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I've really enjoyed the other stories I've read from Terry M. West, so I had very high hopes for The Devil's List, and while it sadly wasn't a new favorite for me, I did still have a lot of fun reading it! It takes place in the 80s and in a very rural, “country” sort of setting, and the language — not only in the dialogue, but in the narrative voice as well — reflects that flawlessly. I was amazed at how totally absorbed into the setting I felt.
I also loved the idea of this demon swaying this young man to do its bidding, and the fact that it seemed so inspired by the boy's late mother's terrifying stories she used to tell him. With such an unreliable narrator, I spent so much of the story wondering if the demon even truly existed, and while I won't spoil anything, I will say that I'm still reeling from some of the back story surrounding this guy!
All of that aside, my only real struggle with The Devil's List is that I didn't enjoy the slur usage or the fact that our murderer spent so much time targeting gay men. This is one of those stories where I'm glad it wasn't the first thing I picked up from West, because I knew enough to rest easy feeling that it was only a way of vilifying the narrator, and not the author's own personal viewpoints.
These complaints aside, I'll still heartily recommend Terry M. West as an author, and I can't wait to read more from him. I know my complaints are the sort of thing that a lot of other horror readers will be able to more easily separate themselves from while reading, so definitely give this or another of Terry's stories a chance if you're looking for a fun, incredibly engaging little horror read.
Thank you so much to the author for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review!
