Mystical, spiritual -- confusing..., Her fixation on her smell and her complete lack of attention to personal hygiene throughout the book were disturbing and frankly, a bit gross. I was never sure exactly where this story was going. Lots of references to "pee", snot, body odor, greasy hair, etc.?!
Anyway -- Beth is a normal high school girl -- "a blonde geek with a 4.1 GPA" who wants to go to college when her plans are derailed by the arrival of a gold envelope and a note with the enigmatic message: You are more than you think you are. She, henceforth referred to as Aleph Beth, and cohort crush Richie (gorgeous of course) are led on a merry chase to New York where the mysteries of who she is and her mission are revealed through tarot cards, meeting other characters, and solved. Sort of.
Meanwhile, the other 6 complements of the "Seven Rays" are introduced in successive chapters but none of the stories are really told and it seems a gathering of a really motley crew with different "powers." Not sure even what these Seven Rays are supposed to ultimately DO.
There's a lot of vague sexual description -- quite strange actually since Beth and Richie don't actually engage -- but the nuances of what is happening are very clear. I'm given to understand that these 7 Rays have a mission and Aleph Beth is supposed to have 7 children by 7 different men. I am wondering if there will be a sequel because this novel really didn't provide a definitive ending!
I will have to give this book to some teens and see what their reaction is -- I'm a bit ambivalent!
