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3.92 AVERAGE
3.92 AVERAGE
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
It ended with a not so clear ending. The 3 devil story isn't explained well and the way it ends is just so anticlimactic. We get some characters back but also we aren't entirely sure where some are and if they are really okay. We don't get to see all of the bad guys get their comeuppance. We have no idea if their town is okay or if they really did need to sacrifice people to satiate the devil. There was so much build up and I feel it fell flat. I got a bit bored during the book. Why did Ajay die? Did some of the Langleys die? Is Ben with Sam yet? Did Wiley die? We don't really get any answers. It was an interesting premise about deals with the devil, but I wasn't a huge fan of this book. I almost wanted to DNF but decided I wanted to know what would happen. I did like the characters, the podcast aspect, and the deals with the devils. I just wish there was more of a conclusion.
Plot spoilers below
Sam makes a deal with the devil, Jack, to save her brother Ben from death. She then has to lie about what happened to her friend Dawson. Her father, Wiley, beats the crap out of them. But the parents find out about her deal and puts a restraining order on her to keep her away from Ben. She later finds out that Jonah was the other driver and caused the accident. In the end, Jack gives her the adoption papers to be Ben's guardian. She also kills Jonah. I hope Wiley died.
Neera makes a deal with the devil to have her guitar fixed and to have a voice to be remembered. Her uncle Ajay inteoduced her to music and they found him 3 years ago dead by apparent suicide. She ends up using her voice to enchant people so Isaiah and Reid can save the victims. She also finds out Grant Langley is her father. I didn't like her grandparents or her mother.
Isaiah runs a podcast exposing some secrets and decides to make one about the sacrifices of Clearwater all thanks to Dawson's email. He teams up with the others and gets footage even of what went down.
Reid is part of Langley family but seems to grow apart from it when his mother dies. No clue what happened to her too. He decides to help the victims escape. He sets the fire at the crossroads.
Why is one devil more powerful than the other? Why did Jack have to answer to his brother? How did his brother die and that set him free? Because the brother didn't get his 13 sacrifices? Im just confused.
I liked the overall story and read this pretty quickly, but I just have so many questions.
Plot spoilers below
Sam makes a deal with the devil, Jack, to save her brother Ben from death. She then has to lie about what happened to her friend Dawson. Her father, Wiley, beats the crap out of them. But the parents find out about her deal and puts a restraining order on her to keep her away from Ben. She later finds out that Jonah was the other driver and caused the accident. In the end, Jack gives her the adoption papers to be Ben's guardian. She also kills Jonah. I hope Wiley died.
Neera makes a deal with the devil to have her guitar fixed and to have a voice to be remembered. Her uncle Ajay inteoduced her to music and they found him 3 years ago dead by apparent suicide. She ends up using her voice to enchant people so Isaiah and Reid can save the victims. She also finds out Grant Langley is her father. I didn't like her grandparents or her mother.
Isaiah runs a podcast exposing some secrets and decides to make one about the sacrifices of Clearwater all thanks to Dawson's email. He teams up with the others and gets footage even of what went down.
Reid is part of Langley family but seems to grow apart from it when his mother dies. No clue what happened to her too. He decides to help the victims escape. He sets the fire at the crossroads.
Why is one devil more powerful than the other? Why did Jack have to answer to his brother? How did his brother die and that set him free? Because the brother didn't get his 13 sacrifices? Im just confused.
I liked the overall story and read this pretty quickly, but I just have so many questions.
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
I really, really enjoyed this novel. The only note I would have is to add to the supernatural lore, so that the reader feels more connection to it. I think this is a well-thought out plot with relatable characters, and I was dying to find out what happened next. As a born and raised Southerner, I also appreciated the rich, haunting atmosphere that the author created. It was warm and inviting and intriguing.
challenging
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Loved this book, loved the set up and these characters as their situations got worse, and we learned more about what was going on, it was so good!
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I just really, really love southern gothic novels apparently, and this is the book that made me accept that fact about myself.
When Devils Sing is very good for what it is. As an adult who enjoys reading YA, I know to adjust my expectations when reading something geared toward people younger than me, but I still thing YA and even middle grade novels have the capability to be just as well crafted as adult fiction. And this book absolutely feels like that. It functions very well as a comentary on how the wealthy use and abuse the people beneath them for their own benefit, and it was also incredibly entertaining at that. I read this book over the course of two days, and probably would have finished it in one had I not had to go to work between reading sessions.
Despite how much I enjoyed it though, I do have a few issues with it. Mostly in the beginning and end. I know that with such a large cast of POV characters, there needs to be introductions to each to make sure that we know who is who and what struggles they're going to go through. But the first four chapters felt a bit too long for introductions. Yes, we need to see who our protagonists are and what they're going through, but I honestly felt like it took a bit too long to do so and after a point just wished we could actually get on with the story. And then at the end, it felt the exact opposite. I don't think we got to see nearly enough of the end of each characters' story. If we could have taken all that extra time devoted to them at the beginning and give it to them at the end it could have been a perfect novel! This book absolutely could have developed from just a bit more time to complete that resolution. The epilogue was nice but... it just wasn't enough.
Also, major spoilers, butI truly think that Dawson should have died in the end. For a character who is so important that the summary of the book revolves around finding him, I found that he just wasn't mentioned enough in the book. He was there, haunting the narrative the whole time, and it truly felt like we were building up for him to be one of those to die. Only for... the only deaths we see to be nameless townsfolk. Which seems antithetical to what Xan Kaur is trying to say in the book. We absolutely needed these dead to be named and known for it to truly feel like the working class has both suffered and triumphed. Which could have been remedied by giving the main characters one small interaction with the characters who died or, again, having Dawson die if anyone were to be killed!
When Devils Sing is very good for what it is. As an adult who enjoys reading YA, I know to adjust my expectations when reading something geared toward people younger than me, but I still thing YA and even middle grade novels have the capability to be just as well crafted as adult fiction. And this book absolutely feels like that. It functions very well as a comentary on how the wealthy use and abuse the people beneath them for their own benefit, and it was also incredibly entertaining at that. I read this book over the course of two days, and probably would have finished it in one had I not had to go to work between reading sessions.
Despite how much I enjoyed it though, I do have a few issues with it. Mostly in the beginning and end. I know that with such a large cast of POV characters, there needs to be introductions to each to make sure that we know who is who and what struggles they're going to go through. But the first four chapters felt a bit too long for introductions. Yes, we need to see who our protagonists are and what they're going through, but I honestly felt like it took a bit too long to do so and after a point just wished we could actually get on with the story. And then at the end, it felt the exact opposite. I don't think we got to see nearly enough of the end of each characters' story. If we could have taken all that extra time devoted to them at the beginning and give it to them at the end it could have been a perfect novel! This book absolutely could have developed from just a bit more time to complete that resolution. The epilogue was nice but... it just wasn't enough.
Also, major spoilers, but
adventurous
dark
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
PLS i wanted to love this so bad. but this fell so flat for me. the plot and idea, amazing, and the character creation was awesome. i usually have a much harder time following an ensemble cast this full, but kaur created beautiful, interesting, and distinct concepts for each of them
i prayyyy that kaur keeps writing because the potential is so there. i feel like a few more swipes and a way better editor and there is an amazing book here. in fact, i blame most of the missed opportunities for writing on the editor. the writing is FULL of overused phrases, often that don’t make any sense in context. the whole time i was thinking about george orwell’s #1 rule for writing: “Never use a metaphor, simile, or other figure of speech which you are used to seeing in print.” on top of that, a lot of telling not showing.
okay and then also the pace/setup. there was a lot of character setup in the beginning but MOST of the plot does not happen until the last third. i would have loved to see more pieces coming together earlier, rather than at the last moment when they need to. dare i say, the pace felt maasian. by the same token, the plotting felt haphazard and unfulfilling. kaur creates vibrant characters, throws them into an elaborate and fantastic surreal plot, only to have them IMMEDIATELY believe everything happening, have the exact resources they need to fix the problem, and only act vaguely afraid of the consequences. don’t get me wrong, i was TOLD they were scared, but i didn’t really feel it or see it.
setting aside my tall glass of haterade, i will, in fact, be keeping a close eye on kaur. i genuinely hope that other people like this enough that it sells well and kaur gets a better editor for her next book because the foundations for such a cool career are THERE.
i prayyyy that kaur keeps writing because the potential is so there. i feel like a few more swipes and a way better editor and there is an amazing book here. in fact, i blame most of the missed opportunities for writing on the editor. the writing is FULL of overused phrases, often that don’t make any sense in context. the whole time i was thinking about george orwell’s #1 rule for writing: “Never use a metaphor, simile, or other figure of speech which you are used to seeing in print.” on top of that, a lot of telling not showing.
okay and then also the pace/setup. there was a lot of character setup in the beginning but MOST of the plot does not happen until the last third. i would have loved to see more pieces coming together earlier, rather than at the last moment when they need to. dare i say, the pace felt maasian. by the same token, the plotting felt haphazard and unfulfilling. kaur creates vibrant characters, throws them into an elaborate and fantastic surreal plot, only to have them IMMEDIATELY believe everything happening, have the exact resources they need to fix the problem, and only act vaguely afraid of the consequences. don’t get me wrong, i was TOLD they were scared, but i didn’t really feel it or see it.
setting aside my tall glass of haterade, i will, in fact, be keeping a close eye on kaur. i genuinely hope that other people like this enough that it sells well and kaur gets a better editor for her next book because the foundations for such a cool career are THERE.