Delacorte Books for Young Readers, October, 2006
ISBN: 0385733712
Available: New and used
Ashley Reeves is a reporter for “Missing Link”, a magazine devoted to natural oddities. One day Ashley receives a letter from Reginald Mather, requesting him to come to his house on Aries Island in the middle of Lake Languor to see a specimen of “Ganges Red,” a giant deadly red mosquito also known as “The Devil’s Hand.” Ashley’s arrival on the island is marred when his boat hits some rocks, destroying the vessel and stranding him there. It turns out that there is more to the mosquito and the residents of Aries Island than meets the eye and soon Ashley is fighting for his life as he finds out that the mosquito isn’t the only deadly killer on the island.
The Hand of the Devil is a very engrossing tale that sucks the reader in. The exposition is considerable and does interrupt the pacing of the story, but also provides needed backstory and fleshes out the plot, allowing Carter to introduce additional plot twists. The Hand of the Devil will appeal to readers in a variety of subgenres. Readers of killer animal books will appreciate The giant mosquito that kills in a particularly gory manner. A serial killer who does away visitors on the island in a gruesome manner will be of interest to readers of human horror. There is also a supernatural aspect to the story. Although the extensive exposition initially makes for a slow and awkward start, once the action gets going it is strong throughout the rest of the book. Note: This is an unusually gory book for a teenage audience. Recommended for high school libraries.
Contains: gore, violence.