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Up Jumped The Devil
A collection of four novellas, UP JUMPED THE DEVIL is the final book compiled by J. F. Gonzalez before his death. Featuring "Secrets" "Do Unto Others", "Sins of the Father", and "Family", as well as an an Afterword and Story Notes written by the author, and an Introduction by Brian Keene, this is a must have for any fan of J. F. Gonzalez or horror fiction.
- GenresHorror
322 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 18, 2020
4 people are currently reading
102 people want to read
About the author
J.F. Gonzalez
80 books363 followersJesus F. Gonzalez was an American author, primarily of horror fiction (writing under the pseudonym J. F. Gonzalez). He has written many notable novels and has done collaborations with Bram Stoker Award winners Mike Oliveri and Brian Keene. His novel Survivor has been optioned for film.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
April 14, 2020
Have to give it 5 Stars because it was written by the legend, JF Gonzalez.
The only story I didn’t care for was “Family” (the last story). “Secrets” was awesome with well-drawn characters. The same can be said for “Do Unto Others”. The entire book was worth it for just those two stories. “Sins of the Father” was terrific except the ending and was much better than “Family”.
The only story I didn’t care for was “Family” (the last story). “Secrets” was awesome with well-drawn characters. The same can be said for “Do Unto Others”. The entire book was worth it for just those two stories. “Sins of the Father” was terrific except the ending and was much better than “Family”.
January 31, 2020
My interest in the work of J.F. Gonzalez began after reading CLICKERS, and only intensified once I finished CLICKERS FOREVER. As you can imagine, I was beyond excited when I saw the announcement for UP JUMPED THE DEVIL, and immediately ordered a copy upon release. I began reading this on the day it showed up, eager for immersion into more of the author’s words. Once again, I was not disappointed.
This is a collection of four novellas, completed by J.F. Gonzalez prior to his death. These stories were previously released in limited edition format, and this is the first time they’ve been published together in one book. After reading these tales, I’d love to get my hands on each in the original format, but that’s probably wishful thinking on my part. Nevertheless, I’ll be on the lookout.
CLICKERS and CLICKERS FOREVER took me away from the grind of daily life, and I consider both to be “books I want to hug”. While I didn’t feel the exact same about this current collection, I still very much enjoyed it, and continue to understand why the author has such a following. All four novellas were entertaining, and contained some of my favorite storytelling aspects.
J.F. Gonzalez wrote relatable, realistic characters. It doesn’t take long for one to empathize with the protagonists in these stories. He also developed unique plots, and did a great job of pulling the reader in from the very beginning. I found it difficult to stop reading once I started, and couldn’t put the book down if I was in the middle of a novella—I had to finish the whole story first. I enjoyed that all of these stories share a theme of the occult/demons, as this is one of my favorite subgenres in horror. Because of this, I was intrigued, and found myself flipping pages quickly, eager for what was next.
At the risk of sounding like a broken record, I’ll mention this again: I LOVE author notes. Backstory and insight from the author add an intimate element to the reading experience for me, enhancing my connection and understanding of the story. The author notes in this collection provide a closer look into each story’s development, as well as some background information on specific story elements (such as the research Gonzalez did regarding the occult). These notes are even more special to have, considering that the author is no longer with us.
My favorite story in this collection is SINS OF THE FATHER. That one really got under my skin and left an impression, but I enjoyed them all. If I had to pick a second favorite, it would be SECRETS.
I feel it’s worth mentioning that there were several errors present in this book. They were spread throughout, and for me personally, this detracts from the writing when I find them in a final copy. I would’ve added an additional half-star to the rating had it not been for this issue.
Overall, I’d recommend UP JUMPED THE DEVIL to other horror fans. If you’re already a J.F. Gonzalez fan, you need this collection on your shelf. For readers who are new to his writing, and interested in short fiction first, this might be a good place to start. Reading more of this author’s work leaves me with a desire to collect everything he has written. I have plans to seek out all that was previously published, and I’ll certainly be watching for more posthumous releases. His friends and fellow writers are doing a solid job of keeping his memory alive, and I’m so happy to have discovered his work.
This is a collection of four novellas, completed by J.F. Gonzalez prior to his death. These stories were previously released in limited edition format, and this is the first time they’ve been published together in one book. After reading these tales, I’d love to get my hands on each in the original format, but that’s probably wishful thinking on my part. Nevertheless, I’ll be on the lookout.
CLICKERS and CLICKERS FOREVER took me away from the grind of daily life, and I consider both to be “books I want to hug”. While I didn’t feel the exact same about this current collection, I still very much enjoyed it, and continue to understand why the author has such a following. All four novellas were entertaining, and contained some of my favorite storytelling aspects.
J.F. Gonzalez wrote relatable, realistic characters. It doesn’t take long for one to empathize with the protagonists in these stories. He also developed unique plots, and did a great job of pulling the reader in from the very beginning. I found it difficult to stop reading once I started, and couldn’t put the book down if I was in the middle of a novella—I had to finish the whole story first. I enjoyed that all of these stories share a theme of the occult/demons, as this is one of my favorite subgenres in horror. Because of this, I was intrigued, and found myself flipping pages quickly, eager for what was next.
At the risk of sounding like a broken record, I’ll mention this again: I LOVE author notes. Backstory and insight from the author add an intimate element to the reading experience for me, enhancing my connection and understanding of the story. The author notes in this collection provide a closer look into each story’s development, as well as some background information on specific story elements (such as the research Gonzalez did regarding the occult). These notes are even more special to have, considering that the author is no longer with us.
My favorite story in this collection is SINS OF THE FATHER. That one really got under my skin and left an impression, but I enjoyed them all. If I had to pick a second favorite, it would be SECRETS.
I feel it’s worth mentioning that there were several errors present in this book. They were spread throughout, and for me personally, this detracts from the writing when I find them in a final copy. I would’ve added an additional half-star to the rating had it not been for this issue.
Overall, I’d recommend UP JUMPED THE DEVIL to other horror fans. If you’re already a J.F. Gonzalez fan, you need this collection on your shelf. For readers who are new to his writing, and interested in short fiction first, this might be a good place to start. Reading more of this author’s work leaves me with a desire to collect everything he has written. I have plans to seek out all that was previously published, and I’ll certainly be watching for more posthumous releases. His friends and fellow writers are doing a solid job of keeping his memory alive, and I’m so happy to have discovered his work.
April 7, 2020
Great collection of Novellas. All with similar themes. I've been searching for a copy of secrets, but was out of my price range. This was a great deal for 4 out of print stories. Secrets was by far my favorite.
June 7, 2020
Can't get enough of JF Gonzalez
One of the better collection of horror novellas that I've read. The first two stories in this collection are fun and fast reads, I'm surprised as far as I know none of Gonzalez's work has been adapted to film yet.
One of the better collection of horror novellas that I've read. The first two stories in this collection are fun and fast reads, I'm surprised as far as I know none of Gonzalez's work has been adapted to film yet.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews