The Devil Crept In by Ania Ahlborn
April18 book for Poison Apple Book Club
I enjoy this The Devil Crept In, but I also expected more from it, especially since it is considered a horror novel.
The novel itself did not strike me as horror at all, but a supernatural suspenseful thriller at best. To be honest, I'm not even sure if it was supernatural, it had the elements and it hinted at it a lot but it never fully crossed that line or clearly indicated that's what was really going on. This was part of my confusion with this novel. The lines between supernatural and reality were never clearly identified so it left a lot of questions up in the air for me.
I wasn't a fan of any of the characters, which is always a hard thing for me to get past when reading. Jude was kind of a phantom, we never really saw what he was like, just descriptions and opinions from other characters (mostly Stevie). I felt Stevie's explanation of Jude was boarding a sociopath, which could explain a lot of his actions throughout the novel. Stevie was a little annoying and hard to get behind as the lead character. He was frustrating and even unreliable as a character from the opinion of his mother. Rosie was extremely frustrating. I always felt the point around her was "making a deal with the devil", but it never really clarifies on what she actually did out at the retreat. After she final got what she had always wanted, her reaction was extremely selfish and dangerous. From the back history we got of her with her dad and her low self esteem and social anxiety I just though she desperately needed something to love but her reasons for protecting Otto was more selfish than motherly. Otto was a fantastic character, a true mystery and evil without meaning to be. I definitely felt a Friday the 13th or Psycho vibe from this section of the story.
The timeline was also a little confusing to me at first. The story is told in 2 parts: Jude/ Stevie and Rosie. The part that confused me was that these two parts are not happening at the same time, and there was no year or any indication (ex. past/ present chapters). Rosie's section takes place over approximately 12 years, possibly longer, up to the present.
The epilogue was my favorite part of the story. Everything was so mysterious and left open that I felt so much more could have come from it. If there was a sequel or novella based on following the epilogue I would be the first to read that.
I finished the book with questions still unanswered (the supernatural aspect as mentioned above) and a unemotional attachment to all of the characters. This is the section book by author Ania Ahlborn I have read and felt both books were alright, but they could have been better. I still plan to read more from this author in the future but they aren't a priority. A lot of bloggers I follow love her and I'm hoping I just haven't found my book with her yet, and maybe this author just isn't for me, which is ok too.
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"Young Jude Brighton has been missing for three days, and while the search for him is in full swing in the small town of Deer Valley, Oregon, the locals are starting to lose hope. They’re well aware that the first forty-eight hours are critical and after that, the odds usually point to a worst-case scenario. And despite Stevie Clark’s youth, he knows that, too; he’s seen the cop shows. He knows what each ticking moment may mean for Jude, his cousin and best friend.
That, and there was that boy, Max Larsen...the one from years ago, found dead after also disappearing under mysterious circumstances. And then there were the animals: pets gone missing out of yards. For years, the residents of Deer Valley have murmured about these unsolved crimes…and that a killer may still be lurking around their quiet town. Now, fear is reborn—and for Stevie, who is determined to find out what really happened to Jude, the awful truth may be too horrifying to imagine." (goodreads)
That, and there was that boy, Max Larsen...the one from years ago, found dead after also disappearing under mysterious circumstances. And then there were the animals: pets gone missing out of yards. For years, the residents of Deer Valley have murmured about these unsolved crimes…and that a killer may still be lurking around their quiet town. Now, fear is reborn—and for Stevie, who is determined to find out what really happened to Jude, the awful truth may be too horrifying to imagine." (goodreads)
I enjoy this The Devil Crept In, but I also expected more from it, especially since it is considered a horror novel.
The novel itself did not strike me as horror at all, but a supernatural suspenseful thriller at best. To be honest, I'm not even sure if it was supernatural, it had the elements and it hinted at it a lot but it never fully crossed that line or clearly indicated that's what was really going on. This was part of my confusion with this novel. The lines between supernatural and reality were never clearly identified so it left a lot of questions up in the air for me.
I wasn't a fan of any of the characters, which is always a hard thing for me to get past when reading. Jude was kind of a phantom, we never really saw what he was like, just descriptions and opinions from other characters (mostly Stevie). I felt Stevie's explanation of Jude was boarding a sociopath, which could explain a lot of his actions throughout the novel. Stevie was a little annoying and hard to get behind as the lead character. He was frustrating and even unreliable as a character from the opinion of his mother. Rosie was extremely frustrating. I always felt the point around her was "making a deal with the devil", but it never really clarifies on what she actually did out at the retreat. After she final got what she had always wanted, her reaction was extremely selfish and dangerous. From the back history we got of her with her dad and her low self esteem and social anxiety I just though she desperately needed something to love but her reasons for protecting Otto was more selfish than motherly. Otto was a fantastic character, a true mystery and evil without meaning to be. I definitely felt a Friday the 13th or Psycho vibe from this section of the story.
The timeline was also a little confusing to me at first. The story is told in 2 parts: Jude/ Stevie and Rosie. The part that confused me was that these two parts are not happening at the same time, and there was no year or any indication (ex. past/ present chapters). Rosie's section takes place over approximately 12 years, possibly longer, up to the present.
The epilogue was my favorite part of the story. Everything was so mysterious and left open that I felt so much more could have come from it. If there was a sequel or novella based on following the epilogue I would be the first to read that.
I finished the book with questions still unanswered (the supernatural aspect as mentioned above) and a unemotional attachment to all of the characters. This is the section book by author Ania Ahlborn I have read and felt both books were alright, but they could have been better. I still plan to read more from this author in the future but they aren't a priority. A lot of bloggers I follow love her and I'm hoping I just haven't found my book with her yet, and maybe this author just isn't for me, which is ok too.
My Rating: 3.5/5 Stars
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