Devil Is Fine is in the voice of a biracial man who is driving south to a doubly unwelcome inheritance. Almost any man who is Black (or half Black) is going to feel awkward about inheriting a plantation, especially from an estranged white grandfather. Even worse, the reason he inherited the plantation is that his son, who was supposed to inherit it, died in a car accident. Our unnamed narrator was driving.

He is traveling down to the plantation in order to sell it. He is consumed by grief and worry, worry he may lose his job because Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion are out of fashion and he is not writing fast enough for the publish-or-perish hamster wheel. He is haunted by his son, his soon-to-be-ex-wife, and his ancestors. He has complete conversations with ghosts The story is rich in magical realism, a genre I usually love.

Devil Is Fine has been a tough book for me. The writing is lovely in terms of the simple beauty of words. The story is poignant and rich in real-world struggles and contemporary issues. The grief is real and feels very authentic. And yet, despite all of that, I did not like this book. I felt relieved when it was over.

I felt confused a lot of the time while reading it. Not confused in the sense of not knowing the solution to a mystery, but confused in not knowing what was real and what was magically real, so to speak. I put it down several times because I was exhausted by it and, to be fair, that added to the confusion. I also didn’t much like the narrator, to be honest. I sympathized with his estranged wife and his son and think that much of his pain was inflicted by his own selfishness.

Perhaps I was in the wrong frame of mind. I have sometimes reread a book I disliked and really enjoyed it. That is a great possibility with Devil Is Fine because the quality of the prose is noteworthy.

I received an e-galley of Devil Is Fine from the publisher through NetGalley.

Devil Is Fine at Celadon Press | Macmillan
John Vercher

Devil is Fine by John Vercher. Thanks to @netgalley for a digital ARC of this one.
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I gotta be honest, I wanted to like this one so much more than I did. The story is so promising: a biracial man in the US inherits a plot of land from his estranged white grandfather after the sudden tragic death of his son, but the plot of land turns out to be a former plantation, and then there's a whole fever-dream subplot where he is stung by a jellyfish and then falls off the wagon of his sobriety. Vercher's novel includes sharp commentary on grief and fatherhood and the inheritance of a complicated American past. I've heard apt comparisons to Percival Everett's Erasure and novels by Jesmyn Ward.
The "but" is that I really struggled with two things:
Firstly, the meta-narrative of the protagonist writing and pitching the novel that we are reading. This trope, unless done in a new and exciting way, tends to irk me - it is overdone and pulls me out of the reading of the novel.
Secondly, there's something about Vercher's writing on a sentence to sentence level that I struggled with a bit - I just couldn't quite fall into a rhythm of reading without a series of short staccato sentences or an extremely long half-page sentence messing with the pace of the story - although perhaps that is the point.

There's an intentionality to this book that is so beautiful. It takes a while for the story to unfold, but the pace felt appropriate. This book had a lot in common thematically with American Fiction the movie, and I would highly recommend this to anyone who enjoyed or appreciated that movie. The surrealist elements of this story unfold slowly, even though early on it's clear that the movie is in many ways a ghost story. These elements felt well-placed and didn't take away from the story overall. The ending was fascinating and I am genuinely not sure I understood what happened, I had to read it twice and it still wasn't clear what exactly happened. The cast of characters that surrounds the unnamed main character made the new environment in which the character found himself in very well-populated. Overall, I was a big fan of this book and really found it to be fascinating.

This was an interesting concept for a book! I don’t think I’ve ever read anything quite like it. I enjoyed it

Devil Is Fine was really well done and beautifully written. It was a bit of a slow burn to start but built in pace. I was always wanting to go back to it.

Vercher covered various profound themes (loss and grief processing, racial and self identity, religious beliefs and faith, familial relationships, mental illness, addiction) that many authors do, but in a different and compelling way. It felt fresh.

The author was a wonderful wordsmith weaving dry humor into darkness. Words were carefully selected. Jellyfish had multiple meanings. He used a nonlinear timeline going back and forth from the present to the past seamlessly. The past slowly unraveled as the MC's life moved forward. The use of magic realism also enhanced the story.

This was literary fiction at its best. I highly recommend it!

I want to thank Celadon Books and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you Celadon for the gifted eARC.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 - 4.5 Stars

In this book the MC is a biracial author whose son recently died. He inherits a piece of property from his grandfather on his mother’s side and learns it has a dark history.

This book was so atmospheric and beautifully written. The narrative drifts between typical storytelling and our MC conversing with his deceased son. The author explores themes of love and loss, guilt and forgiveness, self identity and coming to grips with one’s familial history.

The way the Vercher depicts intense grief via our MC was absolutely devastating. You could feel the emotion coming through the page and it sunk right into my heart. The mental health representation was also so well done. Seeing a biracial man struggling with, but also working to treat, his mental health was so refreshing and not something we often see represented.

There are elements of supernatural horror throughout as our MC has out of body experiences and visions. There is humor throughout via the dialogue. There is found family, which is one of my absolute favorite tropes. Race, relationships, and self discovery were examined throughout as well. The ending was peaceful, metaphorical, and abstract.

I think fans of Tananarive Due’s The Reformatory will really enjoy this one. I would highly recommend.

2.5 STARS

This book was well written, but it just wasn't for me. This book was weird, and there were times when I was confused about what was happening and struggled just to finish it.

Thanks to Net galley, and Celadon Books for all the advanced copy!

Thank you Celadon for the opportunity to read this ARC. I know if published by Celadon, it will be a quality novel. This was a hard read at times, as the subject of racism is painful, as well as the loss of a child. However, Vercher's prose is beautiful and his use of magical realism kept me mesmerized.

This book left me thinking for a while. It is a uniquely told story. I can’t say I’ve read anything like it. The unnamed narrator is a biracial man reeling from the tragic loss of his son. This is a story filled with grief and sadness. The narrator spends most of the novel having internal dialogue in his head speaking to his deceased son Malcolm. This whole thing has him “upside down”. In the midst of this loss the narrator receives word that he’s inherited a large parcel of land from his estranged grandfather. It was left to his son but now goes to him in his son’s death. Unbeknownst to him the land is a former plantation with a history rooted in slavery. There are supernatural elements which were very weird but interestingly done. It very much gives am I going crazy or is this really happening because I often wasn’t sure what was going on myself. I liked the way the author incorporated dry, dark humor into such serious social commentary. The narrator has a way of using jokes to get him through very uncomfortable situations which often make the situations even more awkward. There are many important themes discussed in this book grief, generational trauma, race, racism, identity, parental relationships, family legacy, addiction. It is a haunting story that is so well written. A story about healing and coming to terms with the past.

This book had a lot to take in. It hit all the sensitive subject matter, racism, slavery, loss of a child, grief, alcoholism, mental health, prescription drug abuse, failed relationships and on and on.
Beautifully written and heartbreaking. I couldn’t seem to put it down. It wrecked me. And I’m questioning the ending a bit?? But overall a very good book
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the e-arc

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.