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Kayla Monroe: Haunted World #1
Kayla and the Devil
College student Kayla Monroe seems to have everything. Stunning looks, smarts, and loads of money thanks to her privileged upbringing. But something’s gone wrong. Ever since the start of her sophomore year, people have been avoiding her. Her friends shun her. Guys no longer flock to her. Even her former stalker, an awkward geek, now wants nothing to do with her.
She is on the brink of utter despair when she encounters a young man in the park. The man is charming and movie star handsome. Kayla thinks maybe her luck has taken a turn for the better. But she couldn’t be more wrong. Because this man is the Devil. Capital D definitely intended. The ultimate embodiment of evil. And he has something to tell Kayla.
Kayla hasn’t always been the nicest girl in the world. At times she has been downright mean. She’s grown past that, but now her past has come back to haunt her. Someone wants revenge. Bad enough to engage the services of the devil. But the tables have turned again and the devil now has his own deal to offer Kayla.
He can end her suffering. End the shunning spell. But only at a very high price. And Kayla must decide whether she has it within herself to surrender her soul and commit an act so heinous it will damn her forever.
She is on the brink of utter despair when she encounters a young man in the park. The man is charming and movie star handsome. Kayla thinks maybe her luck has taken a turn for the better. But she couldn’t be more wrong. Because this man is the Devil. Capital D definitely intended. The ultimate embodiment of evil. And he has something to tell Kayla.
Kayla hasn’t always been the nicest girl in the world. At times she has been downright mean. She’s grown past that, but now her past has come back to haunt her. Someone wants revenge. Bad enough to engage the services of the devil. But the tables have turned again and the devil now has his own deal to offer Kayla.
He can end her suffering. End the shunning spell. But only at a very high price. And Kayla must decide whether she has it within herself to surrender her soul and commit an act so heinous it will damn her forever.
249 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 9, 2011
12 people are currently reading
231 people want to read
About the author
Bryan Smith
106 books766 followersBryan Smith is the Splatterpunk Award-winning author of more than forty horror and crime books, including 68 Kill, the cult classic Depraved and its sequels, as well as The Killing Kind, Slowly We Rot, The Freakshow, and many more. Bestselling horror author Brian Keene called Slowly We Rot, "The best zombie novel I've ever read."
68 Kill was adapted into a motion picture directed by Trent Haaga and starring Matthew Gray Gubler of the long-running CBS series Criminal Minds. 68 Kill won the Midnighters Award at the SXSW film festival in 2017 and was released to wide acclaim, including positive reviews in The New York Times and Bloody Disgusting.
Bryan also co-scripted an original Harley Quinn story for the House of Horrors anthology from DC Comics. He has worked with renowned horror publishers in both the mass market and small press spheres, including Leisure Books, Samhain Publishing, Grindhouse Press, Death’s Head Press, and more. His works are available wherever books are sold, with select titles also available in German and Italian.
68 Kill was adapted into a motion picture directed by Trent Haaga and starring Matthew Gray Gubler of the long-running CBS series Criminal Minds. 68 Kill won the Midnighters Award at the SXSW film festival in 2017 and was released to wide acclaim, including positive reviews in The New York Times and Bloody Disgusting.
Bryan also co-scripted an original Harley Quinn story for the House of Horrors anthology from DC Comics. He has worked with renowned horror publishers in both the mass market and small press spheres, including Leisure Books, Samhain Publishing, Grindhouse Press, Death’s Head Press, and more. His works are available wherever books are sold, with select titles also available in German and Italian.
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
June 3, 2014
Guts and honesty. Those are Bryan Smith's main writing tools. I see reviews from time to time that wail and remonstrate about sex, profanity, and violence in a book, and if those put you off, by all means avoid this one. Because the sex, profanity, and violence are there, and Smith doesn't apologize for them.
Nor does Kayla, his protagonist, apologize for who she is. At least in the beginning. She's an incredibly unique creation, and though she can be abrasive, selfish, and frustrating, she's also sharply drawn and utterly realistic.
I mentioned guts and honesty earlier, and though I stand by those claims about Smith, I feel I've undersold his writing, which is immaculate. As a fellow author, this is the kind of writing that motivates me to do better, to not settle, to push my limits, and to mine the depths of my abilities.
KAYLA AND THE DEVIL is a five-star read. Smith deserves every compliment he gets and is one of the best writers of dark fiction working today.
Nor does Kayla, his protagonist, apologize for who she is. At least in the beginning. She's an incredibly unique creation, and though she can be abrasive, selfish, and frustrating, she's also sharply drawn and utterly realistic.
I mentioned guts and honesty earlier, and though I stand by those claims about Smith, I feel I've undersold his writing, which is immaculate. As a fellow author, this is the kind of writing that motivates me to do better, to not settle, to push my limits, and to mine the depths of my abilities.
KAYLA AND THE DEVIL is a five-star read. Smith deserves every compliment he gets and is one of the best writers of dark fiction working today.
July 2, 2016
Kayla's life should have been amazing, she's rich, beautiful and doing well in college. Unfortunately for Kayla her life is not going well, she no longer has any friends, men avoid her and even her stalker is now repulsed by her.
She's baffled over the change, that is until she meets the devil who explains this is payback for something she did in high school. He has a deal for her that will lift the shunning spell but to honour the deal she must take an innocent life and she will be doomed to enter Hell whatever she decides to do. She has a week to complete the task and to help, the devil partially lifts the shunning spell and sends her some interesting helpers to keep her motivated.
Kayla looks for ways to both complete the task or work around the deal, enlisting her ex-stalker who seems to be the only person she can trust at the moment. Does she have it to take an innocent life or will she be destined to live on the periphery of society as a social leper.
Bryan Smiths books always tend to be fun and this was no exception. The premise is interesting and there are several ways in which Kayla tries to work around the deal to trick the devil. The story itself is very straightforward, the writing flowed well and it was an easy, uncomplicated read to get through.
Kayla is at first very unlikable, she's spoiled, cruel and has a razor sharp tongue that she uses all too frequently. Her shunning period didn't seem to teach her too much and when the spell was partially lifted she was only too happy to put people down as she'd done before. I did like that there was growth with her character although much of it came at the end and it was frustrating at times to see her treat people so abominably who were going out of their way to help her.
Lee, her ex-stalker, was a great character that I wish had been in more of the book. His relationship with Kayla was quite one-sided, she took advantage of him again and again but I liked that he held her more accountable and that his actions towards the end of the book had such a profound affect on her.
Overall an uncomplicated, fun read that is well worth the read.
She's baffled over the change, that is until she meets the devil who explains this is payback for something she did in high school. He has a deal for her that will lift the shunning spell but to honour the deal she must take an innocent life and she will be doomed to enter Hell whatever she decides to do. She has a week to complete the task and to help, the devil partially lifts the shunning spell and sends her some interesting helpers to keep her motivated.
Kayla looks for ways to both complete the task or work around the deal, enlisting her ex-stalker who seems to be the only person she can trust at the moment. Does she have it to take an innocent life or will she be destined to live on the periphery of society as a social leper.
Bryan Smiths books always tend to be fun and this was no exception. The premise is interesting and there are several ways in which Kayla tries to work around the deal to trick the devil. The story itself is very straightforward, the writing flowed well and it was an easy, uncomplicated read to get through.
Kayla is at first very unlikable, she's spoiled, cruel and has a razor sharp tongue that she uses all too frequently. Her shunning period didn't seem to teach her too much and when the spell was partially lifted she was only too happy to put people down as she'd done before. I did like that there was growth with her character although much of it came at the end and it was frustrating at times to see her treat people so abominably who were going out of their way to help her.
Lee, her ex-stalker, was a great character that I wish had been in more of the book. His relationship with Kayla was quite one-sided, she took advantage of him again and again but I liked that he held her more accountable and that his actions towards the end of the book had such a profound affect on her.
Overall an uncomplicated, fun read that is well worth the read.
October 25, 2016
What happens is you look up "top ten horror books" for Halloween and then before you know it you've moved on to "top ten most disturbing books," and half an hour later down the internet rabbit hole you're looking at, like, "top 13 splatterpunk books you've never heard of," and the next thing you know you're reading this fuckin' thing and you're like how did this happen? Why am I doing this? This is not my thing. I read seeeerious books. This book is not serious. (Although it is, technically, an exploration of the Faust myth.) This is like one step up from self-published. Why would I even review it? It's like a Hindu reviewing Methodists. Who cares what I think? Look: if you're considering reading this book at all, my opinion is not the one you should be listening to. Read the other reviews. I like Virginia Woolf. I do not like this book and I shouldn't have read it.
It's not at all splattery, btw, and the ending is a catastrophic fail.
It's not at all splattery, btw, and the ending is a catastrophic fail.
May 31, 2013
(Note: Since it wasn't listed here, my copy was the epub copy available for Nook on bn.com)
While known for his brand of in-your-face, no-holds-barred hardcore horror, Bryan Smith took a slight departure with his slick and sexy urban dark fantasy, Kayla and the Devil. Meet Kayla Monroe, blonde and beautiful college student, and sometimes a royal bitch and proud of it. (Mild spoilers ahead!) Life is usually good for Kayla, until she experiences something weird for someone of her desirable stature: men and women, mostly, shun her now, as if she's the most despicable creature to walk on two legs. Unable to understand why and on the brink of depression, she then meets the man of her dreams...tall, dark, and handsome, and he isn't turned off by her. But then again, he wouldn't be...he's the Devil! And he offers Kayla a deal, because of a past transgression. Perform a grisly deed and she wouldn't be shunned any longer, or die and be tormented in Hell for all eternity!
The plot moves along smoothly, mostly due to Smith's deft and razor sharp writing, and a few twists and turns make it enjoyable and unpredictable. While not outright horror, there's enough gore (thanks largely to two notorious and bloody figures from history) to satisfy horror fans, and in a subgenre rife with sexy vixens in leather toting swords and firearms, Smith has created a series I'd read any day of the week! The climax is definitely a cliffhanger of sorts, leading up to a sequel, Kayla Undead. MUST read!
While known for his brand of in-your-face, no-holds-barred hardcore horror, Bryan Smith took a slight departure with his slick and sexy urban dark fantasy, Kayla and the Devil. Meet Kayla Monroe, blonde and beautiful college student, and sometimes a royal bitch and proud of it. (Mild spoilers ahead!) Life is usually good for Kayla, until she experiences something weird for someone of her desirable stature: men and women, mostly, shun her now, as if she's the most despicable creature to walk on two legs. Unable to understand why and on the brink of depression, she then meets the man of her dreams...tall, dark, and handsome, and he isn't turned off by her. But then again, he wouldn't be...he's the Devil! And he offers Kayla a deal, because of a past transgression. Perform a grisly deed and she wouldn't be shunned any longer, or die and be tormented in Hell for all eternity!
The plot moves along smoothly, mostly due to Smith's deft and razor sharp writing, and a few twists and turns make it enjoyable and unpredictable. While not outright horror, there's enough gore (thanks largely to two notorious and bloody figures from history) to satisfy horror fans, and in a subgenre rife with sexy vixens in leather toting swords and firearms, Smith has created a series I'd read any day of the week! The climax is definitely a cliffhanger of sorts, leading up to a sequel, Kayla Undead. MUST read!
December 8, 2021
4🌟 Will definitely be reading the entire series.
June 26, 2018
Брайън Смит започва с предупреждение, че книгата е по-скоро ърбън фентъзи, от колкото хорър. Смеската между два от любимите ми жанрове не ми е никакъв проблем, а и винаги съм твърдял, че стоят на една линия (все пак 9/10 от „модерният“ хорър се развива в близка до читателя градска среда и почти винаги съдържа паранормални елементи). Ама бате Брайън май не знае къде точно минава разделителната линия между жанровете, защото „Кайла и дяволът“ определено беше по-мрачна и смущаваща от половината хоръри, които съм изчел, включително 2-3 от неговите.
Героите, както е типично за автора, са доста смущаващи, положителното в тях може да се побере на върха на игла и читателят много трудно се чувства съпричастен със съдбата им.
Кайла е богата, красива и разглезена кучка, която, по незнайни за нея причини, цял семестър е отбягвана от всички. Отчаяна и зверски загоряла, среща самия Сатана в парка и той и обяснява, че е жертва на проклятие. За да се освободи от него, тя трябва да засвидетелства желание за кооперация със силите на злото, като убие невинен човек до седмица и занесе трофей на Бащата на лъжите. На помощ в психотичната задача дявола ѝ отпуска Джак Изкормвача и Ержбет Батори. А ако реши да се противопостави, могат да ѝ помогнат само един келяв ангел без правомощия и един смотан зубър, бивш преследвач на нашето момиче.
Сюжетът има няколко доста добри извивки, а Кайла доста се блъска между да-то и не-то, въпреки, че изборът ѝ е ограничен, а природата покварена. Има няколко доста кървави сцени.
Въпреки авторските претенции за градско фентъзи, тази книга е в топ 13 сплатърпънк книги в един от любимите ми блогове за хорър книги.
Героите, както е типично за автора, са доста смущаващи, положителното в тях може да се побере на върха на игла и читателят много трудно се чувства съпричастен със съдбата им.
Кайла е богата, красива и разглезена кучка, която, по незнайни за нея причини, цял семестър е отбягвана от всички. Отчаяна и зверски загоряла, среща самия Сатана в парка и той и обяснява, че е жертва на проклятие. За да се освободи от него, тя трябва да засвидетелства желание за кооперация със силите на злото, като убие невинен човек до седмица и занесе трофей на Бащата на лъжите. На помощ в психотичната задача дявола ѝ отпуска Джак Изкормвача и Ержбет Батори. А ако реши да се противопостави, могат да ѝ помогнат само един келяв ангел без правомощия и един смотан зубър, бивш преследвач на нашето момиче.
Сюжетът има няколко доста добри извивки, а Кайла доста се блъска между да-то и не-то, въпреки, че изборът ѝ е ограничен, а природата покварена. Има няколко доста кървави сцени.
Въпреки авторските претенции за градско фентъзи, тази книга е в топ 13 сплатърпънк книги в един от любимите ми блогове за хорър книги.
August 12, 2016
Kayla and the Devil was a very good novel from the warped mind of Bryan Smith.
Kayla meets the devil standing by a tree. He's got a deal for her. A crappy deal. A damned if you do, damned if you don't kind of deal. Kayla is not a very nice person and likes to cut people down with her sharp tongue. Can she complete the devils deal and free herself from the fires of hell?
I couldn't help but make comparisons to Jeff Strand while getting into this one, but the further I read on, I realized that Bryan has his own tale to tell and does it with his own voice, style and wit.
A well done, fast paced, sharp and entertaining read. Evidently, this one is very tame for Mr. Smith, so I am off to get some of his backlog and check out some of his splatterpunk work.
Kayla meets the devil standing by a tree. He's got a deal for her. A crappy deal. A damned if you do, damned if you don't kind of deal. Kayla is not a very nice person and likes to cut people down with her sharp tongue. Can she complete the devils deal and free herself from the fires of hell?
I couldn't help but make comparisons to Jeff Strand while getting into this one, but the further I read on, I realized that Bryan has his own tale to tell and does it with his own voice, style and wit.
A well done, fast paced, sharp and entertaining read. Evidently, this one is very tame for Mr. Smith, so I am off to get some of his backlog and check out some of his splatterpunk work.
December 20, 2011
Bryan Smith channels his inner 19-year-old party girl in his latest urban fantasy novel, Kayla and the Devil. This modern Faustian tale transforms Nashville, Tennessee into a world where the Blood Countess, Elizabeth Bathory, is just a phone call away and Jack the Ripper hangs out in your local movie theater. Smith has flirted with fantasy before. House of Blood, and its sequel Queen of Blood, both have strong supernatural elements. Just earlier this year Smith offered up a frightening apocalypse tale, Darkened, which is also more fantasy than horror, so urban fantasy is a natural transition. Still, in terms of style, Smith proves he can step out of his comfort zone without sacrificing his own personal charm.
Kayla is a young, beautiful, and privileged college coed with an ugly problem. Despite her exceptional physical qualities no one wants to have anything to do with her. In fact, those that don’t outright ignore her are completely disgusted by her. Even the nerd who was once obsessed with Kayla acts like she’s got the plague. When she meets a super-hunk in the park, she thinks her luck has made a turn for the better, but Kayla couldn’t be more wrong. This handsome man is the Devil himself and he’s here to make her a deal she can’t refuse. You see, Kayla was kind of a bully in high school. Go figure, right? Well, she was nasty enough that someone, with the Devil’s help, put a shunning spell on her. Unless Kayla performs a despicable act at the Devil’s behest, she will endure a life of sexless, attention-deprived solitude. Even the bums on the outermost fringes of society mock her. So Kayla has to decide if she’s got what it takes to do the Devil’s bidding and end the spell or live as a pariah of pariahs for the rest of her days.
Kayla is not a likable character. She’s conceited, vulgar, and often downright cruel. She’s also in that annoying in-between stage of adolescence and adulthood, when you think you know it all and the world revolves around you. In the initial set-up, I worried I might not be able to tolerate her for the length of the story, but Smith knows how to spin a good yarn. Once he’s engaged you in the plot, he sneakily charms you with Kayla’s antics. It’s hard to say where I took the turn from passive observer to Kayla devotee, but at some point there was no denying, I was her loyal sidekick. Hell, I even grew to admire her I-don’t-give-a-shit attitude and feisty disposition. Kayla’s the type of bad bitch who won’t hesitate to tell an angel “get out of my way or I’ll kick in your heavenly balls.”
An important detail that makes Kayla’s character successful is her voice is consistent, so the reader is never taken out of the story. A college acquaintance uses the phrase “as if” which I find a little outdated, but other than that misstep, the language is believable. Kayla’s dialogue is so natural, I imagined Smith creeping around the Vanderbilt University campus, the setting of this tale, eavesdropping on the female student body for inspiration! I certainly hope that’s not the case, because I’m pretty sure you can get arrested for that.
Kayla’s not the only entertainment in this story. To keep her on task, the Devil sends two legendary baddies, Jack the Ripper and the Countess Elizabeth Bathory. While good ole Jack is on site to monitor her progress, when he isn’t indulging his unsavory desires, Ms. Bathory is there to provide guidance for young Kayla.
Despite the violent history of the Ripper and the Blood Countess, you won’t find their taste for blood explored in graphic detail here. Instead, Smith has toned down the gore for this story. Even though Kayla and the Devil is stripped of the viciousness typical of a Smith novel, it’s not a glaring omission. You won’t be aching for bloodletting because you’ll be too caught up in the story to notice. Smith builds momentum quickly and keeps the pace consistent. Once the plot kicks into high gear you’ve already committed yourself for the ride.
Kayla and the Devil is a light-hearted and fun read with a good sense of humor, but I was especially excited about the ending. You may think you got the plot figured out, but a few twists bring a surprising conclusion. Too often an ending can’t live up to the expectation born of a great story, but Smith manages to pull one last trick out of his hat for the closer. If you’re missing Kayla like I do, don’t worry, she’ll be back because Smith is turning this into a series. Who knows what misadventures he has in store for our potty-mouthed protagonist. Well, I have an idea, but I’m not gonna tell ya’. You never know, maybe someday we’ll get to see Kayla and Meli Destroy Frankenstein! Or Kayla and Meli versus Planet of the Apes. OK, probably not, but I’ll be along for the ride anyway!
ORIGINAL REVIEW HERE: http://dreadfultales.com/2011/12/11/k...
Kayla is a young, beautiful, and privileged college coed with an ugly problem. Despite her exceptional physical qualities no one wants to have anything to do with her. In fact, those that don’t outright ignore her are completely disgusted by her. Even the nerd who was once obsessed with Kayla acts like she’s got the plague. When she meets a super-hunk in the park, she thinks her luck has made a turn for the better, but Kayla couldn’t be more wrong. This handsome man is the Devil himself and he’s here to make her a deal she can’t refuse. You see, Kayla was kind of a bully in high school. Go figure, right? Well, she was nasty enough that someone, with the Devil’s help, put a shunning spell on her. Unless Kayla performs a despicable act at the Devil’s behest, she will endure a life of sexless, attention-deprived solitude. Even the bums on the outermost fringes of society mock her. So Kayla has to decide if she’s got what it takes to do the Devil’s bidding and end the spell or live as a pariah of pariahs for the rest of her days.
Kayla is not a likable character. She’s conceited, vulgar, and often downright cruel. She’s also in that annoying in-between stage of adolescence and adulthood, when you think you know it all and the world revolves around you. In the initial set-up, I worried I might not be able to tolerate her for the length of the story, but Smith knows how to spin a good yarn. Once he’s engaged you in the plot, he sneakily charms you with Kayla’s antics. It’s hard to say where I took the turn from passive observer to Kayla devotee, but at some point there was no denying, I was her loyal sidekick. Hell, I even grew to admire her I-don’t-give-a-shit attitude and feisty disposition. Kayla’s the type of bad bitch who won’t hesitate to tell an angel “get out of my way or I’ll kick in your heavenly balls.”
An important detail that makes Kayla’s character successful is her voice is consistent, so the reader is never taken out of the story. A college acquaintance uses the phrase “as if” which I find a little outdated, but other than that misstep, the language is believable. Kayla’s dialogue is so natural, I imagined Smith creeping around the Vanderbilt University campus, the setting of this tale, eavesdropping on the female student body for inspiration! I certainly hope that’s not the case, because I’m pretty sure you can get arrested for that.
Kayla’s not the only entertainment in this story. To keep her on task, the Devil sends two legendary baddies, Jack the Ripper and the Countess Elizabeth Bathory. While good ole Jack is on site to monitor her progress, when he isn’t indulging his unsavory desires, Ms. Bathory is there to provide guidance for young Kayla.
Despite the violent history of the Ripper and the Blood Countess, you won’t find their taste for blood explored in graphic detail here. Instead, Smith has toned down the gore for this story. Even though Kayla and the Devil is stripped of the viciousness typical of a Smith novel, it’s not a glaring omission. You won’t be aching for bloodletting because you’ll be too caught up in the story to notice. Smith builds momentum quickly and keeps the pace consistent. Once the plot kicks into high gear you’ve already committed yourself for the ride.
Kayla and the Devil is a light-hearted and fun read with a good sense of humor, but I was especially excited about the ending. You may think you got the plot figured out, but a few twists bring a surprising conclusion. Too often an ending can’t live up to the expectation born of a great story, but Smith manages to pull one last trick out of his hat for the closer. If you’re missing Kayla like I do, don’t worry, she’ll be back because Smith is turning this into a series. Who knows what misadventures he has in store for our potty-mouthed protagonist. Well, I have an idea, but I’m not gonna tell ya’. You never know, maybe someday we’ll get to see Kayla and Meli Destroy Frankenstein! Or Kayla and Meli versus Planet of the Apes. OK, probably not, but I’ll be along for the ride anyway!
ORIGINAL REVIEW HERE: http://dreadfultales.com/2011/12/11/k...
March 31, 2012
Kayla and the Devil is the first novel Bryan Smith wrote after the death of his wife, Rachel, and he dedicates this one to her. I had heard about his troubles a while
before picking this one up and, along with feeling sympathy for the guy, I wanted to see if his writing had changed in any way. I figured he would write a very bitter
novel about how the world was created by being shit out of the unclean ass of a less than adequate god, but thankfully, Smith does not go in this direction. Instead, he
ventures into the land of urban fantasy; a land that I know very little about. The book follows Kayla's troubles and her efforts to rectify them by completing a task
for the devil. See that? The title is relevant to the story! Since Kayla has been cursed by the father of one of her classmates, she is now shunned by the whole of
society and believe me, this is definitely a good thing for society to do to someone like this. Kayla was partially responsible for this girl's suicide and her father
has made a deal with the devil to make sure that Kayla knows what it feels like to live the way his daughter did. Anyway, the book has the feel of a game since the
devil gives our horrible, disgusting, mouthy, cunt of a main character a time limit to kill, uh I mean, perform said task. The real fun of the novel is solely in the
plot. I could not put this book down because I really wanted to know how this annoying college queef was going to do what needed to be done, and I was also interested
to see who all the devil was going to send to help her. Jack (AKA Alfred) the Ripper is one of these interesting characters. Now, if you are like me, you may be
wondering why such a terrible person, Kayla, wouldn't be able to do whatever it is that the devil wishes of her. Well, apparently she has a bit of a conscience which
makes this book progress nicely.
Now, the main flaw with this book, and with every other Smith novel I have read, is the writing. I swear, it is like he is writing for high school drop-outs or
something. His descriptions are so horrible sometimes that I would have dropped this book for good if his plot wasn't amazing. Every now and then, his actual writing
skills would shine through like gold coins floating in a sewer, but for the most part he chooses to write badly. Chooses is the key word there because I know he is much
better than this. I understand if he is trying to be unique, but I don't get why he is doing it in this way. On top of that, his dialog is about as horrible as the
actual writing and reminded me of some of Brian Keene's annoying novels like Kill Whitey and Castaways. If you aren't really bothered by prose and can read anything as
long as the story is engaging, you should really like this book, but if you are one of those people who complain about Stephen King's writing quality, you probably
won't be able to get through this. Treat yourself to something by Peter Straub, Clive Barker, Tim Curran, or Tim Lebbon instead.
before picking this one up and, along with feeling sympathy for the guy, I wanted to see if his writing had changed in any way. I figured he would write a very bitter
novel about how the world was created by being shit out of the unclean ass of a less than adequate god, but thankfully, Smith does not go in this direction. Instead, he
ventures into the land of urban fantasy; a land that I know very little about. The book follows Kayla's troubles and her efforts to rectify them by completing a task
for the devil. See that? The title is relevant to the story! Since Kayla has been cursed by the father of one of her classmates, she is now shunned by the whole of
society and believe me, this is definitely a good thing for society to do to someone like this. Kayla was partially responsible for this girl's suicide and her father
has made a deal with the devil to make sure that Kayla knows what it feels like to live the way his daughter did. Anyway, the book has the feel of a game since the
devil gives our horrible, disgusting, mouthy, cunt of a main character a time limit to kill, uh I mean, perform said task. The real fun of the novel is solely in the
plot. I could not put this book down because I really wanted to know how this annoying college queef was going to do what needed to be done, and I was also interested
to see who all the devil was going to send to help her. Jack (AKA Alfred) the Ripper is one of these interesting characters. Now, if you are like me, you may be
wondering why such a terrible person, Kayla, wouldn't be able to do whatever it is that the devil wishes of her. Well, apparently she has a bit of a conscience which
makes this book progress nicely.
Now, the main flaw with this book, and with every other Smith novel I have read, is the writing. I swear, it is like he is writing for high school drop-outs or
something. His descriptions are so horrible sometimes that I would have dropped this book for good if his plot wasn't amazing. Every now and then, his actual writing
skills would shine through like gold coins floating in a sewer, but for the most part he chooses to write badly. Chooses is the key word there because I know he is much
better than this. I understand if he is trying to be unique, but I don't get why he is doing it in this way. On top of that, his dialog is about as horrible as the
actual writing and reminded me of some of Brian Keene's annoying novels like Kill Whitey and Castaways. If you aren't really bothered by prose and can read anything as
long as the story is engaging, you should really like this book, but if you are one of those people who complain about Stephen King's writing quality, you probably
won't be able to get through this. Treat yourself to something by Peter Straub, Clive Barker, Tim Curran, or Tim Lebbon instead.
April 29, 2013
Kayla is a beautiful but self-centered college girl. But for some strange reason, people have shunned her. She can't even get the nerdiest guy on campus to shag her. What could possibly be causing her misery?
Hint: Read the title.
But don't worry 'cause it's nothing that a deal with the devil won't fix. But there is another catch. Kayla has to kill someone to cement the deal or be a pariah the rest of her life.
I have a soft spot for "deal with the devil" stories and this is a good one. Kayla may be unlikable but she isn't evil. Demolishing people with sharp words may be easy for her...but murder? The fun in this novel is trying to figure out how Kayla will outwit the devil and save her soul...or maybe she won't. It's a kick finding out if she does.
But be warned. This is a first in a series. There is a satisfying ending but there is also a tease for Book II. Normally I do not care for that sort of thing, but I must admit I'm intrigued.
Hint: Read the title.
But don't worry 'cause it's nothing that a deal with the devil won't fix. But there is another catch. Kayla has to kill someone to cement the deal or be a pariah the rest of her life.
I have a soft spot for "deal with the devil" stories and this is a good one. Kayla may be unlikable but she isn't evil. Demolishing people with sharp words may be easy for her...but murder? The fun in this novel is trying to figure out how Kayla will outwit the devil and save her soul...or maybe she won't. It's a kick finding out if she does.
But be warned. This is a first in a series. There is a satisfying ending but there is also a tease for Book II. Normally I do not care for that sort of thing, but I must admit I'm intrigued.
December 22, 2011
This is the second Bryan Smith book I've read and I continue to be impressed with his work. Smith manages to make you care for a character that you should otherwise hate. The plot is full of all kinds of twists and craziness including visits from infamous real life serial killers, Jack the Ripper and Countess Bathory. The violence is fairly tame compared to most modern horror novels, but Smith's strength in story telling and characterization are what carries the book. I can't wait for the sequel and would love for the series to get a quality film adaptation, and then maybe Bryan Smith would get the attention he deserves.
December 23, 2011
Bryan Smith, best known for his wildly entertaining, gore-soaked horror novels, takes a slight departure into the genre of urban fantasy in this modern tale of Faust, and he nails it.
Kayla is a wonderfully written, flawed protagonist who's made a deal with the devil. Along the way, she encounters some of the most notorious bad guys and gals in history, including Jack the Ripper and Elizabeth Bathory, in her quest to salvage a normal life for herself.
You will both love and despise Kayla and the choices she makes, but you won't soon forget her...
Kayla is a wonderfully written, flawed protagonist who's made a deal with the devil. Along the way, she encounters some of the most notorious bad guys and gals in history, including Jack the Ripper and Elizabeth Bathory, in her quest to salvage a normal life for herself.
You will both love and despise Kayla and the choices she makes, but you won't soon forget her...
January 20, 2019
This is my third bryan smith book and admittedly the first one I finished. I don't know why I even tried a third after giving up on the first 2 in disgust. I'm a fan of fantasy, science fiction, and horror in that order. The horror novels i've come across recently have almost made me forget why I ever liked the genre. Smith and many other contemporary horror authors tend to throw in buckets of sex vulgarity and depraved behavior. I don't really mind that stuff and it doesn't bother me to read it but the problem with Smith is there isn't anything else. None of Kayla's choices make any sense. She is supposedly an 'intelligent' girl but doesn't seem capable of forming a coherent thought that doesn't have something to do with how sexy she is and the guys she wants to jump. Its just ridiculous. Smith doesn't seem to ever write real characters and even when I am interested in a plot line he very quickly moves it to the realm of the ridiculous. This book didn't have so much of the sex and disgusting circumstances as the others I've tried from him but it still isn't good. I had to actively remind myself that there are great horror authors out there that actually try to write a story with characters and plots instead of relying on revulsion to carry their novels.
June 11, 2020
Really hard one to rate, on the surface it is a second rate horror with the ridiculous Jack the Ripper and Elizabeth Bathory but it is the character of Kayla that really got me. Kayla is the quintessential antihero, she ain't sorry for anything she done, she doesn't ask any pardon for what she does and is. You get to thinking she probably will rule in Hell.
Will read the next to see if Kayla's character develops or the story becomes another second rate horror. Weird ending, I wonder where it will take us?
Will read the next to see if Kayla's character develops or the story becomes another second rate horror. Weird ending, I wonder where it will take us?
March 11, 2018
Light weight but fun, Kayla makes a deal with the devil and has a week to fulfil the contract. On the way she meets a couple of colourful serial killers from antiquity. Kayla is a bully who can deliver rapid fire insults but you like her nonetheless because she’s gorgeous and because she’s not all bad.
November 29, 2019
Excellent novel about a smart talking 19 year old coed who is engineered by the devil into a deal she can't refuse, but also cannot complete. She also has to contend with Jack the Ripper and the Blood Countess Elizabeth Bathory. Highly recommended.
January 29, 2018
Great once it took off!
This took a liitle longer than most other Smith titles to pull me in, but once it did I didn't want to put it down!
This took a liitle longer than most other Smith titles to pull me in, but once it did I didn't want to put it down!
February 23, 2018
Not bad
Making a deal with the devil. How could that go wrong. Just ask Kayla or better yet read this book. Its insane how many things go wrong.
Making a deal with the devil. How could that go wrong. Just ask Kayla or better yet read this book. Its insane how many things go wrong.
December 19, 2015
‘Kayla and the Devil’ is about a college student Kayla who makes a deal with the devil in return for society to stop shunning her. However, the terms and conditions of the deal basically require her to murder someone and take a body part as proof.
The fast pace worked brilliantly here as the author doesn’t waste time getting to the meat of the story. Right away the reader learns that Kayla used to be popular and noticed everywhere but somehow things have mysteriously changed, causing her to be ignored or treated with disgust or contempt. This sudden unexplainable change bothers her as she misses the attention she used to get effortlessly. Her meeting with the devil was interesting and I liked that he was quick to explain the reason behind everyone’s behaviour towards Kayla.
However, I didn’t quite like Kayla. I don’t expect lead characters to be likeable and that isn’t necessary in order for me to enjoy a book but I really couldn’t tolerate how every single time she talked, she swore. The overuse of profanities was unbearable and annoying. I don’t mind them but not on pretty much every page. It also took away the significance of those words especially during really tense moments because Kayla swears so much that it comes across as forced and habitual rather than a true expression of anger or frustration etc.
Besides that, the whole task was portrayed as something difficult. This made sense as killing isn’t something one does on a daily basis. However, Kayla accomplished it too easily for my liking and it was weird how . Throughout her entire ordeal, she mostly made half-hearted plans, relied on other people and got drunk more than anything else. It baffled me that the devil truly thought she was something special.
Overall, ‘Kayla and the Devil’ was certainly fun but it was also lacklustre and would have been better if the devil was actually genuinely fearsome.
The fast pace worked brilliantly here as the author doesn’t waste time getting to the meat of the story. Right away the reader learns that Kayla used to be popular and noticed everywhere but somehow things have mysteriously changed, causing her to be ignored or treated with disgust or contempt. This sudden unexplainable change bothers her as she misses the attention she used to get effortlessly. Her meeting with the devil was interesting and I liked that he was quick to explain the reason behind everyone’s behaviour towards Kayla.
However, I didn’t quite like Kayla. I don’t expect lead characters to be likeable and that isn’t necessary in order for me to enjoy a book but I really couldn’t tolerate how every single time she talked, she swore. The overuse of profanities was unbearable and annoying. I don’t mind them but not on pretty much every page. It also took away the significance of those words especially during really tense moments because Kayla swears so much that it comes across as forced and habitual rather than a true expression of anger or frustration etc.
Besides that, the whole task was portrayed as something difficult. This made sense as killing isn’t something one does on a daily basis. However, Kayla accomplished it too easily for my liking and it was weird how . Throughout her entire ordeal, she mostly made half-hearted plans, relied on other people and got drunk more than anything else. It baffled me that the devil truly thought she was something special.
Overall, ‘Kayla and the Devil’ was certainly fun but it was also lacklustre and would have been better if the devil was actually genuinely fearsome.
April 12, 2013
College student Kayla Monroe seems to have everything. Stunning looks, smarts, and loads of money thanks to her privileged upbringing. But something’s gone wrong. Ever since the start of her sophomore year, people have been avoiding her. Her friends shun her. Guys no longer flock to her. Even her former stalker, an awkward geek, now wants nothing to do with her.
She is on the brink of utter despair when she encounters a young man in the park. The man is charming and movie star handsome. Kayla thinks maybe her luck has taken a turn for the better. But she couldn’t be more wrong. Because this man is the Devil. Capital D definitely intended. The ultimate embodiment of evil. And he has something to tell Kayla.
Kayla hasn’t always been the nicest girl in the world. At times she has been downright mean. She’s grown past that, but now her past has come back to haunt her. Someone wants revenge. Bad enough to engage the services of the devil. But the tables have turned again and the devil now has his own deal to offer Kayla.
He can end her suffering. End the shunning spell. But only at a very high price. And Kayla must decide whether she has it within herself to surrender her soul and commit an act so heinous it will damn her forever.
April 27, 2015
I loved this book, which seems to be a first volume in a series.
It's full of unexpected twists and keeps you reading until the end.
At first I really disliked the Kayla character and thought she deserved what she got..... she's such a bitch. But near the end I kinda warmed up to her somewhat.
I couldn't figure out how Kayla would get out of her predicament, but the end was superbly brilliant.
Can't wait for book two.
It's full of unexpected twists and keeps you reading until the end.
At first I really disliked the Kayla character and thought she deserved what she got..... she's such a bitch. But near the end I kinda warmed up to her somewhat.
I couldn't figure out how Kayla would get out of her predicament, but the end was superbly brilliant.
Can't wait for book two.
April 18, 2016
Surreal
I think Bryan Smith is one of the best authors going today. His work is the main reason why I signed up for Kindle Unlimited. I wasn't sure if he could pull off dark fantasy, but he succeeded. This book is a fun read with plenty of interesting characters and storylines. There are a few moments that made me cringe (hence the dropped star) but I definitely enjoyed it. For fans of Bryan Smith who want to see him dabble in other realms. Recommended.
I think Bryan Smith is one of the best authors going today. His work is the main reason why I signed up for Kindle Unlimited. I wasn't sure if he could pull off dark fantasy, but he succeeded. This book is a fun read with plenty of interesting characters and storylines. There are a few moments that made me cringe (hence the dropped star) but I definitely enjoyed it. For fans of Bryan Smith who want to see him dabble in other realms. Recommended.
April 14, 2012
Enjoyed the character Kayla and her sharp tongue and the trouble it leads to. Meeting the devil, Jack the Ripper and Countess Bathory. Kayla has always been pretty and popular but her tongue has hurt people and that leads to consquencies and the Devil comes along and says he can remove the curse where people now shun her.
November 4, 2013
A fun, irreverent read by Bryan Smith. I liked the characters and liked the resolution of the story, and I liked the set-up and story itself. We've all known people (men or women) like Kayla, and it was fun to see her get her comeuppance (did I spell that right?). I'll be reading the follow-up as soon as I can.
January 11, 2018
A young woman with a curse on her, meets the devil and strikes a deal. I enjoyed the story up until the ending, which was only fair. Nevertheless, the writing was decent, and the characters interesting, and I would read this author again.
July 14, 2012
I couldn't put it down! Loved it!
August 6, 2016
Entertaining but I prefer Smith's splatterpunk stuff. I'll pass on the sequel for the sake of squeezing in one more splatter. Still, this story was amusing.
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