Larissa's Book Inspirations

Publication: August 14, 2014 by Dial

Goodreads Summary:

Freddie once told me that the Devil created all the fear in the world.
But then, the Devil once told me that it's easier to forgive someone for scaring you than for making you cry.
The problem with River West Redding was that he'd done both to me.

The crooked-smiling liar River West Redding, who drove into Violet's life one summer day and shook her world to pieces, is gone. Violet and Neely, River's other brother, are left to worry—until they catch a two a.m. radio program about strange events in a distant mountain town. They take off in search of River but are always a step behind, finding instead frenzied towns, witch hunts, and a wind-whipped island with the thrum of something strange and dangerous just under the surface. It isn't long before Violet begins to wonder if Neely, the one Redding brother she thought trustworthy, has been hiding a secret of his own . . .

This book had me captivated from the beginning and I was drawn into the eerie, creepy atmosphere once again! This was the perfect read for the month of October as the supernatural, mysterious and disturbing elements kept me on the edge of my seat and made my skin crawl.   

Even though the characters were travelling to different locations throughout this book, April Genevieve Tucholke was able to maintain an unsettling, creepy backdrop to the story, which I loved.  The small town atmosphere added to the disturbing scenes in the story as well. 

I really enjoyed all of the main characters, they were very unique and intriguing.  I also really liked the new characters that were introduced and how they all interacted with one another and the connections that they made with each other. 

My favourite aspect of the book was how Violet's grandmother still played a prominent role in the story even though she wasn't part of the current events taking place.  Her "presence" added another layer to the plot and added more depth.

To me, the ending could have been much stronger and that is why I gave this book a 4.5 instead of the full 5 stars.  I would have really appreciated a less open-ended finale to the story.

If you're looking for an eerie read for this Halloween season, I highly recommend that you pick up Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea and the sequel in this duology, Between the Spark and the Burn. I loved the atmosphere, the characters and the plotline. They have become one of my very favourite YA series for this year!