In a novel that's as much psychological thriller as fantasy, Stevie relates his own story and drops a bombshell in the middle of it. New to his school and desperate to be part of a gang, Stevie is willing to try almost anything--except start a fire as the gang leader suggests. Readers will be shocked when they eventually learn that Stevie is disfigured, having been lit on fire by bullies at his old school. It's Stevie's psychological instability that leads him to invest in the powers of a shell-like fossil known as the devil's toenail. The stone has its own enticing, cruel voice, set in boldface in the text, which lures Stevie into acts that it says will bring the boy power and esteem. Stevie longs to follow the voice, and he makes some efforts in that direction, with the drama escalating and finally culminating in his being tempted to let his bratty sister fall from a cliff. The story's devilish voice is a device that works well enough, though at times it becomes monotonous. What really holds readers--even more than the fantasy element--is Stevie himself, so clear in his observations, yet so ashamed of who he is.

Steve, scarred after being set afire by some schoolmates, finds a "devil's toenail" seashell while on vacation. Almost immediately the shell begins exerting control over Steve, urging him to break laws and lash out at others. The book provides some shivers as a horror story, though more frequently the shell seems a too-obvious literary device forcing Steve to confront his inner demons.

Gr 6-9-Stevie Saunders, 13, tries to reinvent himself after a long recovery from a bullying incident-he was doused with gasoline and set on fire by fellow students-that left his psyche as scarred as his face. At his new school, he is determined to align himself with a group of cool boys, those who steal and do graffiti and who order him to set fire to the public library book return. On a family trip to the beach, he discovers a shellfish fossil called a devil's toenail that seems to give him the power to do the things that Daniel, the leader of his gang, require of him. Readers eventually learn that the fossil's voice-shown in boldface italic font-guiding Stevie into self-destructive acts is actually his own train of thought, full of negativity and feelings of self-doubt and inadequacy. By the time Stevie realizes that the devil's toenail has no real power, he has regained his own ability to think rationally and is able to make sound choices related to both his family and soon-to-be ex-friends. Most readers will be able to decipher the Briticisms scattered throughout. A few too many subplots crowd the narrative but short chapters and taut writing contribute to the novel's palpable suspense; coupled with an attention-grabbing cover, this will be a hot item.-Ellen Fader, Multnomah County Library, Portland, OR Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.