I review books well in advance of their release, but sometimes there are books that I need to tell you about before they come out and then on release day. The Devil Takes You Home by Gabino Iglesias, out today, is one of those books.
I cannot say enough superlative things about this book, but I am also aware that it is hard to read. There is serious violence here, but it is not gratuitous. In fact, everything brutal that happens has a reason in the story. And then there is the fact that it is a story about those who live on the margins-- literally. Life is hard and violent; thus, to portray these characters with any truth, it cannot be sunshine and roses.
I have much more to share in detail below from my detailed Goodreads review. It contains the draft of my LJ Star review, a link to that review, a link to an interview with Iglesias which I did for the June issue of the magazine, and more.
Before I repost all of that information, I need to say this. There are books that I read, often before anyone else, that I know are something special, and I am among the first to officially make note of it in print. This happened when I read The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones and The Cabin at the End of the World by Paul Tremblay. Both went on to win many awards, and not just Horror ones.
This year I have felt that about 2 books and only 2 books. The Pallbearers Club by Paul Tremblay and this one, The Devil Takes You Home by Gabino Iglesias.
I am not saying this to brag about myself, rather to make you understand that I know what I am talking about when I tell you a book is going to be special.
I am sure many of you already pre-ordered The Devil Takes You Home, but I want you to promote it to the right readers. I am here to help with today's post, so you can know all about this hot book without having to read it yourself.
Star review in the June 2022 Issue of Library Journal
My interview with Iglesias from the same issue.
Three Words That Describe This Book: lyrical, brutal, strong narrative voice
Draft Review:
Mario is barely getting by, providing for his wife and daughter, until a cancer diagnosis causes Mario's world to crumble. Desperate, he seeks out his drug dealing friend, Brian, for violent jobs that will cover his debts and get his family back. Brian introduces Mario to Juanca, and the three lost souls go on a road trip to avenge Juanca’s family and steal from the Mexican drug lords who have stolen so much already. This is no ordinary thriller, however, as Mario narrates, readers see the miles pass, sunsets on the open road, and horrors that hide in plain sight, as he comments on the unfairness of the world. Scenes of magic, love, family and faith, are contradicted by brutality, violence, racism, and terror. A masterclass in discomfort, a Bario Noir, a raw crime story that unapologetically incorporates the ghosts, language, and traditions of the people it honors, a compelling, revenge fantasy with a deadly twist, one readers will be unable to forget .
Verdict: The violence here is brutal and graphic, but the story is also lyrical and staggeringly* beautiful. This is for fans of S.A. Cosby and Stephen Graham Jones, authors of stories told by marginalized, sympathetic and complicated characters, where every detail matters; entertaining works of thought-provoking human truths and the monsters at their core.
Notes: Bundle of satisfying contradictions-- beauty of language one moment and then killing the next. Intelligent observations about systemic racism and living as a "brown" person on moment, children being mutilated the next.
Raw, honest, and beautifully written thriller w/ serious supernatural elements on the southern border-- Barrio Noir it names itself. It will make you uncomfortable in every way and you cannot, will not, and should not look away.
Sense of place is amazing. From descriptions of poverty to explaining the difference between sunsets in the Caribbean vs. American Southwest. A Cockfight followed by a graphic murder. The beautiful monotony of the open road. The underground scenes in the drug cartel tunnels are fantastic-- I don't want to say more on that.
Ghosts and monsters-- both real and speculative. I you are going to beat the cartels at their own game, you need something extra. You need a secret weapon.
Strong narrative voice of Mario. Brian and Juanca-- his roadtrip partners, the men he will kill with-- are also great characters.
Fast pacing that does not sacrifice the details or lyrical language, or musings about what systemic racism and poverty look like on a day to day basis for those living it. Short chapters mean that you think, oh I can just read one more. Many end with a tease to keep going as well.
The violence is brutal and graphic, and brutal. But literally the next line may be among one of the most beautiful things you have ever read.
Spanish is here unapologetically. Some of it is translated for the English speaking reader-- the important parts only. Oh, and those translations are in italics, not the Spanish. The Spanish is part of the novel and the dialog. If you can't read it....tough luck. you miss part of the book.
This is as good as the award winning Thrillers by SA Cosby, but the Horror here is not only from real life. This is a horror-thriller hybrid, from the start it just is in the background for most of the novel, there but not in your face, until it is, right there, undeniable.
Iglesias writes like Stephen Graphic Jones-- every detail matters, and the story is entertaining but also speaks lyrical human truths without holding back the violence and monsters.
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