Betwixt

Beautiful Morgan D'Amici wakes in her meager home with 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 doomed to die.

At a secret summer rave in the woods, these teenagers learn of their true

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origins and their uncertain, intertwined destinies. Betwixt brings to life a very complex world as compelling as any reality.

Betwixt was a very interesting book. The characters seemed very strange yet very real, like people you'd meet on the streets then think it was all too scary to be real, but it was completely real. The characters in most books are streamlined, but Betwixt had a character anyone could relate to. Very original and detailed Smith's novel moves fast, it's very hard to put down once you're pulled in. Time to add another to the list of sequels i'm dying for the author to publish soon.

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Betwixt has a lot of potential, but is poorly executed. Smith's "changelings" are complex creatures that exist through a combination of magic and science which is never clearly explained. While the characters themselves are somewhat interesting, they are let down by both the plot and the Gordian

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knot of a storyline.

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This was an impulse buy while sitting at a Borders waiting for a friend. The cover intrigued me and I sat down to read the first chapter and was pulled in immediately. It's an interesting book, not quite like anything I've read before. It feels a little rushed at the end, and I'm not sure if she's

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setting herself up for a sequel, or series. But the ending was a little lacking.

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Compelling, crazy, confusing. One of those books you want to read over again; because it was amazing, and because it blew your mind so hard you really couldn't comprehend it.

Ondine, Nix, and Morgan are not normal teenagers. They have always known that they were different than the ones they called family but none of them knew why. At a summer rave called the Ring of Fire, these three teenagers find out exactly why they never felt like they belonged: they are fay.

Fairies

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to be exact. Nix has always been able to see a halo of light around people about to die. Ondine makes paintings come alive before her eyes. Morgan has a tendency to sleepwalk in the forest by her house and wake up with dirt under her nails and not remember anything from the night before.

To truly be able to join the other fay in another realm called Novala, Ondine, Nix, and Morgan must learn how to use and control their different powers. But like in every story there are others out to get to them before they can complete their task.

Cutters are fay gone wrong. They believe that the fay are better than the humans and that they should control all humans, making them into pets for their use. They also believe that they should stay forever on earth, never entering into Novala. And unfortunately for Nix, Ondine, and Morgan there is a Cutter out to stop any of them from entering into Novala.

Will Nix, Ondine, and Morgan learn how to control their powers? Will they be able to enter Novala before the Cutters get to them? Who is the Cutter that is after them and will they ever defeat him?

In her very first Young Adult novel, Tara Bray Smith has created a new type of fairy tale, one that may not have a happy ending. The end of this book was a little confusing and definitely open for a sequel but currently I don't know if there are plans for one.

Betwixt is a nearly 500 page book but do not let that intimidate you. I had trouble getting into it but once I really was able to understand what was going on, I was completely entranced by the story. I definitely recommend this book for any fan of the paranormal.

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BETWIXT is a difficult novel to summarize or explain. To tell the truth, it is a little confusing. Three teenagers:Sweet and popular Ondine,Tough and determined Morgan, andRunaway loner Nixare inexplicably drawn together and thrust into the dark and dangerous world of the fay. Each deals with the

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news of their true identity differently. In addition to dealing with the fear of what is to come and learning about their new powers, Ondine, Morgan, and Nix must face evil fay, called cutters, who are out to kill them.BETWIXT is complex. There are several characters to keep up with and the world that Ondine, Morgan, and Nix are preparing to go to once their transition period in the earthly realm is over, isn’t explained very well. The ending lacks closure and might not satisfy the reader. If you are wanting a book dealing with faeries, there are better choices available.LAMENT by Maggie StiefvaterWICKED LOVELY by Melissa MarrWONDROUS STRANGE by Lesley LivingstonTITHE by Holly Black

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Betwixt is a slightly above average novel from Tara Bray Smith that tries to capitalize on the current hot fad for YA books, books with supernatural overtones to explain kids that just don’t fit in. While it has a higher than expected sex quotient, there is nothing more descriptive than

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someone’s dress being hiked up to reveal lacy underwear. Mostly there are a lot of suggestions of sex and discussion of pregnancy. There is also a lot of drinking and drug use, although the drug use is portrayed as evil and as such is an integral part of the plot.

These are not my complaints about the book, however, just content warnings. My main problem with the book is the author’s uneven style and basic plot. While not too original, portions of the story are somewhat reminiscent of some early Andre Norton stories, but the story is well told. The writing style varies from being a very smooth, easy to read style to a very choppy, disruptive style. Even allowing for this to be something of a fantasy, I also have trouble buying into the some of the scenes as portrayed by the author; the group dynamic just falls apart. I did feel compelled to finish the story, however, and for that reason, I felt the work justifies a rating above average. I also wonder if there is more to come as there are just enough loose threads to allow the author to create a sequel. This last was such an obvious device on the author’s part that I would not go too much above average, not even to 3½ stars.

This is definitely way short of Gaiman’s Graveyard Book. Maybe a little above McCaffery’s Crystal Singer series simply because Betwixt is contemporary. Not for those easily offended by sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll, Betwixt is worth the read, but not much more, for fans of Dungeons ‘n Dragons themes with a modern realistic setting.

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This book was not a favorite of mine. While I hate to bash on books I found it to be lack luster and slow. The book has been swamped with different supernatural ideas that don't all come together. The story sets up a lot of questions but never answers them. The supernatural events are far fetched

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and poorly explained. It was hard to finish the book and once I was finished I found that it wasn't worth my time. I don't think I will be reading the sequel.

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I recommend this book. It is very interesting and otherworldly, and there is a lot of foreshadowing.
4Q, 4P; Cover Art: Awesome!
This book is best suited for middle and highschoolers.
It was selected due to the intriguing cover art and title.
SL-AHS-NC

Betwixt is the story of three teenagers (Ondine, Morgan and Nix) who have always felt different. Ondine is fiercely independent and can’t seem to cry; Morgan has grown up in a trailer park knowing that she is destined for more, and people seem to bend to her will and her beauty; Nix can see rings

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of light around people who are about to die, and is afraid he is causing it. Over the course of a summer, these three are drawn together as the truth about them is revealed.
Without giving anything away, that is the basic summary of Betwixt. 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. But since I had to read the whole thing, I figured I might as well read it closely and give an honest review. The best way I can think to explain what it was like reading this is to say it feels like it was written by a teenager who is out of touch with what it means to be a teen. The writing was young and amateurish, stunted and weird. There wasn’t a lot of follow through, and Smith tried to hard to keep the “secret” secret that she ended up muddying the story and making it confusing and, at times, near impossible to follow. It was filled with clichés and contradictions, and the characters (who should have carried the story) were flat and boring. For all of these reasons, it felt like it was written by someone very young. However, the “young” person writing it didn’t seem to have a clue what being a teen is all about. The dialogue is horrendous. It honestly felt at times like it was written by an alien who had come to earth, learned all of its slang and conversational style from outdated, cheesy sitcoms and movies, and combined them all together. Every character, regardless of age, background, location, etc., spoke the same way, peppering every sentence with “dude”s and “man”s and “bro”s; there was this weird mish-mash of surfer, hippy, gangster and hipster slang, and more often then not, it wasn’t suited to what was going on. The characters’ verbal reactions to things tended to be delayed and then over the top or weirdly out of place. Smith seemed to think if she just tossed in a few curse words and some drug use and sexuality, she’d have the teen base covered. The plot was loopy and pointless, and the ending highly unsatisfying: perhaps Bray is setting up for a sequel, or maybe she realized after nearly 500 pages that she need to wrap it up, because there is absolutely no resolution. This book is terrible, and I wouldn’t recommend wasting any time on it. There are so many things out there to read, in this genre and otherwise, that is seems a shame books like these are out there, taking the spots of ones with much more merit.

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I have some very mixed feelings about this book. First of all it's supposed to be a series but it has been out for a few years now and no second book??? I started this book as a sceptic to begin with. I read the reviews and they were not flattering. But my friend got it for me for Christmas so I

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felt obliged to read it. It starts off rather slow but starts to pick up about 350 pages in then it gets kind of weird, then ends ok but leaves room for more. If Ms Smith decides to write a sequel I will probably pick it up just because.

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Nix, Ondine and Morgan all feel different, but they have no idea how different they really are. Nix sees halos of light around people who will die soon, Ondine thinks she sees pictures move and Morgan hears weird noises in the forest at night. Then they find out that they are fae, like fairies. Nix

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and Morgan accept it, to them it makes sense. Ondine is in denial, which is especially ironic when she finds out that unlike the others she is actually part fae and part human, whereas the others are Changlings, fae temperorarily inhabiting human bodies.

The book felt unfinished, even though the ending was pretty clear. As of right now it needs a sequel to make it feel more polished.

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Nix, Ondine and Morgan all feel different, but they have no idea how different they really are. Nix sees halos of light around people who will die soon, Ondine thinks she sees pictures move and Morgan hears weird noises in the forest at night. Then they find out that they are fae, like fairies. Nix

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and Morgan accept it, to them it makes sense. Ondine is in denial, which is especially ironic when she finds out that unlike the others she is actually part fae and part human, whereas the others are Changlings, fae temperorarily inhabiting human bodies.

The book felt unfinished, even though the ending was pretty clear. As of right now it needs a sequel to make it feel more polished.

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Nix, Ondine and Morgan all feel different, but they have no idea how different they really are. Nix sees halos of light around people who will die soon, Ondine thinks she sees pictures move and Morgan hears weird noises in the forest at night. Then they find out that they are fae, like fairies. Nix

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and Morgan accept it, to them it makes sense. Ondine is in denial, which is especially ironic when she finds out that unlike the others she is actually part fae and part human, whereas the others are Changlings, fae temperorarily inhabiting human bodies.

The book felt unfinished, even though the ending was pretty clear. As of right now it needs a sequel to make it feel more polished.

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Nix, Ondine and Morgan all feel different, but they have no idea how different they really are. Nix sees halos of light around people who will die soon, Ondine thinks she sees pictures move and Morgan hears weird noises in the forest at night. Then they find out that they are fae, like fairies. Nix

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and Morgan accept it, to them it makes sense. Ondine is in denial, which is especially ironic when she finds out that unlike the others she is actually part fae and part human, whereas the others are Changlings, fae temperorarily inhabiting human bodies.

The book felt unfinished, even though the ending was pretty clear. As of right now it needs a sequel to make it feel more polished.

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I've read the synopsis, I've read the entire book. I still don't know what the hell this book was about. I got fairies and powers but after that, nothing. The whole thing is just fuzzy. Terrible book.