Soulstice by Simon Holt

Title: Soulstice

Author: Simon Holt

Age Group: Teens

# of Pages: 266

My Rating: 5/5

It has been a few months since Reggie discovered the existence of Vours, beings that take over people's bodies and be able to give you nightmares that last forever. Police are now searching for Quinn, the Vour that she got rid of with the help of her best friend, Aaron, and the bookstore owner, Eben.

But the problem is that Quinn is not dead. He is very well alive and wants Reggie's help. There is no way she is going to aid a Vour that tried to kill her in the past...right?

I was so happy when I finally went out and buy the sequel to The Devouring. And thankfully, I was not let down at all!

So this time, Reggie's problem is that Quinn is back and needs her help because the Vours are after him since he betrayed them. Reggie is curious about what he knows, even though being near him would make things so much worse. When I came from the last book, I did not expect for Quinn to ever appear again. I guess the author "ended" his life so nicely it's just like, "Time to move on!". I think it is a pleasant surprise though that he came back. It adds a lot more to the story and problems that Reggie must face on top of everything else.

Even though there may be a chance for it not happening, I really, really want Quinn and Reggie to be together. However, there's too much conflicts for them to ever be because 1) Quinn tried to kill her and 2) Quinn is pretty much a monster. I found there was a lot of development between the two over time when they crossed each other's paths again. I like the fact that there is something very forbidden between them and if they end up liking each other, things would get so much more interesting. I really hope something like this will occur in the last novel but I have a feeling there might not be.

I think in terms of action and plot, I prefer the first volume much more. But with the characters' relationships, I prefer Soulstice. However, this novel leaves a huge cliffhanger that left me dying for the last novel in the series! I am a little angry with how the situation ended up for Reggie but I am definitely gonna pounce when the third volumes comes out so I can finally be at peace.

The Devouring series is a must have for horror fans!

The Devouring by Simon Holt

Title: The Devouring

Author: Simon Holt
Age Group: Teens
# of Pages: 231
My Rating: 5/5

Reggie finds a dusty old journal that has stories about the horrors of creatures beyond your imagination. They are called the Vours. They are beings that take over your body on Sorry Night, pretending to be you. Your body will continue to exist but your soul will be no longer be in this world.

However, Reggie thinks it is fictional and reads it to her younger brother, Henry. Henry is a child who still have fears but she assures him that none of it is real.

Everything changes after the night of December 22nd (Sorry Night). Reggie notices Henry is acting extremely strange and it scares her. Then, she realizes that the journal is not fictional after all and she must find a way to bring her brother back before it is all too late.

Simon Holt created a stimulating read that will chill you to the bone through the eyes of girl who tries to fight against ancient evils that bring your biggest fears to life.

I could not let go of this book. The story was absolutely engaging and I had to continue reading to find out what would happen to Reggie and those around her. It was such a hair-raising read that when things started to become too creepy, I had to put it down to take a breather and find some comedy to relieve the scary moment.

The characters were great and very realistic. They were crafted with skill and had flaws that further developed their personalities later on in the novel. I found Reggie to be courageous and I continuously cheered her on to defeat against the Vours. I also like her best friend Aaron, who is a bit of an oddball but fun and dependable at the same time. I thought there would be some romance between the two friends but there was none and it was nice that the author strayed away from the typical storylines.

This is an eerie novel that would keep you on the edge of your seat if you are looking for a horror book. Recommended 100%, especially for R.L. Stine and Stephen King fans! I am dying to get my hands onto the sequel, Soulstice!