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A review by stories_of_the_soul27
The Devil Makes Three by Tori Bovalino
adventurous
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? No
4.25
I loved this book! Something about a fierce girl protagonist having elder daughter syndrome and protecting her younger sister from all troubles, a posh boy who loves his mother deeply and thinks he isn't strong enough to protect anyone but still going to lengths to save the people he loves and a devil who fights through ink. The vibe of this book was immaculate. It helps that most of the setting is in a library and now I'll always be on a lookout of dangerous books in any library. The story revolves around Tess and Eliot and the Devil and honestly just these three are enough to build and carry the plot. The writing was good enough to create the paranormal atmosphere this book promised. The scenes of possession and rotting flesh and devil attacking with inks were really spooky.
This book has slow burn romance too and honestly it killed me!!! I loved every Tess and Eliot moment!! Adolescent characters shouldering burdens that their 17 year olds shouldn't be worried about gets me everytime and this added depths to their personality. Nothing seems far fetched or out of plausibility.
There were some particular spooky scenes that I really liked, that gave me the creeps.
However, there were some areas where this book could improve. The pacing did get slow sometimes. Tess said she could see ghosts and Eliot can use magic. And both these aspects weren't delved deeper into. A backstory of why they had these abilities and where they came from could have enhanced the reading experience. Also I wanted to know about the devil when he was a boy. All this would have stretched the book to 500 pages maybe but the world that Tori Bovalino created was interesting enough that it required more details.
But as a debut book this was so well done. I honestly want Tess and Eliot to return in another book. I fell deeply in love with these two characters.
.
.
.
.
.
And the last line of the book : I know what it means but seriously what does it mean?!?!?!?!?!?!
This book has slow burn romance too and honestly it killed me!!! I loved every Tess and Eliot moment!! Adolescent characters shouldering burdens that their 17 year olds shouldn't be worried about gets me everytime and this added depths to their personality. Nothing seems far fetched or out of plausibility.
There were some particular spooky scenes that I really liked, that gave me the creeps.
However, there were some areas where this book could improve. The pacing did get slow sometimes. Tess said she could see ghosts and Eliot can use magic. And both these aspects weren't delved deeper into. A backstory of why they had these abilities and where they came from could have enhanced the reading experience. Also I wanted to know about the devil when he was a boy. All this would have stretched the book to 500 pages maybe but the world that Tori Bovalino created was interesting enough that it required more details.
But as a debut book this was so well done. I honestly want Tess and Eliot to return in another book. I fell deeply in love with these two characters.
.
.
.
.
.
And the last line of the book : I know what it means but seriously what does it mean?!?!?!?!?!?!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror and Child abuse