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3.92 AVERAGE
3.92 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Beautifully written, with a unique story of pain, religion, darkness, and art.
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug use, Sexual violence, Suicide, Trafficking
Thank you to Grove Atlantic for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own
This book does contain a few themes that merit mentioning in a trigger warning (TW: sex trafficking, rape, sexual coercion, abortion, infant loss, drug abuse)
I think the most important piece of information a reader could have before embarking on this, admittedly well-crafted work is that it’s very stylized in its prose and does not follow conventional narrative forms. The style of narration changes and at one point switches to play with stage directions and costuming given. The language used changes and ultimately the book creates a large sense of ambiguity. If that is something that immediately puts you off a book, this is not the selection for you. However, if open-ended, more challenging writing is something you embrace, this is a very compelling read that generates a lot of thought-provoking discussion.
The story is that of the Watchman, a prophet and painter living in the rural south and the teenaged sex worker he ‘rescues’ and identifies as critical to the mission related to spreading his visions. At the heart though, the book touches on themes of morality, relativism, salvation, alienation, loneliness, and the way we understand religion. (Particularly traditional Christian narratives of good and evil.)
The most successful part of this book in terms of creating tension while at the same time establishing atmosphere are the sections narrated in first-person by Michael. The weak point of the book is the stage-play section in the later half of the book. I thought it was a very high-concept addition, and while it did add to the philosophical element of the book, it was a laborious read.
Two-Step Devil is a more ambitious read and is, frankly, a little weird. But it’s very well crafted and a compelling story and well worth the challenge.
This book does contain a few themes that merit mentioning in a trigger warning (TW: sex trafficking, rape, sexual coercion, abortion, infant loss, drug abuse)
I think the most important piece of information a reader could have before embarking on this, admittedly well-crafted work is that it’s very stylized in its prose and does not follow conventional narrative forms. The style of narration changes and at one point switches to play with stage directions and costuming given. The language used changes and ultimately the book creates a large sense of ambiguity. If that is something that immediately puts you off a book, this is not the selection for you. However, if open-ended, more challenging writing is something you embrace, this is a very compelling read that generates a lot of thought-provoking discussion.
The story is that of the Watchman, a prophet and painter living in the rural south and the teenaged sex worker he ‘rescues’ and identifies as critical to the mission related to spreading his visions. At the heart though, the book touches on themes of morality, relativism, salvation, alienation, loneliness, and the way we understand religion. (Particularly traditional Christian narratives of good and evil.)
The most successful part of this book in terms of creating tension while at the same time establishing atmosphere are the sections narrated in first-person by Michael. The weak point of the book is the stage-play section in the later half of the book. I thought it was a very high-concept addition, and while it did add to the philosophical element of the book, it was a laborious read.
Two-Step Devil is a more ambitious read and is, frankly, a little weird. But it’s very well crafted and a compelling story and well worth the challenge.
Wildly experimental in form and structure, this book displays an explicit desire to connect with its audience, but unfortunately it missed me. The characters were compelling, and the story was unique enough to keep me engaged while reading, but I didn’t necessarily have an overwhelming drive to pick it back up. This is one of those books where I acknowledge and appraise why others thoroughly enjoy it, but it simply wasn’t for me.
Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for the e-arc!
———————————————————————————
“How a thing looked was important. Not just Is it useful? but Is it nice to look at? Trees made fruit, and fruit is useful, he'd said to Zeke. But before fruit comes flowers, and there's not a thing to be done with them but look.”
“Politicians were the ones at fault, setting the whites against the Blacks so they wouldn't join together to fight the real enemy: the Unholy American Trinity. Businesses taking the sweat of the poor and turning it into fancy cars and airplanes; government taking money from their paychecks to make rich neighborhoods prettier and show the world how America is better than other countries; preachers humiliating them for enjoying God-given pleasures, food and drink and women. The lady he visited at the brothel. And as long as there was a race prob-lem, the government gained power, businesses got richer, and preachers fattened themselves and their churches.”
Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for the e-arc!
———————————————————————————
“How a thing looked was important. Not just Is it useful? but Is it nice to look at? Trees made fruit, and fruit is useful, he'd said to Zeke. But before fruit comes flowers, and there's not a thing to be done with them but look.”
“Politicians were the ones at fault, setting the whites against the Blacks so they wouldn't join together to fight the real enemy: the Unholy American Trinity. Businesses taking the sweat of the poor and turning it into fancy cars and airplanes; government taking money from their paychecks to make rich neighborhoods prettier and show the world how America is better than other countries; preachers humiliating them for enjoying God-given pleasures, food and drink and women. The lady he visited at the brothel. And as long as there was a race prob-lem, the government gained power, businesses got richer, and preachers fattened themselves and their churches.”
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
i don’t know how to capture this book into words. it may be the most strange yet wonderful book i’ve read. bear with me.
this book feels real, whimsical, heavy, lyrical, and profound all in one.
two-step devil unravels themes of grief, love, and the complications of faith. we follow a man who calls himself the Prophet, and the Girl he must rescue. the two have suffered greatly; but while we learn the Prophet’s past, we see the Girl’s future unfold.
all the while, the Two-Step Devil is a lingering & opposing force who gradually becomes more prominent into a grand finale; where he takes the narrative and directs his attention to the reader.
this is the kind of book that you’ll need to sit with and fully digest. the themes and topics brought to light in this novel are very prevalent in todays society.
i have never read a book with such a unique narrative flow before. there are three major perspective shifts, but all feel so purposeful and mesmerizing in their delivery. i have to give props to Quatro for taking such risks — from themes to format and everything in between.
❕content warnings: CSA & trafficking, themes of faith, abortion are all discussed ❕
this book feels real, whimsical, heavy, lyrical, and profound all in one.
two-step devil unravels themes of grief, love, and the complications of faith. we follow a man who calls himself the Prophet, and the Girl he must rescue. the two have suffered greatly; but while we learn the Prophet’s past, we see the Girl’s future unfold.
all the while, the Two-Step Devil is a lingering & opposing force who gradually becomes more prominent into a grand finale; where he takes the narrative and directs his attention to the reader.
this is the kind of book that you’ll need to sit with and fully digest. the themes and topics brought to light in this novel are very prevalent in todays society.
i have never read a book with such a unique narrative flow before. there are three major perspective shifts, but all feel so purposeful and mesmerizing in their delivery. i have to give props to Quatro for taking such risks — from themes to format and everything in between.
❕content warnings: CSA & trafficking, themes of faith, abortion are all discussed ❕
Two Step Devil is unlike anything I’ve ever read.
This was first put on my radar by Annie B. Jones and one of her Monthly Recaps on From the Front Porch… I jotted the title down to remember later. A few weeks later Sara @Fictionmatters shared over on her substack an interview with Jamie Quatro and I immediately knew I need to bump this book up on my TBR.
I feel like I’m not smart enough to dive into the nitty gritty meanings within these pages but appreciate all the author has created and curious about her backlist. I thought the audio was unforgettable and need revisit one day and maybe with a friend to be able to chat about this compelling read.
Thank you HighBridge Audio
Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Lyon.brit.Andthebookshelf/
This was first put on my radar by Annie B. Jones and one of her Monthly Recaps on From the Front Porch… I jotted the title down to remember later. A few weeks later Sara @Fictionmatters shared over on her substack an interview with Jamie Quatro and I immediately knew I need to bump this book up on my TBR.
I feel like I’m not smart enough to dive into the nitty gritty meanings within these pages but appreciate all the author has created and curious about her backlist. I thought the audio was unforgettable and need revisit one day and maybe with a friend to be able to chat about this compelling read.
Thank you HighBridge Audio
Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Lyon.brit.Andthebookshelf/
This book was amazing! I love reading books where I am familiar with the setting, and this so happened to be placed about 40 minutes from my hometown. Additionally, I am from several generations of pastors and a deconstructing adult, so the religious aspect was…healing almost!
I was captivated while reading and found myself getting through this in less than 24 hours! Quatro is truly talented with words and the art of storytelling.
**Possible Spoilers**
I am not usually a fan of multiple P.O.V’s because I feel like they hinder pacing, but in “Two-Step Devil” the mixture of point-of-views between The Prophet, Michael, and then the change to the outside P.O.V was articulately done. It kept me entertained and gave the novel a refreshing feeling - something that I haven’t felt from literature lately.
I found relatability in each of the characters and their developments throughout. At the end of the book, I wanted to laugh and cry and vent. Truly, I was just blown away by this book and cannot wait to recommend it to my peers and family!
I was captivated while reading and found myself getting through this in less than 24 hours! Quatro is truly talented with words and the art of storytelling.
**Possible Spoilers**
I am not usually a fan of multiple P.O.V’s because I feel like they hinder pacing, but in “Two-Step Devil” the mixture of point-of-views between The Prophet, Michael, and then the change to the outside P.O.V was articulately done. It kept me entertained and gave the novel a refreshing feeling - something that I haven’t felt from literature lately.
I found relatability in each of the characters and their developments throughout. At the end of the book, I wanted to laugh and cry and vent. Truly, I was just blown away by this book and cannot wait to recommend it to my peers and family!