The Between

Dec 26, 2011 Jackie Miller rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

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 tha...more

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Jul 22, 2012 Pavarti Tyler rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: for-review, fiction

Disclosure: I received a free copy of this book by the author in exchange for an honest review. She sent me this even after I told her I don't read YA and I hate Faeries. (esp with that spelling). I'm glad she did.

I hate Fairies. I hate everything that has to do with them. I'm not interested in their fairy realm, I'm not interested in their undefined and illogical power. I think they're dumb. The playground for weaker imaginations what can't bind their stories to rules of cause and effect. Other...more Disclosure: I received a free copy of this book by the author in exchange for an honest review. She sent me this even after I told her I don't read YA and I hate Faeries. (esp with that spelling). I'm glad she did.

I hate Fairies. I hate everything that has to do with them. I'm not interested in their fairy realm, I'm not interested in their undefined and illogical power. I think they're dumb. The playground for weaker imaginations what can't bind their stories to rules of cause and effect. Other than Stardust by Neil Gaiman (reviewed here) I've NEVER read a fairy book I like. And God forbid you have the audacity to spell it Fae or Faerie. OMG, what a wanker thing to do. Really, are you THAT full of yourself you aren't even concerned with how ludicrous you look?

And now I have to eat my words. I have to be honest. I kind of hate LJ Cohen a little now for that. I liked my hating fairies high horse. And now I have to give her book 5 stars. I kept looking for SOMETHING to pick on, but it's just not there. Cohen's book is well written, well conceived, well plotted, well edited and well executed. Everything about it is gorgeous. From the use of Shakespeare's Oberon and Titania (which again, usually makes my eyes roll) to the pull of ingrained cultural fairy beliefs, Cohen managed to take what could have been an absolute laugh-fest for me and turn it into a beautifully written piece of literature that I read in 2 days.

Lydia Hawthorne is a Trueborn Fae. She was born to two Fae parents which is something that hasn't been happening in Faedom for a very very long time. Everything about her points to her deeper path, from her perfectly chosen last name to her seeming invisibility in the mortal world. Her lack of casual popularity has given rise to a young woman who is deeply committed to her family, fiercely loyal to those she can trust and who has no patience for the pretense of bullies.

At the end of The Between we are still left with a cornucopia of questions: what exactly IS Lydia, who is the other changeling, what was it Aileen meant? All of which have me itching for the next book (When's it coming LJ, come on now, you can't convert me then leave me hanging.) This action packed novel does something few YA books manage to do. It gives us a female protagonist who has a back bone. It gives us a male/female connection based on friendship, trust and loyalty and not teenage loin-tingling hormones. It gives us deeper questions about the impact of loss, the corruption of power and the necessity for change. And more than anything else it gives us an awesome book that I just want to read again.

This is one of those rare books I'll actually gift to other people. In fact, I'll gift a copy to you. Enter at the end of this post and I'll gift 1 ebook copy to the winner. Already have a copy? I'll gift you something else awesome for the same appx price. I'm running a rafflecopter for this on my blog (GIVEAWAY POST)

Now for the criticism. This book is just about perfect cover to cover. I'm not 100% on the title, but it's ok, it's not terrible and I'm sure if LJ were to comment on here reasons for the title (hint hint) I'd conceed to it. What I DON'T like, at all, not even a little bit, is the cover. It looks like someone copied some avatars out of a SIMS game and tried to make a cover in paint. This book would be better served by a stock photo, or hell, a black cover with just the title in a funky font would be better than this. If I can make one serious plea to the author, it's to CHANGE this cover. I'll help you. I know a number of good designers. Or hell, I'll make you one! I'm not great, but I do ok, I made the Two Moons of Sera cover. Please listen to me on this. You NEED to do this. The cover undermines the amazing work here. It drags the impression down from where it should be (OMG AWESOME) to amateur. I know that's hard to hear, but I say this with all the love a 5 star review has to offer. I would not have read this book based on the cover alone.(less)

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Jul 18, 2012 Tahlia Newland rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: urban-fantasy

I’m not a great fan of books about the Fae, because I don’t like the tangled politics of Fae society and (apart from The Iron Fey series) don’t generally warm to Fae characters, so I’m probably not the best person to review this book. But I find it hard to say no to authors asking for reviews, so I read it and enjoyed it well enough. If you like Fae stories, I see no reason why you wouldn’t like this one, but it didn’t excite me, perhaps because the changeling angle is a fairly common kind of Fa...more I’m not a great fan of books about the Fae, because I don’t like the tangled politics of Fae society and (apart from The Iron Fey series) don’t generally warm to Fae characters, so I’m probably not the best person to review this book. But I find it hard to say no to authors asking for reviews, so I read it and enjoyed it well enough. If you like Fae stories, I see no reason why you wouldn’t like this one, but it didn’t excite me, perhaps because the changeling angle is a fairly common kind of Fae story.

Blurb: 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.

The best part of this book was the descriptions of the magic, both the way it felt and the way it appeared. The image created in my mind by the author’s description of the ‘Between’ that Lydia found herself in was also wonderful, and the tithe that members of the Fae courts owed to their rulers was a concept I found interesting..

It was well enough written with no obvious technical flaws, and yet it often failed to fully engage me. I found Lydia, the main character a little too angry and self-centred in the face of people who clearly needed her help, and her actions sometimes didn’t make sense. Mind you, she is a teenager, so perhaps that isn’t such an issue, and she did develop a bit as the story went on. After her initial reticence, when she figured she couldn’t get away without going, she appeared to go into Fairie willingly, then all she wanted to do was to get out, and she didn’t ask Oberon the kind of questions I would have expected from a teen in that situation. Her ability to suddenly use her Fae power, even when she still rejected the fact that she was Fae, was a little unbelievable as well, but at the same time, I really enjoyed that she was able to use it when needed to protect others. I think it just needed a more gradual development.

I couldn’t believe that she made no effort to soften the blow of her leaving for her parents. She had time enough to hide her phone, so why didn’t she write a note for her parents? She often thought how important her family were to her, yet she didn’t show it in her actions, at least not at that stage.

I really enjoyed the section where Lydia returned to her home and realised that she couldn’t go back to how things were. I can’t say too much about it without giving the story away, but it was a sensitively written part where Lydia grew a lot in her understanding and maturity.

I felt really sorry for Clive – he had a dreadful name for a start – and was caught in Fae politics in a big way. He and his Shadow court counterpart had an interesting relationship and their conflicting desires and responsibilities made them interesting characters.

Despite my lack of enthusiasm for it, I think this book is worth reading for anyone who likes Fae stories, and it’s well enough executed to be on the Awesome Indies listing.
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Jul 12, 2012 Masquerade Crew rated it 4 of 5 stars

BEC'S REVIEW

Stories involving the Fae are many and varied. This story takes on the fae from a young adult stand point, where a young girl discovers her whole life is a lie and that she really is one of the Fae. Forced to choose between Titania and Oberon and their Shadow and Bright courts, Lydia must make a choice while not knowing who to trust. For while the Fae tell no lies, they don’t always speak the whole truth.

I actually enjoyed the telling of this story and the way it tried to show that...more BEC'S REVIEW

Stories involving the Fae are many and varied. This story takes on the fae from a young adult stand point, where a young girl discovers her whole life is a lie and that she really is one of the Fae. Forced to choose between Titania and Oberon and their Shadow and Bright courts, Lydia must make a choice while not knowing who to trust. For while the Fae tell no lies, they don’t always speak the whole truth.

I actually enjoyed the telling of this story and the way it tried to show that there is not necessarily a good or evil side to every conflict. The selfishness of the Fae was true to form, and the way they could not tell lies and yet still deceive. Lydia was well represented as a girl who has had her whole identity ripped away from her and doesn’t know which side to pick, changing her mind several times. And yet while I enjoyed most of the story I was left wanting.

One particular part was a plot point that I had hoped would be foreshadowing but which didn’t go anyway. When the source of the conflict between Oberon and Titania was revealed it was revealed there was a male human changeling in Fae somewhere, a fact that is again repeated later on as a secret Lydia knows. Hints about a certain characters family background and lack of maternal feelings to their fae child where also mentioned and the character is referred to as being quite human like at times. And yet despite expecting this character to be revealed to be a changeling and for this to be somewhat relevant to the story, this plot point never went anywhere. There was never any further mention of this changeling after the few times it was mentioned, rather it was as if it was forgotten, making the whole revelation of this other changeling, and all the hints at who it might be, completely irrelevant. Perhaps I am reading too much into the situation, but I feel there is room for a twist there.

The ending as well did not completely satisfy me. While I was fine with the fate of the Fae King and Queen I would have liked to have a more tied off ending. Instead I was left wondering what would happen to both Lydia and Clive. But beyond these few problems the story was quite enjoyable. While it would have been nice to see a twist where one had been so hinted, and a more wrapped up ending, these things do not diminish too much from the story. If you enjoy tales of the Fae or fantasy stories then give this one a try.
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May 15, 2012 Kathy LaMee rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: my-reviews-on-tracyriva-com

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...more
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 for Tracy Riva Books and Reviews -- TracyRiva.com
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Apr 09, 2012 Kate McMurry rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fae, fairies, magic, ya-fantasy, ya-male-point-of-view, ya-male-protagonist, ya-paranormal, young-adult-fantasy, young-adult-male-point-of-view, young-adult-male-protagonist, young-adult-paranormal

Exciting adventures in the magical world of the Fae

Seventeen-year-old Lydia is a quiet, studious girl living a perfectly normal life with her pleasant parents and adorable younger siblings until the day a handsome but strange young man begins stalking her at her school. Lydia is at her wits end as to what to do about him when one day, on her school bus, he saves her from a terrifying, black cloud of menacing beings called Darklings. Clive, a Fae of the Bright Court, has dragged Lydia to the Betw...more

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Mar 05, 2012 S.J.B. Gilmour rated it 3 of 5 stars

The Between starts off as an entertaining tale about a girl plucked from the home she knows and thrown into the magical, mystical Faerie world of the Fae. Sounds simple enough. Then it gets confusing. It turns out she’s either born Fae (thus being called a Trueborn) and hidden on Earth, and somehow called a Changeling isn’t so clear.

The protagonist, Lynda Hawthorne is our Trueborn or Changeling or whatever. The antagonists are rivals Oberon, top dog of Bright Court in Faerie, and his ex-squeeze...more

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Feb 15, 2012 Val Ford rated it 5 of 5 stars

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 b...more

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Feb 04, 2012 Christine rated it 5 of 5 stars

I sat down after work yesterday, and thought I would read a few pages of this book before I watched a movie. So much for that idea! I read the whole book in one sitting. I haven't had a book capture my attention like this in a long time. I thought about what made this book so interesting, and I came to the conclusion that it was excellent writing, a strong lead character-Lydia, and the hope that she could somehow fix the problems in Faerie and be able to go home.

I don't think I have ever read an...more I sat down after work yesterday, and thought I would read a few pages of this book before I watched a movie. So much for that idea! I read the whole book in one sitting. I haven't had a book capture my attention like this in a long time. I thought about what made this book so interesting, and I came to the conclusion that it was excellent writing, a strong lead character-Lydia, and the hope that she could somehow fix the problems in Faerie and be able to go home.

I don't think I have ever read any stories about the Fae before. I liked how the world was presented, and found all of the characters interesting. The author didn't sugar coat any of them. Most of them had their own interests and agenda in mind. There were characters I liked, hated, and some I was a bit mixed about like Aileen.

Lydia was my favorite character. She didn't want this Fae world she had been thrust into. She just wanted to go home and be with her family. I liked how she did what she felt was appropriate, trusted herself, and was not whiny or needy. She was fair and compassionate, and after all that she went through in Faerie she knew that she had to do the right thing at the end, even if it wasn't the outcome that she wanted.

I also really liked Clive. He was honest to Lydia. I think that although he had his own problems, he tried to take care of her and help her out. He was her friend in a place where almost everyone else was trying to use or manipulate her.

I enjoyed the fact that there wasn't a romance that sprung up between Clive and Lydia. Maybe, that will come later in another book?, but I find too many authors slap characters together in a relationship after a few hours or days.

The ending was a bit sad. It wasn't what I thought would happen, but it made sense. I wanted more for Lydia, so I was a bit disappointed when I got to the last pages. I was rooting for her character to have a happily ever after. I hope there is a second book coming?!! I would love to read it!

I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads. Thank you!
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Jan 25, 2012 Terry Simpson rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

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, lo...more

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May 01, 2012 Robert Medak rated it 4 of 5 stars

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 B...more

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Feb 25, 2013 K.M. Frontain rated it 5 of 5 stars

I did not want to stop reading this story. After the least interruption, I was back reading it again. I loved this story. I don't write reviews for just any book. For me to read a story, it must first of all be decently written; not perfectly, just decently. Then it has to have characters I want to stick with. After that, if the author wove the tale about those characters in an engaging manner, I'll finish reading. But to leave a review, I have to at least see something done with a story that is...more

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Aug 23, 2012 Carolyn Seiver rated it 4 of 5 stars

Do faeries truly exist? What would happen to the mortal world,if Fae Rulers King Oberon and Queen Tatiana stopped at nothing to gain power over each other? The Between is in a single word..mesmerizing. Fantastically written,fast-paced once you move past the first chapter introduction to the characters,intelligently mythical,this is not a simple tale of the Fae. This story actually takes some brain power to keep up with. In-depth plot twists twine back and forth between the mortal world and the F...more

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Jan 08, 2012 Becket Morgan rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Lydia Hawthorne thinks she is a typical high school senior - she's a big sister and responsible daughter who's biggest concern is convincing her parents to help her buy a car. Her world is forever changed one afternoon when the creepy Clive pulls her out of danger and into the land of Faerie. Forced to accept the existence of another world, Lydia is shocked to learn not only is she Fae, but she's a rare trueborn with enough magic to be a major player in the tension between the Bright and Shadow...more Lydia Hawthorne thinks she is a typical high school senior - she's a big sister and responsible daughter who's biggest concern is convincing her parents to help her buy a car. Her world is forever changed one afternoon when the creepy Clive pulls her out of danger and into the land of Faerie. Forced to accept the existence of another world, Lydia is shocked to learn not only is she Fae, but she's a rare trueborn with enough magic to be a major player in the tension between the Bright and Shadow courts.

Pulled in every direction but toward the home she loves, Lydia must quickly find a way to navigate the complicated Fae politics and to manage her own burgeoning magical talent. Focused on protecting her home and family and finding help in unlikely places, Lydia must race against time to prevent a war that could consume not only Faerie but the Mortal world as well.

In The Between, Cohen blends a strong and fiery female heroine, complex family relationships and ethereal fantasy world into a delightful read for teens and adults alike. I think my favorite part of this novel is the absence of a gooey teen romance. There are plenty of relationships and explorations of family, but Cohen deviates from the typical young adult fantasy formula of girl meets paranormal boy, falls in love and laments over their love for half the novel. I enjoy these books, but was really thrilled to see a different take on the YA fantasy genre. She also looks critically at many different families, offering windows into both functional and seriously disfunctional families.

We spend very little time in Lydia's world before Clive sweeps her away to Faerie early in the novel. I found myself wishing more time was spent to situate the reader in the utter normalcy of Lydia's home life so we have a better sense of what she stands to lose when she's pulled away from everything she loves. We discover more about her family relationships later in the story, but I wished I had more context for her life at the very beginning of the novel.

That said, I found The Between a fast-paced adventure with wonderful characters and a captivating fantasy world. Cohen's enjoyable and accessible writing style pulled me immediately into Lydia's world and I am eager to see where she will go next!

I was very pleased to receive an Advance Release Copy of this novel from the author in exchange for my honest review.

For more of my reviews, visit www.inquisitivehippo.com
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Jan 16, 2012 Erin Searles rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 52under2

The Between is a story of Lydia Hawthorne, a girl who discovers that she is a faerie. Lydia is sought as an asset by both sides in a stalemated war that only she can end.

I really enjoyed this one. It has a good story with many threads of plot woven together, though there were a couple I wasn’t sure how they tied off.

The ending felt to me like a bit of a downer. The good guys triumphed, but the cost of victory seemed so high.

One thing that I found slightly distracting throughout is that one of th...more

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Jul 16, 2012 Anne Chaconas rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I typically am a little hesitant to read stories in this genre, because fantasy authors often forget that not everyone is a superfan. Many a time have I picked up a fantasy book that sounded interesting only to put it down after a few chapters because I was completely unable to follow the complex politics, keep up with the unusual names, or understand why some characters act in certain ways. This is nothing against fantasy authors--after all, that thriving genre doesn't need to make concessions...more I typically am a little hesitant to read stories in this genre, because fantasy authors often forget that not everyone is a superfan. Many a time have I picked up a fantasy book that sounded interesting only to put it down after a few chapters because I was completely unable to follow the complex politics, keep up with the unusual names, or understand why some characters act in certain ways. This is nothing against fantasy authors--after all, that thriving genre doesn't need to make concessions for newbies if it doesn't want to--but it has prevented me from really getting my feet wet with books bearing the fantasy denomination.

Thankfully, THE BETWEEN was nothing like this. I, a fantasy neophyte, was able to become immersed in the story almost immediately, and follow it quickly. In fact, I found it nearly impossible to put down.

I don't read enough fantasy to know if the "changeling" story angle is a common one--I would, however, imagine that it is. In the back-and-forth between humans and faeries, it would make sense that a human baby would make its way into faerie lands, and viceversa, likely both with unusual/unfortunate/unexpected results. Such is the case in THE BETWEEN, where Lydia Hawthorne finds out, much to her discomfiture and chagrin, that she is not human, not a senior in high school, and not going to college next year-but, rather, a "trueborn" Fae (meaning she was born from two Fae--faerie--parents), and one with a great deal of untapped magical power.

Lydia is a complex, strongly-drawn character. Her reaction to the situation she finds herself in is not only completely understandable, but also utterly relatable. She is angry, frustrated, sad, confused-and also incredibly powerful, which makes for a fantastic fictional combination. I love reading strong female leads, and Lydia did not disappoint. Her strength in the face of intimidating situations was bracing, yet also delightfully juxtaposed to her despondency and desperation at being torn from her adopted human family. LJ Cohen does a fantastic job of describing Lydia's feelings and taking us on a tour of Lydia's thoughts without ever dragging the story down.

Clive Barrow, Lydia's unwitting sidekick in her tour of Faerie, is also a greatly developed character. Fae in nature, yet mortal in so many ways, Clive presents us with both sides of the coin in a way that Lydia, with her unwillingness to accept her Fae heritage, cannot initially do. Clive is the character which grows and changes the most throughout the book, acting in ways that surprise even him. I enjoyed the fact that it was a secondary character that developed the most (which is actually saying a lot, given the metamorphosis Lydia goes through).

The Fae nemeses in THE BETWEEN, Oberon and Titania, are magnificent. Cohen's descriptions allow you to nearly feel the glow of King Oberon's robes blinding you, and the wispy cold of Queen Titania's magical fog creeping about your ankles. I love that Cohen tapped into a Shakespeare classic, A Midsummer Night's Dream, as inspiration for these Fae rulers (and it doesn't hurt that I am an unabashed Shakespeare-o-phile).

Cohen does a lot of things well in THE BETWEEN, but perhaps the thing she does the best is describe the way magic feels. I'd never really given this any thought, being thoroughly non-magical myself, but Cohen's engaging, detailed descriptions allowed me to feel the the flow of magic both Fae and human as I read the story.

The relationships she crafts between the characters were excellent. The lines between the Bright and Shadow courts were clearly drawn, and their members easily categorized. I found myself fully engaged in the tale, rooting for my favorites, sometimes reading with bated breath and-once-with a lump in my throat.

As anyone who follows my reviews will know, I enjoy my action to be a little drawn out, the climaxes lengthy, the denouements detailed enough to allow for the story to ebb and flow without sudden starts and stop. The Between did all of these. I never found myself putting on the mental brakes and wondering when we'd reached the end of the story. Even though the action moved at a quick clip, it never simply sped ahead of the reader. It was paced well and expertly.

All in all, an excellent read, regardless of your level of comfort or familiarity with faerie literature or stories. Even if all you've ever done is watched Peter Pan, you'll be able to jump right into THE BETWEEN and become a part of Cohen's faerie land within a few pages, completely enjoying yourself in the process. I hope Cohen decides to do a follow-up to the story; I would read it in a human second.

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. (less)

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Apr 05, 2013 Mike rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: indie, kindle

Upfront disclosure: I know Lisa Cohen on Google+. We've beta-read for each other and we're mutual fans. She offered me a free copy of the book and asked me to read it, not necessarily for review, but because she wanted my thoughts on it.

First, the language. I know she's worked hard on the editing, but there are still a few issues. She refers to the "girl's bathroom" when she means "girls' bathroom" (more than one girl uses it), there are half a dozen sentences with missing words or slightly odd...more Upfront disclosure: I know Lisa Cohen on Google+. We've beta-read for each other and we're mutual fans. She offered me a free copy of the book and asked me to read it, not necessarily for review, but because she wanted my thoughts on it.

First, the language. I know she's worked hard on the editing, but there are still a few issues. She refers to the "girl's bathroom" when she means "girls' bathroom" (more than one girl uses it), there are half a dozen sentences with missing words or slightly odd word choices, as if they've been incompletely revised, a couple of other grammar issues and a homonym error ("pendent" for "pendant"). In the realm of things, that's not too bad.

Otherwise, the language is functional, but doesn't rise to beautiful or extraordinarily evocative. That's a valid stylistic choice, by the way, and is well-suited to the point-of-view character, a seemingly ordinary American teenage girl. A very high three stars for language, four if those editing glitches were fixed, which I'm sure they soon will be.

The plot kept me guessing. I didn't know where she was going with it, and in fact it ended up with a resolution that was very different from what I'd expected (and not what the protagonist was originally going after, either, which felt a little unsatisfying to me). Like the protagonist herself, it reminded me very much of Lisa's other novel, Derelict, which I've beta-read in an early draft: an angry, rebellious young woman struggling against odds that are way beyond her and being frustrated at pretty much every turn. I think this may have something to do with why I didn't always feel pulled along by the story. I don't get a sense of progress towards the protagonist's goal. I was trying to put my finger on why I set both stories aside at times to read other things, and I think that's it. For me (and not necessarily for every reader), a sense of progress towards the protagonist's goal is important. So plot gets three stars: competently handled, with no obvious holes or absurdities, but for me at least not as emotionally satisfying as it might have been.

One other thing to say about plot, actually: I know that Lisa deliberately steered away from having romance as a plot focus, and for that I applaud her. I know that who is with whom is a preoccupation of young adults, but that's not the only interesting story you can tell in YA, and good on Lisa for standing firm on that and telling another one of those interesting stories.

Now, character. There are two viewpoint characters, Lydia and Clive, and they're distinct in their voices, viewpoints and motivations. Both of them are well-drawn and believable, and the minor characters are also distinct. The relationships between them are varied, they shift sometimes, and all the shifts are believable too. This is an author who knows what she's doing as far as character is concerned. Four and a half stars, easily.

Finally, the setting. Other reviewers have commented that in The Between, some of the most tired tropes of the Fae are given fresh life, and it's true. Titania and Oberon are everything scary and dangerous you ever heard about the Fae, but seen from Lydia's viewpoint they are also petty, selfish tyrants. They remind me of Third World dictators, in fact. The Fae court is beautiful and strange, but also faded and dependent on glamour. Here is an author who's gone back to the primary sources, rather than just building on more recent interpretations of the Fae, and it shows. The idea of being able to draw magic from love and memories and connections to other people, foreign to the Fae, is an inspired touch of originality, too. A clear four stars for setting: while it's built on a lot of prior art, the author does interesting new things with it nevertheless.

Overall, four stars, and the lost star is mostly because for my personal taste the plot wasn't as satisfying as it might have been. This is a very fine YA novel, and I look forward to more from L.J. Cohen.(less)

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Apr 04, 2012 Lindsay Kendal rated it 4 of 5 stars

This is a rather quick and entertaining read. I can honest say I’ve never really been ‘into’ Fae stories, but this really sucked me in. I followed the story very well in most parts, but some of it towards the mid-end section became rather confusing (only a little part). Also the ending was a little frustrating. Having said that, it does leave it open and set up well for a sequel.

The writing style was very good, and for the most part, easy to follow. The characters are both likeable and well dev...more

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Mar 27, 2013 B. Kristin McMichael added it

Lydia finds out that she is a faerie - and a powerful one at that. Now both Oberon and Titania are trying to get her to join their side. While it would be easy to assume light is the good guys and shadow are the bad guys, things are always more complicated in faerie. Luckily for Lydia, although she doesn’t understand how to control her power, some things come naturally.

This book had a good pace to it. The beginning quickly grabbed your attention. Lydia was being chased and a creeper (Clive- who...more

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May 05, 2012 Kristin rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, ya

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.

Wh...more

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Jan 29, 2012 A.J. Maguire rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Honestly, I'm not one for the YA market. I'm pretty sure I've said that before. However, if you give me a YA novel that shoves me through the proverbial looking glass and straight into Oberon's court ... well ... then you've got my attention. I loved the magic system in this book, the use of Fairie and how the Fae conducted business was really very compelling. I'd have to admit that Clive was my favored character, he had just enough dark-and-broody to be sympathetic without being whiny.

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Aug 14, 2012 R. Desilets rated it 4 of 5 stars

Really well done portrayal of fae - and I'm not a big faerie fan either. The story went by rather face, and I'm still keeping my fingers crossed that LJ Cohen may release a short story as a "few years later" thing (epilogue). Honestly, I wasn't ready to leave the characters, I liked them so much!

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Mar 15, 2012 Karla rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-reads, goodreads-winner

I enjoyed this charming tale of fantasy for the most part. I found the ending anti-climatic and drawn out though. Was I sleeping when the gardeners riddle of which he gave one piece of the puzzle to Lydia and one piece to Clive, was revealed? That was quite disappointing, even if there will be a series of this, that should have been explained somewhat. It seemed that there was no definetion of the relationship between the characters either. How did the two feuding courts come back together?

I wo...more

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Feb 06, 2012 Anne Velosa rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: reades-of-2012

A page-turner of a story that includes Fae and a protagonist that discovers that her reality is not what it seems. A great YA novel without romance! I wish there were more strong/smart female protagonists like Lydia out there for my girls and boy to read about.

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Dec 29, 2012 Jade rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy

I don't often read YA books, so I did not really expect to be so enthralled in this story. I really loved this book! Cohen is a very poetic writer and creates beautiful images with her words. I fell in love with her characters and enjoyed the ride. I can definitely recommend this book to people, especially if you enjoyed stories like Labyrinth and Dark Crystal (like I did in my youth, and still today!)

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Apr 25, 2012 Roger Royer rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-fantasy

This was a wonderful little book. A rather fun read and some impressive characters. I was impressed with the strength that our hero brings from the mortal world and manages to cross over to the faerie with. I was impressed with how she was also so strong in her way home and back again.

The book was so very impressive that I hope there will be another soon.

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May 12, 2013 Nicholas marked it as to-read

Apr 09, 2013 Igraine marked it as to-read

Mar 25, 2013 Chris marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Mar 25, 2013 David Brown marked it as to-read

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