Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea (novel)


Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea is a young adult Gothic horror novel written by April Genevieve Tucholke and published on August 15, 2013 by Dial Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Penguin Books.

Plot

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.
Blending faded decadence and the thrilling dread of gothic horror, April Genevieve Tucholke weaves a dreamy, twisting contemporary romance, as gorgeously told as it is terrifying—a debut to watch.

Characters

The critical reception for the book has been very positive. The book received starred reviews from School Library Journal, VOYA, and Booklist. The School Library Journal reviewer wrote "Tucholke’s gothic tone, plot, and setting, complete with a deteriorating estate full of dark family secrets, is reminiscent of Daphne du Maurier or YA fare such as Kami Garcia’s and Margaret Stohl’s Beautiful Creatures." Booklist said of the book, "Tucholke paints this moody, gothic romance with a languid brush. Moments of horror nestle against warm, dreamy kisses." Publishers Weekly wrote of the novel, "Tucholke luxuriates in the details of small-town life, including her characters’ gourmand tendencies and their quick-witted interactions, in a chilling supernatural exploration of free will and reality’s fluidity."
Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea was nominated by YALSA for a Teens Top Ten award for books published in 2013. The book was also a 2015 Kentucky Blue Grass Award Nominee, an Honorable Mention in the Westchester Fiction Awards, and a runner up in the 2013 YABC Choice Awards' Best Teen Horror/Thriller category,