This was perfect. This is my favourite thing I’ve read this year and she’s definitely my new favourite author. Satanic, spooky, omen vibes that needs to be read by everyone. I’d read this again in a heartbeat.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for providing me with an ARC to review!

This is a tough one....I'm stuck between giving it a 4 - 4.25 but towards the end and the end knocked that baby down to a 3.25/3.5??? so I'll put a 3 star rating for now

I loved the start of this. I freaking did. I was INVESTED. I was intrigued!!! The story itself was a little predictable after the initial plot was laid out before me.

But let me tell you that dinner scene. LOL my jaw dropped. I was so ready to read about her being the black sheep of her family and not fitting into their ways. BUT FOR SOME REASON THAT NEVER CAME TO MIND LOL

so for that alone I gotta give this book some credit.

But the damn ending I just didn't like. It felt almost different the start of the book. But, I enjoyed this so much!

Black Sheep is a novel about a woman who returns to the weird religious community she grew up in, only to discover a secret that changes how she sees herself. Vesper left home at eighteen, leaving her horror film star mother and everyone else she knew, and escaping from the religious upbringing she realised she didn't believe in to work in depressing chain restaurants. An invitation to her cousin and former best friend Rosie's wedding, even though Vesper shouldn't be allowed back, leaves her returning home, but once there, she finds out something that blows apart everything she thought she knew.

I enjoyed Harrison's previous novel Such Sharp Teeth and its combination of everyday and supernatural elements, and Black Sheep does a similar thing, taking a somewhat lost female protagonist and bringing in some light horror elements (neither are particularly horror in plot, more supernatural, or at least up until the ending of Black Sheep). The writing is gripping and it's easy to speed through this book, with a few twists in the narrative (the earliest one I didn't even realise until it was revealed, so I'm avoiding mentioning this element even though I think other reviews will probably talk about it specifically, as I enjoyed the reveal). The narrative could've lingered more on the community and what Vesper's childhood was like, but I think the choice to make it really focus on Vesper as an adult and her perspective makes it a more fun book and more character focused.

Again, without spoilers, I will say that I think the religious community element is a very fun thing, but also (almost hilariously) misrepresents the real life versions of it to an extent it almost needs mentioning. I would've liked a bit more about the beliefs and how they work, as I think some of the religion/cult stuff felt a bit light and like you needed to know more about what they actually believed on various issues/topics. The twists in the book are the kind of twists I very much enjoy in a book, and it was almost funny that I didn't realise going into the book that it was about this area, but I didn't read anything about it beforehand.

I like Rachel Harrison's style of light horror that focuses on regular, often cynical protagonists dealing with supernatural situations, and Black Sheep is a fun read ideal for people who like character-first supernatural stories. The end goes a bit closer to darker horror and I really liked that, but also people who are less into horror could still enjoy this one as its not about the scares.

Okay, so this quickly jumped to one of my favourite novels of the year!

Of all of Rachel Harrison's work, this was definitely my favourite. Vesper was a fantastic protagonist. I really enjoyed watching her character and storyline unfold. I really liked the worldbuilding around Hell's Gate, and was not expecting that to be the dark family secret, by the way, but boy, did I enjoy the ride. There was an intriguing mix of old-world mythology and religious horror, mixed with a campy modern feeling, which I think only made the atmosphere better. Wholeheartedly enjoyed this and would recommend to others!

Thank you Netgalley and the publishers for allowing me to read this book ahead of it's release.

Having previously read Sharp Teeth by Harrison and not really enjoying it, I was a bit nervous to read this but I had seen some good reviews and thought why not to giving it another go. Ultimately, for me, I just don't think this genre is my jam. I do struggle to enjoy horror novels in general so this is probably not the review to listen to, but I just did not vibe with this book at all. The writing is good and descriptive and sets the tone perfectly and I really do think if you enjoy horror books then you will enjoy this one. I am well aware that I am in the minority here! I can't really pinpoint specifics as to why I did not like Black Sheep, I just could not get into it at all.

I don't know.. I wanted to love this one but I'm not sure it's horror. Maybe contemporary fiction with a Satanist theme. (Also a pretty lose interpretation here of what Satanists actually worship!)

This book cleverly takes the reader in some very unexpected directions and I was more than happy to tag along for the ride and see where we ended up.
Its hard not to give spoilers but is one I will be recommending.
Thank you to netgalley and Titan books for an advance copy of this book

I'm undecided whether to round down to a 4* or up to a 5*?
I really enjoyed this.
(Since this doesn't actually release in the UK until Jan 2024 I hadn't intended on reading it yet but I'm doing it for my opinion on the Good Read Choice Awards 2023 long list and went into the book as soon as the long list was announced not knowing anything except the author who I've enjoyed before)
So.....I'm going to presume that you've all read the synopsis and know what it's about....I love The Omen let's get that out of the way, an antichrist child is just the best to me and to let a character (who in my mind was Angelica Houston) birth that child was perfect.
I loved how fast my head snapped when the reveal of the "religious community" aspect and the fact that our MC was a runaway from this was brilliant.
I am probably biased in my gushing for the book since it's a topic I love but that can make me harsher on it but I'm not going to. It was perfect. I loved it.
So why was I contemplating rounding down? Well the MC, Vesper was a tad annoying and the sass was getting on my nerves a bit towards to end. I think my favourite character was Rose the best friend, she definitely summed up to me the obeying Cult members thinking everything was lovely and great and so innocent.
My favourite Rachel Harrison novel that to me is a mix of The Omen and Carrie.

I have tried all of Rachel's work before and this one has been my favourite so far! Ypu can really see how she has evolved as a writer over time. Black Sheep is brilliantly told and plotted. My only criticism is that it's a bit longer than it needs to be. I could really see the story being perfect for a screen adaptation!

(I received this book from the editor and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review)
Vesper’s family is not like the others and she is about to find out that sometimes it is better not to come back home.
I really liked the idea for Rachel Harrison’s latest novel, Black Sheep. Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way, am I right? And I really enjoyed the first couple of chapters and the wedding came, and the ambience was kind of weird, and then it was more corny than weird… and finally it just fell flat for me: Vesper’s character changed from intriguing to predictable,following every single step of the very same road I had imagined for her after from the very beginning. Some of the background characters I expected to be kind of important ended up not having any depth at all(I am looking at you, newlyweds),…
I am not going to deny that Harrison’s prose is good and some of the jokes were pretty funny, so I suppose the tone of the novel was just not for me. Again, too corny. I thought it would be more of an horror I-laugh-because-I-am-nervous kind of book, but there wasn’t any horror at all, just some supernatural elements.

Oh my goodness, she’s done it again, this is another winner from the hugely talented Rachel Harrison. In this one, she explores the meaning of family and the ties that bind, but not necessarily in a way you would expect, oh no, this is much more original and creative. This is Vesper Wright’s story, she is 24 and is currently working as a waitress, running the gauntlet of some customers to whom she has to be unerringly polite. She hides her true feelings with a laugh, but there is rage building there and after one disastrous incident, she’s fired. Still, I guess it gives her time to figure out who or what she wants to be. Most unexpectedly, she receives a wedding invitation and a plea to return home to Virgil, New Jersey. She escaped from there six years ago and although she’s not sure of her motives, she does decide to home. One thing is for certain she won’t get a warm welcome from her movie star mother, Constance. What she doesn’t anticipate is learning a terrifying secret about her family and herself, and what that signals for her future. So, Vesper is back in Virgil, the black sheep, or is she?

Well, all I can say is, if the BIG SECRET doesn’t pull you into the storytelling I don’t know what will! I lose count of the amount of times I gasp during this utterly glued to the pages read or utter the odd naughty. It’s fantastic in every possible way. It’s claustrophobic, it sends shivers down the spine, it’s weird, it’s occasionally yucky, there is oodles of tension, it’s dark, brutal but never, ever, dull. You have absolutely no idea what is going to happen next and I love that in my books! Of course, there is humour and it’s the snort with laughter kind!

The characterisation is excellent, especially of Vesper, who, while she is vulnerable, she is also one brave woman, although at the start it’s uncertain if she is broken or the reverse. As for her mother, Constance, cold doesn’t quite cover it, but her characterisation is so good. I’ll leave the joys of the rest of her family to future readers…

Despite the horror show that unfolds there are some vivid descriptions that are almost movie worthy, and that is the impression the author gives for much of the novel. It’s the blockbuster kind too. I love the way it builds revengefully as we go to hell and back, what a book! Rachel Harrison is one of the most inventive writers around right now, and I can’t wait to read what she comes up with next. Where do I sign??

PS Sweet Child O’ Mine, yep, sure puts a whole new spin on that. I don’t think I’ll ever hear that song again without bursting out laughing. Clever.

With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Titan Books for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.

Post to Goodreads and X on 1/1/24 and to Amazon and Waterstones on 23/1/24.

Vesper left her home when she turned eighteen. Her mother is a Horror film star and she is oblivion to her father. Some years later, a mysterious wedding invitation arrives at her doorstep of her beloved cousin. But when she go there to attend the wedding, she discover some dark family secrets and the truth unveils with dangers ahead. The story takes a dark turn and the ending was so unpredictable. The book is filled with twists and unexpected things.Dark truths unveils and then destiny takes an evil turn. Will she reckon with her family’s beliefs? Or she will find a way out of it?

There were warm moments and memories. Some characters were warm while some were cold and distant. The writing is gripping. The small town religious setting is interesting. The religious beliefs sets everyone apart. I felt the mother and daughter relationship could have been better. It’s a real page turner with unexpected twists.

Many Thanks to the Publisher, Netgalley, and Author.

This book was wild. It starts out slow with a woman talking about leaving her religious upbringing only to be invited back for the wedding of her best friend and her ex. While she’s there, she continues to investigate her mother the scream queen all while sneakily trying to find her father. Things become strange when no one seems to know how she got invited to the wedding. Beware, this is a slow burn.

Well I definitely inhaled that one. Not my first Harrisonbread but this felt different from the other books I've read.
For me this felt like a slow burn with day to day detail than I thought there would be. Vesper left home at 18 and has been invited back for her cousins wedding. There are many reasons why she left home and with her fleeting visit back it starts to piece together. Although the issues that Vesper has are slowly making sense, I completely felt her frustrations with her family, they were so mysterious and weird, and it would have been so much easier if they told her the truth.

As I said it was a slow burn for me but when the final scene took place it gave a really weird and creepy vibe. Another well-written book by Harrison. I love this author

My favourite Harrison novel by far, largely down to the wonderfully opinionated and snarky Vesper whi has to come to terms with being the Devil's spawn - literally! I loved how Harrison shows the community of Hell's Gate as perfectly ordinary...apart from their wildly rapturous adoration of Satan and willingness to ritually sacrifice Vesper to bring about the apocalypse. A suitably dark and engaging read for the run-up to Halloween. In my eyes, Harrison can do no wrong!

After reading another of this authors books and living it I was very excited to read this book. I really like the author she writes short, interesting horror with a good sense of humour and the pacing is always spot on
I enjoyed this story of family, secrets and religion. This was quite creepy without being scary and was easy to read in one sitting

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this arc