The Sacrifice Box by Martin Stewart is a chilling and atmospheric tale that masterfully blends horror, nostalgia, and coming-of-age themes into a story that is as eerie as it is emotionally resonant. Set in the 1980s, the novel follows a group of five teenagers who make a pact to place treasured items into a mysterious box, vowing to keep the box and its secrets undisturbed. However, when the pact is broken, dark and terrifying consequences begin to unfold, forcing the group to confront the sinister forces they have unleashed.

The novel excels at creating a haunting atmosphere, with Stewart’s evocative descriptions of the small, isolated town and its surrounding woods setting the perfect stage for the unfolding horrors. The eerie, almost timeless setting adds to the sense of dread, as the characters are drawn deeper into a nightmare that seems to have no escape. The author skillfully builds tension, using the slow, creeping realization that something is very wrong to keep readers on edge throughout the story.

The characters in The Sacrifice Box are well-drawn and relatable, each with their own distinct personalities and struggles. The novel delves into the complexities of friendship, particularly the way childhood bonds can be strained by the passage of time and the onset of adolescence. Stewart portrays the characters’ relationships with sensitivity and nuance, capturing the insecurities, fears, and loyalties that define their interactions. As the horror elements of the story intensify, these relationships are put to the test, revealing the true depth of their connections.

At its core, The Sacrifice Box is a story about the consequences of breaking promises and the inescapable nature of guilt. The supernatural elements are tightly interwoven with the characters’ emotional arcs, creating a narrative that is both terrifying and deeply human. The novel also touches on themes of loss, regret, and the longing for the past, all of which resonate strongly with the reader as the story unfolds.

Stewart’s writing is engaging and fluid, with a keen sense of timing that ensures the horror elements hit hard without overshadowing the character-driven aspects of the story. The pacing is well-balanced, with moments of quiet reflection punctuated by scenes of intense, often gruesome, horror. The author doesn’t shy away from the darker aspects of the genre, but these moments are always grounded in the characters’ emotional experiences, making them all the more impactful.

The plot is full of twists and turns, keeping readers guessing as to the true nature of the box and the malevolent forces it has unleashed. Stewart cleverly intertwines the characters' personal histories with the unfolding mystery, creating a sense of inevitability that heightens the tension. The final act of the novel is particularly gripping, as the stakes are raised and the characters are forced to confront their worst fears in a climax that is both thrilling and emotionally charged.

The Sacrifice Box is a standout in the horror genre, offering a story that is as rich in character development as it is in spine-tingling scares. Martin Stewart has crafted a novel that pays homage to classic horror while also exploring universal themes of friendship, guilt, and the passage of time. For readers who enjoy tales of supernatural terror with a strong emotional core, The Sacrifice Box is a must-read. It's a novel that will linger in your mind long after you’ve turned the last page, leaving you both haunted and moved by the experience.

Great story wrapped in 1980s nostalgia. The mystery plays out well and the dynamic between the friends keeps the reader engaged. Great read.

The reading copy of this is so poorly formatted that it is impossible to read, so I cannot give it a fair review.

This book was really creepy, filled with a lot of jump scares, and pretty graphic goings-on - so if you're not interested in blood, you may find this hard to read at times. It felt a quick read, even with jumping back and forth between two different times. The characters were an interesting bunch and two in particular added a sense of humour to a pretty scary book.

An interesting concept, even if not unique. I loved the setting of the book being in the 80s and the characters were intriguing. The story was a bit slow going and quite dark, but enjoyable nevertheless.

Not sure what my thoughts are on the book, it was enjoyable but odd at the same time, it was meant to be a horror but didnt really feel like one, there was nothing scary about it, maybe it was because it was a YA book but it didnt really make me feel anything.

I seem to be on a bit of a Horror kick at the moment! This was an incredibly easy read for me. From page one I was hooked and couldn’t get enough, in fact I read the majority of this book in one day!

I loved the whole concept of a sacrifice box and thought it had been well thought out. All the sacrifices and hauntings made sense and the final conclusion was the perfect ending. It was a shame that others were sacrificed but it all added to the drama.

Whilst this book was packed with plenty of scary and tense moments I did find myself laughing at times and that was down to Arkle. I loved his character so much! He had a way of lightening the mood and his whole attitude seemed to be what the book needed. I thought his friendship with Sep was one of the strongest and the points where Arkle stood up for his friends showed his kind nature. The only downside for me was the romance element. I’m not sure it was entirely necessary as the story packed enough action and drama but that is just my own opinion.

Overall this was an intense, fast paced read that had me on the edge of my seat throughout! I hadn’t expected to enjoy it as much as I did but I’m pleasantly surprised.

I LOVED this book! The stranger things vibes I got from this was exactly what I wanted! Thee cast of characters, the mystery, plot and writing were fantastic! I loved books set in small towns about a group of friends, and the sacrifice box mystery was so well done! i had such an amazing time reading this book. I highly recommend this to you if you're looking for a quick, action-packed read that will leave you breathless! i already bought a physical copy!

Just kinda...boring. The premise seemed good, but the execution just did nothing for me. Didn't connect with any of the characters. DNF'd about page 70.

The Sacrifice Box is about a group of teenagers that come across a mysterious box in the summer of 1982, and they each decide to leave a token in the box, to mark their friendship by. Fast forward a few years to 1986 and one of the rules of the Sacrifice box has been broken, which results in scary events taking place, and teh lives of the characters at risk. I really liked the characters and thought they were quite well rounded, I especially liked Lamb and how she broke typical girl stereotypes. I think the scares were really creepy and the story being set in the 1980s was a cool touch. One thing I did think was lacking as a better understanding of what the box was, it's origins and powers, which I think could have been explained more. I thought the book was a good read, but wish it had a bit more depth.

The premise of this book sounded so interesting and I couldn’t wait to read it! I really enjoyed reading this book and I think Martin Stewart is a great author.

Not a fan of this one. Not only did I find it very slow, I also found the thoughts of the characters and the dialogue very stilted and unnatural.

This was a very gory YA book. The descriptive writing style was almost poetic. The story was mostly set in the 1980s, which is a very popular decade recently! There was also a brief visit to the 1940s.

The main thing I didn't like about this book was that you never really find out what the box is, or what they’re supposed to get out of it, because it doesn’t seem to work for either set of kids in the 80s or 40s.

For such a descriptive book, it would have been improved with more information about the kids- what they looked like etc. It was hard to picture them and therefore empathise with them.

Mostly my thoughts after reading this were - Sooo many people and animals died- what did the adults make of it? It also annoyed me that the kids made so many stupid decisions the body count could have been a lot less if they’d just done what they planned and stopped messing around.

Unfortunately I couldn’t get into this book when I tried reading it but that doesn’t mean other people won’t enjoy it!

An atmospheric supernatural horror thriller aimed at YA readers but as an adult reader I loved it!
Zombies, evil dolls, a murder of crows and set in the 80's.
What's not to love?
A great atmospheric read regardless of age!

The Sacrifice Box is an atmospheric novel and makes for an entertaining read. This book got me intrigued from the very start and thus, I was engrossed from the first page up to the last. There are three timelines to the story which tells interesting stories. That being said, there’s too much happening and there’s not enough space for each story to develop. There are also a lot of characters to follow, which can be confusing. Also, it would have been nice to know more about the sacrifice box, it’s origin or history.

The book is creepy and contains some death of animals which can be disturbing to some. It also didn’t shy away from gory details making it more terrifying. The ending was a bit of a letdown and I was expecting a bit more than that. It was anti-climactic and the epilogue didn’t really give light to the aftermath. However, I did still enjoy the book as a whole.

Unfortunately I did not finish this one, I think I had a bad copy as it became unreadable near the end, and it slipped my mind to do anything about it. I was looking forward to this due to all of the hype and comparisons to Stranger Things but it didn't live up to it. It had a good sense of mystery and gloom, and the scene was set well but I would have liked to see a lot more character development. I think that is important for a story with a friendship theme at its core.

For me, this was an annoying case of all style, no substance. The first part of the book is brilliant at slowly building up the tension, hinting at the nature of the sacrifice box. Some of the ways in which the sacrifices were revisited on their owners were genius. Sadly, other than Sep, the other characters felt a little distant which lessened the impact somewhat. Also, when all hell finally all breaks loose, it honestly isn't as scary as the psychological horror earlier in the book. I really wanted to like this one and there were some fun elements in there, but I just couldn't do it.

The mystery in this book is insanely good - I really like the author and how everything worked out. It was a good book from start to finish, and I'm happy I read it.

Have to admit I’m not the target audience but I really enjoy it! I like the writing style and all the characters felt real.
I thought it was targeted for children but then i understood it was YA which is why I couldn’t give it 5 stars, the language felt a lot younger and innocent so I’m sure today’s teens wouldn’t really relate, having said that, the kid inside me really enjoyed it.
It made me think of R.L. Stein, with a goosebumps series, also I thought a lot of Stranger things and The Goonies. I’m sure young audiences would enjoy it better, I mean people from 12-15 would find it More entertaining.