Better the Devil

by Erik J. Brown

The Reappearance of Rachel Price meets They Both Die at the End in this gripping, contemporary queer thriller filled with stolen identity, first love and murder, from the bestselling author of All That's Left in the World.

"Nathaniel," I say. "Beaumont."
"Holy shit," she says under her breath.
Holy shit indeed.

Desperate to escape parents who will never accept him, a sixteen-year-old runaway steals the identity of a missing boy.

When Nathaniel Beaumont's family come to take him home, 'Nate' is caught in a web of lies. Then he meets Miles - the cute, clever and true crime obsessed boy next door - and his cover is blown. But Miles will help 'Nate' escape if he can uncover the truth of what happened to his childhood friend.

The main suspects? Nathaniel's parents.

As 'Nate' and Miles' investigation turns dangerous and their feelings turn real, time is running out to discover who killed Nathaniel Beaumont . . . before they finish the job.

1 pages, Audio CD

Expected publication January 20, 2026

About the author

Erik J. Brown is the internationally-bestselling author of All That's Left in the World and the sequel The Only Light Left Burning.

His books have received starred reviews from Kirkus, The Bulletin of the Center of Children's Books, and ALA Booklist.

His second novel, Lose You to Find Me, became a USA Today Bestseller.

Erik is also the co-host of the YA Book Podcast YA-OK where he and Alyssa Ljub of Netflix's The Circle talk with new and established YA authors about writing, publishing, and all things YA!

He lives in Philadelphia with his family.

You can find him on Instagram @ErikJB and TikTok @ErikJBrown

Reviews

[Erin · Rating 3 out of 5]

ARC for review. To be published January 20, 2026.

3 stars

YA novel about a gay teenager (we never know his real name, so feel free to imagine it. Abner? Horace?) who has run away from home in West Virginia after his parents try to send him to conversion therapy (I would like to read a good, non-fiction book about someone who has actually been exiled to conversion therapy. Anyone got any recommendations?).

Months later he is arrested for shoplifting and while at the police station he sees a missing persons poster on the wall. He impulsively tells the officer he is the missing boy, who disappeared when he was six. The narrator, now called Nate Beaumont, “reunites” with his family (yeah, they explain the DNA issue) but someone appears to know he isn’t who he says he is.

There’s a whole lot you have to swallow to get through this…the DNA issue, his good, Christian parents don’t seem to be looking for him…even if they don’t care, they need to pretend like it for the sake of their church people, right? And how did he survive on the street for eight months if he did as many dumb things as he does at the Beaumont house? Mysteries, all. Younger adults may like it fine, but it likely won’t hold the interest of adults.

[Marieke (mariekes_mesmerizing_books) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Oh, no! This is not what I want to write and I kind of hate myself for it. I wanted to write a glowing review about Better the Devil because Erik J. Brown is one of my favorite YA authors (and will always be). The thing is, though, I didn’t feel much tension throughout the book. Maybe it’s because I read a haunting house story right before this one, or because I had the perfect twist in my head and it didn’t turn out that way, or maybe because I figured out the real twist and who did it long, long before the plot twist actually happened (and found it a little unbelievable).

So, was this story bad? No. Erik J. Brown is a gifted writer, and I flew through the pages. I really liked Nate and Miles. They would have been the perfect characters for a contemporary romance. Better the Devil was just… something different from what I expected. More of a sleuthing story than a psychological thriller. I was prepared for something deeper. For more angst. For cliffhangers. I wanted to know more about Nate’s therapy sessions. I wanted to see him writhe on his seat. I wanted to peel off layer by layer and pick up all those breadcrumbs that would lead me to the end. And I just wanted to feel more, like I did while reading All That’s Left in the World. For me the story fell a little flat, and I figured out the twist and who did it long before it actually happened. Until suddenly that last part was bone-chilling and terrifying. I had wanted more of this throughout the story, not only in the last 15%.

Again, I hate that I’m writing this, and I’m keeping my fingers crossed that I’ll love Erik’s next story so I can rate it a glorious five stars!

Thank you so much, HarperCollins Children’s Books and NetGalley, for this ARC.

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[_tatiana_ · Rating 5 out of 5]

holy shit, i'm so ready for this (i'm definitely not)!!!
just tell us the date please

[Liz ✨ · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 ★

I really enjoyed Better the Devil! The premise instantly hooked me—queer teen assumes the identity of a missing boy to escape a dangerous situation? Yes, please. The story kicks off with a bang and had me totally gripped from the start. It’s dark, emotional, and tense in all the best ways.

I’ll admit, the pacing dipped a little for me around the middle, but once we hit that 70% mark? OH. MY. GOD. That twist had me yelling. I had theories (trust me, I thought I was smart), but I did not see that coming. Absolutely wild and super satisfying in that twisty thriller way.

One thing that gave me a little pause was how often "Nate" would casually drop in reminders that he was gay.. it felt a little out of place or forced in the moment, like “Hey, remember I’m gay!” with no real relevance to the scene. I love that we have a queer lead in a thriller, but it could’ve been woven in a bit more organically. That said go off, king, cause SAME.

Also: FUCKKKKKKK Easton. That’s all I’ll say

[Mikey ಠ◡ಠ · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book had me in an absolute chokehold for 70% of the way through. Then we got to the twist/reveal and oh brother.

Truly the ending felt so cartoonish with the killer doing over the top and long winded villain monologues where the main character thinks “Oh no, they’re so smart, they have this all planned out!” Uhhh, I guess? Maybe I’m just stupid and like to believe that I’m just simply built different but I myself never felt that fear. I don’t know, team, the reveal was truly so silly, it totally killed my vibe.

I enjoyed what the book was going for. I liked the banter, even if people don’t really talk like that, it was still fun to read (until it wasn’t, cue true crime photo negative flash). I also think it’s really funny that you never learn the main character’s real name.

Incredible writing, awesome premise, the ending was just, well it was terrible.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free eARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Jen (Fae_Princess_in_Space) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was so good, I read it in a day! It’s a YA thriller/mystery that centres around our protagonist, an unnamed gay teenager who runs away from home when his parents attempt to force him into conversion therapy. After being arrested for shoplifting when starving, he spots a ‘missing’ poster for a boy who looks just like him. In a moment of desperation he takes on the missing boy’s identity and slips into his family… but someone knows the truth, and ‘Nate’ is terrified of being found out, because what if they know what happened to the real Nate?

Gossssh this was so good. It had me guessing throughout; I loved ‘Nate’ and his sleuthing buddy and neighbour, Miles. There were moments when I was genuinely, viscerally scared for ‘Nate’, especially towards the end when the secrets surrounding the mystery start to unravel…

Whilst this is definitely a YA novel, I still really enjoyed it as an adult. The mystery wasn’t overly complex, but it kept me guessing and I was genuinely surprised when the reveal happened! The author has thrown in a lot of red herrings, which kept me busy! Overall a great read for all ages and a happy ending 💕

Read Better The Devil for:
✨ YA Queer Mystery Thriller
✨ Gay teen escaping religious persecution
✨ Taking on identity of missing boy
✨ Someone knows the truth…
✨ What happened to the real Nate?
✨ Queer sleuthing buddy / love interest
✨ Doing it for the true crime podcast
✨ The dog’s called Chardonnay
✨ (PS. The dog is fine 💕)

Thank you so much to Hachette, Hodder Childrens Books and the author for an ARC of this book via NetGalley! It’s available on the 22nd Jan 2026!

[Chloe]

This was nuts in the best possible way.

[Jason Conrad · Rating 4 out of 5]

As expected, another home-run from Erik J. Brown.

With every book he puts out, he continues to cement his status as one of the best YA authors in the game right now. I will read anything by him at this point, and his track record gives me faith that I’ll always enjoy what he publishes.

Better the Devil takes so many left turns and keeps its foot on the pedal the entire length of the book. We’re left with a maze of doubt, violence, and gaslighting (pun intended) — which surround the actual heart of the novel, which is the theme of identity.

And while the mystery and suspense do take center stage, the book is a thoughtful and well-developed commentary on identity & self-acceptance. In the course of exploring those themes, Erik delves into so many other topics: found family, trauma, the price of honesty, and the heavy weight of keeping secrets.

While there were a few minor flaws / plot holes, I was willing to suspend my disbelief because the plot was so engrossing. Those flaws weren’t so blatant or glaring that they detracted from the overall experience of reading the book or enjoying the story.

I love that Erik J. Brown delivered on something different for him and tried his hand at a psychological thriller. Psychological thrillers, especially for a YA audience, can be tricky to pull off — but I thought the execution was excellent.

You wouldn’t take my word for it if you knew who was talking. / If you knew where I was walking — to a house, not a home, all alone, because nobody’s there. - Dear Reader X Taylor Swift

—

Huge thank you to NetGalley for an eARC of Better the Devil in exchange for a review!

[Christina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. There's so much to this one that I don't want to give any spoilers, but if you enjoy thrillers you won't want to miss this one.

[PinkAmy loves books, cats and naps · Rating 4 out of 5]

***Thanks to NetGalley for providing me a complimentary copy of BETTER THE DEVIL by Erik J Brown in exchange for my honest review.***

Minor spoilers

4 STARS

What. A. Wild. Ride.

When a teenager runs away from home to avoid being sent to gay conversion camp, he never plans on taking on the identity of Nathaniel Beaumont, a boy who went missing ten years ago. Nate has never felt love like Valencia Beaumont dotes on him. He can’t believe how lucky he is to have happened into the perfect family. But there’s no such thing as a perfect family.

I enjoyed BETTER THE DEVIL even more than I thought I would. This psychological thriller kept me on the edge of my seat, hoping for a good outcome.

Nate/NotNate was such an interesting, well-developed character. He had a conscience, even when making bad decisions. He cared and had empathy.

SPOILERS BELOW

Two aspects of the book kept me from giving BETTER THE DEVIL five stars. First, the “bad guys” were one dimensional. The homophobes had no redeeming qualities. Not only were they religious zealots, they never loved their son even before discovering he was gay. Villains are more interesting when they have depth. Casting evangelicals in the stereotype of being homophobic is the same as using any stereotype for a minority religion like writing the only Muslims in a book as terrorists or the only priests as pedophiles. The “bad guy” from the Beaumont sector written as if the writer looked up signs serial killers showed as children and gave the character each of the diagnostic criteria for Conduct Disorder in children. I highly doubt a ten year old boy could strangle a six year old. From what I’ve read, strangulation takes about ten minutes, unlike what we see on tv. No matter how strong the older child, he probably couldn’t even strangle a toddler, but possibly could an infant.

The second aspect that kept me from adding a fifth star was the multiple spree killings at the end of the book, again making the perpetrator a one dimensional bad seed.

[Carter · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for an eARC of this novel.

I read Erik's novel "All that's left in the world" a couple years ago and really enjoyed it. So when I saw this novel and read what it was about I was sufficiently intrigued. Better the Devil follows a teen who escapes his abusive household and becomes "Nate", a child who disappeared 10 years before. Nate ends up getting way to deep and someone tries to uncover that he really isn't who he says he is. The premise was super interesting and I was excited to see it unfold. I thought the story itself was fun but landed a little flat to me. I wanted there to be more action and fastpassness. Overall I enjoyed it and thought it was a good story.

[Kelley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is definitely a book to make you think. A twisty YA book with plenty of suspense and thoughtful moments, this book tells the tale of a desperate, homeless, gay teen trying to outsmart the system and do whatever is possible to stay alive and out of jail. Not everything is what you think, not everyone is out to get you but sometimes it’s who you least expect who will be the devil you don’t know.

Thank you Storytide, Harper Collins, Erik J. Brown and NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions expressed are my own.

[Kristen · Rating 5 out of 5]

E R I K. I love your books, I love your work, but…

I have some words for you because for starters… I KNEW who did it after a couple chapters. The very much nonchalant vibe was a big clue for me. The father was very sus as well, but also seemed like he didn’t necessarily care, ya know? The mom and grandmother of course didn’t put the pieces together until the end.

Miles? Love him, I hope he becomes the best podcaster ever.

As for “Nate”… I’m glad he’s getting the life he always deserved to have 🫶🏽

[Lucy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley and Hatchette for the eARC

Better the Devil is a book that sucked me I with its premise, but didn’t land the execution.
I have loved other books by Erik J. Brown and was excited to delve into a thriller and darker tone for this one. Better the Devil sets up what could have been a high tension, disturbing psychological thriller, but unfortunately, the unwillingness to fully commit to such a dark story ended up undermining the rest of the book. Erik J Brown always does a fantastic job at banter and loveable characters, but in this situation their addition felt out of place with the danger and malevolence we should have felt whilst reading.
Ultimately, the inconsistent tone, the lacklustre investigation and eventual ‘reveal’ resulted in this book not living up to it’s potential for me.

[Taylor · Rating 3 out of 5]

The best way to describe this is that this book was solid. Not perfect, not bad. But solid.

"Nate" was a compelling main character and his wit just absolutely made the story. His interactions with other characters were enjoyable (even when he was making dumb decisions) and you could absolutely empathize with him despite the pretty intense lie of pretending to be someone's missing kid.

And then the premise itself was interesting! To start off with such a bold move and still having us rooting for fake Nate the whole story is a testament to Erik J. Brown's understanding of his characters. Also, the twists that came towards the last 100 pages were fun! A few were predictable if you've been around the thriller/mystery genre for a bit, but will be a delight for newer fans of the genre :)

The biggest issues to be found here lie within the pacing and structure of the book. Before the last 30% of the story, it all felt very slow burn between the investigation and relationship with the main character and Miles. And there was so much repetition for parts of it that it felt like some of the bulk could have been trimmed down.

For example, Chapter 1 and Chapter 11 end in almost the exact same manner just with slightly different words. And during the first three or four times "Nate" hugged his fake mom, he described the same warring of two emotions that were fair to feel, but didn't need to be hammered in the same way so many times. Chapter 2 is also completely dedicated to being a flashback, and then no further chapter is ever formatted like that again, so it feels kind of clunky. Don't get me started on Agent Grant as a character — you could remove him from the story entirely and still end up in the same place.

Then during that last 30% the pace picked up, but almost too much at times. Like, during the final confrontation with the main baddie (who was unfortunately low-key hilarious), fake Nate is trapped and running out of time to be a hero and then suddenly he's free and fighting without so much as a glance from the antagonist. And then suddenly the final stand is happening with some pretty miraculous and murkily-detailed escapes and it's over and the epilogue is here.

(Also to note, a couple of times, a chapter would end on what you could mistake as a cliffhanger, before being immediately cleared up in the beginning of the next chapter. It began to feel like jumpscares in horror movies — the first few may get you, but you get desensitized to the suspense they're aiming for pretty fast.)

Finally, while I absolutely adored "Nate" and his witty style of storytelling, this was not written even close to how a 16 year old speaks or writes. As someone who left these teenage years behind not too long ago, a 16 year old is not reaching for the word "dipshit" out of every insult they can choose, nor are they turning to the "send to the glue factory" idiom *ever.* Even the introduction scene with Miles, while fun and hilarious, was just so blatantly not teenager-like at all. I get why they had to be these ages since a) it's YA, and b) the story hinges on the main character being a minor, but at times it was jarring when you remembered yeah, this is supposed to be some awkward teenage boy.

Overall, though, I giggled when I needed to giggle and gasped when I needed to gasp. I kicked my feet and twirled my hair when Miles and fake Nate interacted. And I'd read this book again! Erik J. Brown was able to create relationship dynamics across the board that I was rooting for and against, which seems like quite the feat when we never even learn fake Nate's real name. So it's worth it to jump in even just for that, if not the haunting premise that's teased from before you ever open the book!

[Nicole Austin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you Netgalley and Storytide for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

In “Better the Devil,” Erik J. Brown delivers a taut and emotionally resonant psychological thriller that combines high-stakes suspense with heart-wrenching themes of identity, trauma, and the desperate need to belong. With a premise that grabs you from page one and doesn’t let go, this is a YA thriller that cuts deep—not just into its central mystery, but into the soul of its protagonist. Before going into the book, I do want to mention content warnings that include religious homophobia, identity trauma, psychological manipulation, violence, and attempted medical assault.

The story follows a queer homeless teen who, after being arrested for shoplifting, makes a split-second, life-altering decision: he assumes the identity of Nate Beaumont, a boy who vanished ten years ago. What starts as a desperate act to escape being sent back to his homophobic, emotionally abusive parents quickly spirals into a complex web of lies, secrets, and danger.

The adopted identity unexpectedly places him into the warm embrace of the Beaumonts—a family that seems to offer everything his real parents never did: affection, protection, and unconditional love. And yet, the idyllic new life is quickly shadowed by eerie occurrences and an escalating sense of threat. Someone knows he’s not really Nate and they’re getting closer. Worse, the truth about what happened to the real Nate might be more horrifying than anyone suspects.

Brown's writing is razor-sharp, immersive, and propulsive. You will be drawn in by the suspense, but it’s the emotional depth of the main character that gives the book staying power. Nate (the name he goes by for the entirety of the book) is a layered, sympathetic character. His guilt over lying, his longing to be accepted, and the trauma of growing up unloved by his real parents who nearly sent him to a conversion camp make him painfully relatable. His desire to be seen and loved for who he is, without condition, is the book’s emotional heartbeat. I felt so much sympathy for Nate with his need to belong that so many people can relate to.

The plot unfolds with steadily mounting tension and just the right number of red herrings. Clues to the mystery are sprinkled generously enough that astute readers might guess the perpetrator, but the reveal still lands hard, arriving earlier than expected and giving way to a violent, disturbing final act. The climax is harrowing, complete with scenes that are genuinely unhinged and edge-of-your-seat terrifying, including an attempted lobotomy that adds an extra layer of psychological horror.

Despite the darkness, Brown manages to thread in moments of sweetness and hope, particularly through the character of Milo, who becomes both a source of comfort and a symbol of the life Nate might finally have. The romantic subplot is light but meaningful, never overwhelming the thriller core. Most importantly, the story concludes on an emotionally satisfying note, with Nate finally beginning to heal and experience the kind of unconditional love and acceptance he has always craved.

Overall, “Better the Devil” is a chilling, character-driven thriller that explores identity, found family, and the haunting cost of survival. It delivers both pulse-pounding suspense and a deeply human core. Erik J. Brown has crafted a story that will keep you turning pages and leave you thinking long after the final twist.

[Amanda]

2.5 stars rounded up and my thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for the eARC.

I'm going to start off this review with the fact that there will be spoilers in my Goodreads review, but I'll try to keep them out of this one since I don't have a way to hide them.

You know that feeling when you've read a book by an author and you really liked that book and it was a post-pandemic-apocalyptic world and the characters were cute and in love and you believed in them as much as you believed in that world? Now imagine the next book by that author was a not-great attempt at a high-stakes thriller with missing children, fake identities, glass in a watergate salad, etc.

A boy runs away from home to avoid conversion camp and is arrested while stealing food only to realize he looks shockingly similar to a kid that went missing 10 years prior. And lo! This boy is the same age as the missing kid. When the kid's family is called, everyone seems to believe (or want to believe) our hero is him that he's just welcomed back home. But things keep happening and it starts to feel like all the secrets are bubbling up to the surface.

I'll start out with what I liked: I felt like the tension was written extremely well. The creeping crawling agony towards the truth was perfect; the slow reveals here and there of facts and the truth about "Nate" kept me interested the whole way through. Brown knows how to write character tension and it shows really well in this.

What I didn't like, and I'm sorry, the majority of this will be on the Goodreads side: I saw another reviewer say you have to swallow a lot to accept this world and I agree. There's no big push for the full DNA test. There's never a moment where "Nate's" parents are looking for him, and even if they didn't love their child, his parents could have still made a fake attempt to look for him. How interesting would it have been for another missing child poster to go up with with "Nate's" actual face and information? "Nate" isn't a street-smart kid, but he still managed to survive on the streets for 8 months?

Spoiler Time: Easton being the killer the whole time could have been done so much better if he wasn't made to be a complete and total psychopath. It just wasn't believable that this 10 year old kid would have murdered his brother for the lols, hid it for 10 years, and only snapped because his parents started liking the fake brother more? And why kill JT? Why attempt to kill his grandmother? And the ending was wrapped up in a way that felt like they were sweeping those dusty plot bunnies under the run and calling it a complete book.

I really wanted to like this book, but the last 30% just fully took me out of the magic of it. The villain was predictable and the reasoning was so lame.

[Hope · Rating 4 out of 5]

Received as ARC read from netgalley.

This book is messed up in all the right ways. I thought I was getting a standard suspense/horror — instead, Brown went darker, meaner, and riskier than most authors dare. Some parts made me cringe, some made me smirk, and a few had me saying out loud, “Oh, we���re really going there.”

It starts slow, but once it flips the switch, it’s relentless. The tension doesn’t just build — it digs in and drags you with it. The characters? Sharp, unsettling, and exactly what this story needed.

One star off because the ending lingered longer than it needed to, but the ride was worth every minute. This is for readers who like their thrillers bold, twisted, and a little bit unhinged.

!!! WARNING!!! SPOILER REVIEW BELOW
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This one gets 4 stars because Erik J. Brown took sadistic risks I don’t usually see in suspense/horror — and I was here for it. I cringed, I enjoyed, and I had plenty of “oh, we’re taking it there? Okay.” moments.

What sold me? The way a scene I expected to be your typical murder setup swerved into dark, unsettling territory with the doctor lobotomy detail. That pushed it over the edge in the best way.

Easton… whew. I expected him from the jump, but his mind — the way it worked — was a fascinating fit for this story. That character was crafted well.

Now, I’ll admit the shock value dulled because it started to drag. And like every suspense book or show, the killer fell into that “I’m smarter than you” trap of talking too much — which Brown leaned into beautifully as foreshadowing. But the ending? It overstayed its welcome. After the big moments, I was ready for the final curtain, but we got three more “and then…” scenes before the neat wrap-up.

Still, the closure was satisfying. Valencia is a force — strong, loving, and willing to make the hardest choice because she loves. That final act with Easton? All strength, all heart. And Grandma? She knew “Nate” wasn’t Nate and loved him anyway. Marcus, JT — both losses hit hard. JT was the comedic relief and I clocked his fate the second Easton mentioned the cliff.

It took me until 50–60% to be fully invested, but once it gripped me, it didn’t let go. If you like your thrillers willing to get their hands dirty, this one is worth the read.

[Tori · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

BETTER THE DEVIL by Erik J. Brown (Jan 20, 2026)

Thank you Netgalley and HarperCollins (Storytide for the earc)

When a homeless/runaway teen is arrested for shoplifting, he takes o. the identity of a missing boy who he realizes he looks similar to. He doesn't plan on taking it far---just long enough to get away---but the family shows up. They welcome him with open arms, but soon unsettling things start happening. Someone k*lled Nate, and the new "Nate" might be next.
BETTER THE DEVIL is a gripping YA thriller that pulled me in almost immediately. The premise (kid pretending to be a missing kid, parents/people knowjng that know it's not their kid because they did something to the original one, etc.) reminded me of a movie or tv show I've seen, which is great because I love horror-y, mystery type shows/movies, so I knew I would love this book.
Once I was able to sit down---with time to actually read this---I did not want to stop. There were so many bombshells before the 30% mark, and I just had to know more. A multitude of questions flitted in and out of my brain: What happened to Nate? Who's guilty? Etc? And oh my gosh, reveal after reveal, accidents piling up, each thing was more shocking than the next. Seriously, I knew this book was going to be crazy just because...and it was.
What really stood out to me besides the really deep emotions that "Nate"felt was how likeable these characters were: specifically "Nate" and Miles, even the parents and Easton despite me knowing that someone was guilty of something because of the vandalism and such.
BETTER THE DEVIL played out nicely. It was intriguing, emotionally riveting, and  a bit shocking to say the least. So good. 10/10.

[Bailey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to Netgalley, Erik J. Brown, and HarperCollins for the advanced reader copy!

This story follows a runaway teen who gets arrested for shoplifting and will do anything not to be sent back to his hyper-religious parents. While he’s stuck at the station, he realizes he looks a lot like the aged-up photos of Nate Beaumont, a kid who went missing a decade ago. In a moment of panic, he claims Nate’s identity. Before he can bolt again, Nate’s family shows up and welcomes him home to a life he’s never had. But once he’s there, things start to go strange: vandalism, alarms in the night, and the sense that someone out there knows he’s not the real Nate. As he digs deeper, he uncovers the real Nate wasn’t kidnapped. He was murdered, and his killer was never caught.

I was so excited to read this because I loved the All That’s Left in the World duology, and this book had the same high-stakes energy and twists that Erik J. Brown is so good at. Even though I suspected the villain—and I was right—I was still on my toes the entire time. The mind games in this book are absolutely wild, and the way the foreshadowing comes together at the end is so satisfying.

Erik J. Brown is a master at making the reader care about the characters. We’re only with this cast for a short time, but by the end I loved every single one of them. Gramma Sharon especially!

The violence toward the end was a bit much for me. Just my personal preference!

Overall, I’d recommend this to anyone who loves twisty YA thrillers, found family vibes, and mysteries that keep you guessing right up until the last few chapters. If you’re already an Erik J. Brown fan, you’re going to eat this up.

[Bonnie Wolgamot · Rating 5 out of 5]

Representation: gay main character, achillean relationship

Summary:
After running away from home when his parents try to send him to conversion therapy, a homeless teen finds himself in trouble when he's picked up for shoplifting. While at the police station, the boy notices he looks nearly identical to the aged up poster of a young boy who went missing a decade ago. With nothing to lose and everything to gain, he claims to be Nate Beaumont, and is quickly whisked away by the Beaumont family, who are thrilled their son is still alive after so long. However, not everything is as it seems. Strange and malicious things keep happening, making it clear SOMEONE knows he isn't really Nate. With the help of the cute boy next door, "Nate" must figure out what happened to the real Nate Beaumont before it happens to him too.

Review:
This was a page turner!! Erik J. Brown did something very clever with this book that is subtle, that I will leave in my Storygraph review as I don't necessarily think it's a spoiler but better safe than sorry. The suspense in this book was top notch. The pacing was excellent, doing a good job of keeping me engaged without being too over the top all the time to the point where I lost sense of the stakes. My only issue with this book was that I wasn't super attached to Miles, the boy next door/love interest. He was a bit too pushy with his podcast and his distrust of "Nate" for me to really get invested in their connection and interest in each other. But as romance was not the main focus, it wasn't too big of an issue.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for a free and honest review.

[ArgentumBooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Better the Devil is a masterclass in moral ambiguity, and easily one of the best entries in Erik J. Brown's (thankfully) growing body of work.

The book slots neatly into that niche genre of outsider-infiltrating-grieving-family, akin to ABC’s 2016 single-season drama The Family and Elaine Marie Alphin’s 2001 Edgar Award winner Counterfeit Son. What makes it work is how Brown handles the POV character as a morally gray protagonist without ever losing our empathy for him. He's self-aware, caught between a rock and a hard place, and his sense of self-preservation "pre-habilitates" him (if that's even a word) in a way that makes us understand, if not quite condone, his decision to assume the identity of the missing-and-presumed-dead Nate Beaumont. It's a tricky balance to strike: keeping a character engaging and relatable while he's doing something objectively reprehensible, but Brown pulls it off with surgical precision.

I literally could not put this book down and finished it in a single sitting. Brown has toyed with suspense before in All That's Left in the World and its sequel The Only Light Left Burning—both of which have no shortage of tense moments and violence—but this venture into capital-S Suspense is something else entirely. At one point, around midnight, my cell phone fell off the couch and clattered to the floor and I jumped nearly a foot in the air. That's the kind of immersion Brown achieves here.

If you're already a fan of Brown's work, this is essential reading. If you're new to him, this is an excellent place to start.

[Wayne · Rating 5 out of 5]

So, I want to preface this by saying that I absolutely loved the premise of this story and the way that the author has written it. I normally gear myself towards thriller/mystery books, but reading (and loving) All That's Left in the World and The Only Light Left Burning has allowed to start branching out and exploring different genres. Needless to say, when I saw Erik J. Brown was writing a story like this, I was thrilled.

I don't want to rewrite the plot of the book, as the synopsis is written beautifully and tells you exactly what the book is going to be about. At times, the believability of the story leaves a little to be desired - I found it hard to be convinced that everyone played so easily into Nate being "Nate." As the story progresses, it feels like everything mentioned earlier in the novel really had a purpose as to why it was mentioned. All of the pieces of the puzzle began to fit together seamlessly. While the story and twist felt a bit predictable, I couldn't have envisioned the ending being written as detailed, yet YA appropriate, as it was.

As a first step into the thriller genre, Brown did an excellent job proving himself as a multi-talented writer. Overall, Better the Devil gets a 4.5 stars (rounded to 5) for me, losing just a bit due to the believability and predictability.

Thank you to NetGalley, HarperCollins, and Erik J. Brown for giving me the opportunity to read and enjoy this novel!

[miracle · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's just not an Erik J. Brown book if I'm not staying up til 2:00am cursing his name.

Truly, I hit that 70% mark and knew I was pulling an all-nighter. Brown has a way with words that I just really click with and I found myself flying through the pages, trying to piece together Nate's story and how he really went missing. Literally everyone was a suspect for me at one point, and the amount of times I flip flopped on family members was absurd, but it really kept me on the edge of my seat until I KNEW. Even then, the surprises kept coming.

And holy hell, can Brown write a terrifying psychopath. I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop, reading through my fingers, skimming ahead because I was so invested I had to know if they made it out and what the hell was going to happen to this poor family.

I love that this is such a different type of story from everything else that Brown has written, and I think he executed it SO well. While the mystery and deception take center stage, I appreciated the way he was able to delve into the importance of self-acceptance and the loneliness of being a secret keeper. I also have a history of being a sucker for found family, so, we know I was going to eat that part up.

Brown delivers another heart pounding, keep-you-guessing, intense read that will have you suspecting everyone. If you're a thriller and who-done-it fan, you won't want to miss this one!

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this ARC via Netgalley.

When he's arrested for shoplifting, a teen who ran away 8 months ago from parents wanting to send him to conversion therapy stumbles upon the perfect escape: a missing boy named Nate Beaumont whose age-progressed photo looks similar enough to himself. Before a DNA test can prove he's not the missing kid, Nate's parents embrace him and refuse to allow it, desperate for this to be their son. But though the Beaumonts are wealthy and accepting, Nate begins to see the dark side of this family he's never met.

This book was full of twists and turns, and everyone in Nate's family - his mother, father, brother Easton - were all suspects. Without a body, "Nate" couldn't be sure that the real Nate hadn't been kidnapped. Next door neighbor Miles added both a love interest as well as a potential for blowing Nate's cover with his podcast about the disappearance. The use of technology with his phone because tracked and the house's alarm added some interesting issues for Nate trying to investigate. The story brought to mind both The Face on the Milk Carton (mentioned in the story) and Dead to You, but with different twists.

[Ben · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 rounded up.

Better the Devil is a thriller about a homeless gay teenager who realizes he looks like the aged-up photo of a boy missing ten years, so he takes the boys identity to get out of a shoplifting charge. "Nate", expecting to be quickly found a liar and let go, finds himself accepted as the missing son by the grieving family and brought into their home. Case closed! Now "Nate" is to resume life again, using traumatic amnesia as a way to explain away what he can't 'remember'.

I have read many books like this - it's a premise I love and gobble up every time. The beginning of this felt a lot like all the other ones I've read, and that is not a negative thing. The way we're introduced to our main character, "Nate", makes me feel for him, though he's definitely a morally gray character through the entire book. I also really enjoyed the character of Miles, and the relationship the two of them develop over the course of the novel.

However, this book certainly did become a thriller, and unfortunately, not a likeable one. I love Erik's writing, I've read his other books multiple times, and while this is outside of his usual genre, I still had a lot of hope. But at a certain point, it became like a cheesy horror movie, with long villain monologues, unbelievable backstories and the characters stopped feeling real.

I'd give the first ~70% of this book a solid 4.5 stars, very enjoyable read, but the last ~30% spoiled the rest of it for me.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and author for sending me an eARC of this book!!!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I absolutely devoured this story!!! The story follows a queer runaway who is arrested. When asked for his name at the police station he pretends to be a boy whose been missing for 10 years. When nobody does a DNA test he starts to live with the family, but also tries to solve the real Nate Beaumonts disappearance.

This is a YA thriller book, but genuinely one of the most disturbing stories I’ve ever read. The premise of this book had me completely hooked, it’s unlike anything I’ve ever read before!!! While I was hooked the whole was through I wished that more suspenseful moments happened from 20-70% in the book. I didn’t feel like I had any idea of what was happening and was hoping for some more thriller esque moments. HOWEVER, the reveal is genuinely one of the most disturbing chapters I have ever read. It was phenomenal. The entire last 30% of the book was a masterclass in thriller writing, with some truly horrific moments.

I didn’t know how to feel about the main character, because what he does (impersonating a missing child) is awful but also the relationships he develops are so beautiful. He is in a truly horrific situation and feels like he has nowhere else to go, while the ending feels neatly wrapped up, I’m honestly just happy everyone was able to have a semblance of a life after everything they go through!!!

I definitely want to read more work by Erik J Brown!!!

[Erin U · Rating 5 out of 5]

Our main character, Nate, runs away from his parents in order to avoid going to conversion therapy. In order to hide and have a place to stay, he pretends to be a missing child named Nate, and “returns” to his “parents” after several years. Nate soon learns that the disappearance of the actual Nate is much more mysterious than he anticipated.

This story is simultaneously heart warming and bone chilling. I suspected every character of being the “bad guy” but then also enjoyed the relationships that Nate developed with them. I’ve read All That’s Left in the World and The Only Light Left Burning by Erik J. Brown as well. He does a great job at creating suspense and there is no lack of it in Better the Devil. I was a bit apprehensive about reading a YA horror novel because of the potential lack of spookiness, but Erik J. Brown has been added to my mental list of “auto-read” authors after this!

The twist was executed well and the elements of the story fell right into place. I wish the family prodded at Nate’s fake identity a bit more before accepting him, simply so the story would feel more realistic. The resolution to the story was the cherry on top of this sweet thriller. Erik J Brown gives us another banger!

Thank you to HarperCollins Children's Books for the ARC ebook copy through NetGalley for this review!

[Brady · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you HarperCollins and Netgalley for this eARC, these opinions are my own. A teen has been homeless for 8 months after running away from home because his religious parents tried to send him to conversion camp. While at the police station he sees a missing person flier for Nate Beaumont, who he bares a striking resemblance too. In order to keep himself out of trouble he pretends to be Nate until he can escape again. But as he gets to know Nate’s family he finds himself feeling at home. That is until things start happening around the house and Nate is getting the blame. He quickly realizes that someone knows he’s not who he says he is. He also realizes that something dark may have happened to the real Nate Beaumont. Even worse how much can he trust his new family? Should he run or should he find out what happened to the real Nate? But will looking put him in danger? I loved Erik J. Brown’s first dip into the mystery genre! This story was so well done! Lots of twists and turns! I kept guessing as to who did what, when, and why! Thrilling, queer, intriguing, and had me hooked! I loved all the characters especially Nate, Miles, and Gramma Sharon!

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

This YA thriller completely pulled me in from the very first chapter. The premise alone—a gay teen on the run who assumes the identity of a missing child—was enough to grab my attention, but the execution is what makes this book unforgettable. The mystery unravels with layers of character backstory, survival choices, and social commentary that hit hard while never slowing the pace.

I loved the sleuthing elements woven throughout, and the way the story explores how sometimes people make desperate choices not because they’re “bad,” but because they’re trying to survive. The LGBTQ themes are powerful and handled with honesty, adding depth that makes this more than just a fast-paced read.

Around the 60% mark, everything shifts into overdrive. The thriller elements take center stage, and from that point on, I literally could not put the book down. Twists, turns, and jaw-dropping moments kept me glued to the pages. The ending shocked me in the best possible way—disturbing, intense, and absolutely perfect for fans of thrillers who want to be surprised.

Better the Devil is a must-read for YA thriller fans everywhere. It’s clever, suspenseful, meaningful, and unforgettable.