Palsss... I loved this. I was lucky enough to get to read an ARC of this YA historical fantasy novel - and I'm eager for whatever L.T. Thompson puts out next! I'm not cut out for horror stories most of the time, but I've found that YA is right up my alley for just the right level of scary - and that's precisely what I got with Devils Like Us. The "scary" is there, but it's also full of adventure (on the high seas), found family (borderline as warm as TJ Klune's found family vibes), self realization and acceptance, loyalty, trust, pining, and secrets. It's got this whole dark, piratey, magical, and queer thing going for it, too. Cas, Remy, and Finn are such a lovable trio - not to mention the crew of "outcasts" they end up setting sail with. Together they create a lil family I'd absolutely want to befriend and adventure with. I was hooked after the first couple chapters and tried to keep myself from zooming to the end to find out what happened. I think YA audiences will love this as much as I did!
4.5/5⭐️s
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Thank you to NetGalley and Bloomsbury for this advanced reader copy to review. Its expected publication date is 6.3.25

Oh, wow. Just wow. DEVILS LIKE US is a masterpiece, a wild adventure, and a book of my heart. A book of my life, really; few stories have made me feel so seen while also whisking me away to somewhere magical, dark, and haunting. I laughed. I cried. I pumped my fist in the air ( no, I really did) as I rooted for these characters I love so much.

As I read through Cas, Finn, and Remy's stories, I was constantly flipping by who I felt closest to. They are so well-drawn, human, and knowable, despite being of another time. There's Cas, a funny, irreverent, charming trans guy has visions of people's deaths. Finn, a Catholic lesbian who feels eternally damned (which, well, I mean, she did sell her soul to a demon, so...). And Remy, who has never let herself live outside of her one goal; to support her family and take down the secret society that kidnapped her father. These three friends and their braided histories are characters I'll never forget. I'd follow them anywhere.

And it only gets better when they, uh, find (read: stowaway on) a ship of outcasts, the Memento Mori. The crew of the ship is just as endearing as they take the young sailors under their wings, especially after learning their fates and goals are intertwined. I don't want to say too much in case I spoil anything (truly so many moments of this story are well-earned and DELIGHTFUL to discover in real-time, so I won't take that away from anyone). But I will say I could not stop turning the pages; I had to know what was next, because each turn was thrilling, romantic, hopeful, or devastating. It pulled every emotion from me over and over again.

I could read this book again and again. It will appeal to fans of OFMD, of course, but also to anyone who loves found family, fantasy grounded in our world, and historical adventures with a cast of loveable LGBTQIA+ legends.