The Devil All The Time: A Twisted web we Weave

Novel by: Donald Ray Pollock

**Trigger** book includes Graphic scenes **Trigger**

So, this book was a recommendation from an old friend, since she read this book and was so excited over the fact that this was made into a movie. I will say that I have both read the book and watched the movie, so some of this review may be biased against the movie. I legitimately picked up this book and flew through the first 100 pages within the first day, it is really that compelling of a read.

It begins at the end of WWII, with an American soldier returning from the Pacific Front Lines, dealing with PTSD from the war. His story does not end there, because he gains a wife and son along the way. Now, his story is not the only one, and he is not the only one that is part of an unhappy story. His wife is diagnosed with cancer, and he turns to radical religion to deal with the struggle, taking his son down that path. Another story that we learn about in parallel to the soldier's story is the story of a perverted serial killer. He and his wife pick up hitchhikers, assault them and then murder them. Radical religion, rural life, abuses of power, infidelity, and great loss of life are woven into this dark and eye-opening tapestry of American Life.

When reading this, I kept a record of the characters, who was related to who, and if a certain character was featured in another character's story; just to better understand how each character and their stories are interwoven into each others. This book is definitely not for the faint of heart, because it deals with a lot of harsh topics, like war PTSD, sexual assault, and abuse of power in the church, so I caution anyone who is interested in this book. I did not know what I was getting into when I first opened the book, but it is so horrifically captivating.

I will also say that I was quite impressed with the movie version, which is not something that I say very lightly from past experiences. The notable actors and actresses in this piece make these dark tales something you feel enraptured with. For the younger fans of these actors, please caution reading this book until later in life, it is truly a fiendish but beguiling work.