The Devouring »

Simon Holt's writing career began with a horror fanzine in high school, the publishing of which overheated the school's photocopier. Undaunted by after-school detention, he's continued 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.

"When dark creeps in and eats the light,
Bury your fears on Sorry Night.
For in the winter's blackest hours,
Comes the feasting of the Vours,
No one can see it, the life they stole,
Your body's here but not your soul..."

THE VOURS: Evil, demonic beings that inhabit human bodies on Sorry Night, the darkest hours of the winter solstice.

When Reggie reads about the Vours in a mysterious old journal, she assumes they are just the musings of an anonymous lunatic. But when her little brother, Henry, begins to act strangely, it's clear that these creatures exist beyond a madwoman's imagination, and Reggie finds out what happens when fears come to life.

To save the people she loves, Reggie must learn to survive in a world of nightmares. Can she devour her own fears before they devour her?

The Devouring is an engrossing tale of terror that will have you wondering: what if your worst fears became your living nightmare?

The Bulletin

Reggie is a horror junkie who can't get enough of creepy movies, stories, and books, so she is naturally thrilled to stumble upon a mysterious old journal that describes the Vours, demonic beings that can enter fearful human bodies once a year. Although Reggie initially assumes the journal to be fiction, it quickly becomes clear that her timid younger brother, Henry, has actually been possessed by a Vour. Suddenly, Reggie is faced with a brother who kills his own beloved hamster and threatens her life, but she is certain that the Henry she loves is still there underneath. Although the diary gives few clues about how to actually exorcise demons, Reggie is determined to save her brother, even if it means facing unberable fears of her own. The fear-created world where Henry is stuck is remarkably creepy, built out of the most alarming imaginings of a young boy (murderous clowns, abandoning mothers, grotesquely dying children make up a few of the obstacles through which Reggie must travel to get to her brother). In addition, the intriguing local roots of the Vours, presented mostly through snippets of the desperate journal entries, add a layer of historical depth to this otherwise straightforward, modern novel. Horror fans will likely find the crsip writing, effectively relentless pacing, and haunting concept irresistible.