I’m giving The Between five stars, and I rarely do that. I have more complicated reasons that I’ll list below, but the main reason is that I simply enjoyed reading it that much.
The main character, Lydia, thinks she’s an ordinary high school senior facing ordinary challenges–where to go to college, how to get her own car, etc. But it turns out she’s a trueborn fae, and she’s about to get sucked into the ongoing political power play between Oberon and Titania. Cohen did a fine job of making Lydia sympathetic but not perfect. I really got behind her and her goals of protecting not only herself, but also her family and friends.
It uses some common tropes–portals, the chosen one–but they’re used creatively enough that I never got the feeling that this book was a poor imitation of a greater writer’s work.
As a writer myself, I always deeply appreciate works that are compelling enough to let me turn off my inner editor and simply enjoy the story. The Between did that for me. I highly recommend it.
Share this:
Avid writer and reader of Faerie tales and noblebright fantasy.
Cathleen Townsend 
Nice review!
LikeLike
Thanks. 🙂
LikeLike
Sounds like a good read, Cathleen. I like to turn off my inner editor too. That’s high praise. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yeah, books that I used to like before I started writing–some of them I can’t read anymore. Didn’t happen with any of the ones I loved fortunately, but there you are. Writing gives–I can make my own worlds now–but it also takes away.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I agree. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
There is no better reason for a 5/5 than you loved reading it. Sometimes, it’s almost impossible to deconstruct the whys.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Mmm, yes, but I’m a writer, so more is expected of me than “Dude, this was great!”
But sometimes, that’s what it boils down to. Daniel White of Longshot Island emailed me a copy of the O. Henry winner, and the tale moved right along, it was technically well-constructed, but as a story it left me cold. I was reading another short story in Share Your Work that really had nothing I could add–it was that well told, but it wasn’t my kind of tale.
I really write about heroes, especially small, unexpected ones. With added magic. I love fairy tales. I think I’ve decided to just own it.
And that’s the kind of story I relate to as a reader as well.
LikeLike
My very favorite books are the ones that let me get completely lost in the story. I’m glad this one did that for you!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Sorry I missed this comment, Ann. Yes, a story that lets you get lost in it is a gift. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Interesting to read about your “inner editor”. I know there’s a writer inside me wanting to come out but I never thought of my constant wanting to correct text I read on a daily basis as my “inner editor”. Good point. Funny how my IE was completely switched off while reading Gaiman’s American Gods. Just as someone else’s comment above, the book was so good that it had me completely absorbed into the story so there was no room for internal editing. I didn’t know that it happens to other people.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I think the inner editor thing is fairly common among writers, so you’re in good company. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person