“THE DEVIL YOU KNOW,” by Trish Doller, Bloomsbury USA Childrens, June 2, 2015, Hardcover, $17.99 (young adult)
“The Devil You Know” by Trish Doller is kind of like watching a train wreck — you know bad things are coming, but you can’t look away.
The story opens with 18-year-old Arcadia watching her father’s store. Some teens come to buy beer for a campfire party, and Arcadia finds herself thinking about what life was like before her mother died. Since then, she’s spent most of her time working and caring for her 4-year-old brother. But tonight, tonight’s her night off, and Arcadia wants adventure.
Arcadia decides to go to the party, and once there, she meets two handsome cousins. The cousins invite her and friend to join them on a road trip, and despite initial reservations, Arcadia decides it’s worth the risk. Arcadia knows nothing about these to men, and as the trip advances danger lurks around each corner.
Trish Doller is good at hooking a reader. Her writing is easy and comfortable. That’s why it’s too bad “The Devil You Know” is the sum of all parts. If you’re a follower of Cracking the Cover, then you know my tastes lean toward modesty. That’s not to say that sex, drugs and alcohol don’t have a place. I just prefer them in a less casual space.
“The Devil You Know” hinges on liking Arcadia, and I just didn’t find her interesting. For someone who is supposedly responsible, she comes across as naïve and childish. Yes, she’s lost some of her own childhood raising her brother, but is she really so clueless as to go camping across the state with a bunch of strangers? And — spoiler — when her friend suddenly goes home for a family thing she doesn’t question it? Especially since she met with the friend’s mom before taking off, and she didn’t mention a thing?
I think readers are supposed to find Arcadia inspiring after overcoming all the obstacles she faces during the trip, but there’s not a whole lot of growth on her part, and she did put herself in the situation to begin with.
As I said in the beginning, it’s hard to put “The Devil You Know” down. You know what’s going to happen, but you keep reading. That is the mark of a good storyteller. However, I’d never read this again or purchase it. It’s a good choice for a library checkout.
