I've yet to be disappointed by Brom, and his most recent work, Evil in Me, might just be his most vulnerable novel so far. Ruby is instantly sympathetic and relatable to anyone ever made to feel like an outcast.

Aside from one character, pretty much everyone in this gets a well done redemption arc, which I personally appreciate in horror. While Brom has a track record of utterly beating down his protagonists, there's more restraint in Evil in Me, which is a very good thing when you come to expect brutality.

This is why I think this is his most vulnerable and relatable novel to date: yes there are monsters and bad people, but the bad people are...believable? They're not the most evil of evil, or even the meanest: it's how the mundane repetition of dealing with shitty people in shitty situations wears you down.

Having it take place in the 80s gave it a nice nostalgia feel, and there's a scene in my hometown, Charleston, SC...so it's no surprise I got a little sentimental. It's always a treat when people that are used to living in the south write about the south (perpetual shout out to Grady Hendrix). It doesn't smell like magnolias and the weather isnt "balmy". It's so hot the bugs sweat and they're all trying to eat us. Brom has always been brilliant with building atmosphere, and it shines here in the subtleties.

The only thing I'm bummed about is that since this is an arc, I didn't get to see any of Brom's GORGEOUS artwork. All the more reason to pick this one up again once it's released.

One would be forgiven for recognizing certain glaring similarities between Evil In Me, Brom’s latest occult novel, and Slewfoot, his 2021 hit. Both involve a young, rebellious woman who refuses to bow to the strict religious culture that surrounds her. Both involve demons and a richly imagined cosmology. Both pit our heroine against hypocritical patriarchs. Both have spooky yet adorable demonic sidekicks that aid our heroine on her journey but are, perhaps, not quite her friends.

Yes, in its rough outlines, Evil In Me looks like familiar ground, but the experience of reading is so vastly different, that it serves as a great reminder that ideas are dime a dozen and execution is everything.

While Slewfoot is set in 17th century New England, amid panic about witchcraft, Evil In Me is its own kind of period piece, set in the 1980s rural south, amidst the “Satanic Panic” of its own age, and in the center of this charged moment is Ruby, a mid-twenties wwoman with some mental health concerns and some complex family dynamics.

When we meet Ruby, she has just decided to go off of her lithium, mere days before her parole ends. Not a bad way to get a plot started, that.

But while one part of Ruby is at war with everyone and everything around her, the other part is acting as caretaker for an elderly Jewish man who is himself caretaker to a bizarre collection of occult memorabilia. One item in this collection is a ring that sometimes looks like a spider and sometimes looks like an eye, and when it calls to Ruby, our woman of zero inhibitions answers.

This connection to the rings sets off a rapid fire series of events that continually ramps up the stakes for Ruby, as she finds her self not only inhabited by a demonic presence but also hunted by that demon’s master, the owner of the ring.

Soon, the story turns into a road trip as Ruby flees to Atlanta to meet up with her old friend and bandmate, perhaps the only person left who might help her. Together, they do what anyone would do in such a situation: they get the band back together.

Oh, there’s also a serial killer who finds himself obsessed by Ruby and the odd, demonic music that emenates from her, as well as a gung ho step-father on the hunt. It’s a lot.

But unlike Slewfoot, Evil In Me is mostly just silly fun. There’s a lightheartedness to the whole affair, even when people are being tortured and killed, that gives it all a kind of popcorn movie feel. That’s not a criticism, either. Evil In Me is fun and wild and deeply imagined, and maybe it ends just before reality can reassert itself, but we wouldn’t want it any other way.

Thank you Netgalley for the e-arc of this upcoming release!

I am fascinated with the way Brom tells his stories. Using the power of pictures along with story. This was no different, however in my opinion, this was not his strongest. Slewfoot, for me, remains his best work yet! I will however recommend this to anyone who loves his work because this proves he is a talent in the field!

I thought this was incredible - it had everything I love in a story. It’s dark, gory, immersive, atmospheric. There were parts that made me laugh, had me tearing up, and parts where you really feel Ruby’s rage. My jaw was dropping throughout. It made me wish I could be part of the 80’s punk rock scene! I came to truly care about the characters and was rooting for them, even a couple I didn’t expect to by the end. If you are a fan of Brom this is a must read!

I’ve previously read and enjoyed Slewfoot, so I was very excited to get my hands on this ARC.

This book immediately dumps you into a very intense (and gory!) ride, with lots of interwoven POVs. Everything was pretty easy to follow, and each character had a unique voice and was compelling.

Thank you to Brom and NetGalley for this ARC.

This was a perfectly fine book that was neither excellent or terrible. Brom did a good job bringing the characters to life and I enjoyed reading it, but it didn’t have that ineffable quality that takes a book from 3 stars to 4 stars. Still, I’m glad I read it.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC. This review contains my honest, unbiased opinion.

This story is more than it seems.
Ruby is a seemingly troubled young lady that is just trying to get her life right.
At every turn she's thwarted. Even moreso when she's enchanted by an ancient relic containing the soul of a demon.
I was able to get this as an ARC and truly stopped reading after the smallest blurb of "saving the world with rock and roll"
Brom once again has written a story that I became invested in and eager to finish to find out what happens to our main character.
A very fun read and dark read.

Thank you for the e-arc! I’m with many other reviewers who said they missed the more serious tone of Brom’s work. I still enjoyed this, but I had super high expectations especially after The Chilc Thief

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book is quite different from the other works by Brom that I've read.

I did enjoy the cursed object and possession elements, as well as the 80's punk style and coming-of-age story.

However, the characters were very hard to connect with, and I struggled with the dialogue. There were too many POVs for me. It wasn't confusing, just felt unnecessary.

To be fair, Slewfoot didn't "wow" me as much as it did others either. I'd still like to read Krampus this winter, but I'm starting to think that maybe Brom just isn't for me.

Lets start by saying this is not something I would usually pickup, but the cover caught my attention and I was enthralled from the first chapter. This read like a movie. A movie set in the 80s full of rock and roll angst.

The main character is a young woman who has found herself in a difficult situation - possession. She now has to find a way to navigate life and the demons she's faced in the past with an actual demon haunting her.

I had a few moments that made me laugh out loud, some moments that made me say "what the heck is happening?" and some moments that made me see the characters true growth.

Thank you @netgalley for the ARC of The Evil in Me by Brom. I have loved his other books. This one was a bit different from the others I have read. It was missing the gorgeous illustrations that usually accompany his books. This was intriguing and I liked that it was different, but it didn’t grip me as much as the other ones.

Ruby is helping her neighbor clear out his house when an old ring attaches to her finger and she becomes possessed. In order to break the curse, she has to bet a crowd to sing a song with her.

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC!

I had a hard time getting past how the dialogue was written in this, it just came across as campy and a little silly. Usually I like that tone for Brom, but I missed the more serious details like were present in his other work.

After facing a bout of bad luck, Ruby is ready to get through her last week of probation so she can get on with her life. All she wanted was to play in her punk rock band with her friend Tina, but teenage angst and rebellion got in the way. While helping a friend go through old relics, an ancient ring calls to her and clamps down on her finger, trapping her into a whirlwind adventure of demon possession, rock and roll, terror inducing encounters with a serial killer, and fleeing a lady of Hell. Can Ruby put her band back together before it’s too late to save her soul?

This was a fun, action packed, almost coming-of-age story filled with teenage angst, graphic violence, and punk rock music. I loved reading about a band of unlikely characters (and creatures) come together to save Ruby from her possession. I thought the Jewish mysticism was fascinating, the demon characters were a comical part of the story, and the friendship between Tina and Ruby was super sweet. This was such a unique horror story and packs in a lot for a story that’s just under 300 pages. The entire time I was reading this, I kept thinking of the movie Little Nicky with Adam Sandler. It gave off very similar vibes, so if you enjoyed that movie, I feel like this would be the book to pick up! The only reason it’s getting a 4 star and not a 5 is because it started off pretty slow and I also didn’t care too much for the serial killer aspect, but I really enjoyed the rest of it! Brom is an amazing writer and can’t wait to see the artwork included in the finished physical copy. If you like possessions stories, religious commentary, coming of age stories, and punk rock music, this is the one to pick up!

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read the eARC of this book. All opinions are my own and honest reviews.

4.5⭐️
Thank you Tor Nightfire and NetGalley for the advanced copy!

Even on this 86•F day this book managed to give me chills.

I have only previously read Slewfoot from Brom, but it was my favorite book of the year in 2023. Evil in Me was more of a “fun” horror and, I am happy to say, also a unique story. Don’t get me wrong there were some intense scenes and some gross, gory detailed descriptions but nothing over the top for the story, it all fit together well.
The main character Ruby is very relatable and likable. And none of the characters, even those we only meet for a short time are toss aways, they all have their place and a reason in the story.
I recommend reading this and will be seeking out more of the author’s backlist to read myself.

Oh, this is cute. Loveable but troubled little scamp Ruby accidentally puts on an evil ring possessed by a demon while she's hanging out with a Jewish wizard. Yes. Really. I loved learning that Jewish people have a bit of mysticism out there. I had no idea. Anyway, the only way to save her soul is to sing the spell and get everyone else to join the chorus. Simple, right?

This is a fun, well written story and I enjoyed it very much. I liked the style and the substance. It's a little bit horror, but also a little bit coming of age and finding yourself at the same time. There was some gore. There were some deaths. There was a bit of theology. It was a fun story, and I can't wait to see the artworks in the final product.

I wish the ending was actually a little longer. I think the reunion after everything would be nice to see. That's really my only complaint.

EVIL IN ME by BROM ⭐⭐⭐/5

Can the magic of music save your soul? 🎸🎵

Evil In me is a fast-paced, rock ‘n roll death trip. We follow Ruby, a young woman struggling with mental health issues, who becomes possessed by an entity after she discovers a cursed ring that is a portal to Hell. This cursed ring becomes a beacon for evil, drawing wicked beings, hungry for her flesh.

This coming-of-age story is packed full of 80’s nostalgia and punk rock music references while it begs you to question the power of good vs. evil.

The story starts out strongly with a gory and violent prolog that explains the origin of the cursed ring, before we jump to the current timeline of non-stop action. Unfortunately, this story didn’t really work for me. I had a difficult time connecting to Ruby’s character. I found her to be rude and unlikeable. All the relationships in this story seemed superficial. I didn’t feel any sort of bond between the characters that would compel them to be there for one another. The story moved almost too fast, while the horror elements were a slow burn. There was also a secondary storyline that follows a serial killer that compulsively pursues Ruby. I found this storyline to be odd and unnecessary.

This story would have worked better for me if the serial killer storyline was eliminated and there was more focus on character building. I did enjoy the Vutto character, who is a demon minion sent by the dark Lord Sheelbeth to do her bidding. He reminded me of Ludo from Labyrinth. I also started to enjoy Ruby as a character more towards the end of the book, but ultimately wanted more.

This is my first book by BROM I’ve heard so many great things about his previous work. I plan to read Slewfoot and Krampus which have both been on my radar for some time.

I recommend this book to readers that enjoy cursed objects, possession, coming of age stories, 80’ nostalgia, punk rock music, and previous fans of BROM.

Thank you to Netgalley and Tor Nightfire (Tor Publishing Group) for the ARC. ❤️

I am not new to Brom. However, this one pleasantly surprised me. It was more gorey than I expected but I loved it. Right from chapter one I was screaming, "Oh, right in the eye!!"

There were plenty of characters being introduced to our story but it wasn't in a hard to keep track of way. Very easy to follow along with. Each character had their own personality that bled through the pages and I fell in love with them. Each and every one of them in their own special way. Even the villains. Even The Goddess. Even Richard. His character was a surprising element to the book that I enjoyed. The character development that our main character went through made me so happy for her by the end of the book.

The story was RICH with content. There were so many layers to this- sympathy for certain villains, feminist rage, growth, revenge, justice, true friendship and love, self empowerment, touches on mental illness and abuse, healing..... the list goes on. I noticed how there were even pieces connected to his book Lost Gods, but keeping Evil In Me as a standalone. It felt like a cool little Easter egg. 🤓

This was a fun one to read. Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC.

Brom's "Evil in Me" is a chilling exploration of darkness within—the narrative grips with its vivid imagery and deep, unsettling themes. The story unfolds with eerie suspense against a backdrop of mysterious landscapes and intricate character dynamics. Brom's mastery shines through in crafting a tale that lingers, seamlessly blending horror and psychological depth. "Evil in Me" is a haunting journey into the shadows of the human soul, leaving readers spellbound until the very end.

This was thrilling, fast-paced, and full of rock & roll and demons. I was hooked from the first page and thoroughly enjoyed this from start to finish. I loved the unique plot and Brom's writing style. I really enjoyed all the multiple POVs and how they all came together at the end. The main protagonist was a smidge unlikable, but I thought we saw excellent character growth by the end. Overall, I thought this was a fantastic read!

Brom's "Evil in Me" takes readers on a journey through the early eighties, blending horror with a rich musical backdrop. The story follows Ruby Tucker, an aspiring musician who discovers a cursed ring linked to an ancient demon. This ring not only brings her closer to the demon and its minions but also disrupts her small-town life as she dreams of making it big in Atlanta.

The novel is filled with entertaining music references, particularly for fans of punk and new wave, which add a unique flavor to the horror elements. Ruby's character, despite her frequent poor decisions, remains likable and relatable, making her struggles and the humorous interactions with the demons enjoyable.

While some characters are one-dimensional and the serial killer subplot feels somewhat extraneous, the novel's music scenes and the climactic gig where Ruby's band plays to save their souls are standout moments. Brom’s shift from his previous work, "Slewfoot," to this rock-infused horror novel is a refreshing change, making "Evil in Me" a fun and engaging read for both horror and music fans.