What a wild ride!! This is treasure hunting at its finest, with all the twists and turns of a ghost story, and my favorite found family vibes. My precious baby Dami - I just want to hug them! Obv Silas and Marisol get hugs, too, but Dami? They deserve the world & the decisions they had to make, the trials they went through — they need so many hugs!

The story flowed so smoothly, and I was deep into it before I even realized. It had me in its clutches till the very last page, and it was so *fun*! Can’t wait for more people to read this & yell about it with me :)

This book!! I cannot tell you how much I loved it. Dami was my favorite character in The Wicked Bargain, which was my absolute favorite ARC of 2022. So I was overjoyed when I learned that Dami would be getting their own story. Then I began reading and found out that it was set in New England, which made it even more special.

I really enjoyed the romance between Dami and Silas. It started out so hostile and it was satisfying watching them slowly bond and grow closer. I also enjoyed being able to see deeper into the demon world and its intricacies. The way that everything wrapped up was chef’s kiss and I couldn’t not have asked for more.

Gabe Cole Novoa is right at the top of my favorite authors list and I eagerly look forward to reading any and all future works.

Thank you so much to Random House Children’s Books and NetGalley for this eARC. All opinions are my own.

Wow. I love this. I'm going to be real honest, I did not know that this was a companion book to the wicked bargain but as I started it I could not figure out why everything sounded so familiar but then I figured it out and I was here for it. I love seeing Dami get their own story and adventure. This was a big win for me

This was such a great follow up to the first book! It was amazing! I love the change to another character and to seeing the long standing effect of the first book. And it focused on a character I wanted more time with in the first book!

Dark academia, with a quest and a bit of a road trip with a pirate-y treaure hunt. Surprisingly, I found this to be less horror and more fun than I expected!

I really really liked Silas.

"Silas may have all the time in the world, but Dami doesn't. And the reminder is so stark they feel as though they might be sick."

Oh, Dami, I get it. Must protect Silas.

"Part of them wonders if it would have been less painful to never know what they were losing, though."

A little Boston, a lot of Caribbean, and a whole lot of bildungsroman. A little Book Thief, a lot of Wayward Son, and a Latinx author to keep your eye on.

Definitely a must-read.

After fiercely loving 'The Wicked Bargain' and particularly Dami who we follow in this one - I was both eager and nervous to pick this up but I had no reason to be!

This was just as fun as the novel prior maybe even more so, as the mystery of the island and the Indiana jones/Tomb raider vibes made for an engaging story; as well as engaging characters!

It was nice to get a wrap-up for a character who truly deserved it and to also open some new doors for other characters - there's not much I can say without spoilers so I'll keep it short.

This is an engaging, fun story of found family, hope and second chances. This author is not one to miss.

I immediately fell in love with The Wicked Bargain from the first page and The Diablo's Curse brought that love back to life! The writing is sweeping and tender at the same time, with all the thrilling, high-stakes adventure balanced out by a cast of complex characters that I will carry close for a long time to come. Couldn't recommend these two books enough!!

Dami, a demon turned human, sets out on a journey to undo all the deals they made as a demon. One deal away from true freedom, an unexpected curse makes things more difficult than planned.

The side character of "The Wicked Bargain" takes center stage with all their sass and charm in this young adult novel. Gave Cole Novoa fills each page with diversity, humor, and magic. If you like quotable one-liners and a good magical adventure, this book is a must.

I love Gabe Cole Novoa's pirate fantasies with my whole entire heart.
Anyone who loved the genderfluid demonio, Dami, from The Wicked Bargain will be overjoyed to see them returning in their own tale. Specifically, Dami just wants to be a human. Unfortunately, the only way to do that is to cancel every deal that they have with a human. It's going well until they attempt to cancel the deal that is keeping Silas alive in spite of his family's death curse. So, now Dami has to help Silas break his curse before they are forced to become a demonio forever.
I love Dami more than anything, and I adore that they get their own chance to shine in this novel. Silas is an incredibly compelling addition, and their friendship that might be something more is so adorable and thoughtfully developed. This is a very fun Indiana Jones-esque adventure romp as well, and it's executed so well. I don't think that there is anything that I can say about this novel that I didn't love!

The Diablo's Curse is the sequel to The Wicked Bargain and follows the gender-fluid demonio Dami as they try to become permanently human before time runs out and they lose their soul forever. Along the way they team up with the most unlucky boy in the world, and a clever stowaway girl as they search for treasure on a cursed island.
This was one of my most anticipated releases of 2024 and it did not disappoint. And the audiobook is narrated by Vico Ortiz (of Our Flag Means Death acclaim), so of course its a great time. This is a fun, YA pirate adventure novel that is queer, trans, and BIPOC affirming within its broader historical context. It has magical Indiana Jones vibes, and a well-developed, but not overpowering romance side plot.

I received an e-arc of this book from Netgalley for review purposes. All opinions are my own.

A big thanks to NetGalley and Random House for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I was immediately sold on the idea of a teen demon just wanting to be human.

The Diablo's Curse by Gabe Cole Novoa is a YA fantasy novel that is high stakes race to break a curse. Dami is a demon determined to cancel every deal they've ever made in order to tether their soul to earth and become human again. There's just one person standing in their way: Silas. An irresistibly (and stubborn) cute boy cursed to die young, except for the deal with Dami that is keeping him alive. If they cancel the deal, Silas is dead. Unless... they can destroy the curse that has plagued Silas's family for generations. But to do so, Dami and Silas are going to have to work together. That is, if the curse doesn't kill them first. . . .

In all honesty, I did not realize this was a sequel to Novoa's prior novel, The Wicked Bargain, until literally now. But I think this is a book that can easily be read on it's own. It was an enjoyable read, and now I want to go back and read some of Novoa's other books.

This cover absolutely hooked me and Gabe Cole Novoa was on my radar from everything I’d seen about Wicked Bargain. When I realized Diablo’s Curse actually tied into Wicked Bargain, I knew I had to get my reading on. And Diablo’s Curse ended up being such an excellent book! I love Dami so much; they are a perfect character to focus on as they’re trying to become their truest self but also struggling with the things they’ve done in the past. Their journey was just so good and I loved every moment of it. And Silas! He is such a tragic character, yet his tenacity and will to thrive was such a great element, and I loved how his perspective and dynamic with Dami develops over the course of the book. I do kinda wish things ended romantically in a triad with Marisol, though I’m plenty happy with Silas and Dami ending up together. I do hope Marisol will make another appearance at a later date, though things feel really well tied up for the universe now. All in all, I had a lot of fun with this book and look forward to Novoa’s future stories

This was fun and gripping. I enjoyed every second of it. This author has become auto buy! My goal is always to read more queer books and I’m so happy to see so many in YA for the young people who need it.

This was a great adventure and treasure hunting! Love the non binary characters! There’s really nothing much to say except a really cool adventure that executed the plot!

This was a really fun read and I love that reading the first book in the series didn't feel like a requirement to understand this one.

Pros:
-representation
-multiple POV'S is done well



Cons:
-Marisol felt like an afterthought and I really wanted more of her
-pacing

After reading The Wicked Bargain in January, I got so excited to read The Diablo’s Curse. I loved Dami’s character in the first book, and knew that their story would be wonderful to read. The friendship/partnership between Dami, Silas, and Marisol was so realistic, and I wanted to join them on the adventure. I will always sign up to read queer fantasy, and I can wait to read more of Gabe’s writing as he comes out with more books!

Dami is a genderfluid demonio who wants to become human, in order to do that they have to cancel every deal they ever made as a demonio. And they’ve got them all but one, the deal they made with a frustratingly cute boy named Silas. Silas agrees to cancel the deal if Dami agrees to help them break a family curse. What could go wrong?

I loved seeing the inclusion of trans and genderfluid characters in a historical story and have it not focus on pain and misery. I love that authors are finally being allowed to tell stories of queer joy and especially stories of queer people of color in a historical setting. Yes, there have been many periods of history where being queer meant you would endure a lot of abuse from other people, but queer people have always been here and have not always lived lives of unending grief and pain.

Read This If You - like a grumpy/grumpy dynamic, enemies to lovers, supernatural beings, happy queers in historical settings, redemption arcs, hidden treasures, curses and curse breaking, trans girls who save the day

This was a fabulous introduction for me to the author, and I have already requested the previous book, The Wicked Bargain. While you can absolutely read this as a standalone, after reading this one, I wanted more.

Dani is genderfluid demon who has been more or less forced into the role through no fault of their own. But they're a demon, so they are automatically judged as being manipulative and evil. Silas is someone who made a bargain with Dani in a moment of desperation and for many reasons he regrets the impossible situation he is now in. When Dani comes to him with the offer to cancel his bargain, he agrees, but only if Dani can help him cancel his family curse.

I loved both characters and I felt great sympathy for them both. They were each in impossible situations, but they also each had a strong drive to survive, he to protect his sister, and Dani, to throw off the shackles of demon hood and to finally live life as a human.

The island they eventually found themselves on was fascinating and rich in Latinx lore. I honestly don't know how much of it comes from the Latinx culture and how much of it was a product of Novoa's mind, but I loved it. Dani is a fabulous character and one that gender fluid kids need to see more of. While Dani may have done some things that an outsider might judge as "evil", you learn enough about their upbringing and background to know that it was not by choice or by desire. It is very easy to see the goodness in Dani.

This was a quick read for me and I loved how it ended--very satisfying. As I mentioned, I've already requested the first book from my library and will probably check out other books by the author.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I love Gabe Cole Novoa's writing. I've read three of his books now and loved every one. I was hoping, after Wicked Bargain, to get more of Dami and what do you know - they get a whole book. I love Dami. They are *such* a good character. I love Silas too, even though he was very slow on the uptake. And Marisol. They worked so well together.

The whole story, with the curse and the magical island, was so imaginative and fun. I was glued to the page for the whole book, wondering what crazy amazing thing would happen next. Everything moved at a breakneck pace, and everything was deadly. The character growth for both Dami and Silas was really well done and believable.

I am really hoping we get more of Dami's adventures in future books.

*Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Books for Young Readers for providing an early copy for review.

I would die for Dami. I would. They are amazing and I love their story, their love and destiny and how good this book is