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Devils Within

by S.F. HensonHardcover, 390 pages

Published October 31st 2017 by Sky Pony Press

ISBN 9781510714564

Checked Out From Library

About:

Killing isn’t supposed to be easy. But it is. It’s the after that’s hard to deal with. 

Nate was eight the first time he stabbed someone; he was eleven when he earned his red laces—a prize for spilling blood for “the cause.” And he was fourteen when he murdered his father (and the leader of The Fort, a notorious white supremacist compound) in self-defense, landing in a treatment center while the state searched for his next of kin. Now, in the custody of an uncle he never knew existed, who wants nothing to do with him, Nate just wants to disappear.

Enrolled in a new school under a false name, so no one from The Fort can find him, he struggles to forge a new life, trying to learn how to navigate a world where people of different races interact without enmity. But he can’t stop awful thoughts from popping into his head, or help the way he shivers with a desire to commit violence. He wants to be different—he just doesn’t know where to start.

Then he meets Brandon, a person The Fort conditioned Nate to despise on sight. But Brandon’s also the first person to treat him like a human instead of a monster. Brandon could never understand Nate’s dark past, so Nate keeps quiet. And it works for a while. But all too soon, Nate’s worlds crash together, and he must decide between his own survival and standing for what’s right, even if it isn’t easy. Even if society will never be able to forgive him for his sins.

Like a teen American History X, S.F. Henson’s Devils Within is gut-wrenching, thought-provoking, no-holds-barred look at the plague of white supremacy in contemporary American culture that may have you examining your own soul. (Goodreads)

Rating: 5 Stars

Review:

I choose to read this book because it was on the Morris Award Nomination list. I’m so glad I picked it up. This book is a haunting take on racism in the U.S. It focuses on a teen (Nate) who was born into a white supremacist group. His father was the leader of the group and tried force Nate to become like him. During an escape attempt Nate kills his Father basically before his dad can kill him. After time in jail and a mental facility, Nate is handed over to hide with his Uncle in a small town in Alabama. It is in this town that Nate discovers who he can really be, a good person. It’s hard for Nate. People aren’t exactly welcoming to him at first, including his own Uncle. Eventually Nate becomes friends with Brandon, who is a minority that his Father would have killed. This eventually opens Nate up to becoming friends with a variety of other people and to view them in different ways. It’s not all rainbows and sunshine in this new town. Nate has a hard time with flashbacks and hiding who he really is. He gets betrayed by people he trusts. And eventually his past comes looking for him in violent ways. 

This is S.F. Henson’s first book (as far as I understand), and wow, she really packs a punch. In the world that we live in right now, where there are constantly terrorist attacks and deportation threats, this book really shines a light on some of the home grown racism that is alive and thriving right here in our own backyards. It’s scary to read about how these groups think, run, and get away with what they do. The author says in her Author’s Notes that this book is based off of real events and things that the group did (red shoe laces, indoctrination, boot parties, etc.) are all real. Nate is an amazingly strong character. I was hoping he’d end up ok with a second chance in the end. After learning more about the Uncle, I felt the same way about him. This book really hits the nail with all the racism that is out there that people don’t realize is racism. Take a second and think about all the times you’ve thought about someone by their race. It could be something as simple as “Grrr I can’t believe that _________ guy just cut me off”. Or “Why do ____________ always think they can get away with that crap?”.  We all get mad sometimes, and usually pinning things on a race or even gender is the easiest way to get the frustration out. In the long run though those kinds of thoughts might be adding more fuel to the hate fire. After reading this book, I’m going to try and take a closer look at how I think about and treat others. I’d rather be a solution to the problem, than a cause. 

These hate groups are all over the country. Visit the Southern Poverty Law Center’s (SPLC) website to see an updated map of all documented groups. Its rather scary.  www.splcenter.org/hate-map