Devils Like Us

A trio of teens set out to rescue a peer and uncover a secret society in Thompson’s creatively imagined queer historical fantasy debut.

At age 10, Cas and Remy become estranged after clairvoyant Cas portends Remy’s father’s violent future death. In the following eight years, Cas continues to have visions of various deaths. Remy, meanwhile, with help from orphaned Irish immigrant Finn, assiduously researches the Order of Lazarus, a group her father was investigating when he went missing around Cas and Remy’s falling out. After Cas somehow shares in experiencing one of her visions with suitor Henry, his emotional response (he “just snapped”) prompts his parents to send him to a boys’ seminary in Maine, “hoping to drive the demons out of him.” Upon learning that the institution is connected with the Order, Cas persuades Remy and Finn to rescue him, and they stow away, disguised as boys, on a ship from Massachusetts to Maine, all the while uncovering revelations both personal and supernatural.

In this taut, complex fantasy, Thompson skillfully plumbs the white-cued protagonists’ doubts, motivations, and desires, as experienced against a vivid society and setting, to examine themes of found family and identity. Ages 14–up.

Devils Like Us by L.T. Thompson (The House That Whispers) is a sharply written, early-19th-century YA fantasy that follows three queer and trans teens as they uncover a magical secret society.

When Cas and best friend Remy were 10 years old, Remy's father went missing. Cas had a vision of Remy's father's death and told Remy, who ended their friendship. Cas's clairvoyant visions have been a secret ever since. Remy, meanwhile, has spent the past eight years investigating her father's disappearance with the help of her friend Finn; she believes the Order of Lazarus, a secret society focused on the supernatural and based at Eden, a seminary school in Maine, is responsible. The three teens are brought together when a friend of Cas's accidentally witnesses one of Cas's visions and is shipped off to Eden. Cas, Remy, and Finn launch a rescue mission that exposes mystical secrets and leads to personal revelations.

Magic and mysticism deftly share space with examinations of self in this gripping, profoundly insightful novel. The narration is divided among Cas, Remy, and Finn, all who struggle with identity issues. Trans Cas battles gender dysphoria while queer; Catholic Finn hides her "badness" from the world; and Remy, so wrapped up in her family's issues, hasn't felt "wild and invincible and free" in years. Thompson effortlessly twists their personal journeys into an adventurous plot without ever slowing the pace. Their self-explorations pair well with the occult mysteries, making for a dynamic, heartwarming first entry in Thompson's coming-of-age fantasy series.

—Lana Barnes, freelance reviewer and proofreader

Discover: A trio of queer and trans teens discover a magical secret society and their true selves in this sharply written, action-packed YA historical fantasy.

Three young adults in Massachusetts discover there’s more to their world—and themselves—than they could have dreamed. 

Despite feeling dissatisfied, Cas Sterling tries to exist within the roles her mother and society have set out for her, behaving like a proper lady who doesn’t expect to marry for love. She’s also plagued by frequent prophetic visions of people’s deaths. When she was 10, she foresaw the gruesome death of her best friend Remy DeWindt’s dad. But people’s reactions have taught Cas to keep the visions private; a disbelieving Remy cut off their friendship after Cas revealed what she’d witnessed. Remy’s father has disappeared, however, and she has been trying to learn more about the Order of Lazarus, the mysterious society he’d been researching. She’s assisted by her Irish immigrant friend, Fionnuala Robinson, who has a secret crush on her. But when Cas has a terrifying vision of Finn’s death, the three are propelled on a journey of supernatural discovery. Thompson’s narrative is well-paced: The unfolding plot meshes immaculately with the three main characters’ growing awareness of self. The 19th-century historical setting adds a romantic air, highlighting the restrictive social status quo that contrasts nicely with the freer atmosphere on the ship on which the white leads travel to Maine; its crew includes people of diverse ethnicities, gender identities, and sexualities. Cas’ experience with gender expression is his trans coming-out story, while Remy questions her sexuality

Well-written and exciting. (Historical fantasy. 14-18)