The Girl in Between

by Sarah Carroll

"A deeply moving story of family, homelessness, and the ghosts that won't let us go. Haunting and unforgettable."—Megan Shepherd, New York Times bestselling author of The Secret Horses of Briar Hill


Told in the naïve voice of a homeless girl sheltered by her mother from the world, this is a moving debut perfect for fans of David Almond, A Monster Calls, and Room.

I'm invisible. Ma says I'm supposed to be so the Authorities don't get me. She goes out into the streets almost every day but I'm not allowed. I've got to stay inside the mill so they don't see me. 

In an old, abandoned mill, a girl and her ma take shelter from their memories of life on the streets, and watch the busy world go by. The girl calls it the Castle because it's the biggest place they've ever stayed, a home of her own like no other. The windows are boarded up and the floorboards are falling in, but for her neither of those things matter.

Then developers show up, and it's clear that their lives are about to change forever. Desperate to save their refuge from the Authorities and her mother from her own personal demons, the girl seeks out the ghosts of the mill. And with only Caretaker—the old man who's slept outside the mill for decades—around to answer her questions, she begins to wonder what kind of ghosts are haunting both the mill and her mother.

The Girl in Between is a compelling, witty, and at times heartbreaking novel that explores themes of loneliness and grief with effortless warmth and an unforgettable voice that will stick with you long after you've finished.

• ISBN10: 0735228604
• ISBN13: 9780735228603
• Publish Date: 20 June 2017 (first published 4 May 2017)
• Publish Status: Out of Stock
• Publish Country: US
• Publisher: Penguin Putnam Inc
• Imprint: Kathy Dawson Books
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 256
• Language: English
• URL: https://penguinrandomhouse.com/books/isbn/9780735228603

Reviews

[Quirky Cat]

The Girl in Between is a deep and thought provoking tale about a young girl and her mother. Amazon suggests it as a good read for teens, which is probably accurate. I can see my old high school book club picking this as their monthly read. I also think an older audience would possibly find it enjoyable as well.
The story explores the concepts of loneliness and the permanence of memories. I found myself being inexplicably drawn to this book – even though this is normally not the sort of thing I read. I just couldn't put it down.



The Girl in Between revolves around a little girl and her mother. They are squatting in an old run down mill, which the little girl considers her castle. Despite everything she has gone through and seen, she's still so innocent and naive, it's quite endearing to see.
It didn't occur to me until I was writing this review, but the author never actually names the girl or her mother. It's extra food for thought considering the implications at the end. The lack of names does add to the plot, without taking anything away.
About halfway through I started getting a bad feeling that there was something wrong, something that either wasn't being shown or something I was missing. It adds a subtle but very real extra layer of intensity that I really enjoyed. My gut was correct, but not in the way I was even remotely expecting or prepared for. (I'm not going to say how, for the sake of those that want to read it).
There is quite a bit of repetition throughout the novel, and while it isn't necessarily annoying, I'm not sure it adds anything to the plot either. There's also some time hopping back and forth, where we'll go from the present to the past for a chapter, and then back again. These events are clearly delineated, though at a couple times they left me anxious to see what happens next (in either continuity). Despite these complaints, I found it hard to put the book down, and ended up finishing it over the weekend.
On the whole I'm giving this a three and a half star rating, because while there were some flaws, the overall concept was well thought out and oddly spellbinding.


For more reviews, check out Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks