First off this book was beautiful written and took me on an emotional journey. The author writes about a biracial author who is struggling with his identity, sobriety, and race, while navigating the grief of losing his son. During this time he inherits land from a former plantation from his grandfather.

There was never a moment I wanted to put this book down. I will definitely be reading more by this author!

Thank you NetGalley and Celadon for a copy of this book to review.

Devil is Fine is told from the perspective of a biracial man speaking conversationally to his dead son. The narrator is struggling to process his grief over the loss of his 17-year-old son when he learns that he has inherited a large tract of property in a beachside town close to his home on the Northeast Coast of the US. The property had been bequeathed to his son from his maternal great-grandfather and on the death of his son, it passes to the narrator. The narrator did not have a good relationship with his white grandparents and his plan is to have the property surveyed and then sell it. However, in a twist of fate, human remains are found on the property – five of European descent and three of West African descent, thereby confirming that the property had been a plantation with slaves. Throughout the novel, the narrator struggles to come to terms with this complex legacy, his grief, and regret over his mistakes.

Devil is Fine is a layered, poetic, finely-crafted work of literature. It is the kind of novel that a reader should take their time reading, allowing the words to sink in and rereading some passages. I did not understand what was happening at the beginning of the novel, or even in the middle of it, but I knew I needed to be patient and it would all coalesce into something greater than the sum of its parts, and I was not disappointed. The narrator is a deeply flawed and likeable person. He is carrying the weight of his own grief, guilt and regret and history adds the additional burden from his ancestors. Combined with his health issues, medications and “fall off the wagon”, this leads to frightening visions which could be hallucinations, dreams or “haints”. It all culminates in a reckoning which finally gives him some peace.
This novel will stay with me. Thank you to Celadon for bringing me another extraordinary novel.

This was such a beautifully written story you can really feel the desperation and pain of loosing a loved one in such a tragic way. Then the main character learns that they have inherited land connected to such a terrible time in history. Which then brings to light his struggle with his identity and trying to feel like he’s enough.

I can’t get over the strong emotions I felt while reading some parts of the story. As a reader you can really feel the turmoil going on in the character’s mind. I recommend that everyone read this book. Especially if you have struggled with your identity and feeling like you don’t belong in your community.

Thank you to Celadon for the opportunity to read such a wonderful book!

Devil is Fine is a slightly crazy story but one that does an impressive job of exploring the relationship between Black men and their sons. The narrator, a biracial author, serves as both the son and the father in the story. The events take place in the aftermath of his son’s death, and he spends much of the book talking to his son as he attempts to reconcile his parenting and the events unfolding around him. I don’t envy the balance of raising a child with the awareness of the unfairness the world will treat them with, especially when you’d rather treat them as the most precious thing in the world to you. The narrator experiences this with his own father, and then becomes the father imparting the same lessons to his son. Their relationship not on the best of terms when Malcolm dies leaves the narrator bereft and struggling to cope. Then an inheritance left to his son by his white grandfather creates a whole new problem he was never expecting to deal with. And I haven’t mentioned the book he’s written that neither the university he works for or the publishing world is thrilled with. Amongst all the stressors in his life he begins mixing his anti-anxiety medication and alcohol, and that mixed with a jellyfish sting takes him and the reader through some pretty trippy moments. It’s at some of these moments that the book got a little weird for me, but I enjoyed the overall messages about relationships, taking a stand for your beliefs, and the struggle to find yourself. A complimentary copy of this book was provided by the publisher. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I cried so hard while reading this book, it reminded me a bit of the journey that Don't Cry for Me by Daniel Black just in the journey of a black man coming to terms with his past.

This book was very emotional for me. Touched on my greatest fear as a parent. It talked about many race issues which were very upsetting. My kids are multi-racial and it has been difficult in a less than accepting world raising my kids. I connected with the main character as a parent and how hard it is navigating your feelings and feeling safe to voice them. This book is definitely a journey and I would highly recommend.