Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea
-
Portable_Panther
- Posts: 17
- Joined: 25 Oct 2013, 10:57
- Bookshelf Size: 0
- Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-portable-panther.html
Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea
Rich, family secrets. A power that can terrify. Illicit love. For a first novel, April Genevieve Tucholke’s Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea can’t be beat. If you’re looking for a dark, romantic story that snowballs into one heck of a ride this will be your saving grace. A quick warning before we travel further into our discussion, however: the novel’s sequel is not expected to be released until August, 2014. Until then, readers who have already devoured the first book will have to bite their nails to the core. Regardless, Tucholke’s use of character development coupled with her gothic tone make for a compelling and passionate read.
Violet is rather strange for a wealthy seventeen-year-old. She prefers solitude over company, wears her deceased grandmother’s clothes, and both hates and loves her twin brother Luke. When a mysterious boy named River arrives to rent the guesthouse, however, her quiet life is interrupted in the most chaotic way possible. Strange incidents surround River, and Violet is soon to discover just how many secrets one house—and one boy—can hold.
While most of the characters in Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea are rather shallow, two most notably are anything but. Readers will notice a rapid transformation in Violet as the novel progresses. While her basic nature—the calm, calculating outsider—remains the same, Violet soon begins to listen to her heart as well as her head. The issue, of course, is that she may need her sanity to come to terms with what is occurring in Echo, and her untimely love only gets in the way. The audience’s perception toward River will slowly alter throughout the course of the novel as well. River is a liar. River is genuine. River is kind. River is evil. I guess you’ll have to read to find out for yourself exactly what comprises the mysterious boy in Violet’s guesthouse. These characters and several others provide a realistic base from which audience members are compelled to read on, discovering just who (or what) each really is.
Tucholke’s gothic style of writing further enhances the quality of reading. The elaborate but decaying mansion where Violet and Luke live, known as Citizen Kane, is captured beautifully through Tucholke’s words. Huge and magnificent even in its deplorable state, Citizen Kane is located on the edge of a cliff facing out to sea, making the novel’s title very fitting indeed. The dark, enchanting scenes further provide an air of mystery around both Citizen Kane and Echo. Ghost stories concerning the town’s past, a nighttime stroll through the cemetery with Violet and River, and hidden items in the mansion add to the book’s thrill. It gives one the feeling of exploring an unknown castle as a child.
If you’re in the mood for a riveting read that will leave you crying for more, I absolutely demand that you pick up this book. Not only is the plot stimulating, but the clandestine air surrounding the characters and the places will capture every reader’s attention. The Devil is at your doorstep; dare to flip the pages and face him yourself.
-
Smitha Nayak
- Posts: 65
- Joined: 27 Sep 2013, 04:36
- Bookshelf Size: 0
The phrase may have been a nautical reference to the deep blue sea and a "devil", a seam (where two hull planks meet) that is difficult to reach on a ship. It may have been a reference to being a member of the lower deck or crew of a sailing ship in the English Navy. Such sailors were often pressed into service unwillingly. One who was "between the devil and the deep blue sea" would literally be beneath the upper deck (officer territory) and thus a member of the crew.
Another possible origin involves the fact that "devil" was a name for the longest seam of a wooden ship,[1] which ran from the bow to the stern. When at sea and the devil had to be caulked, the sailor sat in a bosun's chair to do so. He was suspended between the devil and the sea, a very precarious position, especially when the ship was underway. If sailors fell from a footrope under a yardarm, they would either land on the deck (within the devil plank) or in the water (outside of the devil plank). Either option is likely fatal.
However, this nautical origin is unlikely. This is because the first recorded citation of "the Devil and the deep sea" in print is in Robert Monro's His expedition with the worthy Scots regiment called Mac-keyes, 1637: "I, with my partie, did lie on our poste, as betwixt the devill and the deep sea." Because the nautical use of the word "devil" as mentioned above cannot be confirmed until more than two centuries later, the nautical origin seems improbable.
-- 07 Nov 2013, 05:15 --
The phrase may have been a nautical reference to the deep blue sea and a "devil", a seam (where two hull planks meet) that is difficult to reach on a ship. It may have been a reference to being a member of the lower deck or crew of a sailing ship in the English Navy. Such sailors were often pressed into service unwillingly. One who was "between the devil and the deep blue sea" would literally be beneath the upper deck (officer territory) and thus a member of the crew.
Another possible origin involves the fact that "devil" was a name for the longest seam of a wooden ship,[1] which ran from the bow to the stern. When at sea and the devil had to be caulked, the sailor sat in a bosun's chair to do so. He was suspended between the devil and the sea, a very precarious position, especially when the ship was underway. If sailors fell from a footrope under a yardarm, they would either land on the deck (within the devil plank) or in the water (outside of the devil plank). Either option is likely fatal.
However, this nautical origin is unlikely. This is because the first recorded citation of "the Devil and the deep sea" in print is in Robert Monro's His expedition with the worthy Scots regiment called Mac-keyes, 1637: "I, with my partie, did lie on our poste, as betwixt the devill and the deep sea." Because the nautical use of the word "devil" as mentioned above cannot be confirmed until more than two centuries later, the nautical origin seems improbable.
Another possible origin involves the fact that "devil" was a name for the longest seam of a wooden ship,[1] which ran from the bow to the stern. When at sea and the devil had to be caulked, the sailor sat in a bosun's chair to do so. He was suspended between the devil and the sea, a very precarious position, especially when the ship was underway. If sailors fell from a footrope under a yardarm, they would either land on the deck (within the devil plank) or in the water (outside of the devil plank). Either option is likely fatal.
However, this nautical origin is unlikely. This is because the first recorded citation of "the Devil and the deep sea" in print is in Robert Monro's His expedition with the worthy Scots regiment called Mac-keyes, 1637: "I, with my partie, did lie on our poste, as betwixt the devill and the deep sea." Because the nautical use of the word "devil" as mentioned above cannot be confirmed until more than two centuries later, the nautical origin seems improbable.
-- 07 Nov 2013, 05:15 --
The phrase may have been a nautical reference to the deep blue sea and a "devil", a seam (where two hull planks meet) that is difficult to reach on a ship. It may have been a reference to being a member of the lower deck or crew of a sailing ship in the English Navy. Such sailors were often pressed into service unwillingly. One who was "between the devil and the deep blue sea" would literally be beneath the upper deck (officer territory) and thus a member of the crew.
Another possible origin involves the fact that "devil" was a name for the longest seam of a wooden ship,[1] which ran from the bow to the stern. When at sea and the devil had to be caulked, the sailor sat in a bosun's chair to do so. He was suspended between the devil and the sea, a very precarious position, especially when the ship was underway. If sailors fell from a footrope under a yardarm, they would either land on the deck (within the devil plank) or in the water (outside of the devil plank). Either option is likely fatal.
However, this nautical origin is unlikely. This is because the first recorded citation of "the Devil and the deep sea" in print is in Robert Monro's His expedition with the worthy Scots regiment called Mac-keyes, 1637: "I, with my partie, did lie on our poste, as betwixt the devill and the deep sea." Because the nautical use of the word "devil" as mentioned above cannot be confirmed until more than two centuries later, the nautical origin seems improbable.
-
Portable_Panther
- Posts: 17
- Joined: 25 Oct 2013, 10:57
- Bookshelf Size: 0
- Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-portable-panther.html
Hi Smitha,
Good insight on the title! I never would have thought of the nautical references.
I do know that the phrase also came from George Harrison's "Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea." The song's lyrics go very nicely with the book's plot as well, and the song is mentioned in one scene of the novel. If you have a moment, I would encourage you to look it up!
Good insight on the title! I never would have thought of the nautical references.
I do know that the phrase also came from George Harrison's "Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea." The song's lyrics go very nicely with the book's plot as well, and the song is mentioned in one scene of the novel. If you have a moment, I would encourage you to look it up!
