When Devils Sing, Xan Kaur
When Devils Sing, Xan Kaur
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When Devils Sing

Author: Xan Kaur

Narrator: Anjali Kunapaneni, Jennifer Pickens, Landon Woodson, Michael Crouch

Unabridged: 12 hr 30 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 05/27/2025


Synopsis

A Goodreads Most Anticipated Horror Novel

Four unlikely allies in a small town investigate a local teen's disappearance, and what they discover festering at the core of their community is far more sinister and ancient than they could’ve ever imagined. For fans of She is a Haunting, True Detective, Mexican Gothic, and Midsommar.

When Dawson Sumter goes missing, all he leaves behind is a smattering of blood in room 4 of the debt-ridden motel owned by Neera Singh's family. Disappearances like this aren't uncommon in the rural Georgia town of Carrion, especially every thirteen years when a periodical cicada brood returns from underground, shrieking their deafening screams.

For Neera, Dawson is another reminder that in this corner of the South, the rich only get richer, and the poor—well, nothing good comes their way.

Neera sets out to investigate Dawson’s whereabouts—if he even still lives—along with three other teens: Isaiah, son of a prominent judge and clandestine true crime podcaster; Reid, son of the wealthiest man in the region; and Sam, estranged daughter of the local hitman. As they find themselves entangled in a messy web of secrets and lies, they discover the riches of the adjacent Lake Clearwater community may have a terrifying source of power dating back to the town’s founding and an ancient urban legend about three devils, each more sinister than the next. How deep does the rot go, and can they find a way to escape its reach?

When Devils Sing features multicast narration, including immersive podcast episodes that engage the listener in the unfolding drama.

"A true blood-soaked Southern Gothic for the modern age.” —Andrew Joseph White, New York Times–bestselling author of Hell Followed With Us and The Spirit Bears its Teeth

A Macmillan Audio production from Henry Holt & Company.

About Xan Kaur

New York Times-bestselling author Xan Kaur grew up in rural Georgia, where there were more gnats than people. When not writing, you can find her behind a camera or swimming in the nearest ocean. When Devils Sing is her debut novel.

About Jennifer Pickens

Jennifer Pickens is an Earphones Award–winning narrator of over 100 titles. She has been a storyteller since childhood, creating characters to inhabit, and acting out their adventures. A lifelong bookworm, it was her love of books that led to voice acting. Believing that stories can create change and teach empathy, Jennifer crafts honest performances that create an intimate connection between the listener and the text.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Nilufer on May 31, 2025

Wow! I wholeheartedly loved this book—truly, deeply, completely! I have an addiction to Southern tales steeped in town secrets, power politics, and that eerie tension between poverty and wealth. Add in the ominous rising chorus of cicadas, mysterious disappearances, and incarnated forms of cicada, sn......more

Goodreads review by Mai on May 30, 2025

ANHPI Heritage Month 2025 #8 Maybe I don't hate horror. Maybe I just hate white horror. Same goes for YA. Same goes for a lot of things. I will read anything Xan writes next. It's giving Wen-yi. Hello, Punjabi Georgians. It's me, a Vietnamese Texan, greatly enjoying everything about this Southern goth......more

Goodreads review by Elle on April 13, 2025

1.75/5 stars. I'm really sad to say that I struggled immensely with this book. I'll start by saying that I really loved the writing in this book. The writing was fantastic as was the setting and visuals. I appreciated the concept of this book but it unfortunately didn't deliver for me. The story start......more

4.5 stars rounded up This was really good!! When Devils Sing is a YA Southern Gothic horror novel that is slow burn and character driven. It takes a little while to get going and it's never fast paced, but if you can take your time with it there is so much here to love. We're following four character......more

Goodreads review by quietpageturner on April 25, 2025

When Devils Sing is a modern take on Southern gothic horror and facing life at a “crossroads” This book does a great job at setting the scene of a small town divided by classism and racism. I enjoyed the writing style and the podcast snippets throughout the story. I became fully immersed in the story......more


Quotes

A Goodreads Most Anticipated Horror Novel

“A story that truly understands no devil can ever be half as terrifying as the cruelty of a powerful man. Kaur has written a true blood-soaked Southern Gothic for the modern age.” —Andrew Joseph White, New York Times–bestselling author of Hell Followed With Us and The Spirit Bears its Teeth

“Xan Kaur masterfully weaves small-town mystery with an unrelenting sense of dread, all while delivering a story that’s as thought-provoking as it is chilling. Dripping with heart and voice from the very first page, When Devils Sing is definitely one you're going to want to read!” —Nick Brooks, Odyssey Award–winning author of Promise Boys

"A harrowing tale of desire, despair, and the devil." —Kirkus Reviews


Awards

  • CPL: Chicago Public Library Best of the Best
  • NYPL Best Books of the Year