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.

Vesper left her home in a closed off, extremely religious community at 18. Six years of no contact later, she receives a wedding invitation. Unemployed, unhappy with her life, and deeply curious as to who has missed her enough to invite her back, she decides to go. But returning home is never easy.

This was a slow burn. Vesper is a fun character, but initially the cult stuff was very milquetoast. Until all of a sudden it wasn't. When things finally popped off, they went off. Holy hell!

I received this arc for free on netgalley.

maybe this isn’t a straight out 5 star read re: the strength of the believability of the plot BUT i absolutely had a blast reading it and i barely wanted to put it down until i’d finished it! so in that sense it’s getting a five star rating for entertaining me fully and for having a main character that i absolutely adore.

i thought vesper was the perfect main character with her own little flaws and Childhood Trauma™️ with her difficult relationship with her mother, constance, who i was super intrigued by. i won’t go into detail because it’s all plot relevant, but i loved them both and their messed up relationship.

black sheep was so so good and rachel harrison is quickly become an author i just have to read everything by now that ive read this and such sharp teeth. will definitely have to read her other books on my tbr!

thank you to titan books for the arc on netgalley!

It's a mix of black humour and serious horror, a book that kept me on the edge and I would not advise to read it late in the night.
Great world building and atmosphere, excellent storytelling.
I loved this story that kept me hooked even when i wanted to stop reading.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

I read an eARC of this book so thank you to the author, the publisher and Net Galley.

This book was wild! I read it in one sitting. It’s quite short and it’s utterly gripping.

Our main character Vesper is working at a not great restaurant having run away from her family and their quite extreme church six years earlier. After losing her job due to a freak accident involving a customer, she gets home to find a wedding invitation requesting she return for the marriage of her ex boyfriend and her cousin/former best friend. She returns to a town with mixed welcomes and one that’s particularly frosty from her mother, a horror film actress and icon. Her mother’s terrifying home is a shrine to her movies and is filled with unnerving props. And then things get weird…. (Not saying anymore because the reveals in this were so good!)

This was really quite creepy, the sense of malice was just totally pervasive. I was constantly worried for Vesper’s safety. Vesper isn’t presented as a particularly nice character but when you learn more about her church and the actions of some of her family you understand why she is so guarded and standoffish.

I’d recommend this for fans of Silver Nitrate, Mister Magic, My Best Friend’s Exorcism. It isn’t horrendously scary but it’s certainly tense and unnerving. Content warning for animal harm. I thought this was a great, fast-paced horror novel.

I really enjoyed this. It follows a girl called Vesper. Vesper has ran away
from her family who are in a satanic cult. Her mother is extremely hostile and distant, her father is absent. I'm new to horror and I was a bit disappointed that there wasn't much of a horror aspect to the story. However, it was a very fast paced angsty read. It was my first book by Rachel Harrison and I really enjoyed her writing style and found it an easy read. If you're new to horror like me then I this would definitely be a great book to start with.

Thank you to NetGalley and Titan books for a proof copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Honestly, I feel like I've read a different book than everybody else. I have seen a crazy amount of rave reviews for Black Sheep on social media, so when my fav publisher Titan picked it up I was thrilled!

However, I think I was hoping for a more serious horror. I love the trope of an escapee dragged back to their cult history and to start with I was reallly enjoying Black Sheep...

Until it got silly. Ridiculous even.

Harrison started to hint at a revelation and I thought - Oh please no, don't ruin it this way. The tone completely changed halfway through the novel and although still entertaining I was annoyed by the B movie vibes.

Go into this book expecting cheese. Or just watch Sabrina on Netflix.

Thank you to NetGalley and Titan Books for gifting me this fun, gritty and cult like classic!

This is my first Rachel Harrison read and it isn’t going to be the last. I had an absolute blast with this one. I must admit at first it did take me a moment to get in to. I was confused by how contemporary the book was, and for some reason was expecting something more eloquent in writing style. But once I realised how free, modern and quirky this book was going to be I quickly got into the groove of adoring it.

Vesper is a young woman down hard on her luck. No one at her job likes her - not that she gives them much reason to - her only friend uses her to be the main character in her own tale, and not to mention, she does not get on well with her mother, Scream Queen, Constance Wright. Estranged from her movie star mother and her tight knit community, Vesper feels even more lost when she loses her job, and receives a wedding invite from her old best friend who is getting married to her ex boyfriend.

Can this get any worse?

Well, yes it can, because when Vesper returns to her old life- everything is not as you’d expect it to be. There’s religious trauma like no other, and Vesper soon realises that there are more secrets that her family aren’t telling her and she needs to find out … but at what cost?

Black Sheep was fast, fun and overall reminiscent of 80s horror movies with its almost corny story line and always vaguely happy ending. I loved Vesper’s father and his attitude, and how her mother although a downright bitch at times, had ulterior motives and everything wasn’t as it seemed.

Definitely recommend this one to the contemporary horror lovers!

Me ha dado por leer terror en diciembre, así que me puse a mirar en la pila física y digital qué tenía de terror. Hacía tiempo que no me daba por el género, con lo que había poco donde elegir, pero encontré una novela de Rachel Harrison, una de las autoras que más me hacen disfrutar del terror.
Descubrí a Harrison con «Cackle» hace ya un par de años, y me encantó, y este mismo año leí también «Such Sharp Teeth», que me dejó un poco fríe. Su terror es muy actual, con mujeres siempre en el foco y tramas un tanto tópicas, pero con algunos elementos que a mí me han llegado a sorprender para bien.
Total, que me apetecía leer terror, me habían enviado una copia de prensa de lo nuevo de Rachel Harrison, que sale en enero, y allá que fui, a por «Black Sheep».
En el centro de «Black Sheep» tenemos a Vesper, la oveja negra de la familia, que a la tierna edad de 18 años se marchó de su hogar para no volver. No es que tuviera una mala infancia ni una familia disfuncional. Simplemente no creía en ese «Señor» al que le rezaba con tanto fervor su familia y el resto de la secta a la que pertenecían.
«Black Sheep» me ha sorprendido. Me ha hecho reír un poco, sufrir por la protagonista y alzar alguna que otra ceja con escepticismo hacia el final porque no sabía cómo acabaría la cosa, ya que yo lo veía todo muy chungo. Pero lo he disfrutado muchísimo y me ha dado ganas de seguir leyendo terror y de desempolvar la pila de novelas terroríficas.
No sé si Rachel Harrison sacará más novelas en 2024, pero yo estaré ahí en primera fila para leerlas.
¡Gracias a Titan Books por el ejemplar en digital!

Black sheep is a gripping cult based horror story filled with hope and a lot of humour too.

I really loved the character development throughout this story, our main character Vesper, has a hard time with her family (and I'm sure a lot of us will experience that in much cases) but not exactly how Vesper experiences family life, it is very dark and horrific and Rachel Harrison writes this in such a gripping way. You really feel bad for Vesper and her childhood and can see why she is very cynical.

I enjoyed reading this story, although I would say Cackle has been a favourite Harrison novel that I've read in recent times. Black Sheep is still a great read and cements Harrison as a horror author that I enjoy reading from.