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Me, in Between
Lacey Underhill has what her Dutch grandmother refers to as luxe problemen: luxury problems. But Lacey's problems are very real and they are exactly two: her breasts. Twelve years old and in eighth grade, Lacey has developed faster than everyone else around her. The other girls -- even her own best friend -- are jealous, and boys won't stop teasing her.
Then Chad, a high school boy, starts talking to her at the mall, assuming she's older, and for the first time Lacey sees a positive side to her appearance. She keeps the flirtation -- and the lie -- going. Meanwhile, a childhood guy pal resurfaces and Lacey does all she can to hide her "developments" from him. Suddenly in every part of her life Lacey's torn between trying to look older and trying to look younger, trying to grow up and trying hard not to. How long will Lacey stay stuck in between?
- GenresYoung AdultContemporary
201 pages, Paperback
First published March 25, 2008
3 people are currently reading
317 people want to read
About the author
Lauren Baratz-Logsted
53 books469 followersLauren grew up in Monroe, CT, where her father owned a drugstore at which her mother was the pharmacist. She is a graduate of the University of Connecticut at Storrs, where she majored in psychology. She also has what she calls her “half-Masters” in English from Western Connecticut State University (five courses down, another five to go…someday!).
Throughout college, she worked semester breaks as a doughnut salesperson, a job that she swears gave her white lung disease from all the powdered sugar she breathed.
Upon graduation, she began work at the venerable independent spacebookseller, now sadly defunct as such, Klein’s of Westport. There, she bought and sold for the better part of 11 years.
In November 1994, Lauren left the bookstore to finally take a chance on herself as a writer. Success did not happen over night. Between 1994 and May 2002 – when Red Dress Ink called with an offer to buy THE THIN PINK LINE – Lauren worked as a book reviewer, a freelance editor and writer, and a window washer, making her arguably the only woman in the world who has ever both hosted a book signing party and washed the windows of the late best-selling novelist Robert Ludlum.
Since Red Dress Ink’s call in 2002, Lauren has been kept very busy with writing more novels and checking her Amazon ranking on a daily basis. She still lives in Danbury, with her husband and daughter, where she has lived since 1991.
In addition to writing, Lauren’s daughter keeps her busy, accounting for the rest of her time.
Lauren’s favorite color is green.
Lauren’s favorite non-cat animals are penguins.
Lauren wants you to know that, however you are pronouncing her last name, you are probably pronouncing it wrong.
Throughout college, she worked semester breaks as a doughnut salesperson, a job that she swears gave her white lung disease from all the powdered sugar she breathed.
Upon graduation, she began work at the venerable independent spacebookseller, now sadly defunct as such, Klein’s of Westport. There, she bought and sold for the better part of 11 years.
In November 1994, Lauren left the bookstore to finally take a chance on herself as a writer. Success did not happen over night. Between 1994 and May 2002 – when Red Dress Ink called with an offer to buy THE THIN PINK LINE – Lauren worked as a book reviewer, a freelance editor and writer, and a window washer, making her arguably the only woman in the world who has ever both hosted a book signing party and washed the windows of the late best-selling novelist Robert Ludlum.
Since Red Dress Ink’s call in 2002, Lauren has been kept very busy with writing more novels and checking her Amazon ranking on a daily basis. She still lives in Danbury, with her husband and daughter, where she has lived since 1991.
In addition to writing, Lauren’s daughter keeps her busy, accounting for the rest of her time.
Lauren’s favorite color is green.
Lauren’s favorite non-cat animals are penguins.
Lauren wants you to know that, however you are pronouncing her last name, you are probably pronouncing it wrong.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
November 5, 2012
Reviewed by Breanna F. for TeensReadToo.com
Lacey Underhill is a 12-year-old girl who has what her Dutch grandmother refers to as luxe problemen: luxury problems.
These problems being her breasts. At just age 12 (and in 8th grade because she skipped a grade) she's already at a size 36C. Girls (including her best friend) are jealous and boys never stop teasing her about them, so of course she's self-conscious. Whenever she's out in public she wears more than necessary just to try to cover up her breasts.
Then one day, while playing in the arcade at the mall, she meets Chad Wilcox, a 16-year-old boy that is just taken with her right away and not even because of her breasts! She is entirely thrilled about this and doesn't even really care that he's four years older than she is. Though her best friend, Margot, thinks that she's making a big mistake just thinking about getting involved with the guy.
Just a few days later, Lacey's old best friend, Sam Samuels, moves back to town. Sam and Lacey have known each other since they were babies, so Lacey is super-excited to have him back, except for one little problem: her breasts. Sam wasn't around during the years when she developed the monstrosities, so she feels she has to cover them up or Sam will think differently of her.
Then Lacey's grandmother, Nana Anna, gets sick and ends up in the hospital. Lacey feels guilty for always lying to her grandma about seeing an older guy, and soon everything that's happening starts to catch up with her. Luckily, Sam and Margot are there for her. And maybe, just maybe, Sam could be there for her in a different way if only Lacey would realize it.
This was such a cute book! From the first page I was hooked and finished it within a day. Lacey is just such a neat girl and you can't help but feel bad for her and her over-sized chest. The way she's constantly teased by the boys in her school is just awful. When Chad showed up for the first time, I just couldn't help but be happy that she was finally realized for more than just her chest!
I really liked the way Ms. Baratz-Logsted wrote from Lacey's point of view. The thoughts were perfect for a 12-year-old girl. The ending was also really cute. If you're looking for a quick, cute read, then ME, IN BETWEEN is definitely a book you should check out.
Lacey Underhill is a 12-year-old girl who has what her Dutch grandmother refers to as luxe problemen: luxury problems.
These problems being her breasts. At just age 12 (and in 8th grade because she skipped a grade) she's already at a size 36C. Girls (including her best friend) are jealous and boys never stop teasing her about them, so of course she's self-conscious. Whenever she's out in public she wears more than necessary just to try to cover up her breasts.
Then one day, while playing in the arcade at the mall, she meets Chad Wilcox, a 16-year-old boy that is just taken with her right away and not even because of her breasts! She is entirely thrilled about this and doesn't even really care that he's four years older than she is. Though her best friend, Margot, thinks that she's making a big mistake just thinking about getting involved with the guy.
Just a few days later, Lacey's old best friend, Sam Samuels, moves back to town. Sam and Lacey have known each other since they were babies, so Lacey is super-excited to have him back, except for one little problem: her breasts. Sam wasn't around during the years when she developed the monstrosities, so she feels she has to cover them up or Sam will think differently of her.
Then Lacey's grandmother, Nana Anna, gets sick and ends up in the hospital. Lacey feels guilty for always lying to her grandma about seeing an older guy, and soon everything that's happening starts to catch up with her. Luckily, Sam and Margot are there for her. And maybe, just maybe, Sam could be there for her in a different way if only Lacey would realize it.
This was such a cute book! From the first page I was hooked and finished it within a day. Lacey is just such a neat girl and you can't help but feel bad for her and her over-sized chest. The way she's constantly teased by the boys in her school is just awful. When Chad showed up for the first time, I just couldn't help but be happy that she was finally realized for more than just her chest!
I really liked the way Ms. Baratz-Logsted wrote from Lacey's point of view. The thoughts were perfect for a 12-year-old girl. The ending was also really cute. If you're looking for a quick, cute read, then ME, IN BETWEEN is definitely a book you should check out.
May 14, 2017
1.5 I was really looking forward to this book. Goodreads recommended it to me and when I saw it at a used bookstore for 35 cents I was all "omg they have the Aladdin mix book Goodreads recommended" so I got it obviously. I saw the cheerleader and suppose it was about cheer,". I like almost all the Aladdin mix books so I didn't even read the back. If I did I wouldn't have gotten it.When I started this book I assumed the overall beginning and first chapter theme and chad and stuff was just gonna be a minor conflict towards the actual conflict. The whole book was about those stupid minor conflicts!!! First of all , Lacey is a moron. Second of all, her friend , Margot is weird and not a very good friend but again neither is lacey. Also what kind of name is MARGOT!!!??? If I was the author I would have made the supposedly mean kid, Fred, or the mean girl, Patty,call Margot maggot!!! Because that's what she acts like to Lacey anyway!! He only characters I liked were dan and nana Anna. Also I have no idea why the title of this book is the title of this book!!!!!! It never really said! Anyway, while this book was mildly entertaining, it was weird and i would not recommend reading it to almost anyone
October 17, 2019
This was a charming story with surprisingly more depth than you might think based on the cover. Lacey Underhill is only twelve years old and has lived with her Dutch grandmother, Nana Anna, for as long as she can remember. Her parents died in a car accident when she was a small child. Reading the story through the lens of this background raises the stakes for everything that happens to Lacey throughout her journey.
Lacey narrates her own story, chronicling her early onset of puberty at age ten when she had to begin shaving and wearing a bra. Now twelve, she is still more developed than her 8th grade classmates, even though she is one or two years younger than them since she skipped second grade. She wears heavy sweaters to thwart ridicule from the boys who call her “Lacey Underwire.” Really, it is just one jerk who calls her this, but to Lacey it feels like the whole world is staring at her.
Lacey and her best friend Margot (age 14) are becoming interested in guys, but Lacey could never date a classmate who would only judge her for her chest. At the arcade after school, Lacey connects with Chad, a sixteen-year-old who goes to a different school. He bonds with Lacey over the pinball machine and proceeds to call her up and ask her out. Lacey is overjoyed, but she has to lie to her Nana to make the date happen. Chad’s attention is a boost of confidence and she freaks out that he is interested in her. She just has to keep her age a secret.
Because of her background in gymnastics, Lacey is asked to fill in for an injured girl on the high school cheerleading squad. This helps her be less ashamed of her body and have fun using it. She even invites Chad to a game, earning her instant cool when the other high school girls see them kiss. At around the same time, Lacey’s childhood best friend Sam moves back to town, and they pick up right where they left off. Being with Sam is effortlessly fun, whether they are having a catch or going to the movies.
Lacey’s Nana Anna falls suddenly ill and must stay overnight in the hospital. Lacey invites Chad over and she must decide whether to reveal her age or risk getting hurt. In the end, Lacey comes of age and learns who she can trust to always be on her side.
This was a quick read that pre-teen girls will breeze through. They will relate to Lacey, who feels like she must hide the truth about herself to get a guy to like her. I liked watching Lacey make reckless choices and be a rebel. It was kind of exciting to see how everything would unfold. The dynamic between Lacey and her Nana is sure to get some laughs. Some of the story was a little exaggerated, like the fact that Lacey thinks about her chest all of the time. This would not be a good read for preteen boys or anyone who cringes at reading the word “breasts” over and over again. It did get a little excessive.
Overall, I enjoyed this book. It teaches girls to love themselves and their bodies, and to surround themselves with people that they can be authentic with.
Lacey narrates her own story, chronicling her early onset of puberty at age ten when she had to begin shaving and wearing a bra. Now twelve, she is still more developed than her 8th grade classmates, even though she is one or two years younger than them since she skipped second grade. She wears heavy sweaters to thwart ridicule from the boys who call her “Lacey Underwire.” Really, it is just one jerk who calls her this, but to Lacey it feels like the whole world is staring at her.
Lacey and her best friend Margot (age 14) are becoming interested in guys, but Lacey could never date a classmate who would only judge her for her chest. At the arcade after school, Lacey connects with Chad, a sixteen-year-old who goes to a different school. He bonds with Lacey over the pinball machine and proceeds to call her up and ask her out. Lacey is overjoyed, but she has to lie to her Nana to make the date happen. Chad’s attention is a boost of confidence and she freaks out that he is interested in her. She just has to keep her age a secret.
Because of her background in gymnastics, Lacey is asked to fill in for an injured girl on the high school cheerleading squad. This helps her be less ashamed of her body and have fun using it. She even invites Chad to a game, earning her instant cool when the other high school girls see them kiss. At around the same time, Lacey’s childhood best friend Sam moves back to town, and they pick up right where they left off. Being with Sam is effortlessly fun, whether they are having a catch or going to the movies.
Lacey’s Nana Anna falls suddenly ill and must stay overnight in the hospital. Lacey invites Chad over and she must decide whether to reveal her age or risk getting hurt. In the end, Lacey comes of age and learns who she can trust to always be on her side.
This was a quick read that pre-teen girls will breeze through. They will relate to Lacey, who feels like she must hide the truth about herself to get a guy to like her. I liked watching Lacey make reckless choices and be a rebel. It was kind of exciting to see how everything would unfold. The dynamic between Lacey and her Nana is sure to get some laughs. Some of the story was a little exaggerated, like the fact that Lacey thinks about her chest all of the time. This would not be a good read for preteen boys or anyone who cringes at reading the word “breasts” over and over again. It did get a little excessive.
Overall, I enjoyed this book. It teaches girls to love themselves and their bodies, and to surround themselves with people that they can be authentic with.
February 13, 2010
Twelve-year-old Lacey has a problem—well, two problems: her breasts. Girls are jealous and boys will not stop teasing her, so normally she tries to hide underneath huge sweatshirts. But when a high school boy starts talking to her at the video arcade in the mall where she hangs out and ends up asking her out, she sees the positive side. Complications ensue when a childhood guy friend shows up and she tries to hide her developments. Lacey is torn between growing up too fast and trying not to by rekindling a childhood friendship. The characters are rather one-dimensional and the story a little obvious, but tween girls who find themselves developing early or are trying to figure out that awkward boundary between being a kid and being a teenager might find the story interesting.
January 19, 2018
Baratz-Logsted, Lauren Me, In Between, 201 p. Mix (Simon), 2008.
Lacey Underhill is well endowed and has been so since she was ten. Now twelve and entering 8th grade at ther private school and the older boys are noticing and being added to the cheer squad just makes her more noticeable. On one hand Lacey wants to be noticed, especially by a cute older boy who doesn’t know she’s only 12. On the other hand, Lacey doesn’t want the attention from the males around her, especially her friend from childhood, Sam, who has just come back to town. Problems at school and with her grandmother bring the different parts of Lacey’s life colliding together and force her problems out in the open.
For a book about a 12-year-old, there are more than enough swear words, including a bunch of “OMG’s”. Swearing aside, something about the whole book just doesn’t work for me. There are too many issues for any of them to be well-rounded and satisfyingly concluded.
MS – OPTIONAL. Cindy Mitchell – Library-Teacher
https://kissthebook.blogspot.com/2008...
Lacey Underhill is well endowed and has been so since she was ten. Now twelve and entering 8th grade at ther private school and the older boys are noticing and being added to the cheer squad just makes her more noticeable. On one hand Lacey wants to be noticed, especially by a cute older boy who doesn’t know she’s only 12. On the other hand, Lacey doesn’t want the attention from the males around her, especially her friend from childhood, Sam, who has just come back to town. Problems at school and with her grandmother bring the different parts of Lacey’s life colliding together and force her problems out in the open.
For a book about a 12-year-old, there are more than enough swear words, including a bunch of “OMG’s”. Swearing aside, something about the whole book just doesn’t work for me. There are too many issues for any of them to be well-rounded and satisfyingly concluded.
MS – OPTIONAL. Cindy Mitchell – Library-Teacher
https://kissthebook.blogspot.com/2008...
April 4, 2022
i read this book when i was about ten and then again when i was 13/14 i really loved this book, and i found margot very relatable. i saw someone say it wasn’t appropriate for that range and i strongly disagree cause it just shows what girls that age deal with.
August 7, 2012
This is really inappropriate for young girls. I am disappointed that this was written about a 12 year old and had make out sessions with a 16 year old boy and teachers staring at her breasts. This is not something I want my 12 year old reading and I won't be recommending it to anyone we know.
June 18, 2016
Aw man, I totally remember this book despite barely remembering any non-series books I read from 6th-8th grade. I feel like I read this at the perfect time, around 7th grade when I could totally relate to the main character.
Want to read
March 27, 2008Released March 2008
March 15, 2009
nice book.
March 15, 2009
great book but not the best ever.
April 20, 2011
This book is good. I would recomend it to girls
October 11, 2011
I didn't like this book
January 26, 2012
this is a great book but some sayings shouldn't even be there
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews