The Devil and Winnie Flynn

Gr 9 Up—Seventeen-year-old Winnie Flynn doesn't know why her mother killed herself. All she knows is that her dad said yes when Winnie's estranged aunt Maggie proposed that Winnie spend the summer with her. Now Winnie is working as a production assistant on Fantastic Fearsome, the paranormal reality TV show Maggie produces and hosts. This season the show has fresh, young talent (including one Devil Hunter named Seth, who is as earnest as he is cute), and Maggie has big plans to track down the famous Jersey Devil. As much as she loves horror movies, Winnie doesn't believe in ghosts—or the Devil. But as she gets to know the Hunters and learns more about the Devil's strange history, Winnie begins to wonder if there might be some fact to the fantastic here. Soon, she realizes her family may have a stronger connection to the Devil than she could have imagined. But even Winnie's firm skepticism and calm might not be enough to keep her safe. Written as a scrapbook-style letter for her friend Lucia, this novel is a mixed-media adventure filled with Winnie's dry humor, illustrations, shooting scripts, and other ephemera beyond the traditional narrative. A quick finish and unanswered questions about Winnie's mother will leave readers hoping that this book is the start to a series.