Devils in the Dark

The Devil in Miss Drake's Class, Book 1

By: Marcus Damanda

Narrated by: Jessica McEvoy

Length: 3 hrs and 38 mins

Publisher's summary

"The paramedics shared a look: This one was serious."

To most of the Facebook 15, bullying Audrey Bales was just a game - until two deep cuts with a Swiss army knife changed everything forever. Audrey didn't want attention anymore. After five weeks at Fairview High School, Audrey wanted to die.

The doctors did the only thing they could with her: they put her away.

But in Fairview, Virginia, the nightmare is only beginning. The chat session had not gone unobserved. The Facebook 15 have drawn the attention of an ancient evil that lives only to punish those who would prey upon the weak.

They are the ghosts of 1,000 dead children - 1,000 suicides - and their master....

Their master likes Audrey Bales.

And as Audrey attempts to heal her mind and body, far from home, their master prepares for the justice he will unleash upon her return.

©2014 Marcus Damanda (P)2015 Marcus Damanda

A gripping and relatable tale for fans of young adult fiction and the supernatural a like

This story describes the actions and consequences of real world "devils" in the form of teenage bullies and introduces supernatural devils, who have a hand in the actions that effect the teenagers into the mix as well. No matter your age or walk of life, there is a character you will relate to in this book.

It is in fact surprisingly relatable and easy to follow even when bouncing between the points of view of several characters. The narrator of the audiobook does a great job of subtle but noticeable distinctions between character voices. This is helpful as the book can be be dialogue heavy.

Fans of young adult fiction and the supernatural a like will find this audiobook a compelling listen.

Jessica McEvoy does it again!

Jessica McEvoy brings this very relatable story to life. Her narration is a true treat. I can't wait to hear book 2.

Suspenseful story pulled from today's headlines

Would you consider the audio edition of Devils in the Dark to be better than the print version?

The audio edition is outstanding, thanks to Jessica McEvoy's wonderful performance. I'm hard pressed to say whether or not it's better than the print edition, since I've only listened to the audio.

Who was your favorite character and why?

My favorite character was Audrey Bales. I was sympathetic to her plight of being bullied and was caught up in the story of her recovery at the psychiatric hospital.

What about Jessica McEvoy’s performance did you like?

Jessica McEvoy has a great storytelling cadence that was easy to follow. She imbued the scenes with just the right amount of emotion really drawing me into the story and I enjoyed hearing her voice work for the various characters.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

I was especially moved by the scene in the psychiatric hospital where Gale has a bad episode with her bipolar disorder and must be restrained. Audrey must face the demons of her own past in order to be a good friend. I'll not spoil it by saying how the scene turned out, but it was especially well told.

WOW that was intense

Any additional comments?

As a mother of 3 teenagers, this book took me to an emotional state of fear. Marcus Damanda grabs our attention right from the beginning and doesn’t let go. Feeling that will arise: FEAR, ANGER, SADNESS, FRUSTRATION, AND SHOCKED



Damanda starts the story with with us watching this nasty correspondence between Audrey Bales and her class mates…one of them being her ex-best friend. This was probably the most difficult part of the book to get through. After that the story follows 1) Audrey in the hospital, 2) her classmates and their consequences, and 3) the ancient evil.

It allowed us to see the turmoil that Audrey was going through during the event and after, plus the thoughts and feelings of her classmates. These kids….what can I say about these kids? So many times I just wanted to scream at them, shake them until common sense was recovered…And most of all, I just wanted to give some of them a good hardy slap. They still piss me off just thinking about it.

TRIGGER WARNING: You might have already been able to tell, but if attempted suicide and bullying is a trigger for you then you might want to enter this book with caution.

You’re probably wandering about this ancient evil? Well I am too.



I still haven’t figured out how the ancient evil fits in. I keep thinking that I missed something. I just might end up taking another listen to this book to figure it out. The audiobook was just under 4 hours long, which made it a quick read. But the most I can tell is goes after those that are not really that nice to others. I am hoping that Book 2 clears it all up for me. I WANT THAT ONE NOW!!

Other then my ancient evil confusion, I thought this was a fantastic story about bullying and the consequences. However, I did have one problem, which may not be an issue for everyone. When I listen to an audiobook, I normally have to turn the speed up because the narrator is to slow for my listening speed. Where this was an ARC I left the speed at 1x. Jessica McEvoy was an amazing narrator for most of this book.

What do I mean by most? Let me break it down into two parts…the narrator and the characters. The characters were wonderful, easy to listen to, and distinguishable. The narrator’s voice wanted to put you to sleep. I felt like I was in a meditation workshop and definitely could not lay down to listen to this book. Other then that…it was great. Can you speed it up without losing anything? Yes, McEvoy voice was slow enough that all you had to do was speed it up by .25x and it would be easier to listen to. Like I said, this issue is a small issue and was quickly overlooked by the rest of the narration and story.

Interesting

I enjoyed this book it has suspense and supernatural aspects and very interesting with the subject of bullying and suicide. The book may have been written for the younger crowd but can be listened to by anyone as I would be interested in listening to next book to follow Audrey. This audiobook was given by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review via Audiobook Boom. Thank you

Scary-You never know who is on the other side

Where does Devils in the Dark rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

The best. Very well written and voiced. The story along with the audio really made the characters come to life.

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

You want to see the main character get justice. Also the romantic aspect was intriguing.

Which scene was your favorite?

The scene with the cheerleader in the stands. I never saw it coming.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

Evil is everywhere

Any additional comments?

Cant wait for Marcus to write another book.

Devils in the Dark

“This audiobook was given by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review via Audiobook Boom.”


A YA book about a teen girl being bullied both in person and on-line. She is pushed to attempting suicide. The bullies are about to meet justice. The girl's life will never be the same.

This book captured me from the start and never slowed. I look forward to the next book.




The narration was well done. The characters were excellently portrayed.

Emotionally Gripping and Relatable

I acquired this book with previous exposure to Marcus and Jessica's work and once again they didn't disappoint.

The very start of the book is constructed in a way that pulls you into the storyline and grants an experience that anyone can relate to in one form or another. The theme of self-acceptance is a powerful one, the book shows this from several different perspectives, and does it incredibly well.

In many ways the book drives the power behind personality and individualism. While taking this powerful logic the tie of a sinister being, something that has been hinted toward and given some exposure, remains a force that keeps you guessing.

While the book is crafted around a supernatural theme, it drives very powerful messages that any reader/listener can connect with.

This was a great story that was complimented with great narration. It's a book that anyone can enjoy and I heavily suggest checking it out.

Quite eerie and delivers a message on a serious topic

Bullying these days especially that of cyber bullying is a huge hot topic and o feel that this story captured the essence of that issue. And like any good horror style novel mixed it in with the supernatural. The 1000 ghosts reminds me of the haunted mansion "999 and room for one more". Interesting concept. I look forward to the other stories to see where the author takes it. Well narrated. I received this audiobook from the author narrator or publisher for free via audiobookblast in exchange for an unbiased review

Excellent suspense

Love this story. Filled with suspense, I found myself hating the Facebook Five. This storyline is not just about the devil, although he's a huge part of it. It's about the dangers of cyber bullies, which is a huge interest of mine. The isn't over yet, though. On to book two.