The premise is incredibly interesting, and as a reader, you're thrown straight into the action, which was great at first. The pace is quick—maybe a little too quick—because at times it’s hard to keep up. One thing that really stuck out for me was the characters, and not in a good way. They felt a bit flat. Our main character, Andy, isn't particularly likable (which I don't mind), but what didn’t sit right was how she instantly forms these deep connections and favorable impressions with the other students. It just didn’t feel believable given her attitude and behavior.

The whole secret societies, ancient magic, and demons thing? Super cool. But the over-the-top prose threw me off a bit, and I got lost in all the dramatic writing. I also wanted more character development—Andy had a good foundation, but she and the other characters never fully came to life for me.

Overall, All the Devils had some dark, atmospheric moments and definitely had me intrigued, but it didn't quite stick the landing. A solid concept, but it could've been even better with a bit more character depth and less rush to get through the action.

A big thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for providing me with an eARC in exchange for my honest review!

“All the Devils” is a “rollercoaster” dark academia YA thriller book by Catelyn Wilson.

Rating: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
Plot: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
Characters: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
Suspense: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
Romance/spice: ⭐️

What you’ll find in this book:
⭐️ Siblings relationships
⭐️ Dark Academia
⭐️ Secret Society
⭐️ Mythological creatures
⭐️ Jaw-dropping twists & suspense

My Review:

This book was a real rollercoaster of emotions and plot twists. To be honest it wasn’t what I was expecting but it surprised me positively! A Dark Academia story with hints of magic and ancient secret societies is a must-read for all lovers of devilish and mystery stories. Carolyn managed to give me the chills while reading and I couldn’t guess the ending in a million years! The novel deftly intertwines elements of suspense, psychological depth, and character-driven storytelling, making it a captivating read from start to finish.

The writing structure and language were also very fluid which made the book super easy to read. The characters are multi-dimensional, each grappling with their own demons, which adds layers of intrigue and empathy to the narrative. The protagonist’s journey is particularly compelling, as they navigate personal struggles while confronting external threats that force them to make impossible choices.

Themes of betrayal, redemption, and the quest for identity resonate throughout the story, prompting readers to reflect on their own values and decisions.

Overall, "All the Devils" is a hauntingly beautiful tale that challenges perceptions of morality and the human condition. Catelyn Wilson has crafted a memorable narrative that lingers long after the final page is turned, making it a must-read for fans of psychological thrillers and character-driven fiction.


Description:

Mourning the sudden death of her sister, Andy Emmerson knows she must come to terms with a life without Violet. But on the day of the funeral, Andy is shocked to discover one thing: the person in that casket is not her sister.

Violet is alive.

Convinced her sister's elite boarding school is covering up the truth, Andy enrolls at Ravenswood Academy to discover what really happened and find Violet.

The school is as beautiful and haunting as the students within it and Andy learns that it's not just good grades that drive these pupils. Something much darker is at play.

After discovering a cryptic note from her sister, Andy must follow a set of clues to unlock the truth. This will bring her into contact with secret societies, ancient magic, demons, and monsters. And a charming senior named Jae Han who has his own reasons for finding out what happened to Violet . . .

Soon Andy realises the price she must pay to bring her sister home is darker and more dangerous than she ever could have imagined.

Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for my early copy. All opinions are mine and sincere.

#AllTheDevils #NetGalley #Penguinukbooks

I really enjoyed the dark academia aspect of this book and there was a mystery to keep me going and to keep me intrigued. I struggled to connect to Andy our FMC and thought her character lacked development which left me unsatisfied and I think this did affect my reading experience. I loved the gothic vibes with the elite society and the death of her sister but unfortunately this lacked a little oomph

This is an addictive tale about a young girl who loses her sister under suspicious circumstances. She finds as she goes to say goodbye to her sister, that the body in the coffin is not her!.
Violet , Andy’s sister, attended a private boarding school, and it was close to there that her body washed up on the shore. There are a lot of secrets that must be shared for her to make sense of what had happened. Andy’s tough enough to get answers!!.
This was so gripping that I had to keep going to find out what had happened in the story! The underworld makes a big appearance so expect to be creeped out!!!!
Many thanks to MJBooks for the opportunity to read this arc copy via Netgalley. My opinion is my own.
#Netgalley, #MichaelJBooks, #Catelyn_Writes.

Loved the premise of this, although the pacing is a little slow in places. Andy’s attitude, given that she is trying to unravel a puzzling mystery, was a little confusing, but her anger and frustration is very understandable. There is permanent jeopardy, from the moment Andy starts at the academy and the nerve jangling never ends.

This is very atmospheric, with a well-rendered school and surroundings. I would have liked more detail in the day-to-day dealings of the school but this would have slowed down the storyline and there were already parts at the beginning where things tended to drag. Jae is a wonderful and mysterious character and Vee is also intriguing. This is YA but there are moments of horror.

Thank you to Netgalley for sending me this arc! For the first 10/15% of the book, I was slightly bored but when it picked up it got really good. I like how they became 'detectives' to find out what happened to the girls and how they researched the school they attended. I loved the setting, plot and character development and I did not expect the slight plot twist near the end of the book but I loved that twist. The ending had me shocked but I'm glad the FMC found her happiness. I definitely recommend this book to any fantasy and mystery readers!!

**Tropes:**
- Secret Society
- Reluctant Allies to Lovers

I really enjoyed this book being one of my favourite genres ( dark academia). The world building in it was on point. Although the story was a little predictable but that could just be that I read a lot of Dark Academia books! All in all a great book. Thank you for my advanced copy on kindle.

I have…mixed opinions on this one. On a surface level, it was fun. There was a mystery to keep the pages turning. I initially vibed with the dark academia aspect until we strayed away from it somewhat. But I think ultimately this felt a little too ‘one-track’ for me, the same barely changing motivation leading to a somewhat underwhelming outcome. That, along with the picking and choosing of mythologies that I don’t know how to feel about, makes for an uncertain blend. It has potential, and if you’re wanting a YA version of the likes of Ninth House this might be your thing, as a more fantasy-leaning dark academia with paranormal secrets abound.

i want to start this off by saying that i loved the premise of this book. the world building was amazing, and i did love the dark academia aspect to it. that being said, some parts of the were predictable to the point where i was confused on how the characters didn’t realise it when i, as the reader, did.

andy, the FMC, was infuriating at the beginning. at a time when discretion was necessary, she had none. and then didn’t understand why jae didn’t trust her with what he knew. i will say that she does grow out of this fairly quickly though.

jae, the MMC, was a mystery and i could not even predict where the author would take his character. whilst it was obvious he was holding back information, his revelations still came as a shock.

violet’s motivations were understandable to me and because of those motivations, it was easy to guess what her plan was. but given how the book ended, i am curious to see what would happen next.

i won’t lie i do wish we could have seen some mundane things, like some classes that andy took or her developing a friendship with munia but otherwise i did really enjoy the book.

I really enjoyed Catelyn’s writing! Some parts of this dragged a little, but overall, I really enjoyed this story and these characters. I think its more *me* than the book that dragged.

This book gave Wednesday vibes. Creepy school, magical secrets and people not being who they say they are? Check, check and check.

I devoured this. Dark academia is not usually my vibe, but I really enjoyed the author's take on this. Without giving too many spoilers, I particularly enjoyed her take on the afterlife. The characters were multi-fasciated and (more importantly) flawed. The author did an amazing job creating a spooky atmosphere that sucks you right in.

I really enjoyed this and would read again!

I liked the dark academia setting. I liked the secret societies. All of these with a hint of horror, I had fun. I think the characters could have been a bit better developed but I still liked them. The overall plot was interesting and really pulled me in from the beginning. The writing style was engaging. I think this is an excellent autumn read and I definitely recommend to anybody who likes dark, witchy, magical vibes.

I really enjoyed this.

Very strong start. Gothic Academy with a Secret Society. Creepy and atmospheric.

This took a turn that I wasn’t expecting but I was fully invested.

Thank you to netgalley for my copy.

All the Devils by Catelyn Wilson is a dark academia fantasy novel set at the eerie Ravenswood Academy. The story follows Andy Emmerson, who is mourning the sudden death of her sister, Violet. However, not all is as it seems.

The novel is filled with secret societies, ancient magic, demons, and monsters. Andy must follow a set of cryptic clues left by her sister, which leads her into a world of dark secrets and dangerous truths. Along the way, she encounters Jae Han, a charming senior with his own reasons for finding out what happened to Violet.

Overall, it is a gripping read for fans of gothic and dark academia genres.

Andy has lost her sister Violet after an accidental drowning at her prestigious private school. But Andy doesn't really believe Violet is gone and pulls some strings to take her place at the school and find out what really happened

Andy couldn't possibly know what she would find at Ravenswood Academy, and what dark secrets lurk under the surface. Following her sisters clues, she comes across some strange sights and a fellow student, Jae, who is also on his own mission following a tragedy in his family

I really enjoyed the way this all played out, dark and creepy and keeps you wanting to know more

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin/Michael Joseph for the review copy, all opinions my own.... out now and definitely a great time of year for this tale

Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the ARC.

DNF at 14%. Unfortunatly I couldn't connect to the story and found the main character to be very flat.

All The Devils is a dark, eerie and chilling book that was an overall delight to read as somebody that is trying to dabble more into the world of Dark Academia. This story immediately kicks off as we are introduced to our main character Andy at the height of her grief as she is forced to bury her recently deceased sister, Violet. However, not all is as it seems and Andy is determined to find answers and prove that Violet is still alive.

I really enjoyed the premise of the story with its academic setting and haunting atmosphere. I actually wish there had been more ‘academia’ in this tale in the sense that we actively see Andy as a student in Ravenswood. I felt disconnected from the setting as it was merely a place that Andy currently resided as a means to find answers as opposed to using the school as a real opportunity to expand and explore the plot outside of the characters and events. Andy admittedly frustrated me at times with her rash decision making and inability to slow down however I also understand as a YA novel that our characters will not be depicted at the height of their maturity, so I didn’t let it bother me too much. Jae was a wonderful secondary character that helped to stir my intrigue of the mystery of his origins and I definitely wasn’t left disappointed. The pacing struggled to feel consistent at times and I found myself wanting to skip forward as a result, however I forcibly made myself consume every word and I’m ultimately glad that I did.

The ending was action packed and filled with a lot of emotion and jaw-dropping moments, and I really enjoyed that the ending leaves an opening for a sequel whilst being a satisfactory ending for a standalone. I’d definitely love to follow Andy in a sequel based on the events that allude to the rest of her story, and overall I definitely recommend All The Devils to Dark Academia beginners like me who are keen to find recommendations to start with.

Thank you to the publisher for the ARC to read and review.

Secret magical societies, strange symbolism, elite boarding schools, and matching tattoos – doesn’t sound like my sort of thing at all, but I’ve been curious to read more of the dark academia genre, and the beautiful cover of this book enticed me to delve deeper.

After her older sister’s recent death, Andy has a gut-feeling that all is not as it seems and that her sister may not really be dead. She enrols at the elitist school, Ravenswood Academy, that her sister attended to find out what really happened to her. Finding obstacles and unhelpful people wherever she turns, she is eventually befriended by the handsome and mysterious Jae, who promises to help her uncover the truth of what has really happened to her sister, and the many other girls who have disappeared or died throughout the school’s history. On her quest for the truth, Andy discovers far more about her sister, Jae, and herself that she ever thought possible.

All the Devils is a very readable novel, full of pace and intrigue. I loved the mythological and dark folklore references which are more familiar territory for me. Wilson’s writing teases and tantalizes by revealing just enough information to keep you reading but keeps you guessing for most of the novel. This resulted in me thinking a lot about the book after I had put it down for the night. It’s one of those books that finds its way into your dreams! This book is a perfect, gentle introduction for Young Adults to dark academia, and dark folklore horror, with its hint of romance and a few gruesome parts. It may be a new genre to me but it has certainly won me over.

Thank you #netgalley #penguinrandomhouse and #michaeljoseph for the ARC.

A mash-up of dark academia and fantasy, All the Devils was a page turner... after 50%.

For me, this book seemed to start off right into the thick of things. Andy's sister Violet has died, but something is amiss, and so off to Ravenswood Academy she goes to solve the mystery.

And then the action stalled before it could even fully begin. At around the 30% mark, I honestly considered whether this would be a DNF for me as it just didn't seem to be going anywhere, and everything just felt like it lacked drama and I found myself losing interest. However, this is around the point where it started to turn around, and the plot started to move in a way I hadn't bargained for.

The second half of this book had me gripped, the fantasy elements blended brilliantly into the story, and I was very glad I hadn't put the book aside.

I am also eagerly anticipating the fact that this book leads the way for a second instalment, and I can't wait to see where this series will go next.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book.

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin for this eCopy to review

All the Devils has a dark, eerie atmosphere. The descriptions of Ravenswood Academy and its surroundings are vivid and immersive, making it easy to get lost in the story’s world. The plot of Andy searching for her supposedly dead sister, Violet, at an elite boarding school is compelling. The mystery and the elements of ancient magic and secret societies kept me hooked.

While some characters, like Andy and Jae Han, were well-developed and interesting, others felt a bit one-dimensional. This made it hard to fully connect with all the characters. The pacing was quite slow and dragged in places. Although there were some surprising moments, many of the plot twists were predictable. I found myself guessing the outcomes well before they were revealed.

I enjoyed how it made you realise everyone has their own "devils" and you have to overcome them