Well, I'll admit, I've never read anything like this before! It's dark, creepy, outlandish yet so so funny at times and you can't help but love and grow grow very protective of the main character, Vesper (also, what a fab name!). After years of having been estranged from her family (which we find out was because of religious reasons), Vesper has been invited back to her hometown for a family wedding. I will not reveal anything else but the plot twist was brilliant and the way things unravel fro midpoint on made for a very entertaining read in my opinion. I felt that the relationship dynamic and portrayal was particularly well written and there are points the reader might relate to. But all the characters are very realistic and the pace is pretty intense! It's interesting how easily I could picture being a reality in some remote American town and how some really wacky elements of everyday life are presented as normal.
I'm glad I went into reading this book, not knowing anything about it, there were definitely moments where I felt that it was a lot to take in but I overall enjoyed it and look forward to reading more of Rachel Harrison's books 9this was my first one).
Thank you to NetGalley and Titan books for my review copy, all opinions are my own.

Rachel Harrison is fast becoming a favourite writer of mine. Her heroines are always layered and flawed, her writing so hopeful with a good dash of gore.

I loved Vesper from the moment she burnt an idiots face with nacho cheese up until she forced her abusers into a sinkhole.

Cackle still remains my favourite book by her but this was a close second.

Black Sheep is darkly comic at points, poignant at others and in some parts utterly bizarre but I mean that as a compliment! Ultimately we are along for the ride as twenty something Vesper’s life seems to spiral more out of control than it already had been. While for some parts this is a lot like a train-wreck (again a compliment) you just can’t look away and you keep reading hoping that things will work out, or at least not get any worse (semi spoiler – they can and they will).
I personally loved this one. It was dark, a little funny, visceral and had some brilliant little twists and homages. I never like spoilers but let me say that first reveal threw me for a loop and had me chuckling and questioning just what was going on! The writing is engaging and I, personally, ended up becoming invested in Vesper pretty quickly. I will say that the pace of this one is generally a little slower to mid. It does pick up towards the end but I think the pace suits the plot and how Vesper discovers more and more about herself and her family.
My favourite part was possibly the ending, not because it was over, but because we have followed Vesper’s journey. Black Sheep will not be for everyone but I certainly loved every minute.

Ii had high hopes for this novel from one of my favourite authors, but the twist was one I didn't see coming, and didn't like at all. After the twist, the story lost my interest.

Vesper left her strict religious community as soon as she could, she just didn't believe in the same way the others did and wanted out

Stuck in a thankless job, and life not going as well as she hoped, she is tempted back to her old life by a wedding invite... but who sent it... once you leave, you aren't normally invited back

Vesper will have to see if she can find her place back 'home' or if she will realise that leaving was the right decision after all....

This was a great read, completely hooked me and was difficult to put down. Thanks to NetGalley and Titan Books for the early review copy... out next week so not long to wait to read this one. Highly recommend

I absolutely loved this, the twist at the beginning hooked me in tight and didn't let me go until the very end.

I received this book from NetGalley and the publisher in return for an honest review. This review is based entirely on my own thoughts and feelings.

Overall rating : 4*
Writing skill : 4*
Plot: 5*
Pace: 4*
Characters: 5*

After I read cackle last year, I saw this on netgalley, read the synopsis and said to myself this author is definitely for me. And I wasn’t wrong. I love the magical realism of her books, the fun quirky characters and the plot that is unlike anyone else’s. If you want a light horror, filled with unique characters in a book that doesn’t take itself too seriously then this is for you. Loved it, and will continue to read her backlist, Sharp Teeth, I am coming for you.

I have very mixed feelings about this book. I think I liked it overall but I just wish it did more, you know? I think there were many interesting conversations to be had and they were explored a bit, but it was mostly surface level. I did LOVE the vibes of this book. If you liked The Chilling Adventures Of Sabrina, this might be for you!

I love this authors work so i was excited to get into this. It didn’t let me down. The atmosphere was creepy and added another layer to the unsettling plot. It also had a surprising comedy element too which I enjoyed. I’m excited to read more than them in the future.

A darkly twisted horror with sprinkles of comedy. Black Sheep is a stirring read, one to put on your wishlist.

What the hell did I just read! *pun intended*

I made a short video about it:
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/UreZdrgTUxk

1. I went into this book knowing nothing about it and that was my mistake.

2. The first reveal in this book was quite interesting and I could not put it down as I needed to know where this train-wreck was heading.

3. After the most obvious reveal halfway through the book, it just went downhill from there, at lightning speed, but I still could not look away as I was hoping things will take some interesting turn; they didn't.

4. All in all, a very predictable read, things do get insane as you keep reading but you'll see them coming.

5. This book is definitely not for everyone! It was not my cup of tea.

I am a big fan of this author, having read all her other books and really enjoyed them, I jumped at the chance to read an advance copy of this. And as per usual I really enjoyed it!
One thing about this authors books I like is the humour she puts into the plot and her characters. Whilst this one wasn't the funniest book of hers I still found it highly entertaining right from the start.
Rachel Harrison always rights such sparky, take no nonsense, funny characters and this was no different. I liked the main character Vesper right from the first page and she kept me invested and interested in the plot right to the very end.
I also enjoyed the writing style. It flowed so well from chapter to chapter I couldn't put it down.
As per usual with this authors books the plot concept is so unique. I hadn't read anything like this before, so that made me like it even more.
I highly recommend any of her books and I will definitely be reading whatever she writes next.

There's no such thing as a BAD Rachel Harrison book but this wasn't my favourite. Excellent writing, sharply observed, funny - your classic Rachel Harrison, but satanic cults just aren't my horror jam. If they're yours then run don't walk towards this one, you'll have a blast!

Can't wait for the next one though, if anyone can breath some life into the stale vampire story she can!

When Vesper turned eighteen she left the religious commune she lived in and never looked back mostly because she was told she could never return once she left. Then she receives an invitation to her cousin Rosies wedding, who's marrying Vespers first love Brody. Due to spite she decides to attend show Brody what he's missed since refusing to run away with her. When she returns home and finds out a terrifying secret she has to battle her families beliefs and truly fight to survive.

This was so good. It had me gripped from the first page and I didn't want to put it down. There were so many twists and turns and was so much fun to read. If you decide to pick this up make sure you keep a few hours free as you will fly through this. Highly recommend.

5 of 5 stars
https://lynns-books.com/2024/01/11/black-sheep-by-rachel-harrison/#comments
My Five Word TL:DR Review : The Ultimate in Dysfunctional Families

I loved Black Sheep. It was perfectly gripping, well written, shocking, horrifying and absolutely refreshingly unique.

As this story begins we make the acquaintance of Vesper. I liked her immediately, she’s working a shift waitressing and putting up with, frankly, a lot more hassle than she should have to. The result is she finds herself out of luck and out of a job. Returning home that evening she finds a fancy invitation, to return to the home that she left six (or maybe it was more like 7) years ago, to the wedding of her best friend to her boyfriend and former love of her life.

Vesper can’t quite decide at first whether to return or not. She’s spent the past six years looking after herself and proving to herself that she can do so. To go back to the fold, well, firstly it’s forbidden, if you leave you won’t be accepted back, and Vesper isn’t sure she wants to be back on the radar, so to speak. But, at the same time, well, a little part of her can’t believe that nobody tried to find her sooner and let’s be honest, she’s a teeny bit curious to see how her former boyfriend and best friend get along, are they really in love – I mean, you don’t take a killer dress to a wedding unless you want to see if you can cause ripples. All that being said, Vesper receives a surprisingly warm homecoming, well apart from her mother.

I’m not going to elaborate on the plot, for starters, there’s a very unexpected twist here that is revealed in the first quarter/third of the book and I don’t want to spoil that because it’s so good, also, there are a number of reviews already available that make a great job of laying out the foundations.

So, what I loved.

I love Rachel Harrison’s writing, the pacing here is perfect and on top of that and the amazing imagination at play I seriously don’t know how she makes it look so easy to write a novel that is surprisingly horror packed but at the same time brings humour and realistic dialogue full of banter. In fact these almost contradictions continue to the central character. Vesper is, well, mean on occasion, she can be quite brutally honest and she has shown a firm independence in stepping away from everyone and everything she knew and totally denying that way of life, and yet, at the same time she still seeks acceptance and love from those people.

I loved the plot. It’s so refreshing. The twist is brilliant and I certainly didn’t see it coming at all – which I adore. At the end of the day, of course I like it when I second guess something, it makes me feel like my brain is doing it’s best to jump to educated (or, ahem, not) conclusions, but, I hold my hands up that I actually prefer it when I’m proved wrong. I love a good surprise.

Now, the characters. Well, I mentioned I really liked Vesper. She’s a character with layers. She’s hard faced and vulnerable, a bit chaotic and really in need of love and acceptance. At the same time she’s strong, stubborn and independent. The characters surrounding her are also really easy to imagine. Her mother, a cold woman, beautiful and successful (previously a horror movie actress), she was absent for much of Vesper’s upbringing, and what an unusual upbringing, in a very small, close knit community, brought up in a house that is a shrine to horror. Vesper’s dad has also been absent for much of her life, disappearing mysteriously and although she would love to search him out her mother remains stoically close lipped about him.

The other thing that really stood out to me with this is just how good this could be if adapted to the big screen. It has a cinematic quality to it, I was envisaging the entire book in my head in vivid detail, from the characters, the almost Addam’s Family-style house to the action scenes.

So, to recap, horror, humour, twists and turns, a great MC, superbly written and totally compelling.

I received a copy through Netgalley, courtesy of the publisher, for which my thanks. The above is my own opinion.

𝐁𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐒𝐡𝐞𝐞𝐩 𝐛𝐲 𝐑𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐥 𝐇𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐨𝐧
𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐞: 𝐇𝐨𝐫𝐫𝐨𝐫
𝐘𝐞𝐚𝐫: 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟒 (𝐑𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞𝐬 𝐉𝐚𝐧𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝟐𝟑𝐫𝐝!)
𝐌𝐲 𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: 𝟒⭐️

What a great start to 2024 by reading Rachel’s newest release.

I was immediately hooked, Rachel has this ease with her writing that keeps you interested throughout, a perfect mix of horror, gore & humour. With a few sneaky twists here and there…I could read a lot more about Vesper, our FMC… she has a way about her that is totally badass!

I don’t want to say too much because I think this is a must read!!

100% recommend if you like:
-cults
-horror
-small town
-strong FMC

Thanks so much to @netgalley, @titanbooks & @rachelharrisonsghost for this ecopy.

This book releases in the UK on 23rd January!!

#bookstagram #bookstagrammer #bookstagramuk #newreleases #horror #horrorbooks #rachelharrison #bookworm #booklover #netgalley #netgalleyreads #booksbooksbooks #bookstaghouls #booksandkittens

Families are complicated, especially when they are part of a satanic cult and your dad may be the devil.
Such is the familiar premise behind Harrison's Black Sheep - a zippy but mostly horror-lite horror read about faith, family bonds and finding your true self.
This is my first novel of Harrison's and it's certainly well written and snappy, if a little whimsical in tone. Sadly, after a solid beginning it's also mostly forgettable affair, with a sluggish middle and rushed twist ending that is neither shocking nor unexpected.
There's certainly something to Harrison's writing and I'll likely seek out more of her work - this one just didn't quite land for me.

Wow, this book is now one of my favourites of all time!

The writing, the characters, just everything. The book is pure satire, dark in parts but also had me laughing so much.

What a great way to start the new year! To say I enjoyed this book would be an understatement. I loved it.

Irreverent, hilarious, unsettling, vivid, brutal - a horror classic. I don’t want to say too much as I could easily ruin the plot; a plot I did not see coming. Go in blind!

Essentially, our MC Vesper, returns to her staunchly religious family home after fleeing at age 18. She’s there for her cousin’s wedding but things soon escalate and Vesper is forced to face her family’s beliefs and secrets.

Vesper is one of my favourite characters in a long time - she’s so brilliantly written. She’s a wonderful blend of cynicism, humour and realism. She’s damaged but resilient. A miracle considering who her parents are!

Harrison’s writing is brilliant; so vivid and visceral in parts. Seamlessly blending humour and horror.

Huge thanks to NetGalley and Titan Books for the advance copy - all views are my own.

In this fiery and irreverent horror novel from the acclaimed author of "Cackle" and "Such Sharp Teeth," a cynical twenty-something named Vesper Wright is confronted with the dark secrets of her unconventional family. Vesper, who left home at eighteen, is well aware that her family isn't your typical one. Growing up in a staunchly religious community, she was warned that leaving meant no turning back. However, an unexpected envelope arrives on her doorstep, bearing an invitation to her beloved cousin Rosie's wedding at the family farm.

Despite the dubious circumstances and the toxic environment she escaped, something inside Vesper compels her to attend the wedding. Even the prospect of reuniting with her mother, Constance—a former horror film star and perpetual ice queen—doesn't deter her. As Vesper's return home unravels a terrifying secret, she is forced to confront her family's beliefs and grapple with her own crisis of faith. This deliciously sinister novel explores the intricate web of family ties that can bind us, even as we struggle to find our place in a world tainted by dark revelations.

This is a first for me by the author and one I enjoyed and I would read more of their work. The book cover is eye-catching and appealing and would spark my interest if in a bookshop. Thank you to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.