ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

I’m a little backlogged with my ARCs but working diligently to get caught up. This book was definitely not what I was expecting but I really enjoyed it! It had depths and so many layers, all made more complicated by an unreliable narrator. I loved how you get the full scope of the main characters relationship with his son in pieces and are able to come to terms with everything right along with him. I would recommend to anyone who likes family drama with a touch of horror!

Devil Is Fine by John Vercher, is one of the most hauntingly beautiful books I’ve read this year. The story follows a biracial writing professor grappling with the devastating loss of his teenage son, Malcolm. Vercher’s portrayal of grief is raw and unflinching, capturing the aching reality of a father trying to navigate life in the shadow of unbearable loss.

The novel takes a gripping turn when the protagonist inherits a former plantation from his estranged white grandfather. What starts as a practical plan to sell the property evolves into a deeply personal exploration of identity, history, and the legacy of racism. Vercher weaves in elements of magical realism as the protagonist experiences visions of Malcolm, creating powerful and poignant moments that blend memory and longing.

What truly struck me was Vercher’s ability to balance heavy themes with sharp, dark humor, making the story both heartbreaking and unexpectedly uplifting. The exploration of the protagonist’s biracial identity, set against the backdrop of a painful historical legacy, is nuanced and deeply resonant. It’s a story that doesn’t shy away from difficult questions about race, inheritance, and the ties that bind us to the past.

Devil Is Fine is more than a novel—it’s an emotional journey that challenges you to reflect on the legacies we inherit and the ones we create. Vercher’s writing is lyrical and unrelenting, and this story will stay with me for a long time. If you’re looking for a book that’s both thought-provoking and profoundly moving, this is one you don’t want to miss.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book is very well written but that being sa8d I just couldn't get into it. I was thinking this would be a different genre and that probably why. I put it down weeks ago and have had no desire to go back to it.

This book was so beautifully written, and easy to get lost in. It was quite the fever dream, but I liked the blending between what was real and what wasn't. This book focuses heavily on the relationships between father and son and masculine relationships in general. It deals heavily with grief, loss, race and identity, I cried around three separate times while reading, mostly for the relationship between the narrator and Mal, and how I knew there was no way to change it. I knew when a chapter started with however old Mal was, that I was going to be hurting. As a mother to a young boy now, I think about all the ways that I want him to grow and change and be happy, and it was an emotional read to dive into the narrator and Mal's relationship.

I’m sure I’ll be thinking about this book for a while! The writing was phenomenal and I enjoyed the exploration of grief, family relationships, racial identity and America’s racial reckoning.

Synopsis:

Still reeling from a sudden tragedy, our biracial narrator receives a letter from an attorney: he has just inherited a plot of land from his estranged white grandfather. He travels to a beach town several hours south of his home with the intention of selling the land immediately and moving on. But upon inspection, what lies beneath the dirt is far more complicated than he ever imagined. In a shocking irony, he is now the Black owner of a former plantation passed down by the men on his white mother’s side of the family.

Review:

This was such a unique story. It was raw, emotional, and the writing was done so well that, despite it having a bit of magical realism, I could vividly picture what was happening (which is something I usually struggle with when it comes to anything fantastical). The themes of being biracial; familial, friendly and romantic relationships; grief and self-growth were all woven through the story. The MMC drove me crazy at times, and other times, I felt like I could relate. It was the perfect balance!

Thank you to @celadonbooks for my copy!

Thank you @netgalley for the Advanced Reader Copy of The Devil is Fine by John Vercher. This is the story of a biracial man who’s teenage son has recently died. He is grieving and finding it hard to move on. He learns that his estranged white grandfather has left property to his son, which now belongs to him. No one in the family knew anything about it It is in a resort area, and turns out to be a former plantation, with a bad history. There are some interesting racial and cultural issues brought up here. But there is also a lot of magical realism, which unfortunately made it hard for me to get into the rest of the book. Overall not a win for me, although I did like some of it. #thedevilisfine #johnvercher #netgalley #advancedreadercopy #lovetoread #readersofinstagram #bookloversofinstagram

Devil is Fine was an absolutely beautifully written book. The narrator, for whom we never get a name, is struggling through the recent death of his teenage son. He takes the reader through his grief, his family history, and his struggle to find himself. I found myself immersed in this read. The voice of the narrator was so strong. The journey of the narrator was filled with twists and turns, just like real life. The characters were flawed and came to life on the page. I found myself questioning things, laughing at points, and deeply moved at other times. This was my first book by Vercher, but it definitely will not be my last.

Thank you to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for the e-ARC to review. All opinions are my own.

Wow! I liked this one, but it took me a few days after I finished it to write the review. This book dives deep into the complicated roots of America with race. Our main character is a biracial man who inherited his white grandfather's plantation, which has a dark history and is full of secrets.
This book is thought-provoking and dives deep into the perplexing relationships between men and their fathers. I enjoyed the eerie mysterious tone that always kept me on my toes about what would happen next. I also enjoyed the domino effect as it showed in the story about how stuff that happens in our ancestry lines follows and affects the next generations. This author wrote this story beautifully, and I loved the magical realism in the book it added an extra layer to the story. The whole jellyfish aspect was different but it was a good different! Very thought-provoking, and while this undeniably wasn't the story I was expecting it was beautifully written and covered many different aspects connected smoothly! Undeniably one of the best, gripping novels I've read this year!
Thank you Netgalley and Celadon Books for the captivating experience of reading and reviewing this novel!

This is a beautifully written meditation on grief and loss. We have an unnamed MC, sensitive topics, and realistic and sometimes witty dialogue. Loved the vibe and the more I think about it, the ambiguous ending.

This book is one that stay with you long after you close the covers. The story lingers and leaves you reflecting, considering, and pondering not just the characters but power of legacy, family, and personal identity. Blend in some compelling Magical Realism to take the tension and mystery up another notch and any reader will be left affected by the original and haunting book that still intrigues me. I was particularly drawn in by the conflict that was eloquently included iand kept drawing me deeper.

How will the cover connect to the larger narrative and story? Will the duality of the cover, deep ocean with the jellyfish vs and the land with the loose dirt act clues to the larger mystery or will they be metaphors that I should consider part of the novel's argument? Will the narrator be the rich black soil that was the foundation for cotton and slavery or the ownership of the land that was the plantation owner? Jellyfish are beautiful to look at but deadly in their element, yet take them out of that specific world and they almost dissolve in the fragility? There is so much that connects me and which draws me in and resonates to makes me feel uncertain and uncomfortable, something to be embraced and which challenged me to investigate and discover how all these contradictions and pieces work together which this author excelles at.

This is a book you do not simply read, but one that you explore!

John Vercher crafts a compelling narrative that deftly intertwines themes of family, faith, and the supernatural. With a prose style that oscillates between darkly humorous and poignantly introspective, Vercher invites readers into a world where the ordinary collides with the extraordinary. The characters, vividly drawn and richly complex, reflect the chaotic tapestry of modern life, reminiscent of a contemporary Dantean journey through familial hells. While the ambition of the narrative sometimes leads to occasional narrative missteps, Vercher’s ability to balance existential inquiry with a wry wit ensures that the novel resonates. It's a thought-provoking read that lingers long after the final page—definitely not your average family saga.

I found this book to be very layered. I liked that it had a touch of magical realism in it. The themes were important and impactful.

I wish I had known a little less going into it, however. I feel like the fact that our main character inherits a plantation would be more shocking if it wasn’t included in the synopsis. I did think the fact that it was the death of his son wasn’t revealed until later was really hit the reader hard. I wasn’t expecting that at all!

Although I enjoyed this and would recommend, I would advise the reader to go into it knowing as little as possible and to stick with it even when it feels a bit slow paced.

The Devil is Fine by John Vercher tells the story of a biracial Black professor dealing with the death of his son and the emotional challenges that follow. He then inherits a plantation from his estranged white grandfather, which leads to disturbing discoveries, including bodies buried on the land. As he tries to understand his family’s painful past and his own identity, he becomes haunted by ghosts from the past.

The novel uses elements of magical realism, like the professor believing he's turning into a jellyfish, to explore his mental state. While the story is powerful, I struggled with it because the elements of grief and loss were too emotional for me.

Thank you for the opportunity to read and review this book.

This was so creepy weird but I liked it! I didn't know what I was expecting, but it wasn't the story I read. It was enjoyable.

Thank you to NetGalley and Celadon Books for an Advanced Reader’s Copy in exchange for an honest review.

This is a speculative novel set-in contemporary America about a biracial author struggling with the recent passing of his teenage son due to a car accident.

The unnamed narrator is so well fleshed out I didn’t even notice he remained nameless for the entire narrative. Following the death of his son, the narrator finds out he has inherited a property in a small town hiding more than few terrible secrets from American history. Struggling with his sobriety, the narrator also experiences nightmares, including ones where he turns into a jellyfish, despite (or perhaps because of) his long standing fear of the sea.

Interwoven with poignant discussions of current events, identity, grief, race, and friendship, Vercher tells a serious and important tale that is highlighted by a streak of dark humor. I look forward to seeing what he writes next.

This starts out as a story about a father grieving the death of his son, then turns into a fever dream. We don’t know what’s happening with our MC, what’s real and what he’s imagining.

One of my biggest problems was that I didn’t find the MC likable at all.

The major event given in the synopsis doesn’t actually happen until about a third of the way into the book, which bugged me. I hate knowing something important is going to happen, then waiting while the story builds toward it.

We have LOTS of flashback scenes, both concerning the father’s relationship with the son and the MC’s childhood, as well as the odd fever dream scenes. I felt like the story never settled, or maybe I never settled into the story.

What a dark, strange little book...but so entertaining and thought-provoking. I listened to the audiobook - which did lead to a bit of confusion over what was real, vs those elements of magical realism...but I also think that added to the chaotic and inherently confusing nature of the novel.

Overall, this book touched on so many issues: fatherhood; identity; generational trauma; plantations and how they are used in the modern world; abuse issues; and so much more. This story was so odd - but in the best way and in a way that forces the reader to stop and think.

It also didn't feel as slow moving as most literary fiction, which I did appreciate - it still felt like there was forward momentum, on top of our characters internal monologue and development - rather than feeling like you are sacrificing one for the other.

Overall, a fantastic read.

This book is so good. It's weird and dark and a bit meta and doing so much. It's about grief and complex relationships, about racism in its history and its present, and about our main character's struggle to live into himself authentically. You have to be okay with some surreal elements, but I think it's also very approachable and just tells a good story. A top 10 of the year for me, likely.

After the initial pages, I found myself not connecting with the story or characters, so I decided to pass on this book. Did not finish