Review – Demon: A Memoir

Lucian appears before Clay whenever and wherever he chooses, sometimes pre-warning Clay through the use of his computer calendar program and sometimes appearing where Clay least expects him. Lucian not only surprises Clay, but as a shape shifter of sorts, he takes on different human forms for every interaction so Clay can never recognize Lucian by sight.

As the story unfolds, Clay literally lives to hear Lucian tell his story of the angels fall from grace and the motivation behind demons in our world today-lives to get Lucian’s story on paper and in print, bringing fame and fortune to himself. Clay loses focus, forgets about his job, his life and finds himself adrift and failing in the game of life. Soon, Lucian’s story becomes Clay’s story, the very ending holding the potential to affect Clay’s eternal life.

Demon is one Christian novel that has generated many reviews touting the book. Terms like unique, a work of art, stunning, original, and mind-twisting are bandied about. Though Tosca Lee must appreciate and enjoy these reviews, not having read Demon myself, I imagined how this praise might work against her. Before I even opened the cover of Demon, the book had so much to live up to that I didn’t think it could possibly climb even half the length of the ladder of praise.

So with an open mind, I started Demon. I hadn’t finished the first chapter before I admired the strong prose-Lee’s wonderful way with words. As a writer, I appreciated the quality of her writing, her unique turn of a phrase. The story was unique not one to be found on the shelves in current Christian fiction.

But did the book live up to its press?

Yes, I have to say it lived up to and in one aspect even surpassed the reviews I’ve read. It wasn’t the superb writing, the pacing, or even the creativity that made Demon a winner for me, but it was the contemplative message that set my mind in motion and even months later continues to wrestle with the spiritual truths portrayed through this work of fiction. So if you want to read a well crafted novel that leaves you no option but to ponder the meaning of life, this is the novel for you.