The Devil Makes Three

by Tori Bovalino

Overview

When Tess and Eliot stumble upon an ancient book hidden in a secret tunnel beneath the school library, they accidentally release a devil from his book-bound prison, and he’ll stop at nothing to stay free. He’ll manipulate all the ink in the library books to do his bidding, he’ll murder in the stacks, and he’ll bleed into every inch of Tess’s life until his freedom is permanent. Forced to work together, Tess and Eliot have to find a way to re-trap the devil before he kills everyone they know and love, including, increasingly, each other. And compared to what the devil has in store for them, school stress suddenly doesn’t seem so bad after all.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781645677055
Publisher:	Page Street Publishing
Publication date:	09/06/2022
Pages:	368
Sales rank:	376,245
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.10(h) x 1.10(d)
Age Range:	14 - 17 Years

About the Author

Tori Bovalino is a debut author. Originally from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, she is now pursuing her MA in creative writing in London.

Editorial Reviews

“Bovalino's debut crackles. Dripping with dark atmosphere, THE DEVIL MAKES THREE is perfect for fans of Leigh Bardugo's NINTH HOUSE. Make sure to read this with the lights on!” —Erin A. Craig, NYT bestselling author, House of Salt and Sorrows

“A spine-tingling, entrancing read. The Devil Makes Three is the perfect blend of supernatural horror and contemporary gothic, with each page as heart-pounding as the next. Tori Bovalino is an absolute master at atmosphere.” —Chloe Gong, New York Times bestselling author of These Violent Delights

“A glorious, darkly atmospheric journey into the disturbing power of books, ink and the horrors that live inside them.” —Tasha Suri, author of The Jasmine Throne

"With its magical library, brooding British boy, and haunted heroine, The Devil Makes Three is as darkly compelling as the grimoires of Jessop. A thrilling debut that cast a spell on me from page one!" —Mara Rutherford, author of Crown of Coral and Pearl

“With demonic wit and a wholly human heart, Tori Bovalino’s debut will grab your hand on the very first page — and you won’t let go. The Devil Makes Three is imaginative, original, and a genuine delight. Read this book, and tell your friends the devil made you do it.” —Hannah Capin, author of Foul is Fair

“A perfect blend of gothic terror, slow-burn romance, and irreverent humor — this novel is a must read. I loved every page and paragraph of it.”
—Joshua Phillip Johnson, author of The Forever Sea

“Bovalino delivers an ink-splattered love letter to old books and dark academia. Wicked and sharp as a pen stroke, this is a delight for library goths —me included. If you ever wished your school library had a forbidden wing, then you need to read this book immediately.” —AJ Hackwith, author of The Library of the Unwritten

“Quietly horrifying and compulsively readable, The Devil Makes Three is as chilling as it is compelling. A recipe for nightmares.” —Kat Dunn, author of Dangerous Remedy

“Plenty of romance and witchcraft…An excellent read for a sleepover and a reminder to high school students to take life easy and to not let others define you.” —School Library Journal

“Intriguingly dark and macabre, The Devil Makes Three is a perfectly chilling YA horror that delivers in spades.” —The Nerd Daily

From the Publisher

04/01/2021

Gr 9 Up—Renowned cello player Tess Matheson is in her senior year at the prestigious Falk University Preparatory Academy in Pennsylvania. With help from her great aunt Mathilde, Tess has arranged for her and her young sister, Nat, to live at the boarding school without financial troubles. She'll do whatever it takes for them to avoid their parents' money problems and quarrels, even if it costs her a full scholarship at the Boston Academy of Arts. Tess gets by on work-study at the school's (haunted) Jessop library. While working, she unintentionally butts heads with Eliot Birch, the headmaster's handsome, standoffish, and mysterious son from London. Eliot convinces Tess to take him to the basement of forbidden books. Unbeknownst to Tess, Eliot has a secret mission of his own. An innocent reading of dark magic turns their journey into one of fire, blood, and possession. An unexpected friendship develops between the two young loners as they work together to set things right. Bovalino tells the story from three points of view (Tess, Eliot, and the Devil), giving readers the chance to empathize with all characters, even the most sinister ones. The storyline has plenty of romance and witchcraft that drags at times but will still leave the hairs standing on readers' arms. Tess and Eliot's races aren't specified. VERDICT An excellent read for a sleepover and a reminder to high school students to take life easy and to not let others define you.—Beronica Puhr, Oak Park P.L., IL

School Library Journal

2021-06-01
Moody teens summon a demon.

Tess Matheson’s summer has not turned out the way she hoped. Instead of practicing her beloved cello, Tess is working in her boarding school’s library, spending sunny Pittsburgh days pulling books for ungrateful faculty members. One of them has a smarmy son: Eliot Birch has been given his father’s borrowing privileges, allowing him to ask Tess to pull as many books as he requires. Eliot, fresh off a flight from visiting his sick mother in London, requests dozens of volumes, all concerning magic. He learned a bit of the craft from his mother and yearns for the right sort of spell to cure her. The answer may lie in one of the forbidden grimoires locked away deep in the library’s stacks. Eliot’s search brings him and Tess into contact with a book-bound demon, a monster willing to do anything it takes to remain free. The novel has some interesting ideas and competent characterization; the real problem is the narrative’s flow. Large chunks of pages pass during which little happens, and while Tess and Eliot are modestly shaded characters, their introspection gets repetitive. Readers less enamored of biblio-fetishism may duck out before the titular devil makes its appearance and even then, the novel’s interest remains mood and atmosphere rather than plot. Unfortunately, the mood overwhelms and the atmosphere dries out. Tess and Eliot are presumed White.

A well-conceived title poorly executed. (Horror. 14-18)

Kirkus Reviews