Between the Lives

By: Jessica Shirvington

Narrated by: Matilda Reed

Length: 8 hrs and 5 mins

Publisher's summary

Hollywood was abuzz recently with the news that Jessica Shirvington’s bestselling Embrace series was being adapted for television by the CW Network (The Vampire Diaries, Gossip Girl) and Steven Spielberg’s Amblin production company. Now Jessica is set to excite her YA fans with Between the Lives a psychological thriller that will hook you at first listen…

The perfect life or the perfect love. You choose. For as long as she can remember, Sabine has lived two lives. Every twenty-four hours she 'Shifts', living each day twice. She has one life in Wellesley, Massachusetts...and another, completely different life in Roxbury, Boston. In one life she's surrounded by glamorous friends and dresses in designer clothes, in the other her family struggles to make ends meet. In one life she’s a straight-A student with the perfect boyfriend, in the other she’s considered a reckless delinquent.

All Sabine has ever wanted is the chance to live one life. When it seems like this might finally be possible, Sabine begins a series of dangerous experiments to achieve her goal. But is she willing to risk everything – including the one man who might actually believe her?

©2013 Jessica Shirvington (P)2013 Bolinda Publishing Pty Ltd

Critic reviews

“Addictive ... add to your must-read list.” (EntertainmentWeekly.com, for the Violet Eden series)

"An emotional thrill ride filled with passion and suspense." (Kirkus, for the Violet Eden series)

Fresh and Fascinating

Between the Lives was a rich, mature character piece with a captivating high-concept twist.

Sabine lives two completely different lives, in two completely different worlds where she repeats each day in each life, swapping at midnight every day. At 18, she has lived thirty 36 years and her dream is to have only one life that she can live to the fullest.

The two-lives premise was fresh and fascinating – definitely my hook into the story. I should have been disappointed to learn the book wasn’t really ABOUT Sabine living two lives, more about the drama and consequences her faced in both worlds. Somehow though, the author managed to balance my interest in learning and understanding the two-lives phenomenon perfectly with the character drama.

I was rapt from chapter one by Sabine’s brilliantly bold plans to test the limits of her two-lives and was amazed to find myself completely sucked in the spiralling drama in both of Sabine’s families and lives by the end

This book should be a example to all aspiring writers. Here, the author managed to create TWO engaging families, friends, lives and even personalities for the protagonist when so many YA authors can barely manage one of each!

Right up until the end (replete with twists I didn’t seen coming) I had no idea how Sabine was going to resolve her heartbreaking situation and I was compelled to keep reading! There was never going to be an easy choice for Sabine if she got her wish of getting just one life and it only gets more impossible as the story goes on.

I was absolutely hooked by Between the Lives and recommend it to all YA readers. I think it’s safe to say this one will blow up pretty soon and I’m glad I didn’t let it sit in my queue for very long.

Unfortunately, I do have to say that the narrator was horrific! She put on a tragic Boston accent (one that I happen to adore when done well so I’m pretty sure it was fake) and it was difficult to listen to. I rarely have problems with narrators but this one stood out very badly! If you won't be able to take it, I urge you to buy the book in hard form and not miss out!

3.5 stars

Interesting story. I liked parts of it. Living two separate lives and knowing you're the only one who knows it can be a burden. Sabine feels that way ever since she discovered how unique she was.

I could not wrap my head around Sabine's problem with two lives. I was team Ethan there. Her whole problems were created by herself and her not being able to accept both lives which irritated me.

I liked Ethan but I do not think there was enough between him and Sabine to warrant confessions of love. If the author wanted to add romance then give me MORE to it. Not just a couple nights together.

Overall a decent story.

Amazing story

What did you love best about Between the Lives?

The idea of having two parallel lives is fascinating and as happens in Jessica's Shrivington Embrace series the story is wonderfully written, keeping you interested from beginning till the end.Jessica's Shrivington way of telling the story makes you feel inside the story. When Sabine shifted from one life into the other at midnight it was as if you were there on her side.

What did you like best about this story?

The dilemna Sabine was facing, how to deal with two different lives in particular as a teenager, leading her to choose one and end the other and how Ethan was crucial in making her deal with it, kept my interest through the story.

Which character – as performed by Matilda Reed – was your favorite?

Matilda Reed performed well. Each character was perfectly represented, but in my opinion Sabine was the best

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

Are you sure you live only one life?

Any additional comments?

I hope a sequel to the story will soon be available