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Devil's Race
‘Sixteen-year-old John Proud discovers his family's dark secret'in 1854 an ancestral namesake confessed to being a demon. Now John finds himself battling his ancestor who is trying to use John for an evil purpose. Mounting suspense plus the sure draw of occult horror will keep readers turning the pages.' 'BL. 1985 Recommended Books for Reluctant Young Adult Readers (ALA)
2001 ALA Popular Paperback for YAs
2001 ALA Popular Paperback for YAs
134 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1984
2 people are currently reading
120 people want to read
About the author
Avi
346 books1,721 followersAvi is a pen name for Edward Irving Wortis, but he says, "The fact is, Avi is the only name I use." Born in 1937, Avi has created many fictional favorites such as
The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle,
Nothing but the Truth,
and the Crispin series. His work is popular among readers young and old.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
May 14, 2024
I bought this from a bank. They had a table of old paperbacks at $1 each, raising money for charity. Mostly romance, but I snagged this and a genuine 'Paperback from Hell'-eligible title, to be read later. I was unfamiliar with Avi although he appears to have been a reasonably popular YA writer from before YA was a familiar term.
It's a well-loved copy:
But apparently Sarah was not so well-loved. The tragedy is finally public:
My daughter peered through the scribbles to identify the heinous ex-lover as Clinton. This dates back to 1993:
If this is you, the comments are open. Please dish.
The book itself was surprisingly good. I didn't expect such a well-written allegory of the teenage struggle to define one's identity and consolidate negative thoughts with desired self-image. The story was subtle and well-paced until the sequences leading to the final confrontation; after ~100 solid pages it flagged for a good chunk of the last 40.
When finished, I had to flip back to check the relationship between John and Ann, whose young love supported John until he could face his adversary, despite how messed up he was about his feelings for her. (Can confirm.) But they were like cousins or something, or so I thought. On review, Ann was just the daughter of John's uncle's third cousin. Sounds fine to me.
I hope John and Ann lasted longer than Sarah and Clinton.
It's a well-loved copy:
But apparently Sarah was not so well-loved. The tragedy is finally public:
My daughter peered through the scribbles to identify the heinous ex-lover as Clinton. This dates back to 1993:
If this is you, the comments are open. Please dish.
The book itself was surprisingly good. I didn't expect such a well-written allegory of the teenage struggle to define one's identity and consolidate negative thoughts with desired self-image. The story was subtle and well-paced until the sequences leading to the final confrontation; after ~100 solid pages it flagged for a good chunk of the last 40.
When finished, I had to flip back to check the relationship between John and Ann, whose young love supported John until he could face his adversary, despite how messed up he was about his feelings for her. (Can confirm.) But they were like cousins or something, or so I thought. On review, Ann was just the daughter of John's uncle's third cousin. Sounds fine to me.
I hope John and Ann lasted longer than Sarah and Clinton.
June 14, 2023
Whenever asked, "What was the first book you ever read?" I always answer, "The Devil's Race, by Avi."
In truth, there were books before, yet this was the first book that inspired my book obsession.
I cannot give a good review...it has been years since I read this book (when I was a kid) and I have never read a book twice (I know, shame on me). Who knows, maybe one day, this will be the story that breaks that tradition of mine.
I will say that it must have been grand enough to make me a bookaholic.
Here's a book geek confession. While this isn't a signed copy or anything like that, I keep this book in my safe. This pretty much sums up the value of everything else in there with it...oh how disappointed my future (in the very, very, very distant future) heirs are going to be LOL.
Similar review posted on Litsy, June 12th 2023.
In truth, there were books before, yet this was the first book that inspired my book obsession.
I cannot give a good review...it has been years since I read this book (when I was a kid) and I have never read a book twice (I know, shame on me). Who knows, maybe one day, this will be the story that breaks that tradition of mine.
I will say that it must have been grand enough to make me a bookaholic.
Here's a book geek confession. While this isn't a signed copy or anything like that, I keep this book in my safe. This pretty much sums up the value of everything else in there with it...oh how disappointed my future (in the very, very, very distant future) heirs are going to be LOL.
Similar review posted on Litsy, June 12th 2023.
January 5, 2019
Another book Avi suspense book. I like it a lot. Couldn't put it down. The only disappointment was the ending which seemed rushed and didn't clearly answer all questions leading up to that point. I wish more time was taken in the final chapters to really explain what was happening and what had happened leading up to that point. It felt like the author grew tired and just wrapped it up quickly. I would recommend it though.
March 16, 2022
The story of when a Teen when confronted by his polar opposite in the form of his long dead ancestor.
A short book, while at first I read it because the premise sounded interesting, eventually I found the only reason I had kept reading it was because I had started it so I might as well finish it. It felt very disjointed and stiff, with things happening but usually getting a reaction that I would describe as underwhelmed. Not exactly what you want when reading a thriller.
I'd only recommend this book if you enjoyed previous works by its author
A short book, while at first I read it because the premise sounded interesting, eventually I found the only reason I had kept reading it was because I had started it so I might as well finish it. It felt very disjointed and stiff, with things happening but usually getting a reaction that I would describe as underwhelmed. Not exactly what you want when reading a thriller.
I'd only recommend this book if you enjoyed previous works by its author
January 8, 2019
I really enjoyed reading this book. This is one of the books that I have read in a day for a really long time, and I had a good time doing it. The book was a great story of someone finding their true self, all the while with tough obstacles standing in their way.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 10, 2017
Another one I would give two-and-a-half stars to, were it possible.
I found this at a library sale for 50 cents. The cover (not the one pictured on this edition) intrigued me enough to buy it. It wasn't until later, while adding it to Goodreads, that I realized it was a YA book. I'm certainly no longer the demographic, but figured I'd read it anyway.
It was enjoyable. And I know my 13-year-old self would have gotten a kick out of it. It had a bit of a "Dark Half" vibe, and the lead characters were far from the stock "teenager" you risk finding in these types of books.
Avi's a good writer, and the story is paced very well. So my two-and-a-half rating is from my adult self. My 13-year-old self would probably say three. Do with that what you will.
I found this at a library sale for 50 cents. The cover (not the one pictured on this edition) intrigued me enough to buy it. It wasn't until later, while adding it to Goodreads, that I realized it was a YA book. I'm certainly no longer the demographic, but figured I'd read it anyway.
It was enjoyable. And I know my 13-year-old self would have gotten a kick out of it. It had a bit of a "Dark Half" vibe, and the lead characters were far from the stock "teenager" you risk finding in these types of books.
Avi's a good writer, and the story is paced very well. So my two-and-a-half rating is from my adult self. My 13-year-old self would probably say three. Do with that what you will.
August 14, 2016
Sixteen-year-old John Proud discovers his family's darkest secret. His namesake confessed to being a demon in 1854. John finds himself battling against his ancestor's ghost to remain himself. He doesn't want to be used for the evil John's purposes. Mounting suspense plus the sure draw of occult horror will keep readers turning the pages.
March 11, 2013
The setting is an old rail trail turned bike trail we were on as a family last fall. Can't wait to go back and find the cemetery cited in the book. How cool to be able to picture what you're reading about.
January 21, 2008
i loved this book. i need to read it again. it was odd and neat.
February 15, 2009
seriously creepy book. i loved it.
April 30, 2009
Avi has outdone himself yet again.
Always love the suspense he creates;
best part of his novels.
Recommended to all Avi fans. :)
Always love the suspense he creates;
best part of his novels.
Recommended to all Avi fans. :)
November 4, 2009
Read with Koda for school. We both liked the book, maybe a bit mature for a almost 9 yo, but he treated those parts responsibly. Kept you guessing til the last page.
June 18, 2012
..IT WAS INTERESTINGLY CREEPY..
November 16, 2012
this book was a very inspiring book i like how it was describing the life and history of this boy
January 17, 2016
Pretty entertaining story. Definitely one you wanted to see how it ended. Easy read. Fun.
August 26, 2023
Really good!! Was an interesting psychological thriller that has you questioning if the narrator is trustworthy, almost like Poe's work!
June 12, 2009
It's an amazing book!! Everyone should read it!
March 8, 2010
Liked it so much I bought it again. It's a book I read in the 5th grade.
March 19, 2010
good book
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews