Review: Still <3ing the Demon Cheerleaders
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 01 17, 2012
(cross-posted from the blog Wading Through Electronic Ink)I have a friend who has resolved to read every book that I give five stars to on my blog. I immediately denied any and all responsibility for any such books that he hated. I confess I was a little concerned about how he would react to the Peachville High Demons series, being as it was a little girlier than his usual tastes. Nonetheless, as soon as he finished Beautiful Demons, he immediately purchased Inner Demons. And as soon as he finished that, I got a text message from him saying "OMG second Demons book was SO GOOD."Of course, he then spent a not-inconsiderable amount of time detailing the parts of the plot that he found less believable, and he had to consider carefully whether he was willing to spend $3 on the next installment. (He decided that he was. I'll be sure to let you know what he thinks when I review Bitter Demons.)But, of course, you don't really want to know what my friend thinks as much as you want to know what I think, though I'm sure you appreciate the corroboration. If anything, I liked Inner Demons even better than Beautiful Demons. At the end of the first book, we still had many questions about exactly what was going on, and we got more answers in the second book. For example, I learned that I was slightly inaccurate when I referred to the cheerleaders as demons; they are actually witches who have a complex relationship with the demon world. Harper also resolves the frustrating memory problem that was definitely the weak point of Beautiful Demons.I like that there is some depth added to Harper's friends and fellow cheerleaders. She continues to associate with them, even though they were cruel to her in the first book, and even though she is starting to question how much she wants to be involved with the town witches. She appreciates the feeling of belonging, and the reader begins to see that it is not just the superficial belonging of being popular but actual bonds with these girls. Lark realizes that Harper is ashamed that she cannot afford to buy a dress for the dance and creates a workaround. And Brooke confesses feelings to Harper that she cannot reveal to anyone else.And in case you are wondering, Jackson Hunt is still my favorite boy in all the books I've read for my blog so far. I'll let you know if that changes.