An exhilarating, darkly comic debut novel about a do-gooder whose world is turned inside out when his new roommate—who might be possessed by the devil—moves in.
At once a visceral, unhinged, and comic novel about the roommate generation, He's the Devil is a tantalizing literary thriller exploring possession and obsession, friendship and betrayal. Tobi Coventry's debut is propulsive, funny, and touching, marking the arrival of a bold new literary imagination.
Simon has always been a good guy, a charmer. He's consistently employee of the month at his bougie restaurant job, neurotically tidy, and generally tries to do right by everyone. And his dark parts? He keeps those well-hidden. But when his best and only friend Josh moves out of their shared apartment, Simon's world starts to fall apart when his new roommate Massimo moves in. Because Massimo has brought something—or someone—with him. He might just turn out to be the roommate from hell….
Strange things start to happen. Weird noises come from Massimo's room, smells of earth and spoiled meat drift through the halls, lights flicker, and Simon's nights fill with disturbing and alluring dreams. Meanwhile, across the city, murders are being committed, bodies torn apart from the inside. Massimo and whatever he's unleashed begin to awaken Simon's wild and exciting and horrifying inner self.
Whatever this new friend is could be the end of Simon—or a completely new beginning.
Praise
“[Coventry’s] writing is robust and unabashed, lingering on filth, violence and bodily transformation. He’s the Devil is often genuinely disgusting, but that disgust feels earned, even necessary, rather than gratuitous. Coventry prioritises propulsion, shock and atmosphere (there is little interest here in metaphorical subtlety or ironic distance) and the scenes arrive hard and fast. Beneath the gore and provocation, He’s the Devil suggests a bleak but compelling vision of self-discovery in which liberation and destruction are dangerously close. This is a confident, confrontational and compulsively readable debut.”
—THE LITERARY REVIEW
“Gloriously gay and downright sinful.”
—ATTITUDE
“He’s the Devil hums with menace. It’s magnetic, claustrophobic, and wickedly alive. Charged with unease and darkly disarming humor, it’s a story that creeps beneath the skin.”
—LUCY ROSE, Sunday Times bestselling author of The Lamb
“So electric it crackles, propulsive, sexy, and whip-smart.”
—HUSTER MUSSON, bestselling author of The Beholders
“I love this diabolical debut about betrayal, demonic possession and the biggest horror of all: renting with a stranger.”
—ALICE SLATER, Sunday Times bestselling author of Death of a Bookseller
“Deliciously dark and slyly funny, He's the Devil sets a whole mood. Tobi Coventry spins a tale that is, at its heart, about loneliness and seeking connection, then cleverly packages it in a wickedly weird, spine-tingling ride. A debut you won't soon forget.”
—MARISA KASHINO, author of Best Offer Wins
"Wild, playful, fantastically written, this book will crawl into you like a parasite and you’ll love every minute of it."
—VIRGINIA FEITO, author of Mrs March
“Horny. Gory. Relatable.”
—KIRSTY LOGAN, author of Things We Say in the Dark
“A truly revolting masterpiece. Stephen King meets Ottessa Moshfegh meets John Waters.”
—JODIE HARSH, author of You Had to Be There
“Hot, heady stuff!”
—AVERY CURRAN, author of Spoiled Milk
“Filthy, feral, and irresistibly queer.”
—SETH INSUA, author of Human, Animal
