This book was amazing! I love reading books where I am familiar with the setting, and this so happened to be placed about 40 minutes from my hometown. Additionally, as a pastor’s kid and deconstructing adult, I found this book healing in a sense.

I was captivated while reading and found myself getting through this in less than 24 hours! Jamie is truly talented with words and the art of storytelling!

I am not usually a fan of multiple P.O.V’s because I feel like they hinder pacing, but in “Two-Step Devil” the mixture of point-of-views between The Prophet, Michael, and then the change to the outside P.O.V was articulately done. It kept me entertained and gave the novel a refreshing feeling - something that I haven’t felt from literature lately.

I found relatability in each of the characters and their developments throughout. Truly, I was just blown away by this book and cannot wait to recommend it to my peers and family!

"True, the myth of Satan is finished. But when the giants dissipate, the windmills stand. Why shouldn't it be so with me?" – Two-Step Devil by Jamie Quatro

⭐⭐⭐⭐(⭐?)/5

⚠️ cw: chronic illness, pregnancy, abortion, miscarriage, religious themes, sexual content, pedophilia, rape, trafficking, physical and emotional abuse

I requested this title on a whim, simply because it seemed interesting, thinking it was going to be, at most, ok. Boy, was I wrong.

The Prophet has been having visions of the future for the most part of his adult life. Now an old man, he's lost his wife, his son has moved on with his life, and he's left living a heremitical life while trying to find a way to get his premonitions to the president of the United States. Until, one day, he rescues a fifteen year old girl, Michael (like the angel) from sex traffickers, believing she's the one who will finally fulfill the task he cannot complete.

Like the TWs suggest, this isn't an easy read. Both the Prophet and Michael's lives are characterised by differing kinds of misery, having been severely failed by both their country and those surrounding them. The time they spend together, however brief, is defined by an unusual type of tenderness and care that Quatro represents beautifully. The book definitely picked up a lot for me in those parts.

The book is roughly divided into three parts, with the largest one following the Prophet and his life, a smaller one following Michael on the mission she's sent on, and a third one I won't spoil. While the Prophet's story was important, it didn't grab me as much as the rest, and could maybe have been cut a bit shorter – but I am glad I stuck with it. With that mysterious third part, Quatro does something that immediately sold me on the rest of the book.

Overall, I am very glad I followed my hunch. The mixture of disillusionment in both faith and institutions feels very topical, and while the potential ending had me worried for a second, ultimately I really appreciated its message. There are no happy ever afters here, but after all, those stories need telling, too.

Go preorder it or request it on NetGalley!

I loved this book. The writing was enchanting and took me out of my world and into that of the characters, one of whom is also moving between two worlds, presented with visions and tormented, or perhaps just annoyed, by a devil. Searching for a mission and meaning to his visions, he sets out to rescue an underage prostitute, whom he hopes will spread his message to the wider world. The themes touch on art, relationships, religion, politics, and abortion. The writing is captivating and unique. I found the book hard to put down and read it in about three days - fast for me.

I read and loved one of Jamie Quatro's short stories ("Yogurt Days" from The New Yorker) so I was excited about "Two-Step Devil." The narrative is powerful, with a relationship between two characters who live on the edges of society. I would recommend this for readers who are not scared away by religion and mental illness, or are fans of "Silver Alert" by Lee Child, and/or Flannery O'Conner's stories. I felt disappointed with the ending, but a tidier wrap-up might not have rang true. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

I think this book was good. I requested it because it sounded interesting, and it was. The cast of characters was interesting and all so different from one another