(2) YA When Catalina's pa dies after drinking cider made from a poisoned apple, "wind burst through the cabin like a ferocious intruder...a man, but his skin rose and fell in patchy, lopsided ridges. Bark? Green leaves with serrated edges sprouted from his hair. Birds circled his head." It's Johnny Appleseed--he goes by "John, actually"--and this Faustian take on the folk hero posits that he was compelled to plant poisoned apple seeds across North America after selling his soul to the devil. John has come for Catalina's younger brother, Jose Luis, and she sets off to save him by tracking one of John's birds. Soon she finds a companion in a young lumberjack, Paul, who is also hunting John. They gradually open up to each other and acknowledge their growing mutual attraction as they face more harrowing forest obstacles. Interspersed with third-person narration are first-person accounts from John detailing his desperate dealings with the maleficent "banker." Krause's North American frontier is diverse and filled with historically rooted fantastical elements (e.g., "tree weepers": sobbing canopy-dwellers dressed in worn period gowns). Her lyrical prose shines in descriptions of nature: "Late summer rains had fattened the wilderness, making it full and dense, as though it wore a coat it had made for itself." Catalina's emotional growth, including reflections on her maternal Mexican heritage (her mother died years earlier) and identity as a poet, and several surprising plot twists carry this riveting tale to a satisfying conclusion.

Reviewer: | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2023

(4) YA When they are small, Mairwen, Rhun, and Arthur watch Rhun's cousin sacrifice himself to the Devil's Forest as a part of their village's tradition. Ten years later, things are going wrong in Three Graces, and it is Rhun's turn to be sacrificed. With a racially diverse cast and a polyamorous relationship at its core, this folkloric fantasy of forest devilry is gripping, despite a crowded plot.

Reviewer: Ariel Baker-Gibbs

(4) 4-6 Illustrated by Gris Grimly. Seventh grader Gabe becomes the new owner of a wish-granting imp in a bottle. Unfortunately, each wish causes someone else's misfortune. Worse yet, if Gabe dies before selling the bottle, the Devil gets his soul. While Gabe is an unlikable protagonist for much of the novel, he eventually matures, risking damnation to save his friends. Grimly's signature off-kilter illustrations enhance the story's unsettling atmosphere.

Reviewer: Russell Perry

(4) YA Marlow, Pan, and Night find themselves in Hell and must fight evil demons--and even the Devil himself--to save themselves and the whole world. This third and final volume is not for the faint-hearted--violent, graphic imagery takes priority over plotting and characterization. That said, the gore fits with the subject matter as the series reaches its epic conclusion.

Reviewer: Antonio Trujillo

(3) YA Team DEVIL returns as Viking prince Alfarin leads his fellow dead souls through the Nine Circles of Hell to find the Devil's Banshee--Satan's wife and the only being capable of protecting everyone from his most evil imaginings. This third book uses the series' (The Devil's Intern; The Devil's Dreamcatcher) signature blend of likable characters, strong friendships, dark humor, and horror to parallel Dante's Inferno.

Reviewer: Russell Perry

(3) YA Magical realism meets music in this unusual road-trip novel. Blue's sister Cass has grown increasingly distant since their mother's death. When the devil herself offers Blue a shot at finding runaway Cass in exchange for her voice, Blue sets off on a quest, accompanied only by her late mother's guitar, which "speaks" for her. This debut is evocative and at times powerful.

Reviewer: Norah Piehl

(3) YA Max spends his time doing crossword puzzles, digging for fossils, and caring for his sick mother. Unintentionally digging a hole into Hell, Max ends up with a devil in his basement. In an attempt to heal his mom, Max makes increasingly dangerous deals with Burg, the junk-food-loving devil. Damico presents a darkly humorous adventure that will leave readers laughing while they cry.

Reviewer: Jenn Matters

(4) YA Cassie becomes possessed while attempting to summon the spirit of her dead grandmother. Marin, who was there for the ritual--and who can see others' pain, including the pain the demon causes Cassie--is guilt-tripped into helping plan an exorcism by Cassie's cute brother, Dominic. Marin's ability sets up an intriguing premise, but, disappointingly, she moves passively through much of the story.

Reviewer: Katie Bircher

(3) YA When sixteen-year-old Medusa's abusive stepfather escapes Hell with The Devil's Dreamcatcher, she travels through time with Devil's intern Mitchell, Viking prince Alfarin, and seventeenth-century-London peasant Elinor to recover the weapon before its destructive powers are unleashed. Expanding on its predecessor's (The Devil's Intern) strong character relationships and time paradoxes, this sequel raises the stakes and builds excitement for the intrepid quartet's next adventure.

Reviewer: Russell Perry

(3) YA Last Apprentice series. Illustrated by Patrick Arrasmith. With its usual dark magic and darker illustrations, this series-ender sees Tom Ward achieve several of his original goals. But the defeat of one problem creates a worse one, and a jump to the future raises even more questions, including questions of shifting loyalties. Fans will be pleased that the Last Apprentice ends up promoted to Chipenden Spook at last.

Reviewer: Shoshana Flax

(3) YA Seventeen-year-old Mitchell's days working in Hell's accounting department may finally be over when he steals a time-travel device to prevent his own death. Complications arise when his three best friends--Viking prince Alfarin, seventeenth-century-London peasant Elinor, and 1960s rebel Medusa--insist on traveling with him. Likable, complex characters; clever humor; and a well-plotted time-travel narrative combine for a unique, highly enjoyable read.

Reviewer: Russell Perry

(3) YA Urged by best friend Stan (who claims he's Satan), senior slacker Leon tries to clean up his act when he hears that his former girlfriend is moving back from England. His plans take a detour when he falls for popular girl Paige in the process. Sharp and honest, Selzer's story is true YA, with none of the twenty-something overtones of "new adult" lit.

Reviewer: Shara Hardeson

(2) YA Leni's family has blown through nearly all of its seventy-million-dollar lottery winnings. Now Leni is faced with a dilemma: bail out her parents or put her trust fund to philanthropic use. Things get even more complicated after a violent encounter with archangel Michael. Stein (Kindred) keeps readers off balance in a contemporary world complete with old-school biblical justice.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2014

(3) YA It's no coincidence that when the alluring River West shows up to rent the guesthouse of Violet's dilapidated seaside mansion, eerie and brutal things begin to happen in town. Yet love-struck Violet finds herself powerless to act, or really care. A highly atmospheric and unreliable narrative wends its way between scenes alternately homey and macabre to a twisty ending.

Reviewer: Rebecca Hachmyer

(4) YA Angel Bethany and mortal boyfriend Xavier (Halo; Hades) marry, and their rebellious union provokes the wrath of heavenly warriors. Bethany's angelic "siblings" help the couple go undercover as university students; they're pursued by forces from heaven and hell alike. Some revelations about the trilogy's cosmology and Xavier's origins will surprise readers, but Bethany's sacrifice of her immortality for a happy ending won't.

Reviewer: Katie Bircher

(4) YA Bethany (Halo), an angel living on Earth, is kidnapped and taken to Hell by an old enemy, a demon known as Jake. As her angelic "siblings" and human boyfriend Xavier search for Bethany, she keeps tabs on their progress through astral projection. Sarcastic Jake provides some relief from Bethany's wearisome goodness and naiveté; the depiction of Hell is imaginative, though not fully realized.

Reviewer: Katie Bircher

(4) YA Mortal Instruments series. Now that Valentine is dead, Shadowhunter Clary and company face a new threat: a demonic cult that's killing human infants. Meanwhile, Jace has violent dreams about hurting Clary, and Simon is having trouble adapting to life as a vampire. The reliance on grandiloquent literary devices and overblown romantic anguish distracts from (and inflates) this otherwise absorbing urban fantasy.

Reviewer: Rachel L. Smith

(2) K-3 Translated by Elisa Amado. Illustrated by Elena Val. Benedict, a toddler-sized demon, stars in this square-shaped little book. Finding his "red, red, red" home too hot, he sets off, first to the North Pole (too cold); then the desert (too dry); then the just-right "blue, blue, blue" sea. Patterned text and basic color concepts heighten the allure for children; the droll illustrations will also appeal to the New Yorker adult set.

Reviewer: Kathleen T. Horning | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2011

(3) YA With the help of a priest at her Catholic school, Bridget develops her ability to communicate with--and exorcise--demons. As she practices this power, she discovers the truth about her identity and her father's murder. This supernatural thriller features a witty protagonist, some romance, and lots of truly creepy moments--as when Bridget confronts a shop full of demonically possessed dolls.

Reviewer: Rachel L. Smith

(3) YA Jael Thompson is half-demon on her mother's side. She and her father, a former priest, have been on the run from demons since she was eight. Jael's sixteenth birthday brings her powers and destiny; she decides to fight against evil, training with her uncle. Skovron provides an engaging twist on demon mythology through multifaceted characters and some everygirl humor.

Reviewer: Jenn Matters