A review by barnes_and_noel
Devil Is Fine by John Vercher

dark emotional mysterious reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

What a beautifully written story. To be honest, this book took me a couple chapters to get into, but once I did I was so intrigued. This is a book that I think is best going into semi-blind, so I’ll be vague here.

The magical realism elements thread throughout the story in such a delicate way, that I often didn’t really know what was real and what wasn’t; given the MC’s situation, I’d say this was the point. There were also a couple points where things got kinda spooky, and I loved the psychological push & pull that I was taken on. Race plays a big part in the plot in a multitude of ways, and I think the commentary there was nuanced and thought-provoking. The past timelines with the narrator and his son were emotional and complicated, and I enjoyed getting this other side of the story. This is a book to take your time with.

Thank you to NetGalley and Celadon for the advance copy.