Between the Devil & the Deep Blue Sea by April Genevieve Tucholke - Blog Tour!

Summary from Goodreads

Faded Gatsby glamour and thrilling gothic horror meet in this gorgeously told, terrifying and dreamy YA romance.

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? Violet's grandmother always warned her about the Devil, but she never said he could be a dark-haired boy who likes coffee and who 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.

Paperback, 368 pages

Published April 3rd 2014 by Faber & Faber (first published August 15th 2013)
 

My Review
 

Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea is a strange read that pulled me in and trailed me along for one wild and very haunting ride!
 

What made this book really stand out were it's characters (you won't forget their bonkers names in a hurry). Each character oozed individuality and charm - I enjoyed them all and their weird ways. My favourite by far is Violet, she is an old soul and has the strangest little quirks that made me smile - I really really liked her!
 

I liked the storyline, It twisted, turned and thrilled. Tucholke writes some fantastic settings and her Gothic horror scenes were gloriously atmospheric and super creepy.
 

Violet's lazy little seaside town never sees anything exciting happen....until River West that is! He rolls into town with his easy and super relaxed charm and forces everyone to take notice. He isn't all he seems though and the strange happening's from his arrival are all a coincidence, right?
 

The ending...wow! Explosive, scary and ever so exciting (I need book 2 NOW)!
 

Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea is a dark, brooding and very exciting debut. It has old fashioned hints with those tense and very creepy Gothic horror twists. The characters bounce off the page and are larger than life. Bring on the conclusion...I need to know!
 

3.5 / 5 Stars!
 

*Special thanks to Faber Children's' for the review copy*

Guest Post

Top Five Places To Read Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea

1. A cemetery. Preferably one that’s old, neglected, out-of-the-way, and haunted. A couple of freshly dug graves are a plus.

2. In an attic. The characters in my book spend a lot of time in an attic, one filled with wardrobes and dusty trunks and old records and buried secrets.

3. In a cellar. The more dark and dank and “Cask of Amontillado” the better. Dusty bottles of wine, crumbing bricks, cobwebs, and rats will all add to the atmosphere.

4. On the beach. But it must be a cold, gray beach, with tall, stern rocks and crashing, irritated waves. And the air must smell of salt and give one a feeling of impending death by drowning.

5. In a shaft of bright sunlight, in your lover’s arms…provided your lover is cryptic, and secretive, with a hushed-up past and mysterious motives.

About the Author

April Genevieve Tucholke is a full-time writer who digs classic movies, redheaded villains, big kitchens, and discussing murder at the dinner table. She and her husband—a librarian, former rare-book dealer, and journalist—live in Oregon. Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea is her first novel.

(Taken from April's Goodreads profile)