[Book Review] Something Wicked By Debi Chestnut & Ghost Town Coffee Roasters Clean

Title: Something Wicked
Series/Universe: Standalone
Author: Debi Chestnut
Publisher: Llewellyn Publications
Publication date: July 8th 2016
Page Count: 240 pages
Age Rating: YA & Up (semi-explicit descriptions of violence and death, including against minors)
How I got my hot little hands on it: Received a copy to review
Publisher’s page: Something Wicked

Forget what you know or think you know about negative entities. Unless you are one of the few who have encountered a demon, it’s almost impossible to grasp the depth and scope of such pure evil and how these creatures can enter someone’s life and completely turn it upside down. Something Wicked explores the topic of negative energies, dark forces, and exorcisms with fresh eyes so that you may come to your own conclusions.

My Review

In Something Wicked, Debi Chestnut takes readers on a journey into the dark side of the paranormal. More specifically, into the demonic side.

This book is part paranormal investigation primer (with detailed explanations of useful terms), part warning about what’s out there and what could happen if you mess with things you’re not trained to deal with, and part illustrative stories of hauntings and demonic encounters (both real and possibly imagined).

The book deals a lot with demons: how demons get in (tip: clean your house), how to recognize the signs of the presence of a demon, details about the Catholic Church and the Rites of Exorcism, how to deal with the aftermath of a demon encounter, and the difference between demonic oppression, repression, and possession are just a few examples. The author also takes great pains to talk about what is not a demonic presence and illustrates with some heart-wrenching stories what can go wrong when novices take matters into their own hands (trigger warning for some kind-of gruesome descriptions of people being beaten and killed because someone suspected them of being possessed – including small children. I honestly teared up at some points.)

I found Something Wicked fascinating and I really came out the other side feeling like I learned something – one of my favorite feelings when I finish a book. I highly recommend this book to lovers of the paranormal and especially fans of ghost hunting and paranormal investigation shows, I almost guarantee it will leave you with a deeper understanding and a deeper appreciation of what you’re seeing out there.

Twice in Something Wicked does the author mention the importance of keeping a clean home in order to avoid demons moving in – I’ll admit I did tidy up a bit after reading that. Because of that advice, and because the author also talks a bit about positive energy and light in the battle to keep out negative entities, I’m recommending Ghost Town Coffee Roasters Clean – part of their signature blend line, Clean is a medium, full body roast with a crisp, clean bright citrus flavor and a lingering touch of butterscotch toffee sweetness for a pleasant cup of coffee that kind of tastes like happy sunshine in a cup.