Author: Jimmy Cajoleas
Genre: YA Fantasy/Horror
Publisher: Amulet Books - Copyright 2018
Publication Date: September 18, 2018
Publication Date: September 18, 2018
Review Copy Source: Edelweiss+
Read: August 8, 2018
Disclaimer: I received a free digital advanced review copy of the book reviewed below in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Synopsis from Publisher: Clare has been miserable since her exorcism. The preacher that rid her of evil didn’t understand that her demon—simply known as Her—was like a sister to Clare. Now, Clare will do almost anything to get Her back. After a chance encounter with the son of the preacher who exorcised her, Clare goes on an adventure through the dark underbelly of her small Southern town, discovering its deep-seated occult roots. As she searches for Her, she must question the fine lines between good and evil, love and hate, and religion and free will.
Review: Jimmy Cajoleas captures the spirit of teenage girl angst in Clare, a girl struggling to find her way in both her small Southern town and the larger world. Clare’s home life is less than perfect with a mother and stepfather who are both more interested in the contents of a bottle or where to find their next high. The death of her biological father continues to haunt her, and a lack of friends completes
Clare’s isolation. This is where the demon known only as Her comes into play.
Synopsis from Publisher: Clare has been miserable since her exorcism. The preacher that rid her of evil didn’t understand that her demon—simply known as Her—was like a sister to Clare. Now, Clare will do almost anything to get Her back. After a chance encounter with the son of the preacher who exorcised her, Clare goes on an adventure through the dark underbelly of her small Southern town, discovering its deep-seated occult roots. As she searches for Her, she must question the fine lines between good and evil, love and hate, and religion and free will.
Review: Jimmy Cajoleas captures the spirit of teenage girl angst in Clare, a girl struggling to find her way in both her small Southern town and the larger world. Clare’s home life is less than perfect with a mother and stepfather who are both more interested in the contents of a bottle or where to find their next high. The death of her biological father continues to haunt her, and a lack of friends completes
Clare’s isolation. This is where the demon known only as Her comes into play.
Clare and Her are literally inseparable from an early age until an incident reveals Her’s presence, and Clare is subjugated to an exorcism and loses Her. Clare’s isolation grows daily as she mourns the loss of her only friend. However, Clare soon finds herself at the center of a decades old mystery surrounding the disappearance of another teenage girl, the suspicious death of a teenage boy, a secret society at the dark heart of town, and a budding romance with the son of the preacher who performed Clare’s exorcism.
To say Clare’s life is complicated is an understatement, but Cajoleas handles the multiple threads with deft skill, weaving a complex tapestry worthy of the Southern Gothic tradition. Mystery, romance, horror, and dark humor all come together to tell Clare’s story and reveal the corrupted heart of a small town. The Good Demon asks multiple questions regarding the nature of good and evil, the line between dogma and free will, the boundary between dependence (childhood) and independence (adulthood), but most importantly, what defines a friendship.
Easily one of the best novels I’ve read so far this year, I highly recommend The Good Demon to anyone who enjoys young adult horror mixed with a healthy dose of dark humor. I read this book--cover to cover--in one day. I couldn't put it down! If you like dark fiction, read this book. Seriously. Read it.
The Good Demon hits the shelves September 18, 2018.
Review at a Glance:
Concept: A+
Execution: A+
Writing Style: A+
Characters: A+
Reader Connection: A+
Overall Grade: A+
Would I Buy This Author Again: Absolutely!
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