When Devils Sing by Xan Kaur

The quick cut: Four unlikely partners work together to solve the mystery behind a teen's disappearance. 

A real review: 

 Small towns often have their secrets and myths, but what if your town's secret was deadly? This is the situation for the town of Carrion. 

 Every thirteen years, a swarm of particularly loud cicadas arrives and the local people have a celebration. What's lessor known is how a litany of locals also disappear without a trace at the same time. When a local teen named Dawson disappears and the police claim it's a drowning, a few locals get together to find Dawson and discover the truth. Will they find something else in the process? 

 I enjoyed this young adult horror story that combines horror and local legends. While the story is slow paced, it kept my interest piqued until the end with its trickle of information. This is one of a few stories where multiple narrators works effectively.

 The plot and the secret of the town is the true central character here. While you do get to know the people who get together to find Dawson, their plot points really serve to service the plot. It means that you don't get distracted by character development here, which is something I rarely enjoy. 

 If you enjoy a slow paced story, you'll definitely enjoy this book more than me. I prefer something more action packed, which made this book not quite a fit for my reading style. 

 The only part that's bothering me is why thirteen years? I may have missed that component, but it definitely appears to be unanswered. 

 A creepy deep south horror story. 

My rating: 4 out of 5