Hellhole by Gina Damico Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers on January 6, 2015
Genres: Paranormal, Young Adult
Pages: 368
Purchase: Amazon
Add to: Goodreads
There was a time when geeky, squeaky-clean Max Kilgore would never lie or steal or even think about murder. Then he accidentally unearths a devil, and Max’s choices are no longer his own. The big red guy has a penchant for couch surfing and junk food—and you should never underestimate evil on a sugar high.
With the help of Lore, a former goth girl who knows a thing or two about the dark side, Max is racing against the clock to get rid of the houseguest from hell before time, and all the Flamin’ Hot Cheetos this side of the fiery abyss, run out.
Guest Post
What Surprised Me Most While Writing Hellhole
by Gina Damico
One thing that surprised me while writing HELLHOLE was the moral ambiguity that popped up everywhere, and how an otherwise good, decent kid started to rationalize all of the horrible things he was doing. I mean, I was writing a book about dealing with the devil, so obviously I knew that there would be some questionable decisions that the characters would be forced to make, but I when I first started writing it, I wasn’t really prepared to come up against so many heartwrenching decisions that I would be forced to make on behalf of my characters.
See, Max is in a pickle. His mom is very sick, and so he ends up stealing a gift for her. It’s an inexpensive trinket, really—not a big deal at all, but it’s still enough to summon a devil. And somehow, amidst the panic caused by summoning a satanic being, Max realizes that there’s a way to work this to his advantage: if he finds the devil somewhere to live, the devil will cure his mother.
So right away, there’s a big conflict. And over the course of the book, Max ends up doing some pretty awful things…but all in the name of saving his mother. And even though I knew these things were intrinsically awful, I often found myself thinking, “Well, yeah, but if he’s doing it for the right reasons…”
I guess it was the slippery-slope-ness of it all. If I were somehow put into this situation—okay, maybe not one in which I was forced to make a deal with a devil, but some other ethical quandary—how would I react? What decisions would I make? How much is too much?
And would I get away with it?
Thanks for having me!
About Gina Damico
Gina Damico is the author of Croak, Scorch, and Rogue, the grim-reapers-gone-wild books of the Croak trilogy. She has also dabbled as a tour guide, transcriptionist, theater house manager, scenic artist, movie extra, office troll, retail monkey, yarn hawker and breadmonger. A native of Syracuse, New York, she now lives outside Boston with her husband, two cats, and one dog, and while she has never visited hell in person, she has spent countless waking hours at the Albany Regional Bus Terminal, which is pretty darn close. Visit her website at www.ginadami.co.
As message from Gina:
Hey there book fans! I’m running a Follow Frenzy giveaway over the course of this blog tour, and the prize is pretty neato: a signed copy of HELLHOLE wherein each chapter will have a little bit of trivia and/or a doodle handwritten by yours truly. (Gina) (Damico) To enter, all you have to do is follow me on one or more of my various social media outlets (Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, Instagram, Youtube), then fill out this adorable little form. That’s it! The more things you follow, the more chances you will earn to win. Good luck!
Giveaway
This is a tour wide giveaway.
sherry fundin
I love the cover and guest post. Sometimes the characters write the book. LOL It is nice to meet another couch surfer. LOL Great giveaway and I would love to add this to my shelf. Have a great weekend.
Jennifer Bielman
I love when the characters write the book, those are the best.
Carmel @ Rabid Reads
Casting the devil as a character is a guaranteed recipe for chaos which is why I love reading books that feature him so much. I’ve seen some really awesome reviews for this book, so it’s already on my TBR pile, now the next step is actually getting to it. Wonderful guest post!
Jennifer Bielman
Awesome. I agree, you can’t go wrong with the devil!
Bieke @ Istyria book blog
I love Gina Damico after reading Croak! 😀
Jennifer Bielman
I am going to read Croak very soon!
kindlemom1
Great guest post! Funny how things aren’t always so black and white in real life and fiction. 😉
Happy Friday and thanks for sharing this!
Jennifer Bielman
so true.
Jaclyn Canada
It’s hard to say how far you would take things to save someone you love. Great post! Thanks so much for sharing 😀
Jennifer Bielman
Until you are in the situation, you just don’t know.
Melliane
It’s the first time I hear about this one but it sounds interesting, plus I love the cover! I’m curious to see what Max has to do. thanks for the post!
Jennifer Bielman
I thought the cover was pretty cool too.
Lisa Richards
I loved Gina Damico’s reaper series so this is a must for me.
Jennifer Bielman
I have to read her other books.
Braine Talk Supe
Moral ambiguity, I love that especially if it’s a kid that’s caught in that web. I’m curious what kind of justifications he’ll come up with to make the wrongs right.
Jennifer Bielman
Oh, the justifications we make when we are young.
Melanie (YA Midnight Reads)
Ah Gina Damico is such a funny person! I really enjoyed Hellhole–she can always promise laughs xD
Thanks for sharing, Jennifer! <33
Jennifer Bielman
Yay, glad to hear it. I want to read the book bad.
Christy
I am SO going to read this. It sounds like something I’d love.
Jennifer Bielman
I think so to!
Olivia
This is also a book on my TBR! I have seen a few reviews, and they make this sound like a funny and enjoyable book with a great character. I can’t wait to try it too 🙂
I have tagged you in a tag here: http://olivia-savannah.blogspot.nl/2015/01/gift-guide-tag.html
Jennifer Bielman
I can’t wait to try it out too.