Review: The Space Between

by Brenna Yovanoff
publisher: Razorbill
date of publication: November 15, 2011
format: hardcover
pages: 363
source: purchased
Amazon / Goodreads / B&N

From Goodreads:

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.

What I Thought 

I had very high expectations for The Space Between, as I had loved The Replacement so very much.  Brenna Yovanoff's writing is so fully of grit, yet has a flawless quality that makes my English major heart go pitter-pat.  The description promised an intriguing tale full of eeriness, sadness, and beauty.  While the book did deliver on several of those aspects, there was a little something missing for me that I had counted upon finding within.  While the plot was everything I hoped it would be, other areas failed to capture my full attention.

First and foremost, the plot was amazing.  The whole idea of a story surrounding the daughter of Lucifer and Lilith who has grown up lonely in a steel-forged world is intriguing and unique.  The background information and politics that lay the groundwork for the events that take place are truly mind-boggling and so amazingly detailed that I found myself very impressed by the groundwork that has been laid to support every other aspect of the book.  How the demons do things in this book was much more surprising than I would have originally thought.  There were some truly horrific things in Pandemonium.  However, there was an added element of business included that took me completely by surprise.  It all came together to provide me with a unique reading experience, as well as a new take on things that maintain the horror while offering something fresh.

The characters, while very compelling by the time the main action commenced, were difficult for me to connect with, at first.  Daphne was somewhat flat (though this is somewhat explained by the nature of the world she lives in) and Truman, in all of his dysfunction, almost completely lost me.  I felt for him, but I found it difficult to keep up with his thoughts, at times.  However, once he began to clear up and started working with Daphne to find Obie, I grew to respect him much more.  He is a boy who has had a difficult time and lacks a certain something that will carry him through.  Seeing him begin to come to a realization and begin to fight was beautiful, and I loved how he developed as a character, in the end.

The setting is what I had the most difficulty with.  I am not sure exactly why it is so, but I found myself having a hard time picturing everything clearly.  The most clear setting was Pandemonium, but when it came to the descriptions on earth, I became a bit lost.  In a way, it speaks to the nature of both Daphne, who has existed for her entire life in Pandemonium, and Truman, a boy cut off from his surroundings and reality.  For me, however, I didn't feel as much of an impact and wasn't left with many impressions of the backgrounds outside of Pandemonium.
If you are looking for a new take on demons in a book, you should definitely give The Space Between a try.  Although it didn't ring all of my bells, it still proved to be a pretty good read.  I don't regret having read it and am already eager to see what else Brenna Yovanoff will write in the future.  The writing is truly lovely, so if you appreciate good prose, you will definitely want to check this one out!