Devils Like Us by L.T. Thompson (The House That Whispers) is a sharply written, early-19th-century YA fantasy that follows three queer and trans teens as they uncover a magical secret society.
When Cas and best friend Remy were 10 years old, Remy's father went missing. Cas had a vision of Remy's father's death and told Remy, who ended their friendship. Cas's clairvoyant visions have been a secret ever since. Remy, meanwhile, has spent the past eight years investigating her father's disappearance with the help of her friend Finn; she believes the Order of Lazarus, a secret society focused on the supernatural and based at Eden, a seminary school in Maine, is responsible. The three teens are brought together when a friend of Cas's accidentally witnesses one of Cas's visions and is shipped off to Eden. Cas, Remy, and Finn launch a rescue mission that exposes mystical secrets and leads to personal revelations.
Magic and mysticism deftly share space with examinations of self in this gripping, profoundly insightful novel. The narration is divided among Cas, Remy, and Finn, all who struggle with identity issues. Trans Cas battles gender dysphoria while queer; Catholic Finn hides her "badness" from the world; and Remy, so wrapped up in her family's issues, hasn't felt "wild and invincible and free" in years. Thompson effortlessly twists their personal journeys into an adventurous plot without ever slowing the pace. Their self-explorations pair well with the occult mysteries, making for a dynamic, heartwarming first entry in Thompson's coming-of-age fantasy series. --Lana Barnes, freelance reviewer and proofreader