Rebel Town Reviews [OPEN]

Inner Demons Review

Inner Demons

By 

FreeGirl1820

Reviewed 

by 

AmyMarieZ

Overview: Inner Demons is a story about a group of teenagers who meet in a juvenile detention center after each committing violent acts they cannot remember. However, the fact that they all have blacked out the events of their crimes isn't the only thing they have in common... and so the mystery begins! With compelling and relatable characters, an interesting and unique plot, plenty of mystery, some intriguing supernatural elements, as well as just the right amount of teenage romance, a reader can't help but get pulled in to this story!

Structure: The story is written in the first person past tense, however, at the beginning the narration seems slightly jumbled. In the first few paragraphs, the context is a little ambiguous because it seems like the story is simultaneously present and past tense, as though the story is currently going on, but the narrator is retelling some backstory through a flashback. The story then switches to what feels like a flashback within a flashback. Eventually, as the story progresses away from the opening, the narration sorts out and the story flows very well!

Grammar: The grammar in this story as a whole is very good. There are a handful of missing words or other minor grammatical errors, but overall the story reads like it has been proofread by the author fairly thoroughly. There are a few areas where the tense switches or feels a bit odd, for example the use of "this place" (referring to the school the narrator no longer attends) where "that place" would be expected, or inserting present tense sentences describing an ongoing state, such as "The truth is Kelly works over time to make me miserable..." Some of the time this works and flows well, however at some times it seems like the state is not actually an ongoing state, so it feels a bit odd.

Pace: While the plot and characters in Inner Demons are extremely interesting, the pace of the story is a bit slow at times. The story tends to include large chunks of scene setting and transitions. While some detail about the surroundings are nice, the descriptions of setting are not the most engaging part of this story, so it seems to drag at those points. Inclusion of a few specifics descriptions rather than general descriptions of everything might have helped to move the story along while still giving an idea of the setting. Additionally, if the descriptions were more integrated with actions so parts of the setting were discovered gradually it might have held more interest.

Other than the scene setting, the story is paced well. The plot moves fast enough to keep the reader interested, but also slow enough that there is still plenty of characterization so the reader feels for and cares about the characters.

Character Development: The main character's personality takes a bit of time to show itself, but as the story progresses her voice really starts to come through and she becomes compelling and likeable - a character a reader can really get behind.

At the beginning, Chloe, the main character and narrator, seems a bit overshadowed by the more powerful and obvious personalities of other characters, for example the quirky and out-there roommate Lolly. However, while this may be the case towards the beginning, as the story progresses, more facets of each character are revealed, really rounding them all out well as individuals and a group! Clearly there is a lot of backstory for each of the characters, although not all information has been revealed yet. The characters have a complexity and depth to them that really shows how much thought went into crafting each of them.

Vocabulary/Description: Overall, vocabulary is kept fairly simple throughout the story, which works with the style and seems appropriate for the intended audience. The story focuses more on the actions and relationships of the characters rather than bombarding the reader with flowery descriptions. While there are a lot of descriptions at times, they are not filled with over-the-top vocabulary, so they do not get confusing. However, at times, the simplicity of the vocabulary and descriptions gets just a bit dull. Spicing up the language just a bit with a few creative (or even humorous) metaphors or similes might help to make the writing more engaging itself, as well as give the narration just a bit more personality.

Plot: The plot of Inner Demons is extremely compelling and thrilling! Right from the beginning, the story creates a sense of mystery, making the reader really want to know what is going on. The suspense builds well, with each chapter answering j=one or two questions, but posing even more. It keeps the reader satisfied but also still guessing the whole way through and wanting more!

The romance element of the story is well done. Chloe (MC) and Wes's (MC's love interest) meeting kicks it off with just enough attraction between the two to get the reader to cheer for them as a possible couple. Wes is presented to the reader in a charming but also mysterious way, so the reader can tell he has secrets and a backstory. The romance between the two builds naturally and is believable, as well as fun to read about and immerse oneself in.

A quirk with the plot is the fact that the detention center where the teenagers are staying is in many ways portrayed more like a boarding school than a facility for punishment. The students really don't seem to be being punished for their crimes, but more just attending a special school. However, as elements of the plot reveal themselves, possible explanations for why this may be the case are presented.

Summary: This story is a thrill to read! It would appeal primarily to a young adult audience looking to read a story about teenagers with mysterious and supernatural powers, but also a story with a bit of a dark side to it (as well as just the right amount of humor!). A reader can really place his or herself in this story and become immersed in it. A truly interesting plot, well written as a whole, and easy to follow, this story is perfect for a night of indulgent binge reading!

Note: The review book offers several options. To review only grammar and sentence structure. To review only character development and plot. To review only vocabulary and descriptions. Or, the requester can ask for all of this to be reviewed. There are two options when making this request – for it to be sugar-coated or not.

This review is for it all to be touched on (not sugar-coated).