3 out of 4 stars
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Bing and Ron Slaughter are your average teens. They have a band with their friends Kaitlyn and Meat, and their biggest worries are test scores, getting into college, and if the mustache and beard of Mr. Brom, the history teacher dedicated to making their lives difficult, are naturally black and red. However, when a night of band practice and group studying is interrupted by a storm, hooded figures, and a car chase, they discover there are even bigger and darker things to worry about. Facing two warring sides of darkness, an evil dagger, and equipped with new talents and comrades, the group must fight to save the world and hopefully make it back for their SAT test.
When I first saw the cover of this novel, I was incredibly unsure of what to expect. There was such a trippy feel to the book when I saw purple lightning, cloaks, and, of all things, golf clubs and a golf ball. If you put all those things together, it almost sounds like a bad joke. Surprisingly, Demon Freaks was not a joke at all.
Blending young adult, horror and comedy elements is not something one expects to be easy, but J.R.R.R. Hardison seamlessly uses all three to create a fast-paced, wacky and fun read with Demon Freaks. There was never a dull moment, and while most scenes were comedic and hilarious, there was also action, friendship and surprising bits of emotion within the pages. When not fully immersed in the story, I often found myself thinking of just how cinematic the read was. From action scenes, settings, and character descriptions, the language in the work had depth without being long-winded, and it was easy to create a mental picture.
For such a short read, I was pleasantly surprised. With dialogue and inner monologues that gave insight to relationships and decisions, the characters were relatable from the first chapter. I continuously found myself empathizing with the Slaughter twins, Kaitlyn or Meat - from moments of anger, tension, to even secondhand embarrassment and face-palming frustration. The pop culture references made by the author will undoubtedly help readers engage and relate to each of the teens, and even the adults, in the story. However, I would not say the characters develop or grow very much.
I admit that Demon Freaks was slightly predictable at times. This is not a severe fault, necessarily, considering many YA and horror works have certain beats, almost like a formula or method for creation, they sometimes follow. The more you read and look for details, the more you find the pieces that indicate where the plot is going. Despite this, Demon Freaks had its moments of surprise, and I never lacked in my enjoyment while reading.
Overall, I really enjoyed Hardison’s Demon Freaks. It was incredibly quirky, funny and offbeat. This work is a fast read, able to appeal to younger and older readers, as well as newer and experienced readers alike. While there were no noticeable errors in writing, and the book had humorous dialogue, and unique ideas and plot, there were a few moments of predictability and dullness. Due to this, the novel was good, but not excellent. I give the book 3 out of 4 stars.
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Demon Freaks
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Like AnnaKathleen's review? Post a comment saying so!
I was hesitant at first, but I really enjoyed it. I hope if you decide to check it out, you do too!
