The Demon Catchers of Milan

Sunday 26 August 2012

The Demon Catchers of Milan

Presenting The Demon Catchers of Milan by Kat Beyer.

Here is the summary of the book:

Mia's ordinary life is disrupted in the most horrifying way possible when she is possessed by a hungry and powerful demon--and only saved by the arrival of relatives from Italy, the country her grandfather fled many decades ago. Now her cousins Emilio and Giuliano say the only way to keep her safe is for her to come back with them to Milan, to live, to learn Italian, to fall in and out of love, and to master the family trade: fighting all demons with the lore of bell, book, and candle. Milan is not what Mia expected, but it will change her forever, in this stunningly well-written novel about an American girl who, fleeing an ancient evil, finds her only salvation in her ancestral home.

I'm definitely a little mixed up about this book. While it features one of the places of this world I want to visit, Milan. The plot though kinda sketchy to me. But this is Mia's story. A typical but not so obvious American teenager, Mia's life takes a u-turn when a demon possess her and she must go back to her roots in order to survive.

Totally not the best book of the year, although it does have its moments. The story straight drops us in the middle of the pivotal point of the story. While that strategy is helpful(sometimes) but here it makes it somewhat difficult to get into the story like this. I definitely liked Mia's character and her ability to embrace the changes in her life and tackle it.

The one pro about this book was the incorporation of Milanese culture and that extensive background and the way Mia had to learn it all to survive. As well as the demon hunting tradition of Mia's family. But with all the action and a sometimes clueless Mia, left us a little clueless in the mix as well. A well written book through!