A review by awesomelybadbooks
The Good Demon by Jimmy Cajoleas

4.0

She (aka Her) has been with Clare ever since she was a little girl. When Reverend Sanders and his son Roy exorcise "Her", Clare is left feeling heartbroken and alone. She is downright resentful of the Reverend for ripping "her only" away from her, of taking away her only friend. Now, she is alone with a mother that seems broken, a step-father who drinks too much, and the memory of her father lingering in the house. But "She" has left clues for Clare. A trail of clues on how to reunite with one another. A puzzle whose pieces include a secret society, magic, and an ancient evil that leads her to the deep, dark woods and to a man named Gaspar or "The One Wish Man". Now that I finished this story, I'm not entirely certain which audience that this is intended for! Glancing at Amazon, it tells me it's for readers 14 and up. I guess I could see that? It does focus on a teenage young woman (and a teenage young man in Roy) as she transitions from childhood to a teenager, from teenager to a soon-to-be adult. It definitely hits upon the confusion of those years. Growing up Trying to find yourself. Some of the subject matter is heavy, too. Drug use. Alcohol abuse. Sexual assault. Good and Evil. So while it does say that it is catered to a young audience, I can see older individuals finding this story interesting! Especially since we've already been through those transitions! It's a solid, fast-paced read. I would recommend it for an Autumn read on either a long weekend or as you're curling up at night with the cooler weather! It definitely keeps you hooked!