Watch Your Back

Between by Jessica Warman

Natasha Friedman

    Have you ever wondered what people would say, think, or do if you died right now? Well, the thought never crossed Elizabeth Valchar’s mind, until she is faced with a horrific tragedy. Liz grew up with her loving parents who spoiled her endlessly; one day Liz’s mother became very sick and eventually passed away, leaving Liz to make choices on her own. At school, Liz became friends with the “cool crew.” (Warman 17) Along with her friends, Liz became blinded by her popularity; she became narcissistic, conceited, and bullied other kids with her friends. On Liz seventeenth birthday she holds a small party on her parent's boat; at her party, Liz drinks, smokes, and eventually falls asleep beside her four best friends. The next thing she can remember is waking up in the middle of the night to a strange noise in the water beside the boat. When she goes outside to see what’s going on, Liz comes face to face with her worst nightmare, “‘This can’t be real.’ I whisper, wiping my eyes. I don't want to see what’s happening, but it seems impossible to look anywhere else.” (Warman 87) As the story progresses Liz watches mysteries unfold and her friends slowly piece together all the clues to understand the haunting truth about what happened that night. The end of the story is very unexpected, shocking and exciting.
    I absolutely recommend this book to anybody who enjoys a quick read, teen drama, and mystery. One aspect of the book that really stood out to me was how the author made it so throughout the entire book Liz was watching her own life from a ghostly perspective; meaning she could see and hear everything going on in her real life, but she was unable to interact with anyone. Also, Jessica Warman added a feeling of suspense and mystery in her writing, which really brought the book to life, "'I don't know why I feel the need to be so quiet, The noise from my shoes against the deck is jarring. Every footstep making me cringe, no matter how carefully I step."Another awesome aspect of this book is that it is very relatable to teenagers in today’s generation because the author did an excellent job of incorporating real emotions and drama that teenagers deal with during their high school years. For example, bullying, getting pulled into the wrong group of people, family issues, dating, and self-esteem. One thing the reader should know before starting this book is that there are some inappropriate language and drug usage. One lesson that can be taken from this book is that sometimes the people closest to you will really be your biggest enemies.