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A review by onthesamepage
The Devil Makes Three by Tori Bovalino
dark
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
4.0
It's really interesting having just read this book without knowing much about it other than it has something to do with the devil, because I think it left me room to enjoy it more than if someone had told me to expect enemies to lovers (it really isn't), or if I'd been more familiar with dark academia, because I don't think that's quite it either. I'm glad though, because I actually really enjoyed it.
This is pretty dark for YA, and I definitely recommend looking into the content warnings before deciding to pick it up. It gave me very solid horror movie vibes; the author's writing is fantastic, and that means I could vividly imagine the horrors she was describing. I definitely flinched a few times.
I also think the way she writes characters is really good. Tess and Eliot are both dealing with a lot in their lives, making them come off as more mature than a normal teenager probably would, but that felt right in context. Tess has taken responsibility for her younger sister as a caretaker, juggling school and several part-time jobs, and that necessitates a certain level of maturity. Eliot is dealing with separated parents and a father that seems to be maliciously keeping him away from his terminally-ill mother. But they aren't just two unfortunate, tortured teenagers; they have flaws, they're very human, and I believed the connection between them. Yes, the romance is probably still a bit fast (it's hard to say how much time passes in the book), but I didn't mind it too much. I really enjoyed the side characters too; the friendship between Tess and Anna was heartwarming, and I liked Nat, Tess's little sister, quite a bit as well.
There are a few things that stop me from giving this book a full five stars.
We're told on the first page that Tess can see ghosts, and this sets up an expectation that this is somehow important to the plot. It never is, and I'm not sure why it was included at all.
The first interactions between Eliot and Tess are weird and potentially trying to set up a very short-lived enemies to lovers situation. Instead of sincerely apologizing when she was clearly in the wrong, Tess tries to blame Eliot when he confronts her, and it just didn't make sense for her to react that way.
Last but not least, the ending, which was confusing. I still don't really understand what happened and what the consequences could be.
This is pretty dark for YA, and I definitely recommend looking into the content warnings before deciding to pick it up. It gave me very solid horror movie vibes; the author's writing is fantastic, and that means I could vividly imagine the horrors she was describing. I definitely flinched a few times.
I also think the way she writes characters is really good. Tess and Eliot are both dealing with a lot in their lives, making them come off as more mature than a normal teenager probably would, but that felt right in context. Tess has taken responsibility for her younger sister as a caretaker, juggling school and several part-time jobs, and that necessitates a certain level of maturity. Eliot is dealing with separated parents and a father that seems to be maliciously keeping him away from his terminally-ill mother. But they aren't just two unfortunate, tortured teenagers; they have flaws, they're very human, and I believed the connection between them. Yes, the romance is probably still a bit fast (it's hard to say how much time passes in the book), but I didn't mind it too much. I really enjoyed the side characters too; the friendship between Tess and Anna was heartwarming, and I liked Nat, Tess's little sister, quite a bit as well.
There are a few things that stop me from giving this book a full five stars.
We're told on the first page that Tess can see ghosts, and this sets up an expectation that this is somehow important to the plot. It never is, and I'm not sure why it was included at all.
The first interactions between Eliot and Tess are weird and potentially trying to set up a very short-lived enemies to lovers situation. Instead of sincerely apologizing when she was clearly in the wrong, Tess tries to blame Eliot when he confronts her, and it just didn't make sense for her to react that way.
Last but not least, the ending, which was confusing. I still don't really understand what happened and what the consequences could be.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Self harm, and Gore