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Personal Demons

(Personal Demons #1)

Lisa Desrochers (Goodreads Author)

3.66 · Rating details · 10,170 ratings · 916 reviews

Frannie Cavanaugh is a good Catholic girl with a bit of a wicked streak. She has spent years keeping everyone at a distance---even her closest friends---and it seems as if her senior year is going to be more of the same . . . until Luc Cain enrolls in her class. No one knows where he came from, but Frannie can't seem to stay away from him.

What she doesn't know is that Luc ...more

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Paperback, 365 pages

Published September 14th 2010 by Tor Teen

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2010 Debut Authors (Young Adult & Middle Grade Literature)

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Jun 02, 2010 Sophie Riggsby / allthingsequilateral rated it it was amazing

4.5 out of 5 stars

Dear Luc,
I wasn't supposed to fall for you. You see, you are everything I don't like. I mean let's start with the obvious, shall we Mr. Cain? You are a DEMON. And as a Mundie Mom I prefer my fictional boy interests to be more, you know, angelic?

But then I met you and things changed. I loved how Lisa switched between your point-of-view and Frannie's. I'm glad she didn't show your counterpart's, Gabe's. After all, he is the obvious Good Guy. I didn't want to know anything more ab ...more

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Aug 13, 2010 Tatiana rated it did not like it

Recommends it for: fans of Evermore, Hush, Hush, Shiver, Beautiful Creatures, Fallen

Recommended to Tatiana by: Goodreads giveaway

Shelves: romancelandia, 2010, ya

First, I would like to thank Goodreads and the author of this novel - Lisa Desrochers - for awarding me an ARC of Personal Demons. I never win anything, so getting this giveaway was extremely exciting. As much as I am grateful, however, I can't bring myself to give the book a rave review.

I am always sad to see authors squander away their great story ideas. So is the case with Personal Demons. It has a great premise - a demon and an angel fighting for the soul of a seemingly ordinary girl. Imagin First, I would like to thank Goodreads and the author of this novel - Lisa Desrochers - for awarding me an ARC of Personal Demons. I never win anything, so getting this giveaway was extremely exciting. As much as I am grateful, however, I can't bring myself to give the book a rave review.

I am always sad to see authors squander away their great story ideas. So is the case with Personal Demons. It has a great premise - a demon and an angel fighting for the soul of a seemingly ordinary girl. Imagine the possibilities here - a stand-off between good an evil! elaborate, cunning schemes to force a good girl to forfeit her soul (think Succubus books by Richelle Mead)! an irresistible seduction by evil in spite of all common sense (think The Goblin Fruit in Lips Touch: Three Times by Laini Taylor). But alas, my hopes were crushed, as the novel instead embraces every overused cliche of the genre.

There is an obligatory love triangle and hence - the heroine's constant switch from one guy to another; a "titillating seduction" over lab tables and English lit homework; the "evil guy" whose evilness is limited to wearing black T-shirts and a pierced brow; the emphasis on minutiae of every glance and touch; and, of course, the notion that a millennia-old demon will find an ordinary girl attractive. All this in place of solid character development and establishing realistic relationships and conflicts. And my last concern (a pet peeve of mine, actually): why are so many female authors so keen on writing 1st person male POVs? Not only narrative voices of Luc and Frannie are indistinguishable (except Frannie's extensive use of the word "'cause"), but am I supposed to believe a 7000-year old demon cares to describe to us the appearance of an elderly school secretary in these words -Her round body is clad in the uniform of the ancients: turquoise polyester slacks and matching floral blouse neatly tucked in, right on the second page of the book?

I do, however, think that the book has a potential to be enjoyed by the crowd that favors books like: Evermore, Hush, Hush, Fallen, Shiver. There is enough of touching and embracing and kissing and eternal love proclamations to interest such readers. The question is, will Personal Demons reach this crowd, which is easily seduced and impressed by aggressive marketing campaigns and fleshy, deceptively sophisticated covers promising dark, dangerous romances? I think the present cover might not do the trick, even though the writing is on par with that of the books I listed earlier. ...more

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Sep 14, 2010 Karen rated it it was ok

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. There is a lot of buzz for this book and almost all the reviews are glowing – so you know what that means? Me, being my ornery, contradictory self must go against the grain and not like the book.

For me this book hit on almost every cliché in YA right now. From the names: Lucifer, Gabriel, Mary Francis, to Hades High for the HS. We have good – Angel Gabriel vs evil – Demon Luc (both unbearably hot stud muffins of course) and the raging hormones of a teenage girl caught in an unending love triangl There is a lot of buzz for this book and almost all the reviews are glowing – so you know what that means? Me, being my ornery, contradictory self must go against the grain and not like the book.

For me this book hit on almost every cliché in YA right now. From the names: Lucifer, Gabriel, Mary Francis, to Hades High for the HS. We have good – Angel Gabriel vs evil – Demon Luc (both unbearably hot stud muffins of course) and the raging hormones of a teenage girl caught in an unending love triangle.

Luc is a demon sent to tag Frannie’s soul for hell. She has "gifts" that make her a powerful weapon to whichever side (heaven or hell) that can claim her for their own. Frannie falls for Luc instantly and Luc begins to have strange feelings for her too, but he’s bad for her since he’s evil. One problem. He never does anything evil. He’s nice. I always knew Frannie would be safe with him – no drama other than if they will have sex or not. His big bad evil plan? Make Frannie jealous so she will sleep with him. She would have done that anyway buddy…she’s all over you.
It’s not YA without the eternal struggle of good and evil and the lurve triangle so enter equally hot Gabriel who wants to tag her soul for heaven. She loves him too. No wait – Luc. No wait. Gabriel. No wait…..you get the idea. I know Gabriel is supposed to represent all that is good and Luc - evil but Gabe creeped me out and I just didn’t like him. Where Luc was self-sacrificing and loving Gabe was smarmy and petty. And Frannie’s families reaction to Gabe was downright weird. They could have had sex on the living room floor in front of them and they would have cheered it on.
I could go on but really there’s not a lot for me to say. Most people will love this book. It’s got the formula down and it’s really not that bad – I’m just tired of the whole thing. When a girl is that equally hot for two boys within a week I: A) don’t buy that she loves either of them and B) I lose respect for the girl for throwing herself at both of them, sometimes within minutes of each other and C) I lose respect for the guys who are just waiting for the crumbs to be tossed their way and will put up with almost anything in the hopes that she will choose them.

I guess I still did have a lot to say :-)

Also, a note about spices. I don’t want to hear the word ginger again for the next year! You’ll know what I mean if you’ve read this book.

BTW – If you’re a teenage boy who is even moderately good looking – get a piercing and head on over to Hades High! Those girls will be ALL over you – thrusting their breasts in your face and fighting over you within minutes. Good times! I think there is something in the water.

Despite my opinion I think most people will enjoy this book ….so as always ignore me and happy reading!
...more

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Dec 03, 2010 Nomes rated it did not like it

Shelves: 2011, out-of-the-loop, paranormal-stuff

1.5 stars

Honestly, I found this novel just too tacky for my tastes.

A few quick thoughts ~ things that didn't work for me:

Frannie says she never swoons over guys and within the next two chapters all she's doing is swooning. Within the first few chapters four hot guys are falling all over Frannie. It made me feel sceptical and weary from the outset.

The alternating POV was quite unconvincing in Luc's chapters. It didn;t read like a male POV, much less one of a character who is meant to have lived 1.5 stars

Honestly, I found this novel just too tacky for my tastes.

A few quick thoughts ~ things that didn't work for me:

Frannie says she never swoons over guys and within the next two chapters all she's doing is swooning. Within the first few chapters four hot guys are falling all over Frannie. It made me feel sceptical and weary from the outset.

The alternating POV was quite unconvincing in Luc's chapters. It didn;t read like a male POV, much less one of a character who is meant to have lived for a LONG time. He was also unconvincing as a DEMON, instead he was like a HOT teenage bad boy. His chapters read the same as Frannie's narration, except Frannie's was different because she narrates by using the word 'cause' a lot and Luc's was different because he thinks lustful thoughts ~~all the time~~ fairly frequently.

I cringed in a lot of the descriptions. Many mentions of "obsidian eyes" and "sapphire eyes" ~ it seemed a bit fanfic and it really didn't make me feel attracted to the characters.

I also found all the jokes/references to heaven and hell like reading the bad pun section of the newspaper, haha. Luc was always wearing black, driving black, black house/furniture, etc. Inversely, Gabe was always in white, etc, etc, and it just seemed too obvious and very one dimensional.

The love triangle, I think, was poorly handled and became quite painful for me to read. I don't get why either supernatural (and ancient) beings suddenly both "loved" Frannie? Also, Luc and gabe didn't read like immortal beings ~ they seemed quite high school to me (apart from Luc's sexual fantasy's which were beyond high school, IMO). As for Frannie ~ she was very wishy-washy wavering between the two as chapters alternated without rhyme or reason (okay, well apart from wanting to make out with whoever she happened to be with because they were so HOT and she was so horny).

The premise wasn't too bad and I honestly went into this expecting it to be a guilty pleasure/escapism at best ~ ready to just have fun with it. Ahh, didn't happen. I am a little incredulous as to the popularity of these books ~ but really it just goes to show we all have different tastes in books :)
...more

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Feb 17, 2010 Kody Keplinger rated it it was amazing

Whatever you do, don't lump PERSONAL DEMONS in with all the other paranoraml or urban fantasy love triangles out right now. Trust me, it's so, so much more.

PERSONAL DEMONS is clever, heartwrenching, fun, intriguing, intense, and sexy. Frannie is a well developed protagonist with flaws and feelings and a brain (thank God) and Luc is, by all means, both a love interest and a villain, who never crosses the line into "creepy" as so many characters like him could easily do.

I loved this book for its c ...more

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Mar 06, 2010 Krista (Miura Haruma-san, I will always miss you) rated it it was ok

Shelves: annoying-narrator, own-ab, heroine-tstl, wall-banger, heroine-i-hate, heroine-ice-queen, heroine-i-wanna-slap, male-degradation

Is this book for real? Frannie is disgusting! Not only does she switch from Gabe to Luc every other minute, but she's also exremely selfish and shows no compassion or love for anyone, except her grandpa and her dead brother. She claims to love Luc, yet, after this absurd declaration, she proceeds to make out/cuddle with Gabe IN FRONT OF LUC! And, of course, vice versa, throughout the ENTIRE BOOK. And then, if Luc so much as GLANCES at another girl, she flips out of her mind and threatens to murd ...more

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Feb 01, 2010 Courtney Allison Moulton rated it it was amazing

Shelves: young-adult

I loved PERSONAL DEMONS! Frannie is a kind, smart girl who questions the world around her and made for a very interesting narrator. She really holds her own in a story filled with powerful, supernatural creatures. The other narrator... Oh my. Finally! A bad boy done RIGHT! Luc is sexy and written with a realistic male voice, and he and Frannie have so much depth to their characters. I was never bored once while reading this and only put it down once. The exciting overall story arc has me itching ...more

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Mar 01, 2011 K. rated it did not like it

Shelves: this-shelf-can-die, why-did-i-even, so-bad-its-probably-brilliant, ok-fine-its-ya, fantasy-sci-fi-dys, ok-i-cheated, 21st-cent, cover-vom

A rant. Here we go:

Disappointing. I couldn't get past Chapter 15 (which is just a bit more than half way so I feel like I gave this a fair shot).

So.

The book advertises itself as a paranormal romance, a tug-of-war between Heaven and Hell, seductively represented by two obviously gorgeous guys called Gabe(riel) and Luc(ifer). ~~Guess who's on what team!~~ And that's exactly what you get. No more, no less.

Personal Demons is as narrow a book as I've ever come across. I was honestly gutted when by page ...more

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Jun 25, 2010 MissHavoc {Cry Havoc! Reviews} rated it it was amazing

Luc, so hot! I love a bad boy, but when that said bad boy is trying to redeem himself? Even hotter! Anyway, great new book about fighting one's destiny against the forces of Heaven and Hell.

Frannie is the black sheep in her very religious Catholic family. Never having recovered from a childhood accident, she blames herself for the life lost and finds Hell knocking on her door.

Enter Luc. Cool, swave, break-your neck kinda hot. He's out to tag Frannie for Hell, and he'll stop at nothing to claim h ...more

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Sep 04, 2010 Monica rated it it was amazing

Shelves: reviewed

I was giddy with excitement as I started this book and I read it straight through in one sitting, ok, with a few random 'OMG' tweets between pages and chapters. This book definitely did not disappoint. I love most of all, since it seems to be becoming a pattern in book recently, that the ending did not have a cliff-hanger. There is definitely enough opening for a second novel but I wasn't left with that 'stolen puppy' feeling and my mouth hanging open.

I am unable to eloquently break this book do I was giddy with excitement as I started this book and I read it straight through in one sitting, ok, with a few random 'OMG' tweets between pages and chapters. This book definitely did not disappoint. I love most of all, since it seems to be becoming a pattern in book recently, that the ending did not have a cliff-hanger. There is definitely enough opening for a second novel but I wasn't left with that 'stolen puppy' feeling and my mouth hanging open.

I am unable to eloquently break this book down by characters, writing, and plot because it was all amazing...so...I am going to tell you what I loved and didn't love.

Let's start with what I did not love. I did not love that Gabe didn't get his own point-of-view. I would have loved to have known what was going on in his sexy head. I totally think he should have had his own POV from the beginning of the book, that way I can feel justified for wanting to be on Team Gabe, because he would have then actually stood a chance. I also did not like that Frannie was so...selfish (couldn't think of a better word, more on that later), I think a decision for good would have been obvious...but it is a book....so I will relax.

Ok. What I did love. *psh* Where to start? I love that this book has a nice comfortable paranormal romance feel someone intertwined with a bigger-than-life feel. This book is about the sway of good and evil, heaven and hell, I would say that is pretty important. I love that Frannie is a strong independent women and knows what she wants, in life and in her man...I can totally appreciate her wanting to live her own life without being controlled but at the same time (see comment above).

I love the raw sexual energy seeping from the pages of this book, it is hot, and so very right. I think teenagers spend about 95% of their time thinking about sex, and the other 5% for day-to-day functioning. I also loved the concept of the smells associated with emotions, don't we always say animals can smell fear, but...what does fear smell like? Read this book and find out! As for me, I have developed a liking for cinnamon. ...more

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Jul 23, 2010 Wicked Lil Pixie (Natasha) rated it it was amazing

Review ComingPersonal Demons centres around Frannie (Mary Francis to be exact) & Lucifer Cain (Luc for short). Frannie’s family are heavy into religion, Frannie questions it after a loss.. so much so she gets thrown out of Catholic School in grade 7. Frannie is now 17 & when Luc enrolls in her High School she wants him. Luc wants Frannie to, but for a different reason.

Luc happens to work in Acquisitions for Hell & he has came to make Frannie’s soul for Hell as she has a unique ability & the King ...more

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Jul 10, 2010 Kendare Blake rated it it was amazing

Sympathy for the Devil? Not so much. But sympathy for a demon? Absolutely. In Personal Demons, Frannie, a world-toughened Catholic girl with faith problems winds up in the middle of a tug-of-war between heaven and hell, with an angel and a demon both fighting for her soul. Of course, they quickly find themselves fighting over more than that.

Luc (the demon) and Gabe (the angel) both make for intriguing leading men. In fact, some of the most riveting scenes in the book are the ones where the two a ...more

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Jul 24, 2010 Mary rated it it was amazing

Shelves: arc, 2010-book-challenge, 2010-young-adult-challenge, around-the-world-arc-tours

Don't place this book in with the rash of paranormal romances directed at teens lately. This has everything and more than any adult novel out today has to offer. There is romance, tension and intrigue all with a PG rating. I think that the author had to work twice as hard to write this one since the story line didn't rely on sexual situations to get to the point. All I can say is that Frannie is one feisty character. She doesn't do what she is supposed to and doesn't act the way she should. She ...more

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Nov 03, 2014 Katerina Kondrenko rated it did not like it

Shelves: 01-out-of-10, genre-fantasy, plot-logic-is-dead, pov-1st-person, target-teen, plot-as-plain-as-day, pov-female-only, read-in-russian, imo-here-i-quit, characters-mary-sue-marty-stu

1 out of 10

It had started as an okay book but was getting worse and worse with every page. My eyes were hurt, my brains could die if not for Shadow and Bone's healing sessions. Maybe I'll tell you what this book was about later, just to save your time and nerves. Right now just believe me, you don't want to read this epitome of delusion. ...more

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Jan 27, 2010 Andrea Cremer rated it it was amazing

Lisa Desrochers' debut is fantastic, full of shivers, surprises, and sultry romance. You'll be laughing one moment and shrieking the next - such a great read! ...more

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Aug 25, 2010 Bookaholics rated it really liked it

Personal Demons by Lisa Desrochers
Paranormal Romance - September 14th, 2010
4 ½ stars

This was a fun and exciting new series with darker tones about how one girl can change the fate of Heaven and Hell.

Frannie is a good Catholic girl. But she has a secret. She doesn’t believe in God. Ever since her brother died she knows he doesn’t exist. On a downward spiral Frannie is wondering if being a good girl is really worth it….

Dark, dangerous and sinfully delicious. Luc AKA Lucifer has come to Frannie’ Personal Demons by Lisa Desrochers
Paranormal Romance - September 14th, 2010
4 ½ stars

This was a fun and exciting new series with darker tones about how one girl can change the fate of Heaven and Hell.

Frannie is a good Catholic girl. But she has a secret. She doesn’t believe in God. Ever since her brother died she knows he doesn’t exist. On a downward spiral Frannie is wondering if being a good girl is really worth it….

Dark, dangerous and sinfully delicious. Luc AKA Lucifer has come to Frannie’s school to corrupt her. If he can get her to sin and open herself up to her darker side he can ‘tag’ her for Hell. Luc has never failed a mission and he doesn’t intend to this time. But what he doesn’t expect is Frannie’s allure. And a conscience he doesn’t realize he has. He doesn’t want her to get her hurt. But Luc knows if he fails then a demon with less scruples will be coming….

I loved this book. It alternates between Frannie’s and Luc’s point of views. Because of this I felt the main characters really come out. I found them easy to relate to and very appealing. Frannie and Luc have a lot of depth. This book really drew me in. The suspense as representatives from Heaven and Hell battle it out, as Frannie as the ‘prize’ was thrilling to read. In fact, an equally attractive angel named Gabriel comes down to compete with Luc and Frannie is caught between 2 very hunky guys! Oh, yeah! Frannie’s attraction for both of them is hot and fun to read. I especially liked Frannie no nonsense attitude and Luc sudden confusion over his ‘mark.’ I won’t reveal why but Frannie is very special and depending how she chooses she can change history. I have to note that this book appears to be part of a series because it doesn’t end conclusively. Because there are expectations for Frannie…

A thrilling read with enough romance and dark fantasy. It kept me turning the pages in record time. This is a winner and I am definitely getting the next (?!) book!

Reviewed by Steph from the Bookaholics Romance Book Club ...more

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Mar 22, 2010 Crystal rated it it was ok

Shelves: 2010, first-reads

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Ug I really hate to do this, but I have to be completely honest. I really didn't care for this book. The story itself sounded very intriguing, but the execution was not up to par.
The story is told from two perspectives Frannie, a mortal with extraordinary gifts, and Luc, a demon sent to tag her soul for Hell. Of course Luc is hot and Frannie is instantly drawn to him. Well then we meet Gabe, the angel sent from Heaven to tag her soul, and the love triangle begins. The story intrigues me with bot ...more

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Aug 19, 2010 Lisa rated it it was amazing

Shelves: mysteries, children-teen-books

I must say I have read alot of vampire and werewolf books, but angels and demons was new for me. I thought the book was very well written, with the expception of the overuse of 'cause, and this mostly bothered the English teacher in me! LOL

Personal Demons is about a high school girl, Frannie, and the struggles she faces while trying to overcoming the guilt she has from her past as well as being fought over by two very attractive males. Unbeknownst to her, the two very attractive males just happe ...more

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Mar 10, 2017 enqi ♡ rated it liked it

Love triangle? Check.
Mary Sue? Check.
Every single annoying YA trope? Check.

Personal Demons started out with lots of promise. The summary seemed promising. The cover looked promising. I've always been a fan of paranormal romance, so even the title was promising.

But boy, this book was such a letdown.

I was tugged on a rollercoaster when I read this book. I went into it with high hopes, but was slightly disappointed when it started to drag, extremely annoyed for a while because of the Love triangle? Check.
Mary Sue? Check.
Every single annoying YA trope? Check.

Personal Demons started out with lots of promise. The summary seemed promising. The cover looked promising. I've always been a fan of paranormal romance, so even the title was promising.

But boy, this book was such a letdown.

I was tugged on a rollercoaster when I read this book. I went into it with high hopes, but was slightly disappointed when it started to drag, extremely annoyed for a while because of the love triangle, and finally, glued to the last 20 or so pages when the plot picked up again. But overall, this book came off bland and recycled for me. It's like every level of cliche that the YA genre has ever had. There's nothing to distinguish it from any other paranormal romance book.

Frannie, the MC, (what kind of name is Frannie anyway? sounds like a grandmother's name tbh) was the literal definition of speshul snowflake and it wasn't long before she started to annoy me no end. She spends the whole book vacillating between Luc and Gabe, kissing one in front of the other, and claiming that she normally "lets" her best friend Taylor have the guys but this time she wants to keep both. If she's not stringing three guys along at once (there's one more ex-boyfriend who wants her back), she's whining about not having a normal life after finding out she's the most special of the special snowflakes. Ring a bell? It should. We've seen this trope played out countless times before. It gets old.

Halfway through the book I was completely put off by the love triangle. I'm not one of those diehard love-triangle-antis - I actually enjoy it once in a while. And so I didn't mind at first, but after a while, when the love triangle began to replace the plot, I got bored easily and quickly. The story began to drag because it was mostly about Frannie's angst over which boy to choose instead of advancing the plot.

Personal Demons would be perfect for a reader newly exposed to YA who enjoys the paranormal romance genre. Otherwise I generally wouldn't recommend picking up this. The book just gets increasingly boring, and there are really too many cliches that are glaringly easy to spot. Which is a shame because there was actually one point I thought I might rate it higher. But Lisa Desrochers apparently can't write her story out of the box. ...more

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Apr 09, 2010 Dark Faerie Tales rated it did not like it

Quick & Dirty: Unfortunately, Personal Demons delivers unlikable and clichéd characters, which does nothing to help the formulaic and underdeveloped plot.

Opening Sentence: If there’s a Hell on Earth, it’s high school.

The Review:

Luc Cain is on a mission. Luc is a First Level, 7,000 year old demon sent from the underworld to tag Frannie Cavanaugh’s soul. Frannie, a “good” catholic girl is going through a rebellious phase, battling her “wicked” streak. She’s ripe for the picking. As events unfold, ...more

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Jul 15, 2010 Katie(babs) added it

Shelves: dnf-award

Unfortunately I had to DNF Personal Demons. I found the writing a bit too ho-hum and the whole play on the angel and demon scenario wore thin very quickly. And when your main characters act more like immature kids better suited in grade school and not thousand plus year old supernatural creatures, along with a heroine who is considered to be a rebel on the sole basis of her thinking naughty thoughts, you can’t help but wonder what the author is trying to get across. This is a very tame, lacking Unfortunately I had to DNF Personal Demons. I found the writing a bit too ho-hum and the whole play on the angel and demon scenario wore thin very quickly. And when your main characters act more like immature kids better suited in grade school and not thousand plus year old supernatural creatures, along with a heroine who is considered to be a rebel on the sole basis of her thinking naughty thoughts, you can’t help but wonder what the author is trying to get across. This is a very tame, lacking tween love triangle that strides too hard and fails.

The basis of the plot is that Luc Cain (how about that play on words?) has been sent to Earth as a teenager to tag Frannie Cavanaugh’s soul. Frannie comes from a large family with parents who are devout Catholics. Frannie is not into her religion as her parents and some of her siblings are, and was kicked out of Catholic school for questioning the existence of God since her beloved brother, Matt was killed. She goes to Haden High aka Hades High (note the play on the words again) and is partnered up with Luc in her English class. He rubs her the wrong way since he comes across as a bit egotistical, dark (in the literal sense from his hair and his clothes), and too handsome for his own good. And yet she’s strangely attracted to him (dare I note the Twilight comparison here?)

But Frannie, who I can’t help but compare to a Mary Sue, because she’s written that way, has many boys in school who like her. The drama, the angst of who she should pick to kiss and hang out with! She has no clue that Luc has devious plans for her that he can’t fail at, or he’ll mostly likely burn for all eternity. Things become even more difficult when Gabe (think of the angel Gabriel) shows up to protect her from Luc’s tagging. These two boys… or men since they’re older than dirt, vie for Frannie’s soul while falling in love with her.

Sorry to say, but Personal Demons comes across as too tame, to dull in the sense we’ve seen this all before in the vast amount of Paranormal YA’s that are being published. The writing lacks that originality to make it stand out. The characters, or rather I should say caricatures, are too one-dimensional and have a very been there, done that in the sense of their personality and characteristics. Seriously, do all bad boy demons must wear black, drive hot classic cars and have a piercing or two? I also found Frannie too wishy washy with no sense of direction.

Personal Demons may interest more of the tween reader under the age of twelve, but most likely won’t appeal to older teens and adults. ...more

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Jul 03, 2010 Michelle, the Bookshelf Stalker rated it really liked it

I stopped reading Personal Demons twice. In the beginning, it was full of your typical teenage drama- new hot guy, jealous best friend, newer hot guy, love triangle, raging hormones, etc. Even when you add in the part that the new hot guy is a demon, the newer hot guy is an angel and the potential love triangle has epic implications; I found the story boring. Because of my boredom with the book, I put it down twice and had no desire to continue to read it.

Fast forward to a couple of days ago. I ...more

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Aug 14, 2010 Maria rated it really liked it

Shelves: young-adult, read-in-2010

WOW! So much smexy hotness in one book, I’m surprised the book didn’t burst into flame!

Frannie is the "rebel" middle sister in a Catholic family. By rebel I mean, she doesn’t go to Catholic school (actually she was asked to leave) and she definitely doesn’t believe in God. After a tragic loss when she was a child, Frannie keeps everyone at a distance and doesn’t believe in love…until Luc Cain enrolls at Haden (Hades) High that is. Luc is as tempting as they come, and Frannie, well she can’t sta WOW! So much smexy hotness in one book, I’m surprised the book didn’t burst into flame!

Frannie is the "rebel" middle sister in a Catholic family. By rebel I mean, she doesn’t go to Catholic school (actually she was asked to leave) and she definitely doesn’t believe in God. After a tragic loss when she was a child, Frannie keeps everyone at a distance and doesn’t believe in love…until Luc Cain enrolls at Haden (Hades) High that is. Luc is as tempting as they come, and Frannie, well she can’t stay away. Then there’s Gabe, a blue eyed, golden boy, who also shows up out of nowhere. Let’s just say there’s a bit more at stake than who Frannie should date.

Personal Demons has a lot going for it: a smart, strong, take no nonsense leading lady, parents that are present and involved in their children’s lives, two awesome love interests, angels, demons, snarky best friends, action, and romance. The story sucked me in from the beginning with Luc’s commentary about going back to another high school and kept me hooked right until the last sentence. The basic premise of good verses evil isn’t new, but Ms. Desrochers put such a unique spin on it that it felt like an entirely new concept.

One of the best parts of Personal Demons is the characters. Frannie is a great example of a girl that has brains and strength, both physical and emotional. But she wasn’t intimidating as a character; you know those characters that are just too perfect, that if they were real people, you might be too intimidated to talk to, totally the opposite of Frannie. She was instantly relatable and it felt like she could be a really great friend (I went to Catholic school all the way through high school, so to me Frannie felt like a long lost school mate). Luc was a tough guy to really pin down. It was clear from the start that he was more than just a demon doing a job and his character arc was the most fun to witness. Gabe, what can I say about Gabe, except that I wish there was more of him. But, seriously, it was easy to see that he was the good guy, who maybe didn’t always want to go by the rules. The secondary characters were just as fascinating as the main three and really helped to fill out the story.

I have to take a moment and talk about Frannie’s family. I love that Ms. Desrochers included a family where the parents are present and seen more than once. Even though they did not have big parts in the story, it was clear that they loved their children and cared what happened to them. Their suspicions about Luc and overwhelming pro-Gabe feelings let the reader know that they were more perceptive than Frannie would have liked them to be. And Frannie’s grandfather was possibly my favorite character in the whole book. His relationship with Frannie was wonderful and it really made her a more complete character.

Throughout the book, Frannie had a few tough decisions to make, one of which was of course the choice between Luc and Gabe. This choice really was more than just the choice of which boy to date. By choosing between the, Frannie was really choosing a side, good or evil. For most of the book she’s pretty much set on one guy (um, yeah not going to tell you who) but the other guy, she still had feelings for him too. She does make a decision at the end of the book, but it will be interesting to see what happens in the rest of the series.

Normally, I’m not crazy about books that have more than one point of view, but having both Frannie and Luc’s points of view really works in Personal Demons. You get to see certain high stakes situations from both sides, plus it’s fun to see into both Frannie and Luc’s heads. But, it also makes me wonder about Gabe and his thoughts, especially towards the end.

Overall, Personal Demons was an excellent book. I really enjoyed reading it and can't wait for the next book in the series! If you're into paranormal books or like books with lots of action with some romance, definitely read Personal Demons. Even if you're not, you should read Personal Demons anyway. ...more

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Aug 28, 2010 Krista Ashe rated it really liked it

Shelves: my-110-of-2010-books

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I was so thrilled to get this ARC when I went to ALA. Lisa D is a very friendly and charitable author in the writing community. She's also very humble and approachable, which I think is a essential trait for writers. I would recommend Personal Demons to anyone!!

I loved the character of Frannie, or Mary Francis. She is the anti-bella. Very strong, very opinated, has her own interests outside of guys. I loved the character of Luc or Lucifier. I love, love a reformed bad boy or a bad boy that the I was so thrilled to get this ARC when I went to ALA. Lisa D is a very friendly and charitable author in the writing community. She's also very humble and approachable, which I think is a essential trait for writers. I would recommend Personal Demons to anyone!!

I loved the character of Frannie, or Mary Francis. She is the anti-bella. Very strong, very opinated, has her own interests outside of guys. I loved the character of Luc or Lucifier. I love, love a reformed bad boy or a bad boy that the love of a good gal can alter! It was really refreshing watching his transformation over the course of the novel from demon sent to take Frannie's soul, to him wanting to save her and even loving her. Even though I have a YAUF with guardian angels, I never rooted for Frannie and Gabe. Sure, he was a divinely hot angel, but you could always see that Gabe had his eye on the prize aka trying to secure Frannie's soul for the higher good. But his scenes where he was tempted to let go and go with his feelings were awesome...but it was also funny to see him put Luc in his place for being a horndog.

It was interesting the way Frannie was from a staunch Catholic family but totally questioned God and her faith. We learn why as well the title of the book takes on an entirely new meaning when the story of Frannie's twin brother Matt unfolds. We learn that when they were children(5 or 6 I think), they were climbing a tree, and Matt fell to his death. Since that day, Frannie has struggled with the guilt that she caused his death b/c she pulled on his foot so she could win. It's something that her mother still has not gotten over. However, she learns that it wasn't her fault and that she has to forgive herself in order to not only move on with her life, but to do what she has been called to do. My heart literally soared at the end when Matt appears to be her guardian angel. Their reunion is AWESOME! *sobs*

I also loved that there is a real life, supportive family in this book. I loved how her mom was always making her leave the door open when Luc was over. Her sisters, "the Marys", lol, were awesome too. It was just very freshing to see a fantasy novel with a strong family. Oh, and how I loved the grandfather. I was kinda my grandfather's favorite, so the scenes where Frannie helped him with the car were awesome.

And there is some amazing heat and chemistry coming from Frannie and Luc....I think I fogged my book up reading some of it! LOL

The only thing I didn't like was the very beginning of the book. The POV shifted too much for me, and it was a little too much about heat and attraction in the beginning. I would have liked a little more introduction and set up.

Overall tho, I loved it, and I can't wait for the sequel! I'll probably buy a copy myself since I'm giving my arc away for GotYA ...more

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Jul 20, 2010 Carolina rated it it was amazing

The subject matter alone should have been enough to dissuade me from taking this book, because I do not DO scary. But man, I love me a good bad boy story. And a demon? Talk about the ultimate bad boy. Plus, I have a particular fixation with angels (the other paranormal in PERSONAL DEMONS), so, I wasn’t NOT going to read it.

Still, I didn’t dive in. I waded, keeping my guard up. But before I knew it, I was sucked in anyway. The book simply devoured me. Quite easily. The writing, for one, is specta The subject matter alone should have been enough to dissuade me from taking this book, because I do not DO scary. But man, I love me a good bad boy story. And a demon? Talk about the ultimate bad boy. Plus, I have a particular fixation with angels (the other paranormal in PERSONAL DEMONS), so, I wasn’t NOT going to read it.

Still, I didn’t dive in. I waded, keeping my guard up. But before I knew it, I was sucked in anyway. The book simply devoured me. Quite easily. The writing, for one, is spectacular. And the voice? So sharp, beautifully genuine and captivating. Though there were times I wanted to slap Frannie upside the head for being so seventeen (OMG, that makes me feel old and stodgy); and more than once, I was itching to drop kick Luc for being so…devilish. BUT, that was part of what made these characters so very real. I reacted to them as if they were real teens I knew with strengths and flaws and attitude and desires…and oh my word, was there desire. Dripping, red hot passion. I half expected steam to rise up from my pages. The romance in this is so sizzling that even at the beginning, before the characters begin to change and grow, I was rooting for them. Honestly, I found myself wanting Frannie to end up with this…demon. It’s not that I wanted her to go to Hell. But I found myself wanting her to act on that chemistry between them and, um, “sin” with Luc just short of Hell-worthy. So, this sort of freaked me out. Because I’m not supposed to LIKE demons.

PERSONAL DEMONS was a bit scary—a goosebump-raising, stealth-creepy kind of scary, but not overly so. There were a lot of elements of suspense, but the demons weren’t really any scarier than most vampires or werewolves in YA (at least not on paper—movies? All bets are off). No, my main concern was that it was messing with my head—damn it, I was falling in love with Luc myself. And he’s a demon, people. A DEMON. Not. Cool. So hubs told me: “Just stop reading if it’s freaking you out.” To which I replied, “Are you CRAZY! It’s too good. And I have to know how it ends.”

And really, how often do you get that emotionally invested in a book, enough that even when it freaks you out, you want to keep reading? It’s remarkable. Indeed, I was completely taken by every single word. It’s just so layered conceptually and thematically. It’s funny and sexy, poignant and sad, scary and profound—an ultimate story of love and redemption. I won’t tell you how it ends, of course, but I’ll tell you that it’s a brilliant finale—a good vs. evil smackdown that will have you whipping through those final pages, reading like a speed demon. ...more

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Aug 30, 2010 Bailey (IB Book Blogging) rated it it was amazing

Personal Demons was so unique and amazing. The idea behind the book was very original, with Heaven and Hell fighting for Frannie's special soul. Nothing in the story was predictable and I found myself gasping at new revelations and surprises!

Frannie was such a joy! I loved how she was the rebel in her goody-goody Catholic family. I found it extremely amusing that her and her sisters had the same first name, Mary. What kind of crazy parents would do this to their poor daughters?! Talk about confu Personal Demons was so unique and amazing. The idea behind the book was very original, with Heaven and Hell fighting for Frannie's special soul. Nothing in the story was predictable and I found myself gasping at new revelations and surprises!

Frannie was such a joy! I loved how she was the rebel in her goody-goody Catholic family. I found it extremely amusing that her and her sisters had the same first name, Mary. What kind of crazy parents would do this to their poor daughters?! Talk about confusing! Frannie also happens to be a 5'2 judo black belt who can throw not-so-small guys to the ground! Talk about amazing!! She has such a fresh voice and is a very relatable teen. Well, besides the fact that she has Heaven and Hell fighting for her soul! I really enjoyed her interactions with Luc. One minute she's hot for him, the next minute she can't wait to have him out of her sight! Their relationship was very hot and cold, though mostly hot with Luc involved!

Luc was so steamy (literally)! He was sarcastic, full of himself, and such a bad boy! Personal Demons would not have been the same had Lisa Desrochers chosen not to have part of the book in his point of view. I could really understand his motives better and I felt sad at times for his situation. I loved reading about Luc, the very, very bad demon who slowly falls in love with Frannie. He was very hot headed but could also be such a sweetie. There was so much character development with Luc, until the very last page of the book. I can't wait to see what is in store for him in the sequel to Personal Demons.

I really don't know what to feel about Gabe. He really never stood a chance with Frannie, at least to me, compared to Luc. Maybe I would have felt more of a connection to Gabe, had his point of view been told from in Personal Demons, but he just didn't make me feel all warm and fuzzy like Luc. Though his moments with Frannie were sweet, I didn't feel much chemistry between Gabe and Frannie, atleast compared the the sparks that were flying off the page whenever Luc and Frannie were together!

The ending to the book left me wanting so much more! I need to know what else is in store for Frannie, and what will happen involving the twist at the end of Personal Demons! I loved Personal Demons and would recommend it to anyone looking for an amazing YA paranormal read.
...more

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Sep 16, 2011 Midu Hadi rated it it was ok

Recommends it for: UF/PNR fans

Shelves: romance, demons-succubi-and-hell, fantasy, 212books, angels, first-in-the-series, read-in-february, read-in-2012, after-2011

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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May 03, 2010 Lena ♫ ♪ rated it it was amazing

Shelves: arcs

For those who have ever asked the question "What do demons think about?", Personal Demons will answer it for you. It's sexy, fun, and creepy in all the right ways. There are 5 things I look for/need in a 5 star book:

-romance (check!)
-swoon worth guy (check!)
-drama (check/check!)
-keeps my interest/keeps me reading (check!)
-has me craving for more (check/check/check!)

I want the sequel, and this book hasn't even hit shelves yet!

*full review to come* ...more

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Aug 30, 2010 J.A. Saare rated it it was amazing

I loved this book -- absolutely LOVED it. At first I was dissapointed that we never hear from Gabe (the narrative is 1st person through Luc and Frannie) but that is explained as the story progresses.

I can't wait for future installments in this series. Luc, hands down, stole my heart. He's hot, sexy, and dangerous as sin. ...more

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Sep 01, 2010 Crystal rated it it was amazing

Why I read this: The cover, the blurb, availability through a tour site - made it a winner to me.

How is the novel driven: Character mainly - Frannie, Luc and Gabe are the stars of this book. Yes there are dark forces at work and mayhem to be found, but the true story is in the characters and whether it really is good versus evil and whether evil can change.

My thoughts: Okay I try to stay objective in my reviews and not sound like a raving fan girl or someone younger than myself, but I have to sa ...more

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About Lisa Desrochers

Lisa Desrochers

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Lisa Desrochers is the USA Today bestselling author of the A LITTLE TOO FAR series, courtesy of HarperCollins. Also in stores is her YA PERSONAL DEMONS trilogy (Macmillan). Look for her upcoming adult contemporary featuring hot Mafiosi, begining with OUTSIDE THE LINES , coming from Penguin in October 2015.

She lives in central California with her husband and two very busy daughters. Ther ...more

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This has to be his fault, somehow. I'm going to track him down, pluck out his angel feathers, and stuff a pillow with them.” — 118 likes

“I walk up right behind Frannie, where she’s sitting near the door, in time to hear her say, “You know what, Tay? Go to Hell,” and I smile, because I think it’s cute that she’s inviting her friends along.” — 76 likes

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