The Deviants by C.J. Skuse

With huge thanks to Cara Frances and MIRA Books, I received an ARC of this in exchange for an honest review.....

When you set out for revenge, dig two graves.....

Ella, Max, Corey, Fallon and Zane all grew up together in an sleepy English seaside town of Brynston, they were always known as the fearless five.  Keeping up to their nickname, they were the audacious, rowdy kids who lived for ghost stories and exploring the nearby islands off the coast.  But when Max’s beloved older sister Jessica is killed, the friendship seems to die with her.

Years later, only Max and Ella are in touch, still the best of friends and a couple since they were thirteen. Ella is training for the Commonwealth Games and Max’s dad even sponsors her training which means their lives are so intertwined.  But Ella is hiding things. Like why she hates going to Max’s house for Sunday dinner, and flinches whenever his family are near. Or the real reason she’s afraid to take her relationship with Max to the next level.

But when Corey who has always been the underdog of the group is bullied, the fearless five are brought back together again, teaming up to wreak havoc and revenge on those who have wronged them. But when the secrets they are keeping can no longer be kept quiet, will their fearlessness be enough to save them from themselves???

WOW, WOW, WOW!!!  What a book The Deviants was, I didn't just like this, I absolutely LOVED it.  I was hooked from the first page.  This is been marketed as a YA and I normally don't read YA but I'm so glad that I did read it as it was fantastic. There are layers of secrets exposed as the pages are turned.  I know that his book will stick in my memory longer than most because of the subject matter that was involved.  This story had it all from a little bit of humor, love, betrayal, a web of lies, protectiveness to more sensitive and hard-hitting issues like the lengths that some people will go to to cover up a family secret - I found I had a little tear in my eye at the end along with shedding a few along the way, so grab this book, curl up on the couch with a box of chocolates and prepare to have a few lump in your throat moments too. It will definitely not disappoint and I HIGHLY recommend it. I'm really looking forward to seeing what C.J. Skuse writes next but I will definitely be checking out her previous books.

The Deviants is available on Kindle and in all good bookstores from September 22nd and is £3.99 at the time of publication of this review so grab it while you can, you won't be disappointed so don't say I never told you so.