Coincidences are weird, but sometimes you just have to roll with them. That is how this blog post idea came about. It was not my intention, but it seemed many of the books I had been reading contained the theme of the main character being a psychiatrist. Buckle in and prepare to question reality in the following mind bending recommendations! The Doctor will see you now. . . .
The Boy Who Could See Demons by Carolyn Jess Cooke
This is one of C.J. Cooke’s early novels (she used to write as Carolyn Jess Cooke). For being an early novel, I immensely enjoyed it. Alex (our boy who sees demons) was an absolute delight and a well written, slightly awkward young boy. I loved his character so much. But the question is: can Alex really see demons or is he suffering from a mental health disorder? This is what Anya, our main character psychiatrist, has been tasked with finding out. Alex has come under her care after his mother attempted suicide.
Alex claims that his best friend is a demon named Ruen. Ruen is thousands of years old, knows a lot of history, and is the rank of Harrower. Ruen is not what you would expect of a demon (for which I was pleasantly surprised). Yes, he can appear terrifying, but instead of being a creature out of The Conjuring or Insidious, he is witty and interesting. He has a depth of character that pulls you in. He claims that he is studying Alex as Alex is the only human who can see the demons. According to Ruen, everyone has a demon assigned to them. Alex can see them all.
What is Anya to make of all this? She is dealing with her own trauma. She could not save her daughter that was suffering from a mental illness even with her psychiatric background. Her daughter jumped out of a window at twelve years old. Anya believes that Alex shows the same symptoms that her daughter did. She is desperate to make sure this tragedy never happens again. The stakes mount as Alex’s behavior gets worse and worse. He claims he is just doing what Ruen tells him to do. The more time she spends with Alex, the more troubled Anya becomes. Alex knows things-things he could not possibly know. Is Alex suffering from a mental health disorder or is Ruen a real and frightening danger?
At times this books felt like a love letter to The Skrewtape Letters by C.S. Lewis. He and that novel are referenced quite a bit. This was something I delighted in. If you have not read The Skrewtape Letters, I will also include a link below to access from our catalogue. I was pulled into The Boy Who Could See Demons and spent many a late night reading this one.
Click HERE to request The Boy Who Could See Demons!
Click HERE to request The Screwtape Letters!
Continue reading “The Doctor Will See You Now”
Mead Public Library Blog 