Review: Between

Author Megan Whitmer
Format e-ARC
Print Length 384 pages
Publisher Spencer Hill Press
Published July 29, 2014

When a supernatural freak of nature forces her family to separate, seventeen-year-old Charlie Page must turn to her frustrating (yet gorgeous) neighbor, Seth, to help reunite them. Seth whisks Charlie to Ellauria—a magical world filled with the creatures of myths and legends—and tells her of the Fellowship, the group charged with protecting mystical beings from human discovery. (All except Bigfoot: that attention whore is a total lost cause.) But when Charlie learns that she's under the Fellowship's protection herself, well, "stressed" is an understatement.

Ellauria should be the safest place for Charlie while the Fellowship works to find her family, but things in the mystical realm aren’t what they seem.

Magic is failing, creatures are dying, and the Fellowship insists Charlie holds the key to saving everyone. With her family still missing and the danger in Ellauria growing, Charlie doesn't know who she can trust. She's dealing with a power she never asked for, falling for a guy she can't have, and being forced to choose between her destiny and her heart. And if she chooses wrong, she could destroy magic forever.

Charlie may be in over her head.

My Opinion

Between is a charming book that will jumpstart your imagination. At the beginning of the book, Charlie is with her very normal family- her momma and her twin brother Sam. They are celebrating the twin’s birthday. The birthday is interrupted in a thrilling way when a mothman attacks the twins. Sam and their momma go one way, Charlie and a family friend Seth go another. They have plans to meet back up in some place called Ellauria. All Charlie is armed with is her momma’s last words to her “Listen to Seth…. trust in him”. She has to remind herself of this mantra a lot during the next several chapters.

Charlie soon realizes that life is not as she thought. There is another realm or two, Ellauria and the Between, that she did not know existed. The Between is like a buffer zone that magical beings may enter before getting to Ellauria. Charlie being human should not be able to enter the Between or Ellauria- that is when she finds out the truth.

Charlie is Seth’s apprentice, and he is her Aegis. He main job is be her mentor and guardian. Charlie is the last of the muralets- a direct descendant from Mother Nature. Because of this Seth and her momma, Adele have kept her hidden.

Charlie is a likeable character who questions everything- so basically a typical teenager. Not only does she question everything, she is woman enough to do so out loud. She handles everything that Seth and Alexander throw her way. She is determined to find her mom and brother, even if no one else is. Seth as her Aegis is pretty darn hot. Not only that be he knows his stuff, and his mentee. He knows and respects that Charlie will question him. He continues to play guardian and mentor to him, even with the budding feelings that are occurring between them.

Questions raced through my head- will they get to her mom and brother in time? Will Seth be able to save her? Will Keiran just go away? (I was fearing a love triangle.) Why did no one else want to protect Charlie? She is magic, after all.

Between is a fascinating read that ultimately creates an enchanting new world for the reader. As this is the author’s debut novel, I am looking forward to reading more from her in the future.

My Rating 4 out of 5 stars

Favorite Quote I think “duck” works pretty well. Duck. Ducking. Ducker.

Other People

Clary- mean gal empress of fairies
Keiran- elven flamethrower
Alexander- leader of the Fellowship