22929537Title: The Devil You Know

Author: Trish Doller

Publisher: Bloomsbury

Publication Date: June 2015

Genre: Young Adult Fiction/Thriller

Series or Stand Alone: Stand Alone

 

 

Synopsis can be found here.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

 
Review:

Since her mom died, Arcadia has spent her life taking care of her lost father and little brother. So when the chance to be reckless and impulsive comes around, she leaps at it. Spending the weekend with two strangers, cousins, is a little crazy for her. But when she realizes that one of them might not be who he appears to be, Cadie’s life spirals out of control.

There’s a lot to like about this book. The characters are intriguing and strong. Cadie has a powerful voice, having now taking care of her dad and her baby brother by herself she is the main rock of the family. I like how Doller interwove Cadie’s memories of her mom into the story and what her life was like before her mom died. I really like Cadie’s voice and character. She’s smart and kind and pretty mature. Even though she does run off with strangers for a weekend (I chalk this up to her one act of defiance that of course goes terribly wrong.)

The two cousins each have very different energies to them. I like how Matt and Noah are so different, yet there is something underlying dark and dangerous about each of them. I knew who was behind the awful acts of violence before it was revealed but it was still fun to watch it slowly unfold.

The reason to read it is for Doller’s writing. The story is well paced and Doller does a wonderful job giving these characters real life, heightening danger bit by bit until all of a sudden, there are guns and alligators and… well. The story itself might be a little far fetched for me but that didn’t stop me from reading it and enjoying it on my lunch break.

Overall, The Devil You Know is a fast story that many fans will enjoy.

Rating 6 Good