***Thanks to NetGalley for providing me a complimentary copy of BETTER THE DEVIL by Erik J Brown in exchange for my honest review.***

Minor spoilers

4 STARS

What. A. Wild. Ride.

When a teenager runs away from home to avoid being sent to gay conversion camp, he never plans on taking on the identity of Nathaniel Beaumont, a boy who went missing ten years ago. Nate has never felt love like Valencia Beaumont dotes on him. He can’t believe how lucky he is to have happened into the perfect family. But there’s no such thing as a perfect family.

I enjoyed BETTER THE DEVIL even more than I thought I would. This psychological thriller kept me on the edge of my seat, hoping for a good outcome.

Nate/NotNate was such an interesting, well-developed character. He had a conscience, even when making bad decisions. He cared and had empathy.

SPOILERS BELOW

Two aspects of the book kept me from giving BETTER THE DEVIL five stars. First, the “bad guys” were one dimensional. The homophobes had no redeeming qualities. Not only were they religious zealots, they never loved their son even before discovering he was gay. Villains are more interesting when they have depth. Casting evangelicals in the stereotype of being homophobic is the same as using any stereotype for a minority religion like writing the only Muslims in a book as terrorists or the only priests as pedophiles. The “bad guy” from the Beaumont sector written as if the writer looked up signs serial killers showed as children and gave the character each of the diagnostic criteria for Conduct Disorder in children. I highly doubt a ten year old boy could strangle a six year old. From what I’ve read, strangulation takes about ten minutes, unlike what we see on tv. No matter how strong the older child, he probably couldn’t even strangle a toddler, but possibly could an infant.

The second aspect that kept me from adding a fifth star was the multiple spree killings at the end of the book, again making the perpetrator a one dimensional bad seed.

I really enjoyed this. Imagine you impersonate someone who’s been missing for a long time, and then figure out that he might have actually been murdered. This plot was wild from start to finish, and I could not put it down. It was easy to read and it is first person with no alternate narrators.

Thanks to NetGalley for a copy of this ARC! If you enjoy YA thrillers make sure to add this to your list. Coming January 2026

I really liked this! It's a fun mystery, and the plotline of a teen impersonating a missing person is one that works really well for YA. I did know pretty much immediately that Eaton killed Nate, and parts of this did feel a little bit like Brown went on the JonBenet Ramsey subreddit and transferred those theories to a story about a boy, but otherwise I had not complaints. Definitely will recommend this to mystery/thriller fans!

Thank you Netgalley and Storytide for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

In “Better the Devil,” Erik J. Brown delivers a taut and emotionally resonant psychological thriller that combines high-stakes suspense with heart-wrenching themes of identity, trauma, and the desperate need to belong. With a premise that grabs you from page one and doesn’t let go, this is a YA thriller that cuts deep—not just into its central mystery, but into the soul of its protagonist. Before going into the book, I do want to mention content warnings that include religious homophobia, identity trauma, psychological manipulation, violence, and attempted medical assault.

The story follows a queer homeless teen who, after being arrested for shoplifting, makes a split-second, life-altering decision: he assumes the identity of Nate Beaumont, a boy who vanished ten years ago. What starts as a desperate act to escape being sent back to his homophobic, emotionally abusive parents quickly spirals into a complex web of lies, secrets, and danger.

The adopted identity unexpectedly places him into the warm embrace of the Beaumonts—a family that seems to offer everything his real parents never did: affection, protection, and unconditional love. And yet, the idyllic new life is quickly shadowed by eerie occurrences and an escalating sense of threat. Someone knows he’s not really Nate and they’re getting closer. Worse, the truth about what happened to the real Nate might be more horrifying than anyone suspects.

Brown's writing is razor-sharp, immersive, and propulsive. You will be drawn in by the suspense, but it’s the emotional depth of the main character that gives the book staying power. Nate (the name he goes by for the entirety of the book) is a layered, sympathetic character. His guilt over lying, his longing to be accepted, and the trauma of growing up unloved by his real parents who nearly sent him to a conversion camp make him painfully relatable. His desire to be seen and loved for who he is, without condition, is the book’s emotional heartbeat. I felt so much sympathy for Nate with his need to belong that so many people can relate to.

The plot unfolds with steadily mounting tension and just the right number of red herrings. Clues to the mystery are sprinkled generously enough that astute readers might guess the perpetrator, but the reveal still lands hard, arriving earlier than expected and giving way to a violent, disturbing final act. The climax is harrowing, complete with scenes that are genuinely unhinged and edge-of-your-seat terrifying, including an attempted lobotomy that adds an extra layer of psychological horror.

Despite the darkness, Brown manages to thread in moments of sweetness and hope, particularly through the character of Milo, who becomes both a source of comfort and a symbol of the life Nate might finally have. The romantic subplot is light but meaningful, never overwhelming the thriller core. Most importantly, the story concludes on an emotionally satisfying note, with Nate finally beginning to heal and experience the kind of unconditional love and acceptance he has always craved.

Overall, “Better the Devil” is a chilling, character-driven thriller that explores identity, found family, and the haunting cost of survival. It delivers both pulse-pounding suspense and a deeply human core. Erik J. Brown has crafted a story that will keep you turning pages and leave you thinking long after the final twist.

10/10 obsessed. Finished it in a few hours. The whole thing sucked me in and consumed me. Loved it. Wish I could read again. Would recommend to read.

This book was great. I had high hopes for it after reading the synopsis, which is really intriguing. I sped read this in one afternoon and just loved it. The ending is satisfying, and the plot twist is not forced.

I thought this was a really good young adult read. This is a storyline that is seen quite frequently, but it was done really well, and I think there was a good twist at the end!