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Devils Within
A William C. Morris Award Finalist
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.
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.
408 pages, Paperback
First published October 31, 2017
152 people are currently reading
3094 people want to read
About the author
S.F. Henson
1 book81 followersS.F. Henson is the critically acclaimed author of Devils Within, a 2018 William C. Morris Award finalist, Alabama Library Association 2019 Young Adult Award winner, Kirkus Best Book of 2017, and YALSA 2018 Best Fiction for Young Adults. Born and raised in the deep south, SF graduated from Auburn University with a degree in Animal Science, which she put to great use by attending law school. Her law degree has gotten some mileage, though, giving her the experience to write about criminals and other dark, nefarious subjects. She lives in Austin, Texas with her husband, her dog, and her oddly named cat.
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August 18, 2018
"It's not the job of people of color to educate white folks on how they deserve to be treated and on what is and isn't racist. This is a burden we've been putting on their backs for far too long."
Looking for a teen-centric version of 1998’s American History X? Check out debut author S.F. Henson’s award-winning novel, Devils Within.
Devils Within features a teenaged Nate who has been released from psychiatric care after murdering his white-supremacist father. Nate grew up on a neo-nazi compound known as “The Fort,” where horrific acts of violence and hatred are commonplace. Once discharged from the hospital, an orphaned Nate is handed over to his estranged uncle. Under an alias, Nate enters a new town and school where he must come to terms with his past and the darkness that lurks just beneath the surface.
Devils Within is an undeniably tough read, but a necessary one. While Nate is a work of fiction, the violent episodes depicted are unfortunately true. Many people in our society ignore that racism and prejudice are a present-day reality. Devils Within shatters that illusion.
Since the birth of the Black Lives Matter movement, many prejudice-themed books have been published featuring people of color. Justifiably so. However, presenting the opposite viewpoint, that of our country’s hatemongers and bigots, is similarly valuable. In order to defeat prejudice, we must known our enemy. And Devils Within does a remarkable job of making controversial, complex topics accessible. Admittedly, Devils Within can be a little too “tidy,” but that does nothing to diminish its significance.
Summary: A must-read, especially in today’s political climate.
Looking for a teen-centric version of 1998’s American History X? Check out debut author S.F. Henson’s award-winning novel, Devils Within.
Devils Within features a teenaged Nate who has been released from psychiatric care after murdering his white-supremacist father. Nate grew up on a neo-nazi compound known as “The Fort,” where horrific acts of violence and hatred are commonplace. Once discharged from the hospital, an orphaned Nate is handed over to his estranged uncle. Under an alias, Nate enters a new town and school where he must come to terms with his past and the darkness that lurks just beneath the surface.
Devils Within is an undeniably tough read, but a necessary one. While Nate is a work of fiction, the violent episodes depicted are unfortunately true. Many people in our society ignore that racism and prejudice are a present-day reality. Devils Within shatters that illusion.
Since the birth of the Black Lives Matter movement, many prejudice-themed books have been published featuring people of color. Justifiably so. However, presenting the opposite viewpoint, that of our country’s hatemongers and bigots, is similarly valuable. In order to defeat prejudice, we must known our enemy. And Devils Within does a remarkable job of making controversial, complex topics accessible. Admittedly, Devils Within can be a little too “tidy,” but that does nothing to diminish its significance.
Summary: A must-read, especially in today’s political climate.
March 19, 2019
Nathaniel Fuller was born into a white supremacist compound in Kentucky. There was no escape for him, his mother, or his best friend Kelsey: if you tried to leave, you were hunted down, brought back, and beaten into submission. Nate’s “freedom” came in the form of a juvenile prison sentence. Then he’s sent to live with an uncle who despises Nate for his past. Nate hates himself, too. Things get even more complicated when the one classmate who’s nice to Nate is a black guy. Nate likes Brandon, a lot. But he knows Brandon will hate him if Nate’s past is ever discovered.Wow. This book is really good. But it’s also so intense that it was a really tough read for me, and left me feeling anxious even when I put it down. I’m a little relieved to be finished with it.
Full Disclosure: This is probably not a book I would have selected on my own. A story about a sympathetic white supremacist? Um, no thanks. But I know the author from a writers’ group, and I got to read the first chapter nearly 3 years ago. I’ve been waiting eagerly for the rest of the book ever since.
Wait a minute, you may be thinking. “Sympathetic white supremacist” sounds like a complete impossibility. But even though Nate was brought up in The Fort, his mother wasn’t. She wanted to leave, and she tried to teach her son to be the kind of person she was before she joined a hate group. So despite the groups’ best -- and ugliest -- efforts to keep Nate indoctrinated and complicit, Nate tries to be like his mom.
When he was in The Fort, he was abused for not being a hater. Now that he’s on the outside, he’s demonized because everyone assumes he’s just like the people he used to live with. No one wants to believe he was forced to do things he didn’t want to do. It doesn’t help that he’s suffering from PTSD, complete with violent flashbacks and a handful of daily meds to keep the episodes in check, or that his height makes him look like a looming threat no matter what he’s doing.
The descriptions of how Nate was treated, and the things he had to do, are graphic and disturbing. I have to give the author huge credit for all the research she did, and her ability to handle it, because I would have been curled up in a ball on the floor crying if I tried to do it. It’s also a book that will feed your paranoia, as the local cops around The Fort couldn’t care less about what the white hate group is doing in the surrounding communities. The recruitment process for the group is also described. Everything about this book is upsetting and frightening. These people are real. They’re active in communities around you, whether you’re aware of them or not.
And you know what? That’s what makes this book important. I realize after reading this how clueless I am about how people get involved with hate groups, or what life is like for children who have the misfortune to be born into a place like The Fort. Even though my knee-jerk reaction is to avoid anything to do with such people, this book makes me think that maybe if we understand how people get into these groups, maybe we can also figure out how to turn people away from them, too.
I definitely recommend this book. Publishing lags two years behind current events, so this book was finished before the 2016 presidential campaign even started, but it’s amazingly timely for right now. And if I could get through the darkness and grittiness, so can almost anyone.
December 7, 2017
I had the pleasure of beta-reading Sarah's debut novel back when it was just a tiny thing, and even though that was a while ago, I'm STILL thinking about it.
This book was haunting and real and heartbreaking. It's about trying to move forward when you feel like you can't and being followed by flashbacks and memories. It's about family and what makes a family. It's about Nate, who feels like he shouldn't be able to move forward for the stuff he's dealt with in the past. It's damn good. Why isn't this on your TBR?
This book was haunting and real and heartbreaking. It's about trying to move forward when you feel like you can't and being followed by flashbacks and memories. It's about family and what makes a family. It's about Nate, who feels like he shouldn't be able to move forward for the stuff he's dealt with in the past. It's damn good. Why isn't this on your TBR?
February 23, 2018
It’s appropriate that the name S.F. Henson bears a striking resemblance to the name S.E. Hinton. Both names belong to southern women who have an incredible knack for capturing the voices of troubled boys in their stories, and I don’t just read their books, I devour them. It’s been awhile since I read The Outsiders or Rumble Fish, so I can’t explain their power, but I can do my best to explain what makes Devils Within such an incredible debut.
The story centers around Nate, who is traumatized by his past in “The Fort”, where he was not only born and raised, but also learned how to fight his peers, attack minorities, and spread the message of hate as a neo-nazi. After suffering abuse and emotional torture for years, he gets in a fight with his father, who happens to be the leader of the entire nazi encampment. A scuffle and chase turns into a battle for Nate’s life, and in a scramble for a pistol, Nate manages to kill his own father. The courts declare that he acted in self-defense, and after months in rehabilitation, Nate is sent to live with his uncle and aunt, who live in a small town in Alabama. Nate wants to hide his past, to put it behind him, but his terrible secrets burn within him. Making matters worse is the threat of “The Fort” looking for Nate in order to retaliate, and when Nate finally makes a friend, that friend happens to be African-American. What will his friend, the town at large, or the Fort do if they find out the truth about Nate? What will happen if Nate is forced to carry his truth inside himself forever?
I’m not going to spoil anything since many of my colleagues on Goodreads are patiently waiting on our library reserve list to read this book, so I will keep it simple. Henson gives us a deeply flawed, deeply troubled character whose life feels so foreign to my own, and yet I identified with his plight throughout the entirety of the story. I won’t reveal why (Again, spoilers), but Nate is given an impossible choice between keeping his secret past to himself, or telling his story so people will know the real him, so they’ll know his truth. Weighing between these two choices drives the plot, and makes your attention focus on Nate and his relationships even as great themes about racism, the media, and education are brought up in the background.
I know this book is getting the typical superlatives of “timely” and “important” by the critics, but that isn’t why you should read it. You should read it for its unique protagonist with a unique perspective. Yes the story is about neo-nazis and racism, but I think just as important is the idea of reconciliation. More specifically, Nate has to reconcile his violent past and regrettable actions with the person he is now and the person he wants to become. He must figure out how to attain the life he wants without hurting the people he cares for the most. And when this kind of conflict is this well-written, you have a book that is un-put-down-able.
One small criticism. I think the title should be “Beast Within,” not “Devils Within.” Read it for yourself to see if you agree.
The story centers around Nate, who is traumatized by his past in “The Fort”, where he was not only born and raised, but also learned how to fight his peers, attack minorities, and spread the message of hate as a neo-nazi. After suffering abuse and emotional torture for years, he gets in a fight with his father, who happens to be the leader of the entire nazi encampment. A scuffle and chase turns into a battle for Nate’s life, and in a scramble for a pistol, Nate manages to kill his own father. The courts declare that he acted in self-defense, and after months in rehabilitation, Nate is sent to live with his uncle and aunt, who live in a small town in Alabama. Nate wants to hide his past, to put it behind him, but his terrible secrets burn within him. Making matters worse is the threat of “The Fort” looking for Nate in order to retaliate, and when Nate finally makes a friend, that friend happens to be African-American. What will his friend, the town at large, or the Fort do if they find out the truth about Nate? What will happen if Nate is forced to carry his truth inside himself forever?
I’m not going to spoil anything since many of my colleagues on Goodreads are patiently waiting on our library reserve list to read this book, so I will keep it simple. Henson gives us a deeply flawed, deeply troubled character whose life feels so foreign to my own, and yet I identified with his plight throughout the entirety of the story. I won’t reveal why (Again, spoilers), but Nate is given an impossible choice between keeping his secret past to himself, or telling his story so people will know the real him, so they’ll know his truth. Weighing between these two choices drives the plot, and makes your attention focus on Nate and his relationships even as great themes about racism, the media, and education are brought up in the background.
I know this book is getting the typical superlatives of “timely” and “important” by the critics, but that isn’t why you should read it. You should read it for its unique protagonist with a unique perspective. Yes the story is about neo-nazis and racism, but I think just as important is the idea of reconciliation. More specifically, Nate has to reconcile his violent past and regrettable actions with the person he is now and the person he wants to become. He must figure out how to attain the life he wants without hurting the people he cares for the most. And when this kind of conflict is this well-written, you have a book that is un-put-down-able.
One small criticism. I think the title should be “Beast Within,” not “Devils Within.” Read it for yourself to see if you agree.
July 20, 2017
It is painful to look evil in the face. Do it anyway.
March 15, 2018
Devils Within tagline read "American History X" for teens. Nate is the son of the leader of a White supremacist group known as The Fort. It is all he had known except for the few years when his mother escaped with him and began life on the run. That was until she was killed and Nate was sent to live with his father back on the fort. Nate was brought up to be a killer and to hate everyone who was not white and pure. That was until one day he snapped and had enough, and in a situation where only one could live, he killed his father. This caused Nate to be labeled a killer even though it was done in self-defense and he went to Juvie. Getting out of Juvie, Nate goes to live with his Uncle and his girlfriend Bev. Under a new surname, Nate goes to high school and slowly befriends an African-American Brandon. One thing leads to another and Nate and Brandon become the best of friends, Nate wants to tell Brandon his past, but his Uncle and others in authority advise against it. What will happen though when The Fort finds Nate and start to use his new friends and life to get to him including harming his new friend Brandon. Can Nate show his new friends and others that he is not part of "The Fort" culture?
Find out in Devils Within by S.F Henson, a book which gets you thinking strongly about Racism and White Supremacy and what you would do if you were in the same situation as Nate.
Find out in Devils Within by S.F Henson, a book which gets you thinking strongly about Racism and White Supremacy and what you would do if you were in the same situation as Nate.
November 19, 2017
Realistic, deeply unsettling, and convincing.
February 5, 2019
it was weird caring about a former neo-nazi, but i guess that's a real testament to the way his character development was written.
March 27, 2023
I surprisingly really enjoyed this one. There was a lot going on in terms of different themes like systemic racism, coming of age, and just family troubles in general.
I really liked the plot, the characters, and the pacing in a way I hadn't thought I would.
TLDR:
I really liked the plot, the characters, and the pacing in a way I hadn't thought I would.
TLDR:
March 9, 2018
Nate was raised within The Fort, a white supremacist faction within the state of Kentucky. He learned to hate those who were different, to protect those who were the same, and that violence is the answer to just about everything. But Nate was able to escape after killing the group's leader who was also his father. Now he is being released from treatment and is supposed to start a new life with his uncle. Nate is suddenly surrounded by those he was taught to hate, and he is trying his hardest to fight his impulses and not to be violent, but he is losing the battle.
I am a sucker for a good "teen escapes from a cult/compound" story, and this one is no exception. Nate is a fantastically well-rounded character, and as readers we get to watch him struggle to reconcile the world he sees around him with the training he received as a child. He befriends a classmate, and even though there is the standard "main character hides secret and then friend finds out and feels betrayed" subplot, it doesn't feel as forced as it has in other books. The threat of The Fort coming back to get Nate feels very real, and the compelling writing kept me turning pages to find out what happened. Highly recommended.
Recommended for: teens
Red Flags: racist, ableist, homophobic language (all coming from the protagonist before he learns that the words are inappropriate); violence
Read-Alikes: The Sacred Lies of Minnow Bly, Eden West
I am a sucker for a good "teen escapes from a cult/compound" story, and this one is no exception. Nate is a fantastically well-rounded character, and as readers we get to watch him struggle to reconcile the world he sees around him with the training he received as a child. He befriends a classmate, and even though there is the standard "main character hides secret and then friend finds out and feels betrayed" subplot, it doesn't feel as forced as it has in other books. The threat of The Fort coming back to get Nate feels very real, and the compelling writing kept me turning pages to find out what happened. Highly recommended.
Recommended for: teens
Red Flags: racist, ableist, homophobic language (all coming from the protagonist before he learns that the words are inappropriate); violence
Read-Alikes: The Sacred Lies of Minnow Bly, Eden West
January 6, 2018
In a year with a lot of standout books about violence towards marginalized people, Devils Within tackles hatred in America from a new angle. The novel tells the story of a teenager who escaped a neo-Nazi compound after killing his father (not a spoiler - this has happened at the beginning of the book). Nate is a victim but isn't an innocent; before leaving the group, he took part in a long list of hate crimes. Henson shows Nate trying to make sense of the "regular" world, trying to understand the racist ideology he grew up with, trying to connect. He succeeds, sort of. The power of this book lies in the fact that everything isn't hunky dory in the end. He doesn't just apologize to the people who get harmed by his connection to the skinhead group and end up being welcomed back into the community. Instead, he has to come to terms with what it might mean to atone and seek forgiveness. The novel closes, as the best YA novels do, with a sense of possibility rather than firm happy endings. And I read it in one sitting. And every crazy detail about the hate groups is based in the author's research through the Southern Poverty Law Center. Check it out.
December 11, 2017
Disturbing realistic fiction, all the more haunting because it's based on fact. I never would have read this if it hadn't been selected as a 2018 Morris Award nominee. Exposes racism and hate crime from the point of view of a teenage boy who escaped the white supremacy compound where he had been born and raised, by killing the group's leader - his own father - in self defense. Living in hiding with a new name in a different town with an uncle he never knew he had, he experiences flashbacks, hears his father's voice in his head, and is overwhelmed by the terrible secrets in his past. Start with the author's note, that's what I did. It puts the story in context of current events and pushed me to keep reading even when it would have been all-too-easy to look away. Eye-opening and thought-provoking.
October 7, 2017
Nuanced, poetic, and thoroughly engrossing! My heart ached for Nate, and I cheered as he worked past his demons and came into his own. Not for the weak-stomached, but a very, very worthwhile book in every respect. Can't wait to see what the author writes next.
March 25, 2018
Timely and harrowing, this is an important read especially for teens. This would be a great choice for school reading groups or classroom discussions of white supremacy and racism in America. Henson brings complexity to the issue in an engaging and emotionally charged narrative.
May 2, 2018
The plot is interesting but I didn't think the protagonist's voice was consistently authentic. The reactions to him by minor characters are oftentimes one-dimensional as well. There are a few twists that kept me going.
January 18, 2018
Wow. Just wow. Well done S.F. Henson. Should be required reading in high schools.
June 9, 2018
This is a hard-hitting book which should be required reading for high school students. It's not getting the notice it deserves.
March 11, 2018
Born in The Fort, a white supremacy cult, Nathaniel kills his father, the cult leader, in self defense. Now he’s Nate, released from a psych hospital to the Uncle Dell who doesn’t want him. The first friend he meets in school, a black guy named Brandon has Nate’s uncle fearing for Brandon’s safety, no matter how hard Nate tries to prove his worth. Members of The Fort aren’t far behind, threatening everything Brandon is trying to create for himself.
Nate is an extremely sympathetic character, born into the wrong family. He went on the run with his mom, but after she’s murdered is returned to his sadistic father and forced to participate in hate crimes or face life-threatening beatings. He wants to do better, to be better, and Brandon is the only one who will give him a chance.
SF Henton’s debut novel is often hard to read. I never felt like The Fort was real, because it was one dimensional and brutal. I have a hard time believing this cult of 40 or so adults could get away with burying over 100 bodies and nobody knew. Nazis are terrible people with few redeeming qualities. I wish some had a bit of humanity to fully flesh out their characters.
The character arcs didn’t feel authentic either. One day Bev is calling Nate Nazi, the next she’s on his side. For months Dell treads Nate like crap, then he’s sobbing that it’s really guilt he’s harboring, not hatred for Nate and surprise, he used to be a Nazi too. The next day, Dell and Nate are copacetic.
DEVILS WITHIN touched upon the (in my opinion) more sinister covert racism, kids who pretended to be Brandon’s friend, yet their true feelings were white supremacy. I wish Henten stuck with this more common problem instead of going for the more sensational cross burning. I could tell DEVILS WITHIN was written by a white person, before I clicked her Goodreads profile to see her picture.
I did enjoy reading DEVILS WITHIN, hoping for a positive resolution.
Nate is an extremely sympathetic character, born into the wrong family. He went on the run with his mom, but after she’s murdered is returned to his sadistic father and forced to participate in hate crimes or face life-threatening beatings. He wants to do better, to be better, and Brandon is the only one who will give him a chance.
SF Henton’s debut novel is often hard to read. I never felt like The Fort was real, because it was one dimensional and brutal. I have a hard time believing this cult of 40 or so adults could get away with burying over 100 bodies and nobody knew. Nazis are terrible people with few redeeming qualities. I wish some had a bit of humanity to fully flesh out their characters.
The character arcs didn’t feel authentic either. One day Bev is calling Nate Nazi, the next she’s on his side. For months Dell treads Nate like crap, then he’s sobbing that it’s really guilt he’s harboring, not hatred for Nate and surprise, he used to be a Nazi too. The next day, Dell and Nate are copacetic.
DEVILS WITHIN touched upon the (in my opinion) more sinister covert racism, kids who pretended to be Brandon’s friend, yet their true feelings were white supremacy. I wish Henten stuck with this more common problem instead of going for the more sensational cross burning. I could tell DEVILS WITHIN was written by a white person, before I clicked her Goodreads profile to see her picture.
I did enjoy reading DEVILS WITHIN, hoping for a positive resolution.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 11, 2018
3.5/5 The concept for this book was really awesome and I love the passion this author had for putting this honest story into the world. It cannot have been an easy thing to write. On the whole, I really liked this, but I didn't like some very specific things. For example, the choice to italicize the pronouns referring to Nate's dad just made those portions read awkwardly in my voice as if it was an emphasis versus a tool to let the reader know which specific person was being discussed. Definitely a worthwhile read and relevant to the times.
June 13, 2020
This book has become a necessity, and I say that with the heaviest of hearts. There are indeed children out there, many of them, growing up in Neo-Nazi homes and compounds, and they need to be able to see beyond their bubble of hatred that they’ve been corralled into by their parents. This book, undoubtedly, will be an aid to those children, specifically when they’re moving out of those situations.
Nate’s growth as a person and character were important and interesting to see, and I really enjoyed how there was a focus on the friendship with Brandon. There’s a lot to be learnt here, and I really hope that this book finds the right audience.
I did, in parts, struggle with Nate’s voice. There was a lot that felt like a teenager being written by an adult, which is unfortunate, but I understand also a very hard balance to strike well. It also was a little sanitized in places- it felt as though there was an avoidance of the worst version of reality that actually manifests in white supremacist groups. With that said, still an interesting read, and hopefully a voice that some hear and get the chance to acknowledge.
Nate’s growth as a person and character were important and interesting to see, and I really enjoyed how there was a focus on the friendship with Brandon. There’s a lot to be learnt here, and I really hope that this book finds the right audience.
I did, in parts, struggle with Nate’s voice. There was a lot that felt like a teenager being written by an adult, which is unfortunate, but I understand also a very hard balance to strike well. It also was a little sanitized in places- it felt as though there was an avoidance of the worst version of reality that actually manifests in white supremacist groups. With that said, still an interesting read, and hopefully a voice that some hear and get the chance to acknowledge.
January 19, 2020
Wow. This was fantastic. I liked how it was a new take-- a new angle. A kid raised in a Neo-Nazi compound gets out and tries to learn to be normal. It shows us some inner workings of these hate groups and helps us see someone struggle with unlearning the filth they've been taught. I think more people need to see that process, because even though most people aren't raised so extremely, we are all still raised learning racism. We have to see how to unlearn it and I don't think there are a lot of examples out there of how people do that.
March 20, 2018
Wow! This is an utterly compelling look inside the white-supremacy movement in the US. SF Henson's book is fictional, but she has done her homework (thank you Southern Poverty Law Center), and the resulting story feels shockingly real. I so wanted Nate to escape his violent past, and yet I'm grateful that the author didn't succumb to a neat and tidy ending. Highly recommend.
March 2, 2018
Nate grew up in The Fort a violent neo Nazi compound lead by his father. When he tries to escape the compound, Nate’s final confrontation with his abusive father ends in his father’s death. After spending time in a mental institution, Nate is released to the custody of an uncle he never knew and tries to overcome his learned prejudices. The first friend he makes at school is Brandon, an affable and popular black student. Nate is worried that his past will come out and that his father’s followers will find him to seek revenge. Just when Nate feels like he’s finally fitting in, his worst fears come true. Recommended.
December 31, 2017
Summary
Last year, Nate Fuller murdered his father, the leader of a white supremacist compound called The Fort. Nate has been released from psychiatric care to an uncle whom his deceased mother referred to as “The Traitor.”
Nate now has to integrate into a world he’s never known before under an assumed name. However, he still has to work out his demons of the past.
Appeal
Timely, fascinating, and violent: think of American History X in book form. Nate is a character you can’t help but root for, even with his anger issues. Nate’s uncle and his uncle’s girlfriend also come across as sympathetic, sensitive, and somewhat nuanced. This book also stayed dark throughout, and I was as gripped with the ending pages as I was with the beginning.
I’ll note that some violence is described in detail - I would tell you what happened, but I had to skim ahead those pages because it was a little too intense for me. Do with that information what you will.
This book is also a Morris award finalist - awarded to a Young Adult Debut author. I can’t wait to see what Henson publishes next!
Issues with comprehension
Nate blacks out from time to time and the narrative slips into the past without warning. This past/present slip might confuse readers who aren’t expecting it, and readers who are reading this in school might want to talk through strategies they can use to separate past and present.
Recommended for
Readers who enjoy emotional and violent stories; readers who are fascinated by true crime and based on true stories.
This book feels very grades 9+ but I could see its value in a middle school library, too, because I think the topic of neo-Nazis and white supremacists is socially relevant to what’s on some kids’ minds.
Last year, Nate Fuller murdered his father, the leader of a white supremacist compound called The Fort. Nate has been released from psychiatric care to an uncle whom his deceased mother referred to as “The Traitor.”
Nate now has to integrate into a world he’s never known before under an assumed name. However, he still has to work out his demons of the past.
Appeal
Timely, fascinating, and violent: think of American History X in book form. Nate is a character you can’t help but root for, even with his anger issues. Nate’s uncle and his uncle’s girlfriend also come across as sympathetic, sensitive, and somewhat nuanced. This book also stayed dark throughout, and I was as gripped with the ending pages as I was with the beginning.
I’ll note that some violence is described in detail - I would tell you what happened, but I had to skim ahead those pages because it was a little too intense for me. Do with that information what you will.
This book is also a Morris award finalist - awarded to a Young Adult Debut author. I can’t wait to see what Henson publishes next!
Issues with comprehension
Nate blacks out from time to time and the narrative slips into the past without warning. This past/present slip might confuse readers who aren’t expecting it, and readers who are reading this in school might want to talk through strategies they can use to separate past and present.
Recommended for
Readers who enjoy emotional and violent stories; readers who are fascinated by true crime and based on true stories.
This book feels very grades 9+ but I could see its value in a middle school library, too, because I think the topic of neo-Nazis and white supremacists is socially relevant to what’s on some kids’ minds.
March 7, 2018
Actual rating-4.5/5 stars
This was a fantastic read, but it was also a HARD read. Nate has fled from The Fort, the white supremacy campground where he was raised. He is no longer welcome there after killing their leader, his father, one night in the woods. Now, he is in hiding from them and, in a sense, from himself. Because he doesn't want to be the person who did all of those horrible things. And he doesn't want to let the Beast inside of himself out. But without it, he isn't sure who he is or how to survive in a world that has Homecoming, and parade floats, and basketball teams. His only friend there, the only kid who would talk to him at first, is the incredibly popular Brandon, descendant of one of the town's first integrated African-American families. The stress of hiding, the fear of being discovered, and the realization that The Fort will never give up on hunting him, means Nate will have to make some hard choices and begin to learn the true meaning of vengeance and repenting.
This was a fantastic read, but it was also a HARD read. Nate has fled from The Fort, the white supremacy campground where he was raised. He is no longer welcome there after killing their leader, his father, one night in the woods. Now, he is in hiding from them and, in a sense, from himself. Because he doesn't want to be the person who did all of those horrible things. And he doesn't want to let the Beast inside of himself out. But without it, he isn't sure who he is or how to survive in a world that has Homecoming, and parade floats, and basketball teams. His only friend there, the only kid who would talk to him at first, is the incredibly popular Brandon, descendant of one of the town's first integrated African-American families. The stress of hiding, the fear of being discovered, and the realization that The Fort will never give up on hunting him, means Nate will have to make some hard choices and begin to learn the true meaning of vengeance and repenting.
February 4, 2018
This book was beautiful and disgusting. The story crushed me, and after reading it, i feel sad, hopeful, and emotionally exhausted. The hardest part for me is accepting that this isn’t a fantasy novel, white supremacy and its cult-like brainwashing tactics are very very real.
December 5, 2017
I loved this book. It tells the story of racism through a different lens. A 16 year old white supremacist is fleeing his violent and abusive past and all that he's known about hating non-whites. He's trying to survive in the present and has no hope of a future. It is about forgiveness, betrayal, survival, abuse, violence, and judging others through our own biases without understanding or wanting to understand the whole story. To me this was powerful. It correlates well with other stores such as "The Hate U Give.
Violence, language.
Violence, language.
January 16, 2018
I've never read a story from the perspective of a Neo-Nazi skinhead before, but boy, am I glad I just did. Henson writes with authority and authenticity from the voice of Nate, a young man raised in an extremist compound in Kentucky but who is trying to outrun and escape not only blood ties, but the blood he is responsible for spilling. How does one reinvent themselves? How do we repair harm caused to others? When, if ever, do we need to come clean about our past? How do we manage anger that is uncontrollable and all-consuming?
May 16, 2023
Devil's Within was an engaging and often all too close to home exploration of racism in the South. Told through the viewpoint of a boy raised in a white supremacist camp understanding and growing out of the views he had been taught. SF Henson takes a very difficult and all too timely issue and handles it perfectly.
November 21, 2017
An excellent thought-provoking novel about racism. Highly recommended.
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