The Good Demon
by Jimmy Cajoleas
This book I borrowed from the library and wanted to keep it! I wanted to read it again and again! I first rated it 4 stars but I kept thinking about it so I upped the rating to a 5!
It's about a girl that gets possessed by a demon at the age of eight. The demon who she calls She or Her becomes the girl's best friend. At age 15, a boy tries to rape her and the demon takes control. The girl's stepdad gets mad at the girl, figures, then calls for someone to get the demon out of her. He really doesn't know for sure she has a demon but the wildness she showed could have been a traumatic experience. A preacher and his son comes and get rid of the girl's only friend.
The rest of the story is the girl following clues to get her demon back the demon left for her. I loved the clues, the back stories of everyone as the story evolves, the magic, fantasy, and suspense. Terrific characters!
It's a story that stayed with me long after I finished reading. Great read! ( )

Loved it! I couldn't put it down. I'm definitely going to keep Jimmy Cajoleas on my radar. ( )

full review here ( )

The prose in this novel was so descriptive that I not only read it one sitting, but I felt as if I were transported into the book. This is a classic horror story with a twist. The writing is evocative of either Neil Gaiman or Stephen King. Kind of YA homage to both I suppose.

A demon has lived inside Clare since childhood. Once it's discovered a local preacher is called to get it out and the story begins with Clare just desperate to get her friend (the demon) back. For a long time, her demon was her only friend and had proved trustworthy and loyal.

While reading, I had the same thoughts that you get watching a horror movie; I adore that anticipatory lump in my throat as you mentally prepare for a good jump scare. You know, how you start to suspect one thing and then something worse happens? That's this book- delightfully creepy.

Probably an unconventional pairing, but reading this with Good Omens, and maybe some C.S. Lewis would make for some fun discussions about how quickly we humans can be tricked into almost anything by the supernatural or other humans.

Recommending this for older kids who like horror as a genre. There is alcohol, sex, and some scary spiritual imagery. Nothing gratuitous but possibly nightmare provoking. (if you love scary books this is a plus)

I just one-clicked the author's previous book Goldeline, sight unseen. It's MG, so I'll review it here too. I'm now a big fan,

Please note that I received a free advance E ARC of this book from Edelweiss without a review requirement or any influence regarding review content should I choose to post a review. Apart from that, I have no connection at all to either the author or the publisher of this book.

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For a young adult book this one is pretty dark and has some edge to it which is a good thing. Claire is possessed by a demon who she feels is her best friend but a local minister conducts an exorcism and takes her away. From this point there is a wild story of demons, witchcraft, secret symbols and mysterious people. The book kept my interest as an adult so I imagine it will do the same for the its intended audience of young readers. It appears to be the authors first book and its a good one. ( )