A Demon Made Me Do It

A Demon Made Me Do It by Penelope King

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


 "I'm pretty sure he won't buy my 'a-demon-made-me-do-it' excuse, but I'm half-tempted to say it anyway."

Thanks to Penelope King for providing this book in exchange for an honest, unbiased review. 

Overview
This urban fantasy revolves around Liora Greyson, half-human/half-demon.  She's trying to get through high school without her secret getting out, but being a half demon doesn't exactly make her Ms. Popular.  The delicate balance between her two worlds are thrown off kilter once she meets the elusive Kieron Ambrose.  Can she let go of her past and accept her future, or will her pain and anger seal her fate?

What I Thought
This is a witty, engaging YA novel.  I almost don't want to label it YA, because I think some may dismiss it as too innocent or tame to read.  It does not necessarily contain the graphic description of a bodice-ripper novel; but I it has just enough romance without being sappy and enough spice to steam reading glasses with the possibilities.  The "dual" nature of the heroine was clever and made me feel for both aspects of her nature.  I felt badly for her demon side, while still seeing the innocence of the human aspect. 



The way King draws you in to both sides of the story is wonderful and entertaining.  There are many different types of "demon" for even the most discerning taste, and hell-hound shifters for those who prefer their supernatural with fur.  I really enjoyed it, and most definitely will pick up the next book.  I'm eager to know what will happen with Liora, Lucky, Bones, and Kieron. 

The few down sides... I usually can find something in nearly any book; but I have to admit, it was difficult with this one.  There were minor formatting issues, I don't recall if this started in mobi format, or if I converted it.  So there is always the possibility the problem lay with converting software.  However, I did find, regularly, minor issues of the beginning or end of a word being spaced from the rest of the word.  The other difficulty I had, was almost too much going on.  I started to get a little confused in the higher action scenes.  She created a very in-depth world but it became almost too deep for me at times.  Not a problem for everyone, could just be a personal issue of mine. 

If you enjoy paranormal, romance of the tamer variety, and don't mind YA I highly recommend picking up this book.  For those of you who really want to have a spoiler- Stop Reading Now If You Don't- the dual nature of Liora (half-human/half-demon) reminds me of the old movie LadyHawke.





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