![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
quippeThe Blurb On The Back:
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 guesthouse behind Violet’s crumbling estate … when strange things start to happen, Violet begins to wonder about the boy living in her backyard.
Violet’s grandmother always warned her about the Devil, but she never said he could be a dark-haired boy with a crooked smile, who likes coffee and kisses you in a cemetery ...
Violet’s already so knee-deep in love, she can’t see straight. And that’s just how River likes it.
17 year-old Violet and her twin brother Luke White live in a dilapidated mansion in the small, dull town of Echo. Violet’s family used to be rich but her parents have blown through the family cash on their obsession with art and painting and have left the siblings alone while they check out Europe’s galleries. Desperate for cash, Violet puts up an advert offering to rent out a guesthouse on her grounds and handsome River West answers.
Soon after River’s arrival strange and gruesome things start to happen to Echo’s inhabitants and Violet becomes convinced that River’s involved. The problem is that she’s falling in love with him and is worried that if she starts pressing him for answers, she’ll get a response that she won’t want to believe …
April Genevieve Tucholke’s debut YA fantasy novel is a paranormal romance with an American gothic tone. It’s a slow burn story with Tucholke spending a lot of time setting up the family history of the Wests, the relationship between Violet, Luke and Violet’s best friend Sunshine before moving onto establish the growing relationship between River and Violet and then the creepy things that start happening within the town. Although I’m not a fan of instant love connections, there’s a good reason for it here and I found River an interesting character in that he’s essentially an addict driven to use his strange ability (his glow) by need. I also enjoyed the love/hate relationship between Luke and Violet and the impact that Sunshine has on their relationship. Unfortunately, I couldn’t take to Violet who I found far too passive. Although other characters complaining that she’s too direct, she never actually says what she thinks or asks what she wants and frequently allows herself to surrender to the control of others. That’s a particular problem when the story builds to a climax where I simply didn’t believe that she’d do what she does. Added to this is the fact that a big reveal at the end comes a little out of nowhere and I found the late introduction of a critical character to be unconvincing (particularly as they’re so generic in their characteristics). The book ends with a set-up for a sequel, which I’m not in a hurry to read although I would check out Tucholke’s other books.
The Verdict:
April Genevieve Tucholke’s debut YA fantasy novel is a paranormal romance with an American gothic tone. It’s a slow burn story with Tucholke spending a lot of time setting up the family history of the Wests, the relationship between Violet, Luke and Violet’s best friend Sunshine before moving onto establish the growing relationship between River and Violet and then the creepy things that start happening within the town. Although I’m not a fan of instant love connections, there’s a good reason for it here and I found River an interesting character in that he’s essentially an addict driven to use his strange ability (his glow) by need. I also enjoyed the love/hate relationship between Luke and Violet and the impact that Sunshine has on their relationship. Unfortunately, I couldn’t take to Violet who I found far too passive. Although other characters complaining that she’s too direct, she never actually says what she thinks or asks what she wants and frequently allows herself to surrender to the control of others. That’s a particular problem when the story builds to a climax where I simply didn’t believe that she’d do what she does. Added to this is the fact that a big reveal at the end comes a little out of nowhere and I found the late introduction of a critical character to be unconvincing (particularly as they’re so generic in their characteristics). The book ends with a set-up for a sequel, which I’m not in a hurry to read although I would check out Tucholke’s other books.
BETWEEN THE DEVIL AND THE DEEP BLUE SEA was released in the United Kingdom on 3rd April 2014. Thanks to Faber & Faber for the ARC of this book.
Nothing much exciting rolls through Violet White’s sleepy, seaside town – until River West comes along. River rents the guesthouse behind Violet’s crumbling estate … when strange things start to happen, Violet begins to wonder about the boy living in her backyard.
Violet’s grandmother always warned her about the Devil, but she never said he could be a dark-haired boy with a crooked smile, who likes coffee and kisses you in a cemetery ...
Violet’s already so knee-deep in love, she can’t see straight. And that’s just how River likes it.
17 year-old Violet and her twin brother Luke White live in a dilapidated mansion in the small, dull town of Echo. Violet’s family used to be rich but her parents have blown through the family cash on their obsession with art and painting and have left the siblings alone while they check out Europe’s galleries. Desperate for cash, Violet puts up an advert offering to rent out a guesthouse on her grounds and handsome River West answers.
Soon after River’s arrival strange and gruesome things start to happen to Echo’s inhabitants and Violet becomes convinced that River’s involved. The problem is that she’s falling in love with him and is worried that if she starts pressing him for answers, she’ll get a response that she won’t want to believe …
April Genevieve Tucholke’s debut YA fantasy novel is a paranormal romance with an American gothic tone. It’s a slow burn story with Tucholke spending a lot of time setting up the family history of the Wests, the relationship between Violet, Luke and Violet’s best friend Sunshine before moving onto establish the growing relationship between River and Violet and then the creepy things that start happening within the town. Although I’m not a fan of instant love connections, there’s a good reason for it here and I found River an interesting character in that he’s essentially an addict driven to use his strange ability (his glow) by need. I also enjoyed the love/hate relationship between Luke and Violet and the impact that Sunshine has on their relationship. Unfortunately, I couldn’t take to Violet who I found far too passive. Although other characters complaining that she’s too direct, she never actually says what she thinks or asks what she wants and frequently allows herself to surrender to the control of others. That’s a particular problem when the story builds to a climax where I simply didn’t believe that she’d do what she does. Added to this is the fact that a big reveal at the end comes a little out of nowhere and I found the late introduction of a critical character to be unconvincing (particularly as they’re so generic in their characteristics). The book ends with a set-up for a sequel, which I’m not in a hurry to read although I would check out Tucholke’s other books.
The Verdict:
April Genevieve Tucholke’s debut YA fantasy novel is a paranormal romance with an American gothic tone. It’s a slow burn story with Tucholke spending a lot of time setting up the family history of the Wests, the relationship between Violet, Luke and Violet’s best friend Sunshine before moving onto establish the growing relationship between River and Violet and then the creepy things that start happening within the town. Although I’m not a fan of instant love connections, there’s a good reason for it here and I found River an interesting character in that he’s essentially an addict driven to use his strange ability (his glow) by need. I also enjoyed the love/hate relationship between Luke and Violet and the impact that Sunshine has on their relationship. Unfortunately, I couldn’t take to Violet who I found far too passive. Although other characters complaining that she’s too direct, she never actually says what she thinks or asks what she wants and frequently allows herself to surrender to the control of others. That’s a particular problem when the story builds to a climax where I simply didn’t believe that she’d do what she does. Added to this is the fact that a big reveal at the end comes a little out of nowhere and I found the late introduction of a critical character to be unconvincing (particularly as they’re so generic in their characteristics). The book ends with a set-up for a sequel, which I’m not in a hurry to read although I would check out Tucholke’s other books.
BETWEEN THE DEVIL AND THE DEEP BLUE SEA was released in the United Kingdom on 3rd April 2014. Thanks to Faber & Faber for the ARC of this book.
