The Space Between - Book Review

Title ~ The Space Between
Series ~ Single Title
Author ~ Brenna Yovanoff
Release Date ~ November 15, 2011
Age Group ~ Young Adult
Publisher ~ Razorbill
Source ~ Fiction State of Mind

GOODREADS SUMMARY

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.

REVIEW

Daphne surprised me. As the half-demon and half-fallen angel daughter of Lucifer and Lilith, I expected Daphne to be dripping with evil. I was wrong. So wrong.

Daphne is one of the most compassionate and sympathetic young adult characters ever. When her demonic tendencies try to take over, Daphne does the right thing and she fights them. She makes good choices and actually cares for others. When her half-brother Obie goes missing, Daphne makes it her mission to find him. Like Daphne, Obie is a non-typical demon and he shares her ability to feel emotions, even love.

Daphne proves that you do not have to succumb to evil urges. You do not have to be who everyone expects you to be. Daphne shows that you really do have control over how you act and react. Even being raised in Pandemonium, where nothing is alive, where everything is made of steel, was not enough to break Daphne’s resolve.

Truman is the angst-filled human boy who helps Daphne in her search for Obie. Depressed and on the verge of suicide, Truman is a character with incredible depth and a sad history. As the story is told in the alternating perspectives of Daphne and Truman, I felt such a real connection with both of them. I could feel their raw emotions. I wanted them to succeed.

For me, The Space Between was a story about family, love, and being true to yourself. I realize that sounds off because of the setting and the nature of the characters, but it is true. Brenna Yovanoff succeeds in bringing a beautiful layer of unexpected realism to her characters in The Space Between.