The Space Between Trees

The Space Between Trees by Katie Williams
Chronicle Books, 2010
274 pages
9780811871754

Evie's childhood friend is found dead in the woods early one Sunday by Jonah, the object of her affection. Zabet and her had grown apart, and they barely spoke anymore. At the funeral, a little white lie starts Evie and Zabet's true best friend, Hadley, on a quest to find the killer. Each lie she tells brings them closer to the truth, but what else will they discover?

Why I picked it up: FYA did a review of the book (let's be honest here, they're the reason I pick up half the books I do). They gave mega props to the cover. Okay, okay, the plot sounded pretty interesting, too. I just can't turn down a mystery.

Judging by the cover...: Awesome cover. The picture to the left simply can't do it justice. The actual space between the trees is cut away to reveal the purple paper underneath, giving the book a silhouette feel. Just beautiful. It is ultimately what made the book for me.

Favorite Elements:

• Older boy - What girl hasn't fantasized about the older boy? The fact that Evie's in high school and Jonah is in college does nothing to deter her from pseudo-stalking him and getting him to talk to her. I have to give her credit, I certainly wouldn't have done that when I was her age.
• Dark and mysterious woods - The woods behind Zabet and Hadley's houses sound creepy. Jonah's job, which is to drag the bodies of dead animals out of the woods makes them sound even creepier. Sign me up for a camping trip, please!

Overall (out of 5) 3.75
Zabet's death makes the reality hit home for several girls in the story; it could have happened to any one of them. But could it really? It's this question, what set Zabet apart from the other girls that keeps the reader guessing throughout the story. The characters' have quite a bit of depth, and they managed to keep me immersed in the story. One can't help but feel sorry for Zabet's father, a man who tries so hard to bring his daughter back, a daughter he barely knew but wanted to. Hadley is so tortured and hurt by her friend's death, and I wish I could give her a hug. The only flaw to the plot is in a few unanswered questions, but those that were answered kept me thinking for quite a few days. How random can life really be? Would we really be happy if we got the answers we seek? How do you pick up the pieces and keep on living when something so devastating happens to your family?

Recommendation: A good read for someone in a thoughtful, melancholy mood. Just make sure you leave plenty of lights on.