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The Devil's Toenail
A bullied boy is lured by the dark power of revenge in this haunting fantasy by the author of COLD TOM.
Stevie, 13, has started at a new school and is desperate for acceptance. Like any teenager, he is self-conscious and embarrassed by his family. But he also hates himself for being cruelly bullied at his old school, and he will do anything to be accepted by bullies here rather than be their victim. Then he finds an odd fossil called a Devil's Toenail, which fills him with an almost evil sense of daring. The Devil's Toenail's tauntings and urgings to take revenge on the world are relentless, but in the end, Stevie discovers that believing in himself is what brings true power and happiness.
Stevie, 13, has started at a new school and is desperate for acceptance. Like any teenager, he is self-conscious and embarrassed by his family. But he also hates himself for being cruelly bullied at his old school, and he will do anything to be accepted by bullies here rather than be their victim. Then he finds an odd fossil called a Devil's Toenail, which fills him with an almost evil sense of daring. The Devil's Toenail's tauntings and urgings to take revenge on the world are relentless, but in the end, Stevie discovers that believing in himself is what brings true power and happiness.
208 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2002
46 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
December 18, 2011
Book Review:
The Devil’s Toenail is about a boy named Stevie. He wants to impress the best gang at his new school, they want him to set something on fire but he is afraid of fire. Then Stevie finds an ancient, shell-like fossil he had heard about once, it’s “The Devil’s Toenail” this shell-like fossil has special powers. These powers bring the worst out of Stevie. With the devil’s Toenail in his hand he could prove to the gang that he is not scared of anything.
Author’s message: I think that the author is trying to say that violence is not always the answer.
Opinion of the book: It was well-written and really interesting book.
The Devil’s Toenail is about a boy named Stevie. He wants to impress the best gang at his new school, they want him to set something on fire but he is afraid of fire. Then Stevie finds an ancient, shell-like fossil he had heard about once, it’s “The Devil’s Toenail” this shell-like fossil has special powers. These powers bring the worst out of Stevie. With the devil’s Toenail in his hand he could prove to the gang that he is not scared of anything.
Author’s message: I think that the author is trying to say that violence is not always the answer.
Opinion of the book: It was well-written and really interesting book.
September 13, 2019
I just finished reading this amazing book by Sally Prue. The Devil's Toenail is about a boy named Stephen Geoffrey Saunders although, throughout the book, he goes by Stevie.
He seems to struggle to fit into the real world and tries to be someone he's not. Imagining he has "power", he seems to feel as if he has power when he finds a devils toenail. Although he soon realizes things aren't how he thought they were and nothing more. He tries to fit in with the outside world. Just like everyone today tries to, just to be "cool" and compares himself to a character named Daniel because he wanted to feel like Daniel or be like Daniel. He soon realizes the power he felt when he found the devil's toenail was all pretend and all he wanted the whole time was to feel the same power Daniel had.
I truly loved reading this book. The characters have a sort of feeling that some people can relate to in the real world because at some point in time we all try to fit in or be like someone else and eventually we all start to build a specific negative feeling against the world and I loved that sometimes in the book id compare myself to Stevie and in a way could imagine myself in the book as if I was truly there or was actually the character because I could really relate sometimes. I really loved the part where Stevie stands up to Daniel towards the end because it really built suspense in me, like I truly felt my heart beating faster in a way that's just really interesting but you want to know what happens next and get through it already and the author did a great job with keeping me guessing as the book went on.
I would truly recommend this book to someone that has the sense of feeling alone, hating everything, or trying to be someone they're not. Some of the book is sad, but the sad parts are also really important throughout the book. If you want to read about a boy that wants power, to fit in, or to just accept himself then this is the book for you.
He seems to struggle to fit into the real world and tries to be someone he's not. Imagining he has "power", he seems to feel as if he has power when he finds a devils toenail. Although he soon realizes things aren't how he thought they were and nothing more. He tries to fit in with the outside world. Just like everyone today tries to, just to be "cool" and compares himself to a character named Daniel because he wanted to feel like Daniel or be like Daniel. He soon realizes the power he felt when he found the devil's toenail was all pretend and all he wanted the whole time was to feel the same power Daniel had.
I truly loved reading this book. The characters have a sort of feeling that some people can relate to in the real world because at some point in time we all try to fit in or be like someone else and eventually we all start to build a specific negative feeling against the world and I loved that sometimes in the book id compare myself to Stevie and in a way could imagine myself in the book as if I was truly there or was actually the character because I could really relate sometimes. I really loved the part where Stevie stands up to Daniel towards the end because it really built suspense in me, like I truly felt my heart beating faster in a way that's just really interesting but you want to know what happens next and get through it already and the author did a great job with keeping me guessing as the book went on.
I would truly recommend this book to someone that has the sense of feeling alone, hating everything, or trying to be someone they're not. Some of the book is sad, but the sad parts are also really important throughout the book. If you want to read about a boy that wants power, to fit in, or to just accept himself then this is the book for you.
October 11, 2018
devil s toenail is really a good book and the narrating of the book is pretty good too but the message hidden in the book needed to be more elaborated than the book show it and it is very controversial topic, about whether the people being bad by nature or by circumstances, and the main character is very real as it act like teenagers by believing they can belong in some clique by acting wild or bad sometime it reach to bullying other people or even volunteering to be the victim just to enter this clique,and also the book talks about how sometimes parents just don't believe there children had grown up and still act with them as if they were kids, and from my opinion i would i have loved if the main character confronted the leader of the clique but i think that the original ending add to the beauty of mystery in this book.
November 2, 2015
Playing With Fire is about a boy named Steve who is embarrassed of his family, and wants to fit in. He was bullied at his old school, but Hillford High (if I remember correctly, forgive me if I'm wrong) is a fresh, new start. He finds a group of people, and they turn out to be bullies.
For him to be in their group, he has to light a trash bin in the school on fire. Fortunately for him, he's going on vacation. When he's on vacation, he finds the Devil's Toenail. The toenail gives him a substantial amount of power. An evil power, not to be toyed with. Will he overcome this power? Will he control it? Or will it control him?
I feel Playing With Fire was an excellent book. I love how it related to the normal teen dilemmas in a big school: fitting in. The plot was well-done, in my opinion, it created a lot of suspense and left the reader guessing what Steve and the Devil's Toenail were going to do when they were up to something mischievous.
I don't feel anything was terrible in the book. I think the author could've maybe had one title, and it be "The Devil's Toenail", because I feel that has a little more relevance to the book than "Playing With Fire", but I can see why she named the book that, and that's just little. I also feel that the author should've tried to say a little more about the boy with the trains that Steve hung out with. I forgot his name, but I feel we should've gotten to know him a little more.
For him to be in their group, he has to light a trash bin in the school on fire. Fortunately for him, he's going on vacation. When he's on vacation, he finds the Devil's Toenail. The toenail gives him a substantial amount of power. An evil power, not to be toyed with. Will he overcome this power? Will he control it? Or will it control him?
I feel Playing With Fire was an excellent book. I love how it related to the normal teen dilemmas in a big school: fitting in. The plot was well-done, in my opinion, it created a lot of suspense and left the reader guessing what Steve and the Devil's Toenail were going to do when they were up to something mischievous.
I don't feel anything was terrible in the book. I think the author could've maybe had one title, and it be "The Devil's Toenail", because I feel that has a little more relevance to the book than "Playing With Fire", but I can see why she named the book that, and that's just little. I also feel that the author should've tried to say a little more about the boy with the trains that Steve hung out with. I forgot his name, but I feel we should've gotten to know him a little more.
April 2, 2011
In the book playing with fire by sally Prue it is an exciting book that will leave you not wanting to close it. the book makes you question every move Stevie takes and you wonder if he is even in control of his own body with that devil's toe nail having most of the say in most of his decisions. Stevie starts to feel the devil's toe nail's power and than starts to ask things of it. Stevie starts to feel so powerful that no body can stop him for instance when he was in the store and he put the pocket knife in his pocket and then realized that the storekeeper realized what he did and he reacted very calmly. Stevie wants the power of the devil's toe nail and it starts to control his life and the way he thinks. it is an interesting book that even makes you question what you do.
November 21, 2010
okay so my dad picked this book up at one of those library sale at first i really didn't think i would like it I'm more of a romance reader but about the 6 page into it i just couldn't put it down i really wanted to see what the boy would do next i wanted to see him becoming evil and as the story went on i was sure that he wouldn't last much longer that something bad would happen like him killing someone or getting killed himself but i was surprised that the devil's toenail acturl turn him into a good person in the end
July 13, 2016
I think I read this book when I was 10 years old, that's six years ago. But it's still fresh on my mind.
It's lackluster compared to the other literature, but I enjoyed this one as a kid. But now I'm old enough I can distinguish the quality of books. This book was just bland and going nowhere. The MC's imagination is superb and clouded by his weekly church, and completely controlled by the author.
Child-pandering book.
It's lackluster compared to the other literature, but I enjoyed this one as a kid. But now I'm old enough I can distinguish the quality of books. This book was just bland and going nowhere. The MC's imagination is superb and clouded by his weekly church, and completely controlled by the author.
Child-pandering book.
October 11, 2008
We listened to this book on the way back from Lake Powell. The best part is the voice of the Devil's toenail. It sounds like Zarvox on the Mac or the Oracle on Halo. In this voice, the Devil's toenail would encourage all kinds of mischief. "Yes, Stevie, steal the penknife. It yours now." It's a pretty dark tale and doesn't deliver it's morality lesson until the end.
April 19, 2009
This is one of my favorite books,
Its how a boy after a fire finds the toe nail
that has incredible powers..which makes him believe its the Devils Toenail.
This book is reccomended for the people who love things that have to do
wit powers or Fantasy.
You can find this book in Ms.Lacy's Library at Ms.324
Its how a boy after a fire finds the toe nail
that has incredible powers..which makes him believe its the Devils Toenail.
This book is reccomended for the people who love things that have to do
wit powers or Fantasy.
You can find this book in Ms.Lacy's Library at Ms.324
July 29, 2009
Hermmmm, I actually read the newly titled version of this book (Playing With Fire). I think the original title is great, but I can see why they chose the other. There are lots of connection to be made. The writing was OK and the voice was pretty good, but not totally convincing to me. I didn't 'see' the reason and the impetus for change as compelling.
February 26, 2010
what i didnt like about it was it was just a little violent and there were parts i was kinda like WOW! they really didnt need that in there. it wasnt like inopropiate it was just violent i only recommend it for people over the age 11
May 20, 2011
A jarringly realistic story with some fantasy elements. A very creepy discussion of power and self-control. This is retitled Playing with Fire in another edition, and I like that title a little bit better.
August 6, 2011
Stevie needs to impress Daniel to join the gang but Daniel seems to see his fears inside him. Then Stevie finds a devil’s toenail – a rock that he thinks gives him mysterious dark powers. As he begins to succumb to the powers he has a realization that changes the lives of the gang.
February 2, 2008
A quite realistic and unusual book, it is a combination of real life and imaginary magical powers (ooooooooooooooooh!)
October 27, 2008
this book in very interesting
February 9, 2010
I must say..this book was creepy. But it was suspenseful and a wonderful story. I loved this bok personally and I think anyone would..props to Sally Prue!!
May 24, 2012
A fast read, this was more like a short story that went on for an extra 50 pages than a novel. It was interesting, different from what I usually read. A little bit snarky, which I like.
December 6, 2012
A bargain for 30p out of the library
May 4, 2014
I hate to admit it but this book wasn't as good as it's name, It was a bit violent & boring...
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews