Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea

I finally got around to reading this. After missing packages and faulty winnings, I ended up buying this book after I heard the sequel was being released soon.

And some things are definitely worth the weight.

It wasn't creepy like I expected it to be, it was more of a mind-warp; a confusing yet alluring book.

I hated Luke, and I don't think I will like him ever. Sunshine didn't really bring much to the plot, but she wasn't irritating to have around.

Violet was sometimes clueless and very naive.

It was those Redding brothers that made me stick around. (yes, even that creepy little one). Their life and back story was hella interesting. Once everything started to fall in place, I knew this wouldn't be a story I was soon to forget.

Now I'm ready for the second one!

I read this book in a day. While i didnt study for my math quarterly or do my homework. It was worth it. I really liked Violet. She was eccentric used the word damn and was overall a fantastic character. Violet lives with her brother in the falling apart mansion without her parents for they are out painting somewhere spending what is left of their money. To get money for food, Violet puts out an add to rent the guest house at the mansion. River West applies and with him he brings a whirl of passion, danger, and blood shed. It had me guessing until the ending that I did not see coming who was actually committing all of those murders and it will have you guessing too. Sunshine was also a loveable character/friend for Violet. The romance was okay... to be honest I would rather Violet be with Neely because River is annoying with all of his lies and instability.

If I had to choose one book to represent who I am, it would be Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea. Old crumbling mansions by the seaside, an Ouija board scene, classic movie references--and I felt so close to the main character. She was seriously just a blonde version of myself. She spends all her free time reading, wears vintage clothing, and spends time in their old home's attic, exploring and finding hidden treasures. (My house doesn't have an attic but I wish it did. But maybe you gathered that from my blog's title.) But not only do our main character and I enjoy doing similar activities, but our personalities were the same and everything else, with the exception that she likes coffee and I only drink tea.

I've seen mixed feelings toward this novel, but I thought it was very well written. The imagery was absolutely wonderful. As I progressed through it's pages, I could almost feel the chill from the ocean seeping into me as the story grew darker and darker. I really wanted to live in the ambiance that the narrative created. And I think the characters were just as well developed. I've already stated how much I love the main character, but her brother, her friend Sunshine, and River especially, all had layers to them. And moving onto River--where do I start. I was feeling everything that Violet was feeling when she was feeling it. I assumed that River was the "Devil" that was being referenced in the title, but when he showed up with his vintage suitcases, I didn't care. And neither did Violet.

When it came to the plot, I didn't really know what to expect. I gave up trying to guess because I knew I wouldn't be able to get it right. But what I loved so much about the story was how everything came together. Half way through the novel, there were so many side stories and comments being thrown around that not only did I forget some of them, the rest I thought were just background information. Until they came into play later on. And the ending. I should have been able to predict some of it, but like I said, I thought some of it wasn't important. The ending was super creepy and very well written. Let's just say that someone shows up who might just be the Devil himself, he was so evil. And the explanation for why, I thought was plausible, which doesn't always happen when it comes to villains. They all have reasons for their actions and flaws just like everyone else.

Overall, I really enjoyed Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea. I don't think it's for everyone (my mom was kind of creeped out that I enjoyed it as much as I did), but I am a sucker for gothic ambiance and creeptastic villains. I am really looking forward to book two and I really hope it retains the same feeling that Between did.