Review: The Space Between

Synopsis by Goodreads:

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.

I loved this book. The Space Between by Brenna Yovanoff stands out among its genre (the supernatural one).

The Space Between is a dark and heavy novel. It stomped on my heart many times, but there is enough humor to balance it all out. It would make me laugh or smile on one page, then on another it would make my heart hurt. What makes this novel different is it shows demons in a different light. A good light. Are there evil ones? Of course. In fact, the majority of the demons in Hell are not good peeps, but Daphne and her brother Obie are different from the others; they stand out among the bad. I never would have guessed I would ever read a book where I was rooting for the demons and not the angels.

Even with its supernatural elements, The Space Between feels realistic. I love that. It deals with depression and suicide in a very real way. I felt empathy for Truman. I felt for Daphne. I felt for Obie. The book is vivid in its descriptions and the writing is heartfelt. Another thing I loved, the romance between Daphne and Truman didn't feel rushed, and the whole story takes place within 3 days! Yovanoff slowly brings Daphne and Truman together in, again, 3 days (!!) when in other books, the romances can feel rushed and fake.

I'm surprised that the publisher recommends this book for ages as young as 12. Maybe it's changed since the release of the ARC, but I feel that this book is not for young teens. It deals with mature issues and there is a bit of hotness in a shower (and I'm not talking about the temperature of the water). I just wouldn't feel comfortable recommending this novel to a 7th grader.

Lastly, you know what else is nice? Reading a complete stand-alone novel. With all the trilogies being released, there isn't a feeling I find more satisfying than not having to read another book to continue the story. No cliffhanger. Let's all breath a sigh of relief.