Blog Tour: BETWEEN by Megan Whitmer, Review & MEGA-Giveaway!
Jul 25th, 2014 by
Liza Wiemer
BETWEEN
by Megan Whitmer
About BETWEEN:
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 REVIEW:
Cover: – Awesome – The designer nailed it! It fits the novel to the tee. I love the graphics, colors, font!
Final verdict: A win for fantasy lovers. Because of content, great for really strong readers 5th grade and up. (Librarians/teachers can easily recommend to those MGers desperate for YA.) But perfect for YA.
The novel: Love anything that has to do with magic and magical creatures? Then this is the novel for you. Charlie Page, an artistic teenager, quickly discovers that all is not normal in her world. As a matter of fact, she’s thrust into a world (Ellauria) she didn’t even know existed. As readers, we get to discover a whole new world of supernatural and magical creatures at the same time Charlie does. We struggle along with her for her need to exert independence and break rules. Issues involving family, loyalty, love, and friendship are central to this novel. So are good and evil.
There are vivid descriptions of the environment, creatures, and characters. Readers won’t have any issues visualizing the world Megan creates in BETWEEN. I love how she incorporates the Mothman, fey, unicorns, Boogeyman, menfolk and many more. I’m certain that readers will like Seth, Charlie’s protector. He’s sweet, loyal, and devoted to Charlie. Another wonderful strength to this novel is the role Mother Nature plays in Charlie’s life. It makes you think about how we are all stewards of Earth.
Fantasy lovers this is a win. I highly recommend libraries and schools have this book on their shelves. It’s “clean” and perfect for strong readers from 5th grade and up. Let me explain, because of the content, as a teacher, I would have absolutely no problem saying to a fifth grader, you’re ready for a more mature book, I’ve got a great one for you! That being said, BETWEEN will most definitely appeal to all YA who love fantasy!
Congrats, Megan! Well done.
Blog Tour Schedule:
MEGAN WHITMER
Links to find Megan online:
Author Bio:
She lives in Kentucky with her family. Also, she writes books and talks a lot. You can learn more about her at www.meganwhitmerwrites.com
MEGA-GIVEAWAY There are two prizes:
BETWEEN Prize Pack #1
BETWEEN by Megan Whitmer ARC (signed)
SING SWEET NIGHTINGALE by Erica Cameron (signed)
EVER by Jessa Russo (signed)
RECLAIMED by Sarah Guillory (signed)
TRAGIC TALES OF STRANGE GIRLS ebook by Suzy G
THE ART OF FALLING ebook by Jenny Kaczorowski
OF SCARS AND STARDUST postcard with download code for eARC by Andee Hannah
BETWEEN Prize Pack #2
BETWEEN by Megan Whitmer ARC (signed)
DOORWAYS TO EXTRA TIME by Erica Cameron (signed)
DIVIDE by Jessa Russo (signed)
RECLAIMED by Sarah Guillory (signed)
Preorder of BLACKFIN SKY by Kat Ellis
ULTRAVIOLET CATASTROPHE by Jamie Grey
BOTH prize packs will also include various swag from authors: Jessa Russo, Dahlia Adler, Tonya Kuper, Lynne Matson, and Kat Ellis
a Rafflecopter giveaway
The Best MG/YA Novels About Death, Dying, or Those Left Behind
Apr 9th, 2012 by
Liza Wiemer
DEATH. It’s inevitable. And even though DEATH isn’t the biggest fear for MG/YA, (alienation from peers is number one according to a child psychologist friend who conducted a study on the topic) it is still a topic YA think about. Yesterday, I finished reading The Probability of Miracles by Wendy Wunder. It was another powerful read about the main character dying of cancer that left my head spinning and my dreams mingled with images right off the pages. When I woke up, I started thinking about how many MG/YA novels I’ve read on this topic. I searched my Goodreads list and I realized that DEATH is definitely a reoccurring theme. No, I am not DEATH obsessed at all. But it’s everywhere – from the Hunger Games to Under the Never Sky to Across the Universe— all fantastic novels I highly recommend. In those novels, characters are murdered and DEATH is prevalent. But they don’t necessarily address the deeper issues of DEATH. So, I decided to compile a list for readers who are looking for some of the BEST novels that dig into this topic. In no particular order:
The Fault in Our Stars by John Green, WhoRuBlog post: http://www.whorublog.com/?p=1043
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/227446798
Before I Die by Jenny Downham, Goodreads review: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/245856732
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/215029968
Fracture by Megan Miranda, Goodreads review: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/243297421
Mercy Lily by Lisa Albert, Goodreads review: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/151807847
You Are Not Here by Samantha Schutz, Goodread review: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/226657322
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/223975181
Chasing Brooklyn by Lisa Schroeder Goodreads review: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/223975181
Elsewhere by Gabriella Zevin, Goodreads review: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/274770802
Between by Jessica Warman, Goodreads review: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/207351225
The Everafter by Amy Huntley, Goodreads review: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/162762230
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/174050466
The Sky is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson, Goodreads review: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/150999990
Deadline by Chris Crutcher, Goodreads review: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/104403811
Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver, Goodreads review: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/91838896
If I Stay, by Gayle Forman, Goodreads review: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/115787142
Read and added on April 21, 2012 – after recommendations from several YA book bloggers: The Catastrophic History of You and Me, Goodreads review: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/195927203
MIDDLE GRADE:
A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness (author), Siobhad Dowd, Jim Kay (illustrator), Goodreads review: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/234705851
Radiance, Shimmer, Dreamland (Riley Bloom Series, 1, 2, 3) by Alyson Noel, Goodreads review: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/223997625
Would love to know your favorites. Feel free to share by clicking on comments.
A Monster Calls ,
A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness ,
Alyson Noel ,
Amy Huntley ,
Before I Die ,
Before I Fall ,
Between ,
Chasing Brooklynn ,
Deadline ,
Dreamland ,
Elsewhere ,
Fracture ,
I Heart You You Haunt Me by Lisa Schroeder ,
If I Stay by Gayle Forman ,
Jay Asher ,
Jessica Warman ,
Mercy Lily ,
Radiance ,
Shimmer ,
The Catastrophic History of You and Me ,
The Everafter ,
The Fault in Our Stars ,
The Probability of Miracles by Wendy Wunder ,
The Sky is Everywhere ,
Thirteen Reasons Why ,
Winter Longing by Tricia Mills ,
You Are Not Here
