The Merciless II: The Exorcism of Sofia Flores

Gr 9 Up—Sofia Flores has lost everything. After months of therapy following Riley's murder, she has finally convinced herself that Brooklyn's demonic possession was all in her head. When her mom gets into a fatal car accident, Sofia has to relocate to a Catholic boarding school. It is old, with a strict morality code. Sofia meets her new roommates, sweet Leena and bad girl Sutton. The protagonist manages to catch the eye of a hot altar boy during mass. He happens to be the same boy whom Leena fancies. As temptation clouds Sofia's judgment, she starts to believe Brooklyn's distant claim that she is indeed evil. Can she resist sinning? This pulse-pounding follow-up to Vega's Merciless focuses on Sofia as she attempts to put the horrible events of the first novel behind her. As Sofia deals with unfamiliar religious surroundings, she begins to think that she's beyond redemption. She tries to find support in friendly Sister Lauren and creepy Father Marcus but can't shake a dark sense of foreboding. With strong, well-developed supporting characters, this novel is a terrifying delight of a read. Sometimes Sofia can't help but give in to her dark side, but readers will be hard-pressed to root against her. This sequel could potentially work as a stand-alone but will be especially enjoyed by fans of the previous volume. With an intensely violent climax, this story will work well for horror readers who don't shy away from prose that may make some readers squeamish.