<i>The Demon Queen</i> (review)
2008; Johns Hopkins University Press; Volume: 61; Issue: 10 Linguagem: Inglês
10.1353/bcc.0.0124
ISSN1558-6766
Autores Tópico(s)Shakespeare, Adaptation, and Literary Criticism
ResumoReviewed by: The Demon Queen April Spisak Lewis, Richard The Demon Queen Simon, 2008 [240p] ISBN 978-1-4169-3589-6 $15.99 Reviewed from galleys Ad Gr. 9–12 Jesse is finally settling into what feels like home with a new foster family when the world around him begins to unravel in strange and terrifying ways. Suddenly, his quiet town is littered with sacrificed birds, illness befalls anyone who even looks at the new neighbors’ Balinese mask, and evil is everywhere, especially in the overwhelming malevolence of Rangda, a Balinese spirit coming to power through the neighbors’ teen daughter. At first, Jesse does not know the critical role he is to play in stopping the rampant destruction Rangda would release, and even after he knows his destiny, he is far from certain that he, a quiet and unassuming kid, can be heroic. The fact that Jesse doesn’t immediately see himself as an ideal savior adds effective drama to the story: his internal struggle hinders his progress as much as the evil spirits, which may or may not really exist. There is poignancy in Jesse’s inability to just find a quiet, loving place to settle (he even loses the affection of his new parents when required to sacrifice their beloved bird in a ritual); this desperation makes him a compelling and sympathetic protagonist. Unfortunately, this kid endures so many trials that this same sympathy is dulled under the unrelenting horror of his life (the epilogue features him stuck in a detainee camp, evil still pursuing him). In addition, the overwrought dialogue, underexplained “foreign” rituals, and somewhat absurd climax wherein true love conquers all evil might pass muster for a quick summer read but do not stand up to the fairly sophisticated political commentary [End Page 433] that accompanies them. Even so, horror fans looking for some depth along with their gore and voodoo may still find this a satisfying read. Copyright © 2008 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois
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