Review: The Merciless - Danielle Vega

Where I got it: Library
Rating: 4 stars  
Cover Rating: 5 stars (Love it!)
Genre: Young Adult
Publication Date: June 12, 2014
Publisher: Razorbill
Page Count: 279 p.
Add it: Goodreads

Sofia just moved to a new school in order to outrun her past. She meets the popular girls and they take her under their wings. She sees another girl, Brooklyn, making out with one of her new friend's boyfriend and tells them about it. Next thing Sofia knows is she's getting dragged out of her house in the middle of the night and taken to an abandoned housing development by her new friends.  When they get inside one of the houses Sofia sees Brooklyn tied up. She wants nothing to do with this, but since she's there she's already a part of it. Riley informs Sofia that they are going to perform an exorcism on Brooklyn, because clearly she has been possessed by a demon. Then all semblance of control that Sofia thought she had is lost. Will any of them leave this house alive?

Oh my goodness! What an intense read. This is seriously a one sitting kind of book. The beginning starts of a little meh, but as soon as they take Brooklyn things start racing. I could not put this book down and have already made three other people read it and they all devoured it too. So much awesome.

The only thing I didn't like about this book, was something that barely even mattered in this plot-driven thrill ride. The thing is—I didn't care about any of the characters. I wasn't really invested in who was going insane and all that. The characters were simply part of the plot and I sped through it.

I would love to have some companion novels to this that gave more background of the characters. I also feel like there could be a sequel set like five or ten years in the future. I would love that.

If you are looking for a book that you will not be able to put down, I highly recommend this. It is very violent, but it just adds to the story. Seriously, check this one out as soon as you can.

First Line:
"I snag my thumb on the lunch tray's metal edge, and a crescent of blood appears beneath my cuticle."

Favorite Line:
"Her breath smells like blood and smoke."