Review - Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea by April G. Tucholke

Title: Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea (Between, #1)

Author: April G. Tucholke

Pages: 369

Publisher: Faber & Faber Children's Books

Release date: 1st April 2014

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.

Goodreads | Amazon UK | Amazon US 

My Review:

*I received a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thanks to Faber & Faber Ltd and NetGalley*

3/5 stars

Violet White lives in a large, run-down house by the sea with her brother and absent parents who have gone to Europe without them. 

In need of money, Violet decides to rent out the guesthouse. 

Enter River West. 

Violet immediately likes him but what if there is more to River than there seems? 

What if he has a terrifying secret?

I have mixed feelings about this book...

The good points - I liked the writing style and the setting (I loved the idea of a run-down house covered in ivy by the sea). I thought it was sweet how close Violet had been with her grandmother, Freddie, and felt sorry for her that Freddie had died. I also liked that Freddie's past was mentioned/part of the book. River's power was intriguing and different.

The bad points - Violet seemed to either be very naive or didn't really care what happened to her (for example she didn't ask River for references or ID before agreeing to let him rent out the guesthouse) (but apart from that I liked her). I also didn't like how quickly she fell for River. Also the book didn't grip me.

Overall this was a good read that had some issues.