Repossessed Review

Title: Repossessed

Author: A M Jenkins

Release Date: 1^st March 2009 (Reprint)

Publisher: HarperTeen

Kiriel is one fed up demon. Fed up with being stuck in hell, and fed up with tormenting the damned (a thankless task if there ever was one!). So he’s going to take a little a little break, vacationing on earth in the slightly used body of a seventeen- year- old …

Kiriel the demon has decided to take a trip to earth and has taken over the body of seventeen year old Shaun. However, Shaun’s life is far from perfect and Kiriel finds himself on a quest to befriend Jason, Shaun’s younger brother, try and start a relationship with Lane, Shaun’s classmate and stop the school Bully, Reed from spending the afterlife being punished. This is all before he gets dragged back to the depths of hell and as things seem to be going to plan, Kiriel becomes more aware just how little time he has to make things happen.

This is a light hearted read which deals with the beauty of life through the eyes of someone who has never experienced it before. I couldn’t help but notice a similarity between the way in which Shaun changes when Kiriel takes over his body and the way in which teenage boys change when they finally become men. Kiriel (in Shaun’s body) begins to wear different clothes, notices the way girls pay attention to him and also begins to respect his younger brother. 

Being written from the point of view of Kiriel, the demon, who has been watching Shaun and his companions for a long time, the novel explores the sexual urges of the male teenager as well as delving into Lane’s desires for love and romance.  Kiriel also attempts to rebuild Shaun’s relationship with his brother. Kiriel looks at life with a critical eye and sees how Shaun and others around him could behave in different ways towards one another. Most of the novel deals with Kiriel’s comments on day to day life and the plot isn’t particularly complex but that’s what makes the novel such a light hearted read.

Overall, a really interesting but easy going read. The novel is funny at times, as well as dealing with serious aspects of teenage life (love, family, sex and bullying) in a light hearted way. This book looks at our day to day existence in a new way and I would recommend it to anyone who wants something fun to read.

3.5/5 Just a nice, fun read.