Reviews

The Devil All the Time by Donald Ray Pollock

jjwalkerwrites's review against another edition

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‘Arvin didn’t know which was worse, the drinking or the praying. As far back as he could remember, it seemed that his father had fought the Devil all the time.’

The Devil All The Time is Southern Gothic at its best in that it highlights people at their worst.

Set in rural Ohio and West Virginia, it jumps between different characters and storylines, offering an unflinching and haunting look at humanity’s underbelly. The way those storylines overlap, the way they’re written, and the hopelessness of it all creates a feeling that the Devil truly is at work all the time, and there’s nothing you can do but watch.

While it’s gripping and one that I highly recommend, be aware that this book doesn’t hold back. It’s violent, it’s ugly, and it’s disturbing. Not one for the faint of heart.

alieneleni's review against another edition

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4.0

dark and gruesome as hell. was pretty slow for a while, but the end was great.

thwipys's review

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2.0

favorite line:

“As far back as he could remember, it seemed that his father had fought the Devil all the time.”

dhschultz29's review against another edition

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dark emotional sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No

4.0

sheisnovel's review against another edition

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5.0

I didn't know what to expect from this book. I had the movie on my list of to watch for over a year and finally added it to my TBR.
What a rollercoaster of a book.
1. The writing is seamless and fluid. Pollock has the ability to bring you into a space with people without having to be overly descriptive; simply by choosing his words carefully.
2. The character development is amazing! There is the back and forth of past/present, but it's done extremely well and only where it makes sense.
3. The plot is disturbing to say the least.
4. Loved the way it all came together in the end.

Definately recommend for anyone into thriller and suspense.

laurendeen's review against another edition

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3.0

This was technically a good book, just not for me. Cw for pretty extreme violence, including rape and animal sacrifice

catielokeeffe's review against another edition

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dark sad tense medium-paced

4.0

jmaronson's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

1jessml's review against another edition

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challenging dark tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

luthorsilver's review against another edition

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3.0

Not gonna lie, I really love the murders and gores of this book. They all paint the picture of a classic horror book that I ideally would enjoy. Those also include plot twists and the strangely well-connected plot lines that intertwine the characters' altogether.

However, I'm not quite sure if it's because of the lack of shock quality that this book doesn't quite appeal to me so much. It honestly feels like reading a Wikipedia page of a true crime case, only with more elaborated internal feelings and exposition.

Would I give it a second chance? Very well be.