Better the Devil

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Author(s)

Erik J. Brown

Publisher

Storytide

Genre(s)

Age Range

13+

Release Date

January 20, 2026

ISBN

978-0063338326

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A harrowing, edge-of-your-seat psychological thriller about a queer homeless teen who, in a bid for safety, assumes the identity of a boy who went missing ten years ago...only to find that his new home is anything but a safe haven—from All That's Left in the World author Erik J. Brown!

Perfect for fans of Karen McManus, Holly Jackson, and Ryan La Sala.

When a runaway teen is arrested for shoplifting, he's desperate not to be sent back to the hyper-religious parents he knows will never accept him. While at the police station, he notices a resemblance to the aged-up photos of Nate Beaumont, a child who went missing ten years ago—and, in a moment of desperation, he takes Nate’s identity in hopes that it will help him make a quick getaway.

Before he can run again, Nate’s family arrives and welcomes him home to a life he never had. As "Nate" watches and waits for his chance to escape, he finds that the Beaumonts are nurturing and loving, very different from his own parents.

But soon unsettling things start to happen—vandalism, alarms going off in the middle of the night—and it becomes clear that someone knows "Nate" isn't who he says he is...and that the real Nate wasn't kidnapped, but murdered.

As he starts to unravel the mystery, he gets ever closer to the devil he may know—and learns he might be their next victim.

Editor review

1 review

A Thrilling Mystery with a Side of Romance

March 29, 2026 (Updated: June 25, 2026)

Overall rating

4.0

Plot

4.0

Characters

4.0

Writing Style

4.0

Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)

N/A

BETTER THE DEVIL is a YA book following a runaway after he gets arrested for shoplifting. When he notices a missing person’s poster on the wall, he claims to be the missing child, Nate. He expects to be called out, but then the family is there and it’s all seen as a happy reunion. When eerie things start happening in the house, Nate is pretty sure that someone knows he’s lying and that they want to expose him…or worse.

I was very intrigued by the premise of this book and the author, Erik J. Brown, does a pretty solid job at building up the suspense. It’s not always high as there are moments dedicated to bonding and sleuthing, but when it’s there it feels good. It feels right for the world Erik J. Brown has created.

Nate’s experiences were heart-wrenching and I think Brown did a fantastic job at allowing those to play out in the book. Nate is a gay teenager who fled from his home after being threatened with conversion therapy. He got arrested after spending 8 months as a runaway. It’s not shown in a lot of detail but the trauma and fear of these events do have an impact on Nate as a character. Brown also treated these topics with respect.

Most of the novel has really solid pacing. It flows naturally, moving along as you would expect a story like this to do. The ending, especially after the reveal, picks up the pace a bit more and that didn’t quite work for me. I was still very compelled by the story, but it all felt too fast towards the end.

There was a romance in the book. It has a presence in the book, but I didn’t find it to be the most compelling part of the story. But it was a good romance. The characters have a fun connection and the chemistry is there for them. Not everyone is going to connect with the romance because of how it’s setup, but I found that I did enjoy it for what it is.

If you’re looking for a book that’s a bit psychological thriller and a bit sleuthing, this might be a solid pick for you. It’s not heavy on the thriller side, but it has enough tension that you feel invested in the story and Nate’s safety. The mystery is a bit mixed. Some readers may know the answer in the first half, others may not.

BETTER THE DEVIL is a haunting concept that Erik J. Brown brought to life admirably. There’s tension, romance, secrets, and an interesting mystery; everything you need for a fun YA thriller.