I was drawn to this by the fantastic cover and it did not disappoint. A quite morbid story made fun by its playful take on death. A fun read and an interesting plot but there did seem like something was missing - I couldn't put my finger on what was missing - but something was. It could possibly have been the charecter development was a bit jumpy? However this only slightly distracted from the overall book - very fun and quick read. 7/10

A fig for all the devils follows a troubled teen navigating the loss of his father, and another brush with death - meeting the grim reaper himself.
This book was beautifully written and managed to capture the creepy atmosphere needed for a book like this. I will just touch on the fact a characters skin was described as ‘chocolate’ which the general consensus is that food descriptions for people of colour is a big no-no.

Let’s get down to characters - I liked the character of sonny, and I did feel bad for his ordeal throughout the book. But let’s talk about the real star of the show - The reaper. I actually loved the depiction of the reaper, and I won’t get into it too much as I don’t want to spoil it. The only thing I didn’t like about the reaper is that there was disparity with how he spoke and his ‘age’ so to speak… for someone who has been serving for near 1000 years, I felt his modern speech didn’t really match up too well. All in all though, the reaper was a pretty cool dude. He kind of gave me studio ghibli vibes at times. Which perhaps wasn’t the authors intention but I liked it! Another choice the author made was to have all the chapter headings different… if you’ve read the book you’ll see what I mean but that simple choice kind of added a bit to the overall atmosphere, keeping the reader with a touch of confusion.

The horror in this book was good, I’m not much of a horror reader but i did find it grotesque and creepy where it needed to be. I still haven’t decided if I like the ending, in a way I feel like there was a big build up for not much pay off, but on the other hand the ending showed/added a bit more depth to the characters.

I’d definitely recommend to add this to a fall/autumn reading list for the spooky vibes, it’s a short read too!

This had so many wounded emotions and I felt so bad for the main character. Death isn't complicated and with this book it felt kinda lighthearted when dealing with death. It was a good story and it didn't feel so complicated with how death is being portrayed.

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This small emotional horror book tackles life and death beautifully. The book had brief chapters. The author strategically placed illustrations and quotes throughout the book, which made reading it an enjoyable experience.

“A Fig for All Devils” has the goriest beginning that hooks the reader. After it delivered the shock and awe, the adventure begins. The book had great characters, including the grim reaper. Sonny was my favorite. Sonny was stuck in his grief after his father passed away. He was living with his emotionally abusive mother. He grew in the story and developed a sense of empathy.

“A Fig for All Devils” is a dark story. Fritz gave the grim reaper a humorous personality. It lightened the mood. I loved the relationship between Sony and the grim reaper.

I am not a fan of bow tie endings. They are too unrealistic with a hallmark feeling. “A fig for All Devils” was wrapped up too neatly, and that was a bit of a disappointment for me. I would have liked it to be just as strong and the beginning.

Wow! What a fascinating read that touched on all the senses, from the quotes scattered throughout, illustrations, and even a playlist to accompany the reader. It felt like I was being immersed in the Poetry of Death.
While not a huge fan of the grim reaper character myself, I did enjoy Sonny’s journey.

Thank you to NetGalley, C.S. Fritz, and Albatross Book Co for a copy.

This was an interesting book to read, and while I loved the concept and found some of the writing to be beautiful, I just didn’t love the book as a whole. I loved the setting and gloomy atmosphere created, as well as the way the chapters were interspaced with different quotes, poetry and illustrations surrounding death throughout history. The themes following grief and finding a reason to live after a loss were also touching. I think the horror and fantasy elements, while they made for some great imagery, didn’t integrate into the main storyline, and some elements of the plot didn’t make sense. Overall, there is a lot to like about this book, and while it wasn’t for me, I think a lot of people would love it.

This ended up being a middle-of-the road story for me. I didn't hate it, but I couldn't really get attached to it.
The characters didn't seem complete, and likable.
The premise is fine, but under developed..

I really enjoyed this book. Really engaging and has a unique writing style. Not my usual book I typically read but with a horror fantasy mix it's Definity a genre I will look at in the future. Kept interest all the way to the end it had whitty charm with funny moments and a great read if you are going away this summer.

Read the spiel and go for a ride of emotions this book puts you on a thrill ride of frights, grief, loss, loneliness, yearning, and passion.

For a short book it really packs a punch and you wont be dissapointed

This book is far outside of my usual genres but I was attracted by the title and the cover so I requested and received an e-copy from NetGalley. It did not disappoint.
The reader follows Sonny, a young teen who's lost his father to suicide. Never close with his Mother, this seems like a nightmare unfolding, especially when he sees a terrifyingly enormous grim reaper in the hospital room after his Father's passing.
Sonny and his Mother move to a rural area, and in his isolation he begins to visit with the Reaper, all the while meeting neighbors, and his Mother's new boyfriend who is not an improvement over his Dad. Sonny works through several phases of grief, while his neighbors and new friends are also working through varying phases of grief- related to other losses and traumas. The Reaper offers him an opportunity that seems unreal and insane, but Sonny is just miserable enough to consider it seriously. In the end, Sonny moves through his own grief to become a support for his Mother and himself, but not necessarily in the way one might imagine.
For me, this book was kind of astonishing. I found myself reading and being unable to distinguish what was real, or imagined or just distorted by a very young person's viewpoint. While this was confusing, I thought it was great that the author never felt the need to clarify, leaving it up to the reader to decide. It was definitely a wild ride. It was well written and the books seems to be beautiful ( having that e copy was handy but I suspect the physical book looks amazing...). This would make a good book club book - for a certain type of book club (not the cozy mystery club!)
Highly recommend.
Oh and I absolutely adored the Grim Reaper character, that was just the way I'd imagine a Grim Reaper to be!!

Creatively crafted, this novella bears the wrapper of more traditional tales of morbid journey, yet departs from that path with unexpected twists, melding humor, philosophy, and religious concepts. Though shorter in length, this coming of age story is replete with clever depth and leaves the reader with a lingering suspicion about the power of teenaged hallucinations.

An abused, grief-stricken, and impoverished Sonny has all but given up on life. That is, until he meets death, by way of the Grim Reaper. The Reaper, a junk food loving, poetry reading, cigarette-addicted entity, has no time to waste as he searches for a suitable successor who would become “Death” for the next millennium. By training the boy in the ways of death and dying, Reaper grooms his young apprentice and through suspenseful and horror-laced events, he unknowingly gives Sonny something he never intended: A reason to live.

I thoroughly enjoyed this story from Fritz, a writer whom I had never came across before but will def be keeping an eye out for in the future.

The main protagonist, Sonny, is trying to come to terms with the recent death of his father, his mother’s apparent ambivalence towards him and his own struggles with life and it’s lessons. As the story of told through Sonny’s eyes (a grieving and disillusioned teenager) Fritz manages to ‘soften’ the ‘horror’ aspect of the story as Sonny’s response to some of the situations he finds himself in add some well received humour which only strengthens the deeper messages Fritz is trying to portray.

Dealing with themes of (shock horror) death, but also grief, morality, poverty, abuse, relationships and loyalty ‘A Fig for all the Devils’ is actually a witty delve into a lot more than what it offers on the tin.

In a strange way it was a heartwarming read and I came away from it with the ingrained feeling that sometimes you have to go through the bad, the difficult and the downright horrifying to truly grasp the concept of how lucky and blessed we are to be alive.

"Hope punctures holes into our black sky to tell us that this ever-present darkness is only for a short while. There is a light, and it's breaking in piece by piece. I have given you darkness, but in time you will see its stars."

A Fig For All The Devils by C.S. Fritz is an emotional, philosophical blend of fairytale and horror. Sonny, who has lost his dad to suicide, has been unable to grieve his death. He is stuck in the cycle of numbness, questioning why he is unable to feel and why his dad would leave him with a mom who doesn't like Sonny. Due to this perception, his interactions with his mom and other people are altered drastically. That is when the Grim Reaper shows up inside his cupboard. He offers Sonny a chance at being something greater than himself. He offers Sonny an escape from his life. Sonny agrees, but has he made the right choice?

C.S. Fritz explores Death through a new light. He brings forward the perceptions of death around the world, and how Death is what we imagine it to be. It can be the Grim Reaper, the Baba Yaga, the Shikigami, the Indian Yama, Thanatos. Or it can be something softer, like a bird, a key, to freedom from life's suffering. I loved Magnus' Grim Reaper (his character). He was quirky. He loved cigarettes, books, and junk food. Once again, this could be a part of Sonny's perception of Magnus. Magnus' Death was compassionate and understood human beings. Through his philosophy of life, Sonny learned to put aside the bad parts of himself and appreciate life for what it was. His character was the best in the book. The other characters, I felt, were not given enough space to develop. This could have been on purpose to keep focus on Death itself.

Sonny went from being a child unable to cope with his emotions to one that stands up for himself and others instead of running away. His mother failed to stand up for herself and her son often, but she, too, was dealing with grief (in a wrong way). I hated Eugene. People like him are bullies who hate other people for no reason. He was a terrible person, and I was happy Death took him in the end because if he had stayed alive, he would have ruined Sonny and his mom's life. I didn't like Jess as much as Sonny did. As a reader, I could see her objectively. While she claimed to have been ignored by Sonny, she had been ignoring Sonny just as much. Even when Sonny was tired and wanted to go back, she forced him to stay, at which point Sonny had to cut her off. She herself ignored his needs, his tiredness, the bruises on his body. They were both children, both of them focused on themselves. And that's fine. They are only kids. I loved the discussion Sonny and Pastor Abraham had. I liked Pastor Abraham's character. He was real. His faith wasn't blind, his faith had questions, as all faiths should have, lest they become irrational.

The ending of the book was the best. I would have had it no other way.

Peppered with body horror and gory descriptions, 'A Fig For All The Devils' was mesmerizing. It wasn't scary, but it wasn't peaceful, either. It was a perfect blend of both. The questions around death, life, and faith were answered beautifully in the narrative.

Thanks to NetGalley and Albatross Book Co. for providing me with an ARC of 'A Fig For All The Devils' in exchange for an honest review.

This dark and imaginative story offers an interesting take on suffering and grief. The writing is fun, with a lot of short, punchy chapters, and the main protagonist interesting and convincing as a character. Unfortunately, even with all of that, I didn’t enjoy this book as much as I had hoped to. I didn’t understand where this wise-cracking Death came from, in contrast to the character we meet in the prologue. Sure, a thousand years have passed, enough to transform a guy, but no part of that journey or growth is even discussed, never mind shown, so the Death we get just feels gimmicky and out of place. Plus, the internal rules of whatever supernatural/metaphysics he is part of seem unclear, like they are malleable to fit whatever is happening in that particular chapter. While I enjoyed the main protagonist and found him an interesting character that was more than just a generic troubled kid, I wasn’t convinced of his growth or development through the story, everything just felt really convenient, not necessarily earned. Additionally, even given the sometimes graphic content, it often read like a YA book, which is fine, but it was a weird juxtaposition that I wasn’t expecting.

The book deals with heavy themes, specifically physical and emotional abuse as well as death. It has an interesting way of exploring them, which I appreciated, but I felt like it was somewhat superficial, or expected. There are ways this could have been explored with a little more nuance that would have benefitted the story. Similarly, there is an interesting mentor/mentee relationship going on between Death and the protagonist, Sonny, that seemed like it had a lot more potential than what ended up on the page. In the same way, Sonny’s relationships with other secondary characters in the novel are interesting and complicated, but we don’t ever really get to see them grow or develop.

This novel has a lyrical, almost poetic quality in its writing style that is a creative and really enjoyable way to explore dark, painful content. It offers a take on grief, loss, illness, loneliness, death, and, well, Death that is unique and has a lot of potential. And it has characters that, for the most part, are convincing and interesting. That said, it is short enough that it would have benefited from an additional 50 or so pages, giving the characters more room to breathe, more opportunities to actually show grow and development, and more chances for understand Death and the implications of the relationship he has with Sonny. The novel scratches the surface of so many interesting wells, and for that it is a fun read, but with just a little more digging could have been really exceptional, and so the disappointment at what the novel could have been definitely affects my experience overall, hence the rating. That said, if the themes mentioned are interesting to you it is worth a read. This is Fritz’s debut novel, having written a number of children’s books previously (and won awards for them, as he did for this novel, too) and so with that in mind I appreciate that there may be growing pains from the shift in format. The writing style and ideas and honesty are all potent enough that I look forward to reading future novels from Fritz, even if this one fell a little short for me.

I want to thank NetGalley and Albatross Book Co., who provided a complimentary eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I liked the unique format and the pacing of this book. While the book is short, the main characters are well developed and each have an arc complementing their journey throughout the story. Also highly recommend reading with the playlist in the background.

However, what I found surprising, was that I was expecting to be thrown into a fully grim horror story, and instead I got the funny Grim Reaper with consciousness and banter with the main character. It was off putting for me, but I guess it was just personal expectations wanting to read something depressing.

A Fig For All The Devils is the first story that I had ever read by C.S. Fritz, and the title and cover of the book snagged my attention as well as the synopsis, but after reading the story, I will say that it did not align with what I thought I was going to be reading.

When you think of Death, you think of something scary and ominous, but Death in this story acted more like a teenager. He has been in his position for 1,000 years, describing him as an entity who loved poetry, so I expected him to be more of a poet, honestly. After being Death for so long, he just blended in with the times, or maybe he mirrors whoever he comes in contact with to make it a more pleasant transition? Or he isn't what you expect. Perhaps you are to take Death how you will. After reading this, I would love a story about Death and following his travels throughout his years of servitude, or if we could get a story of Death fulfilling the role of Sonny's father.

It was a short and easy read, but overall, it lacked the depth that it presumably gave away by reading the synopsis; therefore, it fell a little flat for me. I didn't love it but didn't hate it; it falls somewhere in the middle of just okay. Unfortunately, I believe that my preconceptions of what I thought was going to happen made the rating of this book go down when it did not deliver. Best to go in with an open mind and have no perceived visions. C.S. Fritz has a knack for writing some disgusting, vivid imagery; I genuinely appreciate that for any horror book. If you can make me want to throw up, then you have succeeded in writing horror.

Thank you NetGalley and Albatross Book Co., for providing an ARC. This review is being left voluntarily, and all opinions are my own.

With the writing and the musings about grief and death being two of the highlights of Fritz's novel, the rest of "A Fig For All the Devils" fell a little flat.

Thank you so much to Albatross Book Co. and NetGalley for providing me with an e-ARC; it is greatly appreciated.

This starts out with a fantastically dark and surprising introduction, but then it goes down hill from there. The concept of Death being able to finally rest and choose a successor is always interesting, but it didn't feel fully fleshed out here. The ending came off rushed, and the chapters are so short it's a bit difficult to tell the passage of time between each one, or what day it's supposed to be. It ends up reading more like a draft of a story, rather than a finished book.

I do wish the author hadn't taken the obvious choice for the ending here. When it comes to stories about well known characters, I like to see something new, and this seemed rather par for the course. However, I do think this would make for quite a creepy movie. There were definitely some good scenes here when it comes to horror. I just wish the story could have held on to that quality throughout.

A nice little tale, and there was a lot to like, but unfortunately there was also a lot that I didn't vibe with. I prefer a more paranormal horror, and this is definitely a realistic, blood and guts, describing corpses horror. I understand what it was going for and I appreciate the stark look at grief, but I don't think I'm the audience for it, and I would have a hard time recommending it.

An abused, grief-stricken, and impoverished Sonny has all but given up on life. That is, until he meets death, by way of the Grim Reaper. The Reaper, a junk food loving, poetry reading, cigarette-addicted entity, has no time to waste as he searches for a suitable successor who would become "Death" for the next millennium. By training the boy in the ways of death and dying, Reaper grooms his young apprentice and through suspenseful and horror-laced events, he unknowingly gives Sonny something he never intended: A reason to live.

// THIS REVIEW CONTAINS MILD SPOILERS //

A good paranormal concept exploring the nature of death, the release of guilt, and moving on from tragedy. I did enjoy the strange, but amusing choices as to the visualization and personality of the Grim Reaper.

However, I found the story somewhat muddled by shifts in tone, lack of characterization, clichés, thin dialog, and strange stylistic choices.

I'm still wondering if the eclectic tone of this book is a deliberate choice or not. The narrative mixes a serious voice with absurdist humor, and the shift between these is so sudden, I questioned what kind of story it's supposed to be. To be fair, this tonal shift settles as the book continues, but it never seems to mesh completely. In a few cases, the author breaks the fourth wall completely, speaking directly to the reader and stretching beyond the omniscient third person narration most prevalent in the story.

Cliched characters, like the alcoholic priest, and the unredeemable jerk that is Mom's new boyfriend appear in this book and don't break any new ground on these archetypes. Other characters barely have any dimension - including the love interest - and only seem to appear as set decoration. Vital character-building scenes, such as a long car drive to a new home or an awkward teenage first date are missing. Because of this, chapters are short and the pace is increased into the "cool stuff" that are the horror bits of the story.

Odd chapter naming conventions had me guessing if this was meant to be a clue or somehow part of the story, but ultimately seem to have no relevance other than to just be different.

There is definitely solid footing for a great story here, and I did enjoy parts of the book. But taken as a whole, it just didn't deliver the kind of impact I was hoping for.