A review by himynameismichael923
The Devil in Silver by Victor LaValle

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

The strength of this book is its characters. I couldn’t help but adore so many of them. It also has a really interesting plot. Man locked up in a mental hospital, even though he has no business being there. It turns out the hospital is haunted by some sort of devil. Interesting enough, but what I didn’t expect was how much of a critique of the mental institutions in America. That’s a story worth telling and I appreciated that the author went there. The downfall is how much the middle portion of the book drags. It’s way too long, and feels like the author had a minimum page quota he had to pass. The beginning and ending are fantastic, it’s just the middle that brings the book down. I definitely still think it’s worth the read, for the commentary on how we treat mental disabilities in the country. It’s heartbreaking, and the author captures that perfectly.
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