Title: Between the Devil and the Deep Blue SeaSeries: Between#1
Author: April Genevieve Tucholke
Publisher: Dial
Release Date: August 15th 2013
Pages: Hardcover, 360 pages
Source: Library
Summary from Goodreads:
You stop fearing the devil when you’re holding his hand…
Nothing much exciting rolls through Violet White’s sleepy, seaside town… until River West comes along. River rents the guest house behind Violet’s crumbling estate, and as eerie, grim things start to happen, Violet begins to wonder about the boy living in her backyard.
Is River just a crooked-smiling liar with pretty eyes and a mysterious past? Or could he be something more?
Violet’s grandmother always warned her about the Devil, but she never said he could be a dark-haired boy who takes naps in the sun, who likes coffee, who kisses you in a cemetery... who makes you want to kiss back.
Violet’s already so knee-deep in love, she can’t see straight. And that’s just how River likes it.
Blending faded decadence and the thrilling dread of gothic horror, April Genevieve Tucholke weaves a dreamy, twisting contemporary romance, as gorgeously told as it is terrifying—a debut to watch.
I have been struggling with this review; it is a hard book to summarize and review because it was a different and unique book. Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea is a dark gothic love story with mysterious main character and a creepy old town setting. Basically a great Halloween read :)
Violet White and her brother are living in their recently passed away grandmother's house while their artist parents are off traveling the world, so they are essentially on their own. Violet decides to rent the guest house to the new dark haired mysterious and intriguing young River. Right off the back Violet can tell something is different about him. River can set her on edge and gives off an overall sense of unease while on the flip side when they touch she is just absorbed right into him and his charm.
My biggest issue with the book is the ending, I was so intrigued and in a state of suspense the whole story until the end. There was so much build up but not enough resolve. The book is supposed to be a series so I suppose that could explain it but I wanted to know more about the River's family traits and needed more out of the love story. Don't get me wrong I did like River, he was dark and kind of evil and that made him all the more intriguing but the roller coaster love hate between him and Violet started to get old. I do hope that the love story stabilizes more in the following book.
I do not normally comment on the writing style yet I feel compelled to mention how well the story was written. Tucholke's words drew me in immediately and just kept me enraptured in the eerie old town's drama and devilish happenings. The overall mood of the story is actually perfectly captured in the cover, the old script writing gives off a haunting vibe, with the red devil lettering covering the powerful ocean and the romantic cliff side.
