** spoiler alert ** This book had a really engaging writing style, but unfortunately, it ultimately didn't work for me. I'll try to keep this brief, but I think I had 2 big issues here. Firstly, I felt that the more abstract aspects of the story really detracted from the book, at least for me. The possibility of ghosts, the bizarre appearance of tentacles, and especially the ambiguous ending left me feeling uncertain if the main character was having a mental break, or whether everything was symbolism I was supposed to understand (mostly I didn't). My second issue with this book is pretty straightforward, and probably will not be well received. The focus on race, the character's blackness, the trauma he displays when confronted with the plantation, and the stereotypes presented of "allies" and supposedly well-meaning white people felt so incredibly trite to me, and rang extremely redundant and hollow. I'm sure there are many people in the world, especially in the US, who genuinely feel like this. However, I disagree about the cause and about the cure. I feel like this kind of attitude fosters only more division between races. Again, the writing style was beautiful. This was a hard book to put down, and I was invested in the characters and what was happening to them. Ultimately, though, this ended up not being the right book for me.

“I don’t know how to weigh loss
But I do know how heavy it is.”

“You don’t stop being afraid of things when you become a parent. You stop showing your fear the way you used to is all.”

2.5 stars rounded up! I don’t know what I think about this book and that rarely ever happens to me. Usually I know my star rating from almost the beginning. But this one was…a bit weird. I almost dnf’d it at 50% and then again at about 70% and the only thing that kept me going was that I wanted to know how Malcom died.

The writing is absolutely beautiful and the style is a bit different and fresh. But the story itself dragged for me and had some elements where my lack of ability to suspend disbelief really tripped me up. But overall it’s a very powerful story with a beautiful message.

Thank you to Netgalley, Celadon Books, and the author for the ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts.

Captivating and fast-paced "Devil is Fine" follows the story of a biracial man who inherits a plantation after tragedy strikes. It paints a picture of what it means when you feel like you don't belong.

There were moments of this novel that were absolutely devastating. Especially as our unnamed narrator begins the story at his son's funeral. Throughout the novel, you're given breadcrumbs of what happened until the whole story unfolds.

There are also really haunting moments (literally!) when the narrator goes to the land he's been given. The ghosts of the land take him back in time to witness unspeakable events. This happens as archeologists are digging up the land, trying the preserve what's buried in the earth.

I really loved the ending of the story, how it all ties back to an event the narrator went through when he was younger. Something that has stuck with him forever. There are parts that make you question reality with dizzying effects. It's one of those books that will stick with you forever.

Beautifully written, profound, humbling and itself humble, heartbreaking but in the end hopeful.

This novel is highly literary, but not high-brow. I loved the format of the narrator speaking to his son throughout the novel and the little asides directed towards his son. I appreciated the commentary regarding racism and colonialism, and even regarding inclusion and making assumptions.

There is a slight bend toward magical realism/paranormal in that the main character experiences some hallucinations, haints (ghosts), first person flashback to the plantation owner’s body/life, and the jellyfish (you’ll see). Though it didn’t feel corny or out of place in this book, but would definitely be difficult to believe if your friend was telling you about it, as the narrator did in the book. I will say this…I foresee thinking about this book anytime I see a jellyfish now.

I would’ve liked to have more background on the plantation, its lineage through the family, why the grandfather wanted Malcolm to inherit the land, etc. I thought there would be more information on this storyline, and while I understand it not being the main focus given the story’s intent, it still feels incomplete not knowing some of this info.

I can see how this book would be polarizing. I happened to love it, and I’m sure many others will too.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you Celadon and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was an intriguing read; much of the time, I was utterly confused, though I suppose that puts me on the same page as the unfortunate protagonist and narrator of this book. Here we have the strange tale of a haunted author/professor coping with the recent death of his son. He's just found out he's the sole inheritor of an undesirable property. He's also plagued by nightmares, and he may, um, yeah . . . be turning into a jellyfish.

One thing I love about Vercher's work is that even in the saddest of stories, he still manages to toss in laugh out loud quips like this one: a bar customer, upon overhearing that the narrator is a writer asks, "Do you know James Patterson?"

Snort!

With this one, his third fine book, Vercher has made the list of my favorite authors. I'm looking forward to whatever he dreams up next.

DEVIL IS FINE by John Vercher and narrated by Dion Graham is one of the best books I have read this year.

I feel profoundly inept to express why this is such an incredible story.

The biracial narrator begins this journey at a funeral, speaking to the one who died. He does this throughout the novel as he processes this grief, all while going to and claiming a plantation left by sorts to him through the death of his white grandfather. We slip back through memories to understand how we got here, and at times slip elsewhere, but that is telling too much.

There are deeply moving meditations on being biracial, a father, a writer of Color, legacy, responsibility, & transformation. It encompassed all emotions, whipping from heartbreak to hilarity, and from heavy realism to a very blurred sense of surreal. I loved it all. This was an incredible feat of storytelling with gorgeously written prose.

I was so grateful to receive both the digital ARC from @celadonbooks & the audio from @macmillan.audio through @netgalley and the combination was superb. I may even go get a hard copy of this one as it will definitely be a favorite. This does publish on June 18th, and a pre-order would be worth it.

All of the emotional outpouring of this man came through in a way that made me feel it. I was wrecked, I was scared, I was searching, and I was transforming with him.

Such a beautiful novel.
After losing his son, a biracial author inherits land from his white grandfather. It is told as he is speaking to his dead son while dealing with grief, the past and fatherhood. They discover gruesome details on the property which was a plantation.
This book blends literary fiction, mystery, paranormal and magical realism. There are heavy topics and it’s beautiful and heartbreaking but I will be thinking of this novel for a long time. Especially when I see a jellyfish.

loved this - the horror/fantasy part of this was a surprise to me, and I didn't hate it but it's definitely not my typical thing. beautiful story of grief and trauma.

4.5 stars rounded up

I loved this. It was moving and heartbreaking, funny and disorienting, unpredictable and beautifully written. I read this in a single day because it was so easy to get taken in by the writing. At no point did I ever know what was coming next in the story and it had me needing and wanting to know what was going to happen next immediately. I’d go from sadness to shock to laughing all within a few pages and I enjoyed the ride.

We see our main character go through transformations–both real and imaginary. Through his own transformation, the people around him transform as well, in the sense that he can see them all so much more clearly for what they are. There are a couple of moments where he’s realizing this that were absolutely delicious to witness.

He makes a number of mistakes and he isn’t perfect, but I still rooted for him the entire way. I found myself easily able to connect to this man that I had little, if anything, in common with.

I need to give a specific shoutout to chapter 20 because wow–that one hurt. It was beautiful.

I really loved the ending and I highlighted numerous sections throughout the book, including the last paragraph, that I know I’m going to go back to and reread over and over.

If I haven’t made it clear enough yet, you should read this. This was a very unique look at someone experiencing grief while also trying to recognize and come to terms with the person in the mirror and figure out how to move forward with their life. I’ll be thinking about this one for some time to come.

The Devil is fine is a book that’s hard to describe but one I truly liked. The narrator is a middle-aged, biracial professor and author who is grieving the sudden loss of his teen-aged son. His relationship with the mother of his son is strained. The professor inherits a piece of land from his grandfather only to find out it was a plantation with slaves. The professor converses with his dead son throughout the novel and is haunted by their troubled relationship and discoveries of buried bodies found on the plantation land. The book is brilliantly written with humor and witty conversations. The reader is left to determine if the professor is losing his grip on reality or truly connecting with dead souls. The book addresses religion, racial issues, father-son relationship challenges, as well as pressures in academia and the publishing world. Wile the professor is a self-admitted flawed character, as a reader I liked him immediately as well as the other interesting characters in the book.

This one was odd. But it was also interesting and moving. With the journey through grief and then finding out something about your past you never expected, made this a very intriguing read. I binged it in one day and the audio definitely made that possible. There were some LONG chapters. But I enjoyed the structure since this was written almost like a letter to the MMCs recently deceased son. This book did discuss some heavy topics such as racism and slavery but when it is mixed with a little magic realism, it made for a really good read.

An unusual tale- a man telling his story to his recently deceased son in a stream of consciousness about his past and his. well, magical realism aspects, And then he inherits a plantation, Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. It's different, it won't be for everyone, but it's a worthy read for fans of literary fiction.

This book was strange in the best way possible. I thoroughly enjoyed how Vercher Blended historical elements with mystery/fantasy. The book was heartbreaking and written so beautifully. Discussing difficult topics such as slavery and racism was done in a way that made my soul hurt.

Devil is Fine constantly kept me on my toes and made me feel so many different emotions. I will definitely be recommending this one.

The Run-Down: Devil Is Fine is an ambitious and intriguing literary endeavor that rests on an uneven foundation.

Review:
Devil Is Fine by John Vercher feels like it was written by an English professor. Vercher eschews traditional narrative constraints in favor of a metatextual, genre-defying, and highly unique novel about fatherhood, grief, slavery, and identity. The first forty percent of the book focuses on the protagonist’s grief over his teenage son, who died unexpectedly. His grief is fraught with the knowledge that he, in many ways, failed to be the father his son needed as he grew up. After a brief flirtation with the campus novel, Devil Is Fine takes a turn into surrealism and horror when the biracial narrator discovers he has inherited a plantation that contains the remains of several West African slaves. Steering through this horror and magical realism, the story bends time to return to the narrator’s grief and family life before entering satirical territory. The story ends with appropriate ambiguity and symbolism one would expect for such a novel.

Undergirding the diverse generic territories this novel traverses is the author’s deep understanding of the novel’s main character, a flawed man who is struggling to fit into a world that seems to have no place for him in it. Vercher’s grasp of his main character’s psychology and past is what allows this book to work as well as it does. Particularly poignant is his portrayal of the narrator’s tumultuous relationship with his son, his son’s mother, and alcohol. This stellar character work, however, is not enough on its own to support the novel’s ambition. The interactions between the characters frequently feel unrealistic and forced, especially when the book makes sudden shifts between the genuine and the satirical. There are also several major plot developments (not including the ambiguous supernatural happenings) that make little sense upon closer examination, and they appear shoehorned in for effect rather than organic components of the story. As a result, Devil Is Fine is an ambitious and intriguing literary endeavor that rests on an uneven foundation. I encourage readers to pick it up to form their own thoughts about this unique text.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! The writing was excellent. I was completely drawn in throughout the story. I think just about anyone could enjoy this and find ways to relate. The paranormal/fantasy/horror (I'm not good at classification) might be off-putting to some but the grief, wanting to find connection, feeling like a failure, identify issues, etc are relevant to most of us.

I read this as an ebook and now I want to get a physical copy so I can highlight all my favorite quotes.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy.

Being sick with Covid has limited perks, but reading this book was one of them. When a bi-racial man inherits a plantation from the white side of his family, things get...complicated. This book will pull on your heart-strings while twisting your mind into knots. It is hard to categorize this book as it doesn't quite fit into one genre, but I really enjoyed it. However, I did find several of the character reactions to be underwhelming to what was going on around them.

Thank you to NetGalley and Celadon Books for this ARC. I am leaving this review voluntarily and all views expressed are my own.

I really liked this book. Although I'm not sure it fits my curriculum for a whole class read, it will definitely fit into my classroom library, and I see it as a strong companion to We Deserve Monuments and Warrior Girl Unearthed and Kindred, each of which explore the impact of grappling with the past in tangible, life-altering ways, and each of which feel pressingly relevant as we work to attend to diversification and inclusion in a somewhat staid curriculum.

Devil Is Fine by John Vercher is a powerful and thought-provoking novel that delves into the complexities of heritage, identity, and the legacies we inherit. This compelling story earns a solid four stars for its masterful storytelling and the profound emotional depth it brings to the exploration of a biracial man's journey to reclaim a painful past.

The story begins with our narrator, still grieving from a sudden tragedy, receiving an unexpected letter from an attorney. He learns that he has inherited a plot of land from his estranged white grandfather. Determined to sell the land and move on, he travels to a beach town several hours south of his home. However, upon arriving, he discovers that the land he now owns is a former plantation, passed down through the men on his white mother’s side of the family. The irony and weight of being a Black owner of a former plantation forces him to confront the complex and painful history embedded in the land.

Vercher's narrative blurs the lines between reality and imagination, the past and present, and tragedy and humor, much like Paul Beatty’s The Sellout. The novel is a brilliant dissection of the legacies left behind and those inherited. Vercher's writing is raw and witty, bringing a unique voice to the story that is both gripping and surreal.

The characters are well-drawn, particularly the narrator, whose internal struggles and emotional journey are depicted with great sensitivity and insight. The novel explores themes of identity, race, and family legacy with nuance, avoiding clichés and offering a fresh perspective on these deeply personal issues.

One of the standout elements of Devil Is Fine is Vercher's ability to weave together different timelines and narrative threads seamlessly. The transitions between past and present are handled deftly, adding layers of complexity to the story without confusing the reader. The author’s use of humor amidst the tragedy provides a balance that makes the narrative more engaging and relatable.

However, the novel’s pacing can be uneven at times, with certain sections feeling more drawn out than others. This minor flaw slightly disrupts the otherwise smooth flow of the story. Despite this, the book’s strengths far outweigh its weaknesses, making it a highly recommended read.

In conclusion, Devil Is Fine is a brilliantly crafted novel that offers a profound and engaging exploration of heritage and identity. John Vercher has created a narrative that is both emotionally resonant and intellectually stimulating, leaving readers with much to ponder long after they have turned the last page. This is a must-read for those interested in stories that challenge and expand their understanding of family and legacy.

Reeling from a sudden tragedy the narrator learns he has inherited a plot of land. He travels to the beach plot with the intention of selling it and moving on. However, things are not always what they seem, and they have a way of taking strange turns. How he deals with these turns will determine the rest of his life.


This book is just…wow. It’s quite different than other books I’ve read, but the biggest read is probably because it follows a grieving father and his son. This book also has a lot more than just grief. It has some weird things going on with some paranormal (wasn’t quite sure this worked) but then there were past and present timelines that worked. There was also some exploration of grief (duh) but also race and family legacy. This story is just so intricate and so beautiful. So full of emotion. I really enjoyed this book and how it was written except for the supernatural element, and I love supernatural so that was a bummer. I feel there was a different way to go about the story than how this element was introduced, and it was a let down it was. However, this is still worth a read and will probably make you cry, and if not, it will invoke some strong emotions nonetheless.

Thank you @celadonbooks #partner for the gifted copies of this book!

📖What it’s about:
In this story we follow a biracial man who is attempting to come to terms with the loss of his deceased son. He learns he’s inherited a plot of land which came from his grandparents whom he didn’t have a good relationship. He plans is to just sell the land but an unexpected chain of events they discover human remains belonging to people of different descents which leads them to mark the land as a plantation. So much self reflection happens as he unpacks his decisions and comes to terms with not only his family history but also what has led him to be who he is today.

💭There is a lot of emotion packed into these 272 pages! As I flipped to the last page of this book I realized just how moving this story was. It certainly made me pause and think about life. I truly could feel the loss and extreme pain, loss and sadness this character felt. It felt like it seeped through the pages of this book! It was hard at times to listen to his inner turmoil but in the end his self reflection and redemption was refreshing to see.