REVIEW: Devil’s Playground by Heather Eagar
About the Book
Devil’s Playground
by Heather Eagar
Release Date: 01/12/16
Published by: Clean Reads
Buy it on Amazon for $3.99: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01AIBVPKE
Summary:
Living in Salem is dangerous business – especially for a witch.
Sixteen-year-old Elizabeth Winters may be a witch, but she doesn’t know the first thing about magic.
Her father, a wizard himself, has forbidden the use of her powers for her own protection. But when accusations of witchcraft start flying through Salem Village, Elizabeth wishes she was more prepared.
Despite her lack of magical knowledge, Elizabeth appoints herself to save innocent women from the untimely demise the village has in store for them. Elizabeth finds, however, that she is not the hero Salem needs her to be. When Elizabeth is betrayed by someone she trusts, she loses control of her emotions and unintentionally curses the village with the ten plagues of Egypt. Now, Elizabeth must figure out how to break the curse before the morning of the tenth plague—the plague of death.
If she fails, Salem will cease to exist.
My Review
If you liked The Crucible, you’ll love this YA re-imagining of the Salem Witch Trials.
Elizabeth is sixteen, and she and her family have been hiding the fact that she’s a witch her entire life. There’s a good reason: they live in Salem, and it’s the late 1600’s. Theocracy rules, and any citizen who stands out seems not only peculiar but suspicious. The town is religiously extreme, isolated, and one false accusation of witchcraft away from mass hysteria, which is where DEVIL’S PLAYGROUND opens.
Ever wonder what would’ve happened during the Salem Witch Trials if there actually WERE a witch in town? I know I did. DEVIL’S PLAYGROUND serves up some well-imagined supernatural justice without destroying the emotionally unsettling mob-mentality phenomenon in 17th century Salem Village. With all of the historically accurate figures playing their role, Eagar injects into the town an actual witch, whose most “supernatural” facet at times is ironically, her reason.
There were exactly two moments in the story, when I wished Elizabeth would would’ve shown more compassion for the gravity of injustice that was happening. To me, it seemed as if she’d too quickly dismissed her horror at the looming executions. Other than those two moments, I found the characters perfectly lovable or hateable and even more perfectly developed as the story progressed. The writing suited me. The dialogue was genuine. And the ending left just enough mystery. My skim factor was low.
With a touch of romance, plenty of action, and more than one heart-rending betrayal, DEVIL’S PLAYGROUND is a great supernatural YA read that had me glued to the pages.
For me, DEVIL’S PLAYGROUND fixed something emotional that THE CRUCIBLE had broken. 5 stars.
*I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
DEVIL’S PLAYGROUND Excerpt
There, amongst the yellow kernels, the corner of a large book peeks through the grain. Instead of rushing up to Mother, for she certainly needs the corn by now, I drop the bag on an old bench. Dust explodes in my face, and I use my sleeve to stifle an expected sneeze. Shaking my head, I reach into the corn and pull out a large, leather-bound book.
“What are you doing buried down here amongst our harvest?” I murmur, running my fingers down the thick spine. At first glance it doesn’t look like much; the cover has no title and no design. The only thing that makes the book remotely interesting is the iron clasp sealing it shut—only the clasp isn’t secure. It rests, slightly ajar, and with a gentle prodding, it falls open.
My fingers tremble as I nudge the book open. It all feels wrong somehow, me alone with this mysterious book. The pages seem ancient, so much so that I am afraid to turn them, certain they will crumble away. Studying the first page, I am in awe at the beautiful penmanship. If I didn’t know any better, I would say the letters are swirling, changing, before my eyes.
But that is impossible.
After staring at the page for a moment or two, I am surprised when the letters take form, and I am able to decipher several words. Kempe’s Magisches Buch für Hexerei und Zauberei. It is in German, but I have a feeling I know what kind of book this is.
“No, that is impossible,” I whisper, stepping back. “Father would never have kept such a thing.”
And yet, he has.
I ought to hide the book away—and never look at it again. Something like this can only bring trouble. Even I know that. But an invisible force draws me close once more, and I don’t have the power to resist. Even if I did have the power, I don’t have the desire. I must know what is in that book.
Gently turning to a page at random, I stare at the strange writing. As with the cover page, the letters continue to swirl, and I wait for them to arrange themselves. Unsichtbarkeit, it finally reads in bold letters. “I wish I knew German.”
And then the letters begin to change and rearrange. When they have settled once more, I am astonished at what is in front of me. Invisibility, it says. Four lines follow the title, though, and I can’t understand a word of it. It isn’t German, and certainly not English.
“Lumen transeat per me,” I sound out. My toes begin to tingle. I try not to become too excited; it could have been a coincidence. “Ut non alii videre.” The tingling sensation moves from the toes and up my legs. Blood rushes to my head, and I feel faint, but I don’t want to stop. “Lumen—”
“What is the meaning of this?” a deep voice thunders. Before I have time to react, the book is snatched from my hands, and I am looking into the furious face of Father.
About the Author:
Heather Eagar started reviewing books on her website in the hope that she can provide people with the information they need to make informed decisions when deciding what books to read. With this in mind, you will find that her reviews not only have a summary of the book and her opinion, but also tells you what to expect in terms of language, violence, and sexual content.
Heather is the author of the YA novel, Devil’s Playground (Release date Jan 12, 2016). She currently lives in Logan, Utah (though that usually changes year by year) with her husband and 2 children.
Social Media Links
Website: http://heatheraeagar.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/heather.sommereagar
Twitter: https://twitter.com/haeagar
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Buy the Book
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01AIBVPKE
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Thank you for this awesome review!!!