Review Detail

MY ROOMMATE FROM HELL is a fun YA paranormal romance. Owen is excited about going to college, though he is a little sad that his BFF will be staying at home. When he arrives at college, he finds out there was a last minute roommate swap, and instead of Rohit, he will be rooming with Zarmenus, an exchange student from another dimension of demons and other horrors, trying to prove that they and humans can peacefully co-exist. Also on the line is a potential dream internship for Owen - if he does a great job, the dean has agreed to put in a good word for him, so the pressure is on.

However, living with anyone can be a challenge, and more so when he has a secret cat that occasionally throws up fire, a ghoul watching in the bathroom mirror, and forgets to clean up after himself. As the semester goes on, they will need to find a way to make this work for all human and demonkind.

What I loved: This was a really fun and consuming read. The book is told from Owen's perspective, and he is a relatable character. He wants to do well at college to get a great job, but he also wants to have a little fun. However, he is finding all this new to be a little challenging. He would also love to date but has spent so long being a wallflower that he is not sure how to make a move. As the story continues, he begins to find his own and embrace the college experience in his own way.

The book contains great enemies-to-lovers and fake dating tropes. The fake dating was done particularly well and will heavily appeal to those who enjoy the trope. This did not start until about halfway through, but it was loads of fun as they begin to fall for each other amidst a challenging political climate and through fake dates.

Themes of achievement, parental expectations, finding your own path, living with someone new, and dealing with challenging situations were all really well done in the story. A lot of the college experience is getting out there, separating from old family and friends and their expectations, and forging your own way. The book describes this well - though with a paranormal twist of living with a demon. The story ultimately wrapped up well, though it would be interesting to read more from this world/characters and it would make a fun series.

What left me wanting more: While it did not hamper my enjoyment of the book too much, there were definitely some plot holes here and there and things that came up as a random surprise with characters knowing more than they should. These could feel a little jarring, but the story was consuming enough that they were small road bumps instead of sinkholes.

Final verdict: MY ROOMMATE FROM HELL is a consuming and entertaining YA paranormal romance with a fun and unique premise. Highly recommend for people who enjoy the fake dating trope!