This was a bit of a miss for me. Objectively, this one offered a fine delivery of a very classic horror story involving the cursed object trope. However, it failed to invoke much of an emotional response for me.

My biggest disappointment was the artwork which is usually my favourite part of his books. Some of the pictures are just so flat.

I think this one will most appeal to readers who really enjoy traditional older books with the usual tropes. If you already love Brom, you will undoubtedly want to try this one out.

Disclaimer I received a copy of this book from the publisher.

Brom has a way of hiding what his books really are by making them look pretty (and I mean this in the most positive way possible). He’s continuously managed to disguise his “low art” (fairly trashy, exploitation, horror/crime novels) as “high art” with their packaging (his amazing paintings, songs integrated into audiobooks, etc). As someone who appreciates “trash”, and thinks it has value, especially when done this well, I love that he keeps doing this.

As the great Bill Watterson put it: “A painting. Moving, spiritually enriching, sublime. ‘High art!’

The comic strip. Vapid, juvenile, commercial hack work… ‘Low art’

A painting of a comic strip panel. Sophisticated irony, philosophically challenging… ‘High art’”

Thanks to Tor Nightfire and NetGalley for an advance audiobook copy.

Thank you Tor and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book!

Now here is a really fun spooky punk rock read! This for me was a perfect lead into the fall season with summer concert vibes and creepy possessions. The main character becomes possessed by an evil ring and must figure out how to get it off her before the ring fully consumes her. There is also a side plot from the perspective of a serial killer which adds a sinister touch to the slasher part of this book.

Was this book a masterpiece? No, but it was fun and thoroughly enjoyable. If you are looking for a book on the same level as Slewfoot, this is not it. It’s extremely different and should not be put in the same category. I really enjoyed this book for what it was and would definitely encourage readers to experience this book by reading via audio. Because of the musical elements listening to the audio version really immerses the reader into the story. I had so much fun listening to this and wondering how the story was going to play out. Personally, I didn’t think this was scary but always check any trigger warnings before diving into any horror novel.

Just like Brom's other books, this was weird but I really liked reading it as an audiobook. The premise was super interesting and the audiobook elevated the experience by actually playing the music referenced throughout the book. I thought it was a very unique possession story and was enjoyable.

😈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

The narrator really brought this story to life. A gory, new take on possession. Fast paced and intense

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.

This is my 3rd book by BROM & definitely not my last!! Each of the 3 has felt unique and I really enjoy his writing style.

There are some significant trigger warnings so be prepared. It’s horror.

A few characters are really well developed and grow throughout the story. I love that I had an internal monologue running half the time like, is this mental illness or possession or a mixture? Why would a mom NOT want a risqué Polaroid of her daughter vaporized?

Ruby is in her mid-twenties & has behavioral issues. She’s split from her punk band and BFF. She’s angry bordering on homicidal. She’s treated unfairly. Her dad has passed and her mom has a new man & his pervy kid living with them now.

Ruby helps a neighbor & leaves in possession of a ring with possibly supernatural qualities.

She’s off her meds!

She’s battling her own thoughts. She’s worrying that she might be mentally ill as her doctor has said cuz now she’s hearing voices in her head.

Love her thoughts!! She’s being bullied and gaslit!! Who wouldn’t want to teach the bullies a lesson or mess with them or maybe she’ll just follow through!!

There are some truly awful humans that I enjoyed hating.

I read the publishers summary and thought there’d be a lot more punk/rocker/band involvement.

There is a song but it’s in the last quarter of the book when all hell breaks loose. It’s first & foremost a story about a sad mixed up girl with understandable anger management issues that grows into a fabulous story of possession, murder, mayhem!

As the story progresses truths are revealed, feelings change.

If you need a new scary book for Spooktober look no further!! Due to the music, suggest audio! Fabulous cover art!

Thank you NetGalley & Macmillan Audio this was a TREAT!

I really enjoyed this music based horror by Brom. It ended up going in a completely different direction and definitely had some fantasy elements that provided even more depth. There's a very important song that is central to the story and I loved hearing it in the audiobook. It definitely has a punk underground vibe and I would recommend it to all music and horror fans.

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.

The production of this audiobook was immaculate and completely immersive. Brom always goes full throttle and I love that about their stories. Although the plot wasn’t my favorite from this author, it’s definitely a solid read. I highly recommend the audio for this one as it gives it that extra punch.

This was my first time reading Brom. I have heard really good things about the author so I was excited to read his new book. The plot was good and funny at times. There was a lot of violence and gore as well. In some aspects it felt a little YA. The narration from the audio made it that much more creepy. The thing I didn’t really like were the characters. I really didn’t like Ruby. Sometimes I think the music pulled me out of what I was reading. So I didn’t like the music.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor for providing me with a free ebook in exchange for an honest review.

👿ARC REVIEW👿

Evil in Me by Brom
5/5⭐
Publication Date: Already out!

I stayed up way too late reading this book. The book begins with our main protagonist as she finishes up her probation sentence. And then, you guessed it, she gets possessed by a demon.

This book was such a page turner. I'm definitely going to be picking up more Brom books!

Please read if you like books with the following:
🎸 Possession by chaotic neutral demons
🎸 Original punk rock music
🎸 Side plots with serial killers
🎸 The '80s

🏷️#bookreview #bookrecommendations #bookstagram #books #booklover #bookworm #bookstagrammer #reading #bookish #bookaddict #booknerd

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance listener copy!

While the premise seemed promising, the narration didn't work for me. It felt very YA in tone, which made it hard to immerse myself in the story. I think my standards were set really high because of how well done the audiobook for the author’s previous work, Slewfoot, was. The delivery came across as a bit cheesy, ultimately taking me out of the experience. I think I'd have enjoyed this more in print, where the writing could stand on its own.

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. The dual narrators were fantastic as was the addition of music from the Maxines. The audiobook was one of the best I have ever listened to and made the story come alive in a way that reading it alone could not. This book was 10 out of 10 for me.

Enjoyable and fun, but that's about it for me. I did enjoy it enough to check out some of Brom's other works though!

Brom’s books never fail. Not only are his stories vivid with imagery, but there is also a visual art piece to go with them. The reader gets to see the characters as Brom does. I absolutely love this. Want to take that to the next level? Try audiobook Brom. Holy crap. I actually listened to this book, and am so very glad I did.
Evil In Me is a heightened experience on audio. The listener is gifted actual music, with lyrics from the book. It’s a punk rock experience, straight out of hell! In a good way, lol. Ruby creates a song that with make the magic to release the demon that possesses her. This song, when just read is ok, but when actually listened to it’s amazing. It’s heavy guitar and screaming lyrics, reminiscent of the punk days of the past. I found myself singing along, and humming the tune later.
Beyond the music, I’m not over it yet, the story is incredible. It takes on Judaism, something I have never encountered in books. There is a lot of talk of demons and god, but the story is mostly about believing in yourself and forgiveness. This is a horror book, so don’t go thinking it’s a soft read. There’s a lot of blood and some gory moments.
Get the printed copy for the art work and memories, but listen to the audio!!

1985, Enterprise, Alabama. Ruby Tucker is nearing the end of her community service requirement for her probation. Ruby regrets not going to Atlanta with her best friend Tina to pursue their dreams of punk rock stardom after high school. If she had, she wouldn't be living in her mother's basement and enduring her small-minded town. At least she's really enjoyed teaching guitar classes to the kids at the YMCA and assisting her elderly neighbor, Mr. Rosenfeld.

But while assisting Mr. Rosenfeld with his religious artifacts, an evil ring latches on to Ruby. Now, to free herself from the sheid that has possessed her, she'll need to harness the power of music to save her soul.

I really enjoyed this fun horror story. Ruby and the cast of characters who accompany her on her journey are all endearing. Even the demon. Maybe especially the demon. The audiobook includes musical performances of Ruby's punk rock, which is a wonderfully immersive addition.

However, I do think that the narrative suffered from a lack of editing. There is a bit too much exposition and the events teased in the publisher's blurb aren't fully realized until about two thirds of the way through the book. There is also a serial killer character who feels wholly unnecessary. Ruby's character arc would have been stronger if there had been more focus on her relationships with her mother and Tina rather than the spent on her exacting revenge on her ex-boyfriend.

Again, I really did enjoy the book and had a great time reading it. There was just some wasted potential to make this a five-star read.

This review will be posted to Goodreads and Instagram (@goodquietkitty) on September 17, 2024.

I think many fans of Brom would likely agree, a significant part of the magic in his works lies in his extraordinary illustrations. I admit that I felt a twinge of guilt for experiencing this audiobook before seeing its artwork, however, I can wholeheartedly recommend EVIL IN ME as an audiobook because it features original music! The title track, “Evil in Me,” is performed by The Maxines and co-written by Brom and AJ Grey (of The Maxine’s). How freaking cool is that?!

Aspiring punk-rock musician Ruby, loses her spark after her band breaks up and her best friend leaves town without her. While helping out a neighbor, she stumbles upon a cursed object and becomes possessed by a demon. To break the curse, Ruby must reconnect with her former rock & roll self and pour her entire soul into one special song.

This publishes today, September 17, and I cannot recommend it enough, especially for dedicated Brom fans. It's got a manic serial killer, and it’s full of demons, Jewish mysticism, and portals to hell. And! it’s set in the 80’s and is nostalgic af!

Rock and roll will save your soul, right? Well, hopefully, it can save Ruby's.  See, Ruby has an ancient ring stuck on her finger, and that ring has a demon inside. A demon who is trying to take over Ruby's soul. The only way to get the ring off is to enlist the help of a whole lot of people to chant a spell with her. Will she succeed?

Okay, guys, this is going to be one of those books that you either love or hate, I think. It's definitely not going to be everyone's cup of tea. Luckily for me, I ended up firmly on the 'love' side! This was such a fun, campy, sometimes silly story with a really great cast of characters. I loved the 80s punk rock vibes in the story and the nods to the 'satanic panic' of the past. It's a story of demonic possession, but with heart.

If you are going to read this one, I would highly recommend the audiobook version. It features multiple narrators who do an excellent job with the varying characters/accents. There are also some great voice effects done on the demons, which was great. But the best part (in my opinion) was the inclusion of an original song for the book. That was such a great addition and really made the audiobook more of an experience.  Though I will say, the physical book has artwork, so now I need that as well!

Honestly, I was sad when this one was over, and that doesn't happen for me a lot. I had a lot of fun with this. If you enjoy campy horror, definitely give this one a try!

Stars: 4.5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 (only because I had a couple of questions at the end)