Know What You're Getting Into When You Make a Deal With the Devil

Title: Devil and the Bluebird
Author: Jennifer Mason-Black
Series: stand-alone
Publisher: Amulet Books
Publication Date: May 17, 2016
Source: ARC received from publisher
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

“Devil-at-the-crossroads” folklore finds its way to YA via this moody, magical tale.

Blue Riley has wrestled with her own demons ever since the loss of her mother to cancer. But when she encounters a beautiful devil at her town crossroads, it’s her runaway sister’s soul she fights to save. The devil steals Blue’s voice—inherited from her musically gifted mother—in exchange for a single shot at finding Cass.

Armed with her mother’s guitar, a knapsack of cherished mementos, and a pair of magical boots, Blue journeys west in search of her sister. When the devil changes the terms of their deal, Blue must reevaluate her understanding of good and evil and open herself to finding family in unexpected places.

In Devil and the Bluebird, Jennifer Mason-Black delivers a heart-wrenching depiction of loss and hope.

Devil and the Bluebird was nothing like I was expecting and I may have liked it all the more because of it. You tell me there's a devil in the story, and I am so in. Plus, sister stories are always worth a read, having two sisters of my own and never really understanding either of them completely. And it should also be known that I can't say no to characters named Blue. ;0)

Much as Blue had been expecting someone different when she went to the crossroads, I was just as surprised at the identity of the would-be devil. Namely, that he was a her. Honestly, that shouldn't have really shocked me, not with all of the Supernatural I watch, but it did change all of my expectations for this book.

I guess I was hoping for some forbidden romance between the devil and Blue. Which would have been top-notch, but I think what the author does with this story is even more amazing. It's a coming-of-age story, about finding your voice (literally) and discovering your own path, and all of the ups and downs that come along with it. It's a story of loss and hope, of love and acceptance. That last one plays a BIG part in this story.

Blue makes friends and allies on her trek, but she also finds the meaning of true evil along the way. She discovers that things are not always what they seem but that she should trust her instincts when it comes to real danger. And she learns that family can come in many forms.

This story felt like a folk song, eclectic and rich. (It also made me want to rewatch Supernatural.) What a beautiful, poignant novel, full of heart and a hint of magic. A very lovely debut, to be sure.

GIF it to me straight:

NTS: Always get the terms of the contract IN FULL before offering up your soul to a beautiful, silver-tongued devil.

About the author:

Jennifer is a lifelong fan of most anything with words. She’s checked for portals in every closet she’s ever encountered, and has never sat beneath the stars without watching for UFOs. Her stories have appeared in The Sun, Strange Horizons, and Daily Science Fiction, among others. DEVIL AND THE BLUEBIRD is her first novel. She lives in Massachusetts.

Find Jennifer:

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