43. The Devouring by Simon Holt

The Devouring by Simon Holt
ISBN: 0316035734
Little, Brown, New York, 2008
231 pages

Teaser: Reggie loves horror books any mystery. When she “borrows” a used book she becomes entwined in a world of dark, smoke like creatures, the Voirs, that possess humans and bond them to the dark side of their world. Only those strong enough to fight the forces and fight will survive.

Summary: Reggie had no idea that her fascination with reading horror books would threaten her brother’s life and reunite her with a figure of their dead mother. Reggie and her friend Aaron are strong enough to believe in good and fight the influence of the evil presence, but her younger brother, Henry becomes victim to the shadows and is almost lost when he falls through the ice on a frozen lake. Reggie finds the strength to bring Aaron out of the dark side, bringing them closer together and helping them with the loss of their mother. Reggie had never thought that another source, Eben, would understand what they have been through and help them pull out at the last minute and get Aaron to the hospital in time. Had Eben also been to the dark side?

Evaluation: I thought this was a very good book and it gave me chills reading it at night. I wanted to stop, but couldn’t until the entire book was read. I loved the way the book gave me a thrilling read, but also nightmares! I don’t usually like horror books, but love mysteries and it was a great combination and a reach for me that I am glad I took.

Challenges issues and age recommendation: The occult, loss of a parent, good versus evil, sibling rivalry, and love are all major topic in this book. The reading was easy, but the content challenging to envision and ponder, long after the book was done. I would recommend it to readers of horror and mystery books. There are others in the series and I look forward to trying some of them, in the daylight of course. I would recommend this book for readers 12 and up.