Wow this is one that will stick with me. A Fig For All The Devils is a story about grief, life, death, and what it's like to be an impoverished teenager. Our main character Sonny is a young teen who suffers the loss of his father and doesn't feel like he has much to live for. He soon befriends Grim Reaper who is looking for his replacement and we follow along on this journey.

There was so much emotion in this book, it made me feel sad at times and weirded out at others. C.S. Fritz has a way with words and the writing in this book was beautiful. I found myself highlighting several passages which I rarely do when I read. He also gave it a very timeless feel, this book could have easily been written decades ago since there is little mention of modern technology. The characters were well written as well, especially The Reaper - I enjoyed the wisdom he shared and his silly demeanor.

A different kind of horror story. Interesting and well written. ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair review.

"What does misery feel like?...
Is it the feeling of drowning while breathing?
Like dying while having a polite conversation over spaghetti?
Like smelling the fresh wet dirt your grave digger shovels onto your own coffin?
Or the feeling of rejection from one’s own dear mother?"

I'm just going to say that any story that starts with Baba Yaga is going to have some potential.

Magnús is a happy man. Living on the coast of Iceland, he's got everything he could ask for at the young age of 18, some land, a wife and a new born son.

Three days after the birth of his son, Magnús goes out hunting and encounters the Baba Yaga. And if you're up on you're Scandinavian folklore, you can probably guess where this story goes without this becoming a *spoiler alert* post. If not, I guess you'll have to read the book and find out.

A thousand years later, we meet Sonny. Sonny is a 13 year old boy who's father recently committed suicide. While trying to start a new life alone with his mom, Sonny encounters Death.

In the form of the iconic "Grim Reaper" Death tutors Sonny to be a his successor as a keeper of death.

After Sonny's behavior starts changing, his mom reaches out to a doctor who believes that Sonny is suffering from hallucinations related to the grief and trauma of his father's death. This causes Sonny to question his own experiences as well.

With an ending that left me flipping pages so fast they could have started a small fire and a surprisingly heartwarming twist (I teared up a little-not gonna lie) I can definitely say that I would recommend this one to anyone who hasn't read it yet.

If you're looking for an imersive, quick read about Death with elements of coming of age, gore, suspense, a little mystery and a bit of humor then this book is for you.

TW: This is a book about death, all kinds of death, with accompanying descriptions of gore and feelings of grief. There's also one scene depicting animal abuse as well as child abuse and domestic violence. If that's not your thing then this isn't the book for you.

4 stars
This book isn’t quite what I was expecting. It feels like it was written for a younger audience. That being said, it was a fast easy read. It had elements of mild horror, some humor, among other emotions. It’s a good book dealing with heavy topics.

A young man encounters the Grim Reaper who is searching for a successor. The story deals with an abused, grief-stricken and impoverished Sonny who is just trying to get by day by day after the death of his father. He has a turbulent relationship with his mother and after moving to a new town for a new start, Sonny begins to notice that someone, or something else has come with them... cue Death the Grim Reaper. Death has been alive for 1000 years and is searching for someone to take over. Along for the journey is Jess, a beautiful girl who is the daughter of a pastor who misses her mother. This is a story about grief and about life. The story was formatted in an interesting way and filled with little quotes throughout. Overall, it was an okay read. Death was pretty quirky for someone who is 1000 years old.

*Thanks Netgalley and Albatross Book Co., Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA), Members' Titles for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review*

Thirteen, angsty and grieving his father's death, Sonny meets the Grim Reaper who offers Sonny an escape from his torment. Sonny can become the next Grim Reaper. But contrary to what this sounds like, the book's fantasy leanings are more a veil for the writer to examine change and grief in a young teenager's life.

Though at times the fantasy bears too heavy on the reality and tips the scales into hyperbole, the core emotional story of a boy coming to terms with his father's death and learning to understand the feelings of the people around him is engaging.

Told sparingly and with charming formatting choices, the book's primary audience is surely thirteen-year-old boys like Sonny. The book's horror is thankfully restrained and without extended description of its gore. I was surprised that what disgusted me most was a man forcing a raw chicken thigh into a supermarket cashier's mouth.

I was also caught off guard by the '90s setting, which is implied through cultural references. But, although these references may be distant from today's young readers, their distraction is minimal and bring colour to the isolated Oregon locale.

Overall the book is a quick, well-plotted coming-of-age with horror and fantasy elements. Perfect for angsty teen boys.

What I expected? A horror story filled with death and gore.
What I got? A beautiful story about the struggle of grief and forgiveness, with the promise of hope.

A Fig For All The Devils is a quick, but emotional journey of teenage Sonny's life after the passing of his father. Finding himself thrust into a new home in a new town, Sonny navigates the stages of loss while being recruited by Death to take his place as the new grim reaper.

Fritz's writing sings like prose from the pages and flowed so smoothly. While reading I felt equal parts comforted and horrified (in the best possible way) as the story unfolded, finding comfort in death. "Because it knows even at its most primitive state, that death is the best chance at life."

While I read most of this book in one reading session, I know I will be thinking about it for a long time.