Devil is Fine (2024) -John Vercher
There was a lot that could have been done with this concept and I’m not sure that this was the best choice
Content Warnings: death, slavery, grief, substance abuse
Representation: Black, Mixed-Race
Favorite Quote: “If I got to choose between your God and the devil, then the devil is fine. Send me to him so I can haunt you and yours until all your dying days.”
Devil is Fine is a literary fiction novel that sets out to do a lot. It set out to honestly portray mixedness, through a half-Black, half-White protagonist. It sets out to grapple with the legacy of slavery in the U.S. by telling a story of said protagonist inheriting a former plantation. It deals with loss and grief as the protagonist loses his son. It also explores themes of faith, parenthood, and masculinity. These are complex and nuanced topics that could understandably become messy when put under a spotlight all at once, yet this book seemingly attempts to tackle all of these goals by tying them up with a neat bow.
Our unnamed protagonist is a grieving father who upon the death of his son learns that his son’s inheritance of a large stretch of land from the protagonist’s grandfather now falls to him. When the protagonist learns that this land was the site of a plantation where his ancestors held enslaved people, all his insecurities around his mixedness, alongside his grief, come to the surface. He then proceeds to make many poor choices before he can begin truly grappling with everything that has gone unsaid in his life.
The protagonist serves as a narrator for this book, speaking directly to his son. At times this narration becomes extremely drawn out and flowery, but overall accessible to readers. The first half of this book, however, is far too slow for my taste and does little to divert from the expected until it slowly begins to pick up mid-way through.
My biggest qualm with this book isn’t that its resolution is lack-luster, but that it presents everything as if it was thoroughly addressed and solved when really these themes were not really done justice. The protagonist is also just vaguely unlikable which doesn’t inspire many strong feelings throughout the reading experience. I was really intrigued by the concept, and that went pretty far in ensuring an enjoyable reading experience but this book ultimately became somewhat of a chore to get through.