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A review by shoni
Before the Devil Knows You're Here by Autumn Krause
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I finished this book weeks ago and it has still been on my mind ever since, I cannot get over it. This book has been one of my anticipated reads this year and did not disappoint. It gave such a sinister vibe and spin to a folklore retelling. From the very first sentence in her author’s note to the last, I was captivated and couldn’t stop. If it wasn’t for work/life getting in the way I know I would have finished it in one sitting for sure. You cannot put this book down and the pacing of the book itself is done so well that you just get grabbed into the story and don’t want to leave.
Autumn wrote the book when she lost her grandmother and her love for her comes through so much on every page. You can see how Catalina’s pain and loss are a mirror into Autumn’s and it hit so close to home for me. It felt as if I was the one going through them because I remember the emotions of losing my own grandmother. Autumn also has such a way, the imagery present caused me to be awestruck. Certain lines have been living in my mind constantly, among them being “she was alone, alone in a way she hadn’t known existed, in a way that made her feel like she’d never been born or had already died” because they give me chills!!
On top of that the characters are amazing. One thing I really appreciated is how Catalina’s views and priorities were very obvious and easy to understand from the beginning. Nothing was done to try to change that about her as a character. And Paul, let's talk about Paul, shall we? Because that man… THAT MAN exceeded my expectations. Like I am not over him and his action and everything he’s done like a god damn. Where can I find myself a man like Paul? He seems so off-putting BUT THERE IS SO MUCH MORE TO HIM. LIKE HOW CAN I GET A MAN TO RUN INTO A BURNING BUILDING TO SAVE MY BOOKS?! AND THEN BUILD ME AN ENTIRE LIBRARY BECAUSE HE COULD AND KNEW I WOULD FIND MY WAY BACK?! LIKE HOW?!
Though I think my favorite would have to be John’s POV. It is such a good parallel to Catalina’s POV and helps unfold the story. His POV is truly something I wasn’t expecting, he managed to get the sympathy of the reader even though he’s supposed to be the bad guy. Like he never wanted to live this life, he never wanted people to die, yet he was misled, just like all deals with the devil, they are doubled edged sword. AND THAT CATALINA IS HIS GRANDDAUGHTER?! LOVED THAT TWIST
And that on its own speaks to Autumn’s own writing. To how she can manage to get you to sympathize with someone who’s you aren’t sure if you’re supposed to feel anything good towards. I can’t wait for more readers to discover the wonderful world that Autumn created in BTDKYH. You’ll fall in love with the world and the characters so quickly that you don’t even notice that you’ve finished the book. I seriously cannot stop thinking about this book and how amazing it is. I'm so excited to be able to underline and annotate my favorite lines and such.
Though I think my favorite would have to be John’s POV. It is such a good parallel to Catalina’s POV and helps unfold the story. His POV is truly something I wasn’t expecting, he managed to get the sympathy of the reader even though he’s supposed to be the bad guy.
And that on its own speaks to Autumn’s own writing. To how she can manage to get you to sympathize with someone who’s you aren’t sure if you’re supposed to feel anything good towards. I can’t wait for more readers to discover the wonderful world that Autumn created in BTDKYH. You’ll fall in love with the world and the characters so quickly that you don’t even notice that you’ve finished the book. I seriously cannot stop thinking about this book and how amazing it is. I'm so excited to be able to underline and annotate my favorite lines and such.