Between
Adele Broadbent
OneTree House
Pub. 2018

August 03, 2021

Between by Adele Broadbent is a thrilling and heart-stopping story that keeps you on your toes. It’s funny and intriguing, as you never know what is going to happen when you turn the page. While the book deals with hard topics like losing a family member at a young age, it shows that it is okay to miss them even if you don’t remember them well. This book, while sad at points, is funny, light-hearted and easy to read. It is a really good book.

The main character’s name is Olly. He is a young boy in his pre-teen years, and he is working out how to live his life in a way that suits him and others around him. His whole life revolves around soccer and his mates – Egg and Loon – who are both just as crazy and out there as Olly is. Olly loves to play the ‘dare game’ and loves anything to do with the paranormal.

He becomes very interested in this little old lady who claims to be psychic. She has a sign on her house door reading “Martha Mischefski, Spiritualist, By Appointment Only.” Olly develops a fascination with her and wants to get to know her and everything she does with her psychic abilities. The only thing is, Olly’s mum and the painfully annoying Aunty Claire forbid it.

Olly finds a way to sneak into seeing Martha. They get to talking and find they have many common interests. Martha lends Olly some books on paranormal activities and psychic readings. Olly’s mum finds these books in his room and bans him from seeing her again. She grounds him and forbids him to go to his soccer camp. This is when things get really intriguing…

I really enjoyed reading Between because it kept me on the edge of my seat. I just couldn’t put this book down, there were so many twists and turns that kept me wanting more! I really loved how the characters were so realistic because a lot of times in books it’s really easy to tell they are made up.

However, Olly and his mates seem like real people which just makes this book better. It makes you feel like you really know them. I would recommend Between to anyone who likes thrilling books that keep them on their toes, and to anyone who likes competition, soccer and paranormal things like ghosts, spirits and talking to the dead.

This book is easy to read and follow and I would recommend it to children around the ages of 10 to 12. It’s an amazing story that helps you learn that sometimes your parents do know best but in a way that is not terribly unbearable. This book, while funny and entertaining, is one that teaches you things along the way.

• Caitlin Fuldseth is 16 and lives in Palmerston North.