The Pine Barrens' Devil

by Leigh Paynter

For centuries, rumors persist of a demonic creature that haunts the Pine Barrens, a labyrinth of pine and cedar trees, mist covered bogs and abandoned colonial villages that stretch through the middle of New Jersey.For most New Jerseyans, the Jersey Devil exists somewhere between shadow and spectre. But the Pine Barrens is a very real place - an entity - harboring its own dark secrets and desire for self preservation. The enigmatic forest can seal a traveler’s fate - not everyone who walks into the Pine Barrens comes out. This book tells the tales of four travelers through different periods in American history, who vanished after encountering the Pine Barrens’ Devil."Those who enjoy a spooky story are sure to enjoy this book. Paynter describes the woods the way only a person who grew up in the area could. She makes the woods into an entity that ends up scarier than the actual Devil. The vastness and silence that surrounds woods is something I forgot I was afraid of, reading this story reminded me of how I felt when I was a child." - Susannah Hastings, Reedsy Reviewer

Genres: Horror, Folklore, Historical Fiction

139 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 14, 2020

About the author

Leigh Paynter was born and raised in Southern New Jersey. She graduated from Rowan University with a degree in journalism and earned her M.S in Broadcasting from Syracuse University.

For 15 years, she has worked as both a print and television journalist in New Jersey, Florida and California. She also served in the United States Peace Corps (2006-2008 Armenia).

"The Pine Barrens' Devil" is her first published work of fiction.

Instagram: @tainted_candy

Reviews

[Melissa ♥ Dog/Wolf Lover ♥ Martin · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars.

Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾

[Latasha · Rating 4 out of 5]

A different kind of story about the Jersey Devil

I enjoyed these stories about the Jersey Devil. There's 4 in this collection and each one has the Devil in them. I'm not from the area,so I don't know but I'm these takes, he doesn't seem straight out evil. He even helps and almost grants wishes it seems. I liked that this wasn't your average monster book. And I liked it even more when I read she wrote it for her brother. I'm sure he would be very proud. My favorite story was chapter 2, the long walk.

[Tyler Gray · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are 4 stories about the Jersey Devil. I'm ashamed to admit that despite living in South Jersey my entire life, i've never actually heard anyone mention the Jersey Devil. I've been in the pine barrens (sadly no devil spotted).

I wouldn't call these horror stories, though they are campfire tales and I did enjoy them. They are set up as different chapters (and set in different time periods). I gave the first story 4 stars, the second 3, the third 5 and the last 4.5 for an average of 4.13. I enjoyed all of them, and read it via Kindle Unlimited.

[Colleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having also grown up in south Jersey, the Jersey devil is a familiar topic from scary stories around a campfire at 4-H camp, to folklore books, to that 'interesting' movie that came out in the early 2000's. So I can say that this author has done justice to the legends and the spirit of the pine barrens. I was captivated and binge read it in a matter of hours, but will be back to read it again (yes, sigh, I am one of THOSE people who reread books, but only the ones that ensnare my imagination, such as this one).

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Could not put this book down. Each story was imaginative and full of twist. Had to finish the book in one sitting to see how each story was going to end.

[Ken · Rating 4 out of 5]

Magical and spooky!

If you like goosebump-raising campfire stories, this is for you. A wonderful new take on the Pine Barrens' most famous resident. Thoroughly entertaining and enjoyable!

[Jonathan Waugh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very short, but some really effective spooky tales about the Jersey Devil!

[A. · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a lover of folklore, I thought The Pine Barrens' Devil would be right up my alley. In a way, it was.
Leigh Paynter tells four short stories that take place each in different historical periods, in which the Jersey Devil makes an appearance either as an instigator or one who passes judgment.

The first story, "Where Darkness Lives", is Paynter's own version of how the Jersey Devil came to be. Like most other origin stories, this one takes place in colonial New Jersey, and involves an unwanted or transformed child.

The second story, "A Long Walk", takes place during the Revolutionary War. The protagonist, Whippany, not only gets lost in the Pine Barrens, but in the throes of his own desires.

The third story, "The Game", very much illustrates the character of both the Pine Barrens and the Jersey Devil. They like to toy with travelers to the forest, especially those who deserve punishment. In this story, that person who deserves punishment is an antisemitic hustler looking after his girlfriend's son, a chess genius. This story takes place soon after the end of WWII.

The fourth and final story is "Reflection in the Lake", almost a reverse retelling of The Little Mermaid, though instead of a sea-witch, it is the Jersey Devil that causes the transformations. The protagonist, Emily, does get more than she bargained for when trying to impress her classmates on a camping trip, losing herself to Lake Absegami in the end.


All of these stories have to do with characters wanting more than they have bargained for, and the Jersey Devil is more than happy to comply with their wishes. I was familiar with some of the Jersey Devil folklore before reading this book, though it never occurred to me that the Jersey Devil would act more like the biblical devil, rather than a weird-looking cryptid that eats livestock and frightens travelers. I like this different take on the Jersey Devil, though it does make its character a bit less mysterious. I am eager to do more research about the Jersey Devil and the many versions of its folklore.

Now I want to discuss the aspects of this book that I liked.

Generally the stories are good and entertaining, and Paynter's use of different historical eras really emphasizes that the Jersey Devil is a constant and frightening force of folklore.

I like that the stories were not too long, and did feel very much like campfire stories, as I believe Paynter had intended. Perhaps she will publish another collection of stories about the Jersey Devil, which I would be eager to read.

Unfortunately, there were quite a few aspects of this book that did not make it a 5-star read.

While the stories were good, the writing style could be improved upon. Paynter tells too much and shows too little, using statement after statement after statement. However, I am happy to say that this got better with each story. I think the stories' writing style would have been more coherent if she had gone over each story again. Overall, I think Paynter just needs to practice her storytelling, and find the writing style that suits her best.
Grammar and spelling were off here and there, which further reinforces my statement that Paynter should have gone over her stories and writing more before publishing.

Overall, I did enjoy the stories, and I would recommend The Pine Barrens' Devil to those who love folklore and the many aspects of this American cryptid.

[James L. Wallace · Rating 4 out of 5]

Being south Jersey born and bred this writing strongly hit home and was very engaging as my backyards of my childhood became as characters in this compelling jaunt through time. Historically accurate these tales of suspense, lost romance and morality are worth reading. Don't miss out on what will be one day be a classic on our shelves for years to come!

[Hunter Ness · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book a lot. I read it in a few hours, the story’s were captivating and I could easily visualize what I was reading in my head. This books consist of 4 short stories telling tales of peoples encounters with the Jersey Devil. I love how in each story there is a piece from the previous ones. This book was definitely different than I expected but in a good way.

[Colby · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not too much closer is in this book, as it’s 4 stories in 150ish pages. But it was still a fun read. Also not as much of a horror book like I was expecting given the Jersey Devil. Last thought is the Jersey Devil is kinda chill in this book, he was working in his own mysterious ways I guess.

[Jessica Lopez-Ledford · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very quick and easy read. I enjoyed it although i was left with many questions. It's definitely worth reading.

[Bonny Elwell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oddly compelling with great pacing, although occasionally poorly edited. Although the stories are invented, they have the feel of being told by a storyteller.