The Good Demon 

by Jimmy Cajoleas

This book is the perfect treat for the fall. Jimmy Cajoleas has created a delightfully dark YA unlike anything I’ve read. The Good Demon delves down the twisty terrain of southern dark magic in the bible belt from the perspective of a young possessed - or, formerly possessed teen.

Clare’s demon was exorcised. And Clare wants “Her” back.

So ensues Clare’s twisty macabre quest to reclaim her inner demon. Cajoleas excels at rendering a thoroughly creepy, gruesome backdrop for his tale while also honestly depicting Clare’s disturbing reality. The piece is a breeze to read, and so easy, in fact, it would be simple to overlook the depth of its message.

This deceptively light YA book may house a fable a la The Ocean at the End of the Lane.  So not be fooled by its dark magic. It may just be your own inner demons trying to trick you.

*B3 would like to thank the publishers for the ARC!

The Dead Circle by Keith Varney

I was tricked into reading another zombie book. What’s the adage? “Trick me once, shame on you, trick me twice, shame on me for not giving zombie books a chance?”  I read The Dead Circle in 48 hours and spent the next week attempting to reconcile my inability to stomach cannibalism (yes, I went there) with my desire to share the best page-turners with my fellow bibliophiles.

Of all of the books that I’ve read about supernatural post-apocalyptic infestations, this book serves as the most practical guide to how my spouse and I could survive the apocalypse.  And perhaps that’s what makes it the most disturbing zombie selection: it could possibly be recategorized amidst “non-fiction” or “survival guides” sometime in the future.

Until now, I thought a layperson like myself would be among the first to fall in the zombie apocalypse, but this book gives me hope. So many times, the people that survive are strikingly attractive, never need to go to the bathroom, and are facile with a semi-automatic. I am none of these.

The Dead Circle is gruesome, quirky, familiar, and terrifying. Don’t eat while reading. That’s all I’m saying. Probably avoid drinking as well.  

I’ll admit, there was a moment about two-thirds of the way through when I thought, Maybe it’d be better to turn into a zombie so I wouldn’t be eaten by one. That’s a truth I didn’t want face.

I’m not sure if Varney is planning a sequel, but based on the unconventional ending of the first, I’d pick it up tomorrow. In the meantime, I’ll keep this title on my nightstand in case I need some undead tips – and I plan on stocking up on bottled water tomorrow.