The Diablo's Curse read like a folktale! It was a super fun adventure that I would not have expected. The main character is a demon who has experienced life as a human and wants to regain their humanity, but to do so, must complete all of the deals that they have made with humans. The end of the story was a little blah, but picked up quickly. An overall fun read!

Thank you to the Publisher for the ARC of this. I do feel bad for getting to this so late seeing as it released back in February.

Character 3.5| Plot 3| Setting 4| Writing 3.5| Enjoyability 5

Overall Rating 3.8

I want to start this review out by that I didn't know this was a sequel to The Wicked Bargain(which is also on my TBR before getting this ARC) This did bump up my interest in reading Wicked Bargain. I do think TDC is able to be read alone, I can tell their is snippets that ellude to TWB. But I was fine reading this and there wasn't much context I needed from TWB.

That said, I loved Novoa's writing it was so easy to fall and just keep reading. I loved Dami, and felt they were so tragic. Silas was back and forth on.

My main gripe with the characters is that I felt of the main three Dami and Silas were written well, but Marisol felt not taken with as much care as Dami and Silas. She just felt like an afterthought.

The overall plot and end twist, I kind of thought was a little obvious. Silas was kind of oblivious haha.
It was a fun read and had a good rep of lgbt characters I liked that they didn't feel tortured or had to think about the trauma they have just for being trans or for being gay. There was a little bit with Silas, but Novoa didn't focus too much on it. I appreciate that, because sometimes it gets sobering. I am queer so I just like seeing that.

DNF. i could not feel any connection towards the characters. thus, i wasn't able to go through with the story.

Before he was born, Dami’s mom made a bargain with El Diablo to give up her son to him. Now a demonio, his childhood was awful living with El Diablo. With El Diablo’s death, gender-fluid Dami now has the chance to escape being a demonio and live life among the humans and their wonderful food. To do so, however, Dami must undo the 127 deals that were struck with humans. All seems to go well until they find Silas. His agreement with Dami prevented his untimely death from a family curse. Believing the key to breaking Silas’ family curse is finding Captain Kidd’s treasure, the two travel to an invisible island. There, they team up with a shipwrecked smart, funny, transgender girl named Marisol. Together the three must face the dangers of the island and solve the puzzles to find the hidden treasure. Will they succeed?

The plot is well written, but slow paced. The characters are likable and authentic. The world building continues form the prequel, The Wicket Bargain. The character dynamics are underwhelming and Marisol feels like an afterthought. Characters are diverse. Overall, fans of LGBTQ+ novels, Indiana Jones type novels, and high stakes fantasy adventures will like reading this book. Recommended for library collection where LGBTQ+ adventure novels are popular.

Please Note: A copy of this book was given in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own. No other compensation was received.

Great sequel to The Wicked Bargain! I loved Dami in book one and was thrilled to find out they were the protagonist of this story.. The Diablo's Curse entirely lived up to my expectations. Silas, with his curse, was a great foil for Dami as well as an excellent friend and love interest. Marisol was brilliant and the perfect person to round out the trio. The story was constantly moving, with obstacles at every turn. A classic treasure-hunt quest with characters whose well-being you genuinely cared about. Dami's arc and the final resolution of their journey was gripping, poignant, and beautiful. I'd happily read more in this world, but I'm also fully satisfied with the endings for all my beloved characters.

I apologize for how long this review took. The arc disappeared off my account before I could finish it. I noticed that it was a common thing that happened to other people also. It took a bit for me to be able to get a copy to finish reading it. I was super excited to read this book, because I enjoyed the first book from this universe, a wicked bargain. I love the author's writing style and the representation plus acceptance in the books. Gender fluid representation is not common so I was happy to see it in the Diablo curse. I definitely prefer the protagonist from the first book because they were more relatable to me personally, but Dami made for a very interesting main character. Dami as a character really grew on me after Marisol showed up and really tied the group together. I'm glad they got a happy ending in the end. It was a very enjoyable read I definitely recommend it.

This follow up novel stands very well on it's own, following Dami and their quest to be human again. Their last obstacle is Silas, who cannot die because of the deal he made with Dami. They must work together to break the curse on Silas so he will end his bargain with Dami, allowing them freedom.

The story had a bit of a slow start, but once it's going, it really goes! With an old fashioned treasure hunt, slow burn romance, and a mysterious curse, this ended up being such a fun read! The characters are strong and well developed, which helped the plot feel important and not drag.

What a wild ride!! This is treasure hunting at its finest, with all the twists and turns of a ghost story, and my favorite found family vibes. My precious baby Dami - I just want to hug them! Obv Silas and Marisol get hugs, too, but Dami? They deserve the world & the decisions they had to make, the trials they went through — they need so many hugs!

The story flowed so smoothly, and I was deep into it before I even realized. It had me in its clutches till the very last page, and it was so *fun*! Can’t wait for more people to read this & yell about it with me :)

This book!! I cannot tell you how much I loved it. Dami was my favorite character in The Wicked Bargain, which was my absolute favorite ARC of 2022. So I was overjoyed when I learned that Dami would be getting their own story. Then I began reading and found out that it was set in New England, which made it even more special.

I really enjoyed the romance between Dami and Silas. It started out so hostile and it was satisfying watching them slowly bond and grow closer. I also enjoyed being able to see deeper into the demon world and its intricacies. The way that everything wrapped up was chef’s kiss and I couldn’t not have asked for more.

Gabe Cole Novoa is right at the top of my favorite authors list and I eagerly look forward to reading any and all future works.

Thank you so much to Random House Children’s Books and NetGalley for this eARC. All opinions are my own.

Wow. I love this. I'm going to be real honest, I did not know that this was a companion book to the wicked bargain but as I started it I could not figure out why everything sounded so familiar but then I figured it out and I was here for it. I love seeing Dami get their own story and adventure. This was a big win for me

This was such a great follow up to the first book! It was amazing! I love the change to another character and to seeing the long standing effect of the first book. And it focused on a character I wanted more time with in the first book!

Dark academia, with a quest and a bit of a road trip with a pirate-y treaure hunt. Surprisingly, I found this to be less horror and more fun than I expected!

I really really liked Silas.

"Silas may have all the time in the world, but Dami doesn't. And the reminder is so stark they feel as though they might be sick."

Oh, Dami, I get it. Must protect Silas.

"Part of them wonders if it would have been less painful to never know what they were losing, though."

A little Boston, a lot of Caribbean, and a whole lot of bildungsroman. A little Book Thief, a lot of Wayward Son, and a Latinx author to keep your eye on.

Definitely a must-read.

After fiercely loving 'The Wicked Bargain' and particularly Dami who we follow in this one - I was both eager and nervous to pick this up but I had no reason to be!

This was just as fun as the novel prior maybe even more so, as the mystery of the island and the Indiana jones/Tomb raider vibes made for an engaging story; as well as engaging characters!

It was nice to get a wrap-up for a character who truly deserved it and to also open some new doors for other characters - there's not much I can say without spoilers so I'll keep it short.

This is an engaging, fun story of found family, hope and second chances. This author is not one to miss.

I immediately fell in love with The Wicked Bargain from the first page and The Diablo's Curse brought that love back to life! The writing is sweeping and tender at the same time, with all the thrilling, high-stakes adventure balanced out by a cast of complex characters that I will carry close for a long time to come. Couldn't recommend these two books enough!!

Dami, a demon turned human, sets out on a journey to undo all the deals they made as a demon. One deal away from true freedom, an unexpected curse makes things more difficult than planned.

The side character of "The Wicked Bargain" takes center stage with all their sass and charm in this young adult novel. Gave Cole Novoa fills each page with diversity, humor, and magic. If you like quotable one-liners and a good magical adventure, this book is a must.

I love Gabe Cole Novoa's pirate fantasies with my whole entire heart.
Anyone who loved the genderfluid demonio, Dami, from The Wicked Bargain will be overjoyed to see them returning in their own tale. Specifically, Dami just wants to be a human. Unfortunately, the only way to do that is to cancel every deal that they have with a human. It's going well until they attempt to cancel the deal that is keeping Silas alive in spite of his family's death curse. So, now Dami has to help Silas break his curse before they are forced to become a demonio forever.
I love Dami more than anything, and I adore that they get their own chance to shine in this novel. Silas is an incredibly compelling addition, and their friendship that might be something more is so adorable and thoughtfully developed. This is a very fun Indiana Jones-esque adventure romp as well, and it's executed so well. I don't think that there is anything that I can say about this novel that I didn't love!

The Diablo's Curse is the sequel to The Wicked Bargain and follows the gender-fluid demonio Dami as they try to become permanently human before time runs out and they lose their soul forever. Along the way they team up with the most unlucky boy in the world, and a clever stowaway girl as they search for treasure on a cursed island.
This was one of my most anticipated releases of 2024 and it did not disappoint. And the audiobook is narrated by Vico Ortiz (of Our Flag Means Death acclaim), so of course its a great time. This is a fun, YA pirate adventure novel that is queer, trans, and BIPOC affirming within its broader historical context. It has magical Indiana Jones vibes, and a well-developed, but not overpowering romance side plot.

I received an e-arc of this book from Netgalley for review purposes. All opinions are my own.

A big thanks to NetGalley and Random House for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I was immediately sold on the idea of a teen demon just wanting to be human.

The Diablo's Curse by Gabe Cole Novoa is a YA fantasy novel that is high stakes race to break a curse. Dami is a demon determined to cancel every deal they've ever made in order to tether their soul to earth and become human again. There's just one person standing in their way: Silas. An irresistibly (and stubborn) cute boy cursed to die young, except for the deal with Dami that is keeping him alive. If they cancel the deal, Silas is dead. Unless... they can destroy the curse that has plagued Silas's family for generations. But to do so, Dami and Silas are going to have to work together. That is, if the curse doesn't kill them first. . . .

In all honesty, I did not realize this was a sequel to Novoa's prior novel, The Wicked Bargain, until literally now. But I think this is a book that can easily be read on it's own. It was an enjoyable read, and now I want to go back and read some of Novoa's other books.

This cover absolutely hooked me and Gabe Cole Novoa was on my radar from everything I’d seen about Wicked Bargain. When I realized Diablo’s Curse actually tied into Wicked Bargain, I knew I had to get my reading on. And Diablo’s Curse ended up being such an excellent book! I love Dami so much; they are a perfect character to focus on as they’re trying to become their truest self but also struggling with the things they’ve done in the past. Their journey was just so good and I loved every moment of it. And Silas! He is such a tragic character, yet his tenacity and will to thrive was such a great element, and I loved how his perspective and dynamic with Dami develops over the course of the book. I do kinda wish things ended romantically in a triad with Marisol, though I’m plenty happy with Silas and Dami ending up together. I do hope Marisol will make another appearance at a later date, though things feel really well tied up for the universe now. All in all, I had a lot of fun with this book and look forward to Novoa’s future stories

This was fun and gripping. I enjoyed every second of it. This author has become auto buy! My goal is always to read more queer books and I’m so happy to see so many in YA for the young people who need it.