Devilish

Maureen Johnson is a fantastic writer. This book was excellent. It was suspenseful and interesting and throughout the whole book there was never a point where I didn't want to know what would happen next. Cleverly written and interesting, this is definitely one of the most interesting and unique YA novels that I've read.

Jane Jarvis has always looked after her best friend, Ally. So Jane is determined to help Ally through Big-Little day at Saint Teresa's Preparatory School for Girls. Big-Little day is a day when seniors each choose a freshman to take under their wing and mentor as their "little." Ally, unpopular and totally lacking in self-confidence, is sure that no freshman will want her for a "big." And sure enough, Big-Little day ends disastrously for Ally when she humiliates herself in front of the whole school. But the next day, something strange starts happening. Ally shows up at school with a new haircut and new clothes. Not only is her appearance changed, but Ally also seems to have developed a new-found confidence. Jane begins to suspect that something is wrong, and eventually she discovers that Ally has sold her soul to a demon. Jane is determined to save Ally at all costs, but more than that, Jane soon finds herself caught up in cosmic battle against the forces of evil. I'm not a big fan of high school stories; high school wasn't all that great when I was actually there, and I certainly have no desire to relive it in books. But devilish caught my attention from the first page and held it to the end. Jane is a fascinating character, a brilliant student but a rebel, and it's a lot of fun to watch her try to outwit the demon. devilish is a funny, fast-paced story with many interesting twists, but mostly it's just a really good read.

Jane's best friend, Ally, has always been there, and always been pretty much the same. She's never been a social butterfly or anything, but she and Jane have been through a lot at their all-girls Catholic high school, and now they've reached their senior year. One big part of being a senior at St. Teresa's is having a "little." This means picking a freshman or new student and showing them around. On Big-Little Day, there is a 45-minute period when bigs and littles pair up, and having a good little is definitely a status symbol for seniors. As Jane fears, Ally does not do so well. She throws up all over the one freshman coming in her direction, and runs to the bathroom where Jane comforts her, sacrificing her own chance for a little. Surprisingly, Ally does get a little--a new sophomore girl named Lanalee. Ally gets more than a little. Soon after pairing up with Lanalee, she shows up at school with new hair, new clothes, a new cell phone--and a new personality. She's way more confident than before, but she's also blowing off Jane, her best friend. The new Ally is not necessarily improved. There's more going on here than meets the eye, though. Who knew that selling your soul was actually possible? Well, now Jane and Ally do...But how do you stop the devil? DEVILISH is a funny, fascinating, and unique take on selling your soul. It's wonderfully written, with interesting and lifelike characters that readers are sure to love and love to hate. The supernatural element in this story is nicely done, and keeps unraveling to the end, showing more and more of what's going on, even when you think you've got it all figured out. This novel kept my attention all the way through, and is sure to be a favorite of anyone who reads it! Reviewed by: Jocelyn Pearce

Jane Jarvis and her best friend Allison Concord have attended Saint Teresa's Preparatory School for Girls for years, muddling through each year at the prestigious academy on the bottom of the social totem pole. But this year - their senior year - the two girls decide to make a change. This will, without a doubt, be the best year of their lives, regardless of the fact that they must contend with an all-female population, and nun's who watch, and dictate, their every move. Jane and Allison are used to standing out from the crowd, given their quirky personalities, and different looks, it's not surprising that they don't mesh well with the conformist styles of their classmates. But one day, after Allison falls victim to one of the most embarrassing moments in history, she appears in school looking like a new person. Not only are her tresses chopped in a short bob and dyed red, but she's also sporting new - expensive - clothes, and accessories; and just so happens to have Jane's ex-boyfriend, Elton, hanging off her arm. Now, with the help of an extremely strange, and old-fashion freshman named Owen, Jane has discovered the unbelievable truth about her...ex-best friend...Allison has sold her soul to the devil, and the devil just so happens to be close by - as in many of their classes. Jane does her best to play along with the whole charade, but when she realizes that it's no joke, she risks her own soul in an attempt to rescue Allison. Little does she know that the tables are about to turn, and Jane will have to save Allison before the all-exclusive Poodle Prom, or risk burning in hell...forever. There was something about Maureen Johnson's DEVILISH that reeled me in based on looking at the cover photograph. Perhaps it was the cupcake basking in it's frosting-covered chocolaty goodness, or the evil gleam in the model's eyes, but it caught my attention, and dragged me into this sugar-coated, impossible-to-put-down novel. DEVILISH is like an all-girls, teenage version of the Elizabeth Hurley Brendan Fraser film BEDAZZLED. Each character is quirky and interesting, and has the power to hold the story on their own two shoulders, while the twists and turns that occur on just about every page leave you on the edge of your seat. Jane is imperceptibly interesting with a witty personality, brains, and quite a bit of brawn for such a petite character; Allison is your typical, run-of-the-mill, geek turned popular character, who works much too hard to fit in and be accepted by the crowd, yet has little to show for it; but the character who takes the cake (no pun intended) would most definitely have to be the new girl, Lanalee, a rich, connected, gorgeous, lanky sophomore with a co-dependency problem on sweets and starting a ruckus. Lanalee is the girl everyone loves to hate, and hates to love, yet she instantly wins your heart, and captures your attention with her many outrageous antics. The secondary characters sprinkled throughout this sordid tale are also quite