A classically fun, rebellious, and adventurous horror story from the one and only Brom!

We follow Ruby, a young woman trying to escape her troubled teen past. While hating being stuck in her hometown with her ex boyfriend, condescending boss, and crappy stepdad, she daydreams about escaping to Atlanta to play in a punk band with her high school bestie. Soon she accidentally stumbles upon a cursed ring connected to demons and dark entities, which causes her to become possessed.

Once she realizes the trouble she’s gotten herself into, Ruby, the evil inside her, and her few loved ones go on a road trip to break the curse on this ancient ring. Filled with demons, serial killers, teen angst, and found family, there’s no shortage of action and fun 80’s horror vibes.

Somewhat shallow when it came to serious topics, but overall a good time for what it was.

3.5 stars!

Thank you to Netgalley and Tor Nightfire for the ARC.

4.25/5: This was a wild ride from beginning to end. I never know what to expect when picking up a story by Brom, but I’m never disappointed. Ruby gets possessed and the only way to exercise the demon is through rock ‘n roll. This story was refreshing and so much fun. The ending? Beautiful! Please gimme more!

Thank you NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

I really wanted to love this. I've never read this author before but have seen amazing reviews for them. This started out strong and the plot was quick paced. The characters were really well developed too. Lots of gore and violence. This was entertaining and creepy, but it did feel a bit YA. That didn't ruin the book for me, it's just that I wasn't expecting that. I definitely want to pick up more books by this author because I was definitely intrigued by the writing. This is a good read for spooky season!

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the gifted copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

The prologue was intense and full of action and shocking sequences - unfortunately, this can't be said for the rest of the book. It honestly ended up being a slog to get through. I absolutely loved Brom's Slewfoot, so this came as a bit of a shock. I guess I was hoping for higher stakes for a book about a demonic ring that possesses the wearer.

I did find Vutto to be a fun and interesting character. I just wish I could say the same about the others. I never felt a sense of urgency from the antagonists nor did I find myself compelled to root for the protagonist or supporting characters.

Although this didn't quite work for me, I want to thank Tor Nightfire and Netgalley for the eARC!

Ruby Tucker has always been part of the weird club never quite fitting in yet she doesn't care because she has her music which has always been her saving grace.
Ruby was supposed to move to N.Y. with her best friend and bandmate but once she was arrested and put on probation those dreams were smashed and her friend left without her to pursue their dreams alone. Ruby hates her rural town where nothing ever changes with dead end jobs along with the majority of people who live there. Ruby is a mouthy young woman with a big heart so she helps take care of her elderly friend (Josh) who suffers from the early stages of dementia and one day sorting through his many religious artifacts she is drawn to a strange ring which has an aura of beautiful singing voices only she can hear and one day she breaks into Josh's home desperate to have that ring and when she puts it on her finger, it clamps down hard biting into her finger as if it had a mouth and teeth and then she hears the angelic music again but now with a voice commanding her to hurt Josh whom she loves very much. Ruby realizes too late that she has been possessed by a demon although another much more powerful creature lives within the ring and can only escape with Ruby doing it's bidding. Ruby is more of an atheist so she never believed in demons or God but she learns now there are so many more supernatural entities than she ever could have imagined and the ring she wears has now made her a beacon for the most horrifying creatures which nightmares could never have dreamed up. Somehow, someway, Ruby must get to N.Y. and her best friend to create some sort of a musical chanting song which will be the only way to exorcise the demon within herself and the ring, which seems preposterous, especially when she knows she's already doomed because she is filled with hate and violence now and her true self continues to weaken with every passing minute and if the evil takes over her soul completely and releases the demon within the ring all humanity will be in danger of the most evil and horrifying spiritual attacks that one could never have dreamed in their wildest nightmares because this demon controls thousands and thousands of other demons that were sent to hell they will also be released into the world to create chaos and mayhem.

WoW! This was a crazy, good book of horror but what else could be expected by famous, horror writer 'Brom'! I never anticipated being so drawn to a few of the characters especially one of the demons! This book had everything but not overloaded with any tedious details. Some of the horror descriptions were so nightmarish and vivid that some sensitive or squeamish readers shouldn't read this novel before going to sleep at night because you never know what might just be lurking in the darkest corners in your room or the shadows you thought you knew so well, oh no, they may never be harmless shapes ever again. I thought the story was exceptionally clever and filled with SUSPENSE, SPOOKY EXCITEMENT, HELLISH CREATURES of all kinds and I must not forget NASTY GORE along with some fantastic subtle black humor here and there which really helped to break up some of the tension created from so many terrifying descriptive situations!

This story was so well-written and fluid that I couldn't wait to find out what would happen yet I didn't want the book to end. There was one character in particular that I found so special and I was pleasantly surprised that I could be attached to such a horrific being that brought out a different element to this fantastic horror novel. I just loved this wonderful and creepy book and I highly recommend it to all horror readers.


I want to thank the publisher "Tor Publishing Group/ Tor Nightfire" and Net galley for the opportunity to read this digital copy and any thoughts or opinions were unbiased and mine alone!

I have given a rating if 4 1/2 TERRIFYING AND HAUNTING 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌠 STARS!!

Devil wants me in his belly like a wiggle worm.

Evil in Me started off on a fast chaotic note, Adam is trying to fight the voice in his head telling him to kill. He's powerless as he watches himself burn down a synagogue and stab the Rabbi and his wife to death. Readers are let in that it's a ring that has clamped itself onto Adam's finger and is feeding him these urges. As Adam hacks off his fingers trying to get the ring off, it just keeps spider crawling back onto another one until Adam takes his own life. The story then jumps from 1951 Brooklyn to 1985 Enterprise, Alabama and twenty-three year old Ruby.

“I am Lord Sheelbeth...your savior, your master.” The flames flared as she spoke.

One of my favorite parts of this story was how the author took the time to develop the supernatural background. Taking from religious mythology and giving it some spin, Brom gives us the ring's story. It's from a time when gods ruled and Lord Sheelbeth was in her heyday, until the Baalei Shem cut the ring off Sheelbeth's finger, cut out her eye, tied her to the ring, and imprisoned her in a hell. While Sheelbeth can weave urging magic into songs sang by the souls she has taken throughout her life, that are manifested as worms in her belly, she can't force anyone to act on these urges. This is done by Beel, a shedim (one of god's unfinished souls), who Sheelbeth had previously imprisoned and can possess the body of the ring wearer, controlling their body. I wasn't well versed in these religious stories, so don't fear if you aren't either, I had no problem understanding everything. We get povs from Sheelbeth, Beel, and later another demon, Vutto, controlled by Sheelbeth, to expand their characters and even though they come from a hell, don't be surprised if you start to feel for them.

With the beginning giving us the introduction to the ring, it sets-up a great foreboding feeling as we get to know Ruby. She's on her last week of community service, stopped taking her medication for bi-polar, and just trying to white-knuckle it and not lose it over how everyone aggravates her. Listen, she had some legitimate reasons to. When she heads over to Mr. Rosenfeld's home, the same last name of the previously murdered Rabbi, you know things aren't going to go well for her. Sure enough, the ring ends up on her finger and then we're on a ride to save her life. Josh was the Rabbi's brother and manages to give Ruby a heads-up on what's happening, even manages to douse the ring in red powder (angel's blood) to cloak Sheelbeth's power, while they try to find a way to get it off Ruby's finger. While the ring is cloaked, Ruby is still possessed by Beel, but he's been looking for a way to get from under Sheelbeth's control and helps as much as he can with finding a way to break the ring's grasp.

I got . . . bored.

Help is to be found in Atlanta where Josh knows a Dr. who specializes in ancient Hebrew mythology and theology. There, they learn that if Ruby sings a song from the heart, with the help of many souls, they can compel the ring off. Which is perfect, because Ruby used to be in a punk band and her ex-bandmate just happens to be in Atlanta. The second half gives us ghosts, demons, murder, redemption, and a serial killer. I wasn't really a fan of the Richard serial killer addition, his pov and addition felt clunky added on and honestly the story would have been better without it, wanted kick him out of the band. Along with Richard, Ruby's almost step-father had a story arch that made me think there can be too many musicians in a band, Ruby was the lead singer and could carry this story without those two.

The ending was a wild ride and had some of that chaotic punk music feel but like Ruby's band The Night Mares, this story needed a drummer to anchor it, Ruby had enough characterization for lead singer and Sheelbeth and Beel easily could have anchored but they got pushed and rushed aside too much by those characters I wanted cut-out; the story threads were riffing all over the place without a solid connecting feel. This was a supernatural story that had horror, punk music and satanic panic '80s highlighting, and heart from some unlikely places, fun but off the tracks at times.
(The author also did a really cool collaboration with a punk band, The Maxines, to produce some of the original songs created in this, make sure to check those out!)

I loved the idea behind the book, but it was awful. I just could not get into it and it just felt like a hot mess. I really wanted to like it I did and I kept trying. In fact I finished it and I feel like I wasted a week of my life on this book.


*I received this book as an Advanced Reader's Copy (ARC) through NetGalley. I received this copy free in exchange for my honest review.*

For fans of Grady Hendrix, dive into the demonic side of rock n’ roll.

Ruby Tucker wants to be a musician so badly, but while helping her neighbor organize religious items, a demonic rings clamps down on her finger, and refuses to let go until hundreds of people chant.

This psychedelic horror story takes readers on a trip to the depths of hell and straight into the pit of the Atlanta punk scene. Brom never fails to deliver a spine-tingling sensation of a story.

I love when punk rock is the answer.

A brutal ride through demonic possession, what we owe to those who save us and those who hurt us, mental health, religion, redemption, darkness, and salvation.

Ruby is our main lead character, a young mess trying to figure out what she needs and trying to climb out of poverty to do it, the only thing she believes in is the music. A series of events and mistakes put her in multiple levels of danger, and we get to fight and fear alongside her.

There were definitely some interesting resolutions and losses that I wasn't expecting, and parts of the story felt familiar as any supernatural with music book will. It's very raw, at times very dark, but still had humor and sweet humanity.

😈EVIL IN ME😈 by @geraldbrom

I am continually amazed by the stories that come from this man's dark, creepy, empathetic brain. This is my third Brom and i freaking loved it! Thank you to the author, @netgalley and the publishers, @tornightfire and @macmillanaudio for the audio-ARC and the finished copy.

🎸🎸🎸

Ruby just wants to play music and get outta her small town where she doesn't feel she belongs. When she inadvertently gets tangled up with a demon goddess, a powerful ring and some lesser demons, her plans get slightly detailed. She turns to her love of music to save her but will have to contend with her uber-religious stepdad, a dangerous stalker and a whole lotta chaos to free herself of the evil inside her.

🎸🎸🎸

If you like punk rock, feminist themes, ride-or-die friendship, demon slaves with big feelings, and fighting against those who want to contain you, this might be your book!

I listened to this one on audio and it brought a whole new level to the punk songs, the different characters and the feel of the story. Highly, highly recommend going the audio route with this one. I believe there is even an album from the Night Mares (played by @themaxinesband ) out there to accompany the book!

A perfect book to get you in the spooky season mood!

😈😈😈

What kind of music do you listen to?!

💚SMASHBOT💚

#booknerd #booksta #bibliophile #booklover #bookish #brom #evilinme #netgalley #netgalleyreviewer #horrorlover #horrorbooks #musicbooks #bookworm #bookdragon #bookreview

Evil in Me is such a unique read. Brom takes a possession story and turns it punk. A combination I didn't know I needed, but it worked surprisingly well.

Ruby is such a good character. I love the punk-rock aesthetic and Ruby's drive to rebel and play music. Effortlessly relatable. Also, her family situation is frustratingly realistic. Especially her step-brother: such a little shit! These elements make this a book easy to get invested in and cheer Ruby on during her journey.

I really enjoyed this book. It wasn't my favorite Brom title but I still really enjoyed it. The story was vivid and scary. The characters all had Brom's usual flair. Overall this was a great addition to Brom's library.

BROM takes on possession in a new way. This book starts off intense and doesn’t slow down. Gory and terrifying!

Ruby's life isn't going great, and it's made worse by her boyfriend letting her take the fall for his drug dealing. She's just trying to make it through court-ordered service so she can escape to Atlanta, reunite with her best friend, and get their band back together. An evil entity will interfere with those plans and cause even more havoc in Ruby's life.

TW/CW: Language, gambling, mental health, homophobic slur, cancer, divorce, gory scenes, blood, infertility, death by suicide, loss of parent, racism, drunk driving, physical abuse, mental illness, domestic abuse, PTSD, sexual abuse, gaslighting, toxic parent relationships

*****SPOILERS*****
About the book:
Aspiring musician Ruby Tucker has had enough of her small rural town and dysfunctional family. But a falling out with her best friend and bandmate has killed her dreams of escaping and making it big in the Atlanta punk scene.While helping her eccentric neighbor organize his religious relics, an ancient ring clamps down on her finger―possessing her with the spirit of a blood-thirsty demon. There’s no getting it off unless hundreds of people chant a spell to set Ruby free. And what’s worse, the ring is a beacon for evil, drawing an unimaginably wicked mob straight to Ruby, hungry for her flesh.If Ruby can get her band back together, she has a shot at salvation. It's time for her to face the music and put her whole soul into a song―one powerful enough to raise some Hell.
Release Date: September 17th, 2024
Genre: Sci-Fi/Horror
Pages: 304
Rating: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

What I Liked:
1. That cover is stunning
2. Writing sucks you into the story
3. Loved the audiobook

What I Didn't Like:
1. Bees knees & cat's meows & cat's pajamas
2. Chapters too long
3. Some parts felt repetitive

Overall Thoughts:
{{Disclaimer: I write my review as I read}}

Ruby is typical punk snob. No one else can like anything other than punk. It's the same in the metal club.

Ruby being sexually assaulted and having them blackmail her. This sucks that everyone is so ready to turn her in for anything.

I was shocked when Ruby dropped that bucket of tar on Billy and Stacy. I understand her complete frustration, but wow it was crazy.

I can not believe her mother gave away her money (from her dad) to this loser. I seriously not see what it is about Eduardo that Rudy's mom thinks he's such a great guy. How does she go from Ruby's dad (described as amazing and kind) to this dude that has a man baby and constantly threatens Ruby? I didn't understand though why Ruby's mom was in control of her money when she's 24 years old.

Why would demons eat ghosts?

If she was in trouble I had to save her, and believe me, the irony wasn’t lost on me. For at that moment, I could think of no worse tragedy than someone murdering her before I did.
Omg some of the stuff that Richard says is too funny. This character is killing me!

Eduardo getting a felony for almost killing a woman when he was driving drunk.

Ohhhhhhhhhhh Ruby's dad was actually dealing with mental illness from Vietnam and was abusing the family and she just now remembered this with help.

I get that the radio host was being nice to Tina, but he wouldn't think it's odd that they had already forced their way into the radio station to play their song and then here they are promoting the song, after the singer is missing? Weird.

Final Thoughts:
“The taint is upon you. You can run, but never hide. Evil will find you.”
How am I not supposed to think about a dudes taint whenever I read these parts??? I felt as though I was a 12 year old boy every time I came to a part that said taint. I cannot be the only one thinking this. There has to be other people out here who got a laugh out of this. Some context;
{{The perineum, or the area between the anus and genitals, is also known as the taint or gooch in American slang.}}

The book was good and there aspects of the book I loved, but it reminded me so much of a Scooby-Doo episode. The episode with The Hex Girls.


After a certain point the song that continues to play becomes really annoying. It's played over and over too many times.

I enjoyed this book and thought it was a lot of fun. There was a point (60%) where I felt like it was getting repetitive. They would run and Dick would chase them. They would play and Dick would chase them. They played and Eduardo and Dick chased them. It also felt like the police didn't really care about what Ruby had done to Billy and Stacy. They were able to make flyers with their names on them and blast her name on the radio. I'd think that's assault for what she did to them.

Also I am not letting Ruby's mom off of the hook - she's horrible;
• She allowed her daughter to live with a dangerous man (her father) that was threatening to kill them & almost succeeded
• She stole money that was Ruby's to give to a man that was threatening to Ruby
• She allowed Eduardo and his son to abuse (sexually & verbally) Ruby on a daily basis

IG | Blog

Thanks to Netgalley and Tor publishing for this advanced copy of the book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Ugh. Brom writes the coolest books. Between the art, the production of the audiobook, the amazing premise, I fear I just had my expectations too high. The characters didn’t hook me as much as I need in a story like this. It felt like an edgy young adult story which I didn’t think it was supposed to. Song lyrics in books are always off for me. I can’t explain why. Brom will remain an autobuy author for me and I know there is an audience for this one.

Hear me out… I never thought I would want to hug a demon, but Evil in Me deff made me want to. 😬😂

I loved this one. Like all of Brom’s work, it caught my attention and didn’t let go. Ruby has so much going on, she’s in trouble with the law, stuck in a miserable circumstance while doing community service, her ex-boyfriend is a dick, her mom sucks and her mom’s boyfriend and son are even worse, her and her bestie aren’t on speaking terms, her mental health is spiraling out of control, she misses her dead father, she’s unknowingly being stalked by some freak who wants to kill her, and oh and she’s possessed by a demon. Basically her life is complete shit and she’s trying so hard to fix it all. I felt for her so much and wanted to give her the biggest huge ever. This one was quite the ride and so much fun to read, what an homage to 80’s punk. 🖤 And I have to say I really loved ole Vetto, he was such a good egg. 🥹 Thanks to Tor Nightfire for my eARC. Evil in Me published this week.

I loved this title so much! All of the characters were beyond amazing and so well developed. I found myself excited to come back to this book every time I had to put it down. Brom is a genius storyteller and really captured the spirit of the 80s through the characters. Ruby Tucker had such an arc through this book going from being submissive and directionless to being the most badass female character I've seen in awhile. Tina was also incredible and really gave you the energy of a punk because she was not only also badass but really caring and engaging. I loved the redemption arc of Eduardo and I really loved that Richard got what was coming to him. This book was 10 out of 10 for me.

I wanted to like this way more than I did. There were a lot of good elements here. A misguided but kickass protag who doesn't give up (and loves The Cramps). A cursed ring. Possession. Blood, gore, and violence. A serial killer. There almost seemed to be too many things crammed into this story, as well as a dash of overexplaining. I only finished to answer one question and that was it. It's unfortunately not a story that's going to stick with me now that it's over.

I really enjoyed the 80s rock vibes that permeated Evil in Me. The opening reminded me of early Supernatural episodes, setting a great tone for the story. This book made me laugh, cry, and grossed me out at times. I was genuinely rooting for Ruby, and it was great to see her growth throughout the story. The supporting characters were well-written and added depth to the narrative. While I'm fairly new to the horror genre, I found the premise unique. There may be similar books out there, but this one packed a lot into a short space—demonic relics, demon possessions, ghosts, punk rock, serial killers, and even Jewish lore. I loved the multiple POVs, and the author nailed the ending. Overall, it was a fantastic read! 4.5 out of 5 stars.

Note: I’d recommend looking up trigger warnings before diving in. Also, thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me access to an eARC of this book. All thoughts are my own. However, I loved it so much that I bought a physical copy for myself!