Join today and start reading your favorite books for Free!
Rate this book!
Write a review?
One thing that always appeals to me is a voice that I find sharp, funny, and insightful, and this book hit the target dead on for me.The story: Jane Jarvis, who is short and feisty and a senior at a Catholic school, is worried that her best friend Allison (who is kind of wimpy as well as clueless) is going to get burned badly in a yearly event. Jane is so right …and so wrong. Because Allison goes down for a more spectacular fall than anyone could have guessed—and yet returns from it stylish, wit...
This is not the type of book I would usually pick up, but I read Maureen Johnson's blog and love it so much that I had to read one of her books. My library only had Devilish so I thought I would give it a shot. Well, I started last night and finished before lunch today. It was an excellent light read-- plot was good and captivating, I could relate to the main character (though perhaps not her situation ;)) and the Maureen Johnson humour that I love in her blog shone through. Definitely recommend...
although this was an interesting idea, I just couldn't get past how many ridiculous situations and things that happened at the school - things that were just too far out there to be believable. add that to a disjointed and odd story line that seemed to jump all over and introduce people, situations and conversations that had no point to the plot. also, I didn't find any character particularly interesting or even nice. I think Jane set up a lot of her life to be unlikable and yet, she was suppose...
A very quick read, and I think MJ’s earliest supernatural novel. It took a while for things to get interesting, and I can see how much her writing has improved over the years since this book. Only a couple books of hers I haven’t read now! Another 30 Years 30 Books pick.
I have to admit something to all of you. When I first picked this book up from my pile of award nominees I had very low expectations for it. I thought it was going to be terrible. I really did. I'm not sure why I thought this. Perhaps it had to do with the cover, which, while perfectly fitting for the story itself, would never have grabbed my interest in the book store--not in a million years. This has a lot to do with the fact that the story is more aimed, in my opinion, towards teenage girls.
Johnson’s section of Let It Snow made me want to check out more of her work; this particular book may not have been the right choice as, though it’s well-written, it suffers from a rather weak plot. Smart, rebellious Catholic schoolgirl Jane is (naturally) shocked to discover that her best friend, socially awkward Ally, has sold her soul to a demon. Sub-par Scoobying ensues. Johnson’s—I feel pretentious using this word, but okay, her mythology seems very poorly thought out. The rules of her univ...
3.5 stars. This was one of the weirdest and pulp-y-est books I've ever read. Think Hocus Pocus meets Jennifer's Body with Faustian Bargains. It has Maureen Johnson's signature wit, which at times, had me laughing out loud and reciting passages to others. Though not my favorite of hers, it solidified her as my favorite author.
It all started with a cupcake...Well, not really. It started at prom night, when Alison's date never came. Stood up by a guy off the internet, the shame! And then Jane's boyfriend of just over seven months broke up with her and started ignoring her even as a friend. And then the cupcake. And Ally's puke all over the freshman. And then Ally's new haircut. And then Jane found out that her best-and-only friend was dating her ex, but also had sold her soul to the devil.Well, the devil likes games......
Dude.Awesome.For writers: If you want to know what that mysterious "voice" thing is, just read this book. There's so much voice in it, it leaks from the pages and makes your hands sticky.Strong voice, brilliant plot, clever characters--this one has it all. A wonderful combination of light entertainment and thought-provoking philosophy, this is a highly recommended book.
This book's setting is a fictionalized version of my mom's high school (she and the author went to the same school! Tho many, many years apart.) Will definitely have to get around to it some day soon.
3.5 stars. I really loved the plot line because it was something totally different than I have ever read. I have a personal motto, however, that a book cannot get above 3 stars if it has obvious grammar errors. Sorry?
I liked June and that she was super mathematically talented and a great friend. I wish we found out more about the St Otto demon fighting group! Was Owen a member before or after he died? Is there a limit to how many times they can be resurrected? Overall, it was light and fluffy and fast.
Full review also posted here on TotalTeenFictionI've read two of Maureen Johnson's previous books so when this came up as a free e-book download a few months ago I snapped it up right away. Devilish tells the story of Jane, whose unfortunate friend Ally seems to be having even more difficulties lately. When the two of them meet the mysterious Lanalee, life around school and their local town becomes even more strange.I really like Maureen Johnson's quirky writing style and this book definitely ha...
This review was originally published at Fluttering ButterfliesI was thrilled to hear that Harper Collins is publishing some of Maureen Johnson's earlier work here in the UK. As much as I love her Shades of London series and I'm dying to read the next book in the series, I've also been incredibly curious to read the books that haven't been as readily available here in England. I've enjoyed all of the books I have read by Maureen Johnson, and while Devilish can be quite fun, there was something la...
I decided to read the novel Devilish as the blirb made it sound very unusual and different from the books I normally read. The novel fitted the category on the bingo board: fantasy and this genre was interesting as I haven't read a fantasy book in a while and especially not one about devils and Satan which I have NEVER read before. I found this book very strange and didn't like it at all as it was too fast paced, lacking realistic motives, human emotions and the way the school is set up is extre...
Actual rating 4.5I didn't really have high expectations for this book. I'm gonna be honest here. I only picked it up because Maureen Johnson is my favorite author so I decided to buy all her books but I almost didn't buy this one because.. that cover. I mean it does look terrible, so I thought I was going to hate it and also this is not the kind of book I would normally read so there's that too.So this ended up being a pleasant surprise. Maureen Johnson's writing style is everything. She has thi...
The cover was the reason this book caught my eye. It's so cute and totally diferent from other books. The only thing that creeped me out were the eyes because they're kinda...weird-looking. But other than that, very chic. Love the cupcake too. :D For the characters, at first, I thought Ally was really annoying because she kept whining about how her life sucks and that no one wanted to be her "freshman". It was this ritual where seniors would get a freshman for a day and spend time with them. [Pe...
Once again, the ending knocks a book from 4 to 3 stars for me. I really liked the fact that there was a story where the male and female characters were just friends and had no sexual tension. I like a good couple as much as the next girl, but more than a good couple, I like the possibility of a good friendship. Though Jane was resistant at first, wary of Owen, once things got going and she needed him, they started to have a good friendship. The kiss between them and the sudden relationship betwe...
To be honest, when I read the back cover of this book I thought it was going to be pretty bad- I was only reading it because of Maureen Johnson. But I actually really enjoyed it! It wasn't the best book I've ever read, but I think she did a good job of incorporating the supernatural into a young adult novel without being super annoying and over-romanticized about it. I feel like the first person narration was kind of a downfall in a way, since I really wish we had perspective from people who kne...
Again, this was a book I just pulled off the library shelves because I needed a book to read. I'm beginning to think I should do it more often. I'm finding some great books that way. Anyway, I'd seen this one a number of times, and Maureen Johnson's a good writer. I couldn't really turn it down (when I didn't have any other books in my hands).Jane's your average genius stuck in a horrifying Catholic school that's run by some very scary nuns. She's best friends with a girl named Allison who feels...
Summary: Seniors Jane and Allison aren’t popular, but they have each other. When Allison makes a dangerous deal to gain a little popularity, can Jane save her?Review: This was the first book I read after my month-long Harry Potter revival, so I sort of expected to be let down. But this is Maureen Johnson, so I should have known better.What I loved: * Cupcakes—On the cover, in the story. Mmm. After I finished the book, I ran right out to our local cupcake shop to stuff my face. * Hella funny—I do...
It took me a little while to get into the meat of this book, but once I did, it had me hooked.Jane's best friend Allison is acting strangely. Once a meek and geeky girl, Allison has transformed into a sleek, stylish, self-assured senior. And she's dating Jane's ex! Something dark is afoot in Providence and Jane is going to figure it out.Jane, as the main character, could have been more defined. We only see her surface for most of the story, and while she is depicted as smart and quirky--in a Ver...
This book was about Jane (the protag) and a demon. What makes the whole situation personal, is the fact that Ally, Jane's best friend, sold her soul to this demon which in turn is the devil. Predictably it's up to Jane to get her friend out of the crappy situation, because Jane is the 'fixer'. Ally turns on Jane for beauty, grace and wealth.Jane goes to a Catholic girls' school, and there's this whole secret realm of dead-but-living 'people' who either want to sell human souls/take peoples' life...
Loved this book, I never read anything quite like it before, featuring a girl making a deal with a representative of the devil to sell her soul, friend steps in, toes get cut off, etc etc. It's not like any ordinary girls in high school story. A true case of Do Not Judge The Book By Its Cover.Neither the ridiculous tagline ("What would you give to be popular?") nor the cover do the book any justice or are even remotely related to it. Maureen Johnson herself wrote about blatant sexism in the publ...
Jane Jarvis isn't looking forward to her senior year at St. Teresa's Preparatory School for Girls; she's unpopular and proud of it, but she does have her best friend Allison as an ally. She does, that is, until something strange happens to Allison, who's suddenly attractive, smart, and dating Jane's ex, Elton. Clearly, Allison has sold her soul to the devil -- quite literally, and Jane decides to save it for her, with the assistance of a mysterious but very cute freshman boy. Devilish is populat...
I once told myself that I would read all of Maureen Johnson's books. Reading this one though I have nearly lost interest. I've outgrown most young adult. Devilish is a big example of that. I hated the main character. She was bossy, arrogant, and annoying. The rest of the characters had no substance. The plot and background information was confusing. I didn't get how the main character's best friend turned so bitchy so quickly. It's very unlikely that I'll continue on my original goal of reading
Abso-smurfly brilliant! I could NOT put this book down. Johnson has created some amazing, very real teen characters, going to Catholic school and faced with the trials of popularity and homework and crazed nuns screaming about the state of your uniform. . . . And then she added the devil. Love it so much!
Enjoyable in a no-brain-power sort of way, and a better book than the other Johnson novels I've read. The ending totally surprised the hell out of me, too, so points for that.
I loved it much more than I liked 13 Little Blue Envelopes, and I loved it much more than any 18 year old guy should love a story about a girl who is a senior in high school.
Devilish was a great book that made me question things I thought I knew about Satan and society itself. The book is about two best friends, Jane Jarvis and Allison Concord who go to a prestigious Christian school. They are both a little standoffish, but suddenly Allison begins to change. She claims that the Devil is a girl allegedly at their school named Lanalee. She is way prettier and more talented than she was. I thought it was confusing when she joined an "exclusive" Poodle Club that Jane di...