Book: Betwixt by Tara Bray Smith
Rating: 4 Stars
Summary:
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.
Overall:
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 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.
Betwixt is now available in paperback here. Keep checking back and I will try to find out about any sequel information.
It sounds really good. Great review!
I read this book a while ago when it first came out. I was pulled into the story once I figured out what was going on. Like you, I had a slow start just because everything was confusing. And like you, it does not feel like it is as long of a read as it is. However, I didn’t come away from the story liking it as much as you did. While I give it credit for being original, the plot dragged a lot for me. A small pet peeve of mine is confusing endings. As you pointed out, this was a confusing ending. I can deal with cliff-hangers, but I was a little lost with this one. I probably would have given it 2.5/3 stars if I rated it myself. It’s one of those books that can go either way, you know? You have to be in a specific type of mood to read it.
Great review.