Book Review: Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea by April Genevieve Tucholke

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.

This was a book I'd been wanting to read for a very long time. I saw a review of it a while back on Beth's blog, and then came across a few other reviews, and have been wanting to read the book ever since. So when I went on my Oregon trip it was the only physical book I packed, which was great on the plane ride back when my iPad died and I couldn't work on my current eBook. I think I read over a third of the book on the plane, and then finished the rest of the book in the evenings over the next week or so.

I felt like this book was good, but maybe not as a good as I'd been hoping it would be. This may be because I'd seen so many great reviews that I thought it was going to be amazing, and it got hyped up in my head before I even picked it up. Don't let that fool you, it was still a good book-and it was a great paranormal YA read that was easy to get through while still being fully entertained.

I enjoyed the Violet, the main character, and her love for being on the outside and holing up with a good book and an espresso rather than interacting with people. I found her brother and her "best friend" insufferable. I mean who gets off being that big of a dick all the time? And why on earth was this girl her friend when she was constantly bringing her down and saying mean things? Have some self-respect and stop hanging out with the chick Vi! That all starts changing though when River shows up, and boy you can't believe a word he says.

I really enjoyed how the author spins a great tale with so many different intertwining story lines that somehow all tie back to one person who's not even alive anymore, but is very present in the book. It's fascinating to see the past work it's way together and come alive in a new way as Violet deals with lies, inaccuracies, and family she didn't even know existed-all while missing so many family members that aren't around.

I do think that some of the explanations that she found came together a bit rushed. It was like the start of the book moved too slowly and then the end was thrown together quicker, but it wasn't something that was so noticeable that it actually bothered me-just something I noted towards the end. Maybe this is because the author wanted to give you some good build up that leads you into the second book (which I will be reading) or maybe it wasn't planned... Who knows.

In any case, I did actually enjoy this book and would recommend you read it if you like Paranormal YA.

Rating: ★★★★★