Smoulder

Jan 15, 2012 Maja rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Maja by: Jillian -always aspiring-

Shelves: own-a-dtb, ya, 2012-favorites, all-the-right-choices, alternating-povs, amazing-writing, cover-lust, demons-can-be-hot-too, favorites, highly-anticipating-2012, role-models, reviewed-in-2012

Before, when Lilith left, she'd been stony and remote. Now, she trembled, outraged that a man could refuse his son. She spit in Adam's face and cursed the day she ever saw him. It was the day she'd been born. Then she took Obie and left, pelting away through the dark.
In the dark is where she met my father.

First of all, I’d like to take a second to admire the truly marvelous cover art, done by the amazing Spanish artist Nekro. He is responsible for some of my favorite covers, like Anna Dressed i ...more Before, when Lilith left, she'd been stony and remote. Now, she trembled, outraged that a man could refuse his son. She spit in Adam's face and cursed the day she ever saw him. It was the day she'd been born. Then she took Obie and left, pelting away through the dark.
In the dark is where she met my father.

First of all, I’d like to take a second to admire the truly marvelous cover art, done by the amazing Spanish artist Nekro. He is responsible for some of my favorite covers, like Anna Dressed in Blood, Girl of Nightmares and Blood Rights. I love that every single one of his covers actually has something to do with the story, and that is especially true for The Space Between. His art made it so much easier for me to picture Hell the way Brenna Yovanoff described it: a huge city entirely made of metal, built above a Pit full of suffering souls and hungry Pain Demons.
The world Yovanoff created is both frightening and beautiful. She writes in exquisite detail, with clarity and completeness, and she does it effortlessly – you can tell that she isn’t even trying, that it comes naturally to her, like laughing or walking. That said, Maggie Stiefvater’s influence is clearly discernible, which isn’t all that surprising considering their friendship and collaboration.

From outside comes the sound of the furnace door slamming open. The sky glows red again and my tears begin to thaw. When I blink, they slip solid from my eyelashes. The sound when they land is like pebbles scattered on the tile, but the floor of the museum is already growing hot, burning my feet through my slippers. The tears melt and sizzle where they fall.

Daphne is the youngest daughter of Lilith and Lucifer, born right around the time when her parents stopped loving each other. Her many stepsisters, the Lilim, are wicked seductresses who walk the Earth taking knowledge and experience from their all-too-willing victims, but Daphne is nothing like them. Her half-brother Obie, Lilith’s first son and the son of Adam, is the only good person in Daphne’s life and Daphne adores him, but she’s nothing like him either. She seems to be stuck in Hell, spending eternity without purpose, until one day Obie disappears on Earth. Lilith, who only tolerates Daphne, despises the Lilim, but worships Obie, can do absolutely nothing to help him as she is unable to leave Hell. It’s up to Daphne to go to Earth for the first time and find her brother, despite the danger of being brutally killed by archangel Azrael and his faithful soldier, Dark Dreadful. The only person who can help her is a broken boy, Obie’s charge Truman, who was once sent back from the very entrance to Hell by Beelzebub himself.

Yovanoff’s talent for bringing horrible creatures to life was obvious to me even in The Replacement, but it was much more pronounced here. If you thought the Morrigan’s ladies were scary, the Lilim will likely give you nightmares that won’t easily go away. It was so easy to picture Lilith sitting on her filigree bench, her skin startlingly white, her head moving in a distinctly non-human way.

I had almost forgotten how her voice has the power to cut through me. She looks over, looks right through me with grim, silvery eyes and I see a black hollow in her, like seeing the future. Like looking down the barrel of a gun.

If you’re in the mood for a dark, eerily beautiful and haunting story, The Space Between is what you should read. Brenna Yovanoff just made it on my very short list of authors whose books I preorder without a second thought.

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Dec 12, 2011 Trudi rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: angels-and-demons, fantastical-speculative, young-adult, fantasy, 2011-reads, judge-a-book-by-its-cover, grief-and-loss, kick-ass-heroines

The treachery of a demon is nothing compared to the betrayal of an angel.

In the dark is where she met my father.

What tops being the daughter of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn? Why being the daughter of Lucifer and Lilith of course! If I had never heard of Brenna Yovanoff and if I had not read and loved her debut novel -- The Replacement -- I still would have picked up this book based on the heroine's parentage alone. And if that didn't do it, look at that lush, gorgeous cover, like a Baroque tape...more

The treachery of a demon is nothing compared to the betrayal of an angel.

In the dark is where she met my father.

What tops being the daughter of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn? Why being the daughter of Lucifer and Lilith of course! If I had never heard of Brenna Yovanoff and if I had not read and loved her debut novel -- The Replacement -- I still would have picked up this book based on the heroine's parentage alone. And if that didn't do it, look at that lush, gorgeous cover, like a Baroque tapestry or Hieronymus Bosch painting. That shade of red means business and is making promises to the reader before the first page is turned**.

**It was the unusual (and unforgettable) cover for The Replacement that brought Yovanoff to my attention in the first place. Whoever is doing her cover art she should at least take out to dinner, if not get them a Prius or something.

But I digress.

My deep appreciation for this fantastical, opulent fairy tale of fallen angels, demons (and their offspring) is prevented from pouring over as outright gushing by one thing and one thing only -- Daughter of Smoke and Bone. Had I not recently read that magnificent piece of writing and storytelling I would be crying this book's praises to the high heavens. Because The Space Between is exceptionally wonderful -- yet the brightness of its candle's flame cannot help but flicker and waver in the shadow of that "other" book. I usually don't like to pit books against each other; it doesn't seem fair or particularly useful. But I can't stop myself from doing it here.

Having said that, The Space Between is lovely in its darkness and secrets. Lush book covers aside, this is a well thought out and constructed narrative, rich in symbolism and mythology. Yovanoff takes the familiar (especially to those of us who suffered through Catholic school catechism classes) and paints over it so that it begins to feel new and exciting. She starts with what we all know about the Fall, the War in Heaven, Lucifer and Lilith, and then runs with it creating a vision of Hell that is as unique as it is awesome, an inspired blend of originality, the Bible, and John Milton.

Daphne is unlike any heroine I’ve met. Not easily recognizable as young or female, she thinks and behaves in a way we must discover gradually. She is not human, yet seeks out the humanity buried inside her that’s separate from the monster she knows lurks there too. Daphne’s redemption lies in her quest for her lost brother, and her protection of a broken boy. I loved the mystery here of Daphne’s earthly trials. Everything feels urgent and pregnant with danger. This is a dark story that’s dressed in despair, but that is lined with the grimness of hope too.

Oh yeah, and the prose? Just look at that cover again. It is making a promise that Yovanoff has no problem keeping.

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Dec 02, 2011 Jillian -always aspiring- rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Those who cannot always see the hope hiding inside the pain and turmoil of life

Shelves: covers-i-love, titles-i-love, writer-crush, 2011-reads, prose-envy, best-characters, best-couples, best-endings, wish-i-could-write-a-book-like-this, writing-to-which-i-aspire, heroes-i-love-and-respect, heroines-i-love-and-or-admire, wowed-me, exceeded-my-expectations, very-nearly-heartbreaking, amazing-storytelling, fab-writing, couldn-t-stop-reading-it, ultimate-favorites, stories-that-challenge-me, made-me-cry, soared-above-and-beyond, stories-with-a-message, love-it-for-the-characters, reviewed

(This novel tore my heart out and then handed it back to me, all the while giving a sad but sheepish smile. My love for this book is probably not entirely rational, but I will attempt to write a coherent review that doesn't descend into gushing and babbling.)

I'm not always certain why some books affect me more than others. Sometimes I think a few of them merely catch me at the right times and places, hitting me when I'm emotionally weak or mentally exhausted. Then, when I look back at the review...more (This novel tore my heart out and then handed it back to me, all the while giving a sad but sheepish smile. My love for this book is probably not entirely rational, but I will attempt to write a coherent review that doesn't descend into gushing and babbling.)

I'm not always certain why some books affect me more than others. Sometimes I think a few of them merely catch me at the right times and places, hitting me when I'm emotionally weak or mentally exhausted. Then, when I look back at the reviews I've written, I often think, "Okay, jog my memory. Why did this book affect me so much, and why did I rate it so highly?"

In a few months' time, I hope that thought won't creep into my head when I think of Brenna Yovanoff's sophomore novel, The Space Between, a darkly beautiful story about demons and mortals, grief and pain, healing and redemption. Here and now, I know exactly why it pierced my heart and left me so moved: the novel, despite being filled with supernatural and otherworldly elements, spoke of honesty and humanity...and it didn't hold back a shred when it came to the painful and heartbreaking bits. But it wasn't cruel in its execution because it still nonetheless offered hope, a kind whisper that said, "Everything may not be all right now, but it can get better. Just wait and see. You'll never know if you don't give your life a chance."

I know those words well, but even when I'm faced with them I don't always believe in their truth. There have been so many times in my life when I've felt like skidding to a halt, digging my heels into the dirt, and saying, "No, this is too much. I can't take it anymore. Just give me some peace already." But I didn't always think it out of grief or pain or depression. Sometimes I thought it simply out of boredom, out of the dread of continued monotony in my colorless life, out of the terrifying thought that this may be all my life will ever be. Those dark days, however, are like unruly elements: I may have weeks of overcast skies, some days with pouring rain and lightning-torn clouds, but they eventually pass...even as I secretly harbor the fear that the day may come that the clouds never recede. With those experiences of mine, I read this book with an open heart that managed to resonate with these characters and their own emotions, all jagged edges and unfulfilled hopes and disquieting fears.

The Space Between follows a girl and a boy, two strangers embroiled in the dark (and sometimes deadly) matters of hell, heaven, and earth. In Pandemonium (the city of demons, otherwise known as Hell), Daphne is a bored girl, the daughter of Lucifer and Lilith, who finds comfort in the familiarity of her surroundings but gleans no true happiness from it. On the mortal plane, Truman is a teenage boy, teetering on the edge of self-destruction as the waters of grief pull him down more and more each day. These two, who otherwise would never have known of each other's existence, meet in one haunting moment, leading them through a series of seemingly unconnected events that draw them closer to one another...and toward inevitability.

Brenna Yovanoff's take on demons (and angels) is unique yet still faithful to various mythologies, beliefs, and legends. Though I'm usually always wary when it comes to any angel/demon fiction these days, I knew as soon as I read Yovanoff's gorgeous prologue – telling the tale of Lilith through the narration of Daphne – that I never should have worried. Yovanoff has done her research, all the while adding her own personal flair to the familiar names (like Beelzebub, Azrael, etc.) and elements found in demon mythos.

As usual with Yovanoff's work, her writing is stunning, and I found myself rereading passages and contemplating them even though I always felt the need to turn the pages to find out what happened next in the plot. But her writing is not simply "pretty prose": instead, her words bear weight and meaning due to the characters, their struggles, and their emotions. No one should ever accuse Yovanoff of having lifeless prose, for hers is some of the most honest I've ever read.

As for the story itself...I found myself surprised and twisted and turned quite a bit throughout the novel, and I would have been disappointed if there hadn't been surprises (and some sucker-punched moments) in store for me while I read. There were plenty of scenes that tugged at my heart and drew sighs (and even some tears) from me. It was sometimes very much a painful reading experience for all the emotion of it, but I felt relieved (and a bit elated) once I finished. However, even as I read that final page, I knew I would miss the characters, their world, and everything this novel had offered me. That in and of itself says enough about how I felt about this story, don't you think?

Now that I've gotten all my gushing out, I am sad to say that The Space Between won't be for everyone, but I urge anyone who's interested in it to give it a try. Daphne and Truman may even manage to win your heart just as they did with mine.(less)

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Feb 21, 2013 Lissa & Alexa The Novel Lasses rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Adult & Young Adult Reader of Mythology

Recommended to Lissa & Alexa by: Book 4 Review Club

Shelves: 5stars_i_want_more_more_more, new_ya

Part of http://www.NovelLasses.blogspot.com 2013 Blogged Reviews

“Yes, he’s dead— for the only reason that matters. He died for redemption. I gave him redemption, even if I will never be forgiven.” – Beelzebub Kindle Location 3357-3558

What attracted me to “The Space Between” was the Lilith story line. I am such a sucker for mythology and an even bigger sucker for religious mythology. I always find it interesting to see what kind of spin author will put on them. So when my reading group announc...more Part of http://www.NovelLasses.blogspot.com 2013 Blogged Reviews

“Yes, he’s dead— for the only reason that matters. He died for redemption. I gave him redemption, even if I will never be forgiven.” – Beelzebub Kindle Location 3357-3558

What attracted me to “The Space Between” was the Lilith story line. I am such a sucker for mythology and an even bigger sucker for religious mythology. I always find it interesting to see what kind of spin author will put on them. So when my reading group announced “The Space between” would be the mid-month read and I got a look at the synopsis and I was hooked. Not being able to recall the whole Jewish tale of Lilith Adams first wife; I was glad for the prologue. A piece of back ground information to peek any curious reader imagination. However it left me to ponder basic questions. How much is true to the legend and how much was created by Yovanoff?? The legend of Lilith in Yovanoff “The Space Between” doesn’t necessarily have to breathe truth for Daphne’s story to be brought to life. However, it does give the reader insight to how Daphne may or may not have come into existence.

My favorite characters flip flopped throughout the entire book resting finally on two in the final chapters and forever changing my opinions of other previously beloved characters. When I first started reading Daphne was my favorite character. She was your typical teenage girl; oblivious to the world around her yet had a true sense of who she didn’t want to be despite who her mother and father were. Then her half- brother Obie enters the storyline; a half demon/ half human but able and willing to love beyond any measure. Daphne showed true promise when she came to the aid of a lost one; the half-breed child of a fallen angel and a human with the help of her brother Obie when he was leaving purgatory for good to be with the lost one he loved.

Ahh, Truman, the boy Daphne and Obi fought to save and wouldn’t have if it were not for Beelzebub. You can’t help but to feel for the young man. He has no idea who his father is. He lost his mother who he loved dearly and his step father; though present— checked out on him. He’s alone and miserable with no true guidance in his life with no one looking out for his best interest. His life is a colossal mess; it no wonders he is slowly killing himself.

As the story charges forward with Daphne leaves purgatory in a desperate search for Obie who has gone missing. She seeks out Truman, the last person to see her brother alive for a clue to where he might. I found myself growing to love the interaction between these two. Trials and tribulations and discoveries these two make are vital to the story.

As a parent, I know this is odd but my favorite characters are Beelzebub and Obi. Beelzebub knew his reign in hell would end but he sacrificed it for his son. So even though he was fallen he still knew love. However, no matter my feeling for Daphne and Truman in the end I was disappointed with the ending. I just couldn’t believe what Daphne did. Yes I was heartbroken that they were separated. But if in the same shoes… I would have done the same for my own child to insure grace and redemption. Let me clarify…. I wouldn’t do it to my child now… I am saying if I were a fallen parent of a half human/half fallen angel damned by who his/her parent are and my child was attempting to kill themselves and have to spend an eternity in hell then yes… once redemption was achieved I would do everything I could to keep my child from ending up right where he/she started out. That includes a double tap to the chest and one to the head.

And Obie was another great strength of character. Though his roll was just to provide a reason for the story line, it was his devotion to family, love and life that spoke volumes to me. To endure such painful punishment and still stand firm and protect your family at the risk of your own life, how can you not love such a character?

My final thoughts… To say that “The Space Between” is a simple story would be an understatement. My reasoning is simple. The religious undertone of the book leaves your mind to ponder some basic questions that could spark some great debates. Would you damn yourself to save someone you loved? Would you escape hell to save someone you loved? Would you allow others to die to save your own child? Would you kill your own child to save them? Would you die to protect the ones you love? Would you take someone you love from heaven just to have them again?
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Jun 17, 2012 Emily May rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ya-na, 2012, boring

I wanted Brenna Yovanoff to be my "Y" for the A-Z challenge, but this book is way too boring. There was nothing appealing about the characters or the story in the few chapters I read and I refuse to force myself to read any more of this when I have a pile of other books calling to me.

Any suggestions for my "Y" would be gratefully received.

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Feb 18, 2012 jo mo rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: fans of angelfall, daughter of smoke and bone, fire

Shelves: young-adult, 2012, fantasy, immortals, family, angels-demons, creatures-of-the-night, dark-fantasy, dramarama, horror, tearjerker, male-pov, tugging-at-your-heartstrings, oddities, reviews, make-scrapbook, authors-to-watch, 2-stars, re-reads

2.5/5

cover
the cover sums the story of the book in just one picture up: dark, creepy, terrifying, but also with flashes of beauty. i get goosebumps just by looking at this cover. and if i wanted to pass the copy on to a male friend, he (hopefully) wouldn't raise one eyebrow and take a step back.

story
daphne (daughter of lilith and lucifer) and a mortal boy, truman meet in hell, because he tried to kill himself. but circumstances allow truman to return to earth. daphne stays in hell. when her brot...more

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Mar 31, 2012 Brandi rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: cant-bear-to-finish

I made it 63% through this, and then put it down because it wasn't holding my attention, but figured I would try to finish it at some other time. Every time I picked it up I only made a paragraph or so headway and then promptly put it down again. It's boring. The intro was great, I loved the way she told the story of how her mother met her father, but it went downhill from there for me.

I get that she isn't an emotional character and so the narrative is going to be told in that perspective, but...more

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Jan 05, 2012 Jasmine rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: american

I wrote a really nice review for this book but goodreads ate it, so I will try again but seeing as I am getting progressively more sleepy... you get my point.

first this isn't as good as the replacement. As the script said "you have your whole life to write your first album and 6 months to write your second album" (paraphrased) not that this is like a danielwinski situation, this book is still very very good, it just isn't genius like the first one.

it has two major issues:

1. there is an awkwar...more I wrote a really nice review for this book but goodreads ate it, so I will try again but seeing as I am getting progressively more sleepy... you get my point.

first this isn't as good as the replacement. As the script said "you have your whole life to write your first album and 6 months to write your second album" (paraphrased) not that this is like a danielwinski situation, this book is still very very good, it just isn't genius like the first one.

it has two major issues:

1. there is an awkward dual perspectives narration between a weirdly stylized first person and a subjective third person that tends to hover around the same person's perspective with minor deviations into others. Generally I think that perspective changes need to stay within one kind of perspective the hopping is disconcerting and difficult to read. At best this is a poor idea that couldn't be realized at worst it's bad editing.

2. the last thirty pages would have been better as their own book. the fact is the story arc ends and a new one begins without enough pages left to really flush out the story like it deserves, it was at least as interesting a story as the other 330 pages and could easily have been it's own book if it was separated.

on the good side.

1. Yovanoff really knows how to approach the concept of evil. I mean here and in the replacement she really is able to attack the concepts we generally diagnose as evil and spin them in circles till it's difficult to understand who to hate. (although both books do have a villain, but they also have villains on the good side).

2. she is also very good at taking an overused story or myth and keeping it close enough to be easily recognizable and cohesive with belief, but still interesting and spun on it's head enough to feel like it really is something worth putting out in the world not just the same old story.

3. I think this really captures the lost teen. you have the self destructor and you have the unfeeling nihilist and what you get in the end is very much palahniuk's idea from his book with the jesus guy when he talks about (paraphrased again) "the way to redemption is through love and not through loving but through being loved"

4. it reminds me of all the really good things about cassandra clare.(less)

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Jan 30, 2012 Surin rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

URGH IT WAS SO HARD CHOOSING A RATING FOR THIS. I'm so on the fence with this. A 3 star or a 4 star?!!! There were parts that were absolutely lovely, wonderful, unique, creepy, heart wrenching while there were parts that left me really confused, contrive and the ending. Gosh the ending.

Ok proper review soon!

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Nov 01, 2011 Paola rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The Space Between was wonderful book with very interesting characters. It was something new and refreshing :o) 5 stars it had me up all night to finish it. I loved everything about it and will re read in the future.

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Feb 24, 2012 Celine rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: for-review

Review originally posted in: http://forget8me8not.blogspot.com.au/...

Cover:
The girl's dress and the background is really interesting and looks great! There's also a fire in the background to give a smouldering effect! Although, I think I love the US cover more because it really looks different and unique.

Story:

A demon girl. A human boy. Journey to find a brother and a saviour.

Daphe is a demon, she lives in Pandemonium and understands what life is like in the earth by watching television. Yep, s...more

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Dec 28, 2011 Kelly Leigh rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: contemporary-fantasy, demons, young-adult

I really didn't know that angels of the non-fallen variety would be a part of the plot. Had I have known that I probably wouldn't've been anxiously awaiting the release of The Space Between. As a general rule of thumb, for some strange reason, I don't particularly care for stories revolving around demons and archangels battling it out. It might be because, strangely, angel lore/stories/movies bore me to tears. Supernatural and Daughter of Smoke and Bone are my two exceptions. But demons on the o...more I really didn't know that angels of the non-fallen variety would be a part of the plot. Had I have known that I probably wouldn't've been anxiously awaiting the release of The Space Between. As a general rule of thumb, for some strange reason, I don't particularly care for stories revolving around demons and archangels battling it out. It might be because, strangely, angel lore/stories/movies bore me to tears. Supernatural and Daughter of Smoke and Bone are my two exceptions. But demons on the other hand? Love them, love stories revolving around them. And I prefer for them to be humanized. But enough of my musings . . . .

The Space Between started out with a bang. The setting is in Hell. So cool, right? And Daphne's (the protagonist) mom is Lilith. So cool again, right? The coolness factor was in full swing. Hell's chrome and steel cityscape was being described. Uniqueness, check. Silver flower and metal-vined gardens fashioned from steel. Glossy buildings. Glowing red Pits. Furnaces. Various occupations being setup. Sexy as hell fallen angels strutting around in pinstripe suits - Beelzebub anyone? You so want to read this book, right? Enthralled was I until . . . Hell and its fiery brimstone was vacated within a few chapters. Yep, Daphne jump-doored it outta there. Ugh! I wanted more of the Hell setting. Why? Because it's unique. I'm so sick of the same old same old. What is life in Hell for Daphne like? I'm afraid that question, as far as this book is concerned, will never be answered. And unfortunately life in Hell is what I thought this book would entail. Nope. Instead us readers get Chicago as the setting. How fun.

But let's chat about the plot. I don't know. The plot held my interest in the beginning, you know, while characters were chillaxin' in Hell, but honestly, said interest began to wane about 2/3 or really 1/2 of the way through, once (view spoiler) appeared. I'm sorry. I know this is fantasy, but I began to have horrendous flashbacks to my Breaking Dawn reading experience. Spoiler reminded me way too much of (view spoiler). And said spoiler was downright bizarre to say the least. Didn't make any sense and . . . there are no words. It certainly didn't help wrangle my wandering mind back into the story. But you know, spoiler was the tip of the iceberg. The plot wasn't, well, plotty enough for me, I guess too thin for my tastes. At the end of the day, I was expecting a different novel. I'm disappointed. But it's not this book's fault. I had a completely different premise painted in my mind.

So 3 stars it is for the unique setting in the beginning, for a unique premise. For a well-written lost soul who goes by the name of Truman. I truly could feel this character's pain, his agony, his having nothing to look forward to in life. The black pit of despair he was holed up in. And for Daphne, the demon girl who so desperately wants to save him. (less)

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Feb 24, 2012 Melissa rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: angels-demons, books-i-own, kindle-ebook

"God made Adam out of dirt, complete with a soul, and a heart in his chest, and that was the first man. There was a garden filled with beasts, where Adam lived alone. Then, because it wasn’t good for man to be alone, God made Lilith. And that was the first mistake. She came to Adam across a meadow delirious with flowers and he was in love. She didn’t love him back. He didn’t see the darkness in her. He was young and thought that she could change. My father says that’s just what happens when you’...more "God made Adam out of dirt, complete with a soul, and a heart in his chest, and that was the first man. There was a garden filled with beasts, where Adam lived alone. Then, because it wasn’t good for man to be alone, God made Lilith. And that was the first mistake. She came to Adam across a meadow delirious with flowers and he was in love. She didn’t love him back. He didn’t see the darkness in her. He was young and thought that she could change. My father says that’s just what happens when you’re young, but I still think Adam should have known. He should have seen it in her eyes, seen the truth in her jagged fingernails. He should have known you can’t change a girl with iron teeth."

This is quote is part of the prologue and I absolutely loved it. As soon as I read this I knew I was going to enjoy the book because of the dark aura I got just from the first page. Anything depressing is up my alley. I just find that the portrayal of dark things in life is a more accurate description of life than those books that are so cheerful. Not that I don't like cheerful books, but I don't know. I like the showcasing of depressing things. Like one of my professors once said, "Life is pain. And any happiness you get from any relationship will also bring you suffering. That is the truth of life." It's funny, but this was in a class about development and globalization. But the professor can get very philosophical at times, which is absolutely awesome.

Anyway, I think this quote is applicable to this book. Even though I enjoyed the supernatural aspect of it, the demons and angels, what I enjoyed the most was the relationship of the main characters, Daphne and Truman and the type of people they were presented to be. They were nowhere near perfect. In fact, they had many flaws. They were depressing, broken people who were trying to figure out what the whole point of living was, while having to deal with finding Daphne's brother who has mysteriously gone missing and trying to hide from the angel trying to kill Daphne, among other things. Their brokenness is what unites them. Both don't seem to fit in. They have this otherness/sadness vibe to them. Both which are relatable because of how our society is. Sadness/otherness is not something that is encouraged here, it makes you undesirable, unwanted. Which is the core of how they were feeling.

What makes this so relatable to us is that this otherness/sadness they have has to do with not fitting in with a group of people (Daphne is not like her sisters or any of the other demons in Hell) and being lost, alone, and helpless (Truman seems to have nowhere to turn and no way of fixing his life). These are things that we probably have all gone through in our lives at one point or another. It was pretty painful watching these characters suffer. Can you love even though you were designed not to do so? Even though you are not supposed to? Can you still hope and live a happy life even though all you know is despair? How do you even begin to mend your life?

The answer to all these questions is yes, which I loved. The answer to the last question is love. Or at least to me it seemed to me that it was about the redemption and transformative power of love. Once you start feeling a little bit of it, things gradually start getting better. And the more things start improving, the more love you start to feel, which in turn brings you happiness because it brings you a spark of hope. And I think Daphne and Truman were excellent and realistic portrayals of this.

Oh and when you reach 90% of the book, it is heartbreaking. It left me like this:

And it had me thinking, Why did this have to happen now? Why?! D;

I definitely recommend this book to everyone, especially if you like depressing books.

Here's a link to a song that reminds me of this book. Think it's pretty fitting.

http://youtu.be/ae7TY1CN6eM (less)

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Feb 13, 2012 Chelsey Catterall rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Before you even open them, some books just scream your name -- the cover is beautiful, the synopsis is captivating and the feel of them in your hands is perfection. This is how I felt about THE SPACE BETWEEN. I had read a fantastic review of the book by Maja from The Nocturnal Library and had to read it right away.

THE SPACE BETWEEN centers around Daphne, the daughter of Lucifer and Lilith. She resides in Hell, where everything is made of chrome and steel and the center of it is a giant furnace t...more Before you even open them, some books just scream your name -- the cover is beautiful, the synopsis is captivating and the feel of them in your hands is perfection. This is how I felt about THE SPACE BETWEEN. I had read a fantastic review of the book by Maja from The Nocturnal Library and had to read it right away.

THE SPACE BETWEEN centers around Daphne, the daughter of Lucifer and Lilith. She resides in Hell, where everything is made of chrome and steel and the center of it is a giant furnace that burns away anything that does not belong in hell. When Daphne's one true friend, her brother Obie, runs away to earth to be with a human woman, Daphne is sent by her mother to bring him home. Demons who choose to walk the earth run the risk of being killed by Azrael, the Angel of Death and his tormenting "sidekick" Dark Dreadful. When Daphne finally finds herself on Earth for the first time, she knows exactly where to start searching for Obie: find a boy named Truman.

When his mother died, Truman's life spiraled into a dark abyss. After too much torment, Truman attempted to take his own life, but was only briefly brought to hell, where he met a girl with long black hair and perfect pale skin. When Truman wakes up in a hospital bed, he meets Obie, a kind doctor who tends to his wounds and befriends him. Almost every night, Truman dreams of a dark voice, taunting him about his suicide attempt, but then he sees the dark haired girl.

THE SPACE BETWEEN was one of the most creative books I have ever read. Yovanoff did a wonderful job of illustrating hell and of creating a character who knows compassion, but has never felt love. My favourite part of the book was definitely the descriptions of hell and the traditional biblical figures that exist in it. I also really enjoyed Truman's character -- a dark, hurt and broken boy who just cannot lift himself off his knees. Daphne and Truman's blossoming affections for each other are unlike other YA romances, as Truman is extremely damaged and Daphne is a creature of the underworld, presumably incapable of feeling tenderness and love for a human being. Yovanoff handled their romance with a delicate touch, but it also made it difficult as a reader to throw yourself into their relationship. It was just so unique.

There was quite a bit of "searching" in the book, and because of Daphne's lack of feeling for certain things, brutal scenes were swept over as she was unable to react to them the way Truman did. The end of the novel was action packed and my mouth fell open a few times, but I wish this could have happened a bit more during the novel. All in all, I enjoyed THE SPACE BETWEEN and would recommend it for fans of demon books where even angels have darker sides. (less)

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Aug 30, 2011 Laura rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2011-mt-bookpile

Ms. Yovanoff is again exploring the "other world" theme, but in a completely different way than she did in The Replacement. Here we have recognizable angels and demons (Lilith, Lucifer, Beelzebub and others make an appearance, and Adam has a cameo), and a wonderful description of Hell (known as Pandemonium, the city Daphne calls home). Daphne is the daughter of Lilith and Lucifer and spends most of her time watching tv, chatting with Beelzebub and fighting her inner nature. She also collects mom...more Ms. Yovanoff is again exploring the "other world" theme, but in a completely different way than she did in The Replacement. Here we have recognizable angels and demons (Lilith, Lucifer, Beelzebub and others make an appearance, and Adam has a cameo), and a wonderful description of Hell (known as Pandemonium, the city Daphne calls home). Daphne is the daughter of Lilith and Lucifer and spends most of her time watching tv, chatting with Beelzebub and fighting her inner nature. She also collects momentoes given to her by her half-brother Obie (the son of Adam and Lilith), her favorite half-sibling. One "day" she sees a human, covered in pale pink water, arrive and for some reason she is drawn to him - Obie wants to return him to Earth, but can only do so after Beezlebub gives his approval. Obie then helps Truman (I'm not sure if the name is an accident or supposed to be Highly Significant) through his initial recovery, but it's clear that Truman still has a death wish. Obie, on the other hand, has fallen in love with a human and has decided to leave his job, family and Hell for her.

Daphne remembers Truman and is distraught at Obie's leaving, so when Lilith tells her that Obie has disappeared, she decides to find Truman and get his help rescuing her brother. The rest of the story is told from the alternating viewpoints of Truman and Daphne as they search for Obie, encounter other angels and demons, and attempt to solve the puzzles of their true nature and where they belong. It was interesting to see that in some respects, the "good guys" (Azrael and Dark Dreadful) and the "bad guys" (Lucifer, Moloch) are pretty much the same.

The weakest part of all this is the ending, where it's a little unclear what's happened and where Truman and Daphne are and whether they're together or apart. This is one of those books where the pacing suddenly shifts, or perhaps the ending gets edited a little too much. Hence the four rating (could go with 4.5, but I don't have that option here).

ARC provided by publisher.(less)

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Apr 23, 2012 Ms. Library rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: gods-and-men, pretty-good

Judge a Book By Its Cover: There is something arresting about this cover, but I don't think its representative of the book itself. It seems to be a beautiful picture, but it presents Daphne as so passive. I'm torn about this one, but my instinct is that it could be better.

Plot: Daphne lives in hell. She is the daughter of Lilith, Adam's first wife, and Lucifer. Hell is all she has ever known, besides what she learns from watching television. She has never ventured on Earth, but the disappearanc...more Judge a Book By Its Cover: There is something arresting about this cover, but I don't think its representative of the book itself. It seems to be a beautiful picture, but it presents Daphne as so passive. I'm torn about this one, but my instinct is that it could be better.

Plot: Daphne lives in hell. She is the daughter of Lilith, Adam's first wife, and Lucifer. Hell is all she has ever known, besides what she learns from watching television. She has never ventured on Earth, but the disappearance of her brother stirs her to action. She must find him, and she must save him. So, she goes to the last person on Earth she knows has seen him: Truman, a deeply depressed young man who is struggling with alcoholism and the desire to end everything. Together they have to find Obie, and Daphne has to keep Truman alive.

I liked this a lot better than I thought I would. I think a lot of it has to do with the tone of the book. It was dark, but I liked it. Its had creepy undertones, but it fit with the idea that these people are struggling with hell and heaven. I also liked the settings, and how heaven and hell were represented. There was something really beautiful about how the author chose to represent both of these realities, and how she chose to make the angels just as disturbed as the demons.

I was also drawn in by the romance. I think it was built realistically, even though it was swift. I loved how the author described love, and I think Daphne and Truman made sense together.

“Love is when you care more about something else than you do about yourself.”

I also think that, unlike many stories I read, the romance should take center stage in a book like this. Because it was a book about love and sacrifice and finding out what that means, for both of these characters, so having a relationship between them where they find that out personally was an important step.

I would definitely recommend this, especially if you like YA literature, or you are a fan of a darker books. This book focuses on hell and demons and angels, but it is really a book about how to live a life on Earth.(less)

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Nov 04, 2011 Sasha rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: penguin, paranormal, young-adult

This book is scary and creepy, but it is so good at the same time. Daphne is the daughter of Lucifer and Lilith (yes, THAT Lilith) and she lives a life of, quite frankly, boredom. She has sisters who go off galavanting and have fun seducing human boys but Daphne isn't like that. She's different from her siblings and her brother, Obie, is different too. So when he goes missing, she decides to find him - along with the help of a very cute human boy. This is the story of their journey to find Obie...more

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Feb 01, 2012 Darkfallen rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: read-n-reviewed

This is one of those books that leaves you breathless, that reminds us why we all read in the first place. One of those books that keeps us wading through all the not so good books because we are searching for that one that will mean something.

This is the book I've been searching for. This is the book that means something. This is the best YA Paranormal book I've read since, dare I say, The Twilight Saga, and the The Wolves of Mercy Falls Trilogy.

01/26

page 304 84.0%
"I'm not even done with thi...more This is one of those books that leaves you breathless, that reminds us why we all read in the first place. One of those books that keeps us wading through all the not so good books because we are searching for that one that will mean something.

This is the book I've been searching for. This is the book that means something. This is the best YA Paranormal book I've read since, dare I say, The Twilight Saga, and the The Wolves of Mercy Falls Trilogy.

01/26

page 304 84.0%
"I'm not even done with this book and I can say for a fact that this is a book that I want to read over and over again. It makes my heart melt with happiness and break with sadness all at the same time. I'm being pulled apart by emotion and I'm loving every tragically beautiful part of it."

I'm pretty sure my status update above says it all...

Daphne isn't your normal girl. In fact she isn't even human. You see she is the daughter of Lucifer and Lilith, and has never known a life outside of Hell. Living in a world of steel, red skies, heat from the furnace, and the screams of all the burning souls...that's the life she knows. The one she is comfortable with. That is until the day her brother tells her that he is going to live on Earth.

You see, while demons are allowed on Earth, they are NOT allowed to live there. A demon that decides to break this rule is a dead one. Azrael the angel of death sees to that. So when Daphne hears her favorite brother has fallen in love with a mortal, she will stop at nothing to bring him back to earth before it's too late. Since she has never been to Earth before she has to find the last person she has ever seen her brother with. A boy that he saved from the furnace in Hell. A boy that was nothing more than a dripping wet, scared mess of a boy that didn't want to live. But what happens to a demon girl when a boy that wants nothing more than to die, teaches her what love is? Can she save both the boy and her brother before it's too late? Or will she join them in death?

Daphne was amazingly brilliant! Mrs. Yovanoff has a way with words to not only create the most amazing places and characters, but to make you believe without a doubt that these people and places are real. From the very first page I was drawn into this world. I completely fell in love with Daphne and Truman. I especially loved how she captured Truman's torment, and self hatred. The pain he felt was raw and real and I couldn't help but feel it with him. Then to watch Daphne as she grew into more than the emotionless demon girl. To see her gain humanity one day at a time, and feel things she didn't even know existed. It was both breath taking and painful in the most beautiful way.

My advice is that any, ANY book you see with Brenna Yovanoff's name on it is a must buy!(less)

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Nov 26, 2011 Brodie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2011

There is no denying it, Brenna Yovanoff has a beautiful way with words. Her gorgeous prose transports you right into the steely heart of Pandemonium. I loved the darkly unique spin Brenna put on Hell, it wasn't the pit of doom and gloom we've all grown up knowing. Oh, there's plenty of fire and torture and brimstone, but there is heart amongst the horror. Brenna breathed new life into the age old beliefs, here you'll find a story where both demons and angels are capable of good and bad. Love is...more There is no denying it, Brenna Yovanoff has a beautiful way with words. Her gorgeous prose transports you right into the steely heart of Pandemonium. I loved the darkly unique spin Brenna put on Hell, it wasn't the pit of doom and gloom we've all grown up knowing. Oh, there's plenty of fire and torture and brimstone, but there is heart amongst the horror. Brenna breathed new life into the age old beliefs, here you'll find a story where both demons and angels are capable of good and bad. Love is not reserved just for the pure and holy, nor is sadism for the wicked and damned. Her mythology was so captivating, I would love to delve back into Pandeomnium in the future!

I'm not sure I quite expected to form such a connection with the daughter of a demon and a fallen angel, but Daphne is a surprisingly likable protagonist. Growing up in Pandemonium with the likes of Lilith and Lucifer as her parents, there are expectations both from others and herself, but she's never really lived up to them. She's not like her sisters, who tempt and seduce, nor does she feel as kind-hearted and pure as her brother, Obie. But when Obie goes missing in the human world, Daphne makes the decision to enter a world so foreign and complex to what she's known and it's here that her loyalty and determination shine through. I loved seeing how she navigated the human world and began to grow into herself, find who she truly is and what she's capable of.

Both she and Truman are two characters so richly explored that you can't help but bond with both, despite that they are so remarkably different from one another. Truman is a broken shell of a boy when we meet him. He's hit rock bottom, alcoholic and suicidal, on a downward spiral since the death of his mother. There's a desperate, lonely aura of sadness surrounding him, but then he meets Daphne. And no, it's not insta-love, it's not an immediate cure for him, but it's the beginning of something deep and heart-rendering, perfectly paced. There was this raw, honest quality to these two that I really enjoyed seeing evolve.

Smoulder is beautifully written, emotionally rich and so creatively imagined. Brenna has skillfully constructed a haunting tale of heaven and hell, dark and light and the large expanse of gray that blurs between. She dives deep into the very soul of her characters and explores every layer. With its thoroughly captivating mythology, brilliantly-crafted characters and unpredictable twists, this is not a novel you want to miss!(less)

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Aug 01, 2011 Lalitha rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Like THE REPLACEMENT, I was immediately sucked into this book. The characters in Yovanoff's books exist in strange, liminal (in-between) spaces; Yovanoff's descriptions of these spaces are incredibly vivid, and downright creepy. In THE SPACE BETWEEN, Yovanoff blurs notions of good vs. evil, and cleverly intersperses fascinating mythological exposition related to Judaism and Christianity(made me want to research more). Added bonus--there is a talking demon baby in this book (but she's kind of cut...more

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Mar 29, 2013 Deborah Takahashi rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: teen-supernatural-romance

Daphne is not the typical demon. In fact, as the daughter of Lilith and Lucifer, one would only expect diabolical things, but, alas, Daphne is far from that. Despite the taunting from her mother, and her sisters, Daphne is bored and unfulfilled. Actually, Daphne is more like her half-brother Obie, who happens to be the son of Lilith and Adam (the Adam from the book of Genesis). Unlike most demons, Obie is actually a "do-gooder" where he actually saves souls rather than reaping. In this story, Da...more Daphne is not the typical demon. In fact, as the daughter of Lilith and Lucifer, one would only expect diabolical things, but, alas, Daphne is far from that. Despite the taunting from her mother, and her sisters, Daphne is bored and unfulfilled. Actually, Daphne is more like her half-brother Obie, who happens to be the son of Lilith and Adam (the Adam from the book of Genesis). Unlike most demons, Obie is actually a "do-gooder" where he actually saves souls rather than reaping. In this story, Daphne learns that Obie is leaving Hell to live on Earth like a human being to be with the woman he loves; the though of Obie leaving her frightens her so much that she asks her teacher, Beelzebub, for help. However, he fear is only escalated when a Obie suddenly disappears and the only person who can help her is a boy named Truman.What she does not know is that Truman carries a dark secret that will bring them closer than she expected.

Again, I must admit, I rarely read romance novels, but this title actually kept me going. What I thought looked like another regurgitation of humans falling in love with demons, this story took me surprise. What readers will enjoy is Daphne's transformation. In the beginning, she really did not understand love and selflessness until she met Truman. Moreover, the relationship between her and her brother, Obie, is the catalyst to a series of changes because it is through him that she learns that there is more to life than what we are given. In fact, Yovanoff uses demons as an example that love is not limited to human beings, but to all sentient beings that feel something special for one another. What really caught me off guard it that this story provides a very different picture of Lucifer and Lilith. I didn't really expect to read anything positive, or enlightening, about their characters, but readers will be surprised when they learned that even the King of Hell and the Mother of all Demons, share a weakness: love. The Space Between is a very heart-wrenching tale where a human and a demon learn a very important lesson, which I am totally going to steal from the movie Moulin Rouge: "The greatest thing to learn is just to love and be loved in return."
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Feb 13, 2013 Nancy rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I...am thinking I would have given this more stars if I hadn't read Yovanoff's The Replacement first. Between the two novels, the choice is obvious: The Replacement is yards better. The Space Between is narrated by Daphne, daughter of Lucifer and Lilith (the mythological first wife of Adam). Daphne's life in Pandemonium, chief city of Hell, is somewhat dull and pointless; when her brother Obie disappears, Daphne loses her strongest connection to anything that gives her life meaning. In search of...more

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Jan 10, 2013 The_book_b!tch rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I didn't like this as much as The Replacement, it took several chapters for me to become engrossed in the book & even then it was a slow read.

I WANTED to like this book as much as I did The Replacement, but it wasn't in the cards.....

Yovanoff uses supernatural themes again in The Space Between, the story following Daphne, the daughter of Lilith, (Adam's 1st wife, as in Adam & Eve, THAT Adam) & Lucifer. The book follows Daphne through her life in her world, Pandaemonium, (Hell) and h...more

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Dec 12, 2012 Mpb rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: reviewed

Goodreads Synopsis:

Everything is made of steel, even the flowers. How can you love anything in a place like this?
Daphne is the half-demon, half-fallen angel daughter of Lucifer and Lilith. Life for her is an endless expanse of time, until her brother Obie is kidnapped - and Daphne realizes she may be partially responsible. Determined to find him, Daphne travels from her home in Pandemonium to the vast streets of Earth, where everything is colder and more terrifying. With the help of the human b...more Goodreads Synopsis:

Everything is made of steel, even the flowers. How can you love anything in a place like this?
Daphne is the half-demon, half-fallen angel daughter of Lucifer and Lilith. Life for her is an endless expanse of time, until her brother Obie is kidnapped - and Daphne realizes she may be partially responsible. Determined to find him, Daphne travels from her home in Pandemonium to the vast streets of Earth, where everything is colder and more terrifying. With the help of the human boy she believes was the last person to see her brother alive, Daphne glimpses into his dreams, discovering clues to Obie's whereabouts. As she delves deeper into her demonic powers, she must navigate the jealousies and alliances of the violent archangels who stand in her way. But she also discovers, unexpectedly, what it means to love and be human in a world where human is the hardest thing to be.
This second novel by rising star Brenna Yovanoff is a story of identity, discovery, and a troubled love between two people struggling to find their place both in our world and theirs.

“Yes, he’s dead— for the only reason that matters. He died for redemption. I gave him redemption, even if I will never be forgiven.” – Beelzebub Kindle Location 3357-3558

What attracted me to “The Space Between” was the Lilith story line. I am such a sucker for mythology and an even bigger sucker for religious mythology. I always find it interesting to see what kind of spin author will put on them. So when my reading group announced “The Space between” would be the mid-month read and I got a look at the synopsis and I was hooked. Not being able to recall the whole Jewish tale of Lilith Adams first wife; I was glad for the prologue. A piece of back ground information to peek any curious reader imagination. However it left me to ponder basic questions. How much is true to the legend and how much was created by Yovanoff?? The legend of Lilith in Yovanoff “The Space Between” doesn’t necessarily have to breathe truth for Daphne’s story to be brought to life. However, it does give the reader insight to how Daphne may or may not have come into existence.

My favorite characters flip flopped throughout the entire book resting finally on two in the final chapters and forever changing my opinions of other previously beloved characters. When I first started reading Daphne was my favorite character. She was your typical teenage girl; oblivious to the world around her yet had a true sense of who she didn’t want to be despite who her mother and father were. Then her half- brother Obie enters the storyline; a half demon/ half human but able and willing to love beyond any measure. Daphne showed true promise when she came to the aid of a lost one; the half-breed child of a fallen angel and a human with the help of her brother Obie when he was leaving purgatory for good to be with the lost one he loved.

Ahh, Truman, the boy Daphne and Obi fought to save and wouldn’t have if it were not for Beelzebub. You can’t help but to feel for the young man. He has no idea who his father is. He lost his mother who he loved dearly and his step father; though present— checked out on him. He’s alone and miserable with no true guidance in his life with no one looking out for his best interest. His life is a colossal mess; it no wonders he is slowly killing himself.

As the story charges forward with Daphne leaves purgatory in a desperate search for Obie who has gone missing. She seeks out Truman, the last person to see her brother alive for a clue to where he might. I found myself growing to love the interaction between these two. Trials and tribulations and discoveries these two make are vital to the story.

As a parent, I know this is odd but my favorite characters are Beelzebub and Obi. Beelzebub knew his reign in hell would end but he sacrificed it for his son. So even though he was fallen he still knew love. However, no matter my feeling for Daphne and Truman in the end I was disappointed with the ending. I just couldn’t believe what Daphne did. Yes I was heartbroken that they were separated. But if in the same shoes… I would have done the same for my own child to insure grace and redemption. Let me clarify…. I wouldn’t do it to my child now… I am saying if I were a fallen parent of a half human/half fallen angel damned by who his/her parent are and my child was attempting to kill themselves and have to spend an eternity in hell then yes… once redemption was achieved I would do everything I could to keep my child from ending up right where he/she started out. That includes a double tap to the chest and one to the head.

And Obie was another great strength of character. Though his roll was just to provide a reason for the story line, it was his devotion to family, love and life that spoke volumes to me. To endure such painful punishment and still stand firm and protect your family at the risk of your own life, how can you not love such a character?

My final thoughts… To say that “The Space Between” is a simple story would be an understatement. My reasoning is simple. The religious undertone of the book leaves your mind to ponder some basic questions that could spark some great debates. Would you damn yourself to save someone you loved? Would you escape hell to save someone you loved? Would you allow others to die to save your own child? Would you kill your own child to save them? Would you die to protect the ones you love? Would you take someone you love from heaven just to have them again?
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Dec 03, 2012 Joan rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

There's a sort of quality in books that I will stay up late at night to read, books that leave me thinking about them after completion. I can't really put my finger on it--obviously, the characters, plot, writing etc. have to be decent. But some books just click like none other.

I usually don't write review for books, but after The Space Between, I just had to type something out. I admit, the climax was a tad anticlimatic. Some character developments felt rushed at the end--the "villains" (okay,...more

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Oct 03, 2012 Carla May rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I fell in love with Yovanoff's flowing, gothic style in her first book, The Replacement and am happy to see that she has kept writing and continued to develop and grow her style. The Space Between felt less "textured" and "flowery" (can I use those words to describe a book? I think I just did)than The Replacement, but it was not a bad thing. I read The Space Between while going through an unexpected personal crisis, and her sharp, vivid descriptions of characters and events was a good fit for my...more

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Sep 28, 2012 Ruth rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Yovanoff’s sophomore novel, The Space Between, is as full of enchantment, mystery and spookiness as her debut, The Replacement. Daphne is the daughter of Lilith, Adam’s forgotten first wife, who spends her days in the city of Pandemonium in Hell watching Earth. In contrast to her demonic sisters, Daphne is gentle, a bit naïve and oddly wholesome for a child of the devil. When her beloved brother Obie goes missing somewhere on Earth, Daphne sets out to find him with the help of Truman, a lost and...more

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Sep 13, 2012 Heather rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: rejects, ya

Four stars for technical skill. Two for the subject matter. I liked this book. And I really, really didn't.

I can't think of another book that has left me feeling so split down the middle. Technically, it's great. Yovanoff's second effort is head and shoulders above others'. She certainly doesn't need to worry about the crash-and-burn risk for authors who have a pretty successful first novel (I loved The Replacements, for the record) and have to follow it up. I also give her big props for NOT.WRI...more Four stars for technical skill. Two for the subject matter. I liked this book. And I really, really didn't.

I can't think of another book that has left me feeling so split down the middle. Technically, it's great. Yovanoff's second effort is head and shoulders above others'. She certainly doesn't need to worry about the crash-and-burn risk for authors who have a pretty successful first novel (I loved The Replacements, for the record) and have to follow it up. I also give her big props for NOT.WRITING.A.TRILOGY. It's refreshing to read a novel contained within itself. It's beautifully done. Her world is creepy in all the right places, atmospheric, edgy, and sad.

But there's just something about the free-wheeling way she played with the Lucifer and Lilith myth that just sat poorly with me. I've read my fair share of angelic-themed novels and I don't necessarily take issue with them if they can avoid the starry-eyed naivete inherent to that popular theme in the genre. But this was just . . . disturbing. Not in a good way. The setting of "Hell," which I'll grant is not the stereotypical, but nevertheless contains descriptions of people slowly, eternally tortured, is thrown out there like some kind of bomb early in the novel and then, just, left there. I couldn't get past that. It was a tough sell to get me to like Lucifer's daughter anyway, and even harder knowing she barely blinked at certain elements of life-as-she-knew-it.

I'm doing a poor job summarizing, I know, and I also know that my individual perspective is responsible for why I found the themes in this novel so distasteful. I'm not sure I can even adequately describe why, other than to hypothesize that, when taking a commonly known legend/myth/story, particularly one with strong spiritual references within a given culture, and turning it on its head in a new way, there's a very fine line between doing that with finesse, and wandering a little too close to some of the emotional elements of the original. The former makes the novel its own thing, despite the myth it pays tribute to; we read it and say, "Wow. Who thinks like that? It's new and different and creative" (and I think Laini Taylor's Daughter of Smoke and Bone is the best example of this). And the latter makes it a bit of a blasphemy; we might love the characters, and the style, but it's a little too close to a painful twist on the story, in a way that holds us back from embracing it as a NEW THING.

I'm not sure I think there's much Yovanoff could have done to change that, honestly - after all, once she picked her subject matter and plot, this novel couldn't have gone any other way and still be the story it is. And it's a good story. We need more YA novels with this level of creativity and polish. I can give it that nod even while admitting that, for me, I found it off-putting and a bit of a smack in the face to a number of belief systems about redemption. I want to believe that isn't quite what Yovanoff intended, but knowing that won't change the painful gut reaction I had to this one.(less)

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Jul 31, 2012 Anagha rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Anagha by: Reads 4 Reviews Group

Shelves: dnf

I'll just admit right here that I didn't read the whole book. I couldn't. There was absolutely nothing new or interesting about this book that could make me continue reading it. Usually I enjoy angel books, but this one? I was bored from the very beginning but I forced myself to read to atleast page 50. Did I start liking it? Absolutely not. So this review is going to be of the first 20% only.

The Plot
I dunno what you're talking about, Rachel, but I'm guessing you'd tell me to read the book. So I...more I'll just admit right here that I didn't read the whole book. I couldn't. There was absolutely nothing new or interesting about this book that could make me continue reading it. Usually I enjoy angel books, but this one? I was bored from the very beginning but I forced myself to read to atleast page 50. Did I start liking it? Absolutely not. So this review is going to be of the first 20% only.

The Plot
I dunno what you're talking about, Rachel, but I'm guessing you'd tell me to read the book. So I won't ask. As far as I know, Obie leaves heaven or wherever the angels and demons live to live in Earth for love. Then some unknown evil happens to him. Daphne loves him so she decides to go after him to Earth. Also, there's this kid called Truman and they'll fall in love. The plot isn't actually what's terrible. It's the writing style. From the beginning, I just get this depressing vibe that I didn't even get in the Hunger Games. The book's very slow-paced and the narration is such that I can't seem to get into the plot or characters at all. Bleh.

The Characters
Well, I'm glad Daphne is different, caring. Her love for her brother is evident from the beginning and it's obvious she'd go to any lengths to get him back. Her brother, Obie, seems to be caring too - after all, he's the employee at the Department of God Works. Yet, I couldn't find myself caring about either of these characters or rooting for them at all. They're just kinda...there. Truman seems a bit more interesting than the other two, with his dreams and his lifestyle and the promise of a good mystery about blood on the carpet.

Cover Love
The US cover is beautiful, but the UK/Australia cover is even better, in my opinion. True, I wanted to read this book because of the cover. But can you blame me? Both of them are so pretty!

No action = no fun.
I definitely do not recommend reading this. Unless it gets better when Daphne gets to Earth? There was some insta-love within the first 30 pages that made me insta-bored. Does it get any better, y'all?(less)

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Jul 23, 2012 Lisa rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Cover:

The cover of The Space Between is AMAZING! So much detail was put into it, from the girl, to the castle, all the way to the maroon background. An eye catcher!

My Thoughts:

The beginning of the story introduces it's readers to the main character Daphne, and her sisters and her mom, Lilith (each a demon).

After Daphne's one and only brother, Obie decided to pack his things, and leave for earth to live with his loved one, Lilith starts to have bad visions, and soon cant see him at all. Worried a...more

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topics	posts	views	last activity
Books 4 Review: The Space Between Reviews	7	7	Mar 31, 2012 05:16am
Books 4 Review: The Space Between-While Reading (w/ spoilers)	23	7	Mar 30, 2012 07:14am

title link	preview: Smoulder
avg rating	preview: Smoulder Goodreads rating: 3.82 (3697 ratings)
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BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13331809-smoulder?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1334409412l/13331809.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13331809-smoulder?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]Smoulder by Brenna Yovanoff[/url]

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