Happy release day to @jverchwrites ! Check out our ARC review below! A big thanks to the author, @netgalley and @celadonbooks for a copy of this ARC.

Opening in a funeral procession for the narrator’s teenage son, Devil is Fine becomes a letter to the deceased; a father explaining the bizarre and supernatural occurrences that begin to happen after the boy’s death occurs and a strange inheritance is revealed.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4/5
Spice: 🌶️ 0/5

Tropes:
Troubled protagonist
Small town
Family drama
Coming of age

Triggers:
Death of a child

My Thoughts:
Devil is Fine cleverly subverts magic realism, horror and thriller all at once to create a thoughtful exploration of identity, race, middle-age, and fatherhood and the ways those things can both save and destroy a person.

#ournerdiestthing #devilisfine #johnvercher #arcreview #arcreviewer #magicrealism #horrorbooks #historicalfiction

I’m struggling with just how to describe this phenomenal book. Devil Is Fine is far more than just fine. Featuring lyrical prose, incredibly timely themes, and a sympathetic narrator, I was moved from the first page to the last as I read this indescribable book.

Our narrator is a grieving father who’s just lost his only son. He’s also a biracial man who finds out he’s inherited a plantation. Either of these two themes would have made for an excellent story, but together they weave an even more complex tale. Add in an additional element of magical realism and wow. This last at first blush seemed almost absurd in this context, but it became much more compelling if also perplexing as the story progressed. It worked like a sort of poetry, pulling together the difficult personal and social issues this story explored so exquisitely.

Thank you John Vercher, Celadon Books, and NetGalley for providing this ARC for review consideration. All opinions expressed are my own.

"If I got to choose between your God and the devil, then the devil is fine"

I mean with a quote like that I had high expectations for this book. While overall I enjoyed the heart wrenching story of a father, grieving for the son he lost and the twist of an african american man becoming a plantation owner. The majority of the story was told from the main character's inner dialogue so I'm not sure if that's why, at times, it was very confusing on what was going on. I also did not expect it to have some paranormal elements so "I think that threw me and it felt a bit overdone at times.

Overall not a bad read but a bit too confusing for it to be a 5 start read. Thank you to Netgalley and to publishers for allowing me to read this advanced copy.

since I finished reading it, i haven’t been able to stop thinking about this book. i cannot recommend it enough! the writing is gorgeous and delivers a powerful message. with a mix of dark humor, this story is raw and gripping. it delves into themes of grief, parenthood, and the perspective of a biracial father who is also a writer.

how this author broke my heart in one chapter and then had me cackling in the next is truly a talent. vercher puts these hard topics on the forefront and tackles them seamlessly. through the pages, the narrator’s voice had me thinking about my life, parenting choices, our nation’s history, and the significance of who should be telling these stories. i could go on and on–i annotated this book because there’s so much to unpack.

the horror and magical realism elements left me bewildered, uttering “wtf” numerous times. the ending truly shattered my heart, and it had me rereading the ending to make sure i read it right. and i think i understand? vercher if you can tell me i would appreciate it because it kept me up at night well after finishing it. 😭

would i recommend it? yes, yes, yes! if you are okay with not knowing what the hell is going on (and if makes you feel better, our narrator doesn’t know either lol) and you want something to make you sad, angry, cry, and even make you laugh then you must pick this one up.

This novel had me hooked from the start, it was haunting on every level. The slow burn terror of the narrator’s paranormal experiences combined with the true horror of the past he is unwittingly tied to left me frantically turning the pages to keep reading. The writing is excellent, the narrator is complicated beyond belief, and the story is deeply engaging. Not only is this a captivating look at the complicated ways that grief manifests, it’s also a terrifying reflection on the very real history that is quite literally still surrounding Americans. I was a huge fan and will absolutely be recommending this to everyone I can. I received an ARC of this novel through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you @Celadon and @jverchwrites for my free copy, and @goodreads for the giveaway win!💖.

✨What it is about :
A biracial man, grieving the loss of his son finds out he’s inherited an old piece of land from his white grandfather. He goes to claim the property, with the intention of selling the land immediately and moving on. But upon inspection, he finds out he is now the Black owner of a former plantation passed down by the men on his white mother’s side of the family.✨

💭My thoughts :
This is a thought provoking read that had me feeling all the things. It was just heartbreaking, uncomfortable, and devastating even, BUT at the same time so moving and clever.This story is a mix of literary fiction, mystery, and magical realism. At times,I could not differentiate what was real and what wasn’t, but the heavy topics were approached in a very unique way,and I liked that. The father’s need to find connection,his feelings of inadequacy,his identity issues, as well as feeling a failure, were evident throughout. As a parent,I felt a lot with this story, and though this is a book that’s very different than what I usually read, it’s definitely a good one!

4 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Read if you like:
🪼Literary fiction
🪼Character driven stories
🪼Complex father & son relationships
🪼Magical realism
🪼Slow paced stories with vivid descriptions
🪼Grief, tragedy and humor

⚠️CW: Loss of a child, alcoholism, grief, issues of race/racism.

Devil is fine was a really surprising and moving story about identity. The way this story comes together is entirely unpredictable and gripping. Beyond that, the way that the story is written to "you" really continued to draw me in.

Thank you to Celadon Books and NetGalley for the ARC!

Devil Is Fine by John Vercher was a magical and wonderful story.
I thought it was wonderfully written and the characters are really engaging.
The writing was perceptive and intelligent.
I enjoyed this story from start to finish.

Thank You NetGalley and Celadon Books for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

2 Stars - I don't know I just didn't like it to be honest.

Devil Is Fine by John Vercher follows a biracial man who talks conversationally with his recently deceased teenage son with whom he had a difficult relationship with. Through these conversations, he seems to be losing himself to hallucinations, panic attacks, and sleep paralysis - not to mention he broke his years long sobriety and seemingly resorted to mixing medication with alcohol. If that wasn't enough? He inherits a plantation.

This had so much potential but the casual writing style made it hard to follow at times. The flashbacks were even more so difficult to understand, I wasn't sure who or where we even were in them. The main character is also insufferable, no wonder his "woke" teenage son didn't enjoy his company. It was hard to feel bad for the MMC when all I could think about was how his son deserved better but it was too late..which I think is maybe part of the point? But honestly, I couldn't tell you the point of this book.

I think I would have enjoyed this so much more if we spent more time in the subplots (jellyfish significance, maybe therapy for self-absorbed narcissistic men who desperately need it, difficult familial relationships AND RECOGNIZING THEM, inheriting a plantation as a biracial man in a town that wants no recognition of such thing, etc. Instead we spent way too much time in this man's subconscious.

At then end he turns into a jellyfish or he unalives himself, I am not sure which.

Thank you to the NetGalley team for the Advance Readers Copy!

Clarence is reeling from a heartbreaking tragedy when he learns he has become the owner of a plantation from his white grandfather. As a biracial man, this sudden knowledge into his family’s past is unthinkable.
While dealing with the horror of this news, leaders are trying to take bodies from the plantation and place them in a museum for “educational purposes.” He fights to leave the land as it is for their final resting places.
As this is occurring, Clarence experiences “visitations” from beyond and he also feels as if he is turning into a jellyfish. Is this madness or ghosts?
While learning about the plantation and Clarence’s past, it’s easy to wonder about his mental stability. Clarence was not an easy character to like but he became different as the story progressed.
While this story wasn’t for me, I enjoyed the history of the plantation and his fight for what he believed to be right. I recommend this to those that love historical fiction but also unreliable characters.
Thank you to @celadonbooks for the copy. This book releases June 18, 2024.

𝗜𝗳 𝗜 𝗴𝗼𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗚𝗼𝗱 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗹, 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗹 𝗶𝘀 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗲.

What a fantastic read. Heartbreaking in so many ways but so good. It was unique. I don’t think I’ve read anything quite like this. I love stories that are meta.
This was so raw. It was beautiful in the way it was honest with emotions.
I loved that most of this book was written like the narrator was speaking to his son. The grief and the guilt felt so real.
This will probably be one of my favorite reads of the year. It was pretty perfect.

𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳 𝗮𝗴𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝘀𝗼 𝗯𝗿𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗵𝗮𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗰𝘂𝗲𝗱.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Celadon Books for an ARC of Devil is Fine by John Vercher in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: 5/5

This book is an absolute gem. Every moment of it captured my heart. It skillfully combines moments of heartache with lighthearted humor, a testament to the author's mastery of emotional balance. The author seamlessly integrates pop culture references and nods to recent events, a skill that adds depth and relevance to the story. It is an impactful read for anyone who cherishes human connections and love. It is a story that is sure to stay with me for years. Was there magical realism or is it just a deep love for those closest to us? I'll let you decide.

This book had so many things that shouldn't have worked for me but did, totally did! Malcom has died and the story is told to him by his grieving father. Most of the time second person narrative is difficult for me, but it worked here. Additionally, there are visions, ghosts, etc, throughout the book. Magical realism generally feels like an easy out for authors and I am usually not a fan. However, it works really well here. It is needed here and feels completely appropriate. One can truly believe that this is all real to Malcolm's unnamed father, our main character. Several different concepts around systemic racism, colonialism, and white supremacy were viewed throughout the entire story in a very easily understood manner. I specifically found humor in the white editor complaining to the biracial author that his book about his Black experience needed to be more accessible to white people. Huh, go figure! (insert rolling eyes smilie). All in all, this was a great read!

I cannot stop thinking about this book! WOW! It is a force! This story knocked the breath out of me. It is a must read!

This is great read. The characters were engaging and I couldn't put the book down. I would recommend this book for a book club or a friend.

Devil is Fine by John Vercher ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Why I Chose It: I was intrigued by the description, “moving at times, darkly funny at others…”

This was a beautifully written story that explored grief, identity, race, and relationships. It was a completely human novel as it explored the best and worst of emotions in a way readers will feel it in the depths of their being. I’ve been thinking about this one since I put it down.

This was a quintessential literary fiction novel. I found the prose to be lyrical with a cadence that moved the story along. The long sweeping sentences allowed me to get lost in the story. However, the dialogue kept me grounded. The dialogue provided relief (both comedic and from the prose) that gave me a moment to step away from the swirling emotions. Bonus points for the dialogue as it felt real and not forced.

Weird conceptually at times - I often found myself confused, but I always felt grounded in the story. The magical realism sprinkled throughout was not overdone, and it did add an element to this story that I enjoyed.

For readers who enjoy literary fiction, books about hard topics, or books with beautiful writing will love this one.

A heartfelt and personal story mixing literary with magical realism of a biracial man who inherits what appears to be a plantation from the white grandfather on his mother’s side. We as readers watch the grief over loss of a son start to unravel him and I wish the main character had been written a little more like I wanted to root for him. But I can try and assume this is due to being at the beginning of his recovery journey.

But it was enjoyable to watch his flashbacks, how he had fathered, or not fathered, his young son before he passed where the honesty became uncomfortable to read. The flashbacks of him fathering his son through the years, particularly after he and his wife separated were the highlights of the story for me. I wish the back of the book hadn’t explained the first half of the book as in the first 100 pages was really the book jacket.

This is a unique story, if at times overly lofty but I encourage readers to pick it up on their own to interpret it as they will. If NetGalley allowed half stars, I would say 3.5

Let me begin by saying this book is meta. This is the first time I’m using the phrase “meta” in a review so hopefully I’m using it correctly. 🙈😂

🙏🏼 A biracial man grieves the loss of his son while reflecting on race, parenthood, colonialism, addiction, faith, mental health, lycanthropy and the paranormal. 🙏🏼

This story is so many things at once it can be hard to keep track of at times. Even though the prose is so beautifully poetic, the gears under the surface are overloaded and you can feel it.

Also, the flow of the story felt like it got lost somewhere along the way interrupting the cohesion overall.

That being said, I loved the mixed media formatting of this book. The little poem dropped here and a piece of art there. I’m a sucker for unique formatting.

Furthermore, interweaving sea imagery with jellyfish symbolism was so gorgeous and visceral. It was by far my favorite element of the story.

“You succumbed to the sea’s siren song, unafraid.”

I couldn’t stop thinking of Beyoncé’s Lemonade while reading. Visuals from the film kept popping up in my mind along with different lyrics.

There’s so much to this story it’s hard to get into it without spoiling things so I will just say #readthisbook !!

🌟🌟🌟

😔 Grief
💔 Loss
🪪 Identity
🙏🏼 Faith
🧑‍🧑‍🧒 Family
🧠 Mental Health

👉🏼 #bookstackcityreviews

🎁 Thank you @celadonbooks for this #gifted copy of #DevilIsFine (6/18)!!

❓ Have you ever read a book that changed your perspective on something?

I was provided both a digital and audio ARC of this book via Netgalley, all opinions are my own. The audiobook is wonderful, I highly recommend it! Dion Graham does a wonderful job with the narration, giving each character a distinct voice and delivering on the emotion.

This was quite a moving and emotional story. It deals with some very heavy topics, so make sure you check trigger warnings before diving in. I'm not sure my review will do this book justice, but I'll try my best.

This follows our main character in the wake of his teenage son's death. He and his son Malcom had a bit of a combative relationship, and our narrator struggles with his choices as a father and a man after Malcom's passing. His struggles increase when he finds that Malcom was set to inherit a large plot of land from his own estranged grandfather, as next of kin it is his to deal with. He intends to sell the land but comes to find that it has historical significance and further causes our narrator to struggle with his biracial identity.

As I was reading this I was reminded of Octavia E. Butler's Kindred, this is told in jumps between the past and the present. Vercher blurs the lines of reality and uses time jumps in such an interesting way. You can't tell if our main character is actually experiencing what is described to the reader or if he is hallucinating from a cocktail of bourbon and medication. Either way the things he is experiencing is horrifying and makes him question everything.

I thought this book was beautifully done. There is a bit of magical realism, and you aren't sure exactly what is happening or if it is happening at all. Our main character is dealing with alot, and it really makes you think about racism, religion, parenting, grief, and so much more. Books told from a more stream of consciousness format are hit or miss for me, but it really works well in this book. It is as if he is having a casual conversation with you about his life as it unfolds. I also tend to shy away from books about loss of a child, as a mom it hits a bit close to the heart, but this is so well written and engaging. I do highly recommend it!

I'm not sure what I expected when I went into this one, but it wasn't what I got. I absolutely adored Vercher's nonlinear storytelling and style. I'm still not 100% sure if there was a supernatural or psychological element to this one and I honestly like it that way. This was a fantastic story about race, loss, and grief.