This is a great, immersive southern gothic YA horror novel, and I was pleasantly surprised at how quickly the lengthy page count flew by (I'm always leery of longer YA AND adult novels). I will say, massive content warning for animal cruelty in detail, and I do very much hope that gets added as an introductory content warning (along with other useful warnings) before the book goes to print.

To start my review, I'd like extend a big thank you to the author, Xan Kaur, the publisher, Henry Holt (Macmillan Children's Group) and NetGalley for the huge privilege of being able to read When Devils Sing early. I will share my review to Goodreads, Amazon, and Barnes & Noble upon release. This YA haunting Southern Gothic tale brings together the genres of mystery, horror, and social commentary into a richly described world. The setting of rural Georgia is a character in itself, and as the story follows four teenagers, Neera, Isaiah, Reid, and Sam, they discover more than they bargained for about their home. We drop in on the characters as they decide to investigate further into the disappearance of local teen, Dawson. A search for answers is just the beginning, and the mystery quickly spirals into a chilling exploration of the town’s dark history, ancient folklore, and the more sinister forces that have long plagued the town of Carrion. Kaur’s writing feels very immersive and transported me to the landscape of Southern Georgia, and the gothic feel really added a lot of atmosphere to the vivid descriptions of the town, where many have already left for brighter futures elsewhere. I found the slower build up really worth it for the overall story, and it made the reveals that much more satisfying when I got to them. I did feel like this could set up for another installment, as there was a bit of a pick up of pace in the last third of the book.

The novel is told through four distinct perspectives, each character bringing their own struggles and motivations to the investigation and the following events. Neera is the daughter of a motel owner in town, and quickly became my favorite character as her immigrant experience and family dynamics brought a lot of depth and relatability to her story. Isaiah, Reid, and Sam each have their own voices as well, and the author really skillfully balances their voices, but I did wish for more from their backgrounds. Their personal histories and the town’s secrets really weave together a narrative that kept me entertained throughout. Being that this is Kaur's first book, I'm impressed by the ability to create an overall atmosphere and will make sure to look for their books in the future. The vibes were vibing (!!!) and if you like dark, gothic fiction with an exciting mystery, you'll enjoy this one! If you liked Mexican Gothic, The Southern Girl's Guide to Slaying Vampires, the Sookie Stackhouse series, or Cemetery Boys, you'll probably like When Devils Sing. Intended audience would be, I feel, 16 and over, as some of the horror and graphic scenes could be scary for younger readers.

Major Themes & Tropes:
- small-town
- found family/friendship
- ancient folklore, urban legends, myths
- ritualistic horror, cult behavior, sacrifice
- social commentary, classism
- the experience of marginalized people in America, and the South in particular
- the dynamics of power
- identity, belonging, and purpose
- friend group

*Content Warning for some Animal Cruelty*

4/5 stars

I rarely come across books that surprise me. I do tend to hype myself into believing the next new book/author will blow me away, but it seldom happens. This book managed is the exception.

The atmosphere of this book is so deliciously rich and dark, the precise vibes Kaur was aiming for. The descriptions directly transport you to the setting; I could practically hear the cicada cries and feel the Southern heat sticking to my own skin despite me reading this in the dead of winter. Maybe it's because I'm also reading one of her works as well, but the influence of Zora Neale Hurston feels particularly strong in the writing.

The characters are incredible, too. Despite the story being split in four separate POVs (In a debut novel, nonetheless!), every main character is fully fleshed out, complex, and deeply interconnected in such a way this story could not be told without a single one of them removed. Not once did I have trouble whose POV I was in, because Neera, Sam, Reid, and Isaiah each have totally distinct personalities and motives the story is built around. Again, not an easy feat to pull off in a debut, but Kaur pulled it off so effortlessly, and it's so worthy of applause.

The story is a very slow burn, which, according to other reviews I've glanced through, seems to be a turn-off for most readers. But, if anything, I was enthralled by the buildup, because it's all about setting the stage and becoming entrenched in the gothic atmosphere and the personal tragedies of the characters. It's so worth it once the mystery really amps up and pays off at the climax.

All in all, such a incredible debut, and I personally cannot wait to see what else Kaur may have planned in the future!

A delicious Southern Gothic horror that traps you from the first page and makes you really question what you would make a deal with the devil for.

This book ensnared me from the first page, and didn’t let go until the ending. We follow four teens as they become more and more entangled in the lore and danger of the town they live in - Carrion, the poorer area; and Lake Clearwater, right next door for the wealthy. With a strange intensity every 13 years when the cicadas arrive, everyone knows that people go missing around this time - and no one knows why.

Sam is the daughter of a man who no one will acknowledge is the hidden violent power behind the Langleys. Reid is a Langley, the most powerful family in Lake Clearwater and the center of the local legend surrounding the town. Neera lives in and works for her grandparents' hotel, but dreams of escaping Carrion to be a musician. And Isaiah is a true crime podcaster who gets an email from someone who went missing, but investigating would require him to look into his own hometown. Brought together during the 13 year cicada emergence when strange things begin to occur, they might discover something happening even deeper under the surface of their town.

One thing I really loved was the inclusion of the folk legend about Lake Clearwater, as well as the song people sing to warn their children about making deals with the devils. The occasional refrains, and mention of the legend during the book really brought home the insular feel of the town, with the feeling that everyone knows that there’s something lurking further beneath the surface - but other than a select few chosen, they only know enough to be wary about it. As I was reading I was trying to connect the dots about everything that was going on within the town, and while I was able to figure out a few, some were a legitimate surprise to me. This book kept me interested until the last page, and I had to know how it ended before I could stop reading.

If you love tense and atmospheric creeping Southern Gothic, complete with cult activity and living folklore, then When Devils Sing is the book for you. A phenomenal debut, this novel captured the feel of the south - and the local legends that everyone knows about, but won’t admit to being true.

The devil went down to Georgia
The devil went down and never left
They say you meet the devil
At the crossroads down in Georgia
When there ain’t no options left
There’s the devil you know
The devil you don’t
The devil you wish you’d never met
Be careful of the devils down in Georgia
There ain’t no coming back from the pact

A huge thank you to the author, NetGalley, and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group for providing this e-ARC.

I was instantly intrigued with this book by the title and the summary. It has been quite some time since I have read anything in the Young Adult genre, however When the Devil Sings kept me hooked. The southern gothic feel was different but truly captivating.

This one had all the ingredients for a book I’d love—small-town secrets, a group of misfits playing detective, and an eerie, creeping horror vibe. And while it delivered on atmosphere and some unsettling imagery (seriously, cicadas are already nightmare fuel, but this took it to another level), it didn’t fully stick the landing for me.

The mystery itself had a strong start, and I was hooked by the town’s unsettling history and the eerie folklore woven into the plot. The shifting power dynamics between the main characters kept things interesting, especially with their different backgrounds and baggage. But somewhere along the way, the pacing started to lag, and certain reveals didn’t hit as hard as I wanted them to. There’s a lot of simmering tension, but the payoff felt a little underwhelming.

That said, if you’re into Southern Gothic horror with a slow burn, rich atmosphere, and a hint of the bizarre, this might still be worth picking up. It just didn’t quite get under my skin the way I was hoping.

Mysterious and atmospheric, Xan Kur keeps readers in a dizzying free fall with WHEN DEVILS SING. This downright spooky book is rife with plot twists and turns — scores of shocking revelations that may just make you gasp. For fans of Erin A. Craig’s SMALL FAVORS and Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s MEXICAN GOTHIC.

I thought that this was an amazing young adult southern gothic novel. I loved all of the legends and folklore that was interwoven into the story.

I really was hoping for so much more for this book. I didnt like the animal cruelty, the pacing was not good and the story kinda fell flat for me.

I found this book to be really slow but I did enjoy the authors writing. I do wish there was trigger warnings at the beginning of the book. Not a fan of animal cruelty. I love a good horror story but this was unfortunately too dark for me.

Thank you NetGalley, Xan and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group for the E-ARC!

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Publication Date: May 27 2025

🐍🐦‍⬛🦗

Dark and twisted, chilly despite the south summer, thrilling tale of an urban legend about the devil's deeds.

"The devil went
Down
Down
Down
Down to Georgia
The devil went
Down
Down
Down
And never left
They say
You meet the devil
At the crossroads
Down in Georgia
When there ain't no options left"

We see the story through four different perspectives all thoughtfully connected from afar in the small world of Carrion. Four different people trying to find their way in the unfair world of social unequality, all of them connected by a missing person and the cicle of cicadas.

The plot is full of events from the first page, slowly and shockingly bringing the characters to their fate, each other and the revalations of best kept town secrets. I loved following the investigation, connecting so many stories of past and present in attempts to find the truth in both a creepy mistery and a dark supernatural power looming over us and the area in the atmosphere rural Georgia and that power.

All those songs and podcast sections brought additional depth of immersion to the events. It was a great decision to add those.

The book is extremely atmosheric, has great characters and geniously composed plot. I'd love to read more stories like this one.

- - -
Thanks to NetGalley and Henry Holt and Co. (BYR) for providing me with this free eARC in exchange for my honest review!

I really liked the commentary on the corruption and discrimination of the Southern small town setting. The characters were also quite different from each other and interesting, which was a positive. I really enjoyed the eerier chapters, but the inconsistent pacing took away from that, especially in the first half of the book which felt like a slog to get through. I do love horror, but unfortunately, I was disappointed.

I loved this only the build up was too slow when we could guess a lot before the characters what was happening so it was frustrating to follow them Slowly get it then the ending was rushed so it was a little disappointing. The setting was incredible in the South with its folklore being used about the devil at the crossroad. The atmosphere was really well written, i enjoyed the cicadas haunting the story and finally the multi POV was impressive as it was actually easy to follow and they had very distinct voices

I was really excited to read this one, the plot sounded super intriguing and the cover is stunning. However, it wasn’t for me.

First, there was something medical in the first chapter that irked me. I’m sure most people wouldn’t pick up on it because it’s something that’s done in movies and television all of the time but as a ER nurse, it immediately pulled me out of the story.

Also, I felt like the pacing was off and I didn’t care for the animal cruelty.

I really enjoyed this ARC I received on Netgalley. The setting of the southern town and the haves vs the have-nots felt realistic yet them the supernatural element was added in a way that didn't take away from the setting. It took a bit for me to jump back and forth between POVs at the beginning of the story, but it quickly came together. The method of selling your soul to the devil felt original and inevitable. I will definitely be on the lookout for the next book from Xan Kaur.

I love a good debut novel, and this one? It was great. From the chilling setting to the character arcs it’s a must feed for all ya horror fans.

gorgeous and really well done horror book with a strong southern feel that avoids being southern gothic but keeps a lot of the trappings. 5 stars. tysm for the arc.

When Devils Sing felt like a true Gothic horror with rich characters, a rich setting and some very dark twists. It was powerful and gritty. It addresses power and wealth and the horrors that it can bring to communities. Personally, the pacing felt sluggish for me and a bit weird considering the depths this story was trying to tell. I always enjoy stories set in the South and when the author can describe it in such detail that the reader feels as though they are there, and this book does a good job with that. I also did NOT appreciate the amount of animal cruelty in this story, it was graphic. Although this reads as a Gothic horror towards the end it definitely starts to feel like a Gothic culty horror, and I definitely liked that development. I think it made the story unique. I would have enjoyed if "Jack" one of the 3 devils was more a part of the story because I felt as though he was more important, and the author could've done more with his character. Overall, this was a slow buildup, but the story itself had so much depth.

3.5

i really liked the characters. what a lot of YA books struggle with (in my opinion) is that the characters who are meant to be important to the story dont have much going on for them in terms of characterization and feel very bland, but kaur avoids this.

however, i didn't like the pacing of this story. it starts out very slow, and then after over halfway into the book, the main characters start working and putting pieces together, then everything starts going VERY fast. the build up in this story was so slow only for things to start accelerating near the end... that just wasn't working well for me. i also found the ending kinda unsatisfying

I would rate this a solid 3.5. The pacing felt off in this story going from too slow to too fast with very little room in the middle. But the characters were great. They were deeply flawed but felt real. Some plot points felt a little predictable but overall the story was intriguing and there were enough twists to keep you guessing.

I really enjoyed this book. It’s a strong debut and I look forward to reading more from this author.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC.