugo fears the near future. Her mom died years ago of cancer and her dad is serving time. She lives with her dad's girlfriend 'Aunt' Glo who has two kids of her own (tweener Quincy and teen Tim-Tim) and her seven years old granddaughter Daphne, dumped on her by her oldest child. Glo survives her responsibilities thanks in part to prescription pain killers.

Kenny fears Glo will kick her out of her home once she becomes an adult, which is soon. The teen also struggles with identity issues especially hiding her feminine body. When their alcoholic neighbor Jarvis Stanley accidentally kills a college girl, Kenny obsesses over the deceased as her morbidity makes her believe Glo will kick her to the curb soon. Her plan is to soon become responsible and dependable; Glo will beg her to stay.

Told by the frightened Kenny, 'The Sweet In Between' is a fascinating family drama starring a frightened teen filled with anger, remorse and fear. The rest of Glo's extended family is fully developed characters who enhance the at times subtle and other moments in your face storyline. However, this is Kenny 'tale as she sadly expects the worse but hopes for the best, which in this case is not being kicked out of the only shelter, albeit a relatively poor one, she knows at a time she wonders why she feels different from girls her age.

Harriet Klausner