A huge thank you to the author and publisher for access to this e-arc! All opinions are my own.

👏🏻 This. was. so. good.

As someone who grew up in rural TN, always feeling like an outcast and yearning to leave the mountains that I called home - I feel like this book was written for me. I’m 33 and even though this is YA fiction, I absolutely ate this up!

If I would have gotten my hands on something like this (as the secret society loving, emo teenager that I was. 🖤) - oh man, I cannot even put into words how much I would have loved this book. And it probably would have been confiscated by my religious family which would have made me love it even more. 🙃

I was completely absorbed in this book from the first chapter. Normally, I get so lost in multiple POVs that I end up putting the book down - but not this one - I was hooked. I whipped out my little notebook and took notes for all the characters to keep everything straight like I was solving a true crime case. 🕵🏻‍♀️🫆

This book is honestly a love letter to the south and had me swimming in nostalgia. The atmosphere is so spooky and immersive. I was on the edge of my seat trying to figure out the mystery and connect the dots. I did not want to put this down!

This may actually be my favorite read this year. It’s hard to believe that this was a debut novel! I cannot wait for more people to read it because I have questions!! I need to talk about this book asap! 😂

3.75


I thought this was a fun, fast paced thriller/horror centered around the south and southern folklore. I realized a micro trope I enjoy is a deal with a devil, so I ended up really enjoying that aspect of this story. I also enjoyed how the author wove different aspects of intersectional identities into the story and exemplified how different people of color feel about their southern roots. The ending was a little lackluster to me, but overall it was a fun and enjoyable read and I really loved the writing style of this debut author!


Thank you to NetGalley and MacMillion’s children’s for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review

I loved it so much I ordered several copies for my store! I thought it was an eerily and suspenseful story that had me gripped from the start!

A well-written, immersive Southern Gothic debut following four teens as they investigate the strange happening in their town. This was a very atmospheric and mysterious read that I really enjoyed. I loved all the supernatural elements throughout the story. There were four perspectives in the book and sometimes it was a little difficult to keep track of them all. There were some animal deaths and icky bug moments that I was not a fan of. I liked all the main characters and I felt like they were all interesting and well-rounded characters. I thought the ending was perfect. Overall, I thought this was a really engaging read.

Recommended for: YA supernatural fantasy lovers

“In Carrion, they have a saying: The devil can be seen coming from a mile away. That is where our story begins.
There’s the devil you know,
the devil you don’t,
the devil you wish you’d never met.”

When Devils Sing is a southern gothic mystery that unfolds through multiple perspectives. Every thirteen years mysterious deaths occur in Lake Clearwater. This explores the divide between the elite and poor and what people are willing to sacrifice to get ahead.

This story is a tangled web; it’s exciting to see the plot unfold from multiple different perspectives. The fast changes between perspectives make the story flow quickly and it captured my attention right away. The mysterious nature had me flipping pages until I figured out what was going on. The author’s voice is incredible. I had a really easy time immersing myself into the story. It’s super creepy and eerie, but I would say it’s more mysterious than it is scary. Check trigger warnings; the most notable is probably the gruesome animal cruelty displayed in here.

If you liked the movie Sinners, I recommend you give this a read! It always gave me Outer Banks vibes, albeit darker.

Phenomenal debut!

Thank you to Netgalley, Xan Kaur, and Macmillan Children’s Publishing group for providing this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

Content warnings: animal cruelty/death/hunting, alcoholism, child abuse, death, violence, suicide, car accident, fire

I received an e-ARC and am giving my honest review. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this opportunity!

I could not put this book down. I read about 10% of it one night, picked it up again the next night and didn't put it back down until it was 3 am and I had finished it. I was completely enthralled in the characters and the twists and mystery of it all. I, surprisingly, didn't have much trouble with the amount of POVs we had for chapters. Each character was very quickly easily identifiable and I knew who was who. I never found myself reading one character's POV and wishing it was someone else, which is rare for me. I loved each character equally, always excited to see what they were up to.

The mystery was very well done. I loved how it unfolded and came together. The ending did feel rushed, and I wish we had more information on a few of the characters in the aftermath, but the book as a whole made up for it. I loved the characters of the Devils, and loved how different they seemed with how each interacted with people.

This was a super engaging and twisty read, always kept me on my toes and anxious to flip the page.

Welcome to the town of Carrion, GA. A series of if disappearances begin to plague this eerie little town. The elite of the Lake Clearwater community (adjacent town) hold many secrets, which they will do anything to protect.

Without giving away too much of this YA novel, we see elements of the supernatural, as wells as the battle between good and evil. Four teens who are unlikely friends take on the task of attempting to solve the mystery going on in the town. The book was well written, entertaining, with excellent character development. I felt like I really got to know each character including their strengths and flaws. Lots of gothic horror and mysteries to keep you guessing!

Thank you to Net Galley, Xan Kaur, and Henry Holt and Co. for providing me an advanced e-book copy in exchange for my honest review.

I really enjoyed this eerie YA horror! A missing teen, an unlikely group banding together to investigate, and a sinister town! I loved the southern gothic atmosphere

When Devils Sing is a brilliant Southern gothic tied together with kudzu vines and haunting imagery you won't be able to shake for days after. Written with a rich range of characters, voices, and a much-needed perspective, Kaur explores generational curses and obligations with an honest perspective that neither tries to romanticize the experience nor fully condemn it, instead sitting in every feeling that arises no matter how complex it may be. I could hear cicadas scream the entire time I read it, and as we walk into summer in the South, I look forward to reading it again. 10/10, utterly gorgeous.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley. This is my honest review.
I did not finish the book- I was already struggling with the constant pov changes, and then I was shocked by a very graphic, multiple page scene description of the torture of an animal hunted purely for sport. A search of the book revealed another similar pages of animal cruelty. Neither of these scenes are detailed in any sort of content warning pages within the book.

When Devils Sing is a stunning debut set in the Deep South that highlights the very significant, but seldom acknowledged, class divide in rural areas, particularly in southern states.

Full of mystery and tension, this page turner will not let you rest until you see it through.

This was an excellent book! I loved the many threads at play, the blend of folklore and small Southern society. There are so many themes being explored, and it was handled so well, nothing feeling under developed or weighted down by trying to cover several topics. I really loved the way Neera, Reid, Sam, and Isaiah’s stories are all connected and converge and the way the secrets of Clear Water came to light. The interludes with the podcast were especially delightful, especially in the audio. It was a well done narration and I had trouble putting it down. I cannot wait to see what Xan Kaur will write next because this was such a strong debut!

This had such a promising premise, and I was really excited to get an early copy. The Southern setting was vivid and atmospheric, and the horror elements—especially the cult-like townsfolk and eerie cicadas—were really well done. You can tell the author has a love for the South without romanticizing it.

That said, the pacing was slow, and the multiple POVs made the story feel a bit scattered at times. Some plot threads didn’t feel fully resolved, which left me a little unsatisfied by the end. Still, the writing is beautiful and the concept was strong—I'd be curious to see what the author does next.

When Devils Sing by Xan Kaur was definitely a 10/10 read for me. The writing was so incredible, I could visualize every scene so vividly and it made me feel like I was actually in the book with the characters. The plot and characters were *CHEF"S KISS* The vibe was so mysterious and uncanny but in a good way. This book was filled with supernatural elements, secrets, and disappearances. If you're looking for a YA Horror book with creepy vibes that'll keep you on your toes, then I definitely recommend this.

A southern gothic horror with creepy vibes, dark secrets, and just enough dread to make me question my decision to read it alone in the dark? Yeah, I was in from page one. The writing is so atmospheric without being overly flowery. I heard the cicadas and felt the sticky Georgia heat (Okay fine, I am in Georgia and it is very humid, but still. The vibes are that good.)

I was a little worried so many POV’s would kill the momentum, and it kind of did at times, but every voice brought something important and I wouldn’t sacrifice a single one of them. And some of them? Kinda the worst. And yet I was still fully invested. That’s hard to pull off, but this book manages it.

This could’ve become your typical ‘jock, nerd, outcast, and one marginalized kid who dies first’ horror cliche but it’s not. At all. These characters have actual depth, and the diversity is woven in naturally, not tacked on like a checklist. Different cultures, genders, races, and tax brackets all tangled up in the same messed-up story. It’s so well done, and now I’m out here craving more horror like this.

It’s marketed as YA but it doesn’t read like a typical YA horror. I don’t want to say too much about the plot, but if you’re into slow-burning dread and horror that makes a statement, read this. And this is a debut? Wow.

Thanks to Henry Holt and Netgalley for the ARC and for ruining any chance of me sleeping peacefully.

Horror has always been at its best when it is a space to deal with society unease and fears - whether it's the British dealing with the Blitz through zombie and ghost films, or the isolation of rural America in Children of the Corn. But over the last few decades, horror has become increasingly a metaphor for the specific experiences of minority groups. The Babadook dealt with the fears of motherhood, Get Out about the isolation of Black Americans in redlined communities.

When Devil's Sing is clearly deeply based in Kaur's experience as a Punjabi American in rural southwest Georgia, where instead of being raised in a tight knit community, they were isolated in a community which was strongly segregated by black and white racial divides. All of our main characters in When Devils Sing are outsiders - whether they are traditional outsiders due to their race or immigrant background, or someone who has never felt like they fit in.

The book uses horror to express some really interesting ideas - of the devils as reinforcing the hierarchy in a small town, of ensuring the most privileged young men don't face consequences, and of the painfulness of trying to work your way out of poverty.

This is a book with really thoughtful ideas and I'm excited to continue to read this author's next books. I'd recommend for fans of Tiffany D. Jackson.

4.5 stars rounded up

This was really good!! When Devils Sing is a YA Southern Gothic horror novel that is slow burn and character driven. It takes a little while to get going and it's never fast paced, but if you can take your time with it there is so much here to love. We're following four characters in a small town in the American South segregated by class and rife with folktales involving deals with devils. Every thirteen years cicadas arise from under the earth and every thirteen years, people go missing. And now it's beginning again. The cicada's are back, and a teen boy named Dawson has disappeared...

Neera is the grand-daughter of Punjabi immigrants who are struggling to keep a motel afloat, her mom is often unstable and plans for Neera to attend college. But Neera dreams of being a musician, just like her uncle Ajay who her family never speaks of since his death.

Sam is the daughter of a violent and abusive man who works for the wealthy elite doing their dirty work. When her brother flatlines after a hit and run, she's willing to do anything to save his life. Even if it means making a deal with a devil...

Isaiah's dad is one of the few successful Black men to hobknob with the wealthy of their town, and Isaiah is expected to follow in his footsteps by going to law school. But Isaiah still loves the farm his dad grew up on, and he secretly produces a true crime podcast. Right now, he's investigating the disappearance of Dawson.

Reid is a Langley, and his father practically runs the town. He is the youngest of the children but is expected to fall in line regardless of what that means. But unlike his father, Reid has a conscience. And he's worried about his missing friend.

This unlikely group will dive deep into the dark secrets of this small town, and discover how far each of them is willing to go in order to get what they want...

Like I said, this is super character driven and it's a slower paced novel than a lot of YA horror these days. But I thought the payoff was there and characters all have interesting arcs through the course of the book. It's thematically rich, looking at the past and present of the South including racism and classism, and explores what happens when the American Dream fails to become a reality. I loved it. I received a copy of this book for review via NetGalley, all opinions are my own.

This book was unsettling and horrific in the best way possible. I would have never expected to like a Southern gothic horror as much as I did. The storytelling was immersive and thrilling and I was invested the entire time.

We follow four diverse POVs from teenagers living in Southwest Georgia. In the towns of Carrion and Lake Clearwater, it becomes obvious that there is something amiss. Our main characters intertwine and eventually work together to solve the mystery of their missing peer & try to uncover the evil that lies beneath the surface of the perfect Lake Clearwater.

A beautiful rendition that includes heavy topics including death of loved ones, off page suicide and torture. I love how the author explores
topics like classism, sexism and homophobia through the eyes of marginalized communities.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Publishing for early access to this novel in exchange for an honest review

This was such a chilling read as it only got more sinister and intriguing as the story unfolded. I was completely hooked and drawn into all the secrets, lies, and danger.

"There was a level of capability to her mom Neera could never quite mirror, no matter how hard she tried. Neera supposed that was the immigrant experience; it chewed you up and spat you out. Whoever you were after it all determined how far you made it in the world."

Wow! What a well-written Southern Gothic! Color me impressed!

I'm a huge fan of Gothic anything. Southern Gothic, Western Gothic, English Gothic, etc. I devour them up like candy. At first, reading the comps for this novel felt like they were aiming pretty high (Midsommar? True Detective?) AND a blurb by Andrew Joseph White?

But when I started buddy reading with Mai, we were quickly sucked in with the evocative prose and the realistic characters.

It's not often you see POC characters in Gothic fiction, but I quickly took a liking to Neera, with her South Asian family unapproved dreams of becoming a musician and following in her late uncle's footsteps. I also liked Isaiah, a Black teen on his way to Harvard and who has a Top Ten true crime podcast based on number of listeners. And Sam, an impoverished white teen who was easily tempted to make a deal with the devil because of her circumstances in life.

This novel is dark and deals with the realities of being a teenager living in a small town with a mysterious and sinister cult looming underneath a veneer of Southern hospitality. Even without the dark fantasy aspects, this book feels real and gritty.

And with the dark fantasy elements at play? The comps aren't lying. True Detective meets Midsommar, but make it YA (don't let that stop you), and you have this novel.

4 stars only because I wish the cult plotline was more integrated with all of the POVs. But that's just me being nitpicky.

Anyway, I can't wait to read more from Xan Kaur!

Thank you to Henry Holt and Co. (BYR) and NetGalley for this arc.