This story starts out strong, and doesn’t let up until it’s finished. We follow a few different characters, as each of them are eventually pulled into each other’s orbit from the hypnotizing song of a demon. Never once was I positive about the direction this novel would go, and this book surprised me by making some characters, who had been antagonistic villains for the most part, some of my favorites in this story.

I think this book is best gone into blind, and to just let the story surround you as you delve into the conflict Ruby must face to try to escape her imminent possession. In direct contrast to the Satanic Panic going around this time, it might just wind up being punk rock that will save Ruby’s very soul.

The one thing that kept this story from 4 stars, as opposed to the 3 I gave it, was the ending and the resolution. I kind of felt the story fell flat right near the end, like there wasn’t a clear-cut way to finish this book. Also, my favorite character just is never mentioned for this ending, and I wanted to know what happened to him! Where IS Vutto? He was my favorite, and I wanted more insight into how he dealt with the ending of the story. I loved Beel, I’m glad he got the ending he deserved, but I still wanted to know what happened to Vutto after the climatic events of the story.

A huge thank you to the author, NetGalley, and Tor Nightfire for providing this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Ask me what Evil in Me is about and I'll tell you it's about art-as-magic creating radical empathy. Yes, it has demonic possession and it has a serial killer, and it's about a fight for one young woman's soul, but those are just vehicles for story--what the book really wants to explore is the way we weave magic through the creation of art and through partaking in it through community.

At least, that's what I got out of the book. It's an entertaining read, with a bold start and an unexpected conclusion. But what the book does best is weave a multi-modal spell exploring the importance of human-created art exploring human problems. Don't let the book's commitment to the fantastic obscure the fact that the real problems the book's protagonist Ruby faces are far more common--how she navigates the death of a father, her fractured relationship to her mother, her relationships to her wannabe-cop stepdad and her skeezy stepbrother.

For Ruby, the escape is quite literally music, but not just the act of listening, but the act of creating, of performing art. The book's strengths are definitely in its seeming metacommentary about the importance of art to life, how it has the ability to transcend any one plane of interaction to become something magical and transformative.

Although I was not able to see a finished copy before reviewing this book, I was provided a small sample of the book's interior illustrations and its unique chapter headings and design, and if Brom's previous work is any indicator, the book-as-object mirrors this transformative quality in art, being more than just the sum of its parts as visual design combines with actual storytelling. Further transforming the book's experience is the existence of a musical track from collaborators The Maxines, who perform the musical number "Evil in Me" from the book.

The result of all of these artistic elements--of literary narrative and music and illustration--is a book that is definitely more than the sum of its individual parts, a love letter to music, but also to art itself as vehicle for story. I had a good time reading this book, but if there is any one thing I appreciate most about it, it is the way it evokes deeper thought about art itself. Demons and damnation are fine and all, but I think the book sings the loudest when it is exploring what it means to cast a spell--and the power that results from a community participating in the (re)creation of art together.

Disclosure Statement: I received an electronic copy of the book from the publisher via Netgalley, and also received a sample of the book's interior from the publisher. My thoughts and feelings about the book are entirely my own and not influenced by either publisher or author in any way.

☆ Just finished reading this, and this is definitely one to keep an eye out for 😉 Brom's writing is so digestible and pulls you right in for the whole journey. Thoroughly enjoyed the whole time I was reading this, and I was stressed for Ruby the whole time. Vutto is definitely my favorite character. I did read this one, but I have heard a lot of people enjoy the audiobook book more. So I'm definitely going to have to get the audiobook and physical book on release date.

Possession? ✅
Punk rock? ✅
Satanic panic? ✅✅

This was a "possession meets coming-of-age" novel. We meet Ruby, main protagonist who is inherently good, with bad circumstances. As the novel progresses, Brom does an amazing job of building an atmosphere that sucks you in. By then end, you'll be rooting for people you didn't really think you would, and wanting the best for Ruby.


The author does a great job of fully bringing you into the novel, at times I didn't even realize how much I had read when I paused. The only downside? Really long chapters. But even then, because the book fully immerses you, I wouldn't even realize how much I read.

I recommend this book to anyone looking for a book to read during spooky season, someone into possession horror, or wanting to read a novel that felt like a movie playing in your head.

Thank you Tor Nightfire and NetGalley for allowing me to read this ahead of its publication date for an honest review.

Brom is an author with a specialized way of writing that is immersive and frightening. The way words are weaved together to create an atmosphere of fear and dread that leave the reader with an feeling of impending doom throughout the entire read is nothing short of genius, and Brom creates this in every book I've read by this author.

Evil in Me is truly terrifying and Brom is a master of his craft.

Ruby Tucker is just trying to help a neighbor when an ancient ring adheres to her finger. Now Ruby is changing. Ruby only has one hope of freeing her self from the evil. But she must have her former bad to help her. Can Ruby do what needs to be done.

This was beautifully wicked. I was immediately pulled into this wild, very vivid fever dream of music and madness, where both of those elements are woven deeply into each page. Loved the characters, loved the drama of it all, and especially loved the heart at the center of the book.

4.5 stars total.
This is one wild ride of a book, you got multiple POVs, demons, punk rock, gritty gorey violence and people getting what they deserve. I honestly could not put this book down, I found I was rather hooked with the prologue, what a crazy intro it is. I would say our mc for this book is Ruby, who comes across a ring that is controlled by a powerful demon. She ends up not being able to stop thinking about it and eventually gets her hands on it and we go off on the crazy journey from there to save her soul. I diffidently think this book points out stereotypes from the 90s with dungeons and dragons, and punk rock being “evil”. Honestly Ruby has quite a few shitty people in her life and it was gratifying to she her show them she’s not crazy. One of the other POVs is Richard and he’s going through some middle age issues, but he is murder hunting down Ruby. So there is a lot that goes on in this book, but it’s so entertaining. There is blood, gore and it’s pretty descriptive. I ended up feeling bad for a demon and ended up crying during this one 😅 I think this would be perfect for fall 🎃
I would look up triggers/ warnings before reading 📖

I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

Evil in Me by Brom is a mixed third and first person multi-POV horror set in a small town in 1985. Formerly aspiring punk rocker Ruby is teaching kids how to play the guitar at the local YMCA after being released from prison for drug possession. At every turn, it seems that the people around her are unwilling to help or even understand her, including her ex-boyfriend who is responsible for her charges. When a possessed ring clamps onto her, Ruby starts to give in to her impulses, but learns that there’s a lot more going on than she realizes.

I loved the layers so many of the characters are shown to have. The local teacher at the Y who is responsible for putting in a good word for Ruby seems cruel and miserable and determined to keep Ruby down, until we read her letter of recommendation saying that Ruby is a good kid. Ruby’s mother is initially shown as neglectful until we get the layers peeled back much later. Even Ruby herself has a lot of things she’s pushed aside that impact her, things she needs to come to terms with if she can have a good relationship with her mom and others.

A major theme of the work is judgment. Ruby is judged by everyone around her and isn’t given a lot of chances despite the fact she is kind and very generous. When she starts to give into her impulses, it feels very much like someone who has reached her breaking point and has never been given the chance to just make mistakes, so how can we ask her not to retaliate at some point? But Ruby herself also judges some of the people around her, including her mother and doesn’t really listen at times.

Beel, the demon who is possessing the ring attached to Ruby, is also quite sympathetic. He’s under the control of another, more powerful demon and he slowly grows to care for Ruby as a person.

The horror aspects are very much linked to the punk rock aspects. Ruby needs hundreds of people to sing back a chorus from a spell in order to get the ring off, and she writes a punk rock song. There’s references to punk music and how the people in their small town view punk music as if it’s Satanic or something to be mocked, which is a callback to the Satanic panics of the 80s.

Content warning for depictions of sexual harassment and mentions of domestic abuse

I would recommend this to readers who are fans of punk rock music, fans of horror that has a supernatural element, and those looking to give Brom’s works a shot

A DEMON FILLED JOY-RIDE TO THE PAST!

Ruby is a punk-rocker in 1980’s Alabama whose life choices have left her on probation and living with a lot of pain and regret. When she stumbles upon a ring that is connected to a dark lord, all hell literally breaks loose. Can she find a way to remove the ring before the dark lord claims her soul?

I enjoyed the hell out of this book. Brom is a favorite author of mine and he has truly done it again. He has written another novel that is dark, and quite gory, but filled with heart and characters that you can’t help but relate to.

On a personal note, growing up in and around Atlanta in the late 1980’s, the books’s settings (Metroplex, WREK radio) really gave me the feels as well.

And the acknowledgements led me to find a great band called The Maxines, who released a punk version of the song that plays a large role in the story.

This is an incredibly entertaining romp through the punk scene in 1980’s Atlanta, with demons and carnivorous worms thrown in because…Brom.

I loved this story and blew through this novel in a couple of days.

It releases September 17th.

I received a review arc from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I really love Brom's writing style and the visuals he puts in the reader's head. The first chapter is easily my favorite moment of the entire book and it's a hell of a way to start the story.

I feel this captures the punk rock scene of the 80s and satanic panic very well. It's also very much a story about a young woman fighting not just real demons, but also her own inner demons.

You can expect gore and great visuals of hell and demons, a complicated main character that not everyone will like, an interesting connection between music and magic, and themes like female rage, mental illness, trauma, revenge, and justice.

All that said, it's not a perfect story. First of all, I feel like the MC's breakthrough happened a little too quickly after a very long set up and, instead of being a result of her own inner work and growth through the ordeal she goes through, it's a result of something else literally facilitating that breakthrough.

I don't mind the help she got, I just wish it happened some other way, with her having more of a role in it. Something as simple as her asking for it would've hinted at some growth, but I feel like she stays the same person until that happens, and from one moment to the next, she's changed.

Second, I don't feel like the other characters were as well-fleshed out as the MC. Given how important some of them were for the story, I definitely expected to learn more about them and dive a little deeper into their motivations, but they feel very surface-level.

Third, some things are left unresolved and I don't mind it as much, but you do notice it. Overall, it's a solid horror fantasy with a few issues IMO, but they don't take away from how campy and fun this was to read. 3.5 stars from me.

About the audiobook: it was good! I liked the narrators and I appreciate that they made an actual song (I didn't love it, but that's beside the point). Bringing the music to life like that made it a bit more immersive.

Evil in Me by Bromm
Received as an ARC.
Ruby:teenage girl busted doing community service gets physically attached to an evil ring. Needs magic chant from a punk song she writes to free her and the “demon” possessing her.
Dick:Serial killer at large started late in life. Ruby’s song now is calling him to her
Lord Sheelbeth: the evil being who created the ring when banished to get themselves back to the world
Eduardo: Ruby’s mother’s boyfriend who’s your typical whack job holy roller convinced he can save Ruby’s soul but he has no desire to
They all come together in a wild battle

“The wailing turned into a chorus, a song of unbearable suffering, at once beautiful and chilling. He knew this song too well. He tried to turn form it, to hide from it, but couldn’t.”

Brom’s new novel is about an aspiring musician named Ruby Tucker. She is tired of living with her dysfunctional family. She’s desperate to leave her small town behind and immerse herself in the Atlanta punk scene. Unfortunately for her she has a falling out with her best friend/bandmate, killing her dreams of the escape she desperately wants.

Bad behaviour has her doing community service and helping her elderly neighbour. One day while sorting through his belonging she finds an ancient ring that clamps itself onto her finger. Not realising its possessed by a blood thirsty demon, Ruby’s behaviour changes, the ring doesn’t come off, the demon within wants to be freed, the only way Ruby can rid herself of this ring is through a spell which has to be chanted by hundreds of people. The only way to do this is if she can get her band together. Will she manage to face the evil thats soon to face her with her powerful song?

As soon as I heard there was a new novel by Brom in the works I was excited. I feel like no matter what he writes I’m here for it. The premise alone had me intrigued and I couldn’t wait to begin reading.

Ruby is a survivor, she is dealt with many struggles and injustice towards her yet she keeps fighting for what she wants. When this ring takes control she is tested in ways she couldn’t imagine. What I loved about this story was the unlikely friendship that develops with a certain someone. Can’t say too much without spoiling it however the journey Ruby takes is full of horrors and all kinds of evil that will keep the reader hooked.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this novel. Brom does great work in creating creatures and lore of a kind that will turn your stomach while still delivering a story with heart.

4 stars

This is only my second Brom book, but it won't be my last.

Ruby, the m.c., is a young musician whose family has caused her a lot of pain. On top of that, she's struggling to overcome some other personal challenges that have hindered her small-town musical dreams.

Sometimes, it's easy to think your life is falling apart, but then a demon comes and puts it all into perspective (right?!). Well, that's what happens to Ruby when she is possessed by one!

Prospective readers need to be prepared for some quirky ideas and writing, and if they can find an appreciation for this, they will really enjoy the absurdities and at times surprising infusions of humor present throughout this otherwise expectedly dark horror novel.

Brom is a true individual, and the characters and plotlines consistently reflect this. I can't wait for whatever creepy, bizarre ideas ooze forth next!

This was a pretty wild ride! I loved the premise. A mix of music, religion, and gore was everything I was hoping for. I found the first half of the book a bit slow but once I hit the second half I couldn’t put the book down. The chapters were a bit long but that is 100 percent personal preference.
Overall, I enjoyed the book. I loved the friendships and the music aspect and of course I loved the writing as well. I was kind of hoping one of the POV’s would have been included in some sort of twist and it might have made a bit more sense to me.

EVIL IN ME, by BROM, takes place in the 1980's--an era of punk rock, "satanic panic", and trying to be yourself when you don't quite fit in with everyone else.

This starts out strong with a show of demonic possession that doesn't hold back! When we move to the 80's, we meet Ruby, a girl with a lot of internal and external issues. One thing shines through though--she truly cares about the "good" people in her life--even though so many people and events are conspiring to bring her down. When she accidentally triggers an artifact from an elderly man she helps, this Demon attaches itself to her, taking her down a path that will surely see her jailed or dead.

The one thing that really stood out to me is how much I FELT for the characters--human, demon, . . . other . . . they all had such depth that you couldn't help but feel something. As for action, it was non-stop! In addition to demons and humans, you had religious zealots, serial killers, ghosts, and all kinds of things making an appearance.

Sound confusing? It's not--the way the story is woven takes you along without missing a beat. The power of music plays strongly into this, and those parts were my favorites of all.

Recommended.

**I received an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher. This review is uniquely my own.**

This book was so rock and roll. Brom always comes out with some bangers and this one was no different. It was such a wild ride and the ILLUSTRATIONS are immaculate, per usual. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC. Check this out when it publishes September 17, 2024!

Brom just gets better with each book he writes. This is probably one of his best. The opening of this book is gory, and it is something I will defiantly remember for a long time. I enjoyed the mental illness aspect that Ruby delt with throughout the story. It makes you realize that many people out in the world deal with issues like these on a daily basis.

Also, the Richard (Dick) parts were extremely chilling. Having the chance, as a reader, to dive into the mind of a serial killer and see things from his prospective was a real disturbing treat and completely unexpected. I (almost) found myself looking forward to the end of chapters so that I could find out what was going on with Richard and what he was thinking.

I didn't really find any slow parts in this book. The only part I would consider slow (as far as pacing would go) would be the part leading up to Ruby getting the ring. But I wouldn't consider that too slow because you learn about her mental illness and her relationship with her mother, stepfather and stepbrother. So, that part of the book was necessary for character building and is pretty entertaining.

Also, Brom has a knack for showing the reader how horrible people can be in the world. It's a true grit aspect of his writing that I really like. It's something that I appreciate and look forward to when I get a Brom book in my hands.

I knew from reading the synopsis that a song would be involved in the story but reading lyrics to a song that I have never heard the melody to be a bit much for me. I tried to make it sound like something catchy in my mind, but I failed and that's not on Brom, that's on me. I typically skip over song lyrics in books because of this BUT the lyrics in this song are a critical part of the story so I had to pay attention to them. I figured it out in the end. I appreciate you helping me grow as a reader Brom.

Throw in a demonic ring, a lot of demons, some punk rock and a race to save Ruby's soul and it was a great ride!

I burned through the last 30% of this book last night in a frenzy, i couldn't put it down. This was my second Brom novel, having read Slewfoot first, and so far Brom does not disappoint. Evil in Me was a fast paced action packed story full of demons, cursed objects and punk rock. It's violent, exciting, brutal and at times even funny.

We follow our protagonist Ruby who comes into possession (and under possession) of a cursed ring imbued with the spirit of a powerful demon lord trapped in hell who will do whatever she can to free herself through Ruby.

Some people have an abundance of talent and @geraldbrom is one of them. His illustrations are gorgeous and for me having seen the pictures of the characters after reading them, they were exactly how I imagined them in my head. I really loved this book and cannot wait to see the rest of the illustrations when the print copy comes out.

Brom nails it again! I’ve really enjoyed everything I’ve read (and seen) by him so far. His artwork is haunting and his stories are dark but always a fun ride. I did find parts of this book to feel a bit cinematic but overall it’s still a worth entry into the dark fantasy genre.

Our protagonist is Ruby who has mental health struggles and also turmoil at home. After coming in contact with a possessed item she faces a pretty gnarly journey to free her soul.

Brom’s characterization is great per usual. I dug all of the characters (ok, sans Hugo and Richard) and despite coming off a bit superficial in the beginning, once the backstory was added it helped show their full dimension and they were all flawed without relying too heavily on cliches. I enjoyed the book’s setting immensely. I grew up in Atlanta (90s, not 80s though) and it’s always fun seeing my home city mentioned.

I will say I’ve kind of had my fill of satanic rock books lately. I definitely enjoyed Brom’s take on it and look forward to seeing any illustrations in the physical book. Recommend this one to those who look cursed object or musical horror.