A review by librarymouse
It Devours! by Joseph Fink, Jeffrey Cranor

adventurous emotional funny 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? It's complicated

5.0

Night Vale, despite its status as horror, is something I find deeply comforting. It's consistently a story about people trapped within a world run by actively malignant corporations and governments finding joy and love within their community. I really enjoyed It Devours! both as entertainment in its own right, as well as a book whose content reflects the state of our world as it is in 2025, to a startling degree. It shows in intimate detail how religions can suck in people who believe the teachings to be parables, and find peace within them, while the organization as a whole acts in bad faith, with strict alignment with the letter of professed doctrine. The exploration of interpersonal relationships, in which success is not defined by the longevity of the relationship, but by the ability to understand and navigate boundaries as people grow and change and the bravery to end things when needed, was very refreshing. I really appreciated the variety of types of faith and devotion the characters experience, and the active discussion on how to make reparations when one's faith/devotion- driven actions cause harm.  You do need to have some background understanding of Night Vale to understand this book, but overall, worth it!
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