Reviews
Praise for Devil in Ohio : " Devil in Ohio kept me up until 3 a.m. with the lights on-in a good way. It's a haunting thriller for readers who like fear, humor, and heart in one package." --Meredith Goldstein, advice columnist and feature reporter for The Boston Globe , author of upcoming YA novel Chemistry Lessons . "Gripping, urgent and addictive, Devil in Ohio balances the dark exploration of cults with a compelling and often humorous take on teen social dynamics. This is the debut you won't want to miss." --Aditi Khorana, author of critically acclaimed The Library of Fates and Mirror in the Sky "Polatin weaves a thrilling and suspenseful story in her debut, inspired by true events. Jules Mathis' life is thrown into turmoil after her psychiatrist mother invites Mae--a patient, cult survivor, and troubled young girl with a pentagram carved into her back--to stay with their family. . . . Eager readers will keep turning pages to discover Mae's secrets and her connection to the Mathis family." --Booklist Reviews "Between the danger Jules's mother brings to the family and the cringe-worthy cult rituals described, this story is sometimes difficult to read--but sometimes the most important stories are the most challenging." -- VOYA "'Devil in Ohio' will grip you with its frightening twists and turns, but it is its tenderness that will stay with you. Daria Polatin brings humor and heart to a story that shines some much-needed light on the darkness of our world." --Abdi Nazemian, author of People Magazine's Teen Pick The Authentics and The Walk-In Closet . "Deeply thoughtful, funny and human. 'Devil in Ohio' is a perfect blend of thriller, humor, character-driven drama, and good old fashioned storytelling." --Bekah Brunstetter, playwright, writer-producer of Emmy Award-winning This is Us on NBC and screenwriter of the upcoming film adaptation of bestseller The Secret. "It's fitting that the main character in Devil in Ohio is a Hitchcock fan. This twisty psychological thriller has the jumps, shocks and brilliant ah-ha moments that make it feel like Hitch gone YA, complete with characters as lovable as all of his best." --Jessie Rosen, author of YA thriller Dead Ringer and TIME Magazine's top 25 blog, 20-Nothings . "The seclusion of the cult makes its practices all the more horrible as they operate outside the normal structures of legal accountability; the police's frustrating refusal to engage and the mild narrative scolding of middle-class privilege play to readers who want to explore questions of heroic good versus supernatural evil in realistic fiction. A titillating ending suggests, however, that Mae's immersion in cults may not be over." -- The Bulletin, Praise for Devil in Ohio : " Devil in Ohio kept me up until 3 a.m. with the lights on-in a good way. It's a haunting thriller for readers who like fear, humor, and heart in one package." --Meredith Goldstein, advice columnist and feature reporter for The Boston Globe , author of upcoming YA novel Chemistry Lessons . "Gripping, urgent and addictive, Devil in Ohio balances the dark exploration of cults with a compelling and often humorous take on teen social dynamics. This is the debut you won't want to miss." --Aditi Khorana, author of critically acclaimed The Library of Fates and Mirror in the Sky "Polatin weaves a thrilling and suspenseful story in her debut, inspired by true events. Jules Mathis' life is thrown into turmoil after her psychiatrist mother invites Mae--a patient, cult survivor, and troubled young girl with a pentagram carved into her back--to stay with their family. . . . Eager readers will keep turning pages to discover Mae's secrets and her connection to the Mathis family." --Booklist Reviews "Between the danger Jules's mother brings to the family and the cringe-worthy cult rituals described, this story is sometimes difficult to read--but sometimes the most important stories are the most challenging." -- VOYA "'Devil in Ohio' will grip you with its frightening twists and turns, but it is its tenderness that will stay with you. Daria Polatin brings humor and heart to a story that shines some much-needed light on the darkness of our world." --Abdi Nazemian, author of People Magazine's Teen Pick The Authentics and The Walk-In Closet . "Deeply thoughtful, funny and human. 'Devil in Ohio' is a perfect blend of thriller, humor, character-driven drama, and good old fashioned storytelling." --Bekah Brunstetter, playwright, writer-producer of Emmy Award-winning This is Us on NBC and screenwriter of the upcoming film adaptation of bestseller The Secret. "It's fitting that the main character in Devil in Ohio is a Hitchcock fan. This twisty psychological thriller has the jumps, shocks and brilliant ah-ha moments that make it feel like Hitch gone YA, complete with characters as lovable as all of his best." --Jessie Rosen, author of YA thriller Dead Ringer and TIME Magazine's top 25 blog, 20-Nothings . "The seclusion of the cult makes its practices all the more horrible as they operate outside the normal structures of legal accountability; the police's frustrating refusal to engage and the mild narrative scolding of middle-class privilege play to readers who want to explore questions of heroic good versus supernatural evil in realistic fiction. A titillating ending suggests, however, that Mae's immersion in cults may not be over." --Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, Praise for Devil in Ohio : " Devil in Ohio kept me up until 3 a.m. with the lights on-in a good way. It's a haunting thriller for readers who like fear, humor, and heart in one package." --Meredith Goldstein, advice columnist and feature reporter for The Boston Globe , author of upcoming YA novel Chemistry Lessons . "Gripping, urgent and addictive, Devil in Ohio balances the dark exploration of cults with a compelling and often humorous take on teen social dynamics. This is the debut you won't want to miss." --Aditi Khorana, author of critically acclaimed The Library of Fates and Mirror in the Sky "Polatin weaves a thrilling and suspenseful story in her debut, inspired by true events. Jules Mathis' life is thrown into turmoil after her psychiatrist mother invites Mae--a patient, cult survivor, and troubled young girl with a pentagram carved into her back--to stay with their family. . . . Eager readers will keep turning pages to discover Mae's secrets and her connection to the Mathis family." -- Booklist "Between the danger Jules's mother brings to the family and the cringe-worthy cult rituals described, this story is sometimes difficult to read--but sometimes the most important stories are the most challenging." -- VOYA "'Devil in Ohio' will grip you with its frightening twists and turns, but it is its tenderness that will stay with you. Daria Polatin brings humor and heart to a story that shines some much-needed light on the darkness of our world." --Abdi Nazemian, author of People Magazine's Teen Pick The Authentics and The Walk-In Closet . "Deeply thoughtful, funny and human. 'Devil in Ohio' is a perfect blend of thriller, humor, character-driven drama, and good old fashioned storytelling." --Bekah Brunstetter, playwright, writer-producer of Emmy Award-winning This is Us on NBC and screenwriter of the upcoming film adaptation of bestseller The Secret. "It's fitting that the main character in Devil in Ohio is a Hitchcock fan. This twisty psychological thriller has the jumps, shocks and brilliant ah-ha moments that make it feel like Hitch gone YA, complete with characters as lovable as all of his best." --Jessie Rosen, author of YA thriller Dead Ringer and TIME Magazine's top 25 blog, 20-Nothings . "The seclusion of the cult makes its practices all the more horrible as they operate outside the normal structures of legal accountability; the police's frustrating refusal to engage and the mild narrative scolding of middle-class privilege play to readers who want to explore questions of heroic good versus supernatural evil in realistic fiction. A titillating ending suggests, however, that Mae's immersion in cults may not be over." -- The Bulletin