Reviews

The Devil All the Time by Donald Ray Pollock

jcoryv's review

5.0

Listened to this on Audible. Like his collection “Knockemstiff”, this is not for everyone. Dark. Really dark. But man it feels so real. Terrifyingly believable. Yet one is drawn to feel empathy for these horrible people (characters). Most of them anyway.

buckysass's review

3.0

Dark, violent, intriguing, rich—I couldn’t stop reading. Many of the characters were vile and horrible but I was rooting for Arvin despite his skewed sense of justice.

aoodiobooks's review against another edition

challenging dark sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

Absolutely devastating.

herthrillingreads's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional slow-paced

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

3.75

vacantbones's review

5.0

What an absolute force to be reckoned with. The Devil All the Time is a breathtakingly beautiful read that seamlessly weaves together the lives of its characters with ease. I absolutely did not expect to tear through this book so fast or so fervently, but Pollock has penned quite the gem for us. I could only wish that other authors could so masterfully capture this piece of America with such mesmerizing perfection.

unmattched's review

4.0

I hated every character at different points in the book but I couldn't leave any ambiguity in their fates. I had to find out how it all ended and couldn't put the book down.

lalawoman416's review

3.0

This is a story in twos. The first starts off in the late 1940's when Arvin is a boy. His mother is dying of cancer and his father, a religious zealot, fervently believes he can save her with violent offerings to God. When that doesn't work, he offs himself and leaves Arvin in the care of his grandmother. Meanwhile, a duo preacher group comes to town and one marries a homely local girl. They have a child together. The preacher starts to lose his faith and charm and comes to believe that if he performs a resurrection, all will be well. Thinking to start off with a small animal, his partner, who never liked his friend's wife, convinces him to start big - with his wife. Well, you can imagine how that went and the two run off to Florida.

Fast forward to the early 1960's. The story focuses primarily on a murderous couple that saves up their money to take a killing trip once a year. They're on year 6 or 7 now and the seams are starting to fall apart. Along the way, their paths converge with the murderous preacher and Arvin. Sprinkle in a corrupt brother cop and it's a recipe full of unsavory characters trying to survive.

The book started off strong, became pretty muddled, and ended too cleanly. I really liked Arvin and the murderous couple's story, but the rest was just distracting. It became convoluted at times and I really lost interest when the other characters were the focus.

filthily's review

4.0

Gross. Gritty. Uncomfortable and so much death. This is not a book that will leave you feeling good at the end or a book you will soon forget. This read definitely starts out slow, you’re getting a history of these characters and the people around them… As the pages turn it picks up and up! Once I got into it I literally couldn’t put it down. Great read for those who like a dark story.

infinitespeculation's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense

5.0

chronicdazed's review

dark mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0