The Demonata: Book 3 – Slawter

Darren Shan

HarperCollins Children's Books

February 2007 $14.99

256p pb

ISBN: 0-00-723138-5

Nightmares haunt the dreams of Dervish Grady since his return from the Demonata universe, but Grubbs takes care of his uncle as they both try to continue a normal, demon-free existence. When a legendary cult director calls in Dervish as consultant for a new horror movie, it seems a perfect excuse for a break from routine and a chance for some fun. But being on the set of a town called Slawter stirs up more than memories for Grubbs and his friend Bill-E.

This entire story can be described with one word: gruesome. The book is horror, so it is appropriate, but for me there was too much blood, gore and guts. One of the main characters has raging paranoia, another is a werewolf and the third is in constant fear of attack from the demon Lord Loss.

The main character is Grubbs and he has played chess against Lord Loss. Lord Loss is a Demonata of terrible power who has two club feet, many small cuts all over his body, pale red skin and a hole in his chest in which a large number of snakes reside. These snakes are entirely under his control and he could best be described as a cruel, sadistic maniac, but then again, that is the personality of all demons.

The second main character is Dervish. He battled Lord Loss in the spirit world, and as a result has been in a coma for over a year. He gets a crush in this book, and has a surprisingly long relationship with Davida (a film director) considering the kind of book this is.

The third main character is Bill-E and he is a lycanthrope (lycanthropy is a disease that causes werewolves) and Lord Loss cured him.

This book is perfect for people looking for a shudder but should be avoided by people who don’t like an excess of violence.

Nathan, aged 14, Canberra, Australia