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    Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea
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    Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea
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    Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea
    Audiobook8 hours

    Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea

    Written by April Genevieve Tucholke

    Narrated by Jorjeana Marie

    3.5/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this audiobook

    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, 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 thrill of gothic horror, April Genevieve Tucholke weaves a dreamy, twisting contemporary romance, as gorgeously told as it is terrifying.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherBrilliance Audio
    Release dateAug 15, 2013
    ISBN9781469287515
    Unavailable
    Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea
    Author

    April Genevieve Tucholke

    April Genevieve Tucholke is the author of Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea, Between the Spark and the Burn, Wink Poppy Midnight, and The Boneless Mercies. Her books have been published in fourteen countries, and have received eight starred reviews. They have been selected for the Junior Library Guild, Kids' Indie Next picks, and YALSA Teens Top Ten. When she's not writing, April likes walking in the woods, exploring abandoned houses, and drinking expensive coffee. She currently resides in the Pacific Northwest with her husband.

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    Reviews for Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea

    3.5/5

    155 ratings39 reviews

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    • 2/5
      Well, happily, I can check another book off of my mountainous TBR that I missed and had to go back to. Since I first laid eyes upon this book, with its eerie cover and gothic sounding synopsis, I've wanted to read it. Sadly, I can't say that I enjoyed it as much as I hoped to. There was just too much about it that I couldn't quite bring myself to overlook.

      Let's start with the good. The writing falls into this category. With only a few small exceptions, the writing does elicit a gothic feel and does a stellar job of bringing the setting to life. I could smell the ocean air and see the ramshackle manor house that our characters inhabited. While the prose may have been a little airy at times, it definitely evoked that sense of otherness that I love about books like this. A house filled with secrets, a mysterious past, the quest for knowledge, all of it spoke to me. I could feel the tension, and it was wonderful. If you'd asked me to rate this book after the first two chapters, it would have been five stars all the way.

      However the more I read the less I found to love. Violet, our main character, never caught my attention. Completely skipping over the fact that she falls in insta-love with River (which I despise, but at least was slightly explained away), her overall personality drove me insane. She was always trying to make sense of things, and yet it just made things more confusing for the reader. One moment Sunshine wasn't Violet's friend, but simply a neighbor. The next, Violet was upset that Sunshine was never on her side. Why would she be? She isn't your friend, is she? Her feelings flip flopped like that through the whole book, regarding all of the other characters. By the time the prospect of a love triangle was introduced, I wanted to scream in anger.

      Add in the fact that her character never really grew at all, and I was a very frustrated reader. None of the characters really grew, to be honest. In fact, I felt like most of them could have been left out and nothing would have been different. If it were only just Violet and River, we'd probably have a very similar story. Truth be told, I felt like the only reason Sunshine was even in this story in the first place to was to be a foil to our young Violet. One girl pure, the other not so much. One girl decisive, to the point of recklessness at times, the other always over thinking things. Sunshine made Violet look like an angel and, while that is likely what was intended, it made me dislike her all the more for her poor decisions.

      What can I say? It's tough for me to love a book when the characters and I clash. Weak-willed Violet, frustratingly evil but randomly attractive River, and even masochistic Logan, all made me want to quit early on. I finished more from a curiosity at how this would end than anything else. Pity, really. It's such a gorgeous cover.
    • 5/5
      Wow is all I have to say for this book.. simply WOW. Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea is haunting, romantic and downright intriguing. I stayed up an entire night reading this book. The writing style is effortless and enjoyable and the plot will have you sucked in from the very first page. So happy I decided to pick this book up and you will be too! After all, who doesn't love a romance with a little darkness mixed in?
    • 2/5
      This book was like Alisa Bait. Pretty cover? Check. Interesting premise? Check. So much hype? Check. Good quotes? Check. Rejection from Netgalley so I had to wait until the release date, heightening anticipation? Check.Too bad it completely screwed up.I was wary of reading this book after Khanh's review. She had good taste; I shouldn't touch that book. She didn't like the Fever series; never mind. And then I decided to be an idiot and pick the book up. But how can you blame me? Look at that cover!There is a good thing about this book, though. The writing is beautiful. It doesn't actually do anything, but it well crafted. The old house seems to be a living part of the story, but other than that, there was nothing.There was so much potential in this novel. I mean, it'd easily be gothic, mysterious, haunting, beautiful, and terrifying. If it didn't take over half the book to get to the plot. I'm fine with slow paced books- sometimes they end up amazing- but the plot was just so unimaginative and forgetful.I said that the house was creatively imagined. But that was the only thing in this world that was well-described. Other than that, the town and the people were described minimally..The worst part about Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea were the characters. River's clearly a psychopath; he gets off on people's fear, Violet's just idiotic, and her brother is a sexist pig. It'd be alright if there was this magical thing called character development, but no. The characters just stay the exact same throughout the entire book.This was used twice, but it really got me annoyed. River's hips are described as "panther hips". First, no one notices hips. Second, say you have some hip fetish, why would you describe them as some animal?And the insta- love! It's like, you have a glimpse of a guy and all of a sudden, you and him are insanely and unoriginally in love. And you ignore the fact that he's clearly a psychopath!There are no parents here. But at least there's a sort of legit reason for them being gone. But how are their children supposed to pay for everything?Slut Shaming is everywhere here. Violet's friend constantly is spoken about like the only thing that makes her who she is, is only her breasts.There were so many opportunities for this book to be spectacular, but it failed at almost every turn. I will read the next book though, because I want to see if it'll get better. It probably won't, but one can hope.
    • 4/5
      This was a random book that came up as a recommendation on Amazon for me. I had no idea what to expect but after the first few chapters I really got into it and at the end I was really glad I read it. It's a hard book to explain and it's kind of all over the place but it works! Looking forward to the next book!
    • 4/5
      This book is really confusing to try to tell you what it is about! But I can tell you I really liked it! I love the main characters! Every single one! And I cannot wait till the next book comes out!
    • 4/5
      Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea is an excellent debut from April Genevieve Tucholke. It's hard for me to do paranormal lately, but it just sucked me right in. I loved the tone of it and it was undeniably creepy and oh so good. River totally creeped me out, but I thought the romance aspect was well done. I can't wait for the next book in this series. And check out that cover! Full review to come.
    • 3/5
      Though I "won" this book through Early Reviewers, I never actually received it from the publisher. Bummer! However, I was sufficieintly interested in it that I checked it out from the library instead. Violet and her brother live alone in their gothic mansion on coastal New England, having been left to their own devices by their world-travelling artist parents. One sultry summer, to earn some extra money the siblings take in a boarder, the teenage River who is both mysterious and magnetic. Strange disappearances and deaths begin to occur upon River's arrival in town, suggesting that, in additon to his other characteristics, the stranger is malevolent as well.At times this story really drew me in as clever and engaging. At other points it became so painfully unbelievable as to fall fully flat. The plot is both sufficiently convoluted and twisty as to leave me lagging behind, going, "Huh? What just happened?!" I hate to have to re-read a page just to try and figure the story out. Distracting!In the end, it may have been the characters themselves that lost me. Their motives, their actions, their responses, both as individuals and as a community, were just baffling. I kept thinking, "No one would EVER do that!" As such, my suspension of reality was interrupted and I just couldn't roll with the story.Despite my critique, I will likely try the second book and see where that goes. There are some interesting potential with some of the characters at story's-end. I am interested in seeing where the author goes.
    • 4/5
      If ever a book was an old soul, it's BETWEEN THE DEVIL AND THE DEEP BLUE SEA, the first book in the Between duology. Even though the book takes place now, every detail feels decadently vintage.There were a lot of aspects in this book that reminded me of THE GREAT GATSBY and I CAPTURE THE CASTLE, specifically the character of Violet. She's very unusual and introspective. She's consumed with old literature, music, and the generations that preceded her. She has odd and sad relationships with her twin brother and friend, and a romance that is all consuming. The love story that develops between her and the enigmatic and vintage River is wonderfully thrilling and equally frightening.As for the mythology, it's fairly basic, more magical realism than paranormal, but it's also completely original to this series. It's magic that feels truly magical. In fact, the whole book feels magical largely due to the lovely and atmospheric writing. Gothic and gorgeous from start to finish. And while the ending isn't an agonizing cliffhanger, it's enough of one that I can't wait to read the conclusion called BETWEEN THE SPARK AND THE BURN which will be published on August 4, 2014.
    • 5/5
      To make money over the summer, 17 year old Violet rents out the guest house to River. River says he's also 17, yet he's mysterious and strange happenings begin occurring in the town of Echo after his arrival.A colorful cast of characters grace the pages of this vivid narrative. Authentic and character developing dialogue flow well alongside the plot.As the mysteries unfold and the characters learn about themselves, life, and their ultimate journeys, it is fascinating to watch how everything has been intertwined.Overall, a fun read!
    • 2/5
      * spoilers *Violet White and her brother live by themselves in a decaying mansion by the sea. Their parents are flighty artists who have been gone for months on end. Because their money is gone, she decides to put up fliers around town for someone to rent the guest house. A mysterious and attractive stranger named River West comes to stay and chaos almost immediately ensues. Violet's best friend Sunshine sees a monster in a cave. Then a little girl goes missing and the local children are convinced it's the devil that they have to kill with wooden stakes. Violet is already completely infatuated with River even as she suspects him of creating the chaos in the town. Her grandmother warned her against the devil, but never expected him to be so charming.The cover of Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea doesn't do it justice. It looks dark, gothic, and twisted, which it is, but it's more than that. The setting is a sleepy little southern town by the sea. The atmosphere starts as relaxed, kind of like time doesn't matter and days can be spent lazing in the hot sun, drinking iced tea all day. It also has a vintage feel. The Whites don't lock their house at night and watch old movies in the town square with their neighbors, like in bygone eras. All of that changes when River comes to town. Before, people trusted their neighbors and acted friendly. Afterwards, everyone is on their guard and suspicious. The children are super creepy, running around at night with wooden stakes and attacking random people. They refused to go home at night and it was bordering on Children of the Corn with the kids attacking people. The drastic change in the town also happens with Violet. Before River, she's carefree, trusting, and generally happy. She knows everything in her town and nothing really comes as surprising. The loss of her grandmother and the absence of her parents have affected her, but didn't make her jaded. She seems more determined to get the most out of the little things in life and has a more introspective view of life. After River, she is unhappy and suspicious. She doesn't know what to believe or even if her own feelings are authentic. I found Violet to be likeable until the end, but a bit on the naive, immature side. I liked the way she observed the small thing swithin the people and the world around her. Her falling in love with River was very instalove-y, but it is later shown to be intentional. My big problem with the novel is River. His personality is fine. He's charming and he's got that rich boy attitude that everything is attainable. He has the power to create illusions and make people do what he wants through touch. He reminds me very much of Loki from the Thor films, creating chaos and causing death wherever he goes. Anyway, he constantly touches Violet and this shows why she becomes so very infatuated with him in such a short amount of time. He basically made her fall in love with him with his power, which is so not ok. Then he goes on to almost rape her in her sleep. This is besides the fact that he forces the town drunk to commit suicide in front of the whole town and he feels absolutely no remorse for it. After that point, he ceases to be even remotely attractive to me with his rapey, murderous, creepy ways. Violet and River's whole relationship reminds me of a woman that loves an abusive man, but can't leave him because she loves him. That's just not a healthy relationship and it makes me feel gross to read it. Ugh.Although I liked the writing and the setting, River and Violet's attitude towards him ruined the novel for me. I'm ok with bad boys in literature, but there has to be something redeemable about them. The murder and mind rape just make him an awful character that I don't want to read about. I lose respect for Violet for being obsessed with him even after she knows all these horrible things about him. I guess it could just be River's power, but it looks like just another girl trapped in an abusive relationship.
    • 3/5
      Between The Devil and the Deep Blue Sea by April Tucholke is a strongly written teen fantasy about the choices we make and the family bonds we have to live with. Violet and her twin brother Luke live alone in their mansion by the sea named Citizen Kane. Abandoned by artistic parents who have decided to travel to feed their desire to be artists rather than stay at home and care for their children; Violet and Luke must find ways to support themselves. Even though their home is lavish they themselves are nearly destitute. Luke spends his time chasing the local girls and Violet spends hers alone thinking of their long departed grandmother Freddie."...The dead are all around us, Freddie use to say. So don't you go being afraid of the dead, Violet. And if you aren't afraid of the dead, then you aren't afraid of dying. And if you aren't afraid of dying, then the only damn thing you have to be afraid of is the Devil. And that's the way it should be..." Life would have gone on just like that for Violet except thinking of making some money she advertises her guest cottage for rent. And that's when River comes to town. Violet could tell there was something about River that was different than any other boy she knew. From the way he moved to the he made her move. She was falling for him and fast. But there was something else about River. Something wrong."...A man killed himself in front of me. In front of the town. And River made him do it. I knew it. I knew it like I knew I was near the sea by the taste of salt in the air. I knew it like I knew the sound of Luke's steps as he walked around the Citizen. I knew it like I knew the feel of River's arms around me, when he was fast asleep..." River has a gift. A power he used to hand out his own form of justice. The ability to make anyone believe what he wanted them to just by touching them. Only the power seems to have a mind of its own and it now moves without River knowing. The power seeks to punish those it deems deserving. Violet can't decide what to do. Does she protect River or stop him. And worse, is what she is feeling for him just another one of his manipulations?
    • 3/5
      When starting this book I was surprised by some of the low ratings and less than stellar reviews. Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea started off with such promise and then it started to suffer from " Kitchen Sink Syndrome" as in anything but said sink. The author seemed to throw all these plot threads at me that started off intriguing and then fizzled out leaving me confused and unsatisfied. The book included brothers with various paranormal talents, children waving stakes, two teens living alone while their parents pursue their art career, suicide, family secrets and a lukewarm romance. I feel that the author had the best of intentions and several great ideas but couldn't figure how to best work them into the book. Although, the writing is sparse and awkward at times there are some great atmospheric passages that are well written. 2.5 stars!
    • 4/5
      I am not going to lie - I was scared to death to start reading Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea. First, the name is insanely long. Second, the cover is incredibly gorgeous (and was the reason I even picked up the book). Third, and finally, I'm really hit and miss with paranormal, romance, young adult books. Thankfully, Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea was exactly what I was in the mood for and once I began to read, I started having a blast.Read the rest of this review at The Lost Entwife on Nov. 1, 2013.
    • 5/5
      *Many thanks to Dial and Edelweiss for allowing early access to this title*

      Quick Review...for when I don't have a lot to say...

      To start out, here's what I updated on Goodreads as I read this book:

      07/21page 256.0% "I like River...but I don't think I trust him." 1 comment
      07/22page 6317.0% "I trust him even less, but I like him even more. How does that even work!?"
      07/22page 9525.0% "Well. Safe to say that I'm pretty much in love with this book. It's gorgeous!"
      07/23page 161 43.0% "I KNEW IT. River, you're so bad!"
      07/24page 205 55.0%"Okay, this is really messed up. I am kind of freaked out." 3 comments
      07/26page 257 69.0% "Ummm...I don't know what to think."
      07/30page 299 81.0%"What. The. Heck?!" 2 comments
      07/30page 330 89.0%"THE HELL?! What on earth are you DOING TO ME?! I don't know what to think. My feels are all over the place. :O"
      07/30page 368 100.0%"I take it back. My feels are no longer all over the place because I've just been kicked in them so hard that I have none left. Preordering. NOW."

      Yeah. I was kind of all over the place with my feels. I felt completely chewed up by the time I finished. I was out of breath from the ginormous kicking in the feels that I got. Then I preordered the book, because as you know, I'm a complete glutton for book punishment.

      I loved this story, loved the characters (except for a couple of them, but I can't say who I didn't like or I'll ruin it all for you), and loved the setting. I loved being wrung out and not put back together and feeling like there was no hope for a better tomorrow and yet knowing that somehow, there was.

      It's all kind of awesome.

      4.5 Eiffel Towers
    • 4/5
      Right away I knew Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea was going to be a highly atmospheric novel, which I was looking forward to. Tucholke definitely hit the nail on the head on several occasions in that respect.For example, A few things I loved about this book was the scenery. An old, run-down mansion called Citizen Kane that lies by the sea? You've got my attention. A girl who dresses up in her grandmother's clothes from when she was younger? Yes, please. A town that has free screenings of classic movies such as Casablanca in the town's square? Sign me up (and why can't I live there). Have the characters make really delicious foods that sound like you're hanging out in a kitchen in Europe? Now you're just making me hungry.Even though the book follows the predictable formula of girl meets mysterious boy, girl falls for boy, girl finds out there's more to the boy than meets the eye, it could easily fall into the category of easy to figure out the outcome. In that sense, most of the progression was foreseeable, but Tucholke adds her own little twist to make it her own.While I wanted this to be more dark and grim than it actually was, it was still enjoyable with Tucholke's almost dream-like writing style. Don't get me wrong, there was a lot of violence and grittiness towards the end of the novel, but it didn't have the deep Gothic feel that I had expected and anticipated. Mostly it made me want to spend summer days in an old attic full of forgotten trunks and play dress-up in vintage dresses and jewelery with strange boys while sipping sweating glasses of tea.The twist towards the end wasn't a shock for me but I still enjoyed watching it play out. I just hope we get to learn more about a particular character in the next installment.If you enjoy atmospheric novels with a splash of violence and mysterious boys who may or may not be bad for you, then pick up this novel. It's a fun read that you'll finish in a flash.
    • 5/5
      4.5 stars
      "The world was full of mystery and magic and horror and love." And so is this book. I'm fairly new to the Gothic Horror genre, but I absolutely love it! Or maybe I'm just lucky to have come across this book . This novel is so beautifully written. Sometimes when books are filled with descriptions of sights and smells and such details, my eyes kind of glaze over and my mind kind of wanders until the next "action" scene brings me back. However, with this one, I just savored every poetic word, enraptured in the tiny town of Echo, the lonely estate of Citizen Kane, and the cold blue, salty sea. I found myself reading sentences over again because it was such brilliant prose.

      This novel is about Violet and her twin brother Luke, whose parents are artists that moved to Paris in pursuit of the artist lifestyle, leaving the kids to themselves in this old manor, full of family history and secrets. To help make ends mean, Violet rents the guesthouse out, and a guy of the name River West shows up at her door to rent it. He is gorgeous, enticing and mysterious, and she knows something's off but can't stay away. Strange things start happening, and the story just progresses from there with a pace that keeps you on your toes in anticipation. We end up seeing a very "lovable" and eclectic cast of characters.

      The brilliance of this novel comes from the author's ability to create a perfect atmosphere of creepiness, history, romanticism, beauty, and magic. What a unique book.
    • 4/5
      This is a beautifully written Gothic tale. I enjoyed Violet's quirkiness. I also liked the fact that she was a strong female character. I will say that I did not quite feel the love connection between River and Violet due to River's manipulation of Violet's feelings. I am hopeful however that River will someday redeem himself. This was a quick read and it was very enjoyable.
    • 5/5
      Between The Devil And The Deep Blue SeabyApril Genevieve TucholkieMy "in a nutshell" summary...A crumbling old mansion, abandoned teen twins and a mysterious stranger! Yum!My thoughts after reading this book...OMG...be still my heart. I don't think anyone can resist River...let alone a troubled teenage girl. I am...right now...craving the exact same eggs River made for Violet. Yum! Then enter Violet's twin brother Luke...and later on River's brother Neely...and much later Brodie...fire eyed red haired evil as sin...Brodie!There is a lot of badness attached to River's glow...a lot of death and dying and all throughout this book...we think one brother is responsible for everything bad and evil...but is he really?Just to clarify...a boy comes to town...and everything changes. The changes are not good ones. When the glow overtakes River...the things he does are really bad and really awful!How can I explain the glow...hmm...sort of a power that enables River to make others do what he wants them to do...What I loved about this book...The concept of " the devil" was really appealing. River seems as though he is the bad guy. He seems to do despicable things. People die...there are secrets...Violet is not able to resist River's "glow" . She and her brother live alone with their own secrets and it just leads to mayhem.The crumbling mansion that Luke and Violet lived in without their wandering parents was such an important part of this book. I felt as though I was there...opening trunks, unearthing secrets...wearing their grandmothers's clothes. The books, the trunks, the crosses, the paintings...the big old kitchen...all were lovely...old...decrepit...but still quite lovely.My final thoughts about this book...I loved this book..it was scary, intense, and very character driven. I loved Violet and Freddie even though Freddie was never alive during the book. The story was intense...I was never once bored with it...it was descriptive and scary and so different...one of my most favorite books this year.
    • 5/5
      Wow, guys. I seriously just can't even after finishing this book. YES, IT'S THAT GOOD. And yes, it DOES live up to the hype, very much so. "Between the Devil" is an adventure in gothic horror and magical realism, between religion and cults, and between romance and compulsion. Best of all? NO LOVE TRIANGLES. Dancing for joy (and for those who have read the book, you'll get a laugh out of that one). If you're going to pick one breathtaking gothic horror YA to read this year? It HAS to be "Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea".Where to start? Every single technical part of this book was flat out amazing. I seriously have NO complaints or areas to nitpick. AT ALL. If you've been reading the blog for awhile, you know how very, very rare this is. Sensory imagery/language, plot development, worldbuilding, character building, character development - it was all crisp, clean, and really well put together and I only read the ARC. I can't imagine what the final copy will look like (but I do plan to buy it as soon as I can!). I mean, I've read some ARC copies where the editing really needed to be tuned up, but this felt like reading a final copy. That's how airtight Tucholke's writing is. I will warn you, though, this book isn't for the faint of heart when it comes to horror/slight gore. My favorite technical part of this book: the character arcs/development. For each of the main cast (River, Sunshine, Violet, Neely, Jack, others) we get significant development from beginning to end. They all become different people, in some way or another, by the same events, by the end of the book. I feel like that kind of character development in YA is so rare right now, it was so deliciously refreshing to see a debut author do it right. You can see how all of the same events affect them differently, and how strong the change is (for Sunshine, I'd say, most of all, but I won't say why or how), and it's a very smooth progression that's easy to follow throughout the book.The worldbuilding is also absolutely top notch. Tucholke does the smart thing when building her world: she shrinks her world down to the size of the town of Echo and focuses on it and it alone. This includes its sensory details, and its backstory, as well as its characters. It may be a small town by the sea, but it has so much going for it, and the detailed descriptions were so lush I felt as if I were really there, with the characters as they took this strange journey. And then there's the romance: Tucholke does the right thing by making us wonder - is it love or compulsion between River and Violet? Magic or lust? Actual interest, or is it the Devil trying to take her away? Who IS the Devil? Is it River? The fugue states and slightly unreliable narration in the middle was a great touch, and that made the character development all the more believable. When Neely shows up, we're thankfully not bludgeoned over the head with a two-brother love triangle (THANK GOD YOU GUYS SERIOUSLY), and that was really refreshing as well. All of this is pretty slow-burning, and though there's a very strong magnetism between River and Violet, it's not instalove and that was a huge relief. The relationship, whatever it is (even after that ending I'm not sure what it is), feels natural, and real with its slow burn progression.Final verdict? Flat out in my top ten (possibly in my top five) for 2013 so far, "Between the Devil" is an absolute must-read for gothic, horror, magical realism, mystery and general YA contemporary fans. Seriously one of the best debuts I've read within the last few years, "Between" is out now from Penguin in North America, and the sequel is coming out next year (TOO LONG TO WAIT!). Seriously give it a read when you get the chance - you certainly won't regret it.(posted to goodreads, librarything, shelfari, and birthofanewwitch.wordpress.com)
    • 1/5
      Sometimes I'm that guy. You know, the one who reads a book that trusted friends, ones I usually agree with, were super impressed by and ends up unenthused. The blurb for Devil (since I can't be bothered to type all of that out over and over) did give me pause, what with the focus on River coming to town. The whole thing suggests instalove, but early reviews were promising and an ARC arrived, so damn the blurb and full speed ahead! Well, turns out I should have listened to my first instincts, because both the romance and a plot twist bothered me. Be warned that this review contains spoilers, since that was the only way I could explain why I feel the way I do.In no way do I think Devil is a bad book, and there was even a brief time where I thought a 3.5 rating was coming for it. Tucholke excels especially at the horror aspects. Pretty much everything that happens ranges from eerie to mindfuck to terrifying. The concept and execution of River's deal was done incredibly well. Tucholke also manages to pull off so many surprises, which upped the intensity. If you're really into horror, then I think Devil will probably be worth your time.The other aspect that I really enjoyed was the atmosphere. As with most gothic novels, there's a sort of place out of time feel to it. Though set in the modern world, Violet's little town and her house seem caught in the past. The most popular town activity is watching old movies. Violet listens to her grandmother's music and wears her grandmother's clothing, as a way of connecting. Violet's been so alone since her grandmother Freddie died, unable to connect with her brother, who she loves but who also irritates her with the way he treats girls. Tucholke sets the scene well, with the spooky giant house, the sleepy town disconnected in some way from modernity, and the slower pace of life. Tucholke's writing fits the narrative well, though it isn't a style that especially speaks to me.The characters all felt pretty flat to me too, though that could be due to Vi's impaired mental state. The only one I really connected to was Neely, who was for me the most likable in a flawed and strange bunch. The portrayal of Sunshine upset me especially, as she never actually DOES anything, except hook up with Luke, Violet's brother, even though she knows he's seeing another girl too. Sunshine gets called a 'whore,' beat up, terrified and all sorts of things, but the reader never gets a sense that there's anything more than that to her. She's shown as entirely vacuous and vain, living solely to hook up with any willing guy. All of the characters seem pretty similarly one note, but Sunshine was the most distressing.One of the aspects I didn't care for, as it so often is, is the romance between River and Violet. Now, as the blurb suggests, Violet's instalove for him does have a reason behind it, so, though painful, that's legit. He can mess with her mind somehow and create these feelings in her, which speaks strongly to abusive relationships and could send a powerful message. Unfortunately, I didn't get a real sense of the change he wrought in her, since the book opens pretty much with his arrival, so I never really got a sense of Violet as a person, because I knew her so briefly before her every thought became suspect. I can see where Tucholke put in clues to the brainwashing effect, like how Vi's initial analysis of River's appearance differed greatly once her mind started clouding, but it wasn't quite enough to help me differentiate regular Vi from River's Vi.SPOILERS BEGIN HEREFor a while there, though, once Vi realized what was going on, everything was great, in the sense that it was creepy and everyone knew that their relationship was unhealthy. I was totally on board with that. However, the kiss of death for the romance came when, mind clear, Violet still wants River. Girl, NO. She knows that he lied to her, that he messed with her mind, and that he nearly compelled her to have sex with him, but she still thinks she might be in love with him? THAT I am not okay with. At all. I mean, maybe it's going to be yet another twist of her mind being tampered with, but that would be a bit much.During the point where I thought I was going to give Devil 3.5 stars, Vi was skeptical of River and trying to fight his affect on her. She also was learning just how much of a creep he was. River has killed people. Tons of them. I thought that was awesome, and I was looking forward to her taking him out. Well, turns out that River's innocent, at least of some of it. SURPRISE TWIST! An insane half-brother with similar powers has been stalking River and framing him for evil deeds in Vi's town! No. So much no to this. It's overly convenient for one thing and it comes across as a way to excuse River for the things he's done, which is, frankly, bullshit. Though some parts of Devil were fantastic, I just could not enjoy it personally. To me, River does not belong as a love interest but a villain, and everything felt forced in such a way as to not put him in that role.As I said, early review of Devil have been really positive and there were things I liked, but, as a whole, I really do not see the appeal. Whatever made this magic for others was not there for me.
    • 3/5
      I SO WANTED TO LOVE THIS BOOK! I just wanted to put on a retro dress, style my hair in finger waves, drink some bourbon, and smoke a cigarette.

      I was all into it at the beginning with the vintage vibe and quirky names (Violet and River? This book was made for me), but the story just came out lacking. I just kept wanting more and more from River, but his character never developed the way I felt it should. I also was completely thrown for a loop with the character of Brodie because I felt like he didn't add anything to the original plot. I hated the ending. Ultimately I put the book down and said "WTF did I just read??" out loud. Super disappointing. Won't be reading the sequel.
    • 1/5
      Do you believe that two teenagers Having Sex is quite likely worse than one of those teenagers committing Mass Murder? If so, this is the book for you.

      Abstinence advocates and Twilight-fans, this book was written just for you.

      (It was on the 'free' shelf at work, and the pretty cover sucked me in.)

      At first, I thought this intentionally-florid YA paranormal romance might have something going for it, in a silly way. I liked the contemporary-gothic trappings, and I particularly liked the spooky abandoned train tunnel - just 'cause we had one of those when I was a teenager... but the further it progressed, the dumber it got.
    • 5/5
      In actuality, this book is probably more of a 3.5/4 star in terms of writing and the sheer amount of suspension of disbelief it requires as well as the insta-love.
      But listen.
      I love moral ambiguity and this book hit so many of my favourite things (Gothic tropes! Old money families! Bickering brothers!) that I don't really mind the sometimes awkward writing and the ridiculous names.
    • 3/5
      Not what I was expecting. And sadly, not as good as I was hoping. Three stars is even stretching it but the writing helped save this book from some of the most frustrating characters.

      Let's start with Violet. Our "heroine" and narrator for the story. She has an obsession with her dead grandmother through the entire book. Wears her clothes, sleeps in her room and is continuously going through her grandmother's belongings looking for the elusive "something" for the past 5 years! Enough is enough and you need to move on with your life. Her best and only friend is a flirt with her brother and shows no depth as a character nor do I get their friendship. I saw nothing there. It was hollow.

      The other main character is River. A mysterious teen who shows up to rent the guest house. No questions asked. He is a pathological liar and a major manipulator of everything around him. By the title and summary I expected this for other reasons but those reasons just kept dragging along without answer.

      The other characters in the book also make little sense and are very one dimensional. No one seems to have depth or more than one personality aspect!

      Then there is the insta-love. I have never been a big fan of this and this is worse than normal. Not only is Violet instantly cuddling and napping with this guy (even on the same day he takes her friend into a cave for a supposed make-out session) but even after she learns the truth she just keeps letting the guy use her while falsely saying no...Gah! I wanted to smack them both. This actually had me mad!

      Now for the positive. Like I said at the beginning, I enjoyed the style in which this was written. An odd mix of southern and gothic (with a twinge of old west with the mine) feel to the story, depending what the focus was on. I was able to visualize the house, town, paintings, very clearly. It gives just enough to give is the scene, yet leaves plenty of room for our imagination to fill in the backround. For this reason I would be interested in possibly looking into something else by this author. Although if is is romance-centric I will be more skeptical.

      This is heavy of the romance with a bit of a paranormal and horror addition that I wish had been brought more to the forefront. I felt a bit mislead by the summary.

      Overall, an okay read. Possibly worth the read but not worth a lot of money. I can think of better books for my bucks. So a casual library recommendation when your to-read list gets low.
    • 3/5
      Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea confused me. There were so many things I disliked, but the imagery was just so fantastic. Tucholke wrote a story that was supposed to be frightening because the devil is real. However, I felt the most for this book when the scenery was described within the decent plot. It's described as a gothic horror, but I never felt scared. Only in awe of where it was taking place: the mansion near the ocean, the paths through the woods. It reminded me of growing up in Maine. But, the rest of the book- the writing, the characters, the dialogue, it all just felt lame.Violet White was a mess. Her grandmother Freddie dies, her parents are off in a foreign country forgetting their obligations as parents, her brother is a typical teen boy with a hard-on for everyone, and then arrives River West. It is insta-love. But it didn't bother me as much as I thought it would. I tried to focus on what else was happening in the story. Violet is supposed to be finding someone to rent their guest house and that's where River steps in. River was a weird character. The way the story is written we are supposed to be captured by his strange appearance and the crazy things that happen while he's in town. We are led to believe he might be the devil grandma Freddie always told Violet to be worried about.I hated the way Violet talked! She repeated things over and over, she prayed to her dead grandmother, and the way she treated her brother was creepy and borderline inscestual. It was a frighteningly odd book... and I'm still not sure if that's a good thing.I'll be reading the sequel since it's only a duology, but it's not a priority. The story was worth reading, but the characters were something else entirely.
    • 1/5
      I swore to myself that I would not give a book a 1 star rating this year, expecting that I was really only going to pick up books that deserved 2 stars or more - and then this book came along and basically shattered that idealism.

      Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea was trash. Absolute trash. For something supposedly atmospheric, seductive, "lush and rhythmic as a song", hypnotic and terrifying (yeah, I am reading the quotes on the back of the book) this is basically just a Twilight rehash with many, many mentions of the devil.

      I honestly thought I was in for a good ride. I'd seen some negative reviews, yes, but a lot of positive ones to counter-balance that, so I thought I'd just give this book a try because what if I have different opinions?

      No, essentially I agree with what the negative reviews said.

      First off, what annoyed me were the names before anything else. River West, Sunshine Black, Neely. I'm not sure where that last one originated from, but it fell into the "stupid names" list for me. If you're not an elf from Harry Potter, I don't see the need for the name Neely.

      Second thing that annoyed me was the grammatical errors. Several times the author put down a full stop where there should have been a comma and a comma where there should be a full stop. It's okay to make the mistake once, but several times on the same page? Slap yourself and then your editor.

      Violet and River are essentially Edward and Bella brought out of 2005 and into 2013. For teenagers, their speech was very formal - too formal, in fact. It was flowery declarations of love, the way that they wronged each other (which River did a lot and was stupidly forgiven) and forgave without ever mentioning it again.

      "See?" River whispered in my ear. "Kissing you stirs me, just like the glow. My heart goes fast and my skin goes hot." He paused. "And so it looks like I've found another thing I can't give up." Name one boy you've met in your life who said something along the lines of this and didn't sound creepy.

      Since when do teenagers act like this? Maybe I don't know about teenagers any more, even though for the next nine months I'll still be one. Yet where I come from, teenagers curse, yell, fight, hate and love and don't easily forgive each other. That's how teenagers are.

      Violet is honestly one of the stupidest heroines I've encountered in a while. She seems to have the emotional investment in life of a rock, whines so much your ears will drop off, and apologises for doing the right thing countless times. Look at this;

      "River drove into the driveway in the early still-ness of pre-dawn. Which I knew because I was stupidly awake and waiting for him."

      River went missing around the same time as someone got attacked. Violet was super worried about him because he didn't come back until almost morning. She'd stayed up all night keeping an eye out for him, hoping he wasn't injured. But when he comes back unharmed - "He got out of his car, swaggered up to me, and smiled his crooked smile." I shit you not, this is actually what he did - she apologises for it. He's a cunt who made her worry, yet she's the one in the wrong.

      Ugh, don't even get me started on how much I hate River or we'll be here forever. He's a selfish cunt who laments every five minutes, tries to push Violet away and bring her closer in the same movement, and I'm sick to death of it.

      Honestly, I thought we were done with the Twilight crap. I've seen less and less rehashings of the Twilight story since the franchise ended. People have been moving on, and it's been great. I no longer have to worry about cheesy declarations, poor plots, and stupid characters quite as much as what I used to. I honestly hope that this book doesn't get a movie deal and become popular. This is not something I want to see in the next 500 books released between movie trailer discovery and the end of the franchise, otherwise I'm moving into adult fantasy and never coming back.

      To be honest, I added the second book to my need to read shelf before I read this one. I'm putting that in my "will never read" shelf and forgetting about it. This has been a cesspool of utter crap and I'm not subjecting myself to it again.
    • 4/5
      3.5 stars. On one hand, I would only give it 2 stars because the whole set up of the story and the "no questions asked, just go with it" sentiment. The instant love connection was a flop for me. On the other hand, it was 4 stars in the climax and conclusion, and it did a great job in the gothic horror department. So I didn't like it, but I did at the same time. Very rare for that to happen for me.
    • 5/5
      I received a copy from Netgalley.

      ***Some very mild plot spoilers****

      I've had this book on my to be read list for what seems like ages. I've seen a mixed bag of reviews, and then saw the UK version available on Netgalley and thought oooh! That's on my want to read list. So I put in a request. Admittedly once approved I sort of went into this one expecting the worst based on some of the reviews I read, but turns out I absolutely loved it.

      Took me a while to get into, I was very slow at reading the first ten percent of the book, but once I picked it up again, it took me about three days to finish it. I loved the setting, small town by the sea with a crumbling mansion with lots of back story. Once I got into the story I could not put it down. The story focus on teen twins Violet and Luke who's artist parents have run off so they rent out their guest house to bring in some much needed cash. Bringing along mysterious sexy River.

      Violet is the type of heroine I love. Smart and strong and not afraid to speak her mind. River was the typical mysterious sexy new comer who manages to get along with Luke and also makes an impact on the twins's friend Sunshine. Everything seems to be going pretty well, until scary things start happening.

      I loved the tone of Violet's voice, and how twisty turny the plot was. Everything was sauntering along for a while and I liked the story and the budding romance between River and Violet but it was like...something else needs to happen. And things did start happening, slowly at first but twisting more and more.

      I enjoyed the style of the prose as well, maybe not lyrical, but captivating and absorbing and some evoking imagery.

      And there were some brilliant OMG what the hell is happening here twists towards the end of the book which pushed it from a four star to a five one for me. The novel was concluded, but left in a way so a sequel could happen. I for one, would definitely love a sequel.

      So a huge thanks to Netgalley and to Faber and Faber for approving my request to view this title.
    • 3/5
      A young southern California man of Cuban decesnthas has run afoul of the local crime lord and grasps at the only opportunity available - he joins the Navy. The year is 1969, the Vietnam War rages, but Ceasar see's little alternative to avoid the trouble he finds himself in. Unfortunately for him, every decision brings new consequences. Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea is a coming of age story at a time when all too many young mn were forced to grow up all to quickly. Sharply written, it draws the reader in to a world that seems long gone, but was the reality only a few short decades ago. Author Andre Lewis Carter writes in a concise manner, using his prose to draw the reader into Ceaser's world, and exposing decisions that feel authntic. I look forward to future entries.
    • 4/5
      (This review can be found on my blog The (Mis)Adventures of a Twenty-Something Year Old Girl).


      This is a book I'd been wanting to read for awhile. The whole gothic horror thing really piqued my interest. While this wasn't my favorite horror story, it was still a good read. I've also seen some reviews saying that this book was a lot like the Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer but I didn't think it was.

      I must admit that the title is what caught my attention first. I love it, and I find that it's a very fitting title for the book.

      The cover is the next thing that caught my attention, and while I don't think it really fits in with the story, it's still an interesting cover.

      I enjoyed the world building very much. However, a majority of characters in this book had really peculiar names like Violet White, River West, True White, Sunshine, etc. Maybe it was just a coincidence, but I still found it strange that they all had extraordinary names. I loved the back story of everything which helped to set up the world building very nicely. The one thing that kind of annoyed me was the insta-love between River and Violet.

      The pacing did start off a bit slow, but I hung in there. By about the third chapter, the book reeled me in, and my attention was focused solely on finding out what was going to happen and if River was truly a bad boy or just misunderstood.

      I felt that the plot had some originality to it. River moves in to Violet's guest house and suddenly a bunch of weird things start happening. I really want to elaborate more on the plot, but I also don't want to give anything away. Let's just say the plot deals with the paranormal and romance. There is a plot twist. There's also a sort of cliff hanger ending since there's a second book in the series.

      As for the characters, I thought they were alright even if they did seem a bit older than their actual ages of 16 and 17. I liked how Violet wasn't ashamed to be different. She was odd, yes, but that's what I loved about her. She seemed, for the most part, to be comfortable in her own skin. I didn't really know what to make of River. He was very mysterious and he lied...a lot! This made me not trust him at all, yet Violet was perfectly happy to trust River. (Okay, so Violet had one annoying trait). I liked Luke, and I didn't feel that he was as mean to Violet as what Violet led us to believe. In fact, I thought he was quite nice and caring. He was a bit of a ladies man, but the kid is 17 years old after all. I liked how Neely was like the protector of everyone. He did have a bit of a temper, but he was willing to do whatever it took to protect his friends and family. The character I really had a problem with was Brodie. He's such a stereotypical Texan, and that's what really made me upset. He came across as an uneducated hillbilly. I really did feel offended by the author for her portrayal of Texans.

      The dialogue sounds more fitting for an adult novel as the teenagers in the book speak like they are much older than their 16 and 17 years. As I stated in the above paragraph, I was offended by the character of Brodie. His speech was so stereotypical and offensive. I've never even heard anyone from Texas speak the way Brodie spoke, and I was born and raised here in Texas! I think the author should've done a bit more research about the dialogue and dialect of Texas instead of just stereotyping. Other than that, the dialogue flowed smoothly and freely. The book is fairly violent, and there are some mild sexual situations. There is some swearing as well.

      Overall, Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea is an intriguing read with a great plot. The world building is interesting, and the characters are likable even if one was extremely offensive.

      I'd recommend this book to those aged 16 who are fans of gothic horror or just horror in general.

      I'd give Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea by April Genevieve Tucholke a 3.75 out of 5.


      (I purchased a hardcover copy of this book with my own money from Amazon. No review was required).