Demon Thief - Darren Shan

Demon Thief
The Demonata, Book 2
Darren Shan
Little, Brown and Company

Young Adult/Horror

Ever since he was very young, Kernel (short for Cornelius) Fleck has seen lighted shapes in the air. They just sort of float there, and if he concentrates, he can move them around to form patterns. He thought everyone could see them until he hit school and a concerned teacher called in his parents. By then, the damage was done, and the other kids thought he was a freak. Lonely and bored one evening, Kernel starts idly moving the shapes around. Then he discovers something amazing: If he puts all the pulsing shapes together, they form a kind of window.

Somehow, he knows this is a window to another world and to his destiny. The good news is, he’s right. The bad news is that, the minute the window forms, a demonic sort of face appears. He’s able to push it back, but feels compelled to go after it. When he wakes up, he’s got his baby brother in his arms and several days have passed. He remembers nothing. His parents are completely freaked out by this, and move the family, in the middle of the night, from the city to the small village of Paskinston. The village is ok, and no one there knows about the lights. But Kernel still feels like an outsider. Until he finds out what happened to him and what it all means.

Intended for readers grade 7 and up, even adult horror readers will find a lot to enjoy here. There’s quite a bit of graphic violence and gore, so if that’s not your thing, you might want to skip this one. It’s the second book in a series, but can be read as a standalone, since there’s only minor overlap with Book #1. The action starts very early, and once that happens, you won’t be able to put down this book. It’s a very fast and entertaining read.

Rating: 8
June 2006
ISBN# 0-316-01237-8 (hardcover)