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3.5
Better the Devil
ByPublisher Description
A harrowing, edge-of-your-seat psychological thriller about a queer homeless teen who, in a bid for safety, assumes the identity of a boy who went missing ten years ago...only to find that his new home is anything but a safe haven—from All That's Left in the World author Erik J. Brown!
Perfect for fans of Karen McManus, Holly Jackson, and Ryan La Sala.
When a runaway teen is arrested for shoplifting, he's desperate not to be sent back to the hyper-religious parents he knows will never accept him. While at the police station, he notices a resemblance to the aged-up photos of Nate Beaumont, a child who went missing ten years ago—and, in a moment of desperation, he takes Nate’s identity in hopes that it will help him make a quick getaway.
Before he can run again, Nate’s family arrives and welcomes him home to a life he never had. As "Nate" watches and waits for his chance to run, he finds that the Beaumonts are nurturing and loving, very different from his own parents.
But soon unsettling things start to happen—vandalism, alarms going off in the middle of the night—and it becomes clear that someone knows "Nate" isn't who he says he is...and that the real Nate wasn't kidnapped, but murdered.
As he starts to unravel the mystery, he gets ever closer to the devil he may know—and learns he might be their next victim.
Perfect for fans of Karen McManus, Holly Jackson, and Ryan La Sala.
When a runaway teen is arrested for shoplifting, he's desperate not to be sent back to the hyper-religious parents he knows will never accept him. While at the police station, he notices a resemblance to the aged-up photos of Nate Beaumont, a child who went missing ten years ago—and, in a moment of desperation, he takes Nate’s identity in hopes that it will help him make a quick getaway.
Before he can run again, Nate’s family arrives and welcomes him home to a life he never had. As "Nate" watches and waits for his chance to run, he finds that the Beaumonts are nurturing and loving, very different from his own parents.
But soon unsettling things start to happen—vandalism, alarms going off in the middle of the night—and it becomes clear that someone knows "Nate" isn't who he says he is...and that the real Nate wasn't kidnapped, but murdered.
As he starts to unravel the mystery, he gets ever closer to the devil he may know—and learns he might be their next victim.
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Meet readers like you in the Fable For You feed, designed to build bookish communitiesBetter the Devil Reviews
3.5
“3.75/5 - at times, the writing was giving "baby's first psychological thriller" but the plot was super interesting so i did feel inclined to continue reading.
i enjoyed this book a lot! looking back, the plot was really interesting and the characters were somewhat endearing (although cartoonish at times). the actual deeper characterization of the protagonist and those around him was a bit flat. they all seemed rather one dimensional and during the climax was when i started to think that things were getting a bit eye-roll, villain in a hallmark movie, monologue kind of silly. however, that didn't stop me from reading cause it was still interesting enough that i wanted to figure out what would happen because the author does a great job at making you care about the characters in my opinion. at times, the element of 'Nate' and miles' relationship felt a bit forced, but i do love a bit of queer romance so i can forgive.
the ending was nice. the tragedy interwoven into the concept of a new beginning was, i think, the perfect way to end a simple thriller for a younger audience. at the end of the day, i enjoyed reading this book and found that i was looking forward to picking it back up whenever i put it down.”
“Didn’t disappoint, love this author 😍
Desperate to escape a family who will never accept him, a queer runaway in police custody borrows the identity of a boy who vanished years ago: Nate Beaumont. But when Nate's family come to take him home, he's trapped in a web of lies.
Then he meets Miles - the cute, clever and true-crime obsessed boy next door - who knows more than it seems. Unexpectedly, Miles agrees to help, in exchange for uncovering the truth about what happened years ago to his childhood best friend. As their investigation turns dangerous, their feelings turn real.
Time is running out.
They don't know who to trust.
And someone is watching who wants to keep this case cold.”
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