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The White Devil

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Joe Hill’s Horns meets Donna Tartt’s The Secret History in this bold new thriller from Justin Evans, author of the critically acclaimed A Good and Happy Child. When seventeen-year-old Andrew Taylor is transplanted from his American high school to a British boarding school—a high-profile academy for the sons of England’s finest—his father hopes that the boy’s dark past will not follow him from across the Atlantic. But blood, suspense, and intrigue quickly surround Andrew once again as he finds himself struggling with a deadly mystery left unsolved by a student from Harrow School’s past—the enigmatic poet Lord Byron.

364 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2011

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About the author

Justin Evans

20 books147 followers
Justin Evans is a digital media executive based in New York City where he lives with his family. He received a BA in English from Columbia University and a MBA in Finance from NYU Stern. His first novel, A Good and Happy Child, was named a Best Book of 2007 by the Washington Post, was translated into six languages, and optioned by a major film studio. Justin attended Harrow School for one year at the end of the eighties.

Write to Justin at justin@justinevans.com.

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5 stars
359 (14%)
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782 (32%)
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880 (36%)
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294 (12%)
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99 (4%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 440 reviews
Profile Image for karen.
3,994 reviews171k followers
April 24, 2020
shrug, i have tried to write this review a couple of times now, but this book kinda rolled right offa me like a drunken mistake. once i dispensed with being outraged by inaccuracies (and they were totally minor, but when we're talking byron, i'm paying attention, and when you only list one byron bio in your references, i'm gonna squinty-eye you) let's get one thing straight. byron was never rich. it is misleading to characterize him as a bad boy of privilege - some tucker max prototype. i, too, can borrow a ton of money and spend it but that doesn't make me rich, it just makes me irresponsible. and byron was nothing if not irresponsible. he was a rock star, yes, but a rock star always on the verge of exploding into a supernova situation.there was never any money. he inherited his daddy's debts along with that useless title and when he did start living the byron awwww yeeeeaahhh lifestyle, it was mostly on borrowed dimes and the kindness of women.when he did the whole exile from england thing, yes it was about the incest and sodomy rap, but also less dramatically, for intense debt.

school is over - sorry for the digression.
but his constant classification of byron as wealthy and careless made me crazy. part of what makes byron great is the shambles of his early life with his diabolical mother (has anyone written a book about her??) and his later ability to cadge the cash from his groupies and other people who should have known better. he was not someone born to wealth and idleness, even though poets seem to have that rep.

enough.

the book has an interesting premise - to fill in some of the gaps in byron's life - in this case, the few years after his time spent at a boarding school for boys during which he had an intense relationship with a fellow student.

although this takes place in modern times, with a troubled boy haunted by his own past and suddenly byron's as well, it still has a historical tone to it, which is nice. it is a fun speculative exercise, but it just never gripped me as much as i was hoping it would. there are some strong moments and some good description, but it never picked up enough speed to make me want to devote myself to it.

i want to like this writer - i think that i could really use a dose of good literary horror (like Eutopia: A Novel of Terrible Optimism). i like the idea of the capital-r romantic ghost story, and his first book was okay, too, but for some reason, there is this obstacle between us. there is this "almost there" feeling that is so frustrating, you know what i mean? ladies?

okay, i feel like that is sufficient for a book review. final verdict: good, but not great.

oh, and not one bit like secret history. can't publishers pick another book to compare books to?

come to my blog!
45 reviews113 followers
September 16, 2015
This book has everything: ghosts, an all-boys school, a troubled American teenager, a seductively tempting upper-class English school girl, Lord Byron, and last but certainly not least, tuberculosis. While understanding the plot of this book took some imagination, I did ultimately enjoy the story. Unfortunately it did drag on a bit, which is why it took me a while to finish The White Devil and why I'm giving it three stars. The thing about this book that I really enjoyed was the historical fiction aspect; the main character, Andrew, goes to an all-boys school in England where Lord Byron had attended centuries before. This provides an interesting background for all the supernatural shenanigans that occur. Being a librarian, I also found the character of Judith Khan, the school's resident librarian/archivist/researcher, to be very entertaining.


Profile Image for April.
2,102 reviews960 followers
May 11, 2011
Methinks my brain has been sanitized by YA, because whenever a penis pops up in an adult books, I’m all WHAT IS THIS?! Boys have more than just kissy-lips? Oh hell naw. Clearly, my brain is awesome. ANYWAYS, I recently read The White Devil by Justin Evans and am a bit unsure of what I think about it. Obviously, I enjoyed it. However, certain elements were hard for me to get used to, like penis in various states of erection. (how many times can I use the word penis in this review?) Also, complex characters. And this tinge of depression.

Read the rest of my review here
Profile Image for Rubi.
330 reviews142 followers
January 21, 2024
Uff, my brain is already tired of reading this book. It was tough but I managed to finish it!

Too intense and way too long for the story to develop.

I was about to drop it but I somehow found the strength to continue until the end.

A positive thing I have to say is that the writer uses a very beautiful vocabulary. I have to give him credit because of that!

"Americans. Everywhere but where he needed them."
Profile Image for Charlotte Piwowar.
112 reviews1 follower
May 5, 2017
A contemporary thriller that had the feel as if it was written in the Victorian era. Taking place in gloomy England, this book tells the story of an American boy transplanted to an English boarding school as his last chance to get things right. Somehow, he becomes entangled with ghost stories and the outcasts of the school, eventually connecting himself to Lord Byron, a former student at the school. I found it entertaining enough, particularly as something to read around Halloween, but wouldn't put it at the top of any list.
Profile Image for Adam.
82 reviews
January 18, 2019
In the beginning Andrew Taylor's journey through Harrow School is a slow trotter but it didn't take long for Evans to find stride with this dark diabolical love story. By about halfway through The Devil had me six feet deep in the pages and digging farther south; instead of North for air. A truly enticing and moving novel from start to finish. Amazing read.
Profile Image for Charlie.
Author 4 books261 followers
April 30, 2011
Chuck the flying brooms and magic wands from that other spooky English school, mix in a dose of teen love affair from Scott Spencer's Endless Love and piss off the jealous stalker ghost of Lord Byron (former Harrow student) and you get genius, The White Devil! A beautifully crafted multi-level plot that flows simultaneously like subterranean rivers beneath the modern world. A past play, a present play and a future play reveals lost pieces of history and if the puzzle remains unsolved, people will die. The moment Andrew (the catalyst) arrives at Harrow, these events are put in motion-- words and lines slip through ears weaving the characters closer and making it impossible to tear apart. What starts off as an assignment turns into an obsession. The characters are driven by a unfortunate murder investigation associated with paranormal mysteries capable of appearing through the veil and attaching to the living. The parallels between characters provides the perfect circuit for this performance. The original goal of the present play was to discover whom Lord Byon's truly loved. While searching for answers, the characters might discover their own love, sacrifice, witness the terror of jealousy and ultimately define happiness. The characters experience small changes that don't over power the story with a grand epiphany, but rather serve to draw them in and bond with humanity. If nothing else, jealousy, oaths and revenge live long beyond the grave. It is best not to cheat the living because the cost will be astronomically greater than ever imagined. This is a book I'd re-read and in fact, want to read it again right now! Absolutely fell in love with The White Devil and will recommend it to many readers. Do we find out who Lord Byron truly loved? I'm left with 3 choices and would love to debate with others. It's absolutely fascinating. I'm very curious to get other readers take and impression about this read. Currently, available at NetGalley and also Amazon Vine.
Profile Image for Laura.
3,885 reviews93 followers
January 11, 2011
Sometimes I really want the "half-star" option - this deserves a 4.5. Why? Because when a book makes you want to learn more about the source material, that's a good book.

Set at Harrow in the modern day, Andrew is a fish-out-of-water American sent for a "gap year" (aka "an opportunity to clean up your record") by his father. While trying to figure out the social hierarchy and Harrovian slang, he witnesses what he thinks is a murder - except the doctors say it's natural causes and the murderer simply disappears. What follows is the story of a haunting of both Harrow and Andrew by the ghost of Byron's (he of "mad, bad and dangerous to know" fame, except in this instance it's "deadly to know") former lover. I wanted to learn more about Byron, and Harrow (why did I think it was further away from London?). The author's sense of American class distinctions and the way in which language plays into class is spot on.

Like last year's Revolution, The White Devil is one of those time-travel mysteries, with ghost sightings, an alcoholic "beak", TB and a 20+-sided essay all culminating in what some may think of as an unsatisfactory ending. The epilogue was unnecessary, which is one of the reasons for the 4.5 rating.

ARC provided by publisher.
Profile Image for christa.
745 reviews339 followers
June 26, 2011
In 2008 Justin Evans published "A Good and Happy Child," a debut novel that was not only one of my favorites when I read it a year later, but it included a passage that I loved so much that it remains stuck in a way that classic poetry is supposed to lodge itself. (Well, the gist of it is there. I don't know this verbatim). In describing how the demon child and his family live:

"It was a house halfway between this and that, between upper-middle-class luxuries and absentminded squalor."

For this sentence alone, I will always read everything Evans publishes.

Evans has a pretty ambitious premise for his second novel, "The White Devil." A young American kid who has seemingly fallen backward into some bad behavior lands in an English prep school as a last ditch effort. If he can't stay sober, stay straight at Harrow -- a school that once helped shape the young mind of Lord Byron -- his dad is done with him.

Unfortunately, there is something about Andrew Taylor: He looks like Byron. The resemblance stops Persephone, the only girl at the all-boy school, a theater sort who knows that they need a student to play Byron in an upcoming production. He also catches the eye of the resident writer charged with creating the play, Piers Fawkes, a scatterbrained creative who is trying to shake the drink. And, unfortunately, he catches the eye of the Harrow ghost, an anemic-looking soul who seduces Andrew and attacks those he is close to.

Andrew has barely unpacked when the fellow student who showed him around winds up dead in the woods, and the autopsy reveals that he was killed by a pre-existing disease. Although, Andrew is the one who finds his friend dead, and he sees an image of the Harrow ghost atop his new friend, some how hastening the death. And then there are more victims.

Evans novel takes the super scandalous life of Lord Byron and turns it into a supernatural mystery. Mostly: How can Andrew shake this ghost? What is his secret? What does he want? A sort of Scooby Gang of people willing to believe in otherworldly murderers gathers to get to the bottom of it: A librarian, the aforementioned mess of a writer, the sassafrass girlfriend, Andrew and a sidekick. And they have to do all of this without attracting the ire of school officials, who are watching them all very closely.

Evans' first novel also includes a demonic presence in a way that feels like literary intrigue. This one seems to lean more toward a creative approach to genre fiction. In this respect, the set up works. The first half is a page turner, which makes the flat characters tolerable. The second half is groan-y and the seams really show. Queue up the romantic montage starring the young lovers running through the streets! While the reveals are very duh-duh-dah, the fix for the situation isn't very climactic. It serves to plant an "I want to read a book about Lord Byron" seed more than anything else.
Profile Image for Cobwebby Eldritch SpaceReader Reindeer .
5,382 reviews306 followers
July 19, 2012
A stunning novel-parts mystery, coming-of-age adolescence, history, English literature, Romantic poets (Lord Byron), ghost story, haunting, English public school subculture, character-in-depth, plotting, budding romance-or not; this novel has everything and more, including a superb writing style that catches and enraptures the reader, making us want to go read everything this author writes. Justin Evans encapsulates the British public school (what we in America would term private schools) equally as well as fellow NYC author Jonathan Rabb writes of Germany between the Wars. I am just amazed and entranced with “The White Devil.”

Young Alex, never the cynosure of his embittered father’s eye, is shipped to London’s Harrow school (which boasts the poet Lord Byron’s tenure), due to his being caught using heroin with a school friend at a private Connecticut boys’ boarding school. This is Alex’s last chance, according to Dad-it’s shape up or be cut out of the family. Alex is an immediate loner because he is the only new Sixth Former (it’s his extra year now to try to convince any University, anywhere, to accept him), he is American, not British; and he so closely resembles alumni Lord Byron that his housemaster, a failing alcoholic poet, casts him in a school play about Byron’s life. The playwright is not the only one to notice Alex’s resemblance; the house ghost, a younger contemporary-and lover-of young Byron’s-discovers Alex to, and sets about to haunt him, whilst simultaneously causing deaths and other bizarre events.
Don’t take my word for it: “The White Devil” is a substantial winner. Get it and read!
Profile Image for Jessica at Book Sake.
644 reviews78 followers
May 31, 2011
Andrew Taylor is sent away to Harrow, a prestigious boarding school in England, after getting into some trouble back home in Connecticut. There, he is haunted by a homosexual ghost because he bears a striking resemblance to the ghost’s former lover, Lord Byron…

That ended the thrilling aspect of The White Devil for me. Maybe it’s just my particular shade of humor, but I couldn’t resist picturing Richard Simmons’ spandex-clad ghost saying, “Honey, if I can’t have you, nobody can have you.” I still can’t decide if it ruined the book or improved it exponentially, but it sure was an amusing mental image.

Putting aside my intruding thoughts, this book was certainly readable and well-written, but I wouldn’t rush out to buy it. The first third of the book is unbearably boring. After that, the pace picks up, but I didn’t check under my bed for ghosts or anything. 3/5 goes to The White Devil in the blue corner.

Reviewer: Brittany for Book Sake http://booksake.blogspot.com/2011/05/...
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Rick.
Author 114 books1,036 followers
December 20, 2011
Really loved this one: part ghost story, part mystery, part meditation on obsessive love. I can't wait to read this author's first book now.
Profile Image for Diane Dachota.
1,066 reviews64 followers
July 24, 2021
After reading the author's previous book, A Good and Happy Child, I ordered this one expecting another book which is literary horror. Literary horror is a rare find and almost always interesting (Paul Tremblay's books come to mind). This book is on the gothic horror side with the main story a ghost story set in a British boys school called Harrows. Andrew, the main character is seventeen and is sent to finish out his schooling in this stuffy, private school.

I liked the character of Andrew who was trying to fit in and survive his school years when he encounters a ghost strangling a classmate. The ghost is associated with the poet Lord Byron who once attended the Harrows and who Andrew happens to look like. Andrew and a few other characters including a alcoholic professor/poet named Fawkes, a young woman and romantic interest named Persephone and an amazing librarian/researcher named Judith Kahn help Andrew try to figure out what the ghost wants and why it is killing students.

I didn't like the ending and at times found the dialogue to be unbelievable for the age group, but it was a fun read and I enjoyed learning more about Lord Byron and his many lovers.
Profile Image for Zyn Marlin.
44 reviews3 followers
July 28, 2019
If you want a ghost story with strong overtones of Dead Poets' Society, this is the read for you. I highly recommend the audiobook version, if only because I personally believe that Christian Coulson should narrate pretty much everything (for another excellent narration, check out the audiobook version of A Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue). The story clips along at an engaging pace, the characters are perfectly flawed and sympathetic, and the arc rises and reaches its climax in a way that feels inexorably correct at the conclusion. I'm just sad that this is the only Justin Evans book available through my library's digital apps.
355 reviews12 followers
May 12, 2011
This review first appeared on my blog: http://www.knittingandsundries.com/20...

Andrew Taylor, given one last chance to shape up after being kicked out of yet another boarding school in America, is sent to Harrow School in England. He lives in "The Lot", the same building that Byron lived in when he attended the same school. He must learn to adjust to a different dialect, less tolerance for suspected homosexuals, and a different type of social class distinction than that of America, all while trying to shake the "drug dealer" persona perpetuated by Vasily, the thickset leader of the popular band of boys.

His unpopular housemaster is Piers Fawkes, who at one time won an award for his poetry, but is in danger of losing his present post due to his drunkenness and inattention to the boys who are his charges. He is also writing the school play, centered around the loves of Lord Byron.

Andrew's similarity to Byron is noted by Penelope Vine, the only girl in attendance at Harrow, and she recruits Andrew to play the part in the upcoming play.

When Andrew comes across what appears to be a pale, long-haired, diseased-looking man choking a fellow student in a graveyard, he keeps quiet about it after alerting the neighborhood to the victim, as one of the detectives gives him information that lets him know that he COULDN'T have seen what he thought he saw. As Andrew becomes increasingly haunted by visions involving a white-haired youth, violence, attempted sodomy, and murder, he finally confides in Fawkes, and together, they seek to unravel the mystery behind his visions: Who is the white-haired boy? What role did Byron play in causing the restlessness of what appears to be his spirit? Why is he apparently fixated on Andrew?

Part Gothic mystery, part thriller, and part ghost story, The White Devil is a slow descent into the mind of an obsessive lover, full of past and present tragedy. Some of the flashbacks in the Andrew's visions are a bit murky and confusing, and the novel does have a rather slow start, but, it is still a worthy read. If you like well-written Gothic tales and ghost stories, and/or if you are interested in learning a bit more about Byron, you will definitely want to read this one.

QUOTES

She heard a sharp intake of breath - human breath, shaped by lips, but ghastly, ragged, popping - that struck a note she knew. The deep inhalation before somebody started a nasty task, say, beating to death the old lady they were robbing. She saw four white orbs appear on the rim of the door. What were they? Her heart thrummed a beat before she realized. Fingertips. She felt something at her feet. She looked down. Now she screamed.

"Lord Byron. It was commissioned to go in Westminster Abbey. But the church wouldn't accept the statue of a known sex maniac. So they sent it to Trinity - where sex maniacs are always welcome."

" . . . Starts with a guilt trip - where's the money to keep me well fed? Where are the funds for my journey abroad? He wants his rich boyfriend to give him some cash. And Byron, typically, is selfish in all the wrong moments. We're talking about a man who later left his own daughter to die in an Italian convent."

Writing: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Plot: 5 out of 5 stars
Characters: 4 out of 5 stars
Reading Immersion: 4.5 out 5 stars

BOOK RATING: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Sensitive Reader: It involves Lord Byron; there's homosexuality. There are teen boys; there's a lot of the F-bomb flying around.
May 3, 2011
If you're like me, the first thing that you think when you hear the title is, "Does this involve demons?" The answer to that question is, "Only personal ones." Or rather, that The White Devil is the name of a play by John Webster and it is relevant--and mentioned--in the book. Also, the one who references it is a sort of personal demon--of Lord Byron's named John Harness who happens to be haunting our main character Andrew Taylor (who looks rather a lot like Lord Byron).

Andrew Taylor is an American who has been sentenced to Harrow School by his father as his last chance to redeem himself and hopefully get into a good college. By "sentenced," I mean to say that his father had to buy his son's way in and quite frankly, Andrew is less than pleased to be there. Happily, this does change over time and suddenly the boy who was kicked out of his old school for drugs finds himself friends with his housemaster and the school's librarian. And if that wasn't strange enough, he's been seeing the ghost of a very fair haired boy who--as it happens--he witnessed floating over Theo Ryder just before Andrew came upon the corpse of Theo.

That, is pretty much the extent of what I can tell you about the plot without giving you spoilers. I will say that there is a girl (Persephone Vine) who Andrew rather fancies and that she talks him into getting involved in the school play--which causes him to learn more about Lord Byron and thus about the ghost as well. Be warned though, there is some foul language in The White Devil as well as a few scenes that are sexual in nature (and a tad graphic). Because of this, I would not recommend this to readers who strictly prefer Young Adult novels. Yes, the main character in this book is a teenager, but it does contain some strong themes that personally, I wouldn't recommend for teens. This is adult level fiction, do not doubt it.

However, I must confess that I found The White Devil to be somewhat of a slow read. It doesn't precisely grip you in as I felt that it ought and well, the ending is certainly a twist that I didn't see coming. On the other hand, the cast of characters was certainly good--and very human for that matter (and by this, I mean to say flawed). Admittedly the term "cheese lungs" is stuck in my head at the moment due to The White Devil and well, after having health classes in which we watched videos of teens going to morgues to see what lungs look like after lung cancer, ah, well, I'm a bit squeamish about such things. The blood on the other hand did not bother me nearly as much as the lung bit did.

The White Devil was certainly a read and although I regret to say that I did not love it as much as I thought I would, it was certainly interesting--I mean, look at how much I ended up writing about it! If you can deal with some strong scenes and are intrigued by the plot though, then I would recommend that you pick up a copy and I'd personally love to hear what you thought of it.
Profile Image for Ken.
Author 3 books1,043 followers
April 1, 2011
Lord Byron fans will especially enjoy Justin Evans' second outing as he tackles the tale of a Byron "friend" that is haunting their old prep school, Harrow, back in Jolly Olde. We get there via the American ne'er-do-well, Andrew Taylor, whose father has shipped him for shaping up. Andrew has a rough first day, though. Bullied? No. Lost? Nope again. Witnessing murders? Of course! Every new student's bane. So right out of the gate, the first kid to befriend him becomes a goner.

Meantime, improbably enough and with zero experience, Andrew signs on for the lead (yes, I said LEAD... and I did mention "improbably," did I not?) role in a play about (ten guesses) Lord Byron! It's being written by house master Fawkes, a published poet who can't revive his glory (read: published) days and takes it out on the bottle (OK, many bottles).

At the play, numerous babes fall for Andrew (the accent, you see) and his bohemian (the long locks, you see) looks. One in particular, name of Persephone, is the daughter of the headmaster. What are the odds? She's a nympho of sorts, but it's nothing compared to the succubus (or is it an incubus?) who keeps visiting Andrew in his dreams for a little forbidden sex. Talk about a hazing!

It's bracing enough and a page-turner to boot, so I can't complain if I view it through the lens of entertainment. Literarily-speaking, it doesn't hold up as well. Characters come and then go for good. Many don't quite develop -- like the old Polaroids we use to endure. The mystery of connecting Byron to ghost is not that mysterious and the fear factor of the ghost himself is not that high. In fact, the Harrow-ing Haunt is rather predictable in his habits, and he doesn't actually show up all that much because Evans is busy with all the politics and intrigue of the school, its students and staff (really, does middle school EVER end?).

Ultimately the author falls victim to "I-Don't-Know-How-To-End-This-itis" and plays the corny card. You know, where you read it and say, "Really?" But whatever, he's not alone in this fault. There are plenty of writers -- many of them damn good ones -- who can't end a book to save their lives.

Overall, I'd recommend this for a fun read, an amusing way to pass the time, especially if you are an Anglophile and a fan of Byron. Yes, you WILL learn a fact or two about Byron's young life. The man was insatiable, for one. It's a wonder he had time to write poems, what with the demands of libido. Just don't hold it to any high literary standards. This is not Hamlet's father's ghost and nothing's rotten in Denmark, in other words.
Profile Image for Alyssa.
23 reviews1 follower
January 2, 2013
I started reading The White Devil on the boat from Nantucket to Hyannis on New Years day. I didn't know much about it except that is set in a modern-day exclusive British boarding school, which automatically attracted me because I went to a boarding school in MA, and also a year in university at Royal Halloway, University of London, where my dorm was a Victorian castle (and the town was not too dissimilar from the White Devil's setting, as it turns out). I was so enthralled, I ended up staying up until 2 AM to finish the book.

The White Devil runs the gamut of all of my favorite things, historical fiction, horror, upper-class British society, and boarding schools. Justin Evans writes a chilling gothic ghost story, and it's couched in the story of Lord Byron's childhood, which I found fascinating, and of which I had been completely unaware. I also was impressed with Evans writing style which is beautiful, lyrical, and completely fitting to the tale. Just a warning, it does get a little down and dirty, sexually-speaking, although that is again consistant with the subject matter.

I went onto Justin Evans website as soon as I got up this morning to find out more. I wanted to know how much of what I read about Byron was true (apparently many of the constructs for the novel were amalgamations of true moments in Byron's life- and according to one Goodreads member his class situation was very different than portrayed here), but I'm not a historical purist, I was just happy to be exposed to some beautiful poetry. I'm still not sure if Byron really attended Harrow. What I did discover, was that Evans read tons of Japanese ghost stories (kwaidan) in an effort to build the character of Harness in the novel, and that makes total sense. I mean this ghost was so thoroughly terrifying, I'm not gonna lie, I kept jumping every time my house settled, and I screamed when the electric heat came on. Man, don't you just love that deliciously awful feeling? Also, Evans writing style is compelling & lyrical even when he's simply writing about his day or his research.

Then, this afternoon I went to the library and borrowed Evan's first book "A Good and Happy Child", and a biography of Byron. As another Goodreads critic mentioned, you know an author has done his job when you are inspired to read source material. So what can I say, go out and read this book.
Profile Image for Maureen Lubitz.
578 reviews5 followers
July 28, 2017
Originaly posted on You Have Your Hands Full

The White Devil is a horror novel written by Justin Evans. I had this book on my Kindle, but never got around to reading it. I took the opportunity to add the Audible edition of this book at a reduced price; when things get busy, it is easier for me to listen to books than to read them.

Andrew Taylor is an American high school student. He has enrolled at Harrow as a desperate measure to improve his chances of getting into a good university after an incident at his last school. Harrow, the second most famous boys’ school in England, is steeped in centuries of tradition, is the perfect place for Andrew to improve his character.

However, trouble seems to follow Andrew. As soon as school begins, one of his new hallmates turns up dead. Andrew was the one who found the body, and more than that- Andrew saw a ghastly figure standing over the boy. But who would believe such a wild story?

Andrew tries to settle into the prescribed routines of his new school, and even takes the lead role in a school play about Byron. But trouble continues to pop up; all signs point to a malevolent force and a connection with Byron, a Harrow alumnus.

The White Devil is a creepy and moody atmospheric tale. Andrew’s sanity is often called into question, and why wouldn’t it be? The claims he makes defy logic, and his past also contributes to his unreliability. Of course, the reader is treated to Andrew’s perspective, and so it is easier for us to believe him.

I would absolutely recommend The White Devil. It is fascinating to watch Andrew’s development as a character. His pursues the truth without faltering, despite rumors of the victim’s death being attributed to drugs he received from Andrew. Evans combines history, literature, and horror to create this riveting book.


Profile Image for Annette Gisby.
Author 22 books115 followers
August 13, 2012
The ghost mystery plot is well done. Who is the ghost? What does he want? Why is he being drawn to Andrew most of all? Why are people getting ill and dying? The reader finds out these things at the same time as Andrew, so we feel drawn into the story and relate to the characters. I also loved finding out more about Lord Bryon too.

I really enjoyed it right up until Persephone Vine appeared. I thought to myself, are you really going to go there? Really, Mr. Evans? To the most clichéd love interest ever? The only girl at an all-boys school, daughter of one of the teachers, who disapproves of Andrew, of course? That was where you lost a lot of my attention. I've seen that too many times for it to interest me.

I did read and finish the book because I wanted to know what happened with the ghost, but the love story parts between Persephone an Andrew just seemed shoehorned in. It was as if the author had written the book, then realised he hadn't written a girl and needed to go back and put her in somewhere. Since the blurb mentions it was an all-boys school, I wasn't expecting any girls to be there and wouldn't have been disappointed with that, rather than have the stereotypical trope that we actually got. It would have been all right if I could sense Persephone as an individual character, but she just seemed a placeholder for Andrew to fall in love with, no other reason for her presence there.

Set an all-boys school, this could have been a good gay coming of age story (there is a lot of gay subtext in the book), but instead we got a clichéd love story which came across as rather lacklustre.

It was interesting, but not one I'd re-read.
Profile Image for Samantha.
1,913 reviews123 followers
November 14, 2016
I really wanted to like this book. The premise was interesting and fairly unique, but the execution was a disaster.

The plot really isn't the problem. Mostly it's pretty good, suffering only from moments of gratuitousness and some very unrealistic courses of action for some of the characters.

The issue here is really about writing, and even more so, editing. The writing is mostly okay, but stumbles notably in some sections, to the point where you wonder how such atrocious wording could have been snuck past a publisher. But the fact that it did is really more on the editor than the writer, and that's only the beginning of the flaws in the editing of this novel.

The worst of it is that the book is extremely repetitive. Over and over again, we're subjected to a character going back over their thoughts or actions from just a few pages prior.

There are also huge swathes of text that have absolutely no value to the story and bloat the book. I can see what Evans was going for with these-an attempt to build gothic, suspenseful atmosphere. But he wasn't any good at it, and it left the novel with a cluttered, overstuffed aesthetic.

I also could have done without all the rapey stuff, which felt unnecessary and frankly, voyeuristically gross. The backstory for why Andrew ended up at Harrow in the first place also was mishandled, and while the behavior of the students mostly made sense, there are definitely a lot of instances in this where adults (ahem, Dr. Kahn) behave in a laughably unrealistic manner.

Bottom line: Reasonably entertaining, but flawed enough that it leaves the reader too irritated to appreciate that the book displays the bones of a good story.
Profile Image for Leslee.
349 reviews25 followers
June 18, 2013
This book gets compared a lot to Donna Tartt's The Secret History, however this book came to my attention because of my high rating for Buehlman's excellent Those Across the River, and honestly despite the superficial trappings, I think The White Devil has more in common with the latter book rather than the former.

I really enjoyed this book. Do I think it's a literary gem? No. Despite the historical subtext, I don't really think The White Devil lives up to its literary aspirations in the way that The Secret History does but what it does, it does very well, and it happens to hit all of my favourite 'sweet spots' in a novel - a great mystery, hallowed halls of a historic alma mater, pretty gay boys, and a wrathful ghost.

I thought this a well written little ghost novel, and despite some of the other reviews which felt that the ending fell flat I thought that it was quite fitting with the theme. Admittedly, I think that the first half of the novel was much stronger than the second one but it doesn't prevent me from recommending this one.
Profile Image for Kathy Hiester.
441 reviews25 followers
March 30, 2011
I had never really looked into the background of Lord Byron, but this book will got me up to speed rather quickly. Byron not only left behind a legacy as a poet, we find that he also left behind a ghost. Not his own ghost, but the ghost of his envious homosexual lover, John Harness. Harness spent 200 years or so as a quiet spirit in the basement of Harrow School, doing nothing much more than the sporadic rattling. But when American student Andrew Taylor shows up at the school, he decides that Taylor looks so much like Byron that it's time to get some long awaited vengeance.

Harness has some unbelievable gifts as a ghost, and Taylor does a lot of scuttling to try and solve the mystery. The pace is quick and tends to jump around, as we cross the country and dart back-and-forth across the centuries. It’s wonderfully fun and funny. In fact it created what the urban dictionary calls a brain boner. In other words I now want to know everything I can about Lord Byron’s life.

3 Stars
Profile Image for Plum-crazy.
2,302 reviews41 followers
October 6, 2019
This is by no means a traditional style ghost story. Instead it's a compelling mix of ghosts, murder-mystery & coming-of-age-romance. While not a scary read it's still a bit creepy at times & with a writing style that reminded me of Phil Rickman.

Set in the crumbling & eccentric world of an old English public school at times it gives the feel that it could be anytime in the last 200 years. The historical aspect works well with Byron being the focus & I thought the way the murders were committed was an interesting touch. The only downside for me was Persephone, who didn't strike me as particularly credible.

Overall, an intriguing read.
Profile Image for Quantum Thief- Behind the Mask .
208 reviews52 followers
June 22, 2011
Okay let me start at the begining: This book was....Out of this World! Everything about it was amazing even the cover....my god i loovvee that cover. I also love the main character- Andrew Taylor. Anyway I found this book at my local library and that...*sighs*beautiful cover caught my eye,so i read what it was about and since then i fell in love with this book. It is now my number one favorite book. But the ending made me curious...what will happen next? I hope there will be more to this story....if there is i will be extremely happy.
Profile Image for Michelle.
2,151 reviews270 followers
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May 19, 2011
Starting a new school is never easy but when the school is across the ocean, is exclusive, and has a 400-year-old history, the rituals and adjustments a new student faces is even more daunting. This is what faces Andrew Taylor as he prepares to cross the threshold of his new private school, The Harrow School. Sent there by his father as a last-ditch effort to improve his grades and standing among elite college boards, Andrew knows that he cannot screw up again or else the consequences will be dire. Unfortunately, a mysterious force seems bent on preventing Andrew from walking the straight-and-narrow. Just how far is Andrew will to pushing the envelope in this unfamiliar environment while attempting to solve the mystery? Does Andrew even stand a chance?

Any time a story is based even partially in fact, the rest of the plot becomes much more interesting. This formula holds true for The White Devil. Anyone with access to the Internet can do a quick search to determine whether Byron's life story really was as dramatic and diverse as it is mentioned in the story. Given the eyebrow-raising facts mentioned in the heat of the story, most readers will feel the urge to do just that. This in no way detracts from the plot but rather adds to the ring of authenticity exuding from its pages.

The mastery of The White Devil is not only in the literary history weaved into the story, the grim atmosphere takes on a life of its own. The dreary and damp weather, while often construed as a cliche about London weather, truly does come to mirror the mood of the characters, their hopelessness, and despair. The rain represents their frustrations at the lack of understanding and confusion about what is truly occurring. Mr. Evans executes this idea of the backdrop becoming a secondary character in a novel brilliantly, bringing to the story a very old-fashioned, Gothic feel that works brilliantly with the plot itself.

Andrew Taylor and Piers Fawkes, as the two main characters, are uniquely flawed but so well-suited to the story. Both have flawed pasts and are given the opportunity to grow beyond their flaws. Yet, the reader never knows whether each character will do so. The reader's inability to predict either character's behavior or reactions only adds to the confusion and growing dread. Combined with the atmosphere and historical elements, this unpredictability succeeds at keeping a reader breathlessly on edge up through the very last lines.

The White Devil has it all - atmosphere, history, supernatural activity, mystery. It is a perfect read for a stormy autumnal afternoon, as its eeriness fits so well with the idea of decay and retreat that permeates the air during that time of year. However, that is not to say that a reader cannot enjoy it at any point in time during the year. I finished it on a bright morning in May; even though the weather was sunny and warm, I still managed to feel chilled and uneasy at the action unfolding before my eyes. Mr. Evans has successfully captured all of the elements of a true Gothic horror novel, making The White Devil a must-read for any fans of that particular genre.

Thank you to Mark Ferguson from HarperCollins for my review copy!
Profile Image for Mike.
154 reviews
June 20, 2018
3.75 stars.

Justin Evans delivers on the promise of A Good and Happy Child with his sophomore concoction, an intoxicating blend of gothic horror, historical fiction, and burgeoning adolescent sexuality. Part "outcast schoolboy comes of age" tale, part literary mystery with supernatural undertones, The White Devil is never a dull read thanks to Evans' strongest assets--rich characterizations, an appropriately haunting mood, and the perfect setting for ghostly shenanigans with a dollop of homoeroticism. Young love, forbidden love, and--especially--obsessive love are prevalent themes that Evans handles well, driving the action both in the present and the past. However, the ghost story around which the plot is built is a rather low-key affair that ultimately delivers more intrigue and tension than outright terror; and the twists, though clever, aren’t especially shocking. As such, Devil may disappoint horror-hounds seeking something to make them leave the lights on afterwards, particularly those seduced by the cover of the edition I read--a pale, ominous, bloody-mouthed countenance accompanied by a rave from Stephen King himself. For this reader, the scariest parts were its [MINOR SPOILER AHEAD] third-act depiction of a character's descent into jealousy and obsession; some of that language hit way too close to home. Overall this was a consistently enjoyable if not thrilling read, and Evans' knack for engaging prose and dialogue has me looking forward to a third novel from this talented and insightful author.
Profile Image for #ReadAllTheBooks.
1,219 reviews86 followers
June 7, 2011
One thing is absolutely certain about this book: it's not something that will appeal to every reader. If you're looking for a Stephen King or Dean Koontz type of read, you'll probably want to look elsewhere. If you're looking for something along the lines of Shirley Jackson or Michael Koryta, then this is the book for you.

The story starts out at a crawl & I have to admit that it took me a while to really connect with the story. I really didn't get hooked until about 70-80 pages in, so I'll just caution people to keep with it. Once the story picks up you won't be able to put it down.

A lot of emphasis is put upon the atmosphere of the book & the general surroundings, so if you're a fan of world building then you'll love this book. I never had to wonder what anything looked like or what the emotions in the book were supposed to be. Evans does a wonderful job of showing you exactly what's going on.

But I do have to repeat that this book isn't for everyone. It's a wonderfully slow gothic tale & it's well done, but it's not the nail biter that I was hoping it would be. Enthralling & hypnotic towards the end, but not exactly scary to be honest.

(ARC provided by amazon vine)
Profile Image for Zeke Gonzalez.
317 reviews19 followers
November 15, 2017
In The White Devil, Justin Evans weaves together coming-of-age themes, literary history, and a deeply disturbing ghost story with a deft hand and beautifully crafted prose. The novel falls into a niche genre which bridges the gap between gothic horror and the modern world through the lens of literature and poetic history, and The White Devil navigates between the two with delightful aplomb. (See The Demonologist by Andrew Pyper or A Head Full of Ghosts by Paul Tremblay for other exquisite examples of this hybrid genre). I loved Justin Evans’ quiet attention to detail in the setting & subject matter and the crisp, engaging characters who develop and unfold over the course of the story. Of course, I would already love any book that has these features, but on top of this enthralling storytelling is also an incredibly creepy and unsettling ghost which, in a single shocking and horrifying scene, became one of the scariest ghosts I’ve ever had the pleasure of reading about. Well done. Overall, The White Devil is a fantastically uncanny and propulsive story which showcases Justin Evans’ considerable literary talents.
Profile Image for Ange.
293 reviews3 followers
January 20, 2012
My 15 year old daughter received this as a gift (not from me) and she read it before I did. She kept warning me that I might be shocked by some of the language and content. I told her that I'm not easily shocked. However after reading it I was slightly suprised that it had been given to her. Although the school setting makes it potentially interesting to teenagers, I think it is probably more appropriate for older teenagers (17 -18 plus) - some of the sexual content may make it a bit confronting for younger teenagers. Having said that, I really enjoyed it. Although the device of having an troubled American student sent to an English public school to sort him out seemed a bit obvious, there was a lot of atmosphere, and I think that the well-drawn adult characters added a lot of depth. Mr Hawkes, the housemaster, the woman librarian, and Sir Andrew Vine, really helped to lift this book above the average. I don't know a lot about Byron, but wasn't a disadvantage. Well worth reading.
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