Welcome to the Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea blog tour! What better way to ring in the end of summer than this truly creepy (but also steamy!) debut from April Genevieve Tucholke? Follow along on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays as April offers insights into her characters, her writing, and bringing gothic horror back again. But first, a little about the novel:
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Author: April Genevieve Tucholke
Series: Between, book #1
Publisher: Dial
Publication Date: August 15, 2013
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository
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, 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.
A gothic thriller romance with shades of Stephen King and F. Scott Fitzgerald, set against a creepy summertime backdrop--a must-read for fans of Beautiful Creatures, The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer, and Anna Dressed in Blood.
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.
A gothic thriller romance with shades of Stephen King and F. Scott Fitzgerald, set against a creepy summertime backdrop--a must-read for fans of Beautiful Creatures, The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer, and Anna Dressed in Blood.
In general, I’m not a fan of black and white characters (unlike black and white movies). With some crucial exceptions, like Atticus Finch in To Kill A Mockingbird, I’m definitely more comfortable with gray. Violet’s brother Luke can be pretty unlikable. I don’t dig how he treats Violet, on occasion. He’s not a bad brother. But he’s not always a great one either. Same goes for Sunshine -- she could be a better friend to V. And Violet’s parents aren’t terrible people, but they’re neglectful and self-absorbed. I think having certain (non-antagonist) characters do disagreeable things…it’s necessary. It’s complex. It’s real life.
And then there’s Neely and River. I have a dangerously high tolerance for mischief and amorality when it’s presented to me in a charming package. Neely is cheerful and amiable, but he has a temper. And River…River believes in justice, and vengeance. He does questionable things. He takes the law into his own hands. He has no regrets. He wants life to be interesting. Hell, I want to be River half the time.
Ah, I love this! And I completely agree with the high tolerance for amorality when boys like River are involved. He sort of makes it okay to be bad. =) I loved this novel to pieces, and I hope you'll check out my review to see why.
Follow along the Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea tour to see all of April’s responses!
Monday 8/19: Jean BookNerd
Wednesday 8/21: The YA Sisterhood
Friday 8/23: Good Choice Reading
Monday 8/26: Katie’s Book Blog
Wednesday 8/28: Books with Bite
Friday 8/30: Alice Marvels
Monday 9/2: The Starry-Eyed Revue
Wednesday 9/4: The Midnight Garden
Friday 9/6: Paranormal & Urban Fantasy Reviews
I hope you all give this fantastic, atmospheric read a try! Thanks for stopping by & happy reading!
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ReplyDeleteAwesome! Thanks for sharing!! I won this book in a giveaway a while ago, and just received it in the mail yesterday!! Yayyyy!!! I can't wait to jump into this bad boy! :)
ReplyDeleteWooh(: I loved this book <3 Thanks for sharing!!!
ReplyDeleteHappy reading
Jackie
http://nobentspines.blogspot.com/
I loved the book! The characters are so compelling, exactly because they aren't black and white! They all have their strenghts and their weaknesses and I liked and disliked most of them at different points - as it is with real people!
ReplyDeleteWhat a brilliant post! I read several reviews where people talked about these characters being flat, and I was like WHAT??? What book were you reading? I think they had incredible depth, although it was subtle at times. Luke seemed like such a shallow character at first, but then you see how hurt he is over missing his parents, and bored in general. And he cares for his sister even though he can be casually cruel. Oh RIVER RIVER. He's another one that's so great. Mystery surrounds him, but when you break him down, he has incredible convictions and is a boy who likes to have fun. LOVE THIS.
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