Book Review: Slay by Kim Curran

Title: Slay (2018)
Author: Kim Curran
Genres: Young Adult, Contemporary and Dystopian
Publisher: Usborne
Release Date: 3rd May 2018
Rating: ★★★★☆
Reviewed by: Lois

Synopsis:

Meet SLAY – SLAY do two things and they do them well: they play killer music and they slay killer demons.

When Milly, the lonely daughter of a world-famous opera singer, arrives home to discover that her mum has been taken over by something very evil, she finds herself in mortal danger. But the last people she expects to rescue her are the hottest boy band on the planet…

Enter SLAY: playing kickass gigs in the spotlight, and saving the world from demons in the shadows… Suddenly, Milly’s on the road with JD, Tom, Niv, Zek and Connor, racing against the clock to stop the demons who killed her mum… One thing’s for sure, it’s going to be a hell of a show!

Review:

Slay isn’t your normal boyband. They do two things very well, “they play killer music and they slay killer demons.” When Milly, the daughter of a world-famous opera singer comes home to find her mother has been taken over by something evil, she finds herself in mortal danger. Slay of all people appear to rescue Milly. The unexpected happens and Milly is now on the road with JD, Tom, Niv, Zek, and Connor the members of Slay, racing to stop to demons who took over Milly’s mother.

This book is boyband meets Supernatural. For someone who was (and still is) obsessed with boybands like 5SOS, One Direction and McFly and the TV show Supernatural I knew this book would be perfect for me.

I went into this book having only read the little sample that was in the Usborne YA sampler for 2018. I loved the sample and knew I would be reading this full book as soon as I could. I started this book in the evening and had finished it whilst on a train journey the next day. I could not put it down! Slay grips you and won’t let go within the first chapter. Kim Curran has an amazing writing style that made me sit on the edge of my seat whilst reading Slay.

I loved the characters in this book. JD got on my nerves at first, which I feel was how Kim wanted the reader to feel about him. In the space of a few chapters I was a fan of his character. He made me laugh and I was rooting for him all the way throughout the book. Milly is such an extraordinary character! Her character was my favourite, she is sarcastic, tough and a character I want to read so much more about. I was also a big fan of the other band members. Especially Niv and Connor. I loved that Niv communicated through sign language. I know a little bit of sign language so I was interested in his character. Connor also reminded me of all the band members I was obsessed with when I was younger.

I loved the demon storyline. I have never read a story about demons before and I will certainly be reading more about demons from now on. I never realised how much I love dystopian novels and Slay brought my love for them right back to me.

The only thing that I struggled with when reading Slay was the different perspectives that Slay switched between. It switches between Milly and JD’s perspective. There isn’t a label to say that you are swapping perspectives. The book has chapter titles but it doesn’t point out whose perspective the chapter is in. This through me off even though it was obvious I just struggle with thing like that. This didn’t make me enjoy this book any less.

Slay was an amusing and enjoyable read that I didn’t want to put down. I loved Milly who wasn’t a damsel in distress in anyway throughout the book. Slay were a boyband I know full well I would be obsessed with if they were a real band. I cannot wait to read the sequel to this book which will be coming out next year.

Overall, I loved this book and I want to read the sequel as soon as it is released. I recommend this to anyone who is a fan of Supernatural and is a boyband fan. Slay is most certainly Supernatural meets McFly for me and I cannot recommend it enough!

Thank you to Usborne, Stevie Hopwood and Kim Curran for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.