Hideous by Devon McCormack
Publication date: June 19th 2014
Genres: Paranormal, Young Adult
Genres: Paranormal, Young Adult
Eight years ago, Luke Retter witnessed the brutal murder of his mother and sister at the hands of his demon-possessed father. He survived but lost a hand and an eye. The demon also burned its emblem into his skin, marking him as a cursed. Those who bear this mark are at risk of becoming possessed themselves, so they are monitored and enslaved by the state-run UCIS. Working as a slave is hard, but Luke prefers it to the possibility of being controlled by a demon.
One night, Luke wakes to find his worst nightmare coming true. His father’s demon has returned. In a panic, he runs to the only person who might be able to help: Zack, a cursed who ran away from the state and created an underground community to protect other fugitive curseds. Zack helps him suppress the demon. But the city’s become a time bomb, and Luke’s demon itches to escape.
With the UCIS closing in on Zack’s underground operation and Luke’s demon crafting its own, nefarious plot, Luke realizes that he must take a stand.
One night, Luke wakes to find his worst nightmare coming true. His father’s demon has returned. In a panic, he runs to the only person who might be able to help: Zack, a cursed who ran away from the state and created an underground community to protect other fugitive curseds. Zack helps him suppress the demon. But the city’s become a time bomb, and Luke’s demon itches to escape.
With the UCIS closing in on Zack’s underground operation and Luke’s demon crafting its own, nefarious plot, Luke realizes that he must take a stand.
GUEST POST
by Devon McCormack
I get insecure from time to time.
I run to the mirror. Is
that a zit? Just a spot? Am I imagining it? Did I gain five pounds overnight?
Is that scientifically possible?
I think most people, with the possible exception of some
with DSM-V classifiable issues, feel hideous from time to time. We're bombarded
with media images that present what mainstream culture has defined as beautiful.
I'm so appreciative of all the movements against this, especially websites like
PS Disasters, which shows how awry
pictures can turn out when photo editors try to craft these perfect, unnatural
bodies. It's really a shame, because we take a beautiful model, and even that
model, being as close to that mainstream ideal as a human can get, can't reach
these ridiculous standards. Books can do this in their own way. So often we see
literary representations of perfect bodies. Certainly, it must play on people's
minds. To make it even worse, these beautifully described characters will beat
up on themselves about how they look. How’s that supposed to make those of us
who don't have those ideal qualities feel? In my upcoming young adult novel, Hideous, I wanted my character to have
something that inherently made him imperfect, or at least, not adhering to
those images that we so often see around us, so often see represented in books.
He's missing an eye and a hand, so there's immediately this thing about him
that makes him less-than all those ideal representations.
Imperfect is something that we all have to deal with.
Everyone has to deal with it because no one can be those perfect images.
They’re distortions. They’re fabrications. They’re lies. And yet, we're all
conned by media (books and movies) into believing that this perfection is
attainable and our responsibility to adhere to. I'm not saying everyone buys
into it, but I think that's the game corporations are playing. They want you to
buy into the lie that you must achieve that perfect body, because the only way
to get even close to it is to buy their products! Obviously, that’s not how it
should be. With Hideous, I hope that
people will see this representation of someone struggling with body image
issues, someone who doesn't fit that norm, and see the value in him and
understand that it isn't those aspects that make us good or great people. It's
much deeper qualities. I know. That's a cliché message, but like the greatest
messages, we can never get enough of them. Because they're true, and we need to
be reminded that they're true...if only to help us overcome those forces that
try to convince us otherwise.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Devon McCormack spends most of his time hiding in his lair, adventuring in paranormal worlds with his island of misfit characters. A good ole Southern boy, McCormack grew up in the Georgian suburbs with his two younger brothers and an older sister. At a very young age, he spun tales the old fashioned way, lying to anyone and everyone he encountered. He claimed he was an orphan. He claimed to be a king from another planet. He claimed to have supernatural powers. He has since harnessed this penchant for tall tales by crafting whole worlds where he can live out whatever fantasy he chooses.
A gay man himself, McCormack focuses on gay male characters, adding to the immense body of literature that chooses to represent and advocate gay men's presence in media. His body of work ranges from erotica to young adult, so readers should check the synopses of his books before purchasing so that they know what they're getting into.
A gay man himself, McCormack focuses on gay male characters, adding to the immense body of literature that chooses to represent and advocate gay men's presence in media. His body of work ranges from erotica to young adult, so readers should check the synopses of his books before purchasing so that they know what they're getting into.
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