I want to start by thanking the publishers for letting me read The Sacrifice Box in advance in return for an honest review. I’d also like to apologise that this will not be a spoiler-free review. I’ve rounded my rating up to 3 out of 5, but really it’s more like a 2.5 for me.

I went into The Sacrifice Box without a lot of info, but it was one of those stories I just had a feeling about. I instantly bumped it up to the top of my seemingly endless TBR. It was probably the list of comparisons I was given by NetGalley that instantly made me want to read this book. Sold to me as: “A new Stand By Me for fans of Stranger Things”, with “an epic 80s soundtrack” and likened to The Lost Boys, The Sacrifice Box had some serious potential to be everything that I love. Saying that, I was now of course going into this with higher expectations than I’d prefer when trying out a new author, but to me this one seemed like a safe bet. 

Nostalgia for a decade we didn’t live in is something I think most people can relate to. 80s nostalgia, in particular, seems more prevalent than ever right now, especially with season two of Stranger Things having been recently released. Having already binge-watched season two of Stranger Things twice already (and considering doing it all over again for a third time - I just freaking love Stranger Things, okay?) and both times not knowing what to do with my life after I’d finished, The Sacrifice Box couldn’t have came to me at a better time (much like the sacrifice box itself, and also like the sacrifice box, I didn’t exactly get what I’d bargained for). As I’ve mentioned already, I was going into this with higher expectations than I wanted to. I couldn’t help it. Sadly, my expectations were not met and I didn’t enjoy the book as much as I’d hoped I would. It’s not a bad book and I didn’t hate it, it just - to me, at least - wasn’t what I was told it was going to be. I didn’t get any Stranger Things vibes. Or The Lost Boys or Stand By Me vibes (two of my all time favourite films, so like I said - huge expectations. Quick disclaimer that I have not read The Body from Different Seasons by Stephen King, although it has been on my TBR for literal years at this point). If anything it reminded me a little of Gremlins and I kept accidentally picturing Barnaby as Stripe from the movie before reminding myself he was actually a teddy bear.

My favourite thing about The Sacrifice Box by far was Arkle. I don’t know what it is about him, but I really did love his character. Every time I found myself laughing, it was at something Arkle had said or done. For me, he was the most interesting character and I really wished we’d had more of a backstory on him, or had him as the main character instead of Sep, who I wasn’t exactly a fan of. Sep irritated me in ways I can’t quite explain. Something about him just bugged me. I didn’t really care about Hadly one way or the other and I would have liked more on Lamb. Mack annoyed me to start, but I softened on him as the book went on. I don’t think we really saw enough of the other main character’s backgrounds and instead got maybe too much of Sep. 

I instantly disliked Mario. I really couldn’t get on board with his character at all. I didn’t like the way he spoke about animals, despite being a vet. I’m sure vets like that exist, but in the course of my life, I’ve only really known our family vet and can’t imagine him talking that way about the death of a pet. I didn’t like the sheer volume of animal deaths in this 360 odd page book. I was honestly devastated by what happened to Roxborough’s dog (which, yes, okay, may be because I also have a Patterdale terrier so reading about horrible things happening to that specific breed of dog was a little too much for me) and I think a lot of animal lovers might find parts of this book a little difficult to get through. 

The main problem I had with The Sacrifice Box is that nothing ever seemed to be explained. I wanted to know the reason why the box picked Sep and, before him, Mrs Macguire. I wanted to know the history of the box. I wanted specifics and I don’t feel like I got them. Maybe if my questions had been answered, I’d have found the book scarier. I’m a pretty easy target for scaring. I ended up reading The Sacrifice Box late at night, while I was alone, in the dark. When I was done for the night, I had no problem sitting down the book and just going to sleep. I definitely expected the book to be scarier than it was. I’m not a huge horror fan (if only because of how easily scared I usually am), so maybe this just wasn’t my kind of thing. I found it really difficult to take this book seriously. Towards the end, I really just wanted it to be over with so I could read something else. I did finish it though, so that says something at least. If I’d really disliked it, I would have just stopped reading when I’d had enough. 

I think this is the type of book you’d really have to read and make your own mind up about. It wasn’t my cup of tea. It might be yours. If you’re able to go into this with lower expectations than I had, you’ll probably get more out of it than I did.

Having recently watched Stranger Things I cannot but compare the Netflix Series and the Sacrifice Box. Set in the 1970's a bunch of young friends spent the summertime together on a wooded island not far from New York City. It seems they were thrown together by pure chance, but who knows? Whilst playing in the the woods two of them find an odd box and convinced by Sep they all decide to offer sacrifices to the box. Years later, having gone their separate ways,  the box is found and awful things begin to happen that brings them back together in fear. I liked the storyline and appeal of the horror factor but I'm afraid it didn't live up to my expectations. I found myself skipping pages and getting quite frustrated with the narrative.

This book was a really nice surprise and so on the current trend of eighties revival stories.

If you like Stranger Things, Goonies, E.T or Stand By Me this book is really for you, starting in the beginning of the 80's around 1982 five kids spend their summer together at the end of the summer they find a box, which they sacrifice an item each to celebrate there friendship and how important it is to them!!

There are rules with a sacrifice box, do not go back to it at night, do not go by yourselves and Do Not remove your sacrifices!!!

Now in 1986, the five friends no longer speak to each other they don't even acknowledge each other, but things start to happen which means the kids need to speak to each other!!

There is also things going with a group of adults, did they use the sacrifice box as well???

This is a great story with a really interesting plot, well written, with a coming of age story and how life moves on. 

Well paced with a great mix of characters that will suit young and old readers.

"The Sacrifice Box" is set in the late 1970s with a group of friends on an island near New York City hanging out, little do they know this is their last period together before they drift apart. Sep, Arkle, Lamb, Hadley and Mack uncover a mysterious box in the woods. Driven by a waking dream experienced by Sep, they decide to make sacrifices to the box to seal their friendship. Straight away you think of Stephen King reference points... The novel then jumps a few years to 1982 and the teenagers do not even acknowledge each other at school any more and all have their own problems.  Of course around this point the box is tinkered with and the old gang hangout again, eventually.... But who opened the box and where will the mystery lead?

Although it had some intriguing ideas I found the continual reference points to the early 1980s tiring, chopper bikes, walkmans and so on. The teenage voices were believable enough, but something about the book just never got going and I don't think the publisher trying to reference it with Stranger Things will do it any favours and many will find it pretty dull.  I struggled to finish it.

One summer, 5 friends "sacrifice" things that mean something to them in a box they find in the woods with 3 rules they have to follow:

1. Don't return to the box after dark
2. Don't visit the box alone
3. Don't take back their sacrifices

Four years later and they have drifted apart and someone has opened the box!!

A cross between IT, Stand by Me and Stranger Things.........I really liked it and read in 2 sittings.

Highly recommended.  Many thanks to the publisher, Netgalley and the author for a ARC of this book.

Characters
I love all of the characters; each one was a unique and definable identity within the group. Something that must be hard to achieve when you have such a large ensemble.
Sep is my favourite; he is relatable and the primary focus of the story despite its third person narrative. His development and sacrifices are monumental to the plot and endears him to me just as a young Wil Wheaton once did in Stand By Me.

Arckle reminds me of Corey Feldmen in pretty much every filmic incarnation he’s had. I love the humour, and cursing, he brings to the group.
Okay, so I’m making reference to Stand By Me, but it’s so much more than that. The group represent the best of all teen ensemble movies; the Goonies, The ‘Burbs, IT and the modern day equivalent, Stranger Things. If it ain’t broke, why fix it, right? Except Stewart does fix it; we have a much more gender equal group and, not only that, they are characterised by their stereotypes. Both Hadley and Lamb are welcome editions that are not prom queens or cheerleaders.

Plot
A class horror plot, perfect for a night in when the air is crisp. With the supernatural element to set up the main part of the plot, you will feel a very creepy vibe from the very start.
The exploration of school friendships and how people drift is a refreshing change to many school based novels.
The action speeds to a crescendo in time for the final act of the book; well written and engaging. The whole book is resolved neatly and quite beautifully; the group going their separate ways while being closer than ever.

Writing
While the writing is engaging, I found the lack of establishing a location a little distracting. You see, in part it reads like a charming, sleepy, American town. However, there are also nods to British culture. It’s described as an island of the mainland, so I considered Scotland, Isle of Man and other coastal areas, but nothing really fit.
I even paused to google the named location in the book, but I wasn’t successful in confirming a location. It’s not something destructive to the plot and I once I reconciled myself with the idea that I was free to establish it as a perfect blend of UK and US I really quite enjoyed the location. (Turns out, all you really need to do is find the author on Twitter… that might give you a good indication it’s set on a island off the coast of Scotland. I’m so reading this book again come Halloween so I can read it as it was, i’m sure intended, with the characters having beautiful Scottish accents)
The use of third person was a strange novelty for me. I’ve been finding that most YA books lean towards first person narration. I don’t remember growing up there being so much first person, or a certainly a lack of third, but here I am having to get used to a form of writing that I was once comfortable with.
Obviously, this makes the writer a little omniscient; and that, I really like. It gave Stewart the freedom to travel in time and expand beyond Sep’s point of view.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and Martin Stewart for my ARC of The Sacrifice Box. 
First off let me give a trigger warning to potential readers that lots of animals die in this book which was quite upsetting (for me) and might be for you. 
It’s the late 70s and a group of friends on an island near New York City, are spending the summer together. Thrown together by chance, a broken arm, friends at camp etc. Sep, Arkle, Lamb, Hadley and Mack uncover a mysterious box in the woods. Driven by a waking dream experienced by Sep, they decide to make sacrifices to the box to seal their friendship. 

Fast forward to 1982 and the five friends are no longer friends. When school started again, Sep earned himself the nickname ‘septic’ getting bullied by those he once made a pact of friendship with. He’s also thinking of going to boarding school on the mainland. The others have their own lives and own worries. That is until the box is disturbed and terrible things begin to happen and the friends are thrown back together again. 

This book was first and foremost very weird. It jumped around quite a lot and I can’t say I’ve come away from it knowing what happened or making any sense of it. I guess what I’m trying to say is that I just didn’t get it. There seemed to be good storylines that pinged along and never came to anything and to be honest most of it was just really, really sad. I may have felt this way because I really don’t like reading about animals dying, especially if said animals, die because they’re trying to protect humans. So maybe that ruined it for me. But I don’t know, maybe I don’t get horror either as I’m not really a horror fan! 
This book also smacked of Stephen King’s Stand By Me a bit too much for my liking which made it feel a bit replicated. 
However, despite all that, I did read until the end so there must have been something keeping me going with it!