The Box of Demons by Daniel Whelan

The Box of Demons Reviews

• 
  Gill

  
  This book was bought for me as a Christmas present and the first thing that grabbed my attention was the Chris Riddell illustrations as a pop up inside, the magnetic clasp and the black edged pages. (See pics above ).
  
  Ben Robson has a box. He's had it since as far back as he can remember. In the box lives three Demons. Orf who is a smelly, incessantly complaining hypochondriac. Kartofel has the body of a spider, eight claws where his legs should be and a crimson and yellow flame for his head. Djinn has a large body with a huge craving for food he is unable to eat!
  
  Ben is visited by an angel and told he can send the box back to hell but the box has other ideas. Ben is a bit of a misfit. He lives with his grandparents in Wales, his mum lives in a nursing home due to illness. His grandparents worry about him as he doesn't forge friendships. The only bond Ben has is with the demons, even though he wants rid of them. As the book progresses he becomes allies with people from the most strangest of places and the demons show they can actually help him.
  
  I loved this book. It has a very good story and lots of humour especially centered around the demons. It has a feel of a Terry Pratchett story for its wackiness and best of all an enjoyable Armageddon.
  
  I couldn't fault this book in anyway. I would aim it at the YA category and gave it a score of 5/5.
• 
  Dana Salman

  So here are some things I liked about the book:
  
  1. The cover, which was the reason I even had cause to look at this book - I recognized Chris Riddell's illustrations immediately and thought I liked what I saw. A title like "The Box of Demons" was a great hook too.
  
  2. The demons themselves. If I had to profess to liking any character at all in this book, it would have to be the titular demons. I liked their designs, I liked their personalities, and I liked their banter. I also liked the concept of this kid having had to grow up with these things being a constant part of his life, invisible to everyone else, and the back summary made me think I'd be getting more on how he's had to cope with them - how something that would have been so cool and weird and gloriously special to a little kid would end up being more of a curse as he got older. There's... not too much of that, but I'll talk about it later.
  
  3. This one chapter told from the POV of the main character's rabbit. It threw me for a loop and I thought it was one of the most enjoyably written and out-of-nowhere segments in the book, so unnecessary and different it ended up being pretty hilarious (at least until the very end where it suddenly took a darkly sad turn).
  
  4. The segment that takes place inside the Box itself. I can say this was easily the most I'd come close to having fun while reading this book.
  
  
  And that pretty much concludes the nice things I have to say. Now onto the bad, in the order that they became apparent to me:
  
  1. Ben is just not a likable protagonist. And when I say that I don't mean he's a horrible person or anything, I just mean that it was hard to actually feel anything for him on account of the book's utter failure to get me personally acquainted with him. I've gotten used to the regrettable trope I've come across where any book I read, even while being a pretty stellar piece of work, follows a protagonist with a personality I find impossible to describe other than to say "s/he's an average kid to whom such and such happens to", or in other words, just "the main character", but it still doesn't excuse the fact that it keeps happening. There was nothing Ben did or said that ever made me think, "Oh yeah, I get what he's like", or "yes, this is pretty typical of his character", whereas there were lots of other characters those observations could have applied to. And that's probably because he really is just supposed to be an average boy, and most of those other characters are supposed to be archetypes or stereotypes (some of them literal embodiments of abstract ideas), but it went even further beyond that; I just could never get a handle on what he was thinking or feeling at any point in the story, and I blame that on the narrative (a point soon to be elaborated on).
  
  2. Ben's three bullies. This was the first point of the story that I actually found really distasteful. I'd seen other reviews of some readers claiming this book to be disrespectful to women, and I just waved it off as them overreacting or just not liking certain female characters, thinking them to be poorly or even offensively written when in fact it's not such a big thing to get worked up about. Having read the book now, though... I'm not saying I think the book is sexist. But all I'm saying is that I found it really, really hard to picture these thirteen-year-old girls acting, talking, and doing the things they do, and that these girls would be serving as the bullies of the story (particularly since Ben was older). I've always disliked bully characters - unsurprisingly, as it is their very nature to be hated - because they hardly ever serve a purpose other than to show how rotten the main character's got it, and so it just ends up infuriating the reader for no real reason - especially when you've got a character like Ben, whose situation is already enough to make you sympathize with him without having to force in a bunch of faceless, one-dimensional bullies.
  Having to read about these girls though... Call me sexist myself for thinking this, but the fact that Ben's bullies were a trio of girls who were younger than him, rather than a group of boys in his own grade or older like the usual, actually infuriated me more. It was just so hard to take in. It's not because I don't believe girls like these exist (but God, if I ever met one...), but just the fact that these were the bullies the main protagonist had to face made him seem even more pathetic in my eyes. At least being targeted by boy bullies and not being able to fend them off is understandable and forgivable. Being bullied by a bunch of girls who are younger than you are, who don't really do much more than mouth off very immature insults (ignoring for a moment this one thing they do do that really is pretty brutal even by bully standards - I mean not like Stephen King level bullying with knives or anything but still punishable by law), and on top of all that, when the person being bullied is an older boy, is just so so cringingly hard to swallow. Granted there's the unwritten 'no hitting girls' rule, and maybe Ben wasn't in the best psychological position to fend off bullying, given what he was going through. But I still gotta wonder why these girls had to choose Ben of all people to pick on, when there aren't any other bullies among his own peers that we see of, and clearly if they're too busy picking on him, there must not be some poor hapless loser girl in their own grade taking the brunt of their bullying - a situation that would have been more believable. It just made them even more unlikable to me, because then all I can think about while reading their antics is "you idiots are so embarrassingly immature and stereotypical, why don't you go get a life and do something else with your time?"
  
  3. Scenes did not flow well. I'm not sure if it's a pacing issue, as I was never exactly conscious of the story suddenly moving too fast or too slow. It was more a problem with transition; I had a hard time picturing things happening from scene to scene sometimes, because the writing style, in some places, is so loosely and bluntly written, I'd suddenly find a character appear when I hadn't been aware they were even in the scene, or characters suddenly shifting position or attitude without any actual... movement. It's hard to explain, but again, I blame the narrative. It just felt like where some things were adequately described, others were just only very briefly mentioned and not elaborated on. This brings me back to my point on not being able to connect with Ben - almost all his dialogue would sound empty and lifeless, and then suddenly at one point, he'd do something like cry or hug another character and I'd be left wondering where the build up for these actions are. I couldn't get a handle on how he'd transition from one emotion to the next. This also made it hard for me to gauge his relationship towards the demons - throughout most of the book it's pretty blatantly clear that he'd like them gone from his life and has little to no patience with them, and then suddenly at one point, through no real actions or change of events that I could see affecting him in any way, he starts to think of them as indispensable members of his family. And it's only really stated as such - I never actually felt it.
  
  4. This book is so heavily atheistic. That being a problem of note is mostly my fault, given that, with a title like "The Box of Demons" and a plot premise involving sending said demons "back to hell", I should have avoided this book if I was seriously worried about reading something irredeemably offensive to my beliefs. I guess I was just that desperate; I've read books about demons before, or at least with demons in them, and God knows it's impossible to indulge in the fictional world without running into blasphemous ideas, however expected or unexpected. But I think this is the first book I've read that was this one-sided about religious concepts and the people who follow them. Even in Stephen King books, which almost always included a crazy religious zealot as a villain, at least only painted those exact people as being wrong and delusional and never outright said anything about faith or God Himself, whatever King actually believed. Here though the author makes it all too clear where he stands; all religions are simultaneously right and equally wrong, the world is not a creation of God, atheists fight on the 'good side' (even when those atheists include an unsavory character like the canonically labeled sexist Tegwyn), and believers, including those awful three girl bullies (who got by on claiming piety on the grounds that one of them owned a cross, because of course that's all you really need to get set for afterlife, nevermind at least being a good person *heavy sarcasm*) fought on the 'bad side'. People complain whenever media leans even a little too heavily for religion, saying it's being forced onto them, so I think I have the right to complain when the opposite is done.
  
  5. The book as a whole, but particularly the last half, was boring. I don't know how a person could possibly make the Apocalypse boring, but that's what this author has done, at least for me. By his own admission the ending was as anticlimactic as you could get. It almost felt like the book could sense how much I didn't want to read any more with the way the ending suddenly crept up and everything was being fixed and put away. And once I did finish I didn't feel like I carried anything away out of the experience, and neither did the characters; I don't feel like Ben has grown or changed, I don't feel like the demons learned anything or changed, and at the end of the day, nothing was really accomplished - you know, aside from saving the world, except, if you'll allow me to reiterate, it was so boring it hardly even seems like something that happened.
• 
  Elaine Aldred

  Ben Robson has a box that seems to have been with him forever. In it live three demons who are rather like having annoying friends you can never get rid of, but at the same time if they weren't there you would feel as if something was missing. Orf is a smelly, incessantly complaining hypochondriac, Kartofel has the body of a spider, eight claws where his legs should be and a crimson and yellow flame for his head, and Djinn has a very large body with a constant craving for food he is not able to eat. But after a visit from something that seems to be an angel, Ben is told he can be free of the box forever, if he sends it to hell. But it seems the box has other plans.
  Ben is someone who does not fit. It does not help that he has to live with his grandparents who look after him because his mother is in a nursing home. This can result in him being given a hard time by others in the community. But it is clear that his mother is not short of love for him and it is only her illness that keeps them apart. His grandparents exude a quiet concern, even though they do not always understand Ben and feel great sadness that their daughter cannot lead a normal life. In many ways it is the demons with whom Ben has formed the closest bonds, even though he would like to be free of their constant and irritating presence. As the book progresses, however, Ben acquires allies from the most unexpected places and the demons begin to prove their worth.
  This is a book that appears to be pitched at the young adult market, given that the main protagonist is nearly fifteen and his possible love interest is about the same age. But the writing style comes over as something more appropriate for a younger audience of twelve and upward. In fact there are many time when Robin Jarvis's Tales from the Wyrd Museum series comes to mind. In many ways, considering the way current young adult fiction is constantly pushing the envelope of what teenagers are capable of reading, this is a refreshing take on what is a 'Dungeon's and Dragons' style of adventure story.
  The Box of Demons courtesy of Macmillan Children's Books via NetGalley
  
• 
  Melissa Addey

  I had my young nephew (11) in mind for this book, but being a fan of Pratchett had a go at it myself first... It's funny, well-paced and enjoyable to read, the story of a young boy, lonely and tormented by a box of demons that seem very attached to him. At the start I thought it was going to be laughs all the way but actually there is a moving and really quite sad element to the story regarding his mother, who is in an institution and supposed to be mad. As another reviewer mentioned, I did wonder whether Ben (the protagonist) was also going mad - or conversely his mother was actually perfectly sane. I found the scenes with the mother (and other scenes where she is not present but her family are coping with the repercussions of her situation) very moving and it did make me curious to see future writing from Whelan aimed at an adult audience, as I found these parts very strong and it made the book more 'grown up' than it might at first seem. I wouldn't give it to a younger child (mostly because of the mother element) but I think a slightly older (14 up?) would really enjoy it. Great book - keeping it for myself after all and hope to read more from this author in the future.
• 
  Bev

  Ben Robson is a bit of a loner and doesn't really have any friends - unless you count the three demons that live in the wooden box that he always carries with him. His mum lives in a care home because of her delusions of seeing angels so he lives with his nan and grandad in a small town in Wales. The demons in the box are annoying to Ben as he gets older so when an angel appears to him and tells him he can help Ben to be rid of the box forever, it sounds as though things are looking up. Unfortunately all is not as it seems however and Ben finds himself at the centre of the apocalypse and his gaming ability is needed to save the world, mind you on the bright
  side he does find a (girl) friend. The story is told with great humour, I particularly enjoyed the fact that the road leading to hell is quite literally paved with good intentions- engraved on paving slabs! Reminiscent of Terry Pratchett's oeuvre the Box of Demons is a humorous, adventurous read - and the fact that the cover illustration was drawn by Chris Riddell is an added bonus.
• 
  Emily

  Loved this! A funny, imaginative fantasy story with a lovely main character who was perfectly geeky. It had sad points, laugh out loud moments, battles and would appeal to both boys, girls & adults. Combined with the really special hardback cover and pop up first page you cannot go wrong with this as a present or to keep for yourself!
• 
  Teresa Barrera

  Ben and his box of demons.
  I wanted to love this book, but sorry to say I didn't. Maybe it was just an off time for me where my attention didn't grab, I couldn't say really, but I wanted more.
  I felt disconnected from the main characters, even though there were times I felt for Ben's situation and for his mum, but I felt more like an outsider reading instead of right there in it, if that makes sense.
  I did enjoy the humor and cracked up as well as I could picture what the characters voices sounded like.
  Not a bad read. I think for me, I'm probably going the put this book on my shelf and come back to it later and reread it to see if I feel different about it.
  I really love the illustrations on the front and back cover.
• 
  Zippity do Dah

  I loved this book. The writing was easy to understand, and the world was created in such a way that it was just understood, not some bug secret. The epilogue really makes me want to analyze the whole book, or just read it again.
• 
  Alexis Drake

  Forse la copertina è la cosa migliore del romanzo, che mi ha deluso un po’.
  La trama: Ben vive con i suoi nonni in Galles. Mamma ricoverata in un ospedale psichiatrico perché dice di parlare con gli angeli, Ben si porta ovunque una scatola di legno, una specie di portagioie. Solo che dentro ci sono 3 demoni: Kartofel, Djinn e Orff. Sono con lui da 14 anni, ovviamente li vede solo Ben, e gli rendono la vita un inferno, perché sbucano fuori sempre, parlano, creano caos. Ma in realtà si limitano a questo, o almeno è questo quello che ci viene mostrato. Perché in realtà i tre demoni, che sono rinchiusi nella scatola tramite un collare magico, sono i soli amici che Ben possiede.
  E a parte un po’ di disordine e qualche battuta acida, non fanno male ad una mosca. Ma Ben è stufo di averli tra i piedi, così obbedisce ad un angelo, il suo angelo custode, che gli compare e gli da la possibilità di distruggere la scatola e rispedire i demoni all’inferno, dove vivranno con i loro simili.
  Ma in realtà i veri cattivi sono quelli che dovrebbero essere i buoni, compresi gli umani.
  Il libro parte subito, senza dare una sorta di backgroud su come la scatola sia arrivata in possesso di Ben. Quello che mi è dispiaciuto, come prima cosa, sia stato vedere alla fine poche scene tra Ben e i demoni, soprattutto le scene di amicizia, di come loro gli fossero accanto quando non c’era nessun altro, perché erano scene molto tenere, e almeno un po’ inaspettate.
  Sì è invece rivelato una sorta di retelling del racconto mitologico del vaso di Pandora, anche se io credevo che la scatola fosse una scatola Dibbuk.
  Mi ha deluso poi, come dicono altre recensioni, per quanto riguarda le donne nella storia e anche il carattere di Ben. Il protagonista sembra letargico, sempre passivo in quello che succede, non mostra emozioni. Poteva benissimo passare per quello senza anima al posto di Johannes Cabal, che almeno si preoccupa dei suoi affari. Provano più emozioni Djinn e Kartofel in confronto.
  Poi le donne non ci fanno una bella figura: la mamma è pazza e nessuno le crede; la sua infermiera una stronza; le tre bulle del paese sono tre ragazze; la ragazza che lavora al negozio fantasy non conosce nulla di ciò che vende.
  L’unica che si salva è la nonna di Ben, una santa donna piena di pazienza e bravissima in cucina. Meno male che esistono le nonne!!
  
  
• 
  Loie

  The cover of this book is what attracted my attention. The illustrations by Chris Riddell looked so interesting and instantly made me want to find out more. Then I read the blurb and was surprised to find out that the story is set in Wales, which I thought was cool. AND it was about demons and an apocalypse so it sounded right up my street!
  I enjoyed the book. The characters were charming and I loved getting to know their different personalities. The take on the apocalypse was interesting, and I was surprised that this book is aimed at children as at some points it seemed quite complex, in a religious sense.
  It would have been nice if the book highlighted the Welsh accent and phrases more, as it would really show to the reader where this novel is set.
  I have to also admit, that nearer the end of the book, I started to lose concentration and found that I was reading a page but that no information was going into my head. I’m not too sure if this is just because I have other things going on in my head, or if the book was making me lose concentration.
  Anyway, aside from that, this book was really good!
  I understand where people are coming from when they say that this book reminds them of Neil Gaiman’s Good Omens (which I personally didn’t like).
  So if you’re into things like Good Omens, or want more of a simpler version, then this is a good alternative!
• 
  Yami

  I don't know , it is Unique and weirdly written, but I didn't like it , It had a good start if not a confusing one, and it is generally sad and somehow irritating with a sense of something wrong within it.
  not a Favorite of mine for sure, I just wanted to finish it
• 
  Rosie Evans

  I enjoyed this book but parts were a little confused for me. I felt the plot was convoluted at times. Before reading I was under the impression this was aimed at the 10-12 age range, however elements of it struck me as YA. (Sometimes the jokes are a little too cutting/risque? I felt certain comments were unnecessarily adult. Maybe that's just me.) I think it could have been around 50 pages shorter with the ending being wrapped up a little earlier/neater. However, kids reading this may not be phased. The characters are great, there are lots of them but they are all well defined. There are many elements to the novel. I think confident readers 10+ will really enjoy this.
• 
  Nefret

  I wanted to like this book - a lot. In many ways it's quite good: wonderful, almost Pratchett-esque sense of humour, wacky characters and an enjoyable Armageddon.
  
  However, this book treats women terribly. There's a girl who (gasp!) works in a game shop - who is repeatedly referred to as 'the Girl' despite asking for her name to be used, is the brunt of a lot of sexist jabs, and turns out to be essentially a prize for the POV male character at the end while doing fairly little to participate in the actual plot. It left me tremendously frustrated.