The Wish and the Demon By Rebecca Crunden

Blurb:

Liam lives by only one rule: Protect his siblings at all costs.

Following the mysterious and gruesome murder of his guardian when he was ten years old, Liam is separated from his brother Ben and placed with new guardians. But while he loves his new sisters, his new parents prove no better than his last.

Eight years pass and the secrets of what happened the night of the murder are Liam’s alone, but they influence every decision he makes. And when Oscar Kaplan, the richest boy in town, finds Liam beaten and covered in blood on the side of the road, his secrets and lies slowly begin to unravel.

Years of school didn’t make them friends, but Oscar was there the night Liam’s guardian was murdered and his newfound determination to be Liam’s friend despite the questions surrounding his past risks exposing the very secret Liam swore never to reveal. Nor are abusive parents, perpetual poverty and high school bullies the only obstacles in Liam’s complicated young life. For when a demon from his past arrives with words of warning, everything Liam thought he knew is thrown into question.

And his life is not the only one in the crossfire.

Review:

This book was an unexpected delight. I picked it up on a whim after seeing some of the author’s posts on twitter. My last couple of books have left me with a bit of an obsession for all things demonic, but though this book does feature demons, it ended up being nothing like the action-packed, fast-paced adventures I usually immerse myself in.

Even though the blurb painted a very different picture in my mind, I thoroughly enjoyed the story. 

At its core, this is a book about trauma and healing. Liam, our protagonist, has suffered through a horrific childhood nobody deserves, and despite of all the scars he has accumulated, and continues to accumulate, he has grown up to be a remarkably kind-hearted adult. Unfortunately, the terrors from his past still follow him around and threaten to shatter everything he cares about. However, he has some rather rather powerful allies around him now, and his complicated evolving relationship with them forms a great premise for a story such as this.

‘Kindness is something that you don’t realise is missing until it’s offered for the first time.’

The period of Liam’s life that we live through over much of the book is almost fairytale-esque. He has a rich boyfriend swooning over him and an all-powerful demon guardian keeping him safe from every threat. But the tragedies of his past manage to nudge into his life every once in a while, and against all odds the darker reality forces itself—often at some of the most inconvenient times—into what would otherwise be a dream life. 

‘The odd thing about trauma and anxiety was that it often didn’t have to make sense or obey any rule book.’

The author paints the environment of unknown dangers lurking on the outskirts of Liam’s life subtly and skillfully, and at multiple times her writing style reminded me of Stephen King’s books. 

‘The mere sight of Saint Odilia’s sent a wave of fear through his body to his soul in a way few places could. But trepidation was for those who had time, which he lacked.’

Having said that, this is not a horror novel. Though gruesome things happen, the depictions are seldom gory—and there is more than enough hope, joy, and kindness to offset the tragic elements. If someone would have said I came out of a book about demons feeling all warm and fuzzy, I’d have laughed in their face—nevertheless, here we are. But then, this is not a book about demons. In some ways, the demons in the story exhibit more humanity than humans themselves.

‘Need I remind you all [...] that I brought him here as a favour? Touch him and we will have a truly spectacular problem on our hands. That I can promise.’

The author captures the roller coaster of emotions in Liam’s life masterfully. Pretty much all primary characters—Liam, his siblings, Oscar and Sidak are incredibly vivid and likable. The book also offered some insights into the western foster care system, which I found interesting.

I’d love to know more about the strenuous relationship between vampires and demons, but I am not sure if we will ever get a thorough treatment of those intricacies given that the author's primary focus is on character development and romance. I’d also have enjoyed another PoV from a member of the Silent Hands, but that is also likely out of scope in this series. But hey—we never know!

‘guilt doesn’t buy you the privilege of knowing about our world.’

But all in all, what this book does deliver—it delivers fantastically. The larger-than-life experience that Rebecca has conjured pretty much took over my life for a few days, and I feel like I have gained a new best friend. 

‘She was petite, perfect, peppy. He felt like a walking blight in contrast.’

The last few parts hint towards a wider scope and larger potential—we get a glimpse of the great powers that are wary of meddling in human affairs, and Sidak’s mysterious forgotten past was an interesting tangent. I am eager to discover how this series evolves further.

‘He fell asleep with a smile on his face.’