When Life Gives You Demons

by Jennifer Honeybourn

Shelby Black has spent the past six months training to be an exorcist. Her great-uncle Roy - a Catholic priest - has put her through exorcist boot camp hell, hoping to develop her talent, but ohmygod, he still doesn’t trust her to do an exorcism on her own.

High school is hard enough without having to explain that you fight demons for a living, so Shelby keeps her extracurricular activity to herself. The last thing she wants is for her crush, Spencer, to find out what she does in her off time.

But Shelby knows how to keep a secret - even a big one. Like the fact that her mum left under mysterious circumstances and it’s all her fault. Shelby is hellbent on finding her mum, no matter what it costs her - even if what it ends up costing her is her soul AND a relationship with Spencer.

• ISBN10: 1250158230
• ISBN13: 9781250158239
• Publish Date: 1 August 2018
• Publish Status: Active
• Out of Print: 29 October 2021
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: St Martin's Press
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 272
• Language: English

Reviews

[zooloo1983]

So this book was cute and I really loved the book cover too. If this was not a YA book, I think some of the scenes during the exorcism could have been damn right frightening, but because this was a YA the content had been reduced down to not cause too much of a scare. 

I liked Shelby, she is very endearing, and she is a trainee exorcist whose mother has gone away to a secret training camp in Italy....so we are told. Shelby has to struggle with the day to day high school life of pop quizzes and dramas, whilst training with her Uncle Roy in a boot camp, which she hates.

She is tutored by Spencer as she is falling behind on her classwork, and he has his own secrets and an attraction between the two is formed.

Going to a Catholic school, she can not say anything to anyone about her double life, including her best friend Vanessa for the fear of being a pariah. I found that interesting because she is trying to stop the evil spirits not help them, but then this is high school and anything that is a little bit different is picked upon. 

I did enjoy the book, however, I thought that some parts of the book had been rushed, and when it came to the big bad it was all over in a couple of sentences. There was not much of a build-up and it was over too quickly for my liking. I wanted more backstory about the big bad and questions to be answered.

I feel like this could be made into a book series so we could learn more about the family and the demons that they are hunting and build on the foundations set in this book. Fingers crossed....

[Sam@WLABB]

Who knew a book about a teenaged exorcist could be so charming and delightful?

• Pro: You will see this in a million reviews for this book, but it's only because it's so true. This book definitely scratched a Buffy-type itch for me. Shelby shared a lot of similarities with Buffy. She was a little snarky with a great sense of humor, and also struggled finding the balance between fighting demons and being an average teenager. This plus the raging guilt about her mother's disappearance endeared Shelby to me.

• Pro: So. Much. Fun. This book may have dealt with some dark themes, but it was kept on the light and fluffy side. I laughed and grinned and smiled and simply enjoyed it so much.

• Pro: The relationship between Shelby and Uncle Roy was very sweet. They each cared a lot about the other, and showed it in many different, not so obvious ways.

• Pro: There's just not enough YA books featuring teen exorcists. I love that authors are incorporating new and different topics into their books, and I found Honeybourn's approach to this topic interesting. The main focus was from the traditional Catholic viewpoint, but eventually, other schools of thought regarding exorcism/demon hunter were incorporated, which was all quite fascinating.

• Pro: Honeybourne did a fantastic job guiding us through the exorcisms. There was lots of detail when we were in the midst of the actual exorcism and also, written reports.

• Con: The resolution was a bit rushed. It wasn't terrible, but I was surprised at how quickly we reached that point.

• Pro: The romance was so sweet. The does-he, doesn't-he and all the excitement Shelby felt with every accidental brush or longing gaze made me smile. I do wish there had been a little more of this adorable romance though.

Overall: A fun and fast-paced look at what it takes to be a teen exorcist. It was a delight tagging along with Shelby as juggled her family obligations, her schoolwork, and the matters of her heart.

*ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

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[jeannamichel]

Undeniably entertaining!

When life gives you demons, you exorcise them, of course. Shelby is an exorcist in training but certainly doesn't want anyone to know about that part of her life. When she finds out the truth about her absent mother, it's difficult to keep her occupation a secret. When Life Gives You Demons by Jennifer Honeybourn follows Shelby as she navigates through high school and demon hunting.

Based on the title and synopsis you can easily expect a few things from this novel. It's a book that is absolutely hilarious and will certainly have you laughing out loud. Also, despite dealing with demons, the story is undeniably adorable.

I've never before read about a teen who is interested and is in training to become an exorcist. When Life Gives You Demons offers such a unique flare to the contemporary genre.

The writing is extremely fast paced. Honeybourn writes action packed sequences very well. When Life Gives You Demons is certainly a book every reader can finish in one sitting. Not only is it bite-sized but it’s laugh out loud hilarious and filled with tons of fun!

Shelby is an interesting and headstrong character. She's stubborn and flawed but never ceases to make readers laugh in the face of danger. Shelby’s voice is very conversational. Her narrative targets the younger YA crowd but the funny plot is sure to entertain readers of all ages. She is super likable. Though as much as I don't think we would be besties, her occupation as an exorcist in training is compelling and curious.

Unfortunately, there's a few holes in the story when other character roles are revealed. This could have been easily remedied with a bit more background or character depth.

Despite liking Shelby, she is the only character readers ever really get to know. I would have loved to know more about Spencer, Shelby's crush or even about the cool demon hunting league at the cabin. There were so many opportunities that readers could get more tidbits on all the characters. Yet, readers only get small facts about each character. They lacked substance, making it quite difficult to really care for any character besides Shelby. Unfortunately, When Life Gives You Demons is filled with flat characters.

The story is a bit predictable, despite having such a fun and entertaining premise. Readers can see what is coming next from miles away. Even the reveals and twists were easy to guess.

The ending leaves the story on a happy note and even opens it up for a possible sequel in the future. This fun adventure leaves readers satisfied.

For fans of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Jennifer Honeybourn's new book gives readers one wild ride. When Life Gives You Demons is such good fun with an action packed story, headstrong protagonist and a unique plot.