A review by rly94
Betwixt by Tara Bray Smith

3.0

When I discovered this book I was so excited to buy it and start it because of the sound of a really great story line and some awesome characters. After reading some other reviews exclaiming about how they couldn't get through the book and how terrible it was, I almost thought not to bother, but I was so enchanted by the idea, that I did finally buy it and start to read it as soon as I got it. I either wanted to see why people thought it was so bad, and nod along with them, or read it and be amazed by how fantastic the story was. After reading it, which took quite a few breaks I hate to admit. The book wasn't as bad as everybody was making out, Smith's style of writing was peculiar, and not as straight forward as most. The plot was really good, and the fantasy aspect worked really well, the let down was the characters. They were very basic, and simple. There was nothing to them, very stereotypical and the book didnt really create any emotion for them. It was very difficult to relate to them at all, there was just such a lack of connection between the characters and myself while I was reading that I got to the point where I didnt care if something bad was happening, cus' I didnt actually care for the characters at all. I liked the character of Morgan, cus' she kicked ass, but the concept that she was so self centered, yet was beautiful and lived on a trailer park? Is just didnt add up, and then there was the bits with the forests, there was so much potential to make Morgan a great character, but is was wasted. The other characters were just so Blaaaah ! I cant even remember a thing about them, they had no reason to stand out at all. Moth and that other guy were just creepy. Although the fantasy was the best part of the story, the way it was presented was terrible. I didnt understand what was going on half the time, nothing was explained. Yet oddly enough, this book wasnt awful. It just wasnt great. I know it sounds like i just wrote an awful review, but I am just talking about the bad points. It was actually an interesting read and showed me definitly and new and different style of writing. The descriptions were amazing, but sometimes not simple enough to actually just say what happend. Some things were explained very well, and i felt like I was actually there. Yet I wish the whole of the book was like that. Just FYI I am writing this about 6 months after reading it cus' I realised I havent wrote a review yet, and this was the first book I read when I signed on to Goodreads. All In all, its a good story and is captiving, but has faults, which if overlooked will leave you breathtaken in some moments, and banging your heads in others. Perhaps Smith' should write some adult books, the aparant teenagers didnt necessarily act like teens, maybe that was the major problem, I coulndt relate, because they werent acting like teens.
Anyway, its worth a go, if you can stand it. if not, its not a terrible loss.
Yet I still give it 3.5 out of 5.