Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of He's the Devil.

A better title would have been "He's a Demon."

If Simon's roomie Massimo had been the devil, I think the narrative would have intrigued me more.

The premise did draw me in but it failed to hold my attention for the following:

1. Simon is not likable. I don't have to like a character to enjoy the story but he's not a nice person.

He's a loser, he's not charming, he's self-centered, and that's okay. That's relatable but the way he's drawn and described, he's not just a loser. He's pathetic. He's desperate. He has no friends. He has no ambition. He has no hobbies. He's one-dimensional. He's not interesting or compelling.

And maybe that's why a demon moves in with him.

He moons over his previous roomie, Josh, who moved out under auspicious circumstances.

2. Simon seems to be obsessed with sex. There's a lot of sex and sexual references that did nothing to move the story forward except maybe to give readers an idea of Simon's personality; he's a horny loser perhaps?

3. I imagined the story would be dark, bloody with small moments of humor and levity.

But the pacing dragged and the story became monotonous as Simon debated whether something was going on with Massimo.

There was a lack of urgency and suspense even when Simon had a bad feeling about his roomie, mainly because he's such a drag.

The writing was good, but I didn't like the tone or the writing style.

I got the feeling the author was trying to sound literary despite the subject matter.

The ending was a given; I wasn't surprised because knowing the type of person Simon is, it couldn't have ended any other way.

What a weird, wild ride of a book I’m still not confident what I just read but I think that’s the point. I was hooked on a I can’t look away kinda way for the entirety of the book

He’s the Devil is like moving in with the worst roommate imaginable—only this one might actually be possessed. Simon, our neat-freak narrator, starts off in control, but things get weird fast: strange smells, flickering lights, gruesome news stories, and dreams that feel a little too real. The unreliable narrator angle works well, pulling you along as Simon unravels, though the middle drags and the chaos promised in the premise doesn’t really hit until the end. Still, the writing has a sharp, unsettling edge, with just enough dark humor to keep you hooked. It’s part toxic roommate drama, part psychological horror, part “is this guy losing it or is something truly evil in the spare room?”—and that mix kept me reading.

Thank you Netgalley and Abrams press for this earc in an exchange for a review of He's The Devil.



They always say new roommates are hell but also so is working retail so maybe Simon's crash out was valid on that point.

He's The Devil has a particular writing style that will probably not work for everyone but I found it paired well with Simon's inner monologue. He is jittery and overthinking by nature, his thoughts all quick and jumbled in a never ending stream. While the story has a slow start and a casual pace and picks up near the end it felt to me the pace matched when Simon was being pried open. He keeps so much buried even from himself he has literally boxed himself in (comparing his own emotions to Pandora's box even).

With Simon's attempt to never step out of line and be Good he fully circles back around to being unlikable or forgettable by all of those around him which only feeds further into his manic personality and obsession of not being alone. He wants the world to revolve around his actions, he wants them to pat him on the back and it's to the point he is missing all the horrors happening around him. It's no wonder the moment he got a taste of what the demon has to offer he didn't want to let it go even while knowing the horrors.

And with the nature of demons and Simon's selfishness we are pulled along by a unreliable narration. Is his roommate eating people or is that just all the drugs Simon has done mixed with paranoia? Is he slowly losing his mind or did the loss of control of his own space have him twisting the truth?

Desire, horror, and disgust are intertwined throughout the narrative and overall this is a story about accepting ones demons, both figuratively and literally and how sometimes it really is okay to let people see the weird parts of you because there will always be someone who also has parts of them that are strange and it's simply not healthy to hold all that in.

Simon just needed to let his freak flag fly

This is a fairly solid debut novel where a new roommate maybe turns out to be more than our main is expecting. This is a blend of psychological thriller and horror, with our narrator slowly but surely revealing that maybe he isn't as reliable as a narrator as he would have you believe. There's a lot happening in the background too, but since our main is a little self centered, he doesn't pay attention to things slowly falling apart around him. Basically, imagine your worst nightmare obsessive toxic roommate finally ran into a roommate worse than you who's maybe a devil, or posessed by one. The voice is solid, and it's definitely worth your time.

I went into this book expecting a campy horror novel based on how it was advertised, but ended up a bit disappointed. Instead of delivering the fun, over the top horror I was hoping for, it leaned more toward a stale, formulaic style that didn’t really grab me.

The characters felt flat and one dimensional, and I struggled to stay invested in their arcs. The beginning was rushed, giving little time to build tension or connect with the story, while the middle dragged without much payoff. It also had an oddly horny tone for a book that wasn’t about romance: we get it, your nipples are chafing.

That said, the ending was enjoyable and finally brought in some of the chaotic, unhinged energy I was hoping for from the start.

The prose itself was solid and flowed well, I just wish the plot and characters had more depth and nuance. If you’re looking for a light, not too deep horror read with a touch of gore, themes of demons and possession, and an unreliable narrator, this might be worth picking up. Just lower your expectations if you're hoping for something more campy or character driven.

"One donkey kick to the devil di*k"

This is not your everyday novel. A very serious commentary on friendship, relationships, loneliness, and the dark impulses we all have. The protagonist has struggled throughout his life with these things, but when his new roommate is possessed by a demon that stokes the fire of mischief, Simon has choices to contend with. This is not a lighthearted book by any means, but it is worth the read.

I'm genuinely dazzled by Coventry's writing and felt drawn in from the very first page. Even as the protagonist unravelled into someone increasingly unlikeable, I remained fascinated by both the narrative mechanics at play and the bold, somatic approach. I especially appreciated the finely drawn tension between terror and sexual excitement—a rare and compelling duality of desire that few works explore so confidently.

That said, the deeper I read, the more my pace began to slow. Around the 30% mark, I found myself walking in place. It wasn’t just the frequent returns to the protagonist’s past, but the lack of a clear goal or direction. The story seemed to circle rather than progress, becoming reflective in a way that made it hard to stay emotionally invested or compelled to continue. At 40%, I set the book aside to focus on more engaging reads. That was some time ago now, and despite the best intentions, I can’t bring myself to return.

Perhaps this one simply wasn’t for me. Still, I’m genuinely excited to see what Coventry does next—the talent is undeniable. With more narrative focus, I think his future work could be extraordinary.

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC!

I really enjoyed the writing style of this, the author has a way of describing things that's visceral and punchy. The main character was unlikeable, but in a relatable way. The pacing dragged a bit in the middle, but for the most part I enjoyed it.

Simon is a chronic do-gooder who likes everything just so… but he is keeping a part of himself hidden. A part that is so much darker.

When a new tenant moves in, Simon is drawn to Massimo. There is something about him that gets under Simon’s skin. His mere presence is awakening parts of Simon, but when strange and unexplainable things start to happen, Simon begins to see Massimo in a different light.

Making Simon aware of his darker predilections, he doesn’t know if he should be horrified or enthralled. This was weird and twisted. I enjoyed the portrayals of obsession, masking, and self awareness.

3.25 stars

This was exceptionally well written but it never seems to end. I’ve been reading it for hours every day and I’m only a third of the way done and I have not enjoyed it. It’s like spending hours at a time looking at a disturbing but well painted, unpleasant work of art. It’s certainly art but I am putting it aside at least for now to read something I actually enjoy.

I don’t think that this writing style is for everyone, but I do like it quite a bit. It’s odd, unsettling, can be a little disjointed and random at times. To me the story reads as an allegory for a drug addiction. Filled with delusions, compulsions, relapses, feeble attempts of control, and paranoia.

I love an unreliable narrator, and as we go further into the book, the more our MC grows in his paranoia. His struggle for control over it, over the hallucinations, the memory gaps, the routine he’s trying so desperately to hold on to. The horror of the descent into madness and the dark comedy of it all were done well. Grisly and gorey. It was an enjoyable read.

Thank you Net Galley and and Abram’s Press for the eARC.

Oooooh, this was so much fun. Viscerally hilarious. I started reading with no expectations as it is Coventry's debut, but I was really pleasantly surprised.

I like dark humour and horror, especially if queer (really, only if it is queer, ahahah. Just kidding. Or am I?). Anyway, GREAT debut!

Tobi Coventry's “He's the Devil” combines humor and visceral horror, all while maintaining a psychological and familiar tone. This book might not be for everyone, but read on if you like an unreliable narrator.

To me, the demon could be read as an allegory for drug abuse or addiction. It disrupts life, severs friendships, stability, and routine. Our protagonist, Simon, grows paranoid, hallucinates, and begins to have memory gaps. He struggles to control as everything unravels. There is a transformation of his mind and body. Simon has a love-hate relationship with the demon. For someone who is inhibited, this possession is liberating.

It is bizarre and violent, but it feels relatable. It is less about evil and more about our demons, like addictions, compulsions, and trauma. It’s not just a horror story. It becomes a story about control, delusions, battles, and the things we invite in knowingly or not that can take over.

The unreliable narrator, while having you doubting what exactly is happening and where this is all going, does so in the best way. I kept thinking of the gaslighting and delusion of Rosemary’s Baby. I would recommend this book to readers who like unrelaible narrators, psychological thrilers, and maybe like queer satire and horror like Samatha Allen, Chuck Palahniuk, or Carmen Maria Machado. Thank you to Abrams Press and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest This book may not appeal to everyone, but it's worth reading if you enjoy unreliable narrators.

I want to clarify that there is nothing wrong with this book. Instead, it just wasn’t for me.

It’s written in a very lyrical way that, to me, felt like the narrator kept going on tangents. There were so many details in such little space that I found myself almost feeling overwhelmed at times. It made me feel distant from the story and like I was almost reading a list of details rather than diving into a plot at times.

Thank you to Abrams Books and NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.