In When Devils Sing, Xan Kaur throws four teens into a blender of missing persons, buried secrets, and possibly demonic real estate development. Leading the charge is Neera, a determined truth-seeker with just enough cynicism to survive a town full of lies—and just enough curiosity to almost get herself killed. All while living in the broken family that was left behind when her beloved uncle died. She dreams of escaping it all and becoming a famous musician.

When local kid Dawson goes missing, Neera teams up with a murder-club dream team: Isaiah, true crime podcaster with a gavel-wielding dad; Reid, rich boy with daddy issues and a flashlight; and Sam, daughter of the local hitman. Together, they dig into the strange disappearance of Dawson and stumble into a legacy of cursed wealth, creepy lake energy, and an urban legend about three devils—because OBVIOUSLY one devil wasn’t enough.

Kaur delivers eerie atmosphere, whip-smart dialogue, and just the right amount of supernatural dread. Lots of vibes, twisty plotlines, and making lake houses seem like a terrible idea.

I enjoyed this one. I really liked the writing style and the story. I liked how the POV kept changing and helped to tell the story from several different sides, I think it really helped build this story up to the finale. The magical “Deal with the Devil” aspect was really fun and I did not see that ending coming! I’d say that if you are a fan of horror or mystery you should definitely check this one out!

The audiobook for this was amazing. The fact that each POV character had their own distinct voice actor made the depth of the characters feel much greater, but it also helped to immerse the readers in the story as if these were real people that you’d meet in a small rural town in Georgia.

There are so many great aspects about When Devils Sing that makes it an amazing book to read! The characters are all unique and diverse, especially with all of them being from a small town in south west Georgia. The story feels like a fresh and unique take on making a deal with the devil at the crossroads. The mystery around the town and the cicada festival every 13 years keeps the suspense a constant factor through out the book. I would highly recommend this to anyone who read Stephen King’s Salem’s Lot and really enjoyed it, it has the same small town feel, with multiple POV’s that provide insight into the darkest parts of the town that otherwise wouldn’t see the light of day. This really was such a fun book and I highly recommend it!

five stars and no notes about it.

The characters allowed this novel to feel so vast. And this was like a true gothic thriller. there wasn't something happening after every chapter to make us anxious, but i was on the edge of my seat waiting for the ball to drop on a LOT of different areas. The characters all felt complete and I didn't dislike any of them at all. Their decisions weren't any that I would have made, but I completely understand why they made them after reading the entire book. Like, I wish there was a part two coming that would tell us more about what happened after the book ends because i was READY for the podcast. I also adore the author so much (mutuals on tiktok) and this book is my new personality.

And the narrators were absolutely phenomenal. I think the audiobook does this novel a lot of justice.

I absolutely love this. For me it did take a while to get into but once it did I was hooked. A YA southern gothic story about Dawson who goes missing and the story unravels through several perspectives. The story is amazing and definitely shows the divide between race and class. I must read.

When Devils Sing is a southern gothic story that is dark, deliberate, and richly layered, full of haunting imagery and emotional complexity. I was immediately struck by the elegance of the prose; every sentence feels meticulously crafted, steeped in atmosphere and meaning.

What this book does exceptionally well is mood. The setting is dense and immersive, evoking a palpable sense of dread and unease. The narrative unfolds slowly, and while that pacing might not work for every reader, I personally found it effective in building tension. You’re never quite sure what’s real, what’s imagined, or what horrors are waiting just beneath the surface, and that ambiguity is one of the book’s greatest strengths.

The characters are complex, morally gray, and realistically flawed. I appreciated that there were no clear heroes or villains. Everyone is struggling with something beneath the surface, and the supernatural seems to feed off these internal wounds. The relationships between characters are tangled and often fraught, adding emotional stakes to the eerie, slow-building plot.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you Netgalley for this Audiobook ARC This book is about some young adults and families who live in Georgia around a rich neighborhood Clearwater lake, between bad choices being made and reoccurring deaths the young adults feel as though something is off in their small corner of the state, while also dealing with the struggles in their own life's sometimes you have to make a deal with the devil in Georgia to survive. And the 13year cicadas are about to arrive This is a Multi-POV YA horror that does a wonderful job with the characters individual stories making them feel very unique. Each character is mired with flaws brought on by their families and we get to see them work through those flaws while also eventually working together. It can probably be classified as a generational horror. The story was very good it never slowed down for me but also didn't blow me away at any point, a enjoyable 4 star listen. The audiobook uses different narrators for each POV and also uses some cool effects as well to signify the medium we are listening to the voice through. Recommend checking it out.

𝐈𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝
𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐤 𝐲𝐨𝐮, 𝐍𝐞𝐭𝐠𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐀𝐋𝐂.

𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝟐𝟒𝐡𝐫𝐬!
𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐃𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐥𝐬 𝐒𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐛𝐲 𝐗𝐚𝐧 𝐊𝐚𝐮𝐫 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐚 𝐝𝐚𝐫𝐤, 𝐚𝐭𝐦𝐨𝐬𝐩𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐜 𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐈 𝐝𝐢𝐝𝐧’𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐞𝐧𝐝. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐮𝐩 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐝𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐥𝐲 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐞, 𝐤𝐞𝐞𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐦𝐞 𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐢𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐚𝐲𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐮𝐧𝐟𝐨𝐥𝐝𝐞𝐝. 𝐎𝐧𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐦𝐲 𝐟𝐚𝐯𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬? 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐨𝐝𝐜𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐞𝐱𝐜𝐞𝐫𝐩𝐭𝐬! 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐬𝐨 𝐰𝐞𝐥𝐥-𝐞𝐱𝐞𝐜𝐮𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐭 𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐮𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐥𝐲 𝐟𝐞𝐥𝐭 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐈 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐚 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐞 𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐩𝐨𝐝𝐜𝐚𝐬𝐭, 𝐚𝐝𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚 𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐪𝐮𝐞 𝐝𝐞𝐩𝐭𝐡 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐦 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐧𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞.

𝐈𝐟 𝐈 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐈 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝’𝐯𝐞 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐛𝐞 𝐬𝐮𝐧𝐠—𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐚𝐝𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐩 𝐟𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫 𝐨𝐫 𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐰𝐞𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝’𝐯𝐞 𝐛𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭! 𝐒𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐥, 𝐢𝐭 𝐝𝐢𝐝𝐧’𝐭 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐲 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐠𝐫𝐢𝐩𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐜 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐰𝐚𝐬.

Just finished the audiobook for When Devils Sing and I really liked it! The writing is eerie, dark, and beautifully done. The Southern Gothic vibes are strong… you can almost feel the hot humid air and hear the cicadas screaming (IYKYK).

The main characters are diverse and layered, and I really enjoyed how their individual stories slowly started to intertwine. I thought each narrator (Michael Crouch, Anjali Kunapaneni, Jennifer Pickens, and Landon Woodson) did a great job 👏🏻 and having different voices really helped distinguish the POVs.

The pacing was slow at the start but felt a bit rushed at the end. The horror elements were compelling in concept, but I’d call it more horror-lite which honestly works well for a YA audience. Definitely check the content warnings before diving in!

Content Warnings:
grief and death of a parent, mention of off-page suicide, mention of off-page child abuse, graphic imagery of people and animals (pets are safe), racism, homophobia, classism

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Young Listeners for this Audio ARC!

This was such an enjoyable read. I am obsessed with Appalachian folk stories, and this was such an interesting setting and following multiple characters from a small and very socially divided town, while they make impossible decisions and sacrifices for the ones they love. A lot of times with this many characters it is hard to really give each and every one their own individual voice that there is no doubt about who's chapter you are reading at any given time, but this author did such a good job with their individual voices and stories as they went through their own stories that also intersected throughout the book.

I cannot wait to read more from this author.

4.5 rounded up because this one is so good. a small town in georgia with a strange cicada festival and a people that mysteriously go missing?! yes please!!! how far would you go to save your family? would you sell your soul to the devil?

In When Devils sing we follow Sam- a girl who lives in a small impoverished town outside of clearwater lake where all the ultra rich people live. after she is in a fatal accident with her brother who is pronounced dead she is met with an offer from non other the devil himself. In clearwater lake every 13 years there is a huge migration of cicadas and during this time strange things happen and people go missing.

We also follow Neera- her family owns a very small motel just off the highway and they are struggling. her grandparents work non stop at this motel and after they lost their son they have had a very hard time. emotionally and financially. when her grandpas car is burned down she is met with the same offer as sam. can she help her family get out of this hole they are in?

We also follow an array of other characters of this town that are trying to get to the bottom of what happens during the cicada festival and once they start digging they can't stop. innocent lives are in their hands- can they save them? I absolutely ate this book up it's pretty different from what i normally gravitate towards but, once i started this one i couldn't stop.

Solid 3.5 In the Devil Sings, I loved the power dynamics between the rich and poor and how small-town Southern politics added tension throughout the story. That backdrop gave the book a gritty, grounded feel I really enjoyed.
The four main characters were fantastic — complex, flawed, but deeply relatable. They each had their own struggles, but I loved how they came together. There was something really honest and moving about the way their relationships developed.
The constant shifts in point of view tripped me up a little at times — it could be a bit disorienting.
One of the most unique and refreshing aspects was Neera’s layer of Punjabi culture. It added such an interesting contrast to the Southern setting and gave the story even more depth.
Since this isn't my usual genre, I wasn’t always sure if the "devil" was meant to be taken literally or as a metaphor — but I quickly learned there were actual devils making actual deals! The story didn’t lean too heavily into horror, which I appreciated. It wasn't too scary for me at all.
My only real critique is that the ending felt a bit rushed. So much of the book was spent building toward a major event, and once it finally happened, it was over pretty quickly. Still, I appreciated that all of the devil’s deals were made out of love or sacrifice — not for selfish gain. That made the characters feel even more human and real. Perfectly imperfect.
Overall, a strong debut with great writing, layered characters, and a story that sticks with you. I’d definitely read whatever this author does next. Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for providing me with an ARC of this Audiobook.

Very interesting read! I was sucked in almost immediately by the cult/supernatural/mystery elements and was so excited to figure out why people were going missing and how a group of teens were going to be able to stop a group of devils. And while some of the story lived up to my expectations... it felt like there was no clear follow through. While the end wrapped things up, it did so in a super quick manner and it left me with a lot of questions that I don't think I'll ever get answers to.

SPOILERS AHEAD IN MY QUESTIONS!

How did fire defeat a devil so easily? Why would Jack just let Sam go - is he a nice devil? What is the black stuff that came out of people when Neera sings? What happened to Reed and the other survivors after the podcast was released? Why would Isaiah's father, a black man, help out a bunch of white people with a historically white cult ritual that kills people of color or in poverty?

There was a lot I liked, but this gave me enough pause to give this book a 3.5, rounded down to 3 because I do think it could have been WAY better since the initial 100 pages were so good and gripping. I still think others should read this book!

WOW
What a book.
If you like gritty, gothic, queer YA horror, please check this out! It’s the perfect spooky read to kick off Pride Month and the summer in general. HIGHLY recommended if you enjoyed Get Out or Sinners.

I absolutely devoured the audiobook—listened to most of it in one sitting. It’s narrated by a full cast, and every single actor is PHENOMENAL. It’s incredibly immersive and easy to get lost in.

That said, it’s a tough one at times. Content warnings include: detailed animal deaths (not pets), a car accident, gore, child abuse, SO MANY BUGS, alcoholism, and kidnapping. It’s definitely a dark read, but absolutely worth it.

Despite the heavy themes, it has moments of joy—there’s found family, healing, overcoming generational trauma, and the bittersweet beauty of letting go in order to find peace.

When Devils Sing is haunting, visceral, and deeply emotional. It doesn’t pull its punches—but beneath all the horror is a story about survival, connection, and reclaiming your voice. It’ll linger in your bones long after the final chapter. Don’t miss this one.

Short Synopsis: Every thirteen years, the cicadas return to Carrion, Georgia—and so does the darkness. When a boy vanishes from Neera Singh’s family motel, she and three other teens uncover a chilling mystery tied to their town’s wealth, an ancient legend, and three devils hungry for blood.

I would like to thank the publisher for sending me an audio-arc in exchange for an honest review through NetGalley.

Neera's family owns the local hotel but when Dawson Sumter goes missing from one of the rooms, leaving only blood behind. The local podcaster for True Crime and son of a judge --Isaiah -- begins to investigate what really happened to Dawson alongside unlikely allies: Sam, the estranged daughter the local Hitman, and Reeid, the son of the wealthiest man in the area. Along with Neera, they will have to dig deep to uncover the truth of what's happening in their little Georgia town, because every thirteen years people go missing -- on the surface, the disappearances happen to coincide with the cicadas, but underneath is a disturbing history full of devils and deals. Something eerie is happening at Lake Clearwater, and the secrets within its depths might destroy everything the town has worked towards.

There was a lot going on in this. At first I thought we were going to just have straight up horror with some crazy demons and monsters, and you kind of do, but the whole ending just got insane. So let me start by saying the plot for this is very well done. You have that creepy, gothic, Southern Vibes throughout the entire book. There's a lot of instances where it almost feels like this is a real place and this is really happening because of how well the author depicts a small southern town. When you look at the characters, you have this interesting group of teens that are only connected because of their interest in what is happening currently. They're all raised with the stories of the cicadas and what happens in this town. Literally we first meet Sam and, despite knowing what she does, she's making a deal with one of the devils, so it's made to seem like this isn't an out of the ordinary occurrence here in town. There are so many secrets woven into the fabric of the story and woven throughout the town and the supernatural and I love how everything pieces together. The ending definitely messed me up, I did not know what to expect once they discover the plan but from the moment we get to the lake, things happen really quick, one thing after the other in rapid succession. I love the little bits of local legends and folktales that are very much present throughout the story, and while every town might have stories of devil's or creatures, they truly deal with the supernatural on a more familiar basis here and it is dark, and it is pretty, it is wild and intense.

Actual Rating: 4.5 stars

I had really high hopes for this as it's been getting strong reviews and I LOVE the idea of southern Gothic horror, and cicadas being a serious horror element in the story. However, this just didn't deliver as strongly as I wanted it to.

This started with strong potential--Sam, and Wiley, and the appearance of Jack were such a great place to start but then it fell a little flat for me. There's a very diverse cast of characters, but I didn't feel like I knew any of them that well by the end, even though they don't even all meet up until more than halfway through the book. We spend a LOT of time with these characters but I wasn't really that invested in any of them.

I also had some serious issues with the pacing. Literally nothing else happens until 75% into the book. Then everything happens at once. Which was fine, like, at least it paid out, but I was also pretty sure I knew where this was going early on and so even the climax didn't really have any shock or awe factor.

All in all, I was disappointed. I know this is billed for YA but I've definitely read other YA Horror that hit a lot harder and with a lot more intensity.

I received a free ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed the eerie, slow-burn pacing and the constant sense of unease. The mystery kept me hooked, and I appreciated how the story unfolded. I just wish we had gotten a little more detail about the devils themselves, but overall, a strong and haunting read.

I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed Xan Kaur’s "When Devils Sing." While it’s clearly pitched as YA horror, it stands out as a well-crafted and very decent entry in the genre. The atmosphere is tense, the pacing is sharp, and Kaur does a fantastic job of keeping the reader on edge without relying too heavily on overdone horror tropes.

The characters felt authentic (for the most part), and I appreciated how the story balanced "scares" -- it wasn't really scary, but you know what I mean -- with real emotional stakes. It’s rare to find YA horror that doesn’t talk down to its audience, and this book absolutely respects its readers’ intelligence.

My only real criticism is the ending. While it’s satisfying in its own way, it felt a bit too tidy and wrapped up, almost like a "Hollywood happy ending." I would have preferred something a bit more ambiguous or unsettling to match the rest of the book’s tone. (I'm a Stephen King; so sue me. I don't think the majority of folks in a horror book should get out alive. Ha.)

Overall, though, "When Devils Sing" is an engaging read that I’d recommend to fans of either horror or YA. It’s well-written, well-paced, and enjoyable from start to finish.

I loved this. I loved it so much I had to force myself to stop listening a few times. This is one of those books that is best in audiobook form and I think it is because the audiobook is so well done. The narrators were great but also the other sound effects. I just loved it. I was immersed. I was so sad during the guitar portion of the story. That was like a death in itself.
I got our characters and loved them, flaws and all.
Thank you thank you thank you for this!

3.5 stars rounded up!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the ARC audiobook!

This one was a bit hit or miss for me, with some aspects really intriguing me, and others letting me down.

Hits: listen, I have a personal interest in cicada broods, so that element to this story was truly what sold me on reading this! The immersive Southern setting was great. The local folklore elements and community secrets aspects were really interesting. Also, the deals with the devils really grabbed me as well! I wish we could have seen more of this!

Misses: the pacing was too slow for my liking. It felt almost like the 4 different POVs kept the pacing bogged down a bit with going over almost the same events but from a different POV at times. In the beginning, I also had a bit of a hard time keeping the characters straight. I wish we could have had a POV from one of the devils. To me, that would have been a lot more intriguing!

Along those lines, I wish we had a bit more exploration of the deals with the devil and impending cicada brood as those were part of what drew me in to this book to begin with! I feel like these elements really could have intensified the stakes a lot more than they did. It seemed like there were almost too many different plot points going on, so we didn’t get to delve deeper into any one in particular.

Overall, the writing was really well done and I enjoyed the main plot. A lot of what I didn’t like as much were mostly just personal preference things, so I’m sure this will be a hit for others!

The narration and production of the audio version were both excellent. I love multiple narrators for multiple POVs and they all did an excellent job!