The Stories of Devil-Girl

The Stories of Devil-Girl
Anya Achtenberg

Modern History Press (2008)

ISBN 9781932690620

Reviewed by Paige Lovitt for Reader Views (6/08)

The Devil-Girl was raised to believe that she had the devil in her, or at least he was at work in her life. Her abusive mother taught her to believe that she wasn’t worth anything. Throughout her childhood and young adulthood, Devil-Girl encountered perverts and sadists that cared only about using and abusing her. The Devil-Girl was never heard. She didn’t have a voice that was believed worth listening to. This is a really painful story to read. It made me fear for all of the “Devil-Children” out there who don’t get heard.

Achtenberg has a talent for writing scenes in vivid detail which brings them to life for the reader. It also makes the pain the Devil-Girl is suffering more real. It is inspiring to see the character turn her life around and use her experiences to help other Devil-Girls out there. This is a very good way to inspire others who are being abused to make something positive of their lives and not allow the current situation to ruin their futures. I think that it will also make people take a closer look at what is happening in the lives of people around them, especially children’s.

The Stories of Devil-Girl is the first book in the Reflections of America Series. This series “highlights autobiography, fiction, and poetry which express the quest to discover one’s context within modern society.” If The Stories of Devil-Girl is any indication of the quality of the books to follow in this series, readers will be thrilled to have access to some excellent works. If nothing else, this book is one tough act to follow.