BEWARE: This book is not at all what it appears to be. But that’s not a bad thing.
This book is different. It’s written from different perspectives in different points of view. I was actually beginning to grow frustrated with it shortly after starting part two, which is written in second-person, which can be quite jarring. But I quickly realized that the reader was not the “you” to which the narrator was referring. The narrator was referring to another character in the book, the way one might do if they’re trying to get inside someone else’s head, which is exactly what the narrator was trying to do as he was constructing the true-crime narrative.
I think it was at this point that I realized that the author was taking some really unconventional stylistic choices, and I made the conscious decision to ride out whatever waves were coming my way. It was a good thing I did, because part four is written in olde english with an entirely different style font. I’m sure it’s relatable to one who’s prepared to think deeply about the story in part four and how it applies to the overarching narrative, but that ain’t me. I still didn’t hate it. I thought it was an interesting choice.
The last part is written from the perspective of an unfamiliar narrator who is speaking on the phone with the character who’s narrated almost the entirety of the book up until that point. The sudden switch was jarring, but it worked for me.
Devil House is not for anyone looking for an old-school haunted house-type horror who’s been misled by the cover, like I was initially. But if you go into it with an open mind, and you appreciate authors who take big risks with unconventional styles, I absolutely recommend. Depending on how open your mind is, you can probably skip Part 4 and it won’t affect your experience.