Thank you to the Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the audio arc of this book****

I want to start out by saying that if you like the untouchable Murdaugh family and Midsommer being mixed into a Southern Gothic tale this book is for you. I loved the ambiance this book gave. As a fellow back woods southerner, I could picture the one Dollar General, the same old man in the same old hat working the bait shop/gas station for years. I could feel how hot it was and hear those God forsaken cicadas. I felt Xan portrayed the small-town esthetic of the south very well. I also felt the socioeconomic divide that was very well written in this book. I am more of a Samantha than a Reid.

When Devils Sing is a devilishly slow build up to the horror awaiting you at the infamous Clearwater community on the outskirts of Carrion, GA. The story follows 4 unlikely acquaintances, Sam-Neera-Isaiah-Reid, all who are trying to unravel their towns dark history and save another town resident Dawson Sumter. What they will uncover will forever change their lives. Packs with the Devil(s), human sacrifice, a rich cult that feeds off the lower class...are just a few of the things that will draw you into this story. This story isn't just a horror story it is a story of family, loss, mental struggle, physical abuse and redemption

📖 Bookish Thoughts
This had all the ingredients for a solid southern gothic book! An eerie town, generational secrets, and eerie dread. But the execution didn’t quite land for me. The pacing was so slow, and the frequent POV changes made it hard to stay immersed in the story, and I found myself pulled out more than drawn in. I also really didn’t like any of the MCs.

The southern gothic vibe is definitely present, but it wasn’t enough to carry the story for me. I considered DNFing multiple times. That said, I do think there’s an audience for this, especially YA readers who enjoy slow-burn horror.

🖤 What You Can Expect
• YA Southern Gothic
• Small town secrets
• Complicated family dynamics
• Eerie, atmospheric vibes
• Multiple POVs

🗓 Pub Date: May 27, 2025
🎧 Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the ARC. All thoughts are my own.


📖 Final Score: 2.5 ⭐️ (rounded up to 3)
🎧 Audio Score: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️

I was really excited to get this audiobook, but to be honest, it just wasn’t my cup of tea. It was a little hard to follow and just lacked that something to keep me really interested.

3.5 stars rounded up.

This was a book with a very cool, creepy premise that sadly just failed on the follow-through. I think young adult readers will enjoy it when venturing into the horror/mystery genre, but more could have been done.

After a local teenager goes missing, his disappearance brings together four other young adults from Carrion and nearby Clearwater as they work through the mystery: Neera, whose family owns the hotel where he disappeared from, Sam, his one time best friend and the estranged daughter of Clearwater's enforcer, Isaiah, who runs a podcast focused on mysteries occurring in the Southern US, and Reed, another friend of the missing and son of the most powerful man in Clearwater and Carrion. Separately and together, they will uncover a conspiracy almost a century in the making involving demons, crossroads deals, and sacrifice all centered around the area's thirteen-year cicada cycle.

Look, the premise of this is cool. It is very much a YA southern gothic, and that gives it a lot of potential. It's a lot of fun watching these four characters follow their own roles and how they eventually come together to solve the mystery surrounding them. It's creepy and a bit graphic and had a lot going for it. Sadly, it just felt like the ending was fumbled; it was wrapped up too quickly and neatly. The overall supernatural aspects of the story were pretty well glossed over, which was really where the book had the most potential! So, great idea, it just needed to be fleshed out a bit more to really shine.

The audiobook narration is absolutely worth a listen if you're going to pick this book up at all - each of the four narrators brings something so unique and amazing to the story.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an early copy in exchange for an honest review.

Audio Review: The audio is the way to go. There is a podcast in this book and it's a full cast audio. Would highly recommend.

Review: This book is a prime example of how YA books can still appeal to an adult audience. I loved this book. We get an interesting cast of characters coming from various different backgrounds and cultures all mixed up in a southern towns horrors. I was a little surprised by some of the horror elements particularly at the end, because it's YA. I would say this leans on the new adult/ older YA age range.

If you have heard of the Murdaugh murder case (there are lots of documentaries about it) this reminded me of it in some ways. I live in a rural southern town and Xan Kaur was able to bring the horrors that sometimes exist to life. There is commentary on so many important things, wealth, religion, sexuality, gender, this book did it all so well.

If you have read The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, I think you would enjoy this for reasons I can't quite explain here. This is a story I will surely read again. It was heartbreaking, horrifying, and relatable. The writing, plot, storytelling and pacing were all incredible. I have no complaints and that is rare, especially for YA books read as an adult. I have nothing but praise for this and plan to read it again in the future.

3.5 stars (rounded up to 4)

I really enjoyed the storytelling in this YA horror. The atmosphere was rich and unsettling, with a slow build that turned into a full sprint by the end.

The story centers on four teens in a rural Georgia town who come together to uncover the truth behind a local boy’s disappearance. As they dig deeper, they unravel disturbing truths about their community, a dark legend, and a force far more dangerous than they ever expected.

Thank you NetGalley, Macmillan Publishing, and Macmillan Audio for the advanced copies in exchange for my honest review.

3 stars

I loved the premise of this, and I want to really encourage prospective readers to opt for the audiobook when and where available. The multiple narrators bring these characters and their creepy circumstances to life, and they do a good job of differentiating the distinct tones of each section.

While the atmospheric elements and motifs are on point here, I had some challenges with the pacing. I expected and would have loved a brisker pace. I did like how the characters converged but also felt like that should have happened faster and more economically. I additionally expected more of an element of surprise, but I found that I anticipated most of what was coming (including details). Per the genre, I'd have liked some variation in this outcome.

I am definitely interested in reading more from this author and would recommend this to someone looking for a good example of YA horror in a great setting (but who also has a little more patience for the journey than I apparently did).

I am so sorry, but this was so excruciatingly slow. I do not know the point of this book. And it had so much potential!

This is marketed as a modern American gothic and that sounded so cool to me! But this was so disappointing. Nothing happened. It should not take far more than halfway through the book for me to understand the point of the story and what the actual plot is.

This book is supposed to follow a local missing person and investigating what happened to them and all the other spooky happenings around town, but that is not clear up the end of the book. For most of this book, you just see the main characters living their normal lives. The missing person is rarely mentioned.

We get a little bit of an urban legend situation, but even that wasn't really focused on. That could've been so cool! Why wasn't that emphasized more and more at the forefront of this story?? It should've been a spooky time right off the bat, but I was made to wait for it and in a very slow and disappointingly disinteresting way.

Sorry if that was harsh but I think book summaries need to match the actual book so that readers can better manage their expectations.

Thanks to NetGalley for the audiobook ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review! My Goodreads review is up and my TikTok (Zoe_Lipman) will be up at the end of the month with my monthly reading wrap-up.

'When Devils Sing' is great supernatural thriller. Whether it is the cultist behavior of the locals, or making deals with the Devil, Kaur's beautiful imagery never wavers. The novel centers on four teens looking into the disappearance of another friend, which occurs as a strange brood of cicadas erupts from the ground after lying dormant for 13 years. Friendships and loyalty are tested as the search continues. I enjoyed the ensemble narration and the intermittent podcasts. 5 stars.

Wow, just wow. The very first chapter had me crying! This was a so so good! It's start out with am accident and even the accident had a twist in it. Everything is connected and the audio just added so much life to this book. I think this one beautiful written and I could connect with the characters and their struggle was heartbreaking. I would definitely recommend read this and listening to it! Very good!

But there is so much stuff going on in this book as well. There is so much detailed graphic scenes and death that did turn me away a bit. Sometimes it just felt too detailed. Otherwise it was an intense read.

"The Devil went down to Georgia..."

This novel offers a compelling and immersive reading experience, marked by a strong narrative pull that compensates for some structural choices that may not appeal to every reader. While the use of a podcast as a plot device initially felt contrived, the story’s intensity and momentum quickly overshadowed any reservations.

One of the most striking elements is the personification of devils as animals—a creative and unsettling choice that adds a visceral layer to the horror. For readers familiar with the American South, the evocation of the cicada song carries a particularly haunting resonance. Its use here transforms a familiar sound into something deeply sinister, demonstrating the author's skill in recontextualizing regional details to enhance the atmosphere.

This is a standout entry in the genre of religious horror, and it will likely resonate with readers drawn to stories that explore faith, fear, and the supernatural through a Southern Gothic lens.

This was actually a 3.5, but like...an exciting 3.5 if that makes sense. It's got some issues to fine-tune, but it's unique and interesting enough of a story that I know I'm going to watching out for whatever this author does next.

So, the good: the main characters are really interesting! We have a super diverse group with interesting backstories and connections to the main plot. The story begins with them all only vaguely connected and slowly their pov weaves into one as they all get further entrenched in the main plot. I LOVE when books take this route, and while I have definitely seen it done better, the way it's done here isn't bad at all.

And unfortunately, the bad: let's start off with the end, because that's where my main issue lies. The beginning and middle of the book are paced, in my opinion, pretty well in a way that builds suspense for the finale. When we actually get to that finale, however, the pacing turns into a sprint and it just doesn't feel like good payoff at all. I feel like after finishing I still have so many questions and there are so many side characters whose ultimate fate is kind of just left vaguely up in their air or only semi-mentioned in the epilogue. The story is all an allegory for how rich communities in the south bleed existing poor ones dry which is great, and the book ends with it being up in the air over whether or not they'll receive justice. I don't hate that, but I don't think it was accomplished very well. With everything else, it just felt like another piece that was unfulfilling.

I LOVED the horror concepts in this story, but I feel like they were underutilized. We see the devils interacting with Sam and Neera, but it always feels like it's in a set-up context and not really...horror, if that makes sense. The two devils we see are implied to be more morally grey being trapped into this arrangement by their brother who we...never see! Which is crazy to me! He's killed in the finale, but we never see him, never understand what's going on beyond what we get from the pov of panicked teenagers. It's just very frustrating because the concept is cool and I feel like a lot more could have been achieved from the horror side of things.

3.5⭐️

I have some mixed feelings on this book and wonder if I have read the eARC if it would have gone over a bit better as I love the description. It just didn’t grab me the way I would have liked despite it being very well written.
I rounded it up to a 4⭐️ rating as I think there will be many who like the book.

I consumed the audiobook and when it started I was very very worried as I did not like the voice at all! Thankfully the vocals that were used were only for the first chapter.

This book was multi-POV and MacMillian audio utilized 3 narrators which was great. Jennifer Pickens; Landon Woodson, and Michael Crouch. They all did a wonderful job. I particularly enjoy Michael Crouch as he does such a good job with a teen voice. My hesitance with the book is not with the narration at all. I think it’s just the prose for me would lend itself better for me to use my eye balls instead of my ear holes.

That being said it is fast paced and filled with twists and turns that thriller lovers can eat up! I think I may give this another go after it comes out on May 27,2025


I am thankful to have gotten a complimentary audio ALC from MacMillian Audio through NetGalley to read which gave me the opportunity to voluntarily leave a review.

My rating system since GoodReads doesn’t have partial stars

⭐️ Hated it
⭐️⭐️ Had a lot of trouble, prose issues, really not my cup of tea (potentially DNF’d or thought about it)
⭐️⭐️⭐️ Meh, it was an ok read but nothing special
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Really enjoyed it! Would recommend to others
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Outstanding! Will circle back and read again

This was…meh. The overall descriptions of the setting were really well done and the writing was fine. However, everything else was….meh. I found the pacing to be so incredibly slow. The overall plot felt a bit convoluted because the multi-POV did not work for me. I felt like everyone’s narrative voice felt the same. I wanted this to be grittier and gorier, as well. It was also very easy to figure out the big plot twist and I always get a little frustrated when that happens. The audiobook narration was done really well, though.

Thank you to the publisher for an advanced copy of the audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

Welp, I am definitely going to see cicadas in a very different light as they show up this summer and start screaming! I don't want to accidentally make a deal and owe my soul or some lives to that loud insect though I would say maybe that the book title should be When Devils Scream. :) I really got hooked into the story right at the beginning when Sam bargains with her own devil to save her brother. That one action leads to an unforgettable thirteenth year cicada festival that the rich and powerful throw for more power and mysteriously people disappear. You get a lot about class distinction in this book, though the main characters are a good mix of all walks of life. And luckily the skills they are good at can be used to blow open this awful tradition created many years ago at the crossroads of Carrion.

The characters are definitely not perfect, they make mistakes, have their own problems that sometimes get in the way of looking for the missing people, but it makes them interesting and I was invested in the story as the narrators did a great job in bringing them and the town of Carrion and Clear Water to life. I like the added touch of the drowned town too (those are fascinating to me). And it is interesting to see that the devils in this book are actually not the worst, that humans can be the cruelest of all to their fellow humans. So yeah, it is a dark tale with murders, animal cruelty, abuse, and of course deals with devils. It is a good Southern gothic horror that kept me interested the whole time (though the ending kinda was a bit abrupt). I think it is a good debut and I look forward to seeing what this author can create next!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to listen to this captivating horror story!

Southern Gothic Horror.
Gives Outer Banks vibes but without the treasure hunt.

The very first chapter had me enthralled.
Vivid story, felt like I was there. The plot was good.

Great narrators!

Really enjoyed the story.

3.75-4⭐️
🎧 ALC ~ Narrated by Jennifer Pickens; Landon Woodson; Michael Crouch, Anjali Kunapaneni


Overall:
This is a great novel, and probably only classified as YA due to the ages of the main characters, but it's generally a great novel for any level.

Slow pace but you got to know the 4 main characters, but there's some intense subject matter. It was a great delve into how five lives were intertwined and adults manipulated the plot.

Making deals with the devil while being manipulated by influential society members... there's one line that's stuck with me the most 'I may know the devil well, but you are much worse' (or something to that effect).


Small things:
+ The narrators for Reed & Neera were inconsistent with the pronunciation of cicada ((might need to check the text (as an ALC I don't have it to check) to see if there's a typo or reason they were sometimes different))

+ The podcast intros were great, but seemingly random, not sure if this book was supposed to have a part 1/part 2/etc and the podcsts were supposed to be the intros, would help the pacing

I loved this! It was atmospheric and the cast of POVs were distinct. Xan Kaur really nailed the setting and the concept of the folklore of three devils in a small southern town. The audiobook in particular was amazing and enhanced the experience through the editing and voice acting from the narrators.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.25/5

When Devils Sing is a chilling, atmospheric YA Southern Gothic with a propulsive plot and compelling characters.

I had a blast with this one. Xan Kaur’s prose was beautiful and delightfully haunting, presenting a gritty, dark, and immersive story. I loved the depth and urban legends infused into the Lake Clearwater setting and the exploration of a deal with the devil. The fantasy and horror aspects were well-written, and the podcast episodes were very entertaining. The characters were well-developed and intriguing, although I sometimes found it difficult to connect to them. The pacing fit the story nicely, although the ending felt a bit rushed. I highly recommend this haunting debut!

This is one of the most entertaining audiobooks I’ve listened to. Jennifer Pickens, Landon Woodson, and Michael Crouch narrated the story beautifully, capturing the depth and darkness of the novel with their accents and emotions. I also thoroughly enjoyed the narration and production of the realistic podcast episodes. I highly recommend this engaging audiobook!

Thank you to the publisher for the free ALC!

When the Devil Sings by Xan Kaur is the kind of book that grabs you by the throat, kisses your forehead, and then throws you off a cliff. It’s intense. It’s atmospheric. It’s emotionally a lot. And honestly? I loved almost every second of it.

Plot-wise, it’s not one of those books you casually read before bed. It lingers. There’s trauma, desire, complicated morality, and scenes that made me put my Kindle down just to process. If you’re looking for a feel-good escape, this ain’t it. But if you love messy characters, slow-burning obsession, and that deep ache of a story that doesn’t hold your hand—you’re in for a treat.

Highly recommend if you’re into books that emotionally ruin you in the best way.