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I received this book for free from Macmillan Books in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
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When Devils Sing by Xan Kaur Narrator: Anjali Kunapaneni, Jennifer Pickens, Landon Woodson & Michael Crouch
Length: 12 hours 30 minutes
Published by Henry Holt and Company (BYR) on May 27, 2025
Genres: Young Adult Fiction / Horror, Young Adult Fiction / Thrillers & Suspense / Supernatural
Pages: 400
Format: Audiobook, eBook
Source: Macmillan Books
Buy on Bookshop, Buy on Libro.fm
Goodreads
This deluxe edition is printed with stenciled edges and a stunning foil-stamped case!
An Instant New York Times and Indie Bestseller
A Goodreads Most Anticipated Horror Novel
"A true blood-soaked Southern Gothic for the modern age.” —Andrew Joseph White, New York Times–bestselling author of Hell Followed With Us and The Spirit Bears its Teeth
Four unlikely allies in a small town investigate a local teen's disappearance, and what they discover festering at the core of their community is far more sinister and ancient than they could’ve ever imagined. For fans of She is a Haunting, True Detective, Mexican Gothic, and Midsommar.
When Dawson Sumter goes missing, all he leaves behind is a smattering of blood in room 4 of the debt-ridden motel owned by Neera Singh's family. Disappearances like this aren't uncommon in the rural Georgia town of Carrion, especially every thirteen years when a periodical cicada brood returns from underground, shrieking their deafening screams.
For Neera, Dawson is another reminder that in this corner of the South, the rich only get richer, and the poor—well, nothing good comes their way.
Neera sets out to investigate Dawson’s whereabouts—if he even still lives—along with three other teens: Isaiah, son of a prominent judge and clandestine true crime podcaster; Reid, son of the wealthiest man in the region; and Sam, estranged daughter of the local hitman. As they find themselves entangled in a messy web of secrets and lies, they discover the riches of the adjacent Lake Clearwater community may have a terrifying source of power dating back to the town’s founding and an ancient urban legend about three devils, each more sinister than the next. How deep does the rot go, and can they find a way to escape its reach?
When Devils Sing by Xan Kaur is a supernatural, Southern Gothic thriller with a diverse cast of characters. The audiobook features a multi-cast narration that supports the multi-POV the book is told in. It even pulls you into a podcast of one of the characters! It will give you the creeps as you try to figure out the mystery of the town which includes a brood of exceedingly loud (and gross- my personal feelings about them)cicadas that show up every 13 years. Because every time the cicadas appear, at least 13 people disappear that year under mysterious circumstances.
Umm, Where is the Church?
First of all, the setting of this book is the small Southern town of Carrion in rural southern Georgia, an area that has all the wealth and everything one with wealth could desire… except a church. That’s your first clue that something ain’t right, for more than one reason. The second clue, being the obvious death associated name of the town.
The Devil Went Down to Georgia
Which brings me to my next observation, if there had been a church, maybe these kids wouldn’t be running around making deals with the devil all the time! I mean golllee! Not to mention there are three devils in the town and they are brothers. It follows the folklore saying, “The devil you know, the devil you don’t know and the one you wish you had never met.”
Southern Gothic Literature & Diversity
I am definitely a fan of Southern Gothic literature, but it’s not often diverse. I really appreciated the diversity of the characters and love that a Punjabi-American author wrote the book. The characters are diverse culturally, economically and regarding their sexual orientation. The main characters feature a Punjabi girl, Neera Singh, whose family owns a struggling motel; an African American boy Isaiah, whose father is a judge; a poor white girl, Sam, whose father is the local hitman and rich white boy, Reid, whose family is the wealthiest in the area. The characters are connected through various aspects of their lives, but they also have to work together to solve the sinister mystery at the core of the town they live in.
Love a Podcast
I loved that a true crime podcast was integrated into the story. I’ve seen other authors use this technique, like Samira Ahmed and Tiffany D. Jackson and I love it. As an educator, that’s an element that I believe integrates multimedia into the storytelling and it’s a great way to recapture a readers attention and place them even deeper in the story. It works great with audiobooks too.
For the Elder Millennials Only
The elder millennials who read this book will instantly recognize the vibes of the TV show American Gothic. It was a very short run show set in the South where the devil ran the town in disguise. I will also warn you that I caught a Reba McIntyre earworm that kept popping up. It was absolutely the wrong song, “The Night The Lights Went Out in Georgia”. However, there is a song called “The Devil Went Down to Georgia” that would be correctly associated with this book. I just like Reba. 😂
I recommend When Devils Sing to fans of Liselle Sambury’s books, especially if you liked her recent one Tender Beasts.
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