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WordKatt
Posted May 15, 2012
This was my first venture into the faerie genre, and if this is what it is all about, well, I’m hooked! I was intrigued by the story of Lydia and Clive, the concept of ‘The Between’, as well as the Faerie world.
Lydia is living the life of a normal seventeen year old girl. And, as is the case often, there is an odd boy who seems to be very interested in her. Lydia does her best to dissuade his interest, but Clive isn’t just following her around because he likes her; he’s come to take her back to Faerie. Clive has been tasked to bring Lydia back to Oberon (of Light), while another Faye has been tasked to bring her to Titania (of Shadow). Lydia is thrown into an age-old battle between Light and Shadow and the future of the Faye world.
Cohen is a master at crafting honest and strong characters. Having never read this genre before, I was worried I wouldn’t understand the intricacies of the Faerie characters or their world. This was not the case however, as Cohen delivered a perfectly paced story and spun the necessary knowledge in for the novice as we share Lydia’s discovery of how it all works as well. I felt Lydia’s struggle as she tried to decide what was best for not only her, but for her mortal family, her friends, and the Faerie world. Lydia’s struggle between staying in her safe zone as a normal, and mostly invisible, teenager and accepting her power and heritage as a member of Faerie is a powerful plotline that I think resonates with our own struggles of letting go and reaching outside our comfort zone.
The only thing that stuck a bug in my bonnet was the name- ‘The Between’ – while I understand that it is a part of the story, I kept waiting for it to have more meaning, or some dire consequences for Lydia having gone there. Clive warns Lydia and makes a big deal about it; but nothing much ever comes of it. Overall, I absolutely adored this book and will look for more from Cohen!
Reviewed by Kathy LaMee for Tracy Riva Books and Reviews
Lydia is your average teenager. She flies under the radar when it comes to popularity but for some reason has managed to draw the attention of a boy named Clive. He has been following her around a lot lately and she is started to become really uncomfortable with it. However, when everything she thought she knew about herself is ripped out from under hear, Clive is the only one who might be able to get her back to the life that she once knew but he's also the one that brought her into the mess.
When Clive is sent to the mortal world to retrieve Lydia for his king, he says anything he can that isn't a lie to get her to come with him. However, after spending a little bit of time with her he realizes that taking her to his king might not be such a great idea after all. There is no way Lydia would be happy in the Bright Court. Once he comes to this conclusion, he does everything that he can to get her out of the King's clutches and to safety.
Let me just start out by saying that the cover has everything to do with the story. You have Lydia who is in the middle of a feud between the Bright King and the Shadow Queen. Both will manipulate her anyway that they can to get her on their side. The maze in the background is actually a pretty big part in the story as well. So kudos to the author for going with a cover that sticks with the story.
The world building is pretty good. You not only have The Between which is an area that is exactly as it sounds. It's the area between the Fae realm and the mortal world. You also have Faerie where a lot of magical stuff takes place. The author did a great job describing everything so that the reader could easily picture it in their mind. The characters were easy to relate to and the book as a whole was pretty entertaining.
The Between is a book for those who love the Fae, unusual characters, and a doorway to access them.
How would you handle it, if someone told you that you’re of pure Fae blood when all you knew of was the same world that most of us live in daily? Imagine that your Fae parents were at each other’s throats, battling for total control of the Faerie Lands because of something you had no knowledge of, and placed you in the mortal world as a child.
This is the well-written and engaging premise of The Between, and found it a pleasure to read this book and recommended it to my wife who loves Fae, and creatures of fantasy.
VGFord
Posted February 22, 2012
This is an amazing YA book. Lydia is a convincing heroine - she's not too perfect, not too confident - she's the teen girl that I was, pushed into an extraordinary situation that she responds to with emotion, with awkwardness and, in the end, with heart.
I loved the interplay of the Fae worlds - the shimmering garden of Oberon's Bright Court and the subtle power of Titania's Shadows, so very much the black and white of a teen's mind, and yet, so very shaded in nuance. In a very real sense, this book is about growing up, about taking that final step from childhood through the door into adulthood. It's about going through that Between phase, where you are neither one nor the other and often don't know if you can make it to the end.
I also liked the very literary references in the book - not too literary, but references to things that children have read and enjoyed. This book is a comfort read, even to an adult like me, and is going on my shelf next to my copy of A Wrinkle in Time. Lydia, like Meg before her, is a strong protagonist even when she doesn't realize it, and is a great role model for girls of all ages.
Well done, Lisa! I can't wait to see the second one!
TCSimpson
Posted January 25, 2012
Often, if a book doesn't capture my interest within the first few pages, I lose interest. That wasn't the case with the Between. It's really my first YA book and I found it thoroughly enjoyable. The beginning grabbed me with intrigue and action. In Lydia, I could tell there was a character for me to care about. Clive gave me that added mystery of a man battling to be more that what he appeared. Watching these two characters grow was fascinating to say the least. Their challenges, frustrations, losses, and triumphs were woven so well into the story that you could not help but feel for them. I'm one who loves magic and a great world. Sprinkle in some mystery and a great story and I'm in. This book gave me all of that. The world created here in Faerie was one of political intrigue, darkness, all things magical, and one that was so well thought out that you will believe you are there. You will believe in the glamours you see upon the pages. You will feel the tenseness of the world, the grip of its King, the fear those of power instill upon others. As for style. LJ has it nailed. Her prose flowed well. Not once did I get bored or wished to put the book down. Her descriptions were crisp and rich and kept you right there, living in the world of the Between. From beginning to end, the Between makes for good reading. As I often do when I read a good book, all I can say now is: go get your copy.
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Posted January 15, 2012
This was such a pleasant surprise of a book for me! I really don't read much faerie fiction, and wasn't sure what to expect. I ended up loving it . . . well, actually, I loved it from the beginning.
First of all, the story is just amazing. It has so many intricacies that make the world and characters very rich. The world of Faerie is filled with intrigue and power struggles. I would say it has 'Good' and 'Evil', but when it comes to the Fae I'm just not sure there is a 'Good'. There are those that have the capacity for it. Aileen and Aeon are examples of characters like that.
Lydia is a great female lead. She lives a normal-ish life in the Mortal world, totally unaware of anything different. She just wants to stay away from the creeper following her at school. No matter how much she goes out of her way to avoid Clive, he always ends up knowing where she is. Is it weird that I think hot guys stalking girls is ok, but if they're not good looking it's just creepy? :-) Moving on! It turns out that Clive ISN'T just some random Creeper, and he lets her in on the fact that the Mortal world isn't all that's out there.
Clive and Lydia have a complicated and tangled relationship, mainly because of Clive's past and his obligations in Faerie. I liked seeing how Lydia had such an impact on Clive throughout the course of the novel. She was like a tornado or hurricane, changing the landscape of Faerie (and the Fae) by the sheer force of her actions and morals. Also, on some female level, I just really like reading about strong and, in this case, powerful women.
The Between is a great new YA find for me! I will definitely be keeping an eye out for the second book in this series.
LendMe™
Overview
High school senior, Lydia Hawthorne, is less than grateful when Oberon has her snatched from the mortal world and she finds out she's actually Fae. And not just any Fae, but a trueborn with enough inherent magic to tip the balance between Oberon and Titania's warring Bright and Shadow courts.But that's their game and she doesn't want to play by their rules. Together with Clive Barrow, a Bright Court Fae with embarrassing family ties to the mortal world, Lydia fights to regain her old life, fueling her magic with the very human power of love and loss, challenging the essential nature of Faerie itself.