Review: The Devil all the Time, by Donald Ray Pollock

The Devil all the Time is terribly dark but fantastically written and completely unforgettable. The dichotomy caused some trouble for me; how could I enjoy a book that has so much pain and blood? When I thought about reviewing it, I actually felt guilty, like it was something I could only read in secret and not acknowledge.

Pollock's gritty story is set in the rural semi-south (West Virginia and southern Ohio) and it has a Jim Thompson-noir feel to it. It's not tough to imagine the book as a film, as the imagery is vivid and the characters are quirky.

All in all, it's a read it if you dare kind of book.

Rating: three celery sticks