The Devouring by Simon Holt

[appleofmyeye]

The Devouring is a mystery/thriller/supernatural novel. It was surprisingly frightening (I saw it in an advertisement in Cosmo Girl for crying out loud, I didn't expect to be that scary). It starts with Reggie reading an old journal she found in a bookstore telling the chilling tale of the Vours. She assumes it is just a story, but when her little brother changes from a sweet little boy to something far more sinister, she realizes that the Vours are far too real.

This book is chilling, exciting, and one of my favorites. It is a pretty short read, 231 pages, but that doesn't take away from the story. The characters are very believable and complex. I was angry when the characters were angry, I was sad when the characters were sad, ect. What I loved about this book was the puzzle aspect to it. It left me guessing but never confused, which I enjoyed. What really had me holding on was the slightly disturbing horror scenes. I mean, this book has everything from decapitation to drowned hamsters.

Overall, this book is really good. It had the perfect mix of mystery and thriller. It has sequel potential (yay) and I'm sure I'll have read this five times before the next one even comes out.

9/10