A review by lilylovesreading21
The Devil and Miss Prym by Paulo Coelho

challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

The Devil and Miss Pyrm is a thought-provoking read that dives deep into human nature, but the last few chapters were absolutely wild. The intense moments toward the end, like the firing range scene where the townspeople almost kill the old lady, were shocking. And the fact that she’s only spared with a fountain to keep her silent? That was pretty unsettling. The female lead’s decision to take the money made sense to me, though. The people in that town were unhinged—one minute they’re deciding to kill her because she has no family, and the next they’re second-guessing themselves because she’s young. Instead, they choose to kill the old lady, who has this wild belief that the female lead's grandmother is trying to seduce her dead husband in the afterlife. That whole situation was twisted. And let’s not forget the traveler. He’s messy as hell for what he did. Sure, he wanted to test evil based on his own experiences, but going around and ruining entire towns for this "experiment"? Not cool. It added a lot of chaos to an already chaotic environment. Overall, the book was really good, but the last few chapters were a rollercoaster of madness. The characters’ actions were unsettling, but that’s part of what made the book so engaging. It’s definitely a story that makes you think about the darker side of human nature.