Demon: A Memoir [Paperback]

Tosca Lee (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 18, 2007

Clayton has just been hired to author a memoir for Lucian, a demon with an extraordinary story to share. The fallen angel chronicles a life of heavenly bliss and rebellion, human creation and salvation, and God's relentless pursuit of mankind.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"...a powerful and fascinating story... I recommend it for anyone interested in a good story with a twist." -- Contend4theFaith.com

"A riveting look at one demon's reflection on his fall from grace, and the shuddering implications for each of us. This story is about YOU; it will change the way you look at life--for the better." -- --Austin Boyd, author of The Evidence, The Proof and The Return

"An intellectual and spiritual thriller that begs to be read." -- --Crosswayz

"Portions of this book may disturb you--but the insights you'll gain into God, Satan, and angels fallen and elect--will stretch and grow you. I predict you'll find Tosca's book hard to put down." -- --Don Hawkins, President, Southeastern Bible College Author of [e-mail] and co-host of Back to the Bible

"Wise, imaginative, funny, and poetic, this is a book that lingers in memory after you've turned the last page. Beautiful and brilliant, it's bound to be a bestseller." -- Sophy Burnham, New York Times Best-Selling Author of A Book of Angels, The Path of Prayer, and The Ecstatic Journey

"A must have that'll haunt the reader long after the last page" -- Press & Sun-Bulletin, Greater Binghampton, NY

"Tosca Lee paints a vivid and incredible picture of the fall of Lucifer and his legion. This book simultaneously chills and awes." -- Eternity Happens

"Tosca Lee provides a powerful discerning tale that will have fans pondering their own deals with the demons." -- Midwest Book Review

"Tosca Lee shines in this debut novel that is unlike anything I have ever read. Not only is this a highly entertaining read, but extremely challenging and thought provoking." -- ArmchairInterviews.com

From the Back Cover

Recently divorced and mired in a meaningless existence, Clay drifts from his drab apartment to his equally lusterless job as an editor for a small Boston press—until the night Lucian finds him and everything changes with the simple words, “I’m going to tell you my story, and you’re going to write it down and publish it.”

What begins as a mystery soon spirals into chaotic obsession as Clay struggles to piece together Lucian’s dark tale of love, ambition, and grace—only to discover that the demon’s story has become his own.

And then only one thing matters: learning how the story ends.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: NavPress (May 18, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1600061230
• ISBN-13: 978-1600061233
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.5 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (121 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #154,035 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

"Superior storytelling."
--Publishers Weekly

"A breathtaking new force in the world of story."
--Ted Dekker, New York Times best-selling author of the Circle Trilogy

"An extraordinary wordsmith."
--Robert Liparulo, author of DEADFALL

"Her imagery filled me with awe."
--Novel Reviews

Tosca Lee is the NY Times bestselling author of the critically acclaimed DEMON: A MEMOIR, HAVAH: THE STORY OF EVE, and the Books of Mortals series with NY Times bestseller Ted Dekker: FORBIDDEN, MORTAL (June 2012) and SOVEREIGN (October 2012).

Tosca received her B.A. in English and International Relations from Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts. She also studied at Oxford University. In her spare time, Tosca enjoys adventure travel and makes her home in the midwest.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

35 of 37 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A new perspective, June 23, 2007

By 

Barbara Warren - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Demon: A Memoir (Paperback)

this book surprised me. I don't know what I expected, but definitely not something this well written and thought provoking.

Clayton's wife left him for another man and he hasn't recovered from the feelings of rejection. He's a fiction editor for a publishing company, looking for that one special book that will boost his career. He likes his job, but his personal life is a mess.

One night he walks into his favorite restaurant and finds a dark haired stranger waiting for him. The man introduces himself as Lucian, a demon, one of the fallen angels who fell from heaven with Lucifer. Lucien wants Clay to write his story, and a strange story it is, of creation, crucifixion, and resurrection, told from a demon's point of view. This book fascinated me. It gave me a new perspective on stories I thought I knew by heart. It's a provocatiave book, powerful, even disturbing at times. One the reader will remember long after he finish reading it.

27 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fresh, Yet Older Than Time, August 26, 2007

By 

Eric Wilson "novelist" (Nashville, TN United States) - See all my reviews
(TOP 100 REVIEWER)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Demon: A Memoir (Paperback)

Okay, let's just deal with the obvious comparisons. Yes, "Demon" has some similarities to "The Screwtape Letters" and "Interview With a Vampire." The most glaring one is this: great storytelling! The others--the interaction, the insights into the motives of an evil creature, the glimpses of history--are given their own spin by Tosca Lee.

The story follows Clay, an editor in Boston, who finds himself face to face with a fallen angel who disguises itself as different human characters. Lucian, wants to give to Clay an exclusive story, a memoir. He warns Clay: "the story is really about you." As the editor deals with this aberration and begins to accept it as reality, he gets caught up in the narrative, drained yet drawn by the unraveling of history as seen through the creature's eyes.

Tosca Lee uses wonderful sensory details and similes to add texture to this story, drawing us into a world that is beyond our own eyes, yet right before us. Even readers who don't believe in the biblical elements of this tale will have a difficult time not being coaxed into this struggle of intellects. This is not an action novel, yet it moves along nicely. While strong in its theological angles, "Demon" never pounds the reader over the head with doctrine. It does, however, give some razor-sharp commentary on religion, church, and the American pursuit of happiness. Lee pulls it all together in the end with subtle yet powerful ideas, which a few reviewers seem to have missed inexplicably--"Were you paying attention at all?" Lucian might ask.

There will be comparisons. They are inevitable. But Tosca Lee avoids many of the pitfalls that present themselves with such a book, instead offering a tale that feels fresh, yet older than time. Years from now, we may find other books being compared to this one.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Truly Haunting, October 31, 2007

By 

Kelly Klepfer (Iowa) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Demon: A Memoir (Paperback)

A couple of months ago I read the first chapter of Demon. It intrigued me and I put the book on my must read list. Then I had the opportunity to join a blog tour. The book arrived in the mail and I had to squeeze it into an already stretched reading schedule.

Upon opening it, I was pulled in and not let go until the last page, and now, I still mull over the details of this story.

There are so many wows that I can't even begin to go into them, but I'll try.

First, this story is fascinating. We all have spiritual awareness and curiosity. Look at what we read and watch. Even if we don't or won't admit that there is more to this life than birth, taxes and death, we know, deep within while wrestling with haunted thoughts at two a.m. that life is bigger than us. The premise of Demon is an angel who slipped up during worship, took his eyes off God and is forever damned. Only to witness the creation of pathetic creatures of clay who are given mercy and forgiveness and dare they accept God fully, a seed of God Himself, and his struggle with these mud creature and the God who created them.

Secondly, Tosca Lee is a talented writer. I'm amazed that Demon is a debut novel. Her descriptions, dialogue, characterization and level of tension are top notch. I will reread Demon when I have time to read at a pace where I can slow down and savor the rich sensory details.

Thirdly, Demon is haunting. I will ponder the spiritual implications of this story for a long time. If there is even a hint of truth within this story, a chance that some of what is shared about the clay beings importance to God, then maybe I need to live my life differently. Maybe I should be a person whose prayers and walk of faith make the demons uneasy.

Demon does not carry horrific or gory images, but it's unsettling. Easily ruffled feathers might want to use caution. Otherwise, I can't imagine someone who shouldn't read this fascinating account of God's story through the eyes of one of His enemies.