I was a bit skeptical when I first started this one, it was on the slow side and there wasn’t much to be afraid of. I needn’t have worried because as the book progressed, so did the creep factor. This is broken up into three parts; part one is told by Stevie a ten year old boy. His cousin and best friend Jude is missing and he’s frantic with worry. Part two is told from Rosie’s perspective, she’s a young woman living deep in the forest of Deer Valley, Oregon with her husband and she desperately wants a child. Part three is when things really start to get intense and downright horrifying as the storylines merge together.

Even though the pacing for the beginning of Jude’s story was a bit slow for me, I was very taken in by his character. This poor kid, he lives with his detached mother, his abusive stepfather and his jerky older brother. His only friend is Jude and he’s lost and frightened without him. He stutters and does this odd rhyming thing when he speaks, so as you can imagine school is a nightmare for him. On top of all of that, he’s struggling in regards to his mental health and no one seems to care very much. I wanted to take care of this sweet boy and give him the love and affection he deserves, he really got under my skin. Then there’s Rosie whose one wish is to be a mother and when she miscarried, my heart broke. I don’t want to discuss her too much as anything I would say would be a spoiler, but my heart really went out to her.

The setting of the small town of Deer Valley that’s surrounded by a dense forest was a perfect backdrop for the horrors Ahlborn created. From the trees that seemed to whisper secrets to the people who dared to venture into the forest to the animals who seemed otherworldly in a highly disturbing way, the author absolutely nailed the atmosphere of this book. This one is gory and graphic, I was chilled to the bone many times while reading. Have you ever been watching a scary movie and kind of watched with one eye open? That was me reading this. The epilogue was utter perfection, I was petrified and pleased by it, and by now you guys now how much a strong ending means to me. If you’re a mystery/thriller fan who doesn’t mind supernatural elements and graphic descriptions, give this one a chance.

Well, that was something! The horror genre is basically what I grew up on, so I’m always happy to discover an author I can depend on for a horrifically good time. I read Ania Ahlborn’s Brother, and it became a favorite. So I didn’t even hesitate when I saw The Devil Crept In. Hell, I didn’t even check what it was about. Totally paid off, though!

The Devil Crept In is a disturbing, twisted tale that made me squirm in discomfort at times. And that’s how I like it! It has somewhat of a slower pace in the beginning, but still managed to suck me in. It’s definitely worth sticking with, because what the eff? That was some messed up shit! Trust me, that’s a compliment.

The author really does a fantastic job weaving this creepy story with authentic characters, eerie atmosphere, and solid plot. I do love Brother more, but this book absolutely delivers a well written, spin-tingling horror story. You’ll want to lockup your pets and children after you read it. And definitely stay out of the woods. You’ve been warned!

An Ania Ahlborn book is always a great choice for Women In Horror Month, and The Devil Crept In is a particularly powerful and emotionally resonant novel to spend a few days with.

This is a story of a missing child, Jude, and his cousin's search for answers. Stevie, though, suffers from a number of problems, the top of which are some psychiatric disorders, including echolalia, which prompts him to repeat words and rhyme nonsensically. The status of his mental health is in constant question, and Ahlborn does a solid job using this doubt to generate a layer of suspense. We, as readers, trust Stevie and the account Ahlborn delivers, but the doubt and unreliability he possess in the eyes of others, particularly his own family, and the discounting of his claims as little more than urban legend, provide a certain dark edge of distrust.

Much of the book's first third is a slow-burn, as the author unpacks the central mysteries of her story in Deep Valley and slowly ratchets up the suspense. By the end of Part Two (of Three), this sucker is flying toward resolution, providing plenty of worthy squirmy moments along the way, and more than a scene or two that should leave plenty of folks in dismay. And given the particular nature of abuse toward children presented, particularly in the latter half of Part Two, I was compelled to hug my kid for just a little bit longer, out of love and gratitude.

Ahlborn does a masterful job of layering her story with several concepts of classic horror, taking the "less is more" approach. Her words carry a subtle guidance toward the truth of her narrative, leading us down particular paths and letting our own imagination do a lot of the heavy lifting. Alongside this is an element of creeping dread and a heady atmosphere brought on by the forested setting, and the nightmare lurking within the woods.

[Note: I received an advanced copy of this title from the publisher via NetGalley.]

Stevie is a kid no one takes seriously. Even his own family thinks he is imagining things. But when his cousin Jude goes missing, Stevie knows Jude is in serious trouble, and that his disappearance has ties to the body of another young boy found years ago

This is a creepy book! It's got some seriously scary small town secrets from the past horror going on.

Ahiborn does a great job of executing twists and turns. I never felt like I knew where the story was going or what was going to happen.This kept me hooked, and kept me reading.


It was hard to find a character to like in this novel, which I do definitely think was something Ahiborn did on purpose. Everyone is sad, and troubled, and beaten down by life and circumstances, and no one acts the way you want them to. (I did sympathize with Stevie, but found it hard to connect with him.) This is not necessarily a negative, but the book was so dark on top of this, it was hard to find any sign of light.


This is one of those books that leaves me not entirely sure how I feel about it. I sometimes struggled with it because it was so dark, but there was also something about it that kept me hooked, and made me keep reading. I finished this book in about two days, which definitely says something. I had to know what was going to happen.

"Or it could have been that Jude was the next Max Larsen. Dunk had told the tale a dozen times, probably more. A kid goes into the forest and never comes out. Two weeks later, his body is discovered. Mangled. Half-eaten. Swelling up like a balloon. The cops called it an animal attack, but everyone knew it was the work of a madman."....

Years ago a young boy disappeared, and later was found dead. Now another young boy, Jude Brighton, is missing. His cousin,Stevie, is desperate to find him, hopefully alive.

Around town pets have been disappearing. Would a killer of animals also be the killer of young boys? Are the cases connected? The story takes place in Deer Valley, Oregon.

We follow the horrifying twists and turns as everyone tries to find Jude. Will Jude be found dead or alive? Will the killer be a stranger, or someone they all know? There are things you won't see coming.

The boys don't lead very good family lives. Is evil lurking close by? Are there monsters in the woods? Shocking and scary. Jude won't be the only one you'll be afraid for.

If you've not read any Ania Ahlborn horror stories, I highly recommend them. If you want a different and unpredictable horror story, this is your author. When you can actually feel the fear coming off the pages through the characters, you know you've found a well written horror story.

Thank you Ania Ahlborn, Netgalley, Gallery, Threshold, Pocket
Books.

Ania Ahlborn pumps fresh blood into a familiar plot with The Devil Crept In. Small towns, unspeakable evil, and missing kids are plot staples that every horror author plays with at some time. But The Devil Crept In doesn't feel like it's running down a well-worn path. Instead there's just enough familiarity to coax you into a false sense of security. You'll finish it with a sigh of satisfaction if you've been craving a classic type of horror read.

The main character is Stevie who is a ten year old boy with some form of mental illness. He is cognizant enough of his mental state to realize that he's not normal. His word salad, hallucinations, etc, are all things that he deals with daily. He has no friends, his dad left because of it, and he's pretty much ostracized in the town because he's 'the weird kid'. Basically, a fairly accurate representation of the isolation and struggles that someone with untreated mental illness goes through on a daily basis. While I do have some associations with adult schizophrenics and other people with mental illnesses, I have never talked with one suffering from echolalia or seen them deal with visual hallucinations. So, I say 'fairly accurate' without having specific backup experience, just to be clear.

So, needless to say, when the feces flies, Stevie isn't exactly the most reliable witness. But he's a curious, brave, and strong little boy who is determined to find out what has happened to his cousin/best friend Jude. What he finds would be enough to scare the dickens out of even the most mentally stable person. What he finds is on a level that would make even 'normal' kids be given the stink-eye. But Stevie, like all plucky kid heroes, doesn't sit back and shut up. In The Devil Crept In, Stevie's bravery bursts out. Stevie's communication issues never make reading the story an issue, by the way.

The Devil Crept In is a disturbing, atmospheric novel that channels some old-school horror greatness. Two stories are told, with one starting several years back and leading up to present day. The switching back and forth is not excessive, and Ahlborn is careful about how much she reveals. There are characters to root for (sometimes even against your will) and well-placed action. Readers with kids may find a few of the scenes to be hard to handle, but it's worth it to push through them.

Ania Ahlborn is a talented horror writer. If she continues to deliver novels of this caliber, she'll be a force to be reckoned with in a few years.

I loved this book! It was creepy and weird, but in the best way possible! This was truly a uniquely twisted story. The characters were great and the storytelling was fantastic. I will definitely read more from Ania Ahlborn.

“I wouldn’t go in those woods if I were you."

Stevie is lucky enough to live next door to his best friend, who happens to be his cousin. They love exploring the woods around Deer Valley, Oregon, where they live.

In the past they've stayed away from the old house in the woods, the one down the old logging road. But, boys will be boys, and they eventually find themselves exploring areas they KNOW they shouldn't.

Author Ania Ahlborn is one twisted woman. This is one creepy tale - with the young boys, the derelict house, the monster in the shadows - and there's some despicable behavior by the people that should know better in this tale, too.

I LOVED probably the first third of the book. From the first page it caught my attention and held on to it with blood-stained claws. But the middle of the book had a lot of filler and the pace slowed down considerably in my opinion. It started to pick up again in the final third and it had a good ending, although it felt rather safe.

The last book of Ahlborn's I read was BROTHER and it was a nasty, creepy, ba**s to the wall, over the top relentless tale that didn't slow down at all. This one was well worth reading but didn't measure up to BROTHER. I know, I know - they're different stories, blah, blah, blah and I did give this story 4 stars because Ahlborn is quite an exceptional writer. I probably shouldn't compare the two books but it's human nature and I'm human.

I received this book from Gallery Books through Net Galley in exchange for my unbiased review.

I enjoyed this book overall. It was a rather slow starting book for me and I had a hard time really getting into the story at first. The whole first part of the book just didn't do a lot for me. The second section of the book picked up a bit and I found myself really getting interested. By the time, I got to the third part of the book, I was hooked and I couldn't wait to see how everything would come together.

Stevie is a 10 year old boy living with his mom, step-dad, and brother, Dunk. He lives next door to his best friend, Jude, who is also his cousin. Jude is missing at the opening of the book and Stevie wants everyone to look for him a bit harder than they are. He decides to do his own detective work and does a little investigating of his own.

Everyone is searching the wood of Deer Creek for Jude. Jude and Stevie have always spent a lot of time in the woods, building forts and looking at that spooky house by the logging road. There always seems to be a lot of stray animals in and around the woods as well. In fact, all of the animals in Deer Creek seem to be in the woods instead of neighborhood homes and backyards.

A large portion of this book is told from Stevie's point of view. Stevie is young, scared, and confused by the things that are happening. He has echolalia which means that his speech patterns tend to have a lot of repetition. I think that the author did a fantastic job of showing how hard it was for Stevie to be taken seriously and get his thoughts out. Stevie is not a character that I ever really liked. I felt bad for him with his speech difficulties but I became tired of reading his repetitive speech.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a creepy story. This is the second book by Ania Ahlborn that I have read and while I didn't like it nearly as much as I enjoyed Brother, I found it to be a solid story. I can't wait to read more of this author's work soon.

I received an advance reader edition of this book from Gallery, Threshold, Pocket Books via NetGalley.

Creepy is not going to cover it with this book. This book is beyond creepy. Recommended to all

This was a book that I wasn't sure how good it was going to be until I realized on the first night I had already finished half of it and needed to sleep! I did finish it the second night, it was a quick read but I think that's because it was so interesting. I do not like to get into plot lines because of fear that I will spoil it for someone but I was kept intrigued the whole time and while I did not find it to be scary, it was full of suspense! In the last few minutes of the book my Kindle batter charge message came on and I went crazy to plug it in because I need to finish it.

There are a few questions I have after the book that I am not sure if they were left unanswered on purpose. I lean towards yes -- that the author meant to leave some ambiguity to it. It wasn't too much that I am left unsatisfied though. I am just a needs to know kind of person so it could just be me. At any rate, I highly recommend this book.

Ania Ahlborn’s The Devil Crept In is the new Are You Afraid of the Dark? for adults–a lot of you will know that reference *wink*. Centered around a small town in Oregon, this novel had just enough bite to be entertaining, yet, the jury is still out on whether or not anyone’s going to be kept up late at night thinking about this one.

Stevie Clark is a 10-year-old loner—rather, he has no friends other than his best friend and cousin, Jude. His slight speech impediment (echolalia) and missing fingers on one hand make him an outsider, the weird kid in the eyes of other kids. Add to that his abusive father-in-law who knows his way around a belt, and you can image how distraught Stevie would be when, one day his best friend, Jude, goes missing. When Jude suddenly turns back up, he’s…different: blank in the face, unresponsive to questions…his skin is peeling and itchy and…well, he’s attracting all the mangy, sickly neighborhood cats like some sort of sick beacon for wildlife…

All the makings of an excellent novel are here. Ahlborn even did a good job of stepping into a 10-year-old’s shoes and showing us Stevie’s world through his eyes. Stevie was as unreliable a narrator as you would expect from an elementary schooler, seeing shadows in the night and tripping and falling all over himself every time he sensed something—a moving shadow, a twitch in his periphery—out of the ordinary. His relationship to his peers and neighbors, his possibly overactive imagination—it all bundled together to work in this package. The Devil Crept In featured two converging story lines, which Ahlborn did an okay job at integrating—I say “okay” because I was prepared to throw the back of my hand to my forehead with a melodramatic sigh at the cliché-ness of the some of the plot angles. Rosie’s story line, for example, I felt I’d read somewhere already—lots of places, actually. It read like a horror-movie cliché that’d been overdone too many times. Yet, just as I was ready to heave an annoyed sigh, Ahlborn got it together and recovered pretty nicely, definitely helped along by a few awesome turns of phrase that warranted an appreciative pause. Eventually, the creepy crept in and the story lines did, indeed, tie together.

For those of you who are fans Stephen King’s child-centered scary fiction, this one may be a real treat for you! I couldn’t help but think of his “Mile 81,” because of Devil’s tone, descriptions and insight through a determined, though easily frightened, young boy’s eyes. This one read authentically from the POV of a 10-year-old, while using adult language to describe the happenings surrounding these characters. Honestly, I both appreciated that and felt jarred by it.

All in all, Ania Ahlborn’s The Devil Crept In was a fun little read that could’ve been shortened down to 300 pages or so, to make it more streamlined and faster to the action. It had its pros and cons, as many novels do, but there were also more than a few loose ends here left flapping in the breeze, let me tell ya!

With that in mind, I would recommend this novel to anyone in need of a quick jolt of excitement. If you’re not interested in looking under the hood of a read to see how it all connects together—at what every little turned screw and nuance might mean for the overall performance—but you just want to get on with the creepy, pick this one up. It’ll definitely get you where you need to be. But, maybe, don’t read it alone…in the woods…

3-3.5 stars ***

The Devil Crept In by Ania Ahlborn came to my attention by a fellow book lover who found it through NetGalley. When I looked it up and saw the quote from Seanan McGuire, I requested it. Holy unreliable narrators my horror friends. I devoured The Devil Crept In and found it to be horrifying, addictive and utterly creeptastic!

The Devil Crept In is an intelligent, addictive horror story that weaves in the unthinkable, mystery and an unreliable narrator who is just ten years old. Ahlborn takes us to the small town of Deer Valley, Oregon. A town marked by the disappearance of a little boy. A place where pets run away never to be seen again. Some fear a killer lurks in this quiet suburb. When Jude, Stevie's twelve-year-old cousin goes missing, ten-year-old Stevie set out to find him and what he uncovers will send chills down your spine and raise the hair on the back of your neck.

Trigger Warning- If the killing of small animals and children upset you, it is best to walk away from this novel. While the author takes care with the language, this may be too upsetting for some. This is horror; it can be gruesome.

Five Caffeinated reasons to turn on the lights and read The Devil Crept In

1. Ahlborn presents us with an unreliable narrator. Stevie is from a broken home. His father abandoned them, and his mother has a live-in boyfriend who sets the house on edge. Stevie stutters, suffers nightmares and has had uncontrolled fits that set him apart from his peers. His lone friend is his next door neighbor and cousin. Twelve-year-old Jude. Jude isn't well liked in the neighborhood, and despite his mother's smothering is quite the misfit himself. You feel compassion for Stevie, and find yourself wanting to believe and aid him.

2. The town of Deer Valley is creepy. It is nestled up against the woods. There seem to be no pets, yet there is an abundance of feral cats. Everyone appears to know everyone, and judgments are passed around like candy on Halloween. Both boys come from depressed homes. Jude's father died, and his mother's lights have dimmed. Stevie's father abandoned them, his brother Dunk is awful towards him, and the family quietly moves around Terry, the abusive boyfriend.

3.Ahlborn weaves a tale that is addictive, quickly pulling you even as you question everything. While we spend most our time with Stevie, we also get the perspective of another, and these chapters will horrify you as they add substance to Stevie's fears. As we read we realize we are reading past and present timelines that become merged into the present. This was brilliantly done as it enhanced the terror, and shedding light on unimaginable horror.

4. The horror itself was dark and gritty. Honestly, read this on an empty stomach. Ahlborn made it all seem very real to Stevie. However, things would happen that had me questioning what Stevie honestly saw. Was it pure evil playing tricks? Is Stevie crazy? You'll have to read it to find out. Or is something dark and sinister living in the woods?

5.The ending was clever, horrifying and creeptastic. It left this reader's heart racing. I fully intend to pick up more titles by this author. Fans of Nick Cutter, Lovejoy and Stephen King will find Ania Ahlborn's twisted imagination delightful.


Quotes from The Devil Crept In

“I’d stay out of those woods if I were you. There’s something out there, and I can tell you it’s not a cougar or any of the nonsense the police keep trying to sell.”

". . . nobody was doing anything. They were all just waiting for another funeral."

“Something was wrong with Jude. Really really wrong.”

Loved it. It really kept you guessing until the ending, and the ending was unbelievable. I absolutely would recommend.

What a disturbingly creepy book! Are you looking for your next horror read? Well, if you are, now you’ve found it!

This story is told in three parts. In part one, Jude is missing and his cousin and best friend, Stevie, is determined to find him, even if it means entering the woods alone and going near the scary house hidden among the trees. I don’t want to go into too much detail about the plot for fear of spoilers but this is one hell of a creepy story! Made even more so, as both boys are only 10 years old, Stevie’s innocence contrasted against the unsettling narrative Ahlborn has written is what pulls you into this story. In this first part, nothing is in your face scary but rather, it creates the feeling that something scary is coming. Have you heard the phrase ‘the anticipation of fear is often worse than the fear itself?’ Well, that’s what I thought, until I reached part two!

This next part gives us a backstory, telling us about the house in the woods and the creepy old women who lives there – it had me shuddering, I don’t know what kind of strange, twisted, can I even call it human, roams that woods but I sure as hell am glad this story isn’t set in England! Ahlborn grips you with her writing style, you may flinch once or twice but you can’t help but read on. And the more you read on, the more on edge you feel. This is not a thriller but it has that same addictive feel to it, you keep on turning pages in your ‘need’ to know what happened to Jude, all the while dreading actually finding out.

The last part of the book brings parts one and two together to make for a great ending, while not loosing any of the creepiness from the earlier narratives. What I really liked about this book was, you’re essentially told two different stories in the first parts but Ahlborn was able to bring them together brilliantly at the end without the story ever feeling disjointed. This book has elements of the supernatural but you’re so caught up in the fright, you don’t even register the unrealistic-ness of that element.

If you’re a fan of horror, or looking to try something new, this book needs to be on your radar. I’m looking forward to reading more of Ahlborn’s books.

This book was just plain creepy! Stevie and his cousin, Jude, are best friends. Stevie doesn't have any friends because he is considered strange because he studders and rhymes when he talks. So he is desperate to find Jude when he goes missing one day. Stevie goes to search the woods where they have their tree fort and to an old abandoned house they found in the woods. But when Jude just shows up on his doorstep one evening, it isn't really Jude. Something is wrong. Not only with Jude, but with all the animals in town. You'll just have to read this one to find out what is going on.

I received an advanced eARC by the publisher through NetGalley.

I've read Brother and Within These Walls by Ania Ahlborn, so yes, I'm definitely a fan of her work. The Devil Crept In didn't engage me quite as much, but it was still a thrilling read.

This book is creepy, disturbing, dark, chilling - all good things when it comes to horror. Stevie has a history of hallucinations, so when he realizes something isn't quite right with Jude, the reader has to wonder if Stevie is a reliable or unreliable narrator. Whatever the case, I could empathize with his frustration when the adults assured him he was only imagining things after asking for their help. With his own difficult life circumstances, Stevie's love for his cousin and determination to save him are admirable and the driving force behind this story, in my opinion.

As for the evil presence lurking in the forest, I appreciated the author offering a full backstory of this sinister creation - it added more depth to the novel and made it feel more complete.

The pacing was somewhat slow for my taste in the beginning and a good amount of time is spent in Stevie's head and describing his living conditions, but the story jumps back on track soon after.

Fans of twisty dark horror won't want to miss this one.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the digital ARC.

This is told in three parts. I did not like the second part or that storyline. The only reason this book got three stars from me was because of the epilogue. I really, really liked that epilogue! I also liked the setting - a quiet town with a big, spooky house way in the woods. And poor Stevie, how could someone not like Stevie?

The Devil Crept In was strange, weird and creepy in a good way. Something was just off in a way you can't fully explain but can feel. The quote from the book ". . . it's never the way you want it . . . The universe doesn't care." tells you everything you need to know. And "sometimes, dead is better" comes to mind, a line from another creepy ass book. It fits this book perfectly well. Jude disappeared in the woods, and after he returned he was never the same. Ania Ahlborn captures the feel of the world slipping out from under you as Jude's cousin Stevie tries to come to terms with Jude's return. Sometimes no matter how much you want things to 'be normal' again, that shit doesn't mean shit. This book will tear at your insides and show you the horrors that exist from the view of a ten year old kid.

I would like to thank NetGalley, Gallery Books, and Ania Ahlborn for the advanced digital copy in exchange for an honest review. This was a true horror tale of a two pre-teen boys, best friends and cousins who encounter something quite unbelievable and unthinkable in the rural woods of Oregon.. 12 year old Jude, goes missing for three days. His cousin, Stevie Clark, who sufferers from Tourretes syndrome, decides to go out on his own to find Jude, with no luck. When Jude does return to his family, Stevie realizes he has changed in some way and not for the better. Horror, family, mental illness, and loyalty grace the pages of this non-stop thriller.