Book Review: A Fig for All the Devils by C.S. Fritz

“Would you call the blade in surgery ‘evil’ even though it cuts away the disease? Would you call lightning ‘evil’ even though it brings with it the rain to feed your crops? Sonny, I am not evil. I am the reaction to your world’s evil. I exist, because your sin exists.”

C.S. Fritz, A Fig for All the Devils

Review:

I normally don’t reach for horror, but after hearing Ian Gubeli talking about it on YouTube, I couldn’t pick it up fast enough. The passages he shared were stuck in my head before I even read the book. 

After his father’s death, Sonny is haunted by visions of the Grim Reaper, which become more frequent when he and his mother move to Tillamook, Oregon. When the Reaper finally confronts him, it’s with the offer of becoming the next Death, a task that will last the next millennium. Desperate to get away from his mother and her abusive boyfriend, Sonny accepts, and his training begins. 

My high expectations were exceeded. There are some incredible quotes throughout the book, many focusing on themes of life, death, grief, and rebirth. Not being much of a horror reader, the prologue in particular was rough, but those gruesome moments didn’t hinder my enjoyment. 

I’m finding that I have so much that I want to say about this, but I’m struggling. The words struck me so deeply. 

Likes & Dislikes:

What I liked:

• The way topics of life and death were handled, especially when sentiments had spiritual undertones.
• The Grim Reaper was hilarious.

What I didn’t like:

• The animal cruelty scene almost had me putting down the book.

Afterthoughts:

This could probably be categorized as historical fiction, but it feels more contemporary than historical to me.

Where to buy the book: