Between the Spark & the Burn by April Genevieve Tucholke

      3.5 ⭐️

           Am I like the only one who thought the first one was better??? This one was had more adventure but the first one had more substance I believe.

           The only interesting part about this book was the detective work leading UP to the plot. The road trips, the Wide-Eyed Theo radio listenings, & the mysterious towns, the new strangers tagging along, (which I feel lasted way too long) & etc... But once River was found it's like the magic left. Wasn't provided with too many details on how he got there to Carollie, when he got there, & how it all happened. That part of the book just moved so fast.

           I also hated the repetition in three's woven within almost every chapter. That little method was nowhere to be found in the first installment. For example:

"Go Go Go." 
"Dead dead dead." 
"Hoping, hopiing, hoping." 
"Running running running." 
"Alive alive alive." 

& THOSE are just the ones I remembered...

       Besides all the crap I disliked, I still liked the book & I still finished it in a flash.

       On the other hand, April's writing was beautiful. Their were delicious sentences throughout the whole book. Here are some quotes.

"I feel the loss of them, small but tangible like a missing button in the middle of a shirt." 

"He sat down and wrapped me up in his long arms until I didn't know where he ended and I began." 

Just wanted to leave on a good note.