Great book, very tense and chilling. The descriptions and imagery are very well done and helped me to picture the story as it unfolded. The book is about a group of children who one summer find an old box buried in the woods so they decide to add sacrifices to the box and bury it again. Years later someone opens the box and mysterious things start to happen, the group find themselves in a dangerous race to figure out what's going on and stop it before something really bad happens.

This was a very exciting, action packed and suspenseful novel. I was riveted, but in places found myself horrified. Which is no criticism, except that this novel is marketed to young adult readers when as an adult reader I had found myself scared!

The Sacrifice Box seems inspired by it's predecessors IT (by Stephen King), and possibly by the TV series, Stranger Things. If you enjoy the horror genre, you will surely enjoy this!

A recommended read that delivers on its promise of Stranger Things meeting Stand by Me.

I'm afraid that I didn't take to this book at all and almost wish that I could have read a sneak preview to give myself an idea of whether I would have liked the book or not.
Maybe somehow I will dip back in and read it but I didn't take to the characters who had odd names nor the story line, which I thought should have kept me gripped more than I did.
I can't put it down to being in the Young Adult genre because there's a number of books in this area that I've read and enjoyed.
Maybe I didn't give it enough of a chance and I'll see if I can dip in at different times, in the hope of having a different and more positive review to write.

I couldn't put this book down - it's so atmospheric and seriously creepy. It even manages to make a teddy bear scary! The cast of characters are well drawn, all with interesting backstories and I loved the 80s setting - very Stranger Things. Stewart does a great job of drawing out the tension and increasing the drama and horror right up until the end. I'd have loved a little more mythology behind the box and the end felt a tad rushed after such a big build up, but overall I really enjoyed this one.

I didn't like this book. It was a mess and I had to keep rereading things to make sure I was reading them right. It seemed that things just happened out of the blue.

Let's start with the plot. It was alright. A cursed box and a promised made by teenagers, sounds fun, count me it. Well, it wasn't really developed all that well. Why? Because it felt that things were happening just for the sake of it. You have no idea how many things happened to the main character. Seriously, I have no idea how the author didn't stop to think that maybe he should just kill the character because there's no way he could still be standing. Also some of the deaths didn't make sense even if some of the characters justified them.

The characters were ok aswell. I couldn't connect with them as a group because it seemed like their friendship was suposed to be a knock-off of the friendship on "IT" by Stephen King. Also as individuals none of them were all that good. Only the main character was likeable.
It started slow and at around the middle of the book things started picking up. From there onwards everything was a mess, things just happened out of the blue just to have some action going. I didn't enjoy myself at all while reading this book. It's a shame because it had a good premise.

Oh well...

When five school friends end up spending the summer holidays together, Sep dreams of a box hidden deep within the local forest and has the strong urge for them to put in offerings/sacrifice to bond their friendship forever.  Sep, Mack, Hadley, Arckle, and Lamb all find childhood items to put into the box and recite the three simple rules:  1) Do not go to the box alone, 2) Do not go to the box after dark, 3) Do not take back your sacrifices.  After the school holidays they all return to their "normal" group of friends when back at school until four years later strange things start to happen in their town.  They soon realise that somebody has broken one of the rules.  They have to rekindle their friendship to find out who broke the rule, which rule was broken and then work together to make it right.

Unfortunately, the first half of this book is so haphazard and jumps all over the place that majority of the time it doesn't make sense.  There is no real connection between the characters and the storyline does not flow making it hard to follow.    The author does not explain how or why the box works like it does not why so much emphasis seems to have been put on the crows that are constantly referred to. If you can get to the second half of the book - the story is more like the book I was expecting and is a good read from this time..

I tried so hard with this book, I really did but I just couldn't get into it.  I don't even know why.  

Thank you though to Netgalley for providing me with a free copy for an honest review.

This book was like a slightly more chilling stand by me. It took me a few pages to get into it but when I did I wasn’t disappointed. It has a Netflix series written all over it.

It's very rare that I DNF a book...but I simply had to with this one for my own sanity and to keep me reading. I had such high hopes for The Sacrifice Box, and whilst it wasn't terrible, I just couldn't keep forcing myself to turn the page. I was actively counting the percentage, hoping for it to miraculously be going up a lot so I knew I was closer to finishing but no! I made it to 25%, just!

We start off by meeting five, for want of a better term, friends who all place an item in the "sacrifice box" and swear an oath to never open the box. That's about as far as my interest in the book went because after this point the characterisation got so confusing that I just couldn't keep up with it! One minute it's Sep, then it's September, then it's Hope. It. Made. No. Sense. I just couldn't warm to a single one of them! I think the only character who I like has to be Mario, who seems to just be in the book for comic effect as he comes out with some great words of "wisdom".

I had such high hopes for The Sacrifice Box - I adore IT and the idea of this book sounded very promising. I just don't think that the story was executed effectively and that it was so slow and muddled for the reader that it just wasn't engaging. This is a shame because it's been very highly anticipated by so many readers, and Martin Stewart's previous book Riverkeep has been very highly praised and, whilst I haven't read it, it's one that sounds brilliant. I don't want to slate Stewart's writing entirely - I don't think he's a bad writer as such (The Sacrifice Box hasn't put me off giving Riverkeep a go in the future) and I'm hoping that it was just a case of this book simply wasn't for me.

A group of young outsiders are drawn together for all the wrong reasons and pay the consequences. The fact that this is history repeating itself compounds the problems they face as well as adding complexity to the read. The story focuses on young September (Sep) and his need to escape from his island life. Although it is based in the UK, the reader has to constantly be reminded of this as it reads like a US coming of age tale. The writing is rich and complex and with a number of character names and nicknames introduced, it is sometimes hard to understand who is who. That said, characterisation is very strong and the reader gains affinity with the lead character and his little gang of not-friends.

There is a lot of tension throughout the book and the use of setting is well done as is the use of animals which provide an elemental feel to the writing. Not quite a horror book, there is still a lot of unpleasantness faced by the group and those around them. The flashbacks to earlier times where the same mistakes were made is an interesting mechanism that allows the current group to learn from the experiences of their elders, but more particularly provides them with an understanding that grownups also have a past and are not that different. It should be noted that where there is damage to property or harm and death to individuals there seems to be little consequence and that leaves gaps to the story.

There is a steady to fast pace to the story that, if the reader can get get into the tale, will keep you engrossed in the tale. It becomes clear as the story progresses that this is in part fantasy as well as a morality tale. Although this is not heavily forced on the reader, there is a clear message that underlies the writing.

The story draws to a close with the anticipated denouement. What is unusual is that the emphasis on friendship and the group becomes focused on the individual in the end and how to make sense of who they are and what they want in life. It is a little choppy at the end with gaps in time, but there is a neat wrapping up of the plot, even if it doesn't quite answer all the reader's questions

I am a big fan of Stephen King so was thrilled to be able to read this book. The book did switch to different people a lot so sometimes it took a while to figure out who was who but the story was good. A few creepy bits with the dolls, I hate dolls but it was great at adding to the eerie parts of the book. Reminded me of IT with the group of misfit friends.

This is the first book I have really struggled to read as I found it really disturbing - the images of toys and animals coming back to life were so graphic I really struggled to continue.  I did finish and thankfully there was a more positive ending that I had expected. It did highlight the importance of friendship, loyalty and trust - all positive which helped to outweigh the horror.

I will not be purchasing this for the library as I feel it is a too uncomfortable read for KS3 readers.

I knew from the blurb of this book that I was going to enjoy it. Even the title and cover piqued my interest. I’m a huge horror fan and I’m still waiting for more options when it comes to YA horror. This is an excellent addition to the genre, particularly because it’s reminiscent of some of my favourite adult horror titles. 

One of the best things about this book is the 80s feel. I only vaguely remember the 80s but I’ve always loved 80s movies, from the feelgood to the terrifying. This book captures the 80s in the subject matter, plot and touches from the time period, such as the music and clothing. It has all the best elements from books like IT and Salem’s Lot, in its wonderful characterisation and a gripping plot that takes you to some scary places. 

The characters in this book are fantastic. It was hard to keep them all in my head at first, but then I really appreciated the variety of different personalities. All of them had something to different to contribute and relate to, and I particularly enjoyed Arkle's humour, as it added much-needed lightness.

This was the first book I've read by Martin Stewart and I'll certainly read more in future.

DNF at 10% - I'm just not feeling it right now but I will come back to it when I'm in the mood.

What I read was good, but not for me right now. Review will be updated at a later date when I try again.

First things first: The Sacrifice Box is a horror. I did not think this from the blurb and so was somewhat surprised when the book took a really scary turn. Horror isn’t usually a genre I read, but this one I enjoyed very much. 
September (Sep), Arkle, Mack, Lamb and Hadley discover an ancient box in the forest one summer. They each agree to sacrifice something special to them, in an act that should secure their friendship forever as long as they follow the simple rules: never go to the box at night, never go to the box alone and never take back their sacrifice. 
The story picks up four years later when the group have drifted apart and are not on good terms. Strange and sinister things start to happen to them and they realise that one of them has broken the pact. No-one will own up to it. Can they fix it before the box consumes them all? 
The Sacrifice Box moves backwards and forwards in time, so alongside the story of Sep and his friends, we read the stories of those who have come to the sacrifice box before them, the sacrifices they made and the horrors they experience when they break the rules. This adds an extra level of tension for the reader. It kept me hooked to the end, and that almost never happens with a horror story for me. 
Each member of the group has their own story and is experiencing their own personal issues alongside the problem of the box, and these are all portrayed well and explored throughout the story. Arkle also adds a much-needed injection of laugh-out-loud humour to an otherwise very dark story. Both these things are necessary to break up the horror: without these, it would just be too much for me. I honestly think The Sacrifice Box is the scariest thing I have ever read.
It is also a wonderful tale of friendship. When the group find out what they have to do to stop the horror, it forces them to reevaluate their relationship to each other. Can they put aside their differences for the greater good? You’ll have to read it to find out.

Firstly, yes..there are lots of similarities between IT and The Sacrifice Box. They both follow a group of predominantly misfit kids/teens as they try to solve a horrifying mystery and it’s also set in the eighties. Stewart also takes seemingly innocent, and non-scary things and distorts them into something very unsettling.

Sep was a charming lead and I really began to care for him as the novel progressed. The other four in the main group were good characters, but unfortunately I don’t feel like they had enough of a focus, believing for once that this could have benefited from dual perspectives. There were some strong foundations for characterisation there, but it didn’t quite reach it’s full potential on that front.

Martin’s overall writing style is beautiful though. His descriptions are mesmerising and he has some of the funniest dialogue I’ve read in a YA novel for quite some time. The plot was a tad predictable and I could have done without the flashbacks, but it was a fun, spooky read. Nothing more, nothing less.

I’m a little disappointed that it didn’t live up to my personal expectations, but I know a lot of people who will enjoy this book more than I did and I can’t wait to recommend it to them!

*Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Random House for an eARC in exchange for an honest review*

"They spoke the words—the rules of the sacrifice. 'Never come to the box alone,' they said, hands unmoving. 'Never open it after dark,' they said, fingers joined together. 'Never take back your sacrifice,' they finished—then let go."

Eerie. Suspenseful. Atmospheric. The Sacrifice Box opens in the summer of 1982 with Sep, Arkle, Hadley, Lamb, and Mack leaving sacrifices for the box as a symbol of their friendship. But, the three rules of the sacrifice box must not be broken. Flash forward four years and these five have gone their separate ways. When strange things relating to the objects they sacrificed begin happening, there is only one explanation: someone broke the rules. 

"'Once you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how improbable'— 'must be the truth.'"

The setting of this book and the vivid, dark, and at times gruesome descriptions were what really captivated me throughout reading. Martin Stewart did a fantastic job of creating an uncertain environment where nightmares can come true, demons from our childhood can come back, and unimaginable horrors can escape from the forest. I was continually wondering what would happen next and what new terror would appear. 

The other aspect of this book that really stood out to me were the characters. Each had their own distinctive personalities, backstories, and burdens. I loved watching their own personal character developments, as well as the development of their relationships with one another. While I harbored a soft spot for each of these characters, Sep, our primary narrator, was my favorite. His intelligence, loneliness, bravery, and even his flaws had me rooting for him throughout the entire book. 

"Sep looked at them and wondered how it had come to this, how they had come to this place— balanced together on the edge of chaos."

The one thing I wasn't a fan of in this book was all the random perspectives. While some of them were needed, such as the previous five friends who had found the box, there were others that disrupted the flow of the story and broke the tension. For example, I didn't care about Daniels, and his one or two chapters didn't benefit or further the story in any evident way. 

"Childhood is a powerful thing—there aren't many things in life as fierce as the bond between children. Between friends, who love each other."

As a whole, this was a chilling mystery that left me on the edge of my seat as I read. This is a not a book for the faint of heart, as there are very graphic and gory scenes. But, if you don't mind some blood and are a fan of mysteries/thrillers, then you will want to pick up The Sacrifice Box!

"They were suddenly cut adrift, miles from anyone in the great ocean of the forest, all help beyond their wildest cries. And heading straight for the sacrifice box."

I really enjoyed this book. It had echoes of Stranger Things and those 80's films. It was a fun, horror filled read.

I managed to read about 20% of this book or so but the ARC formatting in part 2 just fell apart and I gave up, it was too hard to try and read.
But what I will say about the 'sample' I read was, it was incredible. Flitting forwards and backwards in time we follow a bunch of estranged high school kids, who once, many many years ago after bonding throughout the summer placed sentimental items in a box and buried it. Until one of the three rules; 1. they will never return to the box at night; 2. they'll never visit it alone; 3. they'll never take back their offerings, was broken.
I loved the Stranger Things feel to the younger children, riding around on their bikes, exploring the woods, swimming in the sea. As well as the process of them coming back together as awkward unsure teenagers. I am afraid that's where I left the story, from what I had read I would have loved the rest of the book. I am reluctant to pick it up elsewhere because I am unashamedly sulking over it.. maybe one day.