Set in the 1980s satanic panic craze, punk rocker, Ruby, becomes possessed by a gold ring while helping her elderly neighbor clean out his storage. The solution? Convince a large gathering of people to chant a spell rock concert style. This was my first book by Brom. I was a bit disappointed to see that their drawings were not included in the ARC. While I liked the plot, the characters seemed pretty one dimensional which detracted from the story. Thanks to NetGalley for a chance to read and review this book. .

I had a lot of fun with this one. Everyone started off annoying and selfish but slowly grew on me by the end. Especially the ‘evil’ characters. The storyline was both unique and nostalgic, really captured my attention. Lots of surprising moments.! I did want a bit more resolution at the end, or at least time with it. The end wrapped up fast and neatly.

Evil in Me is the perfect spooky read for this season and the cool cover would look great on a bookshelf. Can’t wait to check out Brom’s other works now.

This book follows the possession of Ruby Tucker. When she finds a mysterious box with an even more mysterious ring in her friend Josh's house, she can't stop thinking about it. When its haunting song finally wins her over, she steals the ring in the middle of the night. That's when Hell breaks loose. The ring amplifies her emotions, and she gives into her impulses, and she runs to Josh for help. She finds out she is possessed by Beel, who wants to be free of the ring and Lord Sheelbeth, who controls it.
Together, Beel (not a demon) and Ruby search for someone or something that can take the ring off. Ruby, a very impulsive and angry character, suddenly has to learn to accept her demons, if she wants to make it through this nightmare.

I highly recommend this book to any horror lover! This book is full of gore, demons that hide in plain sight, and demons that lurk inside everyone. Brom once again, understood the assignment and delivered another dark and disturbing story for all the fans of Slewfoot and Lost Gods to enjoy.

Evil In Me was a delight to read. Equal parts creepy and adventurous. The characters were relatable as well as troubled. Musicians putting their heart and soul into the music while evil threatens to their very essence of life.

This was my second Brom book that I've read with the first being Slewfoot. I enjoyed this a lot more than Slewfoot for the sheer fact that it was road trip book based around the concepts of art, music and beliefs. Evil In Me had me hooked and i had a hard time putting it down at times.

I would recommend this book for anyone looking for a spooky season book for the upcoming Halloween season.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan publishing for the eARC copy! All thoughts and opinions are my own!!

***TRIGGER WARNINGS: Violence, Gore, Weaponization of mental illness, Kidnapping and Torture, (Attempted) Sexual Assault, Murder, Revenge Porn, Weaponization of Religion***

Quick synopsis: Taking place in the Bible Belt, Ruby is a seemingly troublesome character. With problems at home, her estranged friendships and a parole agreement being monitored by a bible thumping woman, it’s seems Ruby has been dealt the worst hand of life. The only thing that makes her happy is her music! That and her relationship with an elderly man who’s suffering from dementia and his daughter.
But not his all what it seems with this old man who seems to losing his grip on reality. He holds a secret. An ancient one, an ancient powerful tool that unfortunately ends up bound to Ruby and that’s where things take a wild violent turn in Ruby’s life.

WOW 🤩 what a ride! Off the top, you get gore and violence! It may not be for everyone but I loved it. I was hooked from the first paragraph.
Evil in Me give us gore and violence mixed with proto-punk rock era satanic panic and demon possession. There’s a mystery to be solved in the presence of impending doom and the author does a really great job of having that underlying evil and dread felt throughout the story.
I am really impressed with how well each character is developed in this story. There’s this overwhelming fear, anxiety, and anger that is displayed by not only Ruby but also the spirit possessing her body. Each character has their own uniquely complex emotions and inner turmoil that translates beautifully into words.
Although the ending kinda threw me (I was expecting a different outcome, haha) I enjoyed this novel overall. So much so that I prolonged finishing because I didn’t want the story to end 😅. This one really has me interested in other works by Brom 🤔.

I think this is definitely a refreshing read for horror lovers who don’t mind quite a bit of gore and aren’t turned off by the satanic panic narrative. Might be a bit much for someone new-ish to the genre. I would HIGHLY recommend reading!

Again, ALL thoughts and opinions ARE MY OWN. I was not influenced by any of the aforementioned publishers or publication websites. ✌🏾

Thanks to NetGalley and Tor Nightfire for access to an advanced copy of this ebook. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

When Ruby accidentally becomes possessed by a demon-esque creature after a sinister ring attaches itself to her finger, she is in a race against time to remove the ring and save her soul.

Evil in Me is yet another fantastical, horrific story by Brom. This one reminded me of Scott Pilgram vs the World, but with a little bit of Satanic Panic thrown into the mix. As usual, Brom created many lovable, morally grey characters that showed lots of growth, and had phenomenal redemption arcs. I really enjoyed the musical aspect, it made this one stand out a bit more from his other popular novels Slewfoot and Krampus.

I do feel like the ending was a little abrupt, and would have liked to see more of what happened to Vutto the demon. I can't wait to see the final version of this story, with the artwork included - I bet it will be fantastic!

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. It wasn't as impactful to me as Slewfoot, but it was a lot of fun and I finished it fairly quickly. Brom always has some fun stories up his sleeve, and this one is another winner to his already impressive list of novels.

Slewfoot turned me into a fan of Brom, and this book cemented that. Evil in Me is a gory, relentless rollercoaster centered around Ruby, a girl who just wants to play her punk rock music. If you watched the second Mummy movie with Brendan Fraser, the impetus for this story is similar, a powerful object gets attached to Ruby and it's all go from there.

There is a lot going on here, and a lot of characters, but Brom is a talented enough writer that everything flows smoothly and we always know which character is which. There is plenty of gore, of course, and as wince-inducing as those bits were, they are also so much fun.

Very thankful to Brom, NetGalley, and Tor Nightfire for allowing me to preview this book.

Ruby Tucker is off her meds again and trouble will soon follow. With a family life that is sad and scary, Ruby just wants to get her band back together and get out of her podunk town. Working part time as a caretaker for a friend's father, Ruby discovers a collection of artefacts, one of which was a ring. Ruby puts it on and hears a song. The ring grabs on to her finger of its own accord and it cannot be removed. Can its siren song be silenced? Will Ruby ever be free from the taint caused by the ring? You'll have to read this to find out!

I've loved every Brom book I've read, except for this one. The plot was a good one, (though a bit silly at times), and the characters were strong. There was lots of violence and gore as well. So why didn't I enjoy it as much as Brom's other books? The only thing I can put my finger on is a feeling. While I was reading I kept feeling that EVIL IN ME had a distinct YA feel to it. In spite of the violence, in spite of a truly horrible serial killer, (It's me, Richard.) and in spite of some great characters, I just felt this was a bit tame. I love the idea of the saving grace of Rock and Roll and have loved other books with the same exact theme. I really dug the character of Ruby and I empathised with her situation, especially as more and more of her past was revealed. If it weren't for my love of this girl, I might not have even continued reading.

Don't get me wrong, the story is entertaining as all get out, (featuring demons, dark lords, serial killers and half-mad Jesus worshipping stepfathers), and who doesn't want to see Rock music save the world, (or at least one young woman?) Overall, it just felt...light to me-like trying to satisfy a cheesecake Jones with cream cheese on a cracker. It's still good-just not all you wanted it to be.

One thing I missed by reading a digital ARC is Brom's artwork. Perhaps combined with that I would have given this a slightly higher rating? It's hard to say. I may buy a copy of this anyway, because I did enjoy the story and I always enjoy Brom's art.

I do recommend Evil in Me and I hope you enjoy it if you decide to give it a go!

ARC from publisher.

This was my first Brom story to read. It was nothing like what I was expecting. The writing is so fluid and easy to read, it didn't take long to devour this novel. The character development, the world building, and the overall plot, is so good! I will definitely check out all of his other novels. It is nice to read a solid, horror-ific story.

#NetGalley #EvilinMe

I really enjoy the overall premise of this book as it explores mental health and the stigma surrounding it. I enjoyed the dynamics between our main female character and the accompanying demon that inevitably inhabits her. The family with her friend as well as her complicated dynamics with her family, all added to the overall richness and complexity of the plot line.

I really feel like this is a book that should have its own soundtrack. It was absolutely punk rock in every which way. The descriptions and imagery was absolutely stellar as is on par for Brom and all his other books.

The Evil in Me by Brom is a wild ride of a story with 1980s punk rock, Jewish Mysticism, serial killers, found family, and demons large and small. Fans of Brom’s Slewfoot will also enjoy this one, another good for her story with the same affinity for pagan and ancient spirits. As in other Brom stories, humans are the most monstrous of all. I loved all the shout outs to different punk and alternative bands, and the settings in legendary Atlanta 80’s music venues 688 and the Metroplex. I read both the eARC and listened to the ALC of the audiobook which I highly recommend. Everyone should have a physical copy if nothing else, for Brom’s beautiful art and illustrations. The audiobook really brought all the vibes though, with real life band the Maxines playing the music. Thank you to Tor Nightfire and Netgalley for the eARC and MacMillan Audio for the excellent audiobook advance copy.

This story starts out strong, and doesn’t let up until it’s finished. We follow a few different characters, as each of them are eventually pulled into each other’s orbit from the hypnotizing song of a demon. Never once was I positive about the direction this novel would go, and this book surprised me by making some characters, who had been antagonistic villains for the most part, some of my favorites in this story.

I think this book is best gone into blind, and to just let the story surround you as you delve into the conflict Ruby must face to try to escape her imminent possession. In direct contrast to the Satanic Panic going around this time, it might just wind up being punk rock that will save Ruby’s very soul.

The one thing that kept this story from 4 stars, as opposed to the 3 I gave it, was the ending and the resolution. I kind of felt the story fell flat right near the end, like there wasn’t a clear-cut way to finish this book. Also, my favorite character just is never mentioned for this ending, and I wanted to know what happened to him! Where IS Vutto? He was my favorite, and I wanted more insight into how he dealt with the ending of the story. I loved Beel, I’m glad he got the ending he deserved, but I still wanted to know what happened to Vutto after the climatic events of the story.

A huge thank you to the author, NetGalley, and Tor Nightfire for providing this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Ask me what Evil in Me is about and I'll tell you it's about art-as-magic creating radical empathy. Yes, it has demonic possession and it has a serial killer, and it's about a fight for one young woman's soul, but those are just vehicles for story--what the book really wants to explore is the way we weave magic through the creation of art and through partaking in it through community.

At least, that's what I got out of the book. It's an entertaining read, with a bold start and an unexpected conclusion. But what the book does best is weave a multi-modal spell exploring the importance of human-created art exploring human problems. Don't let the book's commitment to the fantastic obscure the fact that the real problems the book's protagonist Ruby faces are far more common--how she navigates the death of a father, her fractured relationship to her mother, her relationships to her wannabe-cop stepdad and her skeezy stepbrother.

For Ruby, the escape is quite literally music, but not just the act of listening, but the act of creating, of performing art. The book's strengths are definitely in its seeming metacommentary about the importance of art to life, how it has the ability to transcend any one plane of interaction to become something magical and transformative.

Although I was not able to see a finished copy before reviewing this book, I was provided a small sample of the book's interior illustrations and its unique chapter headings and design, and if Brom's previous work is any indicator, the book-as-object mirrors this transformative quality in art, being more than just the sum of its parts as visual design combines with actual storytelling. Further transforming the book's experience is the existence of a musical track from collaborators The Maxines, who perform the musical number "Evil in Me" from the book.

The result of all of these artistic elements--of literary narrative and music and illustration--is a book that is definitely more than the sum of its individual parts, a love letter to music, but also to art itself as vehicle for story. I had a good time reading this book, but if there is any one thing I appreciate most about it, it is the way it evokes deeper thought about art itself. Demons and damnation are fine and all, but I think the book sings the loudest when it is exploring what it means to cast a spell--and the power that results from a community participating in the (re)creation of art together.

Disclosure Statement: I received an electronic copy of the book from the publisher via Netgalley, and also received a sample of the book's interior from the publisher. My thoughts and feelings about the book are entirely my own and not influenced by either publisher or author in any way.

☆ Just finished reading this, and this is definitely one to keep an eye out for 😉 Brom's writing is so digestible and pulls you right in for the whole journey. Thoroughly enjoyed the whole time I was reading this, and I was stressed for Ruby the whole time. Vutto is definitely my favorite character. I did read this one, but I have heard a lot of people enjoy the audiobook book more. So I'm definitely going to have to get the audiobook and physical book on release date.

Possession? ✅
Punk rock? ✅
Satanic panic? ✅✅

This was a "possession meets coming-of-age" novel. We meet Ruby, main protagonist who is inherently good, with bad circumstances. As the novel progresses, Brom does an amazing job of building an atmosphere that sucks you in. By then end, you'll be rooting for people you didn't really think you would, and wanting the best for Ruby.


The author does a great job of fully bringing you into the novel, at times I didn't even realize how much I had read when I paused. The only downside? Really long chapters. But even then, because the book fully immerses you, I wouldn't even realize how much I read.

I recommend this book to anyone looking for a book to read during spooky season, someone into possession horror, or wanting to read a novel that felt like a movie playing in your head.

Thank you Tor Nightfire and NetGalley for allowing me to read this ahead of its publication date for an honest review.

Brom is an author with a specialized way of writing that is immersive and frightening. The way words are weaved together to create an atmosphere of fear and dread that leave the reader with an feeling of impending doom throughout the entire read is nothing short of genius, and Brom creates this in every book I've read by this author.

Evil in Me is truly terrifying and Brom is a master of his craft.

Ruby Tucker is just trying to help a neighbor when an ancient ring adheres to her finger. Now Ruby is changing. Ruby only has one hope of freeing her self from the evil. But she must have her former bad to help her. Can Ruby do what needs to be done.

This was beautifully wicked. I was immediately pulled into this wild, very vivid fever dream of music and madness, where both of those elements are woven deeply into each page. Loved the characters, loved the drama of it all, and especially loved the heart at the center of the book.

4.5 stars total.
This is one wild ride of a book, you got multiple POVs, demons, punk rock, gritty gorey violence and people getting what they deserve. I honestly could not put this book down, I found I was rather hooked with the prologue, what a crazy intro it is. I would say our mc for this book is Ruby, who comes across a ring that is controlled by a powerful demon. She ends up not being able to stop thinking about it and eventually gets her hands on it and we go off on the crazy journey from there to save her soul. I diffidently think this book points out stereotypes from the 90s with dungeons and dragons, and punk rock being “evil”. Honestly Ruby has quite a few shitty people in her life and it was gratifying to she her show them she’s not crazy. One of the other POVs is Richard and he’s going through some middle age issues, but he is murder hunting down Ruby. So there is a lot that goes on in this book, but it’s so entertaining. There is blood, gore and it’s pretty descriptive. I ended up feeling bad for a demon and ended up crying during this one 😅 I think this would be perfect for fall 🎃
I would look up triggers/ warnings before reading 📖

I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

Evil in Me by Brom is a mixed third and first person multi-POV horror set in a small town in 1985. Formerly aspiring punk rocker Ruby is teaching kids how to play the guitar at the local YMCA after being released from prison for drug possession. At every turn, it seems that the people around her are unwilling to help or even understand her, including her ex-boyfriend who is responsible for her charges. When a possessed ring clamps onto her, Ruby starts to give in to her impulses, but learns that there’s a lot more going on than she realizes.

I loved the layers so many of the characters are shown to have. The local teacher at the Y who is responsible for putting in a good word for Ruby seems cruel and miserable and determined to keep Ruby down, until we read her letter of recommendation saying that Ruby is a good kid. Ruby’s mother is initially shown as neglectful until we get the layers peeled back much later. Even Ruby herself has a lot of things she’s pushed aside that impact her, things she needs to come to terms with if she can have a good relationship with her mom and others.

A major theme of the work is judgment. Ruby is judged by everyone around her and isn’t given a lot of chances despite the fact she is kind and very generous. When she starts to give into her impulses, it feels very much like someone who has reached her breaking point and has never been given the chance to just make mistakes, so how can we ask her not to retaliate at some point? But Ruby herself also judges some of the people around her, including her mother and doesn’t really listen at times.

Beel, the demon who is possessing the ring attached to Ruby, is also quite sympathetic. He’s under the control of another, more powerful demon and he slowly grows to care for Ruby as a person.

The horror aspects are very much linked to the punk rock aspects. Ruby needs hundreds of people to sing back a chorus from a spell in order to get the ring off, and she writes a punk rock song. There’s references to punk music and how the people in their small town view punk music as if it’s Satanic or something to be mocked, which is a callback to the Satanic panics of the 80s.

Content warning for depictions of sexual harassment and mentions of domestic abuse

I would recommend this to readers who are fans of punk rock music, fans of horror that has a supernatural element, and those looking to give Brom’s works a shot