When Devils Sing
A Creepy YA Horror, perfect for fans of Stephen King
Published on 5. June 2025
400 pages
978-1-0350-4518-1 (ISBN)
Description
When Devils Sing is a rural, atmospheric YA horror, perfect for fans of Stephen King.
In the shadows of a small Georgia town, four unlikely allies must unravel the sinister secrets behind a local teen's disappearance during the eerie Cicada Festival.
When Dawson Sumter goes missing, all he leaves behind is a smattering of blood in room 4 of the debt-ridden motel owned by Neera Singh's family.
Disappearances like this aren't uncommon in the rural Georgia town of Carrion. Especially during the Cicada Festival, which takes place every thirteen years when a cicada brood returns from underground, shrieking their deafening screams.
Desperate to find out if Dawson is still alive, Neera joins forces with three other local teens: Isaiah, clandestine true crime podcaster; Reid, son of the wealthiest man in the region; and Sam, estranged daughter of the local hitman.
As they find themselves entangled in a messy web of secrets and lies, they discover just how deep the rot in Carrion goes . . .
'Xan Kaur masterfully weaves small-town mystery with an unrelenting sense of dread' - Nick Brooks, author of Promise Boys
In the shadows of a small Georgia town, four unlikely allies must unravel the sinister secrets behind a local teen's disappearance during the eerie Cicada Festival.
When Dawson Sumter goes missing, all he leaves behind is a smattering of blood in room 4 of the debt-ridden motel owned by Neera Singh's family.
Disappearances like this aren't uncommon in the rural Georgia town of Carrion. Especially during the Cicada Festival, which takes place every thirteen years when a cicada brood returns from underground, shrieking their deafening screams.
Desperate to find out if Dawson is still alive, Neera joins forces with three other local teens: Isaiah, clandestine true crime podcaster; Reid, son of the wealthiest man in the region; and Sam, estranged daughter of the local hitman.
As they find themselves entangled in a messy web of secrets and lies, they discover just how deep the rot in Carrion goes . . .
'Xan Kaur masterfully weaves small-town mystery with an unrelenting sense of dread' - Nick Brooks, author of Promise Boys
Reviews / Votes
Xan Kaur masterfully weaves small-town mystery with an unrelenting sense of dread, all while delivering a story that's as thought-provoking as it is chilling. Dripping with heart and voice from the very first page. -- Nick Brooks, Odyssey Award-winning author of Promise Boys Kaur has written a true blood-soaked Southern Gothic for the modern age. -- Andrew Joseph White, New York Times-bestselling author of <i>Hell Followed With Us</i> and <i>The Spirit Bears its Teeth</i>More details
Language
English
Place of publication
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Pan Macmillan
Target group
Young adult
Interest Age: From 14 years
File size
1,60 MB
ISBN-13
978-1-0350-4518-1 (9781035045181)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
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Person
Xan Kaur is a photographer and author of When Devils Sing based out of Atlanta. Born in the "Land of Waterfalls" and raised in rural Georgia, she's moved more times than the years she's been alive. After a childhood spread across dozens of small towns, Xan developed a keen eye for observation of the human experience from a young age.
Having grown up in a non-traditional British-Punjabi household, she became familiar with Pink Floyd before bhangra, grits before aloo gobi. She aims for her writing to reflect these unique, often-overlooked diasporic experiences, with an emphasis on one's relationship to the physical world around them.
With a passion for environmentalism, a decade of veganism, and a fierce reverence for nature, Xan finds herself drawn to experiences that connect her with the earth. When not writing, you can find her behind her camera, hiking up a mountain, or swimming in the nearest ocean.
Having grown up in a non-traditional British-Punjabi household, she became familiar with Pink Floyd before bhangra, grits before aloo gobi. She aims for her writing to reflect these unique, often-overlooked diasporic experiences, with an emphasis on one's relationship to the physical world around them.
With a passion for environmentalism, a decade of veganism, and a fierce reverence for nature, Xan finds herself drawn to experiences that connect her with the earth. When not writing, you can find her behind her camera, hiking up a mountain, or swimming in the nearest ocean.
