Desolation by Derek Landy

The Demon Road trilogy bk 2. HarperCollins, 2016. ISBN 9780008156961
(Age: 14+) Desolation by Derek Landy is the second in a trilogy about a girl named Amber whose family issues are considered more supernatural than most. As discovered in Demon Road, the first novel in the series, Amber was born and raised by her parents so that she may (unknowingly) aid their efforts to gain power after their centuries old agreement was made with Astaroth, one of the great demons of hell. The only catch in such a role is that Amber was destined to become a feast as soon as she became of age and her own demonic powers started to develop and show. Still on the run from her parents' enormous appetites, both for flesh and for power, Amber and Milo (Amber's gunslinging bodyguard and friend) find themselves being chased by Astaroth's hounds of hell as they make their way towards the town of Desolation Hill where refuge potentially hides. While seeming a lovely mountainside town, Desolation Hill is hiding a large and evil secret, the closer Amber gets to feeling safe from her parents and the Hounds of Hell, the more she finds herself tangled in the mysteries and evils in this town.
Desolation provides a refreshing point of view, gaining an insight to Amber's mind and thoughts as she struggles with complications from both the outside world and her own mind as her chaotic life gets thrown in every direction. The characters that are introduced in this book are quirky and vibrant, allowing the reader to imagine them while reading and to realistically understand their relationships and feelings. Desolation is better suited for an older audience due to the mature nature of some of the content. Overall, Desolation is a fantastic read that keeps the audience trapped in its pages due to its individuality and realistic characters.
Sarah Filkin