Book Series Review: The Devouring – Incredibly Crafted Horror Book Trilogy

The Devouring is geared toward the YA crowd, but it is most definitely on the more sophisticated end of things. It’s well written, amazingly plot-driven and SCARY! It could very well step out of the Young Adult realm and hold it’s own as a full-fledged horror book.

Yeah, it’s not just creepy, it honestly scared the crap out of me the first time I read it, and continues to do so even as I’m re-reading the series for the 27th time (not even exaggerating, that is a literal number)

To put it in perspective for you, I am still, to this day, unable to read these novels right before bed. Sometimes I do anyway, thinking it’ll be worth it, but I end up staying awake for hours.

Back in high school, any time I would get into these books I would take them to school to read on lunch… and I’d end up reading through entire classes. I was physically unable to put them down.

The first book in the series is called The Devouring

The following synposis is from Indigo.ca:

When Reggie finds an old journal and reads about the Vours, supernatural creatures who feast on fear and attack on the eve of the winter solstice, she assumes they are just the musings of some lunatic author. But soon, they become a terrifying reality when she begins to suspect that her timid younger brother might be one of their victims.Risking her life and her sanity, Reggie enters a living nightmare to save the people she loves. Can she devour own her fears before they devour her?Bone-chilling, terrifying, thrilling…what are you waiting for?

This honestly doesn’t even do it justice. The story is so, so rich and engaging. One of my favourite things about these books too, is the lack of romance.

Sure, it’s spattered throughout (these are high school aged characters after all) but it’s FAR from the focus of the story. Don’t get me wrong, I like a good romantic side plot as much as the next person, but when it’s literally half the story, sometimes it just gets old.

The sequel is called Soulstice

Yes, the misspelling is deliberate.

I’m not going to post the synopsis here, to avoid spoilers if you have not yet read the first, but I assure you, it is just as much of a masterpiece as the first.

The third and final installment of this series is called Fearscape

This one is absolutely phenomenal as well.

The thing I love about this book is that it’s an excellent ending… but it DOES leave things open ended enough to merit another sequel. A follow up very well may never come to fruition, but I would welcome a fourth book with open arms should it ever happen.

The Devouring Trilogy is written by Simon Holt and published by Little, Brown and Company.