The Sacrifice - Rin Chupeco
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ Pros: immersive tropical setting, a little queer romance, ghosts and entitled folks getting what they deserve
Cons: started a bit slow and the cover was not one I would typically gravitate towards
TW: Death, Panic attacks/disorders, Murder, Racism, Death of parent, Addiction, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Racial slurs
When someone asked me if I would enjoy reading a supernatural Easy Asian horror novel about an entitled American film crew showing up on an island in the Philippines to document the spooky goings on, the answer was a resounding yes!! It sounded like it had everything I wanted to kickstart spooky season and now that I've read it I can say that it was even better than I imagined.
I loved the setting and the way that Chupeco wrote made me feel even more immersed in this world. I could see the lush jungle, feel the ocean breeze and sense the unease and dread that was building across the island. It was awesome. Speaking of the dread, it crept in slowly. At one point, I had an actual chill move up my spine. That is always a good time for me, ugh, I love being unsettled and scared!
The only issue I had was that it started off a bit slow but it helped in getting me to let my guard down before the real issues began.
I really enjoyed this book and I would recommend it to almost anyone. I think it was just spooky enough without being unbearable or unenjoyable. It was just graphic enough without being obscene or grotesque. It is a great beginner horror book if you are new to the genre and want to feel dread and fear without being scarred emotionally. Of course, keep the triggers in mind.
,The Sacrifice releases on October 4th - just in time for the spookiest month of the year - and it comes highly recommended by me to start your month off right. Go grab a copy and let me know if you enjoyed it as much as I did, I am dying to discuss this book with someone!
Also, please enjoy my GoodReads review and follow me there if you'd like! This review is a great summary of all the things I plan to discuss at length below.