Brad About Books: Between the Spark and the Burn by April Genevieve Tucholke

BETWEEN THE SPARK AND THE BURN
Expected Publication Date: August 14, 2014
Publisher: Dial (Penguin)
Format: ARC
Page Count: 320 pages
Source: Publisher in exchange for an honest review
Series: Between, #2

This review is entirely spoiler free, even if you haven't read book one, Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea.

Read my review for book one here.

Between the Spark and the Burn was everything I hoped it would be and more. With an eerie atmosphere and prose that grabbed me right from the beginning, Between the Spark and the Burn is an absorbing, exhilarating sequel that shouldn't be missed.

It's no surprise that I absolutely adored Tucholke's first part in this duology, Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea. With its fantastic atmosphere and characters worth rooting for, what's not to like? So needless to say, I was thrilled to see just how things would wrap up for these dark, brooding, mysterious characters. And I loved this sequel. Absolutely, one-hundred percent loved it. Tucholke's writing has an eerie, spine-tingling vibe that comes off the pages, and I never knew if I could fully trust the characters. It's vivid, lush, and completely addictive. So many twists and turns shocked in Between the Spark and the Burn. Due to the events at the end of book one, I had no idea how River and Violet's story would pan out, but I certainly didn't expect a lot of things that happened in this sequel. And I loved how Tucholke always kept me guessing. There's never a dull moment in this duology. 

Violet and River were two of my favorite characters from my 2013 reads and seeing their character progression and development in this finale was stunning. Violet, though she's broken on the inside, is fierce and strong, and River is completely insane, but they make for even more dark, haunting characters. Following Violet as she searches for answers and secrets was thrilling. Tucholke shows the reader more sides of this eerie landscape, and getting an insight into the world of River and his past in Between the Spark and the Burn was seriously awesome. I didn't think I could like them more than I already did, but Tucholke definitely proved me wrong.

And can we just talk about this series as a whole? It's got everything a paranormal fan could want: fantastic world-building, characters you can never fully trust, and an ending you'll never see coming. Seriously, Tucholke's books have landed a permanent spot on my Favorites shelf. If you're looking for the next series to binge-read, completely dive into, and be hooked on, look no further. The Between duology is for you. We all know the dreaded Sequel Slump, but that completely passed over Between the Spark and the Burn. I loved this one even more than the first book. So, so good.

Overall, Between the Spark and the Burn is a sequel of epic proportions and twists and turns that will have you on the edge of your seat the entire time. One of the best sequels I've read in a long time.

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