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A review by cro777
Devil's Day by Andrew Michael Hurley
3.0
This book is glacially slow. I was intrigued by the title and then the blurb on the back and thought, "why not?" Probably two months later I'm here to say, geez that was slow, but I'm finally finished.
A lot of people on Goodreads love this book and I can see why. The story is there, under layers and layers and layers of stuff. At the heart of it, I love the idea of the Devil jumping from person to animal, back and forth as he cares. That is the novel part about this story and is why I kept reading. This book is also written in a very interesting way; the chapters are super long and broken up over and over with mini-stories or flashbacks so you are reading multiple stories and timelines within the outline of the major story of John going back home to the Endlands after his grandfather, The Gaffer, has died. At points I like the writing style because it is easy to read and put down but there is a point where it's just a bit too drawn out for me. The way the landscape, the moors, and the rituals/cultural practices of the Endlands is written however, is gorgeous. This book feels like a thick cold fog settling over a small village tucked into the hills. It's haunting and beautiful.
What the author does well is create a layered foreboding feeling that isn't quite horror for me, but something very akin. It is eerie and strange and feels icy. While the creation and build up of these feelings is well done, there isn't much of a follow through in terms of The Devil character and what he's up to. I wanted more of a solid ending with that story but I guess it is the Devil's nature to not grant that.
I will warn you, if you don't like slow burn or slow storytelling, this one may be difficult to get through. There is also a lot of local dialect and language so at times it can be thick to read. However, if you are a fan of a slow building story with a sinister feel but no true "horror" tropes, this one could be right up your alley!
A lot of people on Goodreads love this book and I can see why. The story is there, under layers and layers and layers of stuff. At the heart of it, I love the idea of the Devil jumping from person to animal, back and forth as he cares. That is the novel part about this story and is why I kept reading. This book is also written in a very interesting way; the chapters are super long and broken up over and over with mini-stories or flashbacks so you are reading multiple stories and timelines within the outline of the major story of John going back home to the Endlands after his grandfather, The Gaffer, has died. At points I like the writing style because it is easy to read and put down but there is a point where it's just a bit too drawn out for me. The way the landscape, the moors, and the rituals/cultural practices of the Endlands is written however, is gorgeous. This book feels like a thick cold fog settling over a small village tucked into the hills. It's haunting and beautiful.
What the author does well is create a layered foreboding feeling that isn't quite horror for me, but something very akin. It is eerie and strange and feels icy. While the creation and build up of these feelings is well done, there isn't much of a follow through in terms of The Devil character and what he's up to. I wanted more of a solid ending with that story but I guess it is the Devil's nature to not grant that.
I will warn you, if you don't like slow burn or slow storytelling, this one may be difficult to get through. There is also a lot of local dialect and language so at times it can be thick to read. However, if you are a fan of a slow building story with a sinister feel but no true "horror" tropes, this one could be right up your alley!