PRAISE FOR BLAME THE DEVIL

“Blame the Devil is not a quiet book. It has a big, restless, street-corner energy, moving from cosmic history to neighborhood gossip to brutal realism in a matter of pages. Colicchio makes Jersey City feel almost mythic . . . The Plateau is not just a setting. It feels like a pressure cooker, full of Catholic ritual, old grudges, kids trying to survive, and adults who should know better but often do worse. The supernatural pieces work because they grow out of that world instead of floating above it. Devils do not arrive in smoke and thunder here. They wear uniforms, sit in diners, tell ugly stories, and know how to make people feel small. That choice gives the horror genre a grounded, bitter charge. Blame the Devil argues with faith, justice, and evil rather than simply using them as decoration. Rough-edged and strange.”

— Thomas Anderson, Editor, LitTitan

“Loaded with stellar prose, authentic and complex characters, a palpable sense of place, an unforeseeable twist that will grab you and linger. This is a must-read novel about pain, evil, and healing, deserving a prominent spot on your bookshelf.”

— Bonnie Hearn Hill, author of The River Below

“Blame the Devil, explores cosmic rebellion in 1960’s Catholic America. With dark humor and vivid depictions of abuse, Colicchio daringly explores faith, ambition, and divine mischief, a modern twist on Paradise Lost.”

— David Winner, National Book Award Nominee, The Cannibal of Guadalajara

“It’s 1967 in the Plateau section of Jersey City, along the Hackensack River beneath the Pulaski Skyway, and evil is about to show itself in ways unfamiliar . . . In a neighborhood that’s fallen on hard times, a fallen angel is about to demonstrate how difficult—and ugly—things can get. . . . The novel is a gripping, suspenseful journey, marked by unexpected turns. . . . Powerful. Moving. A fascinating read.”

— Mary Ann McGuigan, National Book Award Finalist Where You Belong, and That Very Place

“Joseph Colicchio’s new novel, initially appears to be a coming-of-age story. Two young teenagers, Donna and Dennis, navigate a new friendship, in what we quickly understand is a dark and unsettling world. . . . We are left with questions to ask ourselves, is anything justified in the name of righteousness? Is there redemption of even those capable of the most egregious sins? Colicchio leads us into and through those questions more than once in this astute book that blends literary fiction, horror and fable.”

— Mary Jane Nealon, winner of Bakeless Prize for Beautiful Unbroken

“Fans of supernatural thriller horror stories who appreciate complexity and the lure of impossible odds will find Blame the Devil just the ticket for a read that is both morally and spiritually challenging. . . . Colicchio’s ability to reveal the interior world of his characters—both the tender and the heartbreaking—is insightful and, at times, devastating. No less exceptional is the richness and tangibility of the gritty and booze-soaked square mile (the Jersey City Plateau) in which the entire novel is set. . . . This unflinching novel is not for the weak of heart.”

— Diane Donovan, Editor, Bookwatch