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The Devil Three Times by Rickey Fayne
3.5

The Devil Three Times is a multi-generation family drama that follows Yetunde and her descendants until the present day. As the book begins, Yetunde awakens on a slave ship. In this truly hellacious situation, she turns to the Devil for help. 

Unfortunately, Yetunde makes a bargain with the Devil that will persist for nearly two hundred years as he will continue visiting her family in their darkest times. I loved the religious subtext and how the author built the perspective of the Devil. I was raised in a Methodist home and no longer identify as religious, so I think this layer of the novel can appeal to many who have the experience to relate. It is not written from a place of religion being right or wrong, so I hope many readers can enjoy this aspect. 

I wanted this to be a fantastic read, as it includes so many things I love. However, I felt that this book had pacing issues and it was hard to connect to some of the characters as the perspective shifted from generation to generation. The chapters are very long, which is also not my preference. Overall, I'm glad I read it and I look forward to Fayne's future work.