Book Review: Soultstice (The Devouring Book 2) by Simon Holt

Soulstice (The Devouring Book 2) by Simon Holt

Six months . . .

Since Reggie first discovered the existence of the Vours in a tattered journal. Since her little brother, Henry, began to mutilate animals and turn against her. Since she learned to devour her fear and destroyed a Vour to save Henry.

The Vours still haunt Reggie, but only in her dreams - until one horrifying night, when an unexpected visitor turns her nightmares into reality

Review

Six months after the events of The Devouring, Reggie Halloway still hasn't seen any sign of the Vours. Aside from terrifying dreams and disturbing memories, all has been quiet in her world. I knew it was only a matter of time before all hell broke loose though, and this made me extremely jumpy right from the get-go. So when sweet, docile Henry (the Vour free version, that is) was involved in a violent episode at school, it was pretty easy to ascertain that this was "game on!" From that point on it was non stop action and nail biting suspense. First stop-the police station, where Aaron undergoes the most terrifying interogation I've ever heard of. Then, one night as she is sleeping, Reggie hears a certain someone murmuring "Wakey, Wakey!" But it wasn't just a dream- he was alive and in her bedroom- in the dark. (First of all, the thought of waking up to find someone is watching me sleep is frightening enough. When you add in the fact that this is a person who was supposed to be dead, well I can't even imagine that kind of shock! Oh and by the way- he's pretty disturbed (to say the least) from being frozen and nearly drowned too! The twist is that instead of coming after Reggie, he suggests a tentative alliance. The Vours are now after him and he needs all the help he can get. Reggie really has no choice but to reluctantly agree. But will their tense team-up be enough to save the people in her life from a second round of Vour attacks?

Reggie is an exhausted but valiant crusader against the Vours and she proves again that to save those she loves, there's nothing she won't do. But Soulstice is more than just a bloody, gory horror novel--it's fascinating and horribly compelling (not to mention terribly creepy). When the book kicked off, there was already so much tension in the air, you could cut it with a knife. We already know from The Devouring what dangers lurk in dark places - we found out that yes, there are monsters in the closet and yes, they are coming for you! But while The Devouring centered around our physical fears - killer clowns, spiders, demented mothers, etc, Soulstice instead explores deeper issues and also provides more insight into the Vours themselves, making for a thrilling sequel. One piece of advice- these books are not for the faint of heart, and don't make the mistake of thinking you can read them at night and then drift off into a peaceful slumber!

Reading level: Young Adult
Hardcover: 272 Pages
Publisher: Little, Brown Young Readers (September 1, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0316035718
ISBN-13: 978-0316035712
Buy at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Borders, Books-a-Million, etc

Simon Holt's writing career began with a horror fanzine in high school, the publishing of which overheated the school's photocopier. Undaunted by detention, he's continued to pursue writing ever since. Holt supported himself as a hotel night clerk and a handbag salesman before becoming a full-time novelist. A comic book collector and amateur musician, he makes his home in Chicago.