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The Pine Barrens' Devil

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Worth reading 😎

The stories about this American cryptid are entertaining and spooky. However, the writing needs some work.

As a lover of folklore, I thought The Pine Barrens' Devil would be right up my alley. In a way, it was.

Leigh Paynter tells four short stories that take place each in different historical periods, in which the Jersey Devil makes an appearance either as an instigator or one who passes judgment.


The first story, "Where Darkness Lives", is Paynter's own version of how the Jersey Devil came to be. Like most other origin stories, this one takes place in colonial New Jersey, and involves an unwanted or transformed child.


The second story, "A Long Walk", takes place during the Revolutionary War. The protagonist, Whippany, not only gets lost in the Pine Barrens, but in the throes of his own desires.


The third story, "The Game", very much illustrates the character of both the Pine Barrens and the Jersey Devil. They like to toy with travelers to the forest, especially those who deserve punishment. In this story, that person who deserves punishment is an antisemitic hustler looking after his girlfriend's son, a chess genius. This story takes place soon after the end of WWII.


The fourth and final story is "Reflection in the Lake", almost a reverse retelling of The Little Mermaid, though instead of a sea-witch, it is the Jersey Devil that causes the transformations. The protagonist, Emily, does get more than she bargained for when trying to impress her classmates on a camping trip, losing herself to Lake Absegami in the end.



All of these stories have to do with characters wanting more than they have bargained for, and the Jersey Devil is more than happy to comply with their wishes. I was familiar with some of the Jersey Devil folklore before reading this book, though it never occurred to me that the Jersey Devil would act more like the biblical devil, rather than a weird-looking cryptid that eats livestock and frightens travelers. I like this different take on the Jersey Devil, though it does make its character a bit less mysterious. I am eager to do more research about the Jersey Devil and the many versions of its folklore.


Now I want to discuss the aspects of this book that I liked.


Generally the stories are good and entertaining, and Paynter's use of different historical eras really emphasizes that the Jersey Devil is a constant and frightening force of folklore.


I like that the stories were not too long, and did feel very much like campfire stories, as I believe Paynter had intended. Perhaps she will publish another collection of stories about the Jersey Devil, which I would be eager to read.


Unfortunately, there were quite a few aspects of this book that did not make it a 5-star read.


While the stories were good, the writing style could be improved upon. Paynter tells too much and shows too little, using statement after statement after statement. However, I am happy to say that this got better with each story. I think the stories' writing style would have been more coherent if she had gone over each story again. Overall, I think Paynter just needs to practice her storytelling, and find the writing style that suits her best.

Grammar and spelling were off here and there, which further reinforces my statement that Paynter should have gone over her stories and writing more before publishing.


Overall, I did enjoy the stories, and I would recommend The Pine Barrens' Devil to those who love folklore and the many aspects of this American cryptid.

Reviewed by

I am a classicist who specializes in ancient language and poetry, as well as an author and part-time book reviewer. Currently, my favorites to review are ghost stories. Anything with haunted houses is my cup of tea. Originally from Los Angeles, CA I now live in the cold winters of Canada.

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