The Devouring by Simon Holt (Book Review by Melissa A. Bartell)
The Devouring
by Simon Holt
Buy at Amazon >>
15-year-old Reggie lives with her father and little brother in a small town where all the houses are old Victorians, and there’s a bookstore devoted to horror and the occult. She should know, because it’s where she works after school.
One afternoon, while unpacking a shipment, Reggie finds an old journal about a woman’s experience with the Vours - creatures who possess the bodies of frightened children on Sorry Night (a few nights before Christmas) and cause chaos in the world, often targeting the family and friends first.
Shortly after reading the book, Reggie and her best friend Aaron are hanging out with her little brother, and they send him to his own room to sleep alone on Sorry Night, even though he’s heard bits of the tale, and is afraid. The next morning, he isn’t quite her little brother any more, and Reggie and Aaron must join forces to save his very soul, as well as remain alive themselves.
This is the story in the new YA novel The Devouring by Simon Holt, which, aside from it’s perfect-for-October creepiness also offers a brilliant glimpse into the mind of a young girl growing up with an emotionally distant father, absent (deceased) mother, and dependent sibling, while still dealing with school, and teen-aged romance.
Like most well-written YA, the story itself is not juvenile, only the lead characters are, and I found myself getting the chills as I read it, but at the same time, unable to put it down. If you have an older teenager who is into spooky, supernatural, or scary stories, this is the book for them.
You can learn more about this book at The Devouring.com.
Melissa A. Bartell earns her living by writing articles for an SEO marketing firm, and dabbles in essays and fiction on the side. She lives near Dallas, TX with her husband, two dogs, and more computers than anyone really needs. She is the Senior Editor here at All Things Girl. Find out more about her on our About Page. You can also find her at her website and various other places around the ‘net.
