THE DEMON TRAPPER'S DAUGHTER
by Jana Oliver
It’s 2018, and 17-year-old Riley Blackthorne just wants to fight demons. In this gritty paranormal offering, demons (and the occasional angel) prowl the streets of Atlanta, Ga., and Riley wants to leave her nomadic school to join her father in the Demon Trappers’ Guild. When a solo trapping goes wrong and surfaces on YouTube, Riley faces ridicule from classmates and Guild members alike. Thanks to her mother’s death, the mounting bills and her father’s dangerous job, Riley is more world-weary than a typical teen. But Paul Blackthorne and his former apprentice, the rugged and misunderstood Denver Beck (who alternates the narration with Riley), can’t keep her safe forever, especially when demons start calling her name. The tension builds steadily as the demons get stronger and Riley contends with a new boss and necromancers. Adult author Oliver successfully sets up a series with interesting characters and a detailed world, but the ending feels less like a conclusion than a lead-in for the next book. More developed and less torrid than standard teen paranormal fare, which is a nice change. (Paranormal romance. 14 & up)