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.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this arc!!

I really enjoyed this book. More than I thought I would. I liked the characters! Great writing style and I liked the storyline. This book kept me guessing. I finished it in one sitting. Couldn’t put it down! Perfect horror/mystery!

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)

I’d like to start by noting that the audiobook ACTUALLY HAS THE SONGS!!!!! And yes, they are stuck in my head.

I really loved this book. Brom is a master at horror and really pulls you in/keeps you hooked from the beginning. I hope this is made into a movie. This book was un-putdownable. I love the use of multiple POVs to move us through the story and really feel every characters motivations. Any horror fan will love this book!

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Nightfire for the advanced digital and audio access to this book that published today!

Possession, demons, rock n’ roll, and… band drama? This book has everything going for it. Ruby Tucker is stuck in her small-town life when an ancient ring hijacks her soul, turning her into a demon’s puppet. Now, she has to get her band back together and get the world singing to save herself.

I really loved how it started — totally chaotic and creepy — but it lost some steam for me midway through. Vutto the sassy demon stole the show and was my favorite character. The audiobook was well done, especially with the full-on produced track by The Maxines as The Night Mares.

I think I would have rated it higher if I had a physical copy to pair the story with the illustrations and would have added a lot to the experience. I still have Slewfoot and Krampus on my TBR and I can’t wait to read those!

This was one of the best audiobooks I listened to this year! The way the story was told, ogh my goodness, it really creeped me out. Especially those special effects and the undervoices. Those were so well done and made the story even more intriguing. The story itself is fun (in a way that only Brom can do) and is a treasure trove for anybody who is into demonic possessions and similar themes. Such a fun time this was!

This was as much fun as I expected it would be. Starts off with a bang and doesn't really slow down for the rest of the book. Ruby has a nice character arc and the use of the original song throughout the audiobook is a perfect use of the audio format. I also appreciated having 2 narrators to keep the dual POVs separate.

Evil in Me is bestselling author Brom's newest novel of possession, damnation, and rock-n-roll where one woman must get the world singing in order to save her soul.

Thank you Macmillan Audio for sending me an audio ARC of this book! I enjoyed this book. I liked everything about this book and I liked that this book has a music element to it. I thought that was really fun getting to hear what the song was supposed to sound like. This was my first book by Brom but it won’t be my last.

evil in me by brom 🎙️ a novel of possession, damnation, and rock-n-roll where one woman must get the world singing in order to save her soul ⚡

🎸 possession
🎸 unlikely friendships
🎸 multiple POV’s
🎸 80’s punk rock
🎸 an unhinged serial killer
🎸 SO muchhh blood

there were SO many aspects of this book I enjoyed. at times I was grimacing over gruesome scenes & laughing over out of pocket one liners! VETTO!! I will forever have a soft spot for that good little egg.

I need to get my hands on a physical copy so I can look at the illustrations! the audiobook is phenomenal, thank you macmillan audio for an early copy! immediately bumping slewfoot higher on my tbr 🖤 5 stars!

Brom is one of my favorite horror authors, in part because his stories are just that good, but also because I love that he writes horror with heart. Evil in Me is no different, and it’s also an exploration of emotional turmoil.

Even before her possession, Ruby felt out of control of her own life. Beel, the demon possessing Ruby, is only doing so because he’s controlled by a more powerful demon. Control is an extremely prevalent theme as even side characters have suffered due to circumstances beyond their control, or circumstances they believe to be beyond their control. It’s easy to relate to Ruby as she struggles not just in the fight for her soul, but the fight for her power, the control she lost long before the ring found its way into her life.

As always, Brom created a fun cast of characters for Evil in Me. I loved Vutto, as I expect most people will (I’m serious – I expect you to like him and if you don’t, we can’t be friends), and everyone needs a friend like Tina. The book has major “roadtrip with a punk rock band of weirdos” vibes, which makes it really fun for a horror novel. There were high stakes, but aside from one scene, I didn’t feel particularly tense. This one definitely had more of a fun, lighthearted feel.

The narration of the audiobook was honestly amazing. Stephanie Németh-Parker voiced most of it and I loved how she laughed, scoffed, sang, etc. along with Ruby, instead of just telling us Ruby was doing it. I’ve never listened to an audiobook with a narrator that consistently added those types of emotions into their narration. Shahjehan Khan also did a great job with Richard’s narration. You can really hear Richard’s confidence in the beginning and how the events of the book affect him in his voice. But the narration itself isn’t the only thing to rave about because there is MUSIC. Ruby has to write a song and when she performs it, an actual band, The Maxines, performs it on the audiobook. It is the bee’s knees, as Richard would say. I love audiobooks that include more than just a simple reading of the book, so this one really checked off a lot of boxes for me.

The print version of Evil in Me has nearly two dozen illustrations and I’ve seen enough of of them (and Brom’s art in general) to know they are not to be missed, so I recommend listening while reading if possible for an immersive experience with both music and illustrations. Best of both worlds!

Rating: 3.75⭐️
📖 Pub date: 9/16/24
Publisher: Macmillan Audio (thank you for this advanced listener copy!!)

1 sentence review: nostalgic, campy horror filled with punk rock angst during the 1980’s satanic panic period!!

This book was so fun and campy!! It had outrageous elements of demons, punk rock, and early 20’s angst!! Ruby was so relatable and her story was full of friendship, grief, and trauma. I loved the ragtag band they assembled to defeat the demon inside Ruby! This story felt so nostalgic for some reason, and not just because it’s historical horror!

There is just something about books with demonic possession and friends that will do anything to help their loved ones that gets me every time!!

My only downfall for this book was the end.. it seemed to contradict the entire story and was left lacking any sort of consequence which made it feel unauthentic.

Audio rating: 5⭐️ narrator mastered the character voices wonderfully and her demon voice was both comical and chilling! There is also an original song that was sang throughout the book and it was extremely catchy!!

Read This if You Like:
🤘🏻My Best Friend’s Exorcism by Grady Hendrix
🎸 Campy horror with a little gore
❤️‍🔥 Punk rock music and ragtag teams fighting evil (pretty specific but IYKYK)