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

*This review has minor spoilers!*

Title: Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea
Author: April Genevieve Tucholke
Publisher: Dial
Format: Audio Book
Blurb: 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.

Review: 

This was one of those books that I just don’t know how I feel about.  It’s not bad, but I’m not sure I would describe it as “great" either.  “Good” works, but it doesn’t quite convey this absence of feeling I have.  It was unusual, for sure, which fits it right into the gothic horror category.  

Violet is so in love with River that it is a little annoying in the beginning, but it soon turns out to be something she can’t necessarily control.  It made me a little uncomfortable, admittedly, because of the abusive undertones (SPOILER: River is manipulating her emotions A LOT).  Their relationship was very Twilight-esque to be honest, and the fact that Violet doesn’t run screaming from River when she learns *SPOILER* just how many people he has murdered, I was starting to fade out.  Okay, spoilers done.

The writing in Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea was suitable to the genre.  However it was pretty pretentious, because Violet is pretentious.  She was raised by artist parents, and often references different kinds of painting styles and artists (ones I assume are famous and I’ve never heard of as I'm not into art).  I think unless you’re into art many of the references will be lost on you (as they were on me).  Other than that I found the writing was well done, and Tucholke did a good job describing the settings.

So to conclude, I liked the writing (minus the constant art references), and the storyline was pretty good until it became more like an abusive relationship.

Book Blitz + Giveaway: Crow's Rest by Angelica R. Jackson

Crow's Rest
by Angelica R. Jackson
Release Date: May 12th 2015

Summary from Goodreads:

Avery Flynn arrives for a visit at her Uncle Tam's, eager to rekindle her summertime romance with her crush-next-door, Daniel.

But Daniel’s not the sweet, neurotic guy she remembers—and she wonders if this is her Daniel at all. Or if someone—some thing—has taken his place.

Her quest to find the real Daniel—and get him back—plunges Avery into a world of Fae and changelings, where creatures swap bodies like humans change their socks, and magic lives much closer to home than she ever imagined. 

Buy Links:

Amazon│Barnes & Noble│Kobo Books

Crow’s Rest Book Trailer:

And check out the illustrated companion, A Compendium of the Faer Folke! Available as a free download!

Top Ten Places Where the Border Between Our World and Faerie Is Weak 

1. Las Vegas: think about it—it would explain so much. What better place for the Fae to hide in plain sight than where people walk around in elaborate costumes every day? 

2. Arch in Balboa Park: okay, so I can’t remember exactly where this was, but as teenagers, some friends and I were wandering around by the outdoor theater in Balboa Park at dusk. I swear that one of the arches was not just an arch, but a doorway. 

3. Barton Woods: with views like this, how could it not be a glimpse into Faerie? 

4. The cave on Tom Sawyer’s Island at Disneyland: our family had annual passes to Disneyland, and lots of summer days were spent on the island (partly because I didn’t have much patience for lines at the rides). Back when it was known as a racially insensitive _____ Joe’s Cave instead of Dead Man’s Grotto (as I believe it’s now called), all kinds of spooky, unexplainable things happened in there 

5. Belvedere Castle in Central Park: you might think this is just a 19th-century folly, but I’ve always suspected that it’s a mirror castle, meaning there’s a corresponding (but oh so much better) castle on the Fae side of the border 

6. Davis Arboretum: the arboretum on the campus of University of California, Davis, is a pleasant-enough place to stroll and study plants, but there’s this one spot where the path passes under the road, and I don’t think it’s just empty shadows under there… 

7. Hope Valley Aspens: the aspen trees around Carson Pass and Hope Valley truly do have an otherworldly beauty about them. This spot is actually near a main road, but within a few short steps all you can hear is the sound of trickling water and twirling leaves 

  

8. White Wells baths: this historic bath house in Ilkley, West Yorkshire, has a documented visit from the Little People, back in the 19th century. They scampered about the walls like squirrels when they were interrupted. 

9. Preston Castle: Built as the Preston School of Industry in Ione, California, the hauntings at this castle could also be signs of a weakened Faerie border 

 

10. Hollywood: same situation as Las Vegas—it explains so much about the beautiful, Hollyweird celebrities, that they’re actually from Faerie 

(All photos by Angelica R. Jackson) 

About the Author:

In keeping with her scattered Gemini nature, Angelica R. Jackson has far too many interests to list here.

She has an obsession with creating more writing nooks in the home she shares with her husband and two corpulent cats in California's Gold Country. Fortunately, the writing nooks serve for reading and cat cuddling too.

Other pastimes include cooking for food allergies (not necessarily by choice, but she’s come to terms with it), photography, and volunteering at a local no-kill sanctuary.

She blogs at Angelic Muse, and is a contributing member of Operation Awesome and the Fearless Fifteeners.

Author Links:

   

GIVEAWAY:

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Friday Finds (1) July 24

FRIDAY FINDS (hosted at adailyrhythm.com) showcases the books you ‘found’ and added to your To Be Read (TBR) list… whether you found them online, or in a bookstore, or in the library — wherever! (they aren’t necessarily books you purchased).

I found a few I want to read, but I'm not sure when I'll ever be able to get to them! (The curse of a bookworm, right?).  Also book cover artists are just so amazing?  How do they do it?!

   

  

Waiting on Wednesday (1)

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection is:

Title: Ten Thousand Skies Above You (Firebird, #2)

Author: Claudia Gray

Genre: YA, SciFi

Publisher: Harper Teen

Release Date: November 3, 2015

Blurb: Ever since she used the Firebird, her parents' invention, to cross into alternate dimensions, Marguerite has caught the attention of enemies who will do anything to force her into helping them dominate the multiverse—even hurting the people she loves. She resists until her boyfriend, Paul, is attacked and his consciousness scattered across multiple dimensions. 
Marguerite has no choice but to search for each splinter of Paul’s soul. The hunt sends her racing through a war-torn San Francisco, the criminal underworld of New York City, and a glittering Paris where another Marguerite hides a shocking secret. Each world brings Marguerite one step closer to rescuing Paul. But with each trial she faces, she begins to question the destiny she thought they shared. 

Note: These book covers will be the death of me.  And then I'll come back to read the words, and die all over again.  I'm still not sure I've fully recovered from the first book in the series, A Thousand Pieces of You.  Either way, I cannot wait to get this book this November!