What do you think?
Rate this book
Reading Blue Devils: A Novel
To Hell with high school!
The American education system is turned inside out when a frustrated teacher incites his students to stage an uprising.
In a poor suburban community in southern Ohio, Dieter Vogel is a failing English teacher at a high school populated predominately by minority students. He is bullied by the basketball coach, neglected by the principal, ignored by his crush, Esther, and pressured to workout with Jose, the art teacher.
At the end of the first day back after summer break, Dieter is visited by Satan, who takes the initial form of a Twinkie. Satan convinces Dieter to overthrow the school mascot, Gretel the Pretzel, so that the Devil can take its place. Dieter is promised Esther’s love and the position of principal in return.
All Dieter has to do is follow the Devil’s advice and use classic literature to manipulate the the students into a racially charged frenzy against the mostly white staff.
The American education system is turned inside out when a frustrated teacher incites his students to stage an uprising.
In a poor suburban community in southern Ohio, Dieter Vogel is a failing English teacher at a high school populated predominately by minority students. He is bullied by the basketball coach, neglected by the principal, ignored by his crush, Esther, and pressured to workout with Jose, the art teacher.
At the end of the first day back after summer break, Dieter is visited by Satan, who takes the initial form of a Twinkie. Satan convinces Dieter to overthrow the school mascot, Gretel the Pretzel, so that the Devil can take its place. Dieter is promised Esther’s love and the position of principal in return.
All Dieter has to do is follow the Devil’s advice and use classic literature to manipulate the the students into a racially charged frenzy against the mostly white staff.
ebook
Published March 6, 2018
About the author
Jon Bennett
1 book4 followersBorn and bred in the Midwest, moved to California for the time being. I'm inspired by my students and fellow teachers, especially from my first six years teaching in Chicago. Their stories, their passions, and their humor have bled into my first novel and are shaping my current project.
I'm a Christian, a husband, a father, and a way-too-sarcastic high school English teacher (I'm working on it, but it seems to be part of the Language Arts pedagogy).
When not writing or teaching or spending time with my wonderful wife and 2 yo daughter, I'm splashing through a pool in my Speedo (tmi?) or hiking with our dog Milo or reading.
I'm a Christian, a husband, a father, and a way-too-sarcastic high school English teacher (I'm working on it, but it seems to be part of the Language Arts pedagogy).
When not writing or teaching or spending time with my wonderful wife and 2 yo daughter, I'm splashing through a pool in my Speedo (tmi?) or hiking with our dog Milo or reading.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
July 18, 2018
Description: The Devil comes to high school teacher Dieter Vogel in the form of a Twinkie and offers him a deal. In return for Mr. V helping overthrow the current school mascot, Gretel the Pretzel the Devil offers him vengeance all of his wildest dreams coming true. With a little guidance he incites an aggressive movement for change. Despite how gloomy that might sound it really is a feel-good story that is very comical, fast paced and entertaining. Sure it features a lot of angry protests but also the overcoming of diversity and loads of personal growth.
In Short: I loved this book and would recommend it to anyone, unless you are racist, then it might make you feel uncomfortable. Inner-city-school-strife is never a topic I would have sought out because it seems depressing but I am so glad I read this book because it is so much more than I thought it would be and it was incredibly entertaining. There was a healthy dose of action and comedy all along the way with plenty of rewards and feels at the end to tie it up nicely with a beautiful bow.
Pros: This book is very well written, edited, detailed, and well thought-out. The story had a wonderful pace and was full of exciting events. The teacher follows elaborate plans laid out by the devil to subtly manipulate the minds, feelings and actions of others. That aspect of the story alone is fascinating and kept me very entertained. I could draw parallels to the struggles of the characters with people in the real world and therefor found this book oddly healing in a way. It let the oppressed finally get a little payback which was satisfying. There are themes of revenge if you enjoy that sort of thing. There are also a lot of interesting classical literature references being spun into a modern symbols. The power of words is greatly demonstrated. The tension and drama of the story was real but it had a lightness to it that made it palatable. Each character is unique and really comes to life as the story unfolds. The characters are likable (or hateable) and relatable. The main character has awesome character development, or maybe I should say transformation. You can also tell the author has a lot of experience in this environment by the authentic feel of the book. This story is so relevant and so fantastical at the same time.
Cons: I have no notable issues with this book.
Parent’s Guide: High school stuff – innuendo, swearing, violence.
In Short: I loved this book and would recommend it to anyone, unless you are racist, then it might make you feel uncomfortable. Inner-city-school-strife is never a topic I would have sought out because it seems depressing but I am so glad I read this book because it is so much more than I thought it would be and it was incredibly entertaining. There was a healthy dose of action and comedy all along the way with plenty of rewards and feels at the end to tie it up nicely with a beautiful bow.
Pros: This book is very well written, edited, detailed, and well thought-out. The story had a wonderful pace and was full of exciting events. The teacher follows elaborate plans laid out by the devil to subtly manipulate the minds, feelings and actions of others. That aspect of the story alone is fascinating and kept me very entertained. I could draw parallels to the struggles of the characters with people in the real world and therefor found this book oddly healing in a way. It let the oppressed finally get a little payback which was satisfying. There are themes of revenge if you enjoy that sort of thing. There are also a lot of interesting classical literature references being spun into a modern symbols. The power of words is greatly demonstrated. The tension and drama of the story was real but it had a lightness to it that made it palatable. Each character is unique and really comes to life as the story unfolds. The characters are likable (or hateable) and relatable. The main character has awesome character development, or maybe I should say transformation. You can also tell the author has a lot of experience in this environment by the authentic feel of the book. This story is so relevant and so fantastical at the same time.
Cons: I have no notable issues with this book.
Parent’s Guide: High school stuff – innuendo, swearing, violence.
August 31, 2018
I honestly did not know what to expect when I requested to read and review this book. I think what sold me was when I read that the main character, Dieter, is visited by the Devil, in the form of a Twinkie.
Yes, this is definitely what sold it for me.
I did not at all think that this book would be at all humorous but it was – which made it even better. The relationship between Dieter and the Devil was so bizarre and brilliant that I couldn’t wait for their next interaction in the book.
We travel with Dieter throughout the story. A 25-year-old who lives with his mother that drives him to work every day, (which is the high school he attended) while creepily lusting over his high school crush (Esther) from afar (but everyone knows about it).
I liked Dieter, he is a very interesting character and I pitied him – a lot. He is bullied by other staff members, his students don’t listen or respect him and his mother, I’m pretty sure, is embarrassed by him.
Throughout the book, I saw Dieter develop into an entirely different character than the one that I was introduced too at the start.
The pacing of the story was steady. At times I wanted to speed things up as I was so eager to see what would happen next and where the story would go. There was nothing a time where I felt particularly bored – it was definitely a book that I could not put down.
The writing was superb. The author was able to slowly build and develop the drama within the school and it’s students – ultimately creating chaos. This is what had me on the edge of my seat the entire time. It really captured my attention and made me think about the racial issues presented today; how we must do better.
I think this is definitely a book that everyone should read. Not only is it funny and entertaining but it gives you an insight into how schools are fighting for racial equality.
Yes, this is definitely what sold it for me.
I did not at all think that this book would be at all humorous but it was – which made it even better. The relationship between Dieter and the Devil was so bizarre and brilliant that I couldn’t wait for their next interaction in the book.
We travel with Dieter throughout the story. A 25-year-old who lives with his mother that drives him to work every day, (which is the high school he attended) while creepily lusting over his high school crush (Esther) from afar (but everyone knows about it).
I liked Dieter, he is a very interesting character and I pitied him – a lot. He is bullied by other staff members, his students don’t listen or respect him and his mother, I’m pretty sure, is embarrassed by him.
Throughout the book, I saw Dieter develop into an entirely different character than the one that I was introduced too at the start.
The pacing of the story was steady. At times I wanted to speed things up as I was so eager to see what would happen next and where the story would go. There was nothing a time where I felt particularly bored – it was definitely a book that I could not put down.
The writing was superb. The author was able to slowly build and develop the drama within the school and it’s students – ultimately creating chaos. This is what had me on the edge of my seat the entire time. It really captured my attention and made me think about the racial issues presented today; how we must do better.
I think this is definitely a book that everyone should read. Not only is it funny and entertaining but it gives you an insight into how schools are fighting for racial equality.
May 29, 2018
Many thanks to BookGlow and Open Books for sending me a copy of this book.
When I first read the blurb of this book I honestly was not sure what to expect, but I am extremely glad I gave this book the benefit of the doubt and read on. This story of Dieter and Satan is wonderfully funny and chaotic. Here we have Dieter, who is widely known throughout the school to be the worst teacher to have ever graced it's halls. After a particularly bad day he is greeted by Satan (granted Satan first arrives as a talking Twinkie, but that's beside the point), looking for help to regain popularity. What Dieter will receive in exchange is the love of his co-worker Esther (whom he has loved from afar since childhood) and the top job at the school. Sounds simple enough.
We follow a year in the life of Dieter and his students and co-workers as he tries to execute his plan. The Devil occasionally pops in to help Dieter grow into a better teacher, and therefore modify his students from lay abouts to radicals. These students start fighting for more freedom within the school, which is run by the incapable Principal.
As Dieter is an English teacher his method of implementing the uprising comes from teaching various plays, novels and movies where power struggles are a central theme. We see references to Julius Caeser, Lord of The Flies and Fight Club, along with many others.
I found the storyline here to be very good, and it really held my interest. The humour was on point for the most part, the only trouble coming from me not understanding the American School System terminology (Freshman, Sophmore, Junior, Senior) despite years of watching American television (I'm still not sure I'd be able to tell which is which).
Overall I found this to be a very well written book and would not hesitate to recommend it. Pick it up now!
When I first read the blurb of this book I honestly was not sure what to expect, but I am extremely glad I gave this book the benefit of the doubt and read on. This story of Dieter and Satan is wonderfully funny and chaotic. Here we have Dieter, who is widely known throughout the school to be the worst teacher to have ever graced it's halls. After a particularly bad day he is greeted by Satan (granted Satan first arrives as a talking Twinkie, but that's beside the point), looking for help to regain popularity. What Dieter will receive in exchange is the love of his co-worker Esther (whom he has loved from afar since childhood) and the top job at the school. Sounds simple enough.
We follow a year in the life of Dieter and his students and co-workers as he tries to execute his plan. The Devil occasionally pops in to help Dieter grow into a better teacher, and therefore modify his students from lay abouts to radicals. These students start fighting for more freedom within the school, which is run by the incapable Principal.
As Dieter is an English teacher his method of implementing the uprising comes from teaching various plays, novels and movies where power struggles are a central theme. We see references to Julius Caeser, Lord of The Flies and Fight Club, along with many others.
I found the storyline here to be very good, and it really held my interest. The humour was on point for the most part, the only trouble coming from me not understanding the American School System terminology (Freshman, Sophmore, Junior, Senior) despite years of watching American television (I'm still not sure I'd be able to tell which is which).
Overall I found this to be a very well written book and would not hesitate to recommend it. Pick it up now!
July 11, 2026
As a teacher, I really enjoyed the students in this book and cheered for them as they worked together to fight against the injustices in their struggling urban school. No spoilers, but once I got through chapter 2, I wanted to know how the Satan possessed Twinkie’s agenda would play out with the help of reluctant “hero”, struggling, ineffective, English teacher, Dieter Vogel. Would the students get the justice they desired? Would clueless, tyrannical Principal-Mayor Sanders be un-throned (what teacher doesn’t cheer for this?)? Would Dieter get the girl, special ed teacher, Esther? Would justice be served to the bully Spanish teacher, Manley?
I would have given this 5 stars except for two things. I recently read Theo of Golden which has ruined 5 star ratings for all other books (there should be an exceptional 6-star rating for such incidences of pure genius literature) and the FIRST chapter! UGGHH! I picked this book up three times before I could get past the first chapter. WAY too many adjectives and adverbs -written like a high school senior’s creative writing project- I get it, less words, picture has been painted. With ALL the colors. But honestly, once you get through chapter 2, the story has started and the over abundance of extra words dissipated. Or, I got used to it. Hang in there, it is worth it in the end.
I don’t usually write reviews but know this one didn’t have many and hoped to give it the push it deserves. It was an enjoyable read!
I would have given this 5 stars except for two things. I recently read Theo of Golden which has ruined 5 star ratings for all other books (there should be an exceptional 6-star rating for such incidences of pure genius literature) and the FIRST chapter! UGGHH! I picked this book up three times before I could get past the first chapter. WAY too many adjectives and adverbs -written like a high school senior’s creative writing project- I get it, less words, picture has been painted. With ALL the colors. But honestly, once you get through chapter 2, the story has started and the over abundance of extra words dissipated. Or, I got used to it. Hang in there, it is worth it in the end.
I don’t usually write reviews but know this one didn’t have many and hoped to give it the push it deserves. It was an enjoyable read!
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews