This book was such a treat and one that grew as the story unfolds. I really didn't have an accurate understanding of what this book was going to be like going into it. I don't know if that is a misstep by the marketing or because I wasn't paying that much attention.
But WOW I think more people should read this book and I can think of a whole bunch of people that would fall in love with it. I hope that the hype gets out there because right now I think this might be a dark horse.
This is a story that has so many layers: family trauma and history, grief, addiction, mental health, bi-racial and racial identity and community, surrealism and of course the pitfalls of academia.
The audiobook was amazing also. I think reading physically would be enjoyable as well but Dion Graham as the narrator was so immersive and visceral. I literally had my mouth wide open in shock many times and the narration kept me on my toes.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the audiobook ARC.

This 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.

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

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 .

"Devil Is Fine" by John Vercher is a poignant blend of family drama and literary fiction with touches of magical realism. The story follows an unnamed biracial narrator grappling with the recent death of his teenage son, Malcolm. The plot unfolds as he inherits beachfront property from Malcolm's estranged white grandfather, leading to unexpected revelations and deep introspection.

Dion Graham's narration is exceptional, bringing depth and emotion to the characters and enhancing the listening experience. The narrative blurs the lines between reality and imagination, creating a haunting and thought-provoking atmosphere. This beautifully written book delves into themes of grief, identity, and the complexities of familial relationships, making it a memorable and moving read. Highly recommended for those who appreciate richly layered stories.

Special thanks to the author & @celadonbooks for my gifted copy‼️

This was such an interesting and creative read literally like nothing I’ve read before. There was this perfect blend between the past and the present and reality against magical realism to the point you couldn’t tell what was real and what wasn’t. My initial reaction to the book had me a bit confused so I gave it 3.75 ⭐️ but after sitting with my thoughts for a while I can say it at least deserves 4⭐️.

In the novel the narrator was unnamed which I’ve only seen happen once before in another book I read. Everything flowed so well that knowing who the main character was by name didn’t add nor take away from the story.

From the very beginning you’re pulled in as the narrator is attending his son’s funeral. My thoughts were immediately drawn to what happened with his son. But as the book continues our MC becomes aware he’s inherited some land from his white grandfather. What he wasn’t immediately aware of was the land was a former plantation that still housed a few corpses of the enslaved.

Trying to get a handle on his grief and owning this new property our narrator goes into a downward spiral. Suppressed emotions, dealing with grief, and the guilt he has bottled up about his son caused him to relapse and begin drinking again. I felt a lot of the mystical energy and supernatural experiences he encountered were an adverse effect of his drinking and mental state. The ending of the book is what really got me because I can’t say whether he commits suicide or actually turned into a jelly fish or maybe he imagined he did. This is one of those books that leaves room for the reader to create their own assumptions.

Overall, this was oddly satisfying I highly recommend reading with an open mind. It may come off confusing but the more you read the more you understand the authors direction. He touched on a few themes including addiction, the guilt surrounding forgiveness and unresolved conflict, father-son relationships, the effects divorce have on children, and ancestral legacy.

Rating: 3.75-4/5⭐️

I really didn't know what I had gotten myself into by reading this but I am so glad I did! It is so strange and brilliant. I went through so many emotions while reading and I cannot stop thinking about it. It was the grief from dealing with the loss of child and the illness of a parent, the issues from being biracial, the microaggressions towards minorities in the workplace and in publishing, and whew... the magical realism! It was so much to unpack here. But Vercher does an amazing job tackling them all. The man just has a way with words. Five stars! No notes.

Dion Graham's performance was top tier! I want to find to everything that he's narrating because I loved it so much.

A biracial man, dealing with the sudden and devastating loss of his son, inherits a plot of land from his estranged white grandfather. But he never imagined that the land is a former plantation, a legacy of his white mother's lineage.

As he explores the history of the land and his family, he uncovers layers of buried secrets and unexpected truths. This journey forces him to confront his own identity and the complex legacies of race and family that have shaped his life.

"Devil Is Fine" is a thought-provoking and poignant exploration of heritage and identity. I was completely captivated by this book. The story alternates between past and present and incorporates some magical elements that add a haunting dimension to the narrative. The character development is very well done.
The protagonist deeply evolves with his discoveries about his family history and his own place in the world. His journey to reclaim and understand his past is truly heartbreaking but satisfying in the end.

I listened to the audiobook version, narrated by Dion Graham. His magnificent performance took the experience to another level and made the story even more engaging. Graham's captivating voice kept me hooked; I really didn’t want to stop listening!

Thank you, Celadon Books, Macmillan Audio, NetGalley and John Vercher for the gifted copies of Devil is Fine.

I assume people sink into past instead of thinking about the future once they lose a child. Future and what it could be disappears once the chance to carry piece of you into future dies. All you are left with is yourself and what came before you.

How would you react when you inherit something that was meant for your child? From a white grandfather, as a biracial man, after a child's death? How can you justify owning a plantation while your ancestors worked on that plantation and you were result of the abuse those ancestors went through? But on the other hand, you are descended of that abuser too. Those are loaded questions for any man, but for someone who just lost a child they are soul crashing.

The book has this magical air, but also the fog of the decisions need to be made. The father crosses the line between reality and dream way too often for reader to differentiate what's his imagination. I don't know how magical realism and social satire go together, but they did here for sure.

A blend of literary fiction, political satire, history, humor, and magical realism, Devil is Fine tells a tale of generational legacy that will engross fans of Paul Beatty's The Sellout. The story is told by a grieving father who is trying to reconcile trauma from his past- both with his son, and with his family's legacy of plantation owning. Incredible premise and a book I will be recommending to patrons.

Audiobook was excellently narrated and acted by Dion Graham. Highly recommend

I'm impressed with the imaginative weavings of this book. I requested it because I have a love for mystery audiobooks (though I prefer my on-the-page to be literary), and this had both elements tangled together in entirely surprising ways. I am a sucker for a ghost story and the ways in which so many elements in our world can haunt us. I found I wanted *more*--I think I would have enjoyed it more on the page, and I would have enjoyed more layers to the historical elements. I struggle when a text leans didactic; I think the messages this book contained could have done without the meta-awarness.

The imagery in this story is impeccable. I awesome thought the narration was so well done. I didn’t expect how sad this one would be tho. Definitely an emotional read. I think it was a little hard to follow at times but such a good book.

Imagine basing your whole career around teaching the importance of slave history. And then, discovery you’ve inherited land that was once a plantation. What an interesting concept for a book. Although this was beautifully written, I often had a hard time staying engaged in the story. It was an incredibly slow at times and did not hold my interest for very long.

I enjoyed this book! I loved the atmosphere and seeing the MCs growth throughout the book. I didn’t expect how sad the book was going to be. It shows that everyone grieves in different ways.

3.5 stars rounded up.

Devil is Fine is a book about a biracial professor and author who is experiencing an identity crisis. He is divorced, grieving the loss of his teenage son, and has written a book that is getting tepid feedback from publishing houses, which is jeopardizing his teaching job. When he learns that he has inherited a piece of southern property from a family member, he goes on a road trip to visit it, later discovering the land was a slave plantation.

I alternated between the book and audiobook and preferred to audiobook, as the narrator was quite good. The writing style was challenging for me as it was a stream of consciousness prose in which the MC was talking to his deceased son as he processed the events in his current life. Despite this, I appreciated the author broaching and highlighting difficult and important topics such as grief, alcohol abuse/addiction, racial identity, and the nation's sordid past with regard to slavery.

Dear Devil is Fine,
I don't really even know how to start this letter. You are beautiful and lyrical and completely otherworldly. Just your concept was striking and beautiful. I was so touched by the journey that the unnamed narrator goes through. He found himself questioning who is is, where he belongs in this world and what his contribution is to his son, and his family and the world as whole. Your story left me wondering and speechless. You are a thing of beauty and I lost myself in your world.

Do our stories write us or do we write our stories? A self aware, meta, deep, thought provoking story about a struggling Black author who looses his son and then inherits a piece of land - that turns out to be a plantation with skeletal remains of both enslaved people as well as plantation owners - from his white grandfather. The author struggles with his own present as well as coming face to face with his historically difficult past. This book was beautifully told and I thoroughly enjoyed the time I spent with it. Only issue was the ending was not my favorite - but that’s just me.

"Devil Is Fine" by John Vercher is a Blend of Family and Literary Fiction with Touches of Magical Realism!

Our unnamed narrator is a biracial American author who leads us through this story speaking in his head to his recently deceased teenage son, Malcolm. He is ravaged with grief, resulting in debilitating panic attacks.

Days after the funeral, he receives a letter from an attorney concerning beachfront property Malcolm inherited from his estranged white maternal grandfather, Malcolm's great-grandfather. As his son's next of kin, this property now falls to him.

What begins as a quick trip south to view and sell the property, ends with unexpected news from an on-site inspection. Our unnamed narrator feels himself spinning in the aftermath of the tragic death of his only child and the shock of what is on this inherited land...

"Devil is Fine" is the first book I've read by this author and there is much to love about Vercher's beautiful writing, choice of sensitive topics, and flawed characters. This is one of the best books I've read this year and, at less than 300 pages and 9 hours, it's a perfect choice as an immersion read. The audiobook, magnificently narrated by Dion Graham and one of the best narrations I've experienced, was my preference, but either format will deliver a memorable read.

I felt compassion for our unnamed narrator who struggles with his biracial identity, his intense grief, and the bridges he's burned in his relationships. His spiral was hard to witness as he continued making poor choices, yet, I was mesmerized by the author's use of Magical Realism which left me questioning what was real, imagined, or mystical, and feeling much like the unnamed narrator felt.

If you enjoy a blend of Family and Literary Fiction with touches of Magical Realism that leave you wondering, "Devil is Fine" is a satisfying option I highly recommend!

5⭐

Thank you to Celadon Books, Macmillan Audio, and John Vercher for a DRC and an ALC of this book through NetGalley. It has been a pleasure to give my honest and voluntary review.

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.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Celadon Books for the read.

It's a slow book, but it picks up a bit with its wry humor and strange but compelling imagery. I struggled a bit with the audiobook narrator but the interesting writing style made me push through.