First, thank you so much to NetGalley, Henry Holt, & Xan Kaur for allowing me to absolutely devour this novel!!
For this to be Xan’s first novel, her writing is so beautiful & wove a beautiful picture of the complexity of growing up in the South.
The haunting mystery of the cicadas and how the legend wove into Lake Clearwater’s history was beautifully written. I thoroughly enjoyed everything about this novel.
This debut was one of my favorite books I’ve read so far this year!

Xan Kaur's "When Devils Sing" is a compelling gothic YA horror that plunges readers into the sinister underbelly of rural Georgia. The story expertly weaves together elements of satanic cults, addiction, and true crime, all while examining the pressures of adolescence and familial expectations. The darkly ironic quote, "nothing says God Bless America like sacrificial murder," effectively sets the tone for this unsettling narrative.

One of the novel's strengths is its diverse cast. The characters' varied socio-economic backgrounds, races, and sexual orientations offer a rich tapestry of perspectives, adding depth to the story and illuminating the motivations behind their actions, particularly within the insular community of Lake Clearwater. While the diversity was a welcome element, I felt that the realities of race within rural Georgia could have been further explored to enhance the story's realism.

The pacing of the novel, while initially deliberate, accelerates dramatically in Part 2, mirroring the characters' urgent race against time. This shift effectively heightens the tension and creates a gripping reading experience. Although the inclusion of podcast episodes was an interesting concept, I personally found they didn't significantly contribute to the overall narrative.

I appreciate NetGalley, Henry Holt and Company, and Xan Kaur for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I wanted to love this book because ugh that gorgeous deluxe edition with the sprayed edges and that beautiful cover! Hardboiled YA Southern gothic horror! It had all the elements that make me go sign me up immediately.

It definitely got the atmospheric horror part down. I felt like I was transported to a lush, creepy Southern small lake town and I had a pit of dread in my throat the whole time. It had vibes of Outer Banks and the Middaugh family murders. The first half of the book was very slow paced and then the second half rushed through jagged action and I wished the pacing had been more consistent. Also, let me say the name of the town was Carrion? A bit on the nose for a book with lots of gross animal cruelty. That should have been my first clue I wasn't going to like this.

The story is told from the alternating points of view of four teenagers. There's Neera Singh (another name that's too on the nose for an aspiring singer), whose Punjabi family owns a motel and is still mourning the death of her uncle. There's Reid, scion of a wealthy white family. There's Isaiah, a Black true crime podcaster from a wealthy conservative family who wants him to become a lawyer. And Sam, the queer daughter of abusive parents who makes a deal with the devil to save her brother.

When Neera made a deal with the devil this is where the book lost me. She was my favorite character and felt the most developed, and this was so out of character after what had happened to her uncle and what she'd been taught all her life. She was a good singer too - she didn't need to curse herself with losing her voice forever one day just because she didn't have a confident stage presence. I struggled to understand her motivations.

I wish the interactions between the teenagers had been more than surface level. In short this wasn't as character-driven as I had hoped and I struggled to connect with the characters. The mystery was also fairly obvious.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance review copy. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Just not really for me, but I will recommend my bookstore get this! I think this is partially because I’m not in the mood for horror right now, but this just didn’t hit for me right now.

It was an okay book, It was poorly paced. I feel like I should have liked it more because it's a group of misfits but something wasn't sticking for me

A compelling southern horror novel. Really interesting and well-done. Felt very atmospheric. Thank you to netgally and the publlishers for a copy of this arc.

When Devils Sing is a magically luscious and atmospheric mystery set in rural Georgia. I haven’t read many books set in the South (except recently, thank you James!!!), and I have to say that the ambience and setting were the shining star in this debut novel. You can feel the love that Kaur feels for her home bleeding through the pages. I felt like I was there, in the humidity, listening to the scream of the cicadas, and immersed in the coolness of the lake.

Another thing I loved was the folklore of the town. The lore of the devils were my favorite part, and each chapter they were in absolutely stole the show. With that said, I really wanted more of them and felt their story ended too abruptly.

For the most part, I liked the cast of ragtag mismatched teens that got together to solve the mystery disappearance of a fellow teen. Neera was definitely my favorite, and I enjoyed her perspectives on feeling like an outsider to her Punjabi culture and what that entailed. But at times, with the multiple POV’s the characters didn’t feel separate enough to warrant so many POV’s, and they started to blur together.

Overall, I was entertained. I love anything to do with the supernatural and occult, and thought this was perfectly creepy without being overly done. But a part of me was left wanting, and noticing a few things that were not wrapped up enough for my liking.

Thank you to Macmillan’s Children’s Publishing Group and Netgalley for giving me access to an eARC in exchange for my honest review!

A perfect southern horror read. I immediately fell into the story and I loved all the familiar tropes and feelings.

(3.5 stars rounded up)

I loved the premise and setting of this book, but feel like it needed a bit more fleshing out. The characters were interwoven in clever ways and had interesting backstories, but I did not find myself particularly attached to them by the end of the book. It was slow-going at first with quite a bit of exposition, but then wrapped up rather quickly at the end; I would have been interested to read more about how the major events at the end played out and what happened after, but maybe this leaves the door open for a sequel. Overall, I found the book engaging and know I would have really enjoyed it when I was still more in the young adult age range. This author has great potential and I'm interested to see what she does next!

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC of this book!

The Southern gothic atmosphere of this book was impeccable. If you loved series like The Raven Boys or tv like True Detective, this has that perfect blend of morally grey characters, culty-vibes, and that Southern-brand of horror. You follow four teens who are unlikely allies but are drawn together by the disappearance of a local teen. They're all sympathetic in their own ways, but also are given depth by the not-always-stellar choices they make. I appreciated the incorporation of commentary on class, wealth, Southern culture, and being part of an immigrant family. I do wish this was going to be a series, because I wanted to know a bit more about the characters and found the beginning a little bit slow, but once the action got going I could not put this down. Such a strong debut in my opinion. Can't wait to see what Xan Kaur does in the future!

Thank you to the Publisher and NetGalley for the advance copy!

When Devils Sing by Xan Kaur has that perfect creepy Southern Gothic vibe—sticky heat, cicadas buzzing, and a town with way too many dark secrets. It follows four teens digging into a local boy’s disappearance, only to find out there’s some seriously old, messed-up evil lurking beneath the surface. The atmosphere is thick and eerie, and the writing pulls you right in. The characters are messy and real, which makes the whole thing hit harder. It’s dark, unsettling, and totally addictive—solid 4/5. Would’ve been a 5 if I didn’t have to sleep with the lights on after.

This story sets up an intriguing premise with its eerie Southern Gothic atmosphere, class tensions, and supernatural undertones. However, despite its potential, the execution seems to falter in a few key areas.

One major issue is the reliance on familiar tropes without fully developing them in a fresh or compelling way. The rich-vs-poor dynamic is well-worn in mystery and horror, but the novel doesn't seem to bring much nuance to it. Neera’s perspective, while sympathetic, sometimes leans into heavy-handed commentary rather than allowing the themes to emerge organically through the story.

The characters, though intriguing in concept, feel more like archetypes than fully realized individuals. Isaiah, the privileged podcaster, and Sam, the hitman’s daughter, seem like they should bring an interesting dynamic to the group, but their interactions often feel surface-level rather than deeply engaging. The relationships between the four teens could have been a strong emotional anchor, but instead, they sometimes feel like plot devices moving from one eerie discovery to the next.

The mystery itself starts strong, with the disappearance of Dawson and the unsettling ties to the town’s history, but the pacing becomes uneven. At times, the plot meanders, getting bogged down in exposition or atmospheric descriptions that don’t always contribute meaningfully to the tension. The supernatural elements, particularly the legend of the three devils, are intriguing but underdeveloped, leaving them feeling more like an aesthetic choice than a deeply integrated part of the narrative.

While the novel successfully builds a haunting setting and explores the sinister nature of wealth and power, it doesn’t quite stick the landing. The resolution lacks the impact that the buildup promises, leaving certain threads feeling unresolved or hastily wrapped up. Overall, while the story has moments of brilliance, it ultimately struggles with execution, making it a frustrating read for those looking for a truly immersive and satisfying mystery.

What a ride. This book is not perfect by any means, and I can't tell if it was written with a sequel in mind or not. It felt complete, but the epilogue didn't do enough to wrap up the story. Regardless, I enjoyed it.

When Devils Sing follows four young adults (all 18 or about to be 18) in the summer of the cicadas. It has an eerie feeling, and you know something is going on, but you don't know what. The pacing is a little off, because it takes a bit to get going, but once things get going they're pretty intense. It's hard to write about without getting into spoiler territory. Definitely succeeds in giving the southern gothic feel it was going for. I kept thinking it was inspired by the SC Murdochs (of murdery mystery fame), because this tale centers around a family that can avoid any trouble through the sheer power of money.

Minor spoilers ahead

There were quite a few relationships that felt important that weren't explored. Like Sam and her dad, or even Sam and her brother. The story begins because of her love for her brother, yet we literally never meet him, We never learn why Dawson and Sam were fighting. These are things I really want to know, because the story had me invested. Definitely room for improvement for a second book from Kaur, but I enjoyed it nonetheless!

Thank you to Macmillan Children's Publishing Group and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book is about a town in southern Georgia that is deeply divided between the haves and the have nots. It seems like any other sleepy town except every 13 years a brood of cicadas emerges and, with them, a host of other strange occurrences. Four teens are caught up in the middle of the strange occurrences of this town and must learn the truth of what really goes on in their town.

This book was phenomenal. I didn’t want to put it down. The story was paced so well. Nothing felt rushed and it felt like every word counted. The social commentary was imbedded so well throughout the story. The characters were well developed and the plot was extremely well thought out. I loved the supernatural elements as well as the very real evil we see in the world that created a pretty terrifying combo. If you are looking for quick, creepy, but thought provoking read, this is it.

This is a creepy and fun southern Gothic ya novel. I really enjoyed the characters and the writing, but the creepy southern setting is what really sold it for me.

A stunning horror debut. Kaur wove a multilayered story that balances tragedy and hope on a tight rope.

This book feels like an episode of Supernatural or True Blood—the kind where folklore isn’t just real, it’s knocking at your back door, waiting to be let in. When Devils Sing is a slow-burning, Southern Gothic tale about a town caught between three devils—a crow, a snake, and a cicada—and four friends(using that word loosely here) trying to survive with their souls in tact when one of them goes missing.

The atmosphere is thick with eerie, small-town mysticism, and Xan Kaur does an incredible job of making the supernatural feel like just another part of everyday life. The writing is lush and immersive, and the creeping dread builds beautifully throughout the book. If you’re into slow-burn horror that leans into folklore and vibes-heavy storytelling, you’ll eat this up.

That said, I’m not usually a slow-burn reader (my attention span just isn’t built for it), which is the only reason I’m giving it ⭐⭐⭐⭐ instead of five. But that’s a me thing, not a book thing!

Big thanks to NetGalley and Maximillian Children’s for the ARC!

The setting is incredible. I love a book set in the south. The pace was slow. Too many POVs for me. The ending was abrupt.

This was an enjoyable enough read, although I wouldn't necessarily classify it as horror. There were a couple gross scenes where people or animals are hurt (it's very graphic). It really leans more into personal relationships and the atmosphere of the town. It was well written and I enjoyed the story overall, but I was expecting a more "Needless Things" vibe.

Thank you to NetGalley, Macmillan Children’s Publishing & Henry Holt & Co (BYR) for this eARC in exchange for my personal opinion and review!
When Devils Sing is a brilliantly written debut novel! If you need something gothic horror/mystery wise to add to your summer TBR- look no further.
This book takes you deep into rural Georgia on a humid sticky summer day, when the cicadas are screaming and the devil comes back every 13 years to collect his dues.
After an almost fatal car accident and a disappearance of a young man, four unlikely friends come together to unravel what is going on within a community that is very tight knit.. and for good reason.
WDS takes us on a wild journey, with twists and turns that had me shocked! The book is a little slow to start and it has a whole lot of tension buildup but there are four POVs and each story weaves an intricate story line to where they all interconnect. So I think where the slowness comes from, is simply trying to track four characters in first person. I absolutely loved these POVs though!
Over all, I enjoyed this book, reading it in just a few sittings. If you took Outerbanks and mixed it with Midsommer or Mexican Gothic, you would find yourself with When Devils Sing!

Watch triggers for animal cruelty - While there’s not a lot there are some scenes that may be triggering to some readers. (If you are an avid horror reader then you should be okay!)