S.F. Henson was born and raised in the deep south. She graduated from Auburn University with a degree in Animal Science, which she put to great use by attending law school. Her law degree has gotten some mileage, though, giving her the experience to write about criminals and other dark, nefarious subjects. She lives beside a missile test range in Huntsville, Alabama with her husband, dog, two oddly named cats, and, of course, the missiles that frequently shake her house.
Title: Devils Within
Genre: YA Survival/Psychological Issues
Author: S.F. Henson
Publisher: SkyPony
Publication: October 31 2017
Cover Rating: 3/5
Devils Within by S. F. Henson is the story of Nathaniel Fuller and how he murdered his White Supremacist father when he was just fourteen years old. When I heard about this book and it's very unique plot I knew I had to read and review it. The concept was just something so new and fresh to the YA Genre and after reading the book I think the author did a wonderful just with its construction.
Nate was a very complex character. He was an older teenager with a criminal record for killing his father. One would think that a dead White Supremacist would bring a lot of questions about the father and the community he loved in but no. It only hrough questions about what kind of kid can kill their own parent. Nate is painted as this horrible kid that learned all of these horrible racist teachings on his own. It was disgusting to see just how easily a child was blamed instead of taking an honest look at his circumstances and how he was raised.
After all the legal proceedings and a few years serving time in both jail and a psychiatric hospital, Nate is being freed and sent to love with his uncle. A man he never knew existed. His uncle isn't a very forgiving man which leads the readers to wonder why he even bothered to step up and offer his home to Nate. Nate is thrown back in to society and he is scared. Scared that all the screwed up things his father brainwashed him with will just pop up at any random moment. Scared that he will never be able to be normal. He is given a new chance at life but what happens if his mind won't let him have that chance? What happened if the people who worshipped his father find out where he is? And what happens if he befriends someone who he was taught to hate?
I'm just glad Nate had a chance to change the horrible person his father trained him to be. He still has a long road ahead of him but I think he can do it. It's so horrible when a parent pushes their negative views onto their child without giving them a chance to make their own choices later in life. Then to have people believe everything the media says and having them build Nate up to be the monster was horrible to watch. Nate now has the chance to move on. I'm glad his 'aunt' changed her tune and I'm glad he will have a stable family system.
This book was crazy and I am very glad I got a chance to read it. Nate's story will be something that sticks with me for a very long time.
Overall, I gave the book 4.5/5 stars.
QUESTIONS:
1. What was the inspiration behind Devils Within?
2. If someone had told you that you would be an author someday, would you have believed them?
3. If you could only eat one food for the rest of your life, what would it be and why?
4. If you were given 3 wishes, what would you wish for?
5. Are you currently working on any new books?
ANSWERS:
1. Devils Within was inspired by real events. I read an article about a ten year old boy who killed his father, the leader of a white supremacist group in California, and it stuck with me. The boy had suffered physical and emotional abuse at the hands of his father and finally couldn't take it anymore. The idea for my main character, Nate, sprung into my head. A boy who grew up surrounded by hate and is determined to break away from it, whatever the cost.
2. I probably never would've stopped jumping up and down in excitement! I've wanted to be an author since I was four. As a kid, I absolutely believed it would happen one day, (I also believed that along with being author I'd be an astronaut/lion tamer/prima ballerina/veterinarian, so take that with a grain of salt). Of course with adulthood came crushing self-doubt and piles of rejections and that belief started to waiver. Fast-forward to today when the dream is actually coming true and adult me still can't quite believe it's happening (but child me is pumping her fist and saying "I knew it!").
3. Easy, chicken fingers. I pretty much each chicken fingers for most meals now, so this would be an smooth transition!
4. Such a tough question! (Here's where you'll figure out that I'm incredibly practical). I would wish for the ability to teleport (think of all the extra sleep!), telepathy (never guess what an editor wants again!), and telekinesis (accio chicken fingers!).
5. I have a case of the SNIs-shiny new ideas. A couple different stories are floating around in my head that I'm trying to get onto paper, but nothing concrete yet. One of theme is slowly becoming more opaque, though, so I hope to have something down soon!
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