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Strays
What if you were attacked by something you didn't believe in?
Rodney, abandoned by his mother at his weird uncle Ray's, encounters a demon named Birthless and must figure out his uncle's secret while preserving himself, his newfound friends, and a sleepy Alabama town from destruction. Strays is an unusual YA adventure story that's part C.S. Lewis's Screwtape Letters and part Tom Sawyer. The focus of the book isn't on simple lessons, but is instead the story of a lonely boy realizing that there is more to the heavens than stars, more to books than facts, and more to his Uncle Ray than tie-dye shirts and honeybees.
Rodney, abandoned by his mother at his weird uncle Ray's, encounters a demon named Birthless and must figure out his uncle's secret while preserving himself, his newfound friends, and a sleepy Alabama town from destruction. Strays is an unusual YA adventure story that's part C.S. Lewis's Screwtape Letters and part Tom Sawyer. The focus of the book isn't on simple lessons, but is instead the story of a lonely boy realizing that there is more to the heavens than stars, more to books than facts, and more to his Uncle Ray than tie-dye shirts and honeybees.
340 pages, Hardcover
First published October 1, 2017
22 people are currently reading
179 people want to read
About the author
Remy Wilkins
5 books60 followersRemy Wilkins was born on one side of the Mississippi River and lives on the other. He teaches at Geneva Academy in Monroe, Louisiana, and he writes at home where his wife paints and his five boys raise a ruckus.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 67 reviews
August 4, 2022
What does the age-old battle of light and darkness have to do with bees, rabbits, and an eccentric uncle who lives in a honeycomb house outside a small town in Alabama? If you've ever asked yourself this question, this book is the answer you've been looking for. And even if you haven't, you should pick it up anyway.
Remy Wilkins' debut novel is mostly gripping from start-to-finish (the middle-to-the-end part being slightly draggy), as the reader follows a boy named Rodney on a mission to discover his uncle's darkest secrets and the reason why things are lurking in the shadows of the honeycomb house he inhabits. This novel is difficult to put down due to its unique combination of miscellaneous items (like battles and bunnies, chickens and demons, dragon legends and Alabama), with such connections being seldom clear initially, necessitating and incentivizing further reading. Those who appreciate C. S. Lewis will love the references made to his work and the Screwtapesque tongue-in-cheekiness of Wilkins' approach to demons.
Also, each chapter is named after a phrase in Luther's "A Mighty Fortress is Our God." A book can't get much cooler than that.
Remy Wilkins' debut novel is mostly gripping from start-to-finish (the middle-to-the-end part being slightly draggy), as the reader follows a boy named Rodney on a mission to discover his uncle's darkest secrets and the reason why things are lurking in the shadows of the honeycomb house he inhabits. This novel is difficult to put down due to its unique combination of miscellaneous items (like battles and bunnies, chickens and demons, dragon legends and Alabama), with such connections being seldom clear initially, necessitating and incentivizing further reading. Those who appreciate C. S. Lewis will love the references made to his work and the Screwtapesque tongue-in-cheekiness of Wilkins' approach to demons.
Also, each chapter is named after a phrase in Luther's "A Mighty Fortress is Our God." A book can't get much cooler than that.
October 29, 2017
The book arrived at our house on Thursday, and is making its way down the line. My oldest son read it Thursday, I read it Friday, and now boy number two is on it. I believe the wife is next, followed by oldest daughter, and last the runtiest son. The four-year-old daughter is trying to convince us that it wouldn't be too scary for her.
I would say that Strays is geared to boys 9-12, but I think pretty much anyone who can read would enjoy it. It's a fast-paced adventure story that starts off with an appropriate amount of mystery and deliberate pacing, but once things start to happen, things start to happen. There are traitors, and saints, and traitor saints. There are angels and demons and rabbits and chickens. The Lord of the Bees makes an appearance, as does Leviathan. One of the characters knows where Jupiter is.
At no point did I consider putting the book down. I had one of the boys fetch me my second glass of wine.
Here's a video review.
I would say that Strays is geared to boys 9-12, but I think pretty much anyone who can read would enjoy it. It's a fast-paced adventure story that starts off with an appropriate amount of mystery and deliberate pacing, but once things start to happen, things start to happen. There are traitors, and saints, and traitor saints. There are angels and demons and rabbits and chickens. The Lord of the Bees makes an appearance, as does Leviathan. One of the characters knows where Jupiter is.
At no point did I consider putting the book down. I had one of the boys fetch me my second glass of wine.
Here's a video review.
November 21, 2020
I love when I can tell that a writer loves the place he’s writing about, and Wilkins descriptions of the South do just that. Also you can tell he loves this story and its characters; Strays is a lot of fun (my favorite kind of demon novels), and any story that has militant chickens gets my vote.
October 4, 2017
Wilkins does a good job foreshadowing things right from the beginning of this book, building the mystery of the plot. and grabbing readers’ attention early on. By using astrology he creates a web of reality which the main character must learn to understand and survive in. This would be a great book for adolescents and should peak their interest in the stars, the universe and the spiritual world.
November 14, 2017
The book is written for young adults but can certainly be enjoyed by all ages. It was a delightful mixture of adventure, mystery, and truth. I think it would be an excellent read-aloud book to younger children as well.
September 6, 2022
Started the book on the recommendation of a Goodreads friend. It started off promising, and I appreciated the suggestion-I'm always looking for new reading/listening material. However, I didn't get very far into the book before the main character's language-his obvious lack of respect for the names of God and Jesus Christ-put me off. He also seems to say the latter, in spite of his mother's disapproval, at least partly in imitation of his father.
November 6, 2017
Why there's a house in Alabama built in the shape of a honeycomb or why its owner has apparently struck a deal with demons are just some of the initial mysteries in Remy Wilkins' young adult novel, “Strays.”
The book – which reaches some-300 pages but is a breezy read, for youth or adult – begins with a young boy named Rodney who gets stuck with his crazy Uncle Ray in the honeycomb house for the summer, but it doesn't take long for Rodney to find a baseball bat and co-opt a demon named Birthless in a divine mission against a horde of hilariously ugly devils.
Birthless and the utterly delightful, laugh-out-loud sequence featuring his introduction to love of sunshine are just some of the novel's many treasures, which include stone serpents, angeloi and diaboloi, infernal councils a la Milton, bunny rabbit warriors, and more.
Whether it's explaining why bunny rabbits can see and fight demons or how demons must eat mud and rocks and sticks so they can stay on earth, Wilkins' “Strays” evokes constant joy and admiration, if not just for the kind of imagination that wants to cast breakfast foods and cars in a new light, a lode of new words and names and other lingual delights, the source of which has few rivals in fiction (China Mieville and George MacDonald come to mind).
Above all, in “Strays,” Wilkins can't hide his deep passion for names, their meaning and power, and when one character gets renamed and later renamed once more, it's not a stretch to think Wilkins has in mind a Hebrew patriarch who's renamed after wrestling God or a certain first-century persecutor of the church who witnesses divine glory and takes up another name and calling.
Sometimes Wilkins' contagious regard for the associative meaning of names and words comes to the fore in Rodney's trip to the library where he parses the secrets of words, and Wilkins' fascination with words also enriches his characterization of the eccentric Uncle Ray with whom the young boy is left. Rodney meets a mailman named Otis, and when Uncle Ray hears of the pair's acquaintance, he pauses and chants, “Otis, Outis, Odi, Odiferous.” It's only one of Uncle Ray's many riffs on the names and nicknames for the people around him.
Giving people nicknames is one of Uncle Ray's endearing traits, but the business of naming is too important for only loved ones to benefit: this book is about defeating the Prince of Darkness and his hordes, after all, and what more serious means of combat with demons is there than ridiculing them? Wilkins appears to take special delight in this task, introducing readers to a petty group of demons, whose ranks include Murkpockets and Fibditch and Garglenails and Rotsnogger, just to name a few (!).
Wilkins credits Screwtape and Wormwood from C.S. Lewis' “Screwtape Letters” as the inspiration for the two-word demon names in “Strays,” but it's a modest acknowledgment, since Wilkins – like Uncle Ray – has a grander strategy in mind. In Lewis' book, Screwtape instructs his nephew Wormwood how to defeat humans by tempting them in all their pettiness, and in “Strays,” Wilkins flips the script against the demons, those petty envious specks who claim God's right to vengeance, by showing Rodney's developing success in the curriculum of mocking evil, which he learns to do without fear, because Heaven won't let the gates of hell prevail.
More than anything in “Strays,” in which a little leaguer, a sunshine-loving demon and a bunch of bunny rabbits rally to resist the tempter, Wilkins' unveils his preeminent passion for the Name above all names.
The book – which reaches some-300 pages but is a breezy read, for youth or adult – begins with a young boy named Rodney who gets stuck with his crazy Uncle Ray in the honeycomb house for the summer, but it doesn't take long for Rodney to find a baseball bat and co-opt a demon named Birthless in a divine mission against a horde of hilariously ugly devils.
Birthless and the utterly delightful, laugh-out-loud sequence featuring his introduction to love of sunshine are just some of the novel's many treasures, which include stone serpents, angeloi and diaboloi, infernal councils a la Milton, bunny rabbit warriors, and more.
Whether it's explaining why bunny rabbits can see and fight demons or how demons must eat mud and rocks and sticks so they can stay on earth, Wilkins' “Strays” evokes constant joy and admiration, if not just for the kind of imagination that wants to cast breakfast foods and cars in a new light, a lode of new words and names and other lingual delights, the source of which has few rivals in fiction (China Mieville and George MacDonald come to mind).
Above all, in “Strays,” Wilkins can't hide his deep passion for names, their meaning and power, and when one character gets renamed and later renamed once more, it's not a stretch to think Wilkins has in mind a Hebrew patriarch who's renamed after wrestling God or a certain first-century persecutor of the church who witnesses divine glory and takes up another name and calling.
Sometimes Wilkins' contagious regard for the associative meaning of names and words comes to the fore in Rodney's trip to the library where he parses the secrets of words, and Wilkins' fascination with words also enriches his characterization of the eccentric Uncle Ray with whom the young boy is left. Rodney meets a mailman named Otis, and when Uncle Ray hears of the pair's acquaintance, he pauses and chants, “Otis, Outis, Odi, Odiferous.” It's only one of Uncle Ray's many riffs on the names and nicknames for the people around him.
Giving people nicknames is one of Uncle Ray's endearing traits, but the business of naming is too important for only loved ones to benefit: this book is about defeating the Prince of Darkness and his hordes, after all, and what more serious means of combat with demons is there than ridiculing them? Wilkins appears to take special delight in this task, introducing readers to a petty group of demons, whose ranks include Murkpockets and Fibditch and Garglenails and Rotsnogger, just to name a few (!).
Wilkins credits Screwtape and Wormwood from C.S. Lewis' “Screwtape Letters” as the inspiration for the two-word demon names in “Strays,” but it's a modest acknowledgment, since Wilkins – like Uncle Ray – has a grander strategy in mind. In Lewis' book, Screwtape instructs his nephew Wormwood how to defeat humans by tempting them in all their pettiness, and in “Strays,” Wilkins flips the script against the demons, those petty envious specks who claim God's right to vengeance, by showing Rodney's developing success in the curriculum of mocking evil, which he learns to do without fear, because Heaven won't let the gates of hell prevail.
More than anything in “Strays,” in which a little leaguer, a sunshine-loving demon and a bunch of bunny rabbits rally to resist the tempter, Wilkins' unveils his preeminent passion for the Name above all names.
November 2, 2017
3.5.
This was an enjoyable and fun read. My favorite character was Pinwheel, formerly known as Birthless. Pinwheel learns to love sunshine, and it is grand.
This book would make a great gift for a young reader. Do not be wary of the Lewisian-named Orc-like demons found in this story. They are scary. And quite gross. And ultimately powerless, subject to the Name. Wilkins makes it clear throughout the book that evil is truly evil, and can be defeated by courageous "ordinary folk" (Tolkien). As Lewis has said, "Since it is likely that children will meet cruel enemies, let them at least have heard of brave knights and heroic courage."
I recommend this article from N.D. Wilson on the subject.
This was an enjoyable and fun read. My favorite character was Pinwheel, formerly known as Birthless. Pinwheel learns to love sunshine, and it is grand.
This book would make a great gift for a young reader. Do not be wary of the Lewisian-named Orc-like demons found in this story. They are scary. And quite gross. And ultimately powerless, subject to the Name. Wilkins makes it clear throughout the book that evil is truly evil, and can be defeated by courageous "ordinary folk" (Tolkien). As Lewis has said, "Since it is likely that children will meet cruel enemies, let them at least have heard of brave knights and heroic courage."
I recommend this article from N.D. Wilson on the subject.
December 28, 2017
3.75/5 stars.
What a wonderful first outing for Wilkins. Very good pacing/action. Very unique plot. Full of good characters and true adventure.
I hope he keeps them coming
What a wonderful first outing for Wilkins. Very good pacing/action. Very unique plot. Full of good characters and true adventure.
I hope he keeps them coming
November 1, 2017
This is a really fun read. It feels like a cool hybrid between the allegories in Narnia and the mythological engagement of Percy Jackson. Super enjoyable, will most likely reread in the future.
February 12, 2018
Startling adventure! Not what you normally expect from an Middle Grade novel, but definitely riveting: A tale of the spirit world, the material world, and even stuff between the two. Greatly enjoyed by a wide variety of ages at our house.
Pro tip: read it during daylight hours. (The book is rumored to scare pants off).
Pro tip: read it during daylight hours. (The book is rumored to scare pants off).
December 24, 2017
I liked this book for many of the same reasons, I imagine, that people like Andy Weir’s The Martian. Neither story is true, but both are based on enough facts to make you believe that they could happen. There are all kinds of terms and concepts here that make me want to go to some old, mildewy library and dig through the stacks. Cruentation? Calcation? Lord of the Bees? Tell me more. I’ll never look at triangles and hexagons the same way again, that’s for sure. And when I own my own house I will definitely be giving it a name.
A great story to read at Christmastime, when ordinary folks get a small taste of the world above and beyond.
I look forward to Remy Wilkins’ next.
PS: Birthless is the best name for a demon I’ve ever heard. (With the possible exception of Legion...)
A great story to read at Christmastime, when ordinary folks get a small taste of the world above and beyond.
I look forward to Remy Wilkins’ next.
PS: Birthless is the best name for a demon I’ve ever heard. (With the possible exception of Legion...)
March 2, 2022
This book was so engaging and beautifully crafted. Each phrase was excellent, and I enjoyed that very much.
The story itself is adventurous and fresh, a joyful war on the evil that is very real but stands no chance. It will leave you laughing at the devil, eager to fill up on the sweet, merry goodness that he hates.
This was such a fun story, and I'm eager to read more from Remy Wilkins.
The story itself is adventurous and fresh, a joyful war on the evil that is very real but stands no chance. It will leave you laughing at the devil, eager to fill up on the sweet, merry goodness that he hates.
This was such a fun story, and I'm eager to read more from Remy Wilkins.
Want to read
July 29, 2018WORLD comments here.
November 27, 2017
This makes me sad because I really wanted to enjoy this book. An interesting premise, but it ultimately fails to become an interesting novel.
Not enough was done to "earn" the emotional or exciting moments, so they either felt sappy or melodramatic, or at worst, they just plain failed to register. I found my self thinking "Wait, why is she angry? Why is he crying?" at a few moments.
The pacing was all wrong as well. The heavy moments were too fast and weren't given time for proper reflection, and too much time was spent on the light moments that didn't account for much in the end.
What I liked about it: There were a few valuable Biblical concepts that children should learn and a few fun adventure fantasy tropes. Also, the scene where we first meet Birthless scared my pants off :)
I know this is a children's book and some might think I shouldn't hold it to as high a standard as I hold adult books, but I disagree. There are plenty of well written children's books that don't suffer from the kinds of issues I talked about above, just as there are plenty of books for adults that do suffer from them. Any distinction in quality between adult books and children's books is imaginary.
Not enough was done to "earn" the emotional or exciting moments, so they either felt sappy or melodramatic, or at worst, they just plain failed to register. I found my self thinking "Wait, why is she angry? Why is he crying?" at a few moments.
The pacing was all wrong as well. The heavy moments were too fast and weren't given time for proper reflection, and too much time was spent on the light moments that didn't account for much in the end.
What I liked about it: There were a few valuable Biblical concepts that children should learn and a few fun adventure fantasy tropes. Also, the scene where we first meet Birthless scared my pants off :)
I know this is a children's book and some might think I shouldn't hold it to as high a standard as I hold adult books, but I disagree. There are plenty of well written children's books that don't suffer from the kinds of issues I talked about above, just as there are plenty of books for adults that do suffer from them. Any distinction in quality between adult books and children's books is imaginary.
July 21, 2018
Some really good writing slowed down in the middle by a burdensome plot. There was one diagram/picture in the whole book. Needed several more. A map would have been nice to get the layout of the town as well as some pictures to keep the interchangeable demons straight. And a drawing of the amazing Corleonis! That would have been spectacular! Also tweak it with less props. Do we really need bees AND chickens AND rabbits AND dogs all as supporting characters? Nonetheless, our kids need more books like these opening their eyes to the realities of this life. This is a spirit filled world fraught with unseen battles whose victor has already been decided. There can never be enough stories about that!
February 7, 2018
Great fun, and highly recommended! This one might be too scary for some kids, so be aware.
April 23, 2019
I'm struggling with my review right now and may come back to edit later...that said,
Disclaimer: If you have sensitive kids or ones who scare easily, this may not be the book for them. At least not right before bed. There were times when this 40 year old was a bit freaked out. So, there ya go.
I love the play with the "A Mighty Fortress" in the titles of chapters as the battle between Heaven and Hell plays out in this particular story. I love little details like this.
Pinwheel's thread in this tapestry is my favorite. However, there are moments in Rodney's life as he confronts emotions in the dealings with his parents where I thought, "I get that. I can totally relate." I appreciate that I can relate to characters but I'm still wrestling with how Rodney's situation really plays out. (Does he really know the Name at the end? Pinwheel earlier told him he did. Rodney says he had no idea.) Maybe it's just me.
As other reviews have mentioned, the pacing seemed somewhat off and times where things did become a bit burdensome.
I have met Wilkins once at a dinner party while he and his family was passing though my town. Delightful. I appreciate the process to create and the bravery to put it out there. While this may not have been my favorite, I do look forward to more from him in the future.
Disclaimer: If you have sensitive kids or ones who scare easily, this may not be the book for them. At least not right before bed. There were times when this 40 year old was a bit freaked out. So, there ya go.
I love the play with the "A Mighty Fortress" in the titles of chapters as the battle between Heaven and Hell plays out in this particular story. I love little details like this.
Pinwheel's thread in this tapestry is my favorite. However, there are moments in Rodney's life as he confronts emotions in the dealings with his parents where I thought, "I get that. I can totally relate." I appreciate that I can relate to characters but I'm still wrestling with how Rodney's situation really plays out. (Does he really know the Name at the end? Pinwheel earlier told him he did. Rodney says he had no idea.) Maybe it's just me.
As other reviews have mentioned, the pacing seemed somewhat off and times where things did become a bit burdensome.
I have met Wilkins once at a dinner party while he and his family was passing though my town. Delightful. I appreciate the process to create and the bravery to put it out there. While this may not have been my favorite, I do look forward to more from him in the future.
October 31, 2017
Loved this book! It seems counterintuitive to say that this was a sweet, sweet story about a battle with Hell on Earth, but it truly was. Wilkins gives us a glimpse into the minds of demons akin to CS Lewis in Screwtape Letters while providing beautiful images of bravery, honor, and self-sacrifice. If you have kids as young as nine years old … or if you have ever been nine years old, read this story. I will be thinking about this one for a while.
January 2, 2021
I read this after my 9-year-old son, and 13-year-old daughter recommended it. Sure enough, it was a fun, adventurous read. Rodney is left with his strange uncle, while his now single mom is trying to get settled in a new town. Rodney is left to his own devices and gets caught up in his uncle's dangerous scheme.
February 11, 2022
Fun characters, story, and themes. A few plot hiccups, but love the Mighty Fortress theme and all the delight in the world that runs through Strays.
June 5, 2024
“I love sunshine, I love sunshine, I love sunshine!”
Pinwheel won my heart.
Pinwheel won my heart.
February 13, 2020
As a debut novel, this book has a lot going for it. Characters that jump off the page, an great descriptive writing style that smacks of the same earthy magic as N. D. Wilson's stories, and a killer concept inspired by C. S. Lewis's "The Screwtape Letters" - what if demons could enter the world in corporeal form and what if one of those demons strayed from the ranks of hell to help the humans they are trying to destroy?
Despite all this story has going for it, it does bear many marks of a first-time novel. For example, some of the reveals don't hit you as hard as they should because Wilkins reveals too much beforehand or doesn't focus on the moment as much as expected. I also felt like there were many moments of decription throughout the novel which could have been much clearer and hard-hitting. I basically "got" everything, but sometimes it took me a moment to get my bearings. Issues like that can weaken the magic of being absorbed in a story. Additionally, for a book that gets its inspiration from "The Screwtape Letters," I expected a lot of insights into theology and temptation, but there were few of these. Wilkins did wrap some interesting thoughts into the story, but nothing that reaches Lewis's depth.
Overall, this was a fun story. It contains the seeds of greatness. I look forward to seeing what Wilkins does next!
Despite all this story has going for it, it does bear many marks of a first-time novel. For example, some of the reveals don't hit you as hard as they should because Wilkins reveals too much beforehand or doesn't focus on the moment as much as expected. I also felt like there were many moments of decription throughout the novel which could have been much clearer and hard-hitting. I basically "got" everything, but sometimes it took me a moment to get my bearings. Issues like that can weaken the magic of being absorbed in a story. Additionally, for a book that gets its inspiration from "The Screwtape Letters," I expected a lot of insights into theology and temptation, but there were few of these. Wilkins did wrap some interesting thoughts into the story, but nothing that reaches Lewis's depth.
Overall, this was a fun story. It contains the seeds of greatness. I look forward to seeing what Wilkins does next!
January 3, 2024
Killing demons with a baseball bat! Darkness is nothing compared to the Light of the World :)
February 3, 2018
Fun, quirky, and--at-times--laugh-out-loud hilarious. The characters were rich and multi-dimensional. I loved the demon names and personalities. So much fun! I have odd-ball reactions, so several of the frightening moments made me laugh. Overall, a well-written YA adventure enriched by my favorite themes of redemption, forgiveness, and good triumphing over evil.
(Disclaimer: As with most fiction with a Christian worldview, I encourage readers not to look at the work as a theological treatise but a fun, imaginative story to enjoy.)
(Disclaimer: As with most fiction with a Christian worldview, I encourage readers not to look at the work as a theological treatise but a fun, imaginative story to enjoy.)
May 1, 2019
This is a very good first book by Remy Wilkins. I read it aloud to the family and all the kids, 11-15, and my wife and I really enjoyed the story. Really interesting take on the powers of darkness in the physical world and yet without the gratuitousness of most stories involving the demonic that it can't be read to a younger audience. My youngest is 11 but I'd be comfortable reading it to kids at least as young as 8 or so.
August 9, 2022
I basically read this in one night, it was so good I couldn't stop. So many pieces of wisdom in a kid sized nugget. I also really appreciated that Remy delved into the spiritual world, I think as a modern day Chrsitian in America I ignore that Satan is always attacking and this was great reminder, we don't often know what battles are being fought but we know we an old foe who is prowling like a lion and waiting to destroy. I loved the chapter titles as well.
December 21, 2021
Excellent!
I love Remy’s way with words! He creates great scenes and gives his characters plot twists to navigate through. This is a fabulous adventure story with character redemption in it and the ending was very satisfying!
I love Remy’s way with words! He creates great scenes and gives his characters plot twists to navigate through. This is a fabulous adventure story with character redemption in it and the ending was very satisfying!
June 7, 2018
I think this book is great for older children and young adults. It's very good. A need-to-read for fiction fans.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 67 reviews