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A review by itacuz
Devil House by John Darnielle
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This was a really cathartic read for my experience of having fallen hard off true-crime fascination. I don't want to put judgement on an entire genre, but in the podcastification of true crime, the water gets murky in regards to what is respectful to victims and what is exploitive. Not everything fetishizes trauma, but enough does that I leave most stories with an uneasy feeling.
Devil House sets the perspective and moral debate of true crime through the lens of a true crime novelist grappling with his own involvement, both through his previous novels and one he is actively struggling with. Messages from previous subjects, current neighbors to prior crime scenes, and others from his past all converge into a conversation that took me by surprise. A neat twist ties up the thesis he outlines the rest of the novel with and gives closure to the book in a way I found immensely satisfying.
In pursuing the moral dilemma, Darnielle writes some really engaging and exciting true crime, all fictionally written by the author in Devil House. The book is divided into the three sections, layered in an ABCBA format that plays off itself fluidly to it's conclusion. The middle section is a bit of a curveball, but I think it serves the story well and does so in an interesting way that makes sense by the time you get to it. I say all this as a die-hard fan of John Darnielle's band The Mountain Goats, so take it with whatever amount of salt you deem necessary.
Devil House sets the perspective and moral debate of true crime through the lens of a true crime novelist grappling with his own involvement, both through his previous novels and one he is actively struggling with. Messages from previous subjects, current neighbors to prior crime scenes, and others from his past all converge into a conversation that took me by surprise. A neat twist ties up the thesis he outlines the rest of the novel with and gives closure to the book in a way I found immensely satisfying.
In pursuing the moral dilemma, Darnielle writes some really engaging and exciting true crime, all fictionally written by the author in Devil House. The book is divided into the three sections, layered in an ABCBA format that plays off itself fluidly to it's conclusion. The middle section is a bit of a curveball, but I think it serves the story well and does so in an interesting way that makes sense by the time you get to it. I say all this as a die-hard fan of John Darnielle's band The Mountain Goats, so take it with whatever amount of salt you deem necessary.