Wow. Um, I'm not really sure where to begin with this one.

This is an incredibly dense, thought-provoking novel that tackles heavy themes with subtlety. The story follows a biracial main character who lost his son and inherits a former plantation from his estranged white grandfather.

The narrator is a broken man, and while I didn't always find him likable, his flaws and pain make him all the more real. There’s an almost meta quality to how the story is written as he talks directly to his late son - and the reader by proxy. That being the case, because we are in the narrator's head, we can't ever be completely sure what is ACTUALLY happening (sometimes shit gets WEIRD), and the story is colored by his perceptions and emotions. It's not unreliable, per se, but we all have a certain way of looking at the world. It was fascinating to read as he grapples with his loss and the burden of his heritage, leading to a powerful, if unsettling, reading experience.

The novel’s writing is exceptional—rich, evocative, immersive, and brimming with layers that demand careful consideration. I tandem read and listened to the audiobook and I listened enraptured for the last 40%, forgetting the tablet in my hands entirely. The audiobook narrator did a fantastic job and his manner of speech just pulled me into the story. The way Vercher weaves reality and "imagination" makes the book feel almost surreal at times. The exploration of identity, race, and the legacies we inherit is handled with a deft touch, never heavy-handed, yet deeply impactful.

This book is the kind that would benefit from a deep dive in a book club or a college classroom discussion. There’s so much to unpack, and it feels like I’ve only scratched the surface of what this novel has to offer. It’s not an easy read, but it’s an important one, full of insight and raw emotion.

Thanks to Netgalley and especially to Celadon Books for reaching out to see if I would be interested in reading and reviewing. This is outside my typical genre and I just adored it. This review is based on a complimentary pre-released copy and it is voluntary. All opinions are my own.

Devil Is Fine is a novel that follows an unnamed professor as he deals with the grief of losing his son. We follow the narrator as he goes through a series of events that change the way he perceives himself, his reality and his decisions. This book was very well written and I felt like the characters each had a distinct voice. I loved that as a the reader, I felt like my perception of reality was also being warped along with the narrator and there were a few times where I didn't know what was going on (in a good way). This book touches on a lot of different topics - racism, grief, unwanted pregnancy, death, slavery, ancestral history (and the generational consequences). It was engrossing and I was very entertained throughout. This was a solid read and also the one that allowed me to complete my Goodreads yearly goal!

Thank you @Netgalley and @Celadonbooks for my ARC copy of this magical book!

Devil is Fine
By: John Vercher
We follow a biracial man who is trying to come to terms with the loss of his son. He inherits land from his grandparents. Not having a good relationship with them, he does not want to hold onto the land and wants to sell it.
When human remains are found on the property which leads to different people, we find out the place was a plantation. How does he come to terms with his family history and how will affect him.

This novel is gripping, emotional and full of history.
Thank you Celadon Books for this gifted copy.

This was a powerhouse of a novel for sure! I wasn't quite sure what I was getting into because the synopsis seemed very vague, and early on I was wondering if this was turning into a horror novel/ghost story. This novel turned into a story of loss and overcoming grief, with some supernatural elements (but I think those were more the MCs imagination and his brain's attempt to comprehend his grief).

The prose was very beautiful and I found many different times I was highlighting certain phrases and quotes from the story due to their relevance in my own life.

Thanks so much to Celedon Books and Netgalley for the ARC of this novel!

A captivating story about a mixed race man who inherits a Midatlantic plantation as he works through the grief and guilt tied to the death of his teenage son. Coupled with magical realism, this is a unique exploration of the challenging elements of race and identity. It also questions the notion of respect for the dead against the desire to preserve history - challenging the morality of historical preservation of the dead who have no voice for themselves.

4.5/5

i enjoyed this! I think it had many important themes to discuss and was able to get those points across clearly! I like a story that gracefully deals with the topic of grief and how those handle it. It felt like a complex story but easy to read as well.

Devil is Fine book was equal parts darkly hilarious and tragic. I listened to the audiobook and the narrator is phenomenal. His voice characterization is so nuanced throughout the narration. The speeding up of his voice at key moments or the subtle drop that lends itself to the humor of the moment were brilliant.

This was a unique story with supernatural elements infused into it. The narrator is a writer and professor who is biracial. He has recently inherited a former plantation from his white grandfather. Something that absolutely causes inner (and outer) conflict as he tries to figure out what to do with it once his plans to immediately sell it are thwarted by what is found on the property.

The timeline jumped between the different ages of the narrator’s son who recently passed away. Through flashbacks and present day you learn more about the narrator’s relationship with his son.

There are confrontations. There are jellyfish. A little bit of spiritual possession. And a whole lot of laughs because if you didn’t you might cry in this very different tale of a father and son. It toggles between the past and present, the natural and the supernatural, the tragedy of life and the humor we need to survive it.

This was a surprise 5 star for me. I recommend it to anyone looking for something with dark humor that is a little bit different than your regular contemporary father-son tale. If you are looking for a book to wrap up the summer, try this one.

Also, I can’t resist teasing this, but I love coming to the place in a novel where you find out the reasoning behind the title. I was absolutely blown away and shocked when I got to the title reveal in this book. So good.

After a sudden death, the narrator learns of the unexpected inheritance of a piece of land. His unforeseen possession of this plot isn't the only surprise, adding layers of complication onto his grief. On top of all that, with the help of alcohol and pharmaceuticals, he might be losing his grip on reality.

This imaginative novel examines the powerfully raw theme of grief and loss across generations, time and reality. This story was at once simple and complex, enjoyable and disturbing. It contains the perfect balance of humanity and mystery to keep you turning the pages faster and faster.

I enjoyed this book! I'm so glad that I got the chance to read it early and will definitely be recommending it to multiple people who enjoy these types of novels. I enjoyed the characters and especially enjoyed the writing by this author. I'm excited to see what the author comes out with next as I'll definitely be reading it! Thank you to the publisher for my early copy of this book!

I have fairly mixed thoughts on this book and struggled to even figure out how to rate it. It was so, so, so very good and spoke to me on a deeply personal level, yet at the same time, it was far from perfect. It certainly inspired more strong emotions in me than most other books I've read lately. But half of those emotions were of the "screw this asshole" variety, so I wouldn't really call this a wholly positive experience either.

So first of all: the good. It was a fantastic magical realism horror story. There was great pacing, lots of solidly spooky bits, and an overall feeling of uncanniness that worked quite well for the book. It's dreamy and eerie and confusing in the best sort of way. I also enjoyed that the conclusion was a little different from many other similar books I've read. <spoiler>Instead of all the fantastical things peaking in a climax with piles of gore and horror, the narrator has to learn to embrace and confront them. That concept works very well for the book's exploration of grief, and I liked it quite a bit.</spoiler>

Furthermore, the focus on grief, guilt, and parenting were very nicely handled. The narrator draws you into his life and makes you feel his experiences very deeply. Vercher does a great job of creating a complex tangle of love, guilt, hope, and resentment that's very intriguing to consider. The explorations of race also rung very true to my experiences as a biracial person. Several scenes drew to mind situations from my childhood and referenced familiar dynamics from my own family. I appreciated that the author explores a lot of the challenges of being mixed race without ever falling into tired stereotypes about confused and tragic mulattoes. While he's realistic about issues like feeling "not black enough," he doesn't linger on them or use them as an excuse for racist rhetoric. Altogether, this novel did an excellent job of expressing a distinct, biracial, Black identity in a way that I'm not sure I've seen in any other stories.

However, I felt the whole thing could've been a lot stronger than it was. The ending felt fairly rushed. Almost all the plantation plotlines were left dangling while the story veered to focus entirely on the grief plot, so the conclusion wasn't as satisfying as it could've been. And while the characterization was quite strong, the narrator was often so unlikeable that it pulled me out of the story. Furthermore, it was often hard to separate the views of the narrator from the views of the author. If every single woman is sexualized in the book, is it the narrator being sexist or is it Vercher struggling to write authentic female characters?

I also think that some of the discussions of racism were hampered by over-the-top strawmen as the antagonists. For example, the whole bit with a wedding company wanting to buy the plantation. White people aren't frothing at the mouth to just get married on the site of a human tragedy. They want the pretty buildings. No one's going to pay thousands for a wedding on an empty lot. Perhaps one could argue these scenes were satirical, over-the-top situations meant to highlight the absurdity of racism. But given the more personal feel of the rest of the book, I think more realistic levels of nuance would've made more sense.

Finally, I think the topic of religion wasn't really handled well. There's certainly a lot of room to examine the subtle interplay between religion, grief, guilt, and tradition. But portraying Christianity as a solely white religion foisted on black people by their oppressors is ignoring the long history of Christianity in Africa. The Coptic Orthodox and Ethiopian Orthodox churches were some of the first in the world and are home to some of the oldest monasteries and church buildings in existence. That one probably won't bug most readers as much as it bugged me, but as a history nerd, I found it fairly offputting.

So to sum it all up, Devil Is Fine made me write a whole-ass essay in my free time, so despite its issues, it's an incredibly engaging and thought-provoking novel that is definitely worth a read.

I've decided that anytime an author has a character under the age of seventy-five use the word "booze", I am automatically deducting a star.
Overall, I liked this story about a mixed race man, still grieving the loss of his son, who inherits a slave plantation from his white grandfather. There were parts I didn't love, though, like the protagonist thinking he was becoming a jellyfish, and other couple other weird things like that.
Thanks to #netgalley and #celadonbooks for this #arc of #devilisfine in exchange for an honest review.

“Devil Is Fine” brought tears to my eyes. A biracial author inherits a plantation from his white grandfather. He is already reeling from a terrible tragedy. This just complicates it more and reality and imaginary get very mixed up. It has a bit of slow start but lots of emotions on display.

"Devil is Fine" Is a thoughtful novel that explores important themes like identity, race, and personal struggles. The author writes in a way that draws you in, and he does a good job of showing the emotional challenges his character's face.

However, the pacing of the story felt uneven at times, with some parts dragging a bit, which made it hard for me to stay fully engaged. A few plot points were a bit predictable, and However, the pacing of the story felt uneven at times, with some parts dragging a bit, which made it hard for me to stay fully engaged. A few plot points were a bit predictable, and while the themes were interesting, I wanted to see more depths in the characters.

Overall, The book brings up some meaningful issues, The book brings up some meaningful issues, but it didn't completely connect with me. If you're interested in stories about identity and social issues, it's worth checking out, but The book brings up some meaningful issues, but it didn't completely connect with me. If you're interested in stories about identity and social issues, it's worth checking out, but it might not be for everyone.

Devil is Fine was really interesting. I loved the mix of memoir with supernatural elements. The narration was excellent on audio also.

This is well written but unfortunately wasn’t for me. I can see why others love the story though! It was a stretch in genre for my taste so please take my opinion with a grain of salt.

John Vercher tells a contemplative and moving story of a grieving father, continuously brought back to the thoughts, confidences, challenges, and loss of his only son. The narrative, while fixed in a specific, modern day setting, fluctuates and flows to the main characters past as well as a long buried history of slavery that flows in his mixed race ancestry.

While dealing with the loss of his son and a dwindling career as a writer and lecturer, the protagonist discovers an unexpected inheritance left to him by his estranged father. A large parcel of land holds a dark secret, rooted in the history of slavery in the region.

Devil is Fine transitions from realism to something close to the supernatural as the protagonist is literally transported to the past when overtaken by the memories of the abuse and atrocities that happened on this haunted piece of land. As trouble mounts for the writer, he also begins to suspect that he is horrifically transforming into an entirely different creature, with tentacles rather than limbs.

This was SO good. I was so hooked by this story. It was emotional, heartbreaking, a little haunting? It’s filled with grief. Some parts were a little strange but not in a bad way, I kept like trying to figure out how things were happening? It’s hard to explain without spoiling.

I didn’t get the jellyfish on the cover when I started it but they actually play a big part in the story.

This was a quick read, a bit heavy, but beautifully written. I’ll probably be adding this to my top books of the year so far. The audiobook narrator is AMAZING. Highly recommend this one on audiobook.

Thank you @netgalley and @celadonbooks for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

This had the bones of an interesting story (no pun intended), but I think the main character was just so irritating it never fully formed for me. At no point in the entire story did I feel like he didn't act like a self-involved asshole, and I'm really not sure how he managed to get so many people on his side by the end. How many times can someone stick their foot in their mouth by making a snarky comment? He explains in the book that it's somewhat of a defense mechanism when he's uncomfortable, but at certain points it just seemed downright stupid. I believe this is part of the character growing, but it was irritating to read. I also think the more meta it got, the more I became unsure of what was even happening in the story. I don't want to get into spoilers, but the timeline of what was happening became confusing to me as it blurred with flashbacks, present time, hallucinations, and books. What was real? What wasn't real? I couldn't tell ya!

The concept of a biracial man being haunted by his family, alive and dead, known and unknown, is certainly a fascinating one. I tend to enjoy books with some magical realism, and a theme of "am I going crazy or is this really happening" and it just didn't quite land for me. The style of fantasy/horror reminded me a lot of The Ballad of Black Tom (although more based in reality), so if you enjoyed that book, this would probably be your speed.

I did enjoy the side characters of this book. I also think it is an interesting meditation on generational trauma and family bonds, and the confusing nature of being biracial (I say this as someone who has a black father and white mother, and presents as white). As I said, the bones of this book were good, and I would be interested in reading more from this author.

🪼 This was an incredibly unique story that used grief, and a dose of magical realism, to paint a picture of growing up Black in America. Thank you to @celadonbooks for this one— it’s out now.

🪼 Ok, all of these things are happening in this book:
- the MC is talking to his dead son who about their tulmutous relationship, his own childhood, the path that brought him to become a father
- the MC is in a tense spot with the university where he works because he hasn’t published since 2020(ish?) and it’s believed the landscape has changed and nobody wants to read about race anymore
- the MC learns he’s inherited the land of a former plantation and bodies are uncovered there
- through either magical realism, or a mix of alcohol and pills, the MC also imagines he’s turning into a jelly fish

🪼 It’s a lot right? And while there were some really beautiful parts to this story and some really poignant moments— there was also just a LOT going on and I’m honestly not sure I fully understood it. In fact, at the end, I wasn’t quite sure what the takeaway was supposed to be. 😬

🪼 Read this if you really enjoyed Hell of a Book— it reminded me a lot of that one, with elements from The Reformatory as well.

Stories about losing a child are hard to read. This author did a great job mixing supernatural elements in the story, but making them relevant and suspenseful. It's a sad story, but funny in parts. The imagery is great. The relationships between the characters were believable. Everybody was multi-dimensional, and many of the characters were flawed but trying their best.

I did a lot of this in audio, and the narrator could not have been more fantastic.

Thank you NetGalley and LibroFM for the ARC .