HardcoverExpected publication: August 14th 2014 by Dial
ARC Provided by Publisher In Exchange for a Honest Review
The conclusion to Between the Devil and The Deep Blue Sea, this gothic thriller romance with shades of Stephen King and Daphne du Maurier is a must-read for fans of Beautiful Creatures and Anna Dressed in Blood.
Freddie once told me that the Devil created all the fear in the world.But then, the Devil once told me that it's easier to forgive someone for scaring you than for making you cry.The problem with River West Redding was that he'd done both to me.
The crooked-smiling liar River West Redding, who drove into Violet's life one summer day and shook her world to pieces, is gone. Violet and Neely, River's other brother, are left to worry—until they catch a two a.m. radio program about strange events in a distant mountain town. They take off in search of River but are always a step behind, finding instead frenzied towns, witch hunts, and a wind-whipped island with the thrum of something strange and dangerous just under the surface. It isn't long before Violet begins to wonder if Neely, the one Redding brother she thought trustworthy, has been hiding a secret of his own . . .
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April Genevieve Tucholke is a full-time writer who digs classic movies, redheaded villains, big kitchens, and discussing murder at the dinner table. She and her husband—a librarian, former rare-book dealer, and journalist—live in Oregon. Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea is her first novel.
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(Spoiler Alert if you have not read the first book, Between The Devil and The Deep Blue Sea...There are parts of my review that reference back to important events in this book.)
I have to express first and foremost that the cover of this book is breathtaking, beautiful and captures the essence of this story perfectly. Everything from the colors of the title text to the gorgeous snow-covered mountains in the background. I give mad props to whoever April Genevieve Tucholke chose to create the amazing covers on both Between The Devil and The Deep Blue Sea and Between The Spark and Burn. The covers of both books are incredible and are both included in my "Favorite Covers of 2013 & Favorite Covers of 2014."
So...the minute I saw the cover of Between The Devil and The Deep Blue Sea and read the synopsis I knew I had to read it. I became immedaitely obsessed after reading the first chapter of this creepy, magnificent book. When I turned to the last page of the story I just sat in awe...staring at the last page. I needed more...and I needed it immediately.
The sequel to Between The Devil and The Deep Blue Sea is called Between The Spark and Burn and it is everything that I wanted/expected and more. The story is so creepy, haunting, terrifying, and amazing all at the same time.
April Tucholke weaves an intricate story full of suspense, romance, and gothic horror. The imagery she uses in her words is just breathtaking. The way she describes the settings and places that Violet visits is so perfect and makes you feel as though you are right there with her....on the edge of a cliff standing in the window of a crumbling mansion in Maine and smelling the salty sea or in the Appalachian Mountains walking in the cold, wet snow.
"Epresso and olive oil and tomatoes and midnight and kids in cemeteries and sizzling, crackling fear and a blood-dripping neck and fire and smoke and the warm, happy feeling of the glow flowing through me and him, buzz and hum and purr and kissing in the guesthouse and the shack with the dirt and the nets and the seaweed and the salt under my fingernails and River's hands pulling at my clothes...."
Between The Spark and the Burn starts right where Between The Devil and The Deep Blue sea left off...Violet is reminiscing about her time with River and reliving all the pain that she went through before he left. River and his red-headed evil brother Brodie disappeared shortly after the events that occured in Echo. Violet has tried to move on but River is always there...haunting her in the back of her mind so she decides to go after him. She has been listening to a midnight radio show called Stranger Than Fiction that tells about supernatural events happening across the country.
Violet, Neely, Luke, and Sunshine decide to leave Echo and follow the strange happenings that they heard on the radio in hopes of finding Brodie and River and putting a stop to their evil ways. The first event leads them to a small, isolated town called Inn's End that claims to have "a boy with flames in his eyes and hooves instead of feet" who is sneaking into the towns adolescent girls rooms at night and stealing their dreams. The story says he has a flock of ravens that attack anyone who attempts to intervene.
"The first thing I noticed was the quiet . The deep, deep, middle-of-the-forest quiet. After the quiet, I noticed the lack of Christmas decorations. No lights on trees, no greenery around door frames, no cheery red tinsel hung between streetlights.All the towns we'd passed recently had put up their own slightly shabby holiday trimmings, making the streets seem more cheerful and sweet than usual. But not Inn's End.
And then I noticed the birds.
Black-feathered corpses. Everywhere. Piled up on steps, kicked into snow piles, dangling by their necks from lampposts and signs. There were eight nailed to the door of the dark, abandoned-looking Youngman's Inn, and five hanging from the feet from the iron church gate."
This is only the beginning of a wild, suspense-filled, horrific journey for Neely, Violet, Luke, and Sunshine. There is never a dull moment throughout the entire book. There is always something happening..someone who needs saving...and plenty of spooky, creepy occurrences along the way.
The love triangle of Violet, Neely, and River is perfectly weaved into the story. Violet is so torn and confused and heartbroken. Does she love Neely...the caring, strong, and honest Redding brother OR River..the evil, addictive, lying Redding brother. The way April Tucholke writes Violet's character is so perfect. Violet is so full of emotion. I love the way she refers back to her Grandmother Freddie throughout the book. The excerpt's of Freddie's diary is a perfect addition in this complicated story. The more of Freddie's diary that she reads the more she realizes how similar their lives are turning out to be.
I cannot express how obsessed I am with with this duology. I want more..I need more. I finished this book in two days. It was impossible to put down and even after I finished it I found myself opening it back up and re-reading parts of the book just so that I could stay in this incredible story. I cannot express the words to justify the how phenomenal this book truly is. From this moment on I have added April Genevieve Tucholke to the top of my "author watch" list. Her beautiful writing and descriptive story-telling will stay with me forever.
This duology will appeal to readers of young adult, Gothic, and horror genres. I highly recommend it and I do mean HIGHLY.
Click here to read my 5 star review of the first book in this duology:
Between The Devil and The Deep Blue Sea
Between The Devil and The Deep Blue Sea
*I want to say a huge thank you to Dial Publishing and April Genevieve Tucholke for providing me with an ARC copy of this book in exchange for a honest review. All opinions expressed in this review are my own. The quotes in my review were taken from an unedited proof of the book and are subject to change by the time the final print copy is released. "
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