Wildly imaginative! Wonderful characters. Interesting plot. Vivid descriptions. Simply a GREAT read!

*I received a complimentary ARC of this book in order to read and provide a voluntary, unbiased and honest review, should I choose to do so.

Interesting concept. Talk about a cliffhanger ending!!
The world is evil. There needs to be a savior. That’s exactly what Paul wants to be. He wants to cure the world of all its evil and this has been made possible by scientist in this dystopian universe. Paul along with a few friends compete in the Trials to decide who will be the one to save the world!

In a dystopian future, the evil found in humans has been isolated to a particle which will be removed from humanity and placed in a single vessel. Young men and women compete in a game to determine the best subject to become the Devil Particle Vessel. Seventeen-year-old Patrick competes against 49 others in an abandoned skyscraper.

A fast-paced, thrilling ride, this book is the beginning of a series. The game quickly devolves from what was expected into a match not only against each other but also death. I was hooked from the beginning and found the book both unique and similar to such series as "The Hunger Games". I'm eagerly awaiting book two.

The Devil Particle
Scif-Fi & Fantasy, YA
Kristin A. Oakley
⭐️⭐️⭐️

While the premise of this book was interesting, I did find it a bit disappointing.

The writing style was quite choppy and often included unnecessary details and descriptions of day to day tasks. For example, it takes pages for Paul to get ready before he goes to the trials and he only wakes up, tries to call his girlfriend, has a shower and gets dressed.

The pacing is slow. This is partly due to being to too descriptive and partly due to the lack of plot progression. Not much has happened by 50%, except a murder that's explained away too quickly.

The trials and tasks themselves were interesting and they were the only thing that kept me reading, but they didn't even seem that hard to be honest.

There were 2 "plot twists" but they seemed more like random surprises. One of them didn't make sense to me - if Paul is the most reasonable person who has great self control, then why did he do what he did? (I'm trying not to include any spoilers 😂).

I didn't like the ending. I know that it has been left open for any sequels but I felt like the whole book was building up to saving the world, and then we never actually get to know whether it worked or not.

*Thank you to @Netgalley and the publishers for providing this ARC. This is my own opinion and an honest review, which I am leaving voluntarily*

Hello everyone, I am Mr. C Reviewer, and today we will discuss the book "The Devil Particle." This novel is the first instalment in "The Devil Particle Series." It was my first encounter with Kristin A. Oakley's work, and after reading this story, I am excited to explore more of her books in the future. I would like to express my gratitude to NetGalley for providing a copy of "The Devil Particle" in exchange for an honest review. In April 2023, I had the pleasure of reading this captivating book, spending almost an entire day immersed in its pages. "The Devil Particle" is set to be published on June 6th this year. The book, narrated in first person from Paul's perspective, consists of 34 chapters.


-I feel like the book had a good display of character and place detail, allowing us the readers to fully immerse ourselves in the story. I think that the author skilfully developed each character, providing readers with a deep understanding of their motivations and personalities. Overall, I was thoroughly impressed with how much the author allowed us to get to know each character within the story.

In my opinion, the pacing of the book started off slow, but as I progressed further into the story, I found myself becoming more engrossed and invested in the plot. I liked the unexpected turns and surprises that the book had in store. The gradual build-up of suspense and mystery kept me hooked until the very end.

The book presents a multitude of realistic events that highlight some of the flaws of its characters. I found the book's technological innovations captivating and feel like it added an extra layer of depth to the story. I appreciated the incorporation of humorous scenes within the dystopian narrative, as it provided a much-needed balance to the overall tone of the book.

Among the many captivating features of this book, I particularly appreciated the inclusion of a picture amidst the pages of symbols. I feel like having this visual aid not only added to the aesthetic appeal of the book but also facilitated a better comprehension of the scene being depicted, thereby heightening my reading experience.

-Upon completing this book, I am eagerly anticipating the reappearance of some beloved characters in the upcoming series. Paul and his companions left a lasting impression on me, and I am excited to witness their journey unfold further. Additionally, I would appreciate more opportunities to delve into the life of Paul's father in the subsequent books.

-To be honest I found the aspect that allowed us the reader to uncover a certain revelation towards the end of the book somewhat foreseeable. Nevertheless, I was still taken aback upon reading it. The first book in this series concludes with an exciting cliff-hanger that left me eagerly anticipating the release of the next instalment. I am thrilled to discover that the second book, titled 'The Vessel,' is set to be available later on this year in October. When this book is released, I will acquire a copy for myself. Considering the increasing popularity and accessibility of audiobooks, I do think that it is appropriate for this book to have an audio edition. I personally believe that adapting this series into a TV show would be a great idea, and I would undoubtedly watch it if that happens.


I rate each story I read out of 10, and for this one, I give it an 8.8. Remember this was what I thought about the book personally and I suggest that you give it a go for yourself.

This thrilling young adult novel draws you in with the promise of exciting and dangerous challenges, young romance, and internal conflict. This book is perfect for readers that enjoy dystopian themes. The Devil Particle, clever in its naming, and true to it as well, is a tale of moral strife in a world that resembles an exacerbated version of many of the world's current hardships. For readers who enjoy adventure and heart pounding action, this book is great for you. Additionally, readers who enjoy romance that doesn't overload the story would likely enjoy the young love depicted in this novel.

Kristin A. Oakley, an award winning novelist, continues to engage and thrill with this book, The Devil Particle..

With all that said, the book is still a bit lackluster in writing style, especially in the beginning chapters, where the sentences feel choppy and formulaic. The way in which it is written imposes the idea of a character that is robotic. Actions are described, but not emotions or thoughts. And, it doesn't appear that this was intentional. This issue seems to be corrected as the book picks up, however, readers who are strongly in favor of books that are comprised largely of internal monologue may not enjoy this style of writing.

This book is a bit of a slow burn, but stick wiith it. It is set in a dystopian world where war rages and crime is so high that it is considered dangerous to walk home from work at 1pm. Scientists have not only discovered the Devil Particle which is responsible for all evil and exists in every human, but how to extract it from every person in the world. These particles must be stored in a human vessel to keeep them contained and to save the world from destruction.
The story follows Paul, Asher, Jaelyn and Gaige who compete with other hand picked candidates for the honour of being the human Vessel, during which, they will be tested in a series of brutal ways.

This is aimed towards the Teens and YA audience. The writing style is simplistic but very effective, and actually helps to heighten the emotion and suspense within this story. It is filled with various scenarios relating to moral values and opens up some very iinteresting discussion points. I'm really looking forward to reading the rest of this series.

Trying to hard to be edgy for a younger audience while not being interesting enough outside of that. Very close to being interesting just not enough to get me fully invested.

this was such a unique concept for a young adult scifi novel, it did everything that I wanted from this type of book. The characters were interesting and I enjoyed what I had read, they worked well in this universe and I felt they were real people. Kristin A. Oakley has a great writing style and am excited to read more.

"I’m sorry; I meant to text you back.” Jaelyn takes my hand. “But I had to make sure Aunt Addy wouldn’t die without me and then race to the bus. I barely made it here in time, and then I figured I’d see you.”