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The Pine Barrens' Devil

By

Worth reading 😎

Four different short stories spread out over the years, all taking place in the Pine Barrens area of New Jersey.

"Ask yourself this: Which is more terrifying - the monster? Or what harbors the monster?"


The Pine Barrens' Devil consists of four short stories that take place in New Jersey during various times in history. One taking place in colonial America, one during the American Revolution, one sometime after World War II, and the last one in the present or close to it. Every character finds their way into the Pine Barrens and has an encounter with the one and only Jersey Devil. A little spooky, a little strange, but definitely worth the read.


All of the stories have a "campfire" feel to them. Took me back to hot nights, s'mores, and telling spooky stories by the fire. Who has the best scary story? How badly can you freak each other out? Each individual story gave you more information about the Devil, just little things to keep the stories connected. Though I found each individual story interesting, I didn't find it as scary as I wanted to. I found myself wanting more from each story, more background on the Devil, more answers to questions, and more information on each main character.


"Travelers, hunters, traders, and even the occasional farmer chasing after wandering livestock have walked into the woods and never been seen again."


Those who enjoy a spooky story are sure to enjoy this book. Paynter describes the woods the way only a person who grew up in the area could. She makes the woods into an entity that ends up scarier than the actual Devil. The vastness and silence that surrounds woods is something I forgot I was afraid of, reading this story reminded me of how I felt when I was a child. I was unaware that the Jersey Devil is a real legend that has roots back into the 1700's. There are still sightings and encounters reported to this day.



Reviewed by

Long time reader, teacher, and lover of new worlds. Always looking for a new book to be obsessed with!

Where Darkness Lives

About the author

Leigh Paynter was born and raised in Southern New Jersey. For 15 years, she has worked as both a print and television journalist in New Jersey, Florida and California. She also served in the United States Peace Corps (2006-2008 Armenia). "The Pine Barrens' Devil" is her first book. view profile

Published on May 14, 2020

Published by

30000 words

Contains mild explicit content ⚠️

Worked with a Reedsy professional 🏆

Genre: Horror

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