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Betwixt
For three teenagers, dark mystery has always lurked at the corner of the eyes and the edge of sleep. Beautiful Morgan D'Amici wakes in her trailerpark home with dirt and blood under her fingernails. Paintings come alive under Ondine Mason's violet-eyed gaze. Haunted runaway Nix Saint-Michael sees halos of light around people about to die.
At a secret summer rave in the woods, the three teenagers learn of their true, changeling nature and their uncertain, intertwined destinies. Riveting, unflinching, beautiful, Betwixt shows a magic as complex and challenging as any ordinary reality.
At a secret summer rave in the woods, the three teenagers learn of their true, changeling nature and their uncertain, intertwined destinies. Riveting, unflinching, beautiful, Betwixt shows a magic as complex and challenging as any ordinary reality.
496 pages, Hardcover
First published October 1, 2007
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 351 reviews
July 31, 2009
I read this as part of a challenge, and I had to go to the library and pick two books with my eyes closed. The first was excellent (Little Brother, review is here ); the second was Betwixt. If I hadn’t been reading this for a challenge, I would have put this book down after about 20 pages. Actually, I probably would have thrown it out the window.
March 27, 2013
WHAT THE FUCK WAS THIS BOOK ABOUT???
after reading this stupid 500 page book i literally have no idea what happened
it was like these 3 'special teenagers'. i don't even remember their names because they were weird but
girl 1: split personality or shapeshifting monster (never specifically stated...) BLACKS OUT AND WAKES UP NEXT TO DEAD POEPLE AKA SHE KILLED THEM
girl 2: hallucinates pictures coming alive which is the most USELESS THING EVER??????? WHY???????
guy1: hallucinates auras TRES COOL~~~
i have no idea if they were actually supernaturally or were just on drugs the entire book...be cause they did some trippy shit O.O BY THE WAY, THE CLIMAX
OH MY GOD THE CLIMAX WAS THEM GOING TO A RAVE. AND THEY FOUND PEOPLE WERE LIKE ON DRUGZ AND KILLING PEOPLE and some other stuff
and then the book ends
HUUUUUUUUUHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH?
DID I REALLY JUST READ THIS??????????
p.s wordy as hell and with way too much metaphorical description...first 10 pages was like this girl waking up
p.p.s the 2 girl characters were total bitches and the guy suffered from no personality syndrome
after reading this stupid 500 page book i literally have no idea what happened
it was like these 3 'special teenagers'. i don't even remember their names because they were weird but
girl 1: split personality or shapeshifting monster (never specifically stated...) BLACKS OUT AND WAKES UP NEXT TO DEAD POEPLE AKA SHE KILLED THEM
girl 2: hallucinates pictures coming alive which is the most USELESS THING EVER??????? WHY???????
guy1: hallucinates auras TRES COOL~~~
i have no idea if they were actually supernaturally or were just on drugs the entire book...be cause they did some trippy shit O.O BY THE WAY, THE CLIMAX
OH MY GOD THE CLIMAX WAS THEM GOING TO A RAVE. AND THEY FOUND PEOPLE WERE LIKE ON DRUGZ AND KILLING PEOPLE and some other stuff
and then the book ends
HUUUUUUUUUHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH?
DID I REALLY JUST READ THIS??????????
p.s wordy as hell and with way too much metaphorical description...first 10 pages was like this girl waking up
p.p.s the 2 girl characters were total bitches and the guy suffered from no personality syndrome
April 15, 2008
Yes, this book was just a partial read for me, but having gotten to page 230 before I closed it and gave up, I think I'm justified in saying a few words.
The book is set in Portland, Oregon...the city I'd love to live in more than any other, so it had that to its advantage. Some authors have the gift for writing a book that teens can relate to long after their own teen years. This author isn't one of those gifted few. I grimaced or rolled my eyes numerous times as she had the teens speaking in outdated slang ("man, dude"...I half expected someone to say "totally righteous" or "totally tubular") and referenced teen culture that was also very 90s (Rock the Vote?? C'mon, I know it still exists, but that was a 90's thing). Nothing in the book indicated that it was set in the 90s, but the author seemed stuck in an outdated view of teens.
Then there was the subject matter. The author kept things intentionally vague at first to keep you curious, as the teens discovered strange things about themselves and anticipated a big rave going on in a few weeks that promised to give them answers to their questions. I stuck it out until the end of the rave, when we found out (SPOILER) that the kids are really fay changelings. Ok, I'm with you so far. But the way she describes it from there sounds like something out of a Scientology cult, with the changelings being referred to as if they are aliens in a host body preparing to ascend to a higher plane. Uh uh. Nope. You lost me. I'm gone. I tolerated the outdated slang, I tolerated the Francine Pascal-esque High School gossip book constant descriptions of what everyone wore and how gorgeous they looked, but changeling fay who are aliens trapped inside human bodies? Goodbye, Tara Bray Smith.
The book is set in Portland, Oregon...the city I'd love to live in more than any other, so it had that to its advantage. Some authors have the gift for writing a book that teens can relate to long after their own teen years. This author isn't one of those gifted few. I grimaced or rolled my eyes numerous times as she had the teens speaking in outdated slang ("man, dude"...I half expected someone to say "totally righteous" or "totally tubular") and referenced teen culture that was also very 90s (Rock the Vote?? C'mon, I know it still exists, but that was a 90's thing). Nothing in the book indicated that it was set in the 90s, but the author seemed stuck in an outdated view of teens.
Then there was the subject matter. The author kept things intentionally vague at first to keep you curious, as the teens discovered strange things about themselves and anticipated a big rave going on in a few weeks that promised to give them answers to their questions. I stuck it out until the end of the rave, when we found out (SPOILER) that the kids are really fay changelings. Ok, I'm with you so far. But the way she describes it from there sounds like something out of a Scientology cult, with the changelings being referred to as if they are aliens in a host body preparing to ascend to a higher plane. Uh uh. Nope. You lost me. I'm gone. I tolerated the outdated slang, I tolerated the Francine Pascal-esque High School gossip book constant descriptions of what everyone wore and how gorgeous they looked, but changeling fay who are aliens trapped inside human bodies? Goodbye, Tara Bray Smith.
April 26, 2008
This book made no sense and didn't really seem to go anywhere. I kept reading because I kept thinking that something of interest would happen-- it didn't so don't bother.
April 30, 2008
I finished this nearly 500 page book in little over one day. And let me tell you, it was amazing.
Three teens, Ondine, Nix, and Morgan, are thrown into a world they never imagined could exist. They always knew they were different. They always had strange habits or characteristics, such as purple eyes, the inability to cry, never getting sick, sleepwalking, and visions.
All three make it to a mysterious concert called the Ring of Fire and discover that they aren't human; they're changlings and they belong in Novala, another dimension. They have to learn in order to be able to complete the exidis and join the fay in their dimension.
However, there are always the evil ones, and here they are called Cutters. The Cutters want to stay on earth and stay human, instead of becoming fay. They are power hungry. Unfortunately for Ondine, Nix, and Morgan, there is one Cutter who is endangering them.
Bewtixt is very fast-paced; it is crucial to read carefully otherwise key details will be missed. Sometimes, there is so much information jammed into one small section that the book can get confusing. The novel is told in alternate narrations by the main characters, and some parts can get boring. However, the last third or so of the story is jam-packed full of action and details, which make up for the uninteresting parts before, not that there were many.
The ending of Betwixt is very vague and confusing, and I need to reread it to understand it better. There is plenty of room for a sequel, which I am looking forward to. In my opinion, the creative storyline makes up for the sometimes overwhelming details and confusion, and Betwixt has become one of my favorite books.
reposted from http://thebookmuncher.blogspot.com
Three teens, Ondine, Nix, and Morgan, are thrown into a world they never imagined could exist. They always knew they were different. They always had strange habits or characteristics, such as purple eyes, the inability to cry, never getting sick, sleepwalking, and visions.
All three make it to a mysterious concert called the Ring of Fire and discover that they aren't human; they're changlings and they belong in Novala, another dimension. They have to learn in order to be able to complete the exidis and join the fay in their dimension.
However, there are always the evil ones, and here they are called Cutters. The Cutters want to stay on earth and stay human, instead of becoming fay. They are power hungry. Unfortunately for Ondine, Nix, and Morgan, there is one Cutter who is endangering them.
Bewtixt is very fast-paced; it is crucial to read carefully otherwise key details will be missed. Sometimes, there is so much information jammed into one small section that the book can get confusing. The novel is told in alternate narrations by the main characters, and some parts can get boring. However, the last third or so of the story is jam-packed full of action and details, which make up for the uninteresting parts before, not that there were many.
The ending of Betwixt is very vague and confusing, and I need to reread it to understand it better. There is plenty of room for a sequel, which I am looking forward to. In my opinion, the creative storyline makes up for the sometimes overwhelming details and confusion, and Betwixt has become one of my favorite books.
reposted from http://thebookmuncher.blogspot.com
February 16, 2015
When I saw that the latest book to jump off my shelves at me had only a 2.6 star average rating, I admit I wondered what I was getting myself into. It's taken the best part of two weeks for me to read Betwixt and at points it was more a drive to figure out why people hated it so than any enjoyment in the reading that kept me going.
I can't say I liked it particularly but I don't think Betwixt deserves that low low rating, particularly when you compare it to some of the higher rated but crappy books in the YA genre. I think it's slightly unfortunate that it is classified as YA actually, because I'd say that's partially why it has so much disapproval. There's a sort of surrealism and ambiguity to Betwixt that you rarely see in the genre. Plenty of reviewers seem to have interpreted this as confusion/lack of clarity in the writing and they could be right, but I saw this ambiguity more as an expression of the experiences of the characters. They're changelings, but not changelings in any sense that either we, the reader, or even they, the characters, know about. Their lives themselves have been surreal and strange and, at the point in which we join the story, they're becoming stranger by the minute. Some of them have their illusions of almost-normalcy shattered, others get explanations of odd things they've lived with their whole lives... but all of them are having to learn to grasp huge changes. The characters are confused and don't know what's going on half the time - so for the reader not to know what's going on... it may not make for an easy read, but it does give you an idea of how the characters might be feeling.
It's easy to dismiss the writing as bad, but in my mind it's decent writing, just grittier and not in the neat/simple style a lot of people expect in YA.
Actually, the writing style of Betwixt reminded me a lot of the two Francesca Lia Block books I've read, though I must admit this is a bit of a backhanded complement, given I hated both of them.
I expect my review is a bit tangled as I'm still muddled about how I feel about Betwixt but I hope I've at least managed to give a small idea of what it's like!
I can't say I liked it particularly but I don't think Betwixt deserves that low low rating, particularly when you compare it to some of the higher rated but crappy books in the YA genre. I think it's slightly unfortunate that it is classified as YA actually, because I'd say that's partially why it has so much disapproval. There's a sort of surrealism and ambiguity to Betwixt that you rarely see in the genre. Plenty of reviewers seem to have interpreted this as confusion/lack of clarity in the writing and they could be right, but I saw this ambiguity more as an expression of the experiences of the characters. They're changelings, but not changelings in any sense that either we, the reader, or even they, the characters, know about. Their lives themselves have been surreal and strange and, at the point in which we join the story, they're becoming stranger by the minute. Some of them have their illusions of almost-normalcy shattered, others get explanations of odd things they've lived with their whole lives... but all of them are having to learn to grasp huge changes. The characters are confused and don't know what's going on half the time - so for the reader not to know what's going on... it may not make for an easy read, but it does give you an idea of how the characters might be feeling.
It's easy to dismiss the writing as bad, but in my mind it's decent writing, just grittier and not in the neat/simple style a lot of people expect in YA.
Actually, the writing style of Betwixt reminded me a lot of the two Francesca Lia Block books I've read, though I must admit this is a bit of a backhanded complement, given I hated both of them.
I expect my review is a bit tangled as I'm still muddled about how I feel about Betwixt but I hope I've at least managed to give a small idea of what it's like!
January 5, 2009
You know, the word "betwixt" used to conjure up such enchanting images of old fairytales, like Tam Lin curse by the fairy queen, as some words inevitably carry with them such beautiful associations. NO LONGER! I'm afraid to say I could not finish this book, and that is EXTREMELY unlike me. (I've survived many dross-filled horrors to their sad and unsatisfying ends, let me assure you.) This book, however--though it had a beginning that SEEMED promising--ended up being filled with 2-D characters, exposition cop-outs of the "It's beyond the comprehension of your mere human mind" ilk, many wtf moments, and at one point, a 5 page explanation of the goings-on of the previous 150 that you never really "get" by a character whose role and purpose you will likewise not understand well. Definitely one of the worst books I've ever picked up: possibly THE worst.
P.S. I bought it because the summary on the back seemed somewhat promising, and a critic who reviewed it compared it to Stephenie Meyer's "Twilight." Let me just say, I cannot emphasize enough the gravity of that insult. I shudder.
For the love of all that is holy, do not buy--or read (and by "read" I mean generally to have your brain indelibly injured by)--this book.
P.S. I bought it because the summary on the back seemed somewhat promising, and a critic who reviewed it compared it to Stephenie Meyer's "Twilight." Let me just say, I cannot emphasize enough the gravity of that insult. I shudder.
For the love of all that is holy, do not buy--or read (and by "read" I mean generally to have your brain indelibly injured by)--this book.
November 7, 2011
First of all, I read this during a very emotionally tumultuous time and that might colour my experience but Betwixt did absolutely nothing to uplift or sustain my interest. Do not let the sugarcoated synposis on the book jacket fool you into thinking that this is even a remotely interesting premise. I fell for it and tossed it aside after a few excruciating days of trying to get through it. So what's wrong with Betwixt? Nothing! It's just that there's nothing good or redeeming about it.
1) The writing. This was my first encounter with a Smith book and it uttterly disappointed me. Her writing has rare glimpses of the macabre, but, more often than not, they are bogged down by an annoyingly heightened sense of pretension that fails to elude the reader. Smith's writing is hazy and disinterested. She describes incidents over and over again, and tries to connect them with the emotional landscape of the characters and fails. The whole premise of kids dealing with magic, or whatever Smith had in mind, and drugs goes awry; it draws attention to itself way too much, yet accomplishes nothing in terms of plot development. The idea, on a whole, seems like a giant vanity project. Although that is how most stories unfold in authorial voice, Smith does little to give three-dimensional heft to the story. She brings up flat incidents involving flat characters and strings them along, but Betwixt has no gravity or ability to enchant the reader.
2) The plot development, if you can even call it that, is glacial. Smith belabors the actual rave for about many pages (check the book, if you dare) with alternating descriptions of the characters. However, this did not leave me in suspense or ease with the setting. The incidents are forced and the characters are not even stereotypes. They are bizarre caricatures that gain no bearing with the reader.
3) Like I said, my characters are alarmingly flat. Ondine was supposed to be this cool and collected girl losing control of her thoughts and life but she was so boring. She could have been a great character, had Smith developed her and made her interactions and appearances less ornamental and pretentious. One of the most annoying things about Betwixt is Moth. Smith tries very hard to disguise her romanticism of this skeezy, overblown character but it shows very much in the way she chose to elaborate on his shuffling between good and evil. And when I read about the Queen, or whoever, he answers to? I wanted to rip this book into pieces. Morgan (or was it Megan?)was supposed to beautiful and cruel, and, thus, I was sure she was hiding something phenomenal and there was going to be this gradual development with her. Morgan seemed to have even a little glimmer of hope in the course of Betwixt but when I finally decided to bury this book forever, I hated her as much as the rest of the characters. She was cruel, yes, but not in the twisted villain-you-want-to-root-for way. Even then, she was at the mercy of Moth, and other big mystic goofies in the book. Plus, her aspirations for perfection were, if not cliched in the vein of cruel-and-beautiful, unsympathetic and flat. The worst of all? She kept coming across as wanting to sexually possess her brother, which was just grating and unnecessary at first, then completely boring.
None of the characters are appealing or three-dimensional and the plot goes nowhere. The writing does not incite any interest and just ends up making Betwixt a very confusing, contrived and boring novel.
I would like to apologise if I have upset any sensibilities, especially of those who actually liked this book, and the author. This just did not do it for me.
1) The writing. This was my first encounter with a Smith book and it uttterly disappointed me. Her writing has rare glimpses of the macabre, but, more often than not, they are bogged down by an annoyingly heightened sense of pretension that fails to elude the reader. Smith's writing is hazy and disinterested. She describes incidents over and over again, and tries to connect them with the emotional landscape of the characters and fails. The whole premise of kids dealing with magic, or whatever Smith had in mind, and drugs goes awry; it draws attention to itself way too much, yet accomplishes nothing in terms of plot development. The idea, on a whole, seems like a giant vanity project. Although that is how most stories unfold in authorial voice, Smith does little to give three-dimensional heft to the story. She brings up flat incidents involving flat characters and strings them along, but Betwixt has no gravity or ability to enchant the reader.
2) The plot development, if you can even call it that, is glacial. Smith belabors the actual rave for about many pages (check the book, if you dare) with alternating descriptions of the characters. However, this did not leave me in suspense or ease with the setting. The incidents are forced and the characters are not even stereotypes. They are bizarre caricatures that gain no bearing with the reader.
3) Like I said, my characters are alarmingly flat. Ondine was supposed to be this cool and collected girl losing control of her thoughts and life but she was so boring. She could have been a great character, had Smith developed her and made her interactions and appearances less ornamental and pretentious. One of the most annoying things about Betwixt is Moth. Smith tries very hard to disguise her romanticism of this skeezy, overblown character but it shows very much in the way she chose to elaborate on his shuffling between good and evil. And when I read about the Queen, or whoever, he answers to? I wanted to rip this book into pieces. Morgan (or was it Megan?)was supposed to beautiful and cruel, and, thus, I was sure she was hiding something phenomenal and there was going to be this gradual development with her. Morgan seemed to have even a little glimmer of hope in the course of Betwixt but when I finally decided to bury this book forever, I hated her as much as the rest of the characters. She was cruel, yes, but not in the twisted villain-you-want-to-root-for way. Even then, she was at the mercy of Moth, and other big mystic goofies in the book. Plus, her aspirations for perfection were, if not cliched in the vein of cruel-and-beautiful, unsympathetic and flat. The worst of all? She kept coming across as wanting to sexually possess her brother, which was just grating and unnecessary at first, then completely boring.
None of the characters are appealing or three-dimensional and the plot goes nowhere. The writing does not incite any interest and just ends up making Betwixt a very confusing, contrived and boring novel.
I would like to apologise if I have upset any sensibilities, especially of those who actually liked this book, and the author. This just did not do it for me.
July 28, 2010
This review is going to be hard to write, mainly because I want to get my points across without sounding like a rabid maniac. *deep breath* Here goes.
I honestly couldn't even get through this book, which really tells you something. Regardless of what I think of a book, I usually (with a few exceptions) try to get through it. Not this time. I got about 50 pages in and decided not to read it anymore. I will list the reasons why:
1. The writing is pretty bad, not to mention boring. Even with stories like Twilight (of which I have plenty of criticism), I at least felt like I was in the story with the characters. Not so with this book. It feels too much like someone is just telling me a long, drawn out story that gets nowhere.
2. Drawing on that, it's boooring. Maybe I have ADD or just suffer from a short attention span, but in those pages that I did read, I was bored basically the entire time. There was WAAAAAAAAY too much vague, monotonous exposition. Again, the writing felt robotic and detached.
3. The characters. While Nix and Ondine seemed kind of like decent (if unintriguing) people, Morgan just plain scares me. And I don't mean in the good way. I mean in the obsessive, needs-to-be-locked-up-in-an-asylum scary. She hangs pictures of Ondine up on the wall??!! What the f? And the way she just goes through friends the minute they challenge her makes her seem abusive, making Morgan unlikeable and unsympathetic in my eyes. And as I said, the others don't interest me enough to make me want to read on, even though Nix's 'power' was pretty unique and interesting.
So yeah. I'm sorry I wasted my time and money on this book, and I suggest any of those reading this review to avoid doing the same.
P.S. Is Moth supposed to be sexy? I certainly didn't find him to be, what little I saw of him. Seems like a pervert to me.
I honestly couldn't even get through this book, which really tells you something. Regardless of what I think of a book, I usually (with a few exceptions) try to get through it. Not this time. I got about 50 pages in and decided not to read it anymore. I will list the reasons why:
1. The writing is pretty bad, not to mention boring. Even with stories like Twilight (of which I have plenty of criticism), I at least felt like I was in the story with the characters. Not so with this book. It feels too much like someone is just telling me a long, drawn out story that gets nowhere.
2. Drawing on that, it's boooring. Maybe I have ADD or just suffer from a short attention span, but in those pages that I did read, I was bored basically the entire time. There was WAAAAAAAAY too much vague, monotonous exposition. Again, the writing felt robotic and detached.
3. The characters. While Nix and Ondine seemed kind of like decent (if unintriguing) people, Morgan just plain scares me. And I don't mean in the good way. I mean in the obsessive, needs-to-be-locked-up-in-an-asylum scary. She hangs pictures of Ondine up on the wall??!! What the f? And the way she just goes through friends the minute they challenge her makes her seem abusive, making Morgan unlikeable and unsympathetic in my eyes. And as I said, the others don't interest me enough to make me want to read on, even though Nix's 'power' was pretty unique and interesting.
So yeah. I'm sorry I wasted my time and money on this book, and I suggest any of those reading this review to avoid doing the same.
P.S. Is Moth supposed to be sexy? I certainly didn't find him to be, what little I saw of him. Seems like a pervert to me.
June 4, 2013
I never did finish this book. The cover is absolutely lovely, so I bought it (bad move? uh, yea). I got a little past half way through and finally decided there was too much good literature out there to be wasting my time reading a piece of garbage like this.
REASONS I COULD NOT AT ANY COST FINISH THIS "BOOK":
1. The characters were terrible. They were shallow and flat, and they stayed that way throughout the entire part I read. There was no character development AT ALL. Like, I kept waiting for one of them to have a epiphany and realize Hey...I'm a complete bitch. Maybe I should work on bettering myself. Of course it never happened. Morgan acted all high-and-mighty all the dang time. Ondine was a freaking stupid idiot who thinks she can be an adult at 17. Hahaha...yeah, OOOKKKKK. And Nix just bugged me overall. He was a loser. The end.
2. The entire idea of the book never seemed to have completely formed. I'm surprised it was even published. The word building, or lack thereof, was terrible. I still don't understand what the author was trying to write about. I think she was trying to represent that teens from different backgrounds face issues that are in some way related? I don't know. Maybe she just wanted to write about teens who go out to a rave, get wasted taking some PCP or LSD or bath salts or whatever, and hallucinate for the remainder of their lives' that they belong to some elite and evil group of sparkling fairies.
I really, truly don't give a crap either way. Please don't read this book.
REASONS I COULD NOT AT ANY COST FINISH THIS "BOOK":
1. The characters were terrible. They were shallow and flat, and they stayed that way throughout the entire part I read. There was no character development AT ALL. Like, I kept waiting for one of them to have a epiphany and realize Hey...I'm a complete bitch. Maybe I should work on bettering myself. Of course it never happened. Morgan acted all high-and-mighty all the dang time. Ondine was a freaking stupid idiot who thinks she can be an adult at 17. Hahaha...yeah, OOOKKKKK. And Nix just bugged me overall. He was a loser. The end.
2. The entire idea of the book never seemed to have completely formed. I'm surprised it was even published. The word building, or lack thereof, was terrible. I still don't understand what the author was trying to write about. I think she was trying to represent that teens from different backgrounds face issues that are in some way related? I don't know. Maybe she just wanted to write about teens who go out to a rave, get wasted taking some PCP or LSD or bath salts or whatever, and hallucinate for the remainder of their lives' that they belong to some elite and evil group of sparkling fairies.
I really, truly don't give a crap either way. Please don't read this book.
April 22, 2009
I think that Smith made an earnest attempt to do something different with a "Fairy" book. Some aspects of the plot are genuinely compelling. However, the book feels unfinished.
Clearly she is setting up for a "series." Her publisher is Poppy--the same publisher with which Gossip Girl originated--an organization that is set up to crank out teen series targeted for girls. While it must be wonderful to get a publisher, I think this publisher may have compromised her integrity as an author by encouraging her to create a story that could become a series.
There is an interview with Smith in the appendix of the novel. In it she states that the plot, ". . . most definitely took me by surprise . . . as I wrote . . . the lineaments of the plot had to deepen and expand . . ." This is clearly seen in the story. It is almost as if she had become enamored with each character and was more interested in provided a back story for each than creating a cohesive narrative. And each character is interesting--if I wanted to read character sketches. Smith tried to do too many things in one book. She should have focused on one story line and developed fully, leaving only a few threads that could be explored later in subsequent novels.
I'm not sure where Smith will take this series (if indeed a series is the goal) and I am also not sure there is enough merit to the first book to keep teen readers coming back to figure it all out. It is unfortunate because had the book been reworked a bit, it has some real potential. However, overall it is an unfulfilling novel that leaves you with an ending you wonder why you went through 488 pages to get to.
Clearly she is setting up for a "series." Her publisher is Poppy--the same publisher with which Gossip Girl originated--an organization that is set up to crank out teen series targeted for girls. While it must be wonderful to get a publisher, I think this publisher may have compromised her integrity as an author by encouraging her to create a story that could become a series.
There is an interview with Smith in the appendix of the novel. In it she states that the plot, ". . . most definitely took me by surprise . . . as I wrote . . . the lineaments of the plot had to deepen and expand . . ." This is clearly seen in the story. It is almost as if she had become enamored with each character and was more interested in provided a back story for each than creating a cohesive narrative. And each character is interesting--if I wanted to read character sketches. Smith tried to do too many things in one book. She should have focused on one story line and developed fully, leaving only a few threads that could be explored later in subsequent novels.
I'm not sure where Smith will take this series (if indeed a series is the goal) and I am also not sure there is enough merit to the first book to keep teen readers coming back to figure it all out. It is unfortunate because had the book been reworked a bit, it has some real potential. However, overall it is an unfulfilling novel that leaves you with an ending you wonder why you went through 488 pages to get to.
June 30, 2015
Betwixt sounded like it was going to be this dangerous, dark tale of the fae, but for me, it was mostly boring and confusing. Ondine's parents have just moved to Chicago, but she wants to stay in Portland for her senior year. Of course, her friend Morgan convinces her to throw a party to start the summer off right. It's at this party that everything changes, thanks to a partycrasher named Moth. Everyone thinks Moth is just a drug dealer who likes hitting on teenage girls, but really, he's a fairy and the one who will guide these girls and a loner named Nik toward their true natures.
I struggled with Betwixt from the start. The writing is very formal and stiff, which made me feel like I was being held at arm's length from what was happening. It was also just annoying, since everyone was always referred to by name, sometimes both first and last name. Even when it could have simply said "her parents," it used their full names which made everything awkward. When I think about my parents, I just think "my parents." Not their first names, and certainly not their full names. Locations were also always mentioned. I get it, this is set in Portland. I don't need to be reminded. I also don't care what street Odine lives on, or that Nix is from Sitka, Alaska. WE KNOW!
As for the plot, I have to admit that I didn't always follow what was going on. I loved this idea of changelings being gathered to learn of their true nature, and being guided before their transformations. I also liked that Ondine didn't just immediately believe what she was being told. She believed this was some kind of cult, especially since a drug known as "dust" was involved. Of course, Ondine has to be the most special of the special, much to Morgan's displeasure. And there's an evil fae who wants to lead these teens into evil, and he must be stopped. There's also something about them entering Novala (fairyland), but not being able to, or needing something or something. I don't know. I got really confused about halfway in. I also didn't get why Morgan hated Neve so much, who wound up being an important character, so maybe she was jealous? I don't know. I hated Morgan though.
Betwixt was just strange. Partially in a good way, since I liked some of the ideas here. But mostly it was too strange in a confusing and frustrating way. I wanted to love it, since that description is super awesome, but it just kind of fell flat.
Read more of my reviews at Pinkindle Reads & Reviews.
I struggled with Betwixt from the start. The writing is very formal and stiff, which made me feel like I was being held at arm's length from what was happening. It was also just annoying, since everyone was always referred to by name, sometimes both first and last name. Even when it could have simply said "her parents," it used their full names which made everything awkward. When I think about my parents, I just think "my parents." Not their first names, and certainly not their full names. Locations were also always mentioned. I get it, this is set in Portland. I don't need to be reminded. I also don't care what street Odine lives on, or that Nix is from Sitka, Alaska. WE KNOW!
As for the plot, I have to admit that I didn't always follow what was going on. I loved this idea of changelings being gathered to learn of their true nature, and being guided before their transformations. I also liked that Ondine didn't just immediately believe what she was being told. She believed this was some kind of cult, especially since a drug known as "dust" was involved. Of course, Ondine has to be the most special of the special, much to Morgan's displeasure. And there's an evil fae who wants to lead these teens into evil, and he must be stopped. There's also something about them entering Novala (fairyland), but not being able to, or needing something or something. I don't know. I got really confused about halfway in. I also didn't get why Morgan hated Neve so much, who wound up being an important character, so maybe she was jealous? I don't know. I hated Morgan though.
Betwixt was just strange. Partially in a good way, since I liked some of the ideas here. But mostly it was too strange in a confusing and frustrating way. I wanted to love it, since that description is super awesome, but it just kind of fell flat.
Read more of my reviews at Pinkindle Reads & Reviews.
November 14, 2009
This story was complex, filled with interconnected small details that you really had to pay attention to. The pace of the novel was inconsistant. One minute it would be so slow that you got bored, the next minute it would speed up so suddenly, you felt obligated to go back and see if you missed something. The characters were all over the place. They were supposed to be close, but they hated each other more than they liked each other. I suppose this is the author trying to be realistic, but it just made the reader feel distant from the characters, who were unstable ond overall unlikable. The action scenes were confusing, and you had to go back and reread them. The ending is abrupt and inconclusive. In order to read this story, one has to be patient enough to read it slowly and carefully. However, the cover is awesome, but do not be fooled into reading it unless you are willing to commit.
March 14, 2009
I enjoyed this a lot. I'm intrigued by the wide variations in responses from other reviewers - so many people found it "boring" or "badly written." Um, no. Not badly written at all. A hell of a lot better than either Stephanie Meyer or JK Rowling, and better than many other YA "dark fantasy" works that I've tried. It's not perfect - I felt that the ending was rushed; maybe she decided that it was okay because she was going to have a sequel, but I thought everything was over too quickly and would have liked a little more explanation. However, it created an amazing amount of tension with atmosphere and suggestion - lots of good "show not tell" - and the characters were quite interesting and shaded.
July 4, 2011
I didn't even know I was reading an actual book until the 100th page came. This is pure trash. I feel horrible for calling it trash. BUT IT'S JUST SO BAD!
May 14, 2015
I'd like to begin by saying it's refreshing to read a YA novel that doesn't feel like a YA novel. We go in expecting to eat these kinds of books like Pop Rocks – snap, crackle, swallow, done. There's some really good writing in Betwixt, make no mistake. There's nothing worse than feeling like an author is dumbing his or her writing style down to suit a particular demographic and you can glimpse the potential just beyond the carefully cropped adverbial phrases and occasional (daring!) semicolon. According to the author blurb in the back cover, [author] debuted with an adult novel, which I think I would like to seek out if the premise interests me.
But back to what we're really here to discuss – Betwixt. This is not a common fairy/faerie tale like so many of the other fae books out there – no traditional Irish mythology, and no bogeys or boggans or kelpies or caith sidhe. Instead we have a surprisingly deep search for self in each of the three primary protagonists which culminates in a "rave" in the palm of a volcano's caldera where they learn they are in fact all changelings. We are told that you either are or you aren't one of these creatures, who must transition in a process called exidis to leave their corporeal mortal bodies and translate into a nonphysical, quantum existence in a world (or plane) beyond called Novala, where their consciousness will dwell eternally.
And that's just the teaser version of what's going on here. After a slow but excellent start where we get plenty of time to know Ondine, Nix, and Morgan, things begin to fall into place. The initial pacing is much more reminiscent of an adult novel than most YA fare on the table these days and each character is given back story and depth that inform their future decisions. Ondine's perfect life? Thrown into chaos by learning she is a changeling. Nix's chaotic runaway disaster of a life? Thrown into focus when it occurs to him that he might be able to fix or change what he feels is wrong with him (he sees auras of death). Morgan's desperate attempts to live a rich life beyond her trailer home in the absence of a sleazy drunken father? She always knew she was meant for better things and the hints of darkness in her finally come out in spades. At no point are any of them unsympathetic; they're very real people, portraits of people we are or have been or someone we know or knew at some point, on that universal quest for self knowledge and actualisation.
One of the things I found most enjoyable about this book was its seamless integration and explanation if its own unique vocabulary, which is revealed bit by bit to the reader as it is to the main characters. The introduction phase of the book is so skillfully written that I didn't even mind waiting to get to the meaty bits.
So we have our changelings, which are born in human bodies, but are essentially a fay, spirit consciousness, waiting to ascend. Changelings are collected and guided through this process that eventually ends at a Ring of Fire, where they either transfer/ascend or die in the process. The changelings being guided are led by another changeling called a ringer, who informs and educates and prepares the "lings" in his or her ring. Unfortunately, not all changelings desire to leave their human lives. Some, addicted to the human world and human life, are called cutters, and they have no desire to transcend or leave their human lives behind. They represent a dark force working against the eternal existence of light changelings are meant to achieve. It is implied that humanity is not capable of reaching this state on its own and so changelings are a necessary part of a system that has been in place, being fine-tuned, ever since humans evolved consciousness, and that is where stories of fae and faeries and changelings come from.
I know this might be starting to sound a little religion-y (yikes!), but here's a quote to illustrate what I mean that explicitly tunes the imagination back toward the sort of quantum physics we're (re)discovering: "No wings. No Tinker Bell. 'Fay' means spirit – energy – intelligence unbound from matter. A power, but fractured, manifold. But we need the human body, the human brain, to take shape, to organize ourselves for the higher spheres. Otherwise we would simply be diffuse energy, no more powerful, singular, or lasting than a puff of wind, a crack of static." This quote is from Moth, guide of the Ondine-Nix-Morgan ring, who at one point in reflection remembers how the fay prefer to be specific and define things, and that religious thoughts have no part of it. Indeed, some actual string theory probably inspired a lot of these ideas along with a couple spiritual tenets. Buddhism and Vedic lore spring foremost to mind, definitely more of an Eastern spiritual influence if I'm right in thinking there's any (quantum) entanglement in it at all.
But back to what we're really here to discuss – Betwixt. This is not a common fairy/faerie tale like so many of the other fae books out there – no traditional Irish mythology, and no bogeys or boggans or kelpies or caith sidhe. Instead we have a surprisingly deep search for self in each of the three primary protagonists which culminates in a "rave" in the palm of a volcano's caldera where they learn they are in fact all changelings. We are told that you either are or you aren't one of these creatures, who must transition in a process called exidis to leave their corporeal mortal bodies and translate into a nonphysical, quantum existence in a world (or plane) beyond called Novala, where their consciousness will dwell eternally.
And that's just the teaser version of what's going on here. After a slow but excellent start where we get plenty of time to know Ondine, Nix, and Morgan, things begin to fall into place. The initial pacing is much more reminiscent of an adult novel than most YA fare on the table these days and each character is given back story and depth that inform their future decisions. Ondine's perfect life? Thrown into chaos by learning she is a changeling. Nix's chaotic runaway disaster of a life? Thrown into focus when it occurs to him that he might be able to fix or change what he feels is wrong with him (he sees auras of death). Morgan's desperate attempts to live a rich life beyond her trailer home in the absence of a sleazy drunken father? She always knew she was meant for better things and the hints of darkness in her finally come out in spades. At no point are any of them unsympathetic; they're very real people, portraits of people we are or have been or someone we know or knew at some point, on that universal quest for self knowledge and actualisation.
One of the things I found most enjoyable about this book was its seamless integration and explanation if its own unique vocabulary, which is revealed bit by bit to the reader as it is to the main characters. The introduction phase of the book is so skillfully written that I didn't even mind waiting to get to the meaty bits.
So we have our changelings, which are born in human bodies, but are essentially a fay, spirit consciousness, waiting to ascend. Changelings are collected and guided through this process that eventually ends at a Ring of Fire, where they either transfer/ascend or die in the process. The changelings being guided are led by another changeling called a ringer, who informs and educates and prepares the "lings" in his or her ring. Unfortunately, not all changelings desire to leave their human lives. Some, addicted to the human world and human life, are called cutters, and they have no desire to transcend or leave their human lives behind. They represent a dark force working against the eternal existence of light changelings are meant to achieve. It is implied that humanity is not capable of reaching this state on its own and so changelings are a necessary part of a system that has been in place, being fine-tuned, ever since humans evolved consciousness, and that is where stories of fae and faeries and changelings come from.
I know this might be starting to sound a little religion-y (yikes!), but here's a quote to illustrate what I mean that explicitly tunes the imagination back toward the sort of quantum physics we're (re)discovering: "No wings. No Tinker Bell. 'Fay' means spirit – energy – intelligence unbound from matter. A power, but fractured, manifold. But we need the human body, the human brain, to take shape, to organize ourselves for the higher spheres. Otherwise we would simply be diffuse energy, no more powerful, singular, or lasting than a puff of wind, a crack of static." This quote is from Moth, guide of the Ondine-Nix-Morgan ring, who at one point in reflection remembers how the fay prefer to be specific and define things, and that religious thoughts have no part of it. Indeed, some actual string theory probably inspired a lot of these ideas along with a couple spiritual tenets. Buddhism and Vedic lore spring foremost to mind, definitely more of an Eastern spiritual influence if I'm right in thinking there's any (quantum) entanglement in it at all.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 27, 2011
Betwixt. Just the sound of the book sounds somewhat interesting am i right? Well the book is pretty interesting...until you hit about the 20th page.
Basically thsi book deals with three teenagers who seem to possess these "special" powers that make them different from everyone else. Ondine, Nicholas Saint-Michael (Nix), and Morgan are those three unlucky teenagers. Nix has the power to see when a person is a about to die. Morgan well she can do something that is well her power is not as well explained as the other characters powers are so I have no way of explaining what she can do. And Ondine can make pictures come to life with the gaze of her violet eyes and is the most important one out of the whole group. Together they end up all going to this rave out in the woods and there they are told of their fay (fairy like) origins. Here a a woman named Viv explains how they can either be a fay or a cuuter and so on and so fourth. Throughout this whole entire book I was honestly just waiting for this book to be over. The writting style was very confusing and seemed to jump from third person commentary on one character to the next paragraph showing the internal thoughts of another character. The whole writing style was very unorganzied and sloppy to say the least. Throughout the book when they were explaing "fay" the author used too much of a scientifical background on it and just made the story even more confusing. If you asked me to explain what fay were im sorry to say I wouldnt know how to explain that to you either. The characters themselves were okay and to me seemed bland like they had no secrets to tell which made the story even more agonizing. The plot (thats suppose to be the climax! the most intense part of any book!) disapointed me very much. Its was like filling a balloon with air only to let go of it and let all the air fly out and the balloon go all over the room. All that work for nothing right? Exactly what it did with my reading this book. Dont even let me begin with the overuse of the words "man, dude" and all the swearing in this book. Teenagers do not use the slang words mentioned in this book as much as this author may have thought and all this cussing did not make the book any "cooler" then it already wasn't.
In the end I truly believe that this story could have been AMAZING IF another author had writtin it. This was officialy my very first "bad book" and I will definitely be giving this book away and im sad to say I bought it, hopefully this author will write a hit one day but this book was just not it.
Basically thsi book deals with three teenagers who seem to possess these "special" powers that make them different from everyone else. Ondine, Nicholas Saint-Michael (Nix), and Morgan are those three unlucky teenagers. Nix has the power to see when a person is a about to die. Morgan well she can do something that is well her power is not as well explained as the other characters powers are so I have no way of explaining what she can do. And Ondine can make pictures come to life with the gaze of her violet eyes and is the most important one out of the whole group. Together they end up all going to this rave out in the woods and there they are told of their fay (fairy like) origins. Here a a woman named Viv explains how they can either be a fay or a cuuter and so on and so fourth. Throughout this whole entire book I was honestly just waiting for this book to be over. The writting style was very confusing and seemed to jump from third person commentary on one character to the next paragraph showing the internal thoughts of another character. The whole writing style was very unorganzied and sloppy to say the least. Throughout the book when they were explaing "fay" the author used too much of a scientifical background on it and just made the story even more confusing. If you asked me to explain what fay were im sorry to say I wouldnt know how to explain that to you either. The characters themselves were okay and to me seemed bland like they had no secrets to tell which made the story even more agonizing. The plot (thats suppose to be the climax! the most intense part of any book!) disapointed me very much. Its was like filling a balloon with air only to let go of it and let all the air fly out and the balloon go all over the room. All that work for nothing right? Exactly what it did with my reading this book. Dont even let me begin with the overuse of the words "man, dude" and all the swearing in this book. Teenagers do not use the slang words mentioned in this book as much as this author may have thought and all this cussing did not make the book any "cooler" then it already wasn't.
In the end I truly believe that this story could have been AMAZING IF another author had writtin it. This was officialy my very first "bad book" and I will definitely be giving this book away and im sad to say I bought it, hopefully this author will write a hit one day but this book was just not it.
May 16, 2008
Don't bother. She develops her characters well, but the plots moved slowly, and there was little original in it. On top of that, for the first quarter of the book, it felt like a teen coming-of-age novel, only with too much sex and drugs to make the young adults' list.
There's better stuff to spend good reading time on.
There's better stuff to spend good reading time on.
March 7, 2023
Una fotografia dei primi anni 2000 con il loro trash e la loro attrattiva. Esagerato, appassionante, più "avanti" della maggior parte degli YA. Tanti spiegoni (però giustificati). Titolo italiano no. Molto soddisfatta.
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O͎w͎n͎e͎d͎ ͎s͎i͎n͎c͎e͎: August 10th 2023
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O͎w͎n͎e͎d͎ ͎s͎i͎n͎c͎e͎: August 10th 2023
P͎u͎r͎c͎h͎a͎s͎e͎d͎ ͎a͎t͎:͎ Goodwill
P͎r͎i͎c͎e͎:? 99¢
November 15, 2015
Wenn ich das heute lesen würde, wäre es vermutlich nur ein Stern... Der Stand dieser Rezension ist 2010:
ZUR AUFMACHUNG
Mir gefällt die cbt-Ausgabe einfach besser als das Original. Obwohl das Original das Buch besser beschreiben kann. So ekelig, und einfach "weird" wie die Amerikaner sagen würden...
ZUM BUCH
Puh. Uah. Wäh. WAS?
Das waren so in etwa meine Gedanken beim Lesen des Buches. Wenn ich an das Buch denke läuft mir noch immer ein kalter Schauer den Rücken hinunter. Nicht dass man das Buch gruselig nennen könnte, es ist eher ein wenig verstörend. Die geschaffene Atmosphäre ist mystisch und etwas drückend.
Zu Beginn war ich richtig begeistert von dem Buch, da mir die Charaktere einfach nur super gefallen haben. Sie waren alle SEHR interessant und hatten alle auch wirklich ihre besonderen Eigenschaften, Schwächen, Stärken, etc, so dass die Geschichte sehr real wirkte. Besonders Ondine und Nix haben mir sehr gut gefallen, während ich Morgan echt einfach nur "creepy" fand. Das störte einen zu Beginn aber auch nicht, weil es eine Art Vorwarnung für den weiteren Verlauf des Buches war.
Leider werden die Fantasyelemente erst viel zu spät eingeführt, so dass man alles über das Leben der drei erfährt, aber nicht den blassesten Schimmer hat, wer von ihnen jetzt was ist und welche Kräfte hat. (Bis auf Nix) Das hat mich schon etwas gestört, da es ja eigentlich hauptsächlich um die Fantasyelemente gehen sollte, wenn das Buch schon "Betwixt" heißt.
Tara Bray Smith schreibt wirklich gut. Das war auch der Hauptgrund, warum ich nach einem Drittel nicht einfach abgebrochen habe. Sie schreibt mitreißend und versteht sich auch gut darauf, Probleme, Ängste und Gefühle von Jugendlichen in eine Geschichte zu verstricken.
Nach der Hälfte kippte das Ganze allerdings... Nun ging es nicht mehr zu langsam voran sondern zu schnell. Alles passierte auf einmal und man verlor fast den Überblick über die Geschichten der einzelnen Charaktere und wie sie alle nun mit den drei Hauptcharakteren zusammenhingen. Was mich auch gestört hat, war, dass das Ende sehr offen war, obwohl es eine Sequenz am Ende gab, die sehr abschließend war und fast wie ein "Happy End" wirkte. Aber es blieben viele Fragen offen und auch die eigentliche "Aufgabe" der drei Feenwesen blieb unerledigt. Dadurch wurde ich mit einem dicken fetten Fragezeichen zurückgelassen.
FAZIT
Schreibstil: 4 Herzen
Charaktere: 1 Herz
Action: 3 Herzen
Emotionale Tiefe: 2 Herzen
Humor: 1 Herz
Originalität: 3 Herzen
Nichtsdestotrotz hat es die meiste Zeit doch Spaß gemacht, das Buch zu lesen. Smith' Schreibweise ist super und das Buch ist besonders zum Ende hin spannend. Allerdings ist es wie bereits oben erwähnt echt verstörend und leider auch nicht abgeschlossen genug.
ZUR AUFMACHUNG
Mir gefällt die cbt-Ausgabe einfach besser als das Original. Obwohl das Original das Buch besser beschreiben kann. So ekelig, und einfach "weird" wie die Amerikaner sagen würden...
ZUM BUCH
Puh. Uah. Wäh. WAS?
Das waren so in etwa meine Gedanken beim Lesen des Buches. Wenn ich an das Buch denke läuft mir noch immer ein kalter Schauer den Rücken hinunter. Nicht dass man das Buch gruselig nennen könnte, es ist eher ein wenig verstörend. Die geschaffene Atmosphäre ist mystisch und etwas drückend.
Zu Beginn war ich richtig begeistert von dem Buch, da mir die Charaktere einfach nur super gefallen haben. Sie waren alle SEHR interessant und hatten alle auch wirklich ihre besonderen Eigenschaften, Schwächen, Stärken, etc, so dass die Geschichte sehr real wirkte. Besonders Ondine und Nix haben mir sehr gut gefallen, während ich Morgan echt einfach nur "creepy" fand. Das störte einen zu Beginn aber auch nicht, weil es eine Art Vorwarnung für den weiteren Verlauf des Buches war.
Leider werden die Fantasyelemente erst viel zu spät eingeführt, so dass man alles über das Leben der drei erfährt, aber nicht den blassesten Schimmer hat, wer von ihnen jetzt was ist und welche Kräfte hat. (Bis auf Nix) Das hat mich schon etwas gestört, da es ja eigentlich hauptsächlich um die Fantasyelemente gehen sollte, wenn das Buch schon "Betwixt" heißt.
Tara Bray Smith schreibt wirklich gut. Das war auch der Hauptgrund, warum ich nach einem Drittel nicht einfach abgebrochen habe. Sie schreibt mitreißend und versteht sich auch gut darauf, Probleme, Ängste und Gefühle von Jugendlichen in eine Geschichte zu verstricken.
Nach der Hälfte kippte das Ganze allerdings... Nun ging es nicht mehr zu langsam voran sondern zu schnell. Alles passierte auf einmal und man verlor fast den Überblick über die Geschichten der einzelnen Charaktere und wie sie alle nun mit den drei Hauptcharakteren zusammenhingen. Was mich auch gestört hat, war, dass das Ende sehr offen war, obwohl es eine Sequenz am Ende gab, die sehr abschließend war und fast wie ein "Happy End" wirkte. Aber es blieben viele Fragen offen und auch die eigentliche "Aufgabe" der drei Feenwesen blieb unerledigt. Dadurch wurde ich mit einem dicken fetten Fragezeichen zurückgelassen.
FAZIT
Schreibstil: 4 Herzen
Charaktere: 1 Herz
Action: 3 Herzen
Emotionale Tiefe: 2 Herzen
Humor: 1 Herz
Originalität: 3 Herzen
Nichtsdestotrotz hat es die meiste Zeit doch Spaß gemacht, das Buch zu lesen. Smith' Schreibweise ist super und das Buch ist besonders zum Ende hin spannend. Allerdings ist es wie bereits oben erwähnt echt verstörend und leider auch nicht abgeschlossen genug.
September 20, 2009
I tried really hard to like this book but I cant really say one good thing about it. It was slow, it was boring, and it was just plain confusing. I forced myself through it hoping I might understand what was going on but when I abruptly found myself on the last page I realized that wasnt going to happen. I can honestly say I have no idea what that book was supposed to be about. Fairys? Hardly. The book was also described as being a "Fantasy romance" that would strongly appeal to Twilight fans and also how the horror element of the story would be haunting. I have to tell you I cant remember a page in the book where there was one scene of real romance. Unless you count a bunch of drugged up kids doing some heavy petting as romance. There was a little bit of blood and guts but it wasnt really horror either. It was just down right disappointing.
January 19, 2014
Can I just say that this was the worst book I have ever read. I was drawn to the cover, and the plot synopsis made it seem so compelling, but do not fall for it. I repeat, do not fall for it. If you see this seemingly unassuming book on a bookshelf in your local bookstore, stop, back away slowly, no scratch that run! Just kidding, but seriously this book was god awful.
The characters are these weird kids who one night all go to this weird party rave druggy thing. They all take these drugs, and are kind of blissed out for a while. They supposedly have supernatural powers that bind them together, but I think that might just be the drugs speaking. You might even think that the drug aspect would make this book kind of a fun trippy read, but no! This book is so boring, and strange. Do not waste your time. I couldn't even finish this one.
The characters are these weird kids who one night all go to this weird party rave druggy thing. They all take these drugs, and are kind of blissed out for a while. They supposedly have supernatural powers that bind them together, but I think that might just be the drugs speaking. You might even think that the drug aspect would make this book kind of a fun trippy read, but no! This book is so boring, and strange. Do not waste your time. I couldn't even finish this one.
August 31, 2011
I started this book thinking it was intriguing from the first few lines. Then I saw that the current protagonist was called Ondine. This told me quite a lot about what kind of book this was going to be already. Nevertheless, I carried on, and found the description clumsy, snippets of irrelevant background information tacked on to the current events instead of letting the backstory seep out naturally. Then, I got to page eight and found out that Ondine's eyes were purple. Well, colour me not interested in the rest of the story.
March 18, 2008
I'm having a ton of trouble finishing this book. It seemed to have so much promise - in a post Harry Potter, Twilight series way - but, I fear those hopes were not met.
The story is incredible disjointed and not on purpose, I fear. The characters are underdeveloped, the motivations are vague and the exposition--jagged, at best.
I will continue to try to persevere, but this could be another "Memiors of a Geisha" for me.
The story is incredible disjointed and not on purpose, I fear. The characters are underdeveloped, the motivations are vague and the exposition--jagged, at best.
I will continue to try to persevere, but this could be another "Memiors of a Geisha" for me.
June 27, 2009
Okay, where to start... perfectly named, Betwixt...neither here nor there.
The book was a great attempt at doing something new with urban faeries. There are four main characters: beautiful jealous Morgan, sweet talented Ondine, shy drugged out Nix, and drug dealing Moth. The story is dark and complex, but horribly fell apart. I slowly forced myself to the unfulfilling end. An very unsatisfying read.
The book was a great attempt at doing something new with urban faeries. There are four main characters: beautiful jealous Morgan, sweet talented Ondine, shy drugged out Nix, and drug dealing Moth. The story is dark and complex, but horribly fell apart. I slowly forced myself to the unfulfilling end. An very unsatisfying read.
July 18, 2015
I'm glad to know I wasn't the only one to not only hate this book but not to even finish this book. I picked it up when I was a teenager and I so regretted buying it I just spent money on the worst book I've ever read (well like i said I didnt finish it but you know what i mean)
June 18, 2012
Train wreck doesn't quite cover it!
October 1, 2018
I read this entire book with my own two eyes and I could not tell you for the life of me what the plot was. I consider myself an avid reader and I’ve had this book on my shelf for like 10 years now. I read it once 10 years ago and once again just now and I still have no idea what was happening the entire time.
December 26, 2020
DNF'd @ p. 52
I just couldn't take it anymore.
I just couldn't take it anymore.
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