Del-Del

by Victor Kelleher

A psychological thriller which was shortlisted for the 1991 Carnegie Medal. Possession is a chilling phenomenon, and Beth's family is rocked into a nightmare world when her young brother becomes inhabited by a spirit called Del-Del. Cold, murderous and evil, Del-Del wants only to destroy.

Genres: Horror, Young Adult, Fiction, Childrens

208 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1991

About the author

Victor Kelleher is an Australian author. Victor was born in London and moved to Africa with his parents, at the age of fifteen. He spent the next twenty years travelling and studying in Africa, before moving to New Zealand. Kelleher received a teaching degree in Africa and has taught in Africa, New Zealand and Australia. While in New Zealand, he began writing part time, prompted by homesickness for Africa. He moved to Australia in 1976, with his South African wife, Allison, and taught at the University of New England, in Armidale, New South Wales, before moving to Sydney to write full time. Many of the books he has written have been based on his childhood and his travellings in Africa.

Kelleher has won many awards for his books, such as the Australian Children's Book Award.

Reviews

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

15 years on and it still scares the bejeebers out of me...

[deactivate · Rating 3 out of 5]

I remember reading this in Kumon (it's one of those out of school education programs your parents force you to go to when your a kid) and just being completely terrified as I realized that DelDel was not a story about a happy-go-lucky family going on a bear hunt and skipping through fields of flowers. No, ten year old me was scared senseless and (admittedly) I still am. A delightful piece of contemporary horror that still creeps me out to this day.

[Brittany · Rating 4 out of 5]

When Beth and Sam lose their sister, Laura, to Leukemia, things begin to sink back into their 'new normal'.

But on the first anniversary of Laura's death, Sam begins to call himself "Del-Del" and his behavior becomes more and more sinister.

It's not long before Beth and the rest of the family are convinced that Sam is in the grip of something powerful and that he is definitely not himself.

But what exactly is Del-Del?

I think maybe if I had read this book a decade or more ago, it would probably have scared the absolute out of me.

But as a nearly 25-year-old, I wasn't terrified at the prospect of Del-Del.
I was more concerned that the parent's were so easily convinced that Sam was a child possessed by something other than himself. Again, that is probably part of reading a book made for children but for two supposedly rational people who work in extremely rational jobs, it didn't take long for them to jump on the 'demon' bandwagon.

The other thing I really found lacking in this book was Beth as a character. I felt that she wasn't really a character at all, just a floating voice of narration. I was hoping for a bit more characterisation. You know, how was Beth feeling? How did Beth cope with her sister's death? Unfortunately Beth just didn't seem real to me.

But there is a LOT to love about this story.
Looking at how children cope with grief was quite tangible and really beautifully portrayed through Sam.
I also really loved the whole family dichotomy.
Also, THE GRANDMA IN THIS BOOK IS THE ABSOLUTE BEST.
She absolutely slays and I seriously want a spin-off about Gran and her various dealings with cults.

Even though this was way out of my age bracket I still really enjoyed this book and absolutely would recommend it, although probably to it's suggested audience.

REMINDS ME OF:
- When a Monster Calls by Patrick Ness
- The Boy Who Drew Monsters by Keith Donahue

[Rachael Clemens · Rating 5 out of 5]

I adore this book, been my absolute favorite since I was a child and I have collected many original copies over the years that I treasure greatly. Made me rethink what people go through in times of trauma and loss and instilled true empathy in me when I was a bratty, selfish teenager.
Thank you Mr Kelleher

[laqueus · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this in primary school and it scared the shit out of me. I've been looking for a copy for years and finally found one. It took ages because i couldn't remember it very well. Just ideas about a creepy little boy, a demon, an alien, a cupboard, death, scariness? It took me a while to even work out the title, it was so long ago. I remembered the name Del-Del separately, but it was a while before I worked out the reason it scared me, and that it was actually the name of a book that scared me, and that I was looking for it. I can see why it freaked me out when I was younger, and i still think it's a really good book. Although I have a history with it so I might be biased. It's a bit creepy and very easy to read. Im so glad I was able to find it and enjoy it again.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ich habe dieses Buch gelesen, als ich ungefähr zwölf Jahre alt war, also ca. 1997. Es hat mich seither immer verfolgt, ich hab immer wieder daran gedacht und probiert, eine Ausgabe zu finden, auf deutsch oder auf englisch, aber nie mehr ein Exemplar auftreiben können. Es war damals ein sehr unheimliches Buch, aber eines, das ich nicht mehr aus der Hand legen konnte und wollte. Die zum Teil sehr metaphernreiche Sprache hat mich beim ersten Mal lesen verwirrt, Jahre später habe ich dann, ohne ein Buch zur Hand zu haben, plötzlich Dinge verstanden, für die ich mit zwölf Jahren einfach noch zu jung war. Ein Buch, das einen über mehr als zehn Jahre lang verfolgt, ist etwas sehr spezielles. ich MUSS ein Exemplar auftreiben.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would have loved this as a kid. I wish i had read it earlier - it would have scared the life out of me.

[Sarah (is clearing her shelves) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was pretty good for a YA horror from the early 90s. The dialogue was believable and didn't annoy me so much I felt the need to tear my eyes out (like a lot of more recent YA does). I liked the message about the need to deal with grief and how it can morph into something worse if you don't. Despite being over 30 years old it doesn't read as dated and I would recommend it to 12-16 year-olds (under 12 and I would worry the horror part would be too much and would overwhelm the communication of the message behind the plot), especially if they have dealt with similar issues to the ones featured in the book.

[✨ Aaron Jeffery ✨ · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved it sooooo much.

[Emma Harris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Still scared the shit out of me

[Emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

A family devastated by the death of their daughter and sister from leukaemia now faces losing their young son Sam through his own chilling, violent, and malicious behaviour. Middle-child Beth narrates her family's journey though a hell induced by Sam and his many demons. Recommended by my 11 year old student, I was surprised by the complexity and depth of Del-Del. Beth provides insightful reflections of family dynamic, grief and sibling relationships and her determination to save her brother at any cost provides plenty of food for thought.

[L.G. Estrella · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book when I was much younger, but returning to it now, it still retains much of its quality. Fans of the Exorcist will definitely see a few commonalities here, but what really sets the book apart is the simple horror it exudes. The book is written in simple, easy to follow prose, but it still manages to radiate a sense of horror that is up there with the best of them. Watching the family fall apart as things go from bad to worse is an almost visceral experience.

I consider this to be one of Kelleher's best books because it doesn't muck around. It understands what is scary and then plays ruthlessly to those things. Even better, its a book that lingers, the kind that sticks in your head for a few days, even after you're done.

[Kiara Love]

Victor Kelleher’s book ‘Del Del’ is a well-plotted and engrossing portrayal of a child’s inability to cope with death, from an Australian whose novels has consistently been of interest. Kelleher completes this novel with the use of red herrings, visual imagery, first person and his fantastic way of dragging the problem out in a very suspenseful manner. It is a brilliantly crafted novel that creates and maintains suspense in an emotional and creative way; however it still contains a few flaws in the texts.

[Nat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Probably number 2 of my all time favourite books. Nothing like I'd normally think to read, but very glad I did. What's disturbing about it is the you really don't know what's real and what's not, cos that little kid is so clever. To get my full meaning you have to read it. It's just got an eerie spookiness to it without having to try hard. Being an Aussie I can relate to the Australian setting too but this could have been set anywhere. It's a really good insight into what a family goes thru when trying to deal with grief, albeit to a slight extreme in this case.

Read it!

[Valerie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book in one evening, because I really wanted to find out what was going on. Not the usual Kelleher fantasy, more a tense psychological study. I thoroughly enjoyed it and will probably re-read in the near future.

[Matt Wesolowski · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this when I was about 11 years old. Amazing. Probably the book that got me into horror in the first place. Written for younger people but its darkness pulls no punches. Would recommend to anyone with a horror persuasion.

[Sally · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thoroughly creepy. I always loved this book, even if I was perhaps a little young the first time I read it.

[Kiel · Rating 3 out of 5]

CRREEEEEEPPPPPYYYYY.
spine-chilling!!!!

[Rowena · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book seriously freaked me out as a young teen but when I look back it was probably just my over active imagination :)

[Serah Osembo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great read!

[Haylee Read · Rating 4 out of 5]

I first read this book when I was eleven. I tried again when I was twelve. This book scared me so much I never finished it.

Time to try again.

[Maria · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was 12 when I read this and it was gripping! So hard to put down as a young reader.

[Heather Browning · Rating 5 out of 5]

Creepy, compelling, heartbreaking. I love this book and always have.

[Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book when I was about 12-14 and it has always stuck with me. It still scares me when I think of it to this day. One that I will have to read again soon.