Devil Is Fine

I just finished Devil is Fine by John Vercher and here are my thoughts.


No father should ever have to bury their child. Not being able to process that death can be hard on anyone but when he received a letter from an attorney stating his grandfather had left a plot of land to the child he had just buried, the land now transferred ownership to him. Being a biracial man and estranged from his mothers white family, he is floored to find that the land used to be a plantation and the irony isn't lost on anyone.

Firstly, I thought this was a horror. I did not read the synopsis and the title didn't give much away. Not only is this not a horror but a magical realism book, it might be the most beautifully compelling read I have ever read. The book has no problems hitting you with as many complex issues as it could fit into one book but the author handled them with such gravitas that you will be left feeling like you went through a wood chipper but are so glad you did.

The book touches on things like addiction, grief and loss, it also brings up mental health struggles with not being able to fit in. The narrator is so unreliable but you come to understand that he isn't reliable because he doesn't trust himself which reflects back out to us in a very clever way.

I don't read a lot of literary fiction because I always feel like the plot isn't a priority but the characters are the focal point. This book didn't do that. You can see clearly what the book is about, what it wants you to grasp and delivers you out the other end with a new perspective. I was blown away. I have never read a book like it. I found myself chuckling and breaking a little inside all the way through.

I definitely think you should give this book a go. You won't be sorry.

4.5 stars.

Thank you to @celadonbooks and @netgalley for my gifted copy