Review–Between the Spark and the Burn (Between #2) by April Genevieve Tucholke


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Between the Spark and the Burn (Between #2)

by April Genevieve Tucholke

 
Summary: The conclusion to Between the Devil and The Deep Blue Sea, this gothic thriller romance with shades of Stephen King and Daphne du Maurier is a must-read for fans of Beautiful Creatures and Anna Dressed in Blood.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 …

Source: I purchased a hardcover

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Review:

Between the Spark and the Burn was the conclusion to the series. I wasn’t sure if I would read it, but I was left with a lot of curiosity after Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea. The characters and the abilities they have were intriguing.

Between the Spark and the Burn was pretty well done. While I still have the same issues as I did with the first book in terms of how it was written, I was already expecting the same writing style, so it wasn’t hard to adjust. Sometimes, I felt like Violet’s narration worked well even though it was so simplistic as times. I’m conflicted about it, but the writing style had me flying through the pages and maybe that’s the point.

This duology is creepy without being enveloped in a million plot points. Sometimes, horror books are so full of the unbelievable and the endings always end up being convenient or some events seem far fetched once explained. But these books are so subtle. Crazy things happen, but the books don’t try to shove explanations down my throat. Everything just lingers. It’s like biting into something and letting the flavors roll around on your tongue for awhile. It’s that kind of story. And maybe, if you think about it too much, you might decide it doesn’t make much sense. But at least it doesn’t try to.

I recommend the books, but I think you have to like horror and lyrical prose. Not blood and guts and ghosts horror, but the eerie and unknown horror. The Poe-like horror. These books are weird and incredible and full of emotion. After reaching the end of the duology, while I enjoyed this installment, I wish it would have been a standalone. No answers were given and I would have preferred the way I felt at the end of Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea to the way I feel now. But I suppose I’m glad I read both.

4%2520star

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