The Space Between [Hardcover]

Read in July, 2012

What a strange sad and lovely book. I was hesitant to read another story of fallen angels... But I was pleasantly surprised. This is a dark story of life, death, sorrow, love and redemption. All carefully crafted around a neatly constructed story of hell, demons, and the purpose of choices and humanity.

Oh I did not expect this book at all. Nowadays books on the YA genre are becoming less original and more plain, but in some rare moments you get one of these books that surprises you. The prose was good, calculated and direct. The story is told between two angles Daphne's and Truman's who intertwine magnificently. Daphne's life is strange and sad, she is the daughter of Lilith and Lucifer. Her half-brother Obi is missing on earth and she will go there to try to find him. She enlists the help of Truman and discovers much, much more than she imagined.

One of the things that moved me too much was the way we are introduced to Truman's pain and sadness. His suicide attempt is presented without any ribbons or cover-ups. His depression is so raw it kind of made me ache a bit reading his story. I understand this is a reason why many will find this book not as enjoyable, but I savored every bit, always finding strength when things seem lost is one of my personal views in life... Oh yes, a positive note has to be there somewhere.

This is not a book for everyone, but I do recommend it. Specially since it is a rare find these says to have a book that is not part of a series and is a standalone story.

I liked this story - it was well written. I certainly didn't expect it to go in the direction that it did. I've since ordered her other book "The Replacement". The story centres around Daphne - and her relationships in Hell. Her brother Obie is the only one that seems to care about her. He is half human - a son of Adam. Obie walks the Earthly Plain and one day is in the square with a boy -- Truman. Truman is damaged and Daphne pleads for his life. His mother died years earlier and he's never been the same. Truman is sent back to Earth. Obie just can't stand being in Hell anymore and he's told Daphne that he's in love. He's leaving. Daphne is worried about him and she leaves Hell without her mother's permission and is looking for Obie because she thinks he's in danger. She knows that Truman was the last person to see Obie and so she must find him and hope that he will help her find her brother. But to what length will she go to find her brother, Obie?

Daphne, the daughter of Lucifer and Lilith has spent her life in a city made of steel. Unwilling to indulge in the common behaviour of her sisters, she has forgone the pleasures of earth for an eternity of nothingness in Pandemonium. But when Obie - the one person who breaks up the monotony of her existence - goes missing, Daphne sets aside her fears and ventures out into the world to find him. The only clue she has is Truman, the human boy she met when Obie saved him from eternal damnation in Pandemonium. With Truman's help, she struggles to rescue the one person that matters most before it's too late. In the process, Daphne discovers her true power and learns that life is full of the unexpected and people can be saved in more ways than one.

The Space Between is a dark and haunting tale, written in wonderfully descriptive prose so that even the bleakest scenery appears vivid and harshly beautiful. The story is broken up into three parts: Hell, Earth and Heaven. As is to be expected, Pandemonium (hell) is very bleak and as a result the story doesn't fully come to life until Daphne ventures to earth. Yovanoff has an interesting take on good and evil, breaking out of the norm to allow angels to be harsh and demons to show kindness. Consequently, the characters in The Space Between are unique and original. And it was very refreshing to read a YA fantasy novel with NO love triangle! The light romance that was in the story was subtle and believable. The final battle was somewhat anti-climatic, but the story continues after the final showdown, and I very much enjoyed the unexpected ending. My one issue with The Space between was the shift between 1st person and 3rd person narrative in an attempt to show both Truman and Daphne's points of view. It was too subtle to be effective and was often confusing.

A beautifully written and fresh take on the standard YA fantasy fare, The Space Between is both eerie and yet heart-warming at the same time.