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Between the Spark and the Burn: Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea, Book 2
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A lot or a little?
The parents' guide to what's in this book.
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that Between the Spark and the Burn is the second book in a series that explores Violet White's relationship with the mysterious Redding brothers, who have disappeared. There's an attempted murder, the use of knives, and drowning. Language includes "bastard," "bulls--t," "damn," and "hell." Brief kissing scenes.
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What's the story?
Last summer, Violet White met the charming yet dangerous Redding brothers, River, Brodie and Neely. The trio stayed in her home called, Citizen Kane, located in a small seaside town. After a series events caused romance, heartbreak, and violence, River and Brodie disappeared without a trace. It's been several months, and Violet hasn't heard anything from the brothers. One night, Violet hears of a strange occurrence, on a radio broadcast, in a mountain village miles from her home. She gathers her friends, her brother, and the other Redding sibling, Neely, to go on a mission to locate River and Brodie. Their adventure takes through a myriad of eerie locales, in search of the Redding brothers. On their travels they meet a variety of different characters all searching for the truth behind the mystery of the Redding boys.
Is it any good?
If you thought Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea was gothic and gloomy, get ready for its conclusion in Between the Spark and the Burn. Author April Genevieve Tucholke ups the eerie factor, and the narrative remains lyrical and haunting. Citizen Kane is the house where Violet and her family live; part of the pleasure of the story is the setting, with a stormy sea along a small windswept town, mountain villages with strange townsfolk, an abandoned hotel, and even an island filled with curses and sea monsters, and complex characters have names like Finch, Canto, Sunshine, and Pine.
Unfortunately, the novel loses steam, and the ending just kind of ... ends. It almost seems as if there should be a third book; readers will want to know a little more about what happens to Violet, River, and everyone else.
Talk to your kids about ...
Families can talk about traveling on your own and having to make decisions without adults. Is this something you could do? Have you traveled on your own before?
What do you think about the diary entries of Violet's grandmother, Freddie? Were you surprised at their connection to the story and the Redding boys? Do you think they added to the story?
Book details
- Author: April Genevieve Tucholke
- Genre: Fantasy
- Topics: Brothers and Sisters, Friendship, Great Boy Role Models, Great Girl Role Models, Monsters, Ghosts, and Vampires
- Book type: Fiction
- Publisher: Dial Books
- Publication date: August 13, 2014
- Publisher's recommended age(s): 12 - 17
- Number of pages: 320
- Available on: Nook, Hardback, iBooks, Kindle
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