Reviews

Devil's Dream by Madison Smartt Bell

laurenhurley97's review against another edition

informative slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

leia_lynn's review against another edition

1.0

I can’t even describe how much I dislike this book. I picked it up thinking it would be a biography, but BAM it’s historical fanfic about a confederate general, written from a mystical black person’s perspective off and on. It gratuitously uses the n-word, glorifies Nathan Bedford Forrest (who went on the lead the KKK, which is only mentioned in the timeline at the end of the book), and portrays his many children begotten on one of his slave women as a consensual relationship or, worse, that he is powerless to her seductive charms. I was struggling to get through this just because of how gross it made me feel to read. Also, the chronological bouncing around only confused the plot; it didn’t add anything to the story.

To be fair, the conceit of the book is fairly interesting, and the end twist was well done.

jbeil's review

challenging emotional informative medium-paced

• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0