The Devouring by Simon Holt

The Devouring by Simon Holt

Release Date: September 1, 2008
Publisher: Little, Brown Young Readers
Pages: 240

“When Reggie finds an old journal and reads about the Vours, supernatural creatures who feast on fear and attack on the eve of the winter solstice, she assumes they are just the musings of some lunatic author. But soon, they become a terrifying reality when she begins to suspect that her timid younger brother might be one of their victims.

Risking her life and her sanity, Reggie enters a living nightmare to save the people she loves. Can she devour own her fears before they devour her?

Bone-chilling, terrifying, thrilling...what are you waiting for?” (Blurb from The Devouring)

At first glance, the “Vours” seem to be cheesy horror monsters invented to push the plot along. However, through careful development and downright creepy (in a good way) imagery, the author manages to turn them into believable creatures lurking in the shadows. The extraordinary development of the creatures also extends to the human characters. Regina “Reggie” the protagonist of the story grows steadily on the reader. Her fiery personality is just the right thing to combat the chilling evil of the monsters which have possessed her younger brother. She forges through disappointments and horrifying encounters to bring back her beloved little brother, Henry, when she stated quite ironically at the beginning that she would never act like a mother and carry out the duties of motherly care. The plot overall was quite good, but with the amazing character development, the book turned out to be a stellar read. I would definitely recommend The Devouring to anyone looking for a captivating and original story.