ARC Review: Devil is Fine by John Vercher

Title: Devil is Fine

Author: John Vercher

Source: Celadon Books

Format: Paperback ARC

Publisher: Celadon Books

Release date (expected): June 18 2024

Goodreads     Celadon (Book Page) 

Synopsis From Celadon:

Reeling from the sudden death of his teenage son, our narrator receives a letter from an attorney: he has just inherited a plot of land from his estranged grandfather. He travels to a beach town several hours south of his home with the intention of immediately selling the land. But upon inspection, what lies beneath the dirt is much more than he can process in the throes of grief. As a biracial Black man struggling with the many facets of his identity, he’s now the owner of a former plantation passed down by the men on his white mother’s side of the family.

Vercher deftly blurs the lines between real and imagined, past and present, tragedy and humor, and fathers and sons in this story of discovery—and a fight for reclamation—of a painful past. With the wit of Paul Beatty’s The Sellout and the nuance of Zadie Smith’s On Beauty, Devil Is Fine is a darkly funny and brilliantly crafted dissection of the legacies we leave behind and those we inherit.

What I thought:

When I finished reading Devil is Fine by John Vercher, I had so many initial thoughts that it made it difficult to summarize what I felt about it. And I didn't even know where to start.

So I guess I'll start with the story. It revolves around the unnamed narrator's identity and the throes of that. While it mostly seemed to pertain to his professional life and having to deal with owning a plantation, it was also carefully woven into a story about a man dealing with grief and somehow coming to terms with where he is in life. Of course it was not a smooth road since there were odd and disconcerting experiences along the way. He was aided by the occasional words of wisdom from the more frequent characters, Freddy and Clarence. A bar owner and frequent bar customer respectively, their own life and experiences tended to add a different angle to what the narrator was going through. On the flip side, there were a lot of times where I wondered just why he was doing what he was, but some of that was answered much later on. 

Another thing I noticed was the writing. It's in first person and begins shortly before the burial of the narrator's  son, Malcolm. From the beginning to the end, the main character often thinks of and addresses him while chronicling his ongoing life. Sometimes he would wonder what Malcolm would say if he was there during a conversation, for example. Along with the main character's musings, it is mainly through occasional chapters in between that showed who Malcolm was growing up. I honestly wasn't sure how I felt about these chapters at first. But, about half way through, I felt it both added to and left breathing room from the tension that was building throughout the book. Some of that was also probably from the general back and forth of the current time and various past memories from the narrator's own life and experiences. 

Speaking of that tension, I was constantly on the edge of my seat wondering what was going to happen next. Some of the story was predictable for me. But there were parts that weren't at all. The conclusion and ending are an examples of both of these feelings. Based on a few pages of conversations beforehand, I had thought that a particular scene was going to go a certain way. But I was wrong. Instead it was rather mundane (for the lack of more spoiler-y but probably better words I could use). It is at this point the character growth is fully realized with many truths coming to light. Even being a little sad and grim, overall it definitely felt more in line and satisfactory with the way the bulk of the story was written.  So I was somewhat happy to be wrong.  As for the last pages, the end? Well, it was a tear jerker.

As a whole, I truly liked Devil is Fine. The surreal nature of it, dialogue, complicated relationships, and even the tougher, more serious tones mixed with some lighter ones. All that to say, it became a page turner and I really enjoyed reading it.

I received an ARC copy of this book from Celadon Books for this review.

Thanks for reading!

Book Review: The Shadows (The Books of Elsewhere #1)

Title: The Shadows (The Books of Elsewhere #1)

Author: Jacqueline West

Illustrator: Poly Bernatene

Source/Format: Bought; Paperback

Publisher/ Release date: Dial Books for Young Readers; Jun 9, 2010

Goodreads     Barnes & Noble

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Old Ms. McMartin is definitely dead. Now her crumbling Victorian mansion lies vacant. When eleven-year-old Olive and her dippy mathematician parents move in, she knows there's something odd about the place--not least the walls covered in strange antique paintings. But when Olive finds a pair of old spectacles in a dusty drawer, she discovers the most peculiar thing yet: She can travel inside these paintings to a world that's strangely quiet . . . and eerily like her own. Yet Elsewhere harbors dark secrets--and Morton, an undersized boy with an outsize temper.

(Read the rest on Goodreads)

What I Thought:

I was looking through some books I have and decided that I wanted to reread them, or finish their series. Right now that series is The Books of Elsewhere by Jacqueline West. I’m pretty sure I read Spellbound before The Shadows, but it doesn’t matter because I’m starting over. 

With writing that kept me on the edge of my seat, The Shadows follows Olive as her parents move into a creepy stone house. A house that came furnished with many secrets and creepy paintings. As I said, this is my second time reading it and I wondered if I still liked it. Actually, it read just as exciting, and creepy as the first time. With the way I wanted to discuss it, it would have been spoiler heavy. So I’ll keep it abstract. I think what I loved most back then was Olive’s curiosity and interaction with her environment. She steadily built confidence to deal with fears and situations that I think some readers, especially middle grade, can relate to.  Even when I first read it, I could tell where it was going with a few particular characters, but there were many things I didn’t see coming. And the end was definitely one of them. I sometimes wondered how Olive was going to get out of her predicament. By the time I was done, I knew I needed the second one.

Over all I really enjoyed rereading The Shadows. If you’re looking for a creepy middle grade, maybe give The Books of Elsewhere series a try.

Thanks for reading!

Book Review: Let Me Call You Sweetheart

Title: Let Me Call You Sweetheat
Author: Mary Higgins Clark
Source/Format: Bought; Hardback

Publisher/ Release date: Simon & Schuster; May 8, 1995

Goodreads      Barnes & Noble

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Kerry McGrath is a dedicated prosecutor and a devoted mother. When her daughter's face is cut in a car accident, Kerry is relieved that the plastic surgeon who treats her is the eminent Dr. Charles Smith. Then Kerry notices something bizarre. Two of Smith's patients bear an uncanny resemblance to Suzanne Reardon, a young woman killed eleven years earlier. Why would Dr. Smith create look-alikes of a murder victim? A chilling tale of obsession by America's reigning queen of suspense. (read on Goodreads)

What I Thought:

I previously read, but did not review, Remember Me by the late Mary Higgins Clark. I enjoyed it so much that I strolled around the house picking out whatever else was available. I settled on Let Me Call You Sweetheart. It’s pretty much about how Kerry McGrath cannot stop asking questions after seeing two women on two different days with the same face. A face that just happens to be that of a murder victim. The synopsis had me hooked.

I was definitely on edge the entire book. I think it’s because the main character’s obsession with getting answers. I was right along with her every page, and then some. Of course, in Clark fashion, there are multiple points of view from a range of characters. Although Kerry’s was the main POV, it leaves the reader at least two steps ahead of her. No matter how many notes I took I was not ready for the twist. For the most part, I was wrong, to which I am grateful for. I did have a couple of good guesses though. However, the revelation read quicker than I was expecting it to. And although integral to the story, I did not care for some of the POVs.

All and all, as much as I had my qualms, I enjoyed every bit of Let Me Call You Sweetheart. I recommend checking it out. Especially, if it seems interesting, or you’re looking to read something suspenseful.

Thanks for reading!

Book Review: Treasure Island

Title: Treasure Island
Author: Robert Louis Stevenson; Forward by Avi
Source/Format: Purchased ; Paperback
Publisher/ Release date: Aladdin; Feb 1, 2000 (First Published 1879)
Goodreads     Barnes & Noble

Synopsis from Goodreads:
Climb aboard for the swashbuckling adventure of a lifetime. Treasure Island has enthralled (and caused slight seasickness) for decades. The names Long John Silver and Jim Hawkins are destined to remain pieces of folklore for as long as children want to read Robert Louis Stevenson's most famous book. With it's dastardly plot and motley crew of rogues and villains, it seems unlikely that children will ever say no to this timeless classic.

What I Thought:

This review is going to be on the shorter side. A long time ago, when I was younger, I tried to read Treasure Island but stopped around page 124 or 125. I decided to give it another go recently. Starting over from the beginning I found that it is an exciting adventure story. The first half of the book bored me. But, I still somewhat enjoyed it. This is because the first few chapters served as an in-depth introduction to the main characters and the relationships they had with each other. Otherwise, it seemed to drag on. It was better once the characters set out to sea.

There’s not much else I want to say, so I’m going to leave it here. Overall, I did enjoy Treasure Island. It’s a classic, fun, treasure hunting story, so if it sounds interesting to you, I recommend checking it out.

Thanks For Reading!

Book Review: The Silent Patient (ARC)

Title: The Silent Patient
Author: Alex Michaelides
Source/Format: BookishFirst and Celadon Books; Paperback ARC
Publisher/ Expected release date: Celadon Books; Feb 5 2019
Genre: Psychological Thriller

Goodreads     Barnes & Noble

Synopsis:

Alicia Berenson’s life is seemingly perfect. A famous painter married to an in-demand fashion photographer, she lives in a grand house with big windows overlooking a park in one of London’s most desirable areas. One evening her husband Gabriel returns home late from a fashion shoot, and Alicia shoots him five times in the face, and then never speaks another word. Find out more at Celadon Books...

What I Thought:

The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides is an engaging psychological thriller that had me flying through the pages to get to the end. I such a hard time putting it down, so I stayed up to finish it the same day I got it.

In a sense, the story isn’t just about a psychotherapist’s quest to find the reasoning behind Alicia Berenson’s silence, but also about how Theo Faber deals with his own issues. Although it’s mainly told through his perspective, Alicia Berenson’s diary also makes up some of the chapters. This not only added to the suspense, but also revealed a couple of the characters’ personalities and the reason behind their actions. Eventually, I found myself attempting to predict the end. Nonetheless, I was wrong. As for the twist, I wasn’t sure if I liked it immediately after I finished reading; however, the more I considered the plot, characters, and motives, the more I loved the ending.

There is so much more I want to say, but in my opinion, those things are spoilers. Overall, I recommend checking out The Silent Patient if you like psychological thrillers with a twist.

Thanks for reading.

*I received this book from BookishFirst and Celadon Books for this review.