"Demonology for Overachievers" by Lily Anderson wears many hats. It is a YA paranormal dark academia novel with Poe and Mary Shelley's vibes. It takes the classic deal-with-the-devil motif (think Faust) to another level.
Told in the first person, the story follows Merritt Maldonado, a seventeen-year-old introverted girl who, in her own words, is "a fat goth Afro-Latina orphan." Raised by her grandmother after losing her parents, Merritt is a loner with social anxiety and only one good friend, Fancy. Determined to win the Lexington Scholarship and secure a place at a good college, she creates bogus clubs to pad her résumé.
Her fiercest competition comes from her academic nemesis, Linus Lexington, who is charismatic and outgoing. Afraid of failure, she strikes a bargain with a demon in the hope of securing the scholarship. Little does she know that Linus has the same idea. The plot thickens when other scholarship applicants start dropping dead in bizarre accidents, forcing the two rivals to work together to break their pacts before more people die.
I enjoyed the book immensely and found it a quick read. It is well written, with an engaging storyline and well-rounded characters. I loved the concept, the way the demon's name is marked with dashes, and the representation. I loved both protagonists. They're both overachievers, but I especially appreciated that Merritt isn't the typical heroine. At the same time, I felt that she made some very stupid choices for someone so smart. Every time she made a dumb decision, I wanted to shake her.
The story was largely believable, well, as believable as a paranormal novel can be, but one scene felt particularly ridiculous. In the middle of trying not to get caught in a dorm room, the protagonists somehow found time to kiss instead of running away. The scene that followed that was brillant, though.
The horror leans more toward an eerie atmosphere than outright terror, although there are a couple of graphic deaths that made me wince. The author also gives enough detail to make the side characters memorable. I liked Fancy's personality, a transgender girl who is accepted by everyone, and disliked one of the other side characters. I also found the nickname Merritt is given rather cruel. But then, kids can be cruel.
The book explores themes of found family, learning from mistakes, choices and their consequences, not judging people by appearance or lineage, and how far one will go to succeed. Merritt learns that there is no such thing as a free lunch and that everything comes at a price. If I were to sum up the message in one sentence, it would be: be careful what you wish for.
Overall, I loved the book. I came for the demons and stayed for the plot. If you love dark academia, rivals to lovers, a strong heroine, and light horror vibes, this is the book for you. The romance is a subplot and never overshadows the mystery. There is no spice, making it appropriate for YA readers. I definitely recommend it. Full stars from me!
* Thank you NetGalley and (publisher) for the opportunity to read this arc. All opinions are my own.
* For more info about the book: "Demonology for Overachievers" by Lily Anderson
