Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea Paperback – July 3, 2014

[...]I'll just come right out and say it: I was intrigued ever since I laid my eyes on the cover. In fact, 'intriguing' is the perfect word to describe April Genevieve Tucholke's debut novel "Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea"--there couldn't be a better word for a story that works its sinuously delicious, gothic magic on you as you flip through its pages. Trust me, just because it's summer, doesn't mean you can't get shivers down your spine! This book certainly proved that right.Hardly anything exciting happens to Violet White in the sleepy seaside town of Echo. That is, until the mysterious River West comes along. When River rents the guesthouse behind Violet's crumbling estate, eerie things start to happen, making Violet wonder just who this boy with a crooked smile is. Violet's grandmother has always warned her about the Devil, but she never said it could be a charming, dark-haired teenage boy who packs picnics, likes coffee, and kisses you in a cemetery...and makes you want to kiss him back. Even though it's only been a few days, Violet's already fallen deeply in love with him, too deep to see straight. And that's just how River wants it."Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea" is rich in its gothic atmosphere, with rickety, sprawling mansions and grim superstitions about darker powers. I've read quite a few gothic YA novels, ripe with the uncanny and romance, but I don't think many of them really had me enraptured like this one did. Of course, one of the most crucial components to gothic literature is the terror--that pleasing sort of terror that thrills you just as much as it gives you the heebie jeebies. This book definitely has the terror part down. I mean, all of the children in the town suddenly amassing into a grim stake-wielding, cross-bearing army? Or people rallying together to burn red-headed 'witches'? There's a lot of dark stuff going on in the story, from horrific sadism to crippling addiction, and Ms. Tucholke has definitely done and excellent job in crafting the perfectly eerie atmosphere for the story. I can't even count how many times I got the chills!What I liked even more than the grim, gothic atmosphere of the novel was its great cast of characters, especially Violet. She is without a doubt a unique protagonist, with quirks like wearing her deceased grandmother's clothes and reading classics like Faust and Auden. Despite this, she never struck me as weird. Instead, Violet is an endearing heroine who's strong, compassionate, and has the ability to see ordinary things as a little more magical, something which can be seen in the subtly beautiful descriptions of Citizen Kane, the grand estate she and her twin brother, Luke, live in together. Violet's also very responsible, which did great things to not make her yet another one of those heroines who end up falling head over heels for the mysterious, hot stranger. Which, of course, brings me to the mysterious, hot River. My feelings toward River are pretty mixed. I think as the story progressed, they went from 'ooh hello good looking' to 'he's kind of a player' to 'what on earth, you're clearly messed up, get away from me' to 'ah, I guess I kinda understand you, you're not too bad after all'. If you had a hard time following along with my nonsensical train of thought, the long story short is that River's a complex character, and a pretty messed up one at that, too. But as the story progressed and we saw more of his past and his true feelings, I felt more and more sympathetic towards him, so maybe he's not too bad after all.The other characters in the novel also played instrumental roles in making the book as great as it is. You have Luke, Violet's twin brother who plays all manly-macho, but has a soft side to him. And there's Sunshine, Violet's neighbour-and-sort-of-best-friend, who likes to show off her boobies, and whose thoughts are slow and calm like a babbling brook. There's also Neely, and all these other characters, who all make the book all the more exciting and vibrant. But I think my favourite character is definitely Freddie, Violet's grandmother. Despite the fact that she's long dead by the beginning of the book, her presence is strong throughout the novel, and it's one heck of a presence at that! Instead of your standard cookie-baking, sweater-knitting grandma, Freddie is eccentric and kind of...sensual, as gross as that sounds when you're describing a grandmother. I mean, there are nude paintings of her hanging around Citizen Kane! If that's not sensual, I don't know what is. I also thought the relationship between Freddie and Violet was really sweet, and gave even more life to her character.Overall, "Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea" is a hauntingly enchanting story, with a rich, gothic atmosphere, a quirky, likable heroine, and a great cast of characters. I definitely recommend this novel for anyone looking for a thrilling read, and I can't wait to see how things develop in the sequel!Rating: 4/5

I honestly was afraid to start reading Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea. I DO NOT like horror stories or movies, but there was something about this book and reader's reviews that drew me in. So there I was with the book in hand (err, on my Kindle), and I was shocked......because the book isn't all that scary. It's spooky and creepy, for sure, But I never had an "Oh yeah, I'm definitely having nightmares tonight" moment. I don't think it not being scary is a bad thing per se, I was just expecting it. (Books like The Unbecoming & Evolution of Mara Dyer gave me chills and had the disturbing factor).What Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea does really well is keeping readers in limbo. Almost immediately after being introduced to River West, the new guy in town who is renting out Violet's family's guesthouse, you understand that he's bad news. The question is, how bad?Is he evil or just mischievous? Is he hurting people or are they just accidents? The suspense is wonderful and kept me turning pages like mad.Another thing I really enjoyed about the book was the little quirks of Violet's family and the town. Violet's grandma's home is nicknamed Citizen Kane (Citizen for short), and Violet creeps out her brother Luke by wearing their dead grandma's clothes. Plus, they live in a quaint small town, complete with a town drunk.Although I thought these elements were put together well, it still didn't stop me from having a few issues with bigger parts of the story....River was one of the most intriguing characters of the book. I wanted to know more about him - which readers do get a better glimpse as the book goes on - and his web of lies. That was the problem, though. I saw the lives of Violet, Luke and her friend Sunshine, and I felt nothing.Luke is obnoxious and just plain cruel, and Sunshine is a sex-pot with no emotional depth. They felt real but there weren't likable. And that was the trouble, no one was likable. I guess Violet was the most relatable, but she's aloof and alone. Normally that would make me sympathize with her, but the added layer of accidental snobbery and indifference makes her feel distant and removed.Don't get me wrong - the story is well done. River's cloudy past is not the only skeleton in the closet. Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea offers several mysteries to solve, including one in Violet's own family.One trope I'm getting very tired of in YA is the "he's so bad and does terrible things but I can't deny my feelings" mentality. Take it for what it is, but I'm starting to find it annoying, childish and upsetting.OVERALL:The characters were unlikable and unrelatable and the gothic horror element feel flat for me (and I'm just a wimp, too!). I do think the series has potential, though, and will be tuning in for the second book at the very least. The saving grace for Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea was the quirky town and continuing mystery of River West.

Arrived quickly, in great condition

I came into this with mixed expectations which came from extreme 5 star and 1 star reviews of the book that I had read prior to starting it, so I guess I wasn't sure if it would be my kind of thing. Some reviews complained about silly character names while others compared it to Twilight (a book that I do not like, to be quite frank). As you can imagine, I found myself totally blown away when I ended up really enjoying this book! Okay, so the characters do have unusual names. But I don't think it got in the way at all! When you look past that pretty insignificant, minor detail, there are so many good points to this novel. First off, the plot. It's gripping, pretty different to what I have read before and I was completely hooked by it. It didn't particularly remind me of previous reads, it actually felt pretty original! Next, the characters. I'll focus on our young heroine, Violet, first. I thought she was pretty likeable, with some great qualities that made her a strong lead. She wasn't at all drippy or boring, nor was she overly gullible like I expected her to be. She actually had a personality! River, the mysterious bad boy that enters town, was one of the most intriguing characters I've run into of a book in this genre. Tucholke is also great at imagery! Some of those descriptions had me salivating. They were that good. My only real complaint is I felt that the villain fell a bit flat, as if he'd been added in at the last minute to spice things up a bit. I can't wait to read the next one though!

See my review of this book, and many more, at TalesfromtheGreatEastRoad.wordpress.com(Contains some minor spoilers.)Violet White spends her days in a dreamy, tranquil haze: reading books in the sun, relaxing on the beach by her home, or exploring the old mansion that has been left to her family since her grandmother died. Sure, her parents have used the last of their family fortune to run off to Europe to pursue their art, leaving her with a brother who can't seem to stand her and a house that's slowly falling apart. In fact, money is so tight she's resorted to renting out the guest house in her back garden. Which leads River West to her door, and into her life. With his charming smile, easy nature, and striking good looks Violet is powerless to resist him.But something strange is happening in the sleepy town of Echo. Children are in the graveyard at night, hunting the Devil with stakes, Violet's friend Sunshine sees a monster eating human flesh in a cave in the woods, and the town drunk suddenly slits his throat in the town centre. This horror couldn't possibly be linked with River, but as mystery surrounds him and his lies build up without him caring whether Violet knows or not, she finds herself doubting him. Is he evil? Does he care? And, to make maters worse, does she care? Violet's grandmother used to warn her about the Devil, but she never thought she might be holding his hand, sleeping next to him, or kissing him. She knows she should listen to her grandmother's teaching but she can't help herself - because despite everything Violet is falling for River.It's clear that Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea is going to be a book that you will either love or hate. It has elements that will seriously frustrate some readers, like the slower pace, the what some have called `insta-love' romance, or the deceitfulness and arrogance of the character River. Other readers, however, will love it. I am one of the latter. With it's gothic atmosphere and slower pace which added to the feel of the book, I thoroughly enjoyed it. But that's not to say it's without any problems.What April Genevieve Tuchoke does best is the timeless feel to the town of Echo and Violet's mansion. The novel uses almost lyrical descriptions and feels like it could be set in almost any decade from the 1930s onwards, with classic movies in the park and comments on art running throughout. This is also used with the character of Violet, who wears her dead grandmother's clothes and love to read and paint. There is also a strong gothic tone, especially in the scene with the children in the graveyard armed with stakes to fight off the Devil, which was delightfully creepy. This book has also been accused of using the dreaded `insta-love' trope, but I disagree - there is no `insta-love' in this book. What there is is the intense, unpredictable, and sometimes scary attraction or first love that teenagers often experience at least once. There is no declarations of love, no talk of fate, no promises of being together forever and ever. Violet falls for River, even as she knows it's a bad idea, because people can't help who they fall for, especially when you're a teenager and not only are your hormones going crazy, but you have little to no experience about what love actually is. I believe everyone has fallen for someone who is bad for them at least once, and this book perfectly captures the feeling of fierce passion mixed with helplessness, fear, and slight self loathing.I only have two reservations with Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea. Firstly, considering it mentions the Devil in the title, and the official blurb emphasises the idea that River may actually be the Devil, this book had very little religious overtones. The idea of the Devil was barely used at all, the only real mention is with the kids who freak out in the graveyard. I was hoping for a book that looked into the idea of religion and had an actual Christian devil, instead of an ambiguous paranormal creature who is still pretty much a mystery by the end of the book. The other problem was the portray and subtle slut shaming of Violet's friend Sunshine. Sunshine is a character who embraces her sexuality - she loves flirting with boys, enjoys drawing attention to her body, and choices to act in a way she thinks boys will notice and enjoy. I personally have no problem with this. Women enjoy sex as much as men and should feel no shame in this, however they decide to show this sexuality, and had she been left alone, Sunshine would have been a perfectly fine character. However, compared to the virginal Violet, who's narrative subtly condemns her attitude by comparing them both, and Sunshine association with Luke, Violet's brother, who is sexist, messes around with several girls at once and treats Violet like crap, Sunshine is portrayed as a slut. This word is only ever uttered by the villain in this book, but his accusations are never challenged. What's worse, after the trauma of having her parents being tricked into unknowingly nearly killing her, Sunshine changes - she stops flirting, becomes more serious and begins reading, like Violet. It's often that people who have a near death experience decide to change their life for the better, but this is just another way of showing that Sunshine was in the wrong and needed to change. The slut shaming in this book is not obvious, and is similar to the problems that are common in real life, so it may have even been unintentional, but it is there and this is a problem.These problems aside, I am very interested to see where the next book goes, and hope the sequel keeps the amazing writing and ambience.4 stars.On a slightly unrelated note, I keep thinking that the title of this book is Between the Devil and the Deep Dark Ocean, I song I really enjoy by a gothic metal band called Nightwish.

This book was good but I expected something a little different and more paranormal aspects from it. But I have to say so far I am loving it, I just need to get my hands on that second book!Although during the book the main protagonist Violet, was a little boring and I know it may suppose to be that way because she lives in a boring town, with a boring life and nothing exciting like this usually happens but this girl doesn't really have any hobbies.Though not everything about this book is negative, the characters blended together well, and so did the storyline which is a main reason why I found it so enjoyable!

A book filled with clever twists, family secrets and lovers not quite what they seem. A bit of a slow burner at first but the twists get you hooked after the first half dozen chapters then it's a fast pulse racer til the end where everything slots into place and you realise the Devil ain't so bad.

My favourite book. The cover is amazing. I just love it