A book this heavy is hard for me to pick apart. It was a captivating and unusual story. There’s so much pain and anger and injustice.. and it’s not far off from believability, which is a troubling thought.

But there’s elements I wasn’t expecting, and yet somehow work, despite being otherwise grounded in reality.

Wow. I read a lot, and very rarely does a book catch me completely off guard with just how detailed each and ever chapter is and how interconnected it all becomes as the story unravels. This story managed to do exactly that to me. I’m not super generous with 5 star reviews, but this author earned each of these 5 stars!!!

Things I loved: the focus on the lives of the missing girls. So often in horror, thrillers, and true crime we lose the stories of the victims while hunting the killer, and I love that the author actually interwove each lost girl’s story into the bigger picture in a way that was meaningful.

The suspense and dread. I figured out the twist (I’m not sure if that’s what to call it really?) a few chapters before but knowing things the character didn’t actually made the dread build up in a very satisfying way.

Complex characters. Nobody in this story was altogether likeable or without bias, judgement of others, their own issues, etc. Each character felt very real.

The honesty, and how the bigger story reflected the very real word that BIPOC face every day. Like yes, the story is about a monster that feeds on a specific type of person. . . But isn’t it really just an analogy for how society tries to suck the magic out of Black girls and women and claim it for their own?

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of this. It is not to be missed!

Jackal is full of horror. From serial killers to an actual supernatural monster, you'll find your fair share of gore. But the actual horrors of this book are weaved into the narrative as the author handles racism and classism with such a deft hand you'll find yourself feeling more than just the creeps. This book has heart, and a lot of it, and unless you're completely living under a rock you'll see pieces of America in general within this story when it comes to these issues.

Liz is the main protagonist but, in my opinion, it's her mother that stands out the most and is given the development the character needed. I love horror done from a different perspective that only certain people could write so well. This is definitely one of them. Amazing, heart felt, and loaded with scares and surprises throughout. I highly recommend it!

I want to thank #Netgalley for letting me read an eArc in exchange for an honest review of #Jackal

I wasn’t sure exactly how I would feel about this one. A lot of that has to do with the racial aspect however this book was fantastic. The killer or killers I guess you could say caught me out of the blue. It wasn’t who I was expecting. I’m not sure exactly what the Jackal was meant to be or exactly what it represented but it was a very intriguing read. I highly suggest!

This book was smart - at times it felt a bit too smart for me, because I don't like to think too hard when I'm reading lol! But the themes of race, bravery, class disparity, and family is exquisitely done. I loved the main character's story arc and while I don't usually like monster horror, this was done very well.

I've read a lot of books lately where monstrous people or things are stalking through small towns. I live in a small town, and I may, um, have to stop writing this review to go pack my bags.

My first thought while reading was that Jackal was a thriller, what with missing girls, a so-so police department, and an out-of-towner acting as an amateur detective. It turns out it's a real horror story with a real monster which has monstrous ambitions.

Murder. Mystery. Monster. Why are the police missing all the clues? Or do they ignore the clues because they want to?

Occasionally I was confused but not so confused that I didn't enjoy this breakneck novel by Erin E. Adams. Thanks to her, Netgalley, and Bantam for allowing me to read and review an eARC of Jackal.

Black girls are going missing every year around the summer solstice. Why? Is this evil being perpetuated by a racist? a demon? The way the author meshes reality, horror, and the hint that something supernatural is going on makes you keep guessing and wondering who is actually sane and what is really going on (but really, what's with those crayons??). This book pulled me in on page 1 and kept me interested throughout. Can't wait for this author's next book.

Liz has returned to her childhood home in Johnstown, PA for the wedding of her best friend, Mel. Returning home triggers haunted memories for Liz who remembers everyday the night another friend was kidnapped and murdered in the woods that surround the town. Liz bears a scar which she knows she got the night she hid in the woods but is unclear about who or what bit her that night. As Liz uncovers more of the mystery surrounding the old warning about staying out of the woods, she meets the mothers of other young Black girls who have gone missing always near the summer solstice and always in the woods. Their deaths are written off by the local police as "runaways" or "Accidental" when Liz figures out that there is a huge cover up in the police department about these cases. Eliciting help from a police department insider, Liz starts to form an idea of who the suspect(s) in these cases may be, but she must solve the disappearance of her godchild (Mel's daughter) first. Interspersed between Liz's own story are the stories of the other Black girls who have gone missing, giving the reader a sense of who these other victims were and who they could have become. Was the creation of a "spirit creature" necessary to the plot? This could have been a tight, tension filled amateur detective story with an emphasis on how the girls were chosen and the underlying tensions of the community which held their silence rather than expose the racially motivated killings. The inclusion of a spirit dog (Jackal) from Egyptian mythology upon which all the blame can be cast seems like a too convenient way to wrap up this hate-filled hunting and murdering spree. The murdered girls and the character of Liz deserved a better ending.

I loved this book. I actually ordered a physical copy to own, I loved the cover and can't wait to put it on my floating shelf. This book was so well written. I was instantly hooked and will be looking forward to read more books by this author.

“Being a black girl is inhabiting a cruel riddle: Your beauty is denied but replicated. Your sexuality is controlled but desired. You take up too much space, but if you are too small, you are ripped apart. Despite the wash of it, there’s one thing you can always count on whiteness to do: destroy a threat”

Jackal by Erin Adams is a creative and hard to put down horror/thriller about a small Appalachian town where black girls are going missing in the woods.

If you are a fan of social horror, this is a must read. It is not a secret that black women go missing in this country all the time without anyone caring what happens to them. This book built upon our horrifying reality in a way I haven’t quite seen it done before.

The first half was a bit slow, but once it got to 40/50% I couldn’t put it down. The short chapters definitely helped with this!!

The main character was smart and complex and flawed and I loved her.

The writing was excellent and I’m so impressed that this was a debut novel! I loved the combination of both metaphorical and literal storytelling all wrapped up into one.

There were a few aspects (definitely not the overall ending) that I did find a bit predictable.

Almost every time I read a book with a cool ending I want MORE and this was no different. There was so much buildup and tension, and once we got to the end it wrapped up pretty quickly.

This book was everything I love about black horror and I can’t wait to see what else Adams comes up with in the future.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!!

Jackal by Erin Adams is an engrossing nd interesting read with fully detailed characters and plot. Well worth the read!

This book was so suspenseful! It is an "edge of your seat" thriller with a very unique plot.

Mini Synopsis: Every summer in a small, charming town, a black girl goes missing in the woods. Sometimes mutilated bodies are discovered, but sometimes no body is found. Law enforcement claims the girls have fallen or been attacked by animals, and people seem to agree.... until they don't. When Olivia's god daughter goes missing, she starts a search of her own and uncovers some brutal truths in the meantime. This is a book about power and racism and facing your fears .

Loved it!

I would characterize Jackal as a horror novel, which is normally not my cup of tea at all. But the author did an amazing job of combining horror/suspense with thought-provoking questions about racism and class differences. Liz, the main character, returns from NYC to the small town she grew up in for a friend's wedding. When the friend's young daughter disappears, parallels are drawn to the unexplained disappearances of other young black women from the town over the years. While clues are dropped along the way, the ending really took me by surprise.

This book really stuck with me, The author did a great job of drawing vivid characters, especially Liz and her mom.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC!

Liz Rocher leaves the city to return home where she grew up for a wedding. Johnston, Pennsylvania, is a predominantly white town, so as a Black woman, it never felt as welcoming as it could. She braces herself for underhanded comments, dons the peach bridesmaid’s dress, and attends the wedding, which is surrounded by woods. Her best friend from high school, Mel, has a nine-year-old daughter with Garrett, who is black. Garrett and Mel are getting married that night, and their half-black daughter goes missing. It’s not the first time a Black girl has disappeared. The cops always made it sound like an accident or that the girl was promiscuous and ran away. But the more Liz learns, the more she realizes that this happens every spring equinox and there seems to be something ritualistic about the removal of the hearts (once the body was found).

I really enjoyed the first part of this novel. The writing is good, and I appreciate the relationship with Liz and her mother, who started to worry about Liz’s marriage prospects the moment she turned 25 (she’s 32 now) and gives her a hard time about putting on a few pounds after an ugly breakup that Liz doesn’t reveal the truth about. What didn’t work for me was some aspects of the second half of the book. Parts confused me. I wasn’t sure how much I was supposed to take as metaphoric or what was real. I believe there are plenty of evil people, so what other kind of monsters on earth do we need? I normally consider myself a strong reader, but this made me feel stupid for not getting it.

Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to review this novel, which RELEASES OCTOBER 4, 2022.

The book was pretty good. The main character frustrates my throughout the book. Seems always accepted however people treated her and I feel that she never really stood up due herself. I can say that the end was very unpredictable and something that I didn’t see coming at all but not too sure how I feel about it.

I give it 3.5 stars. It held my attention and I enjoyed it but wouldn’t say it wowed me.

Unrelenting terror.

This could be the shortest review I have written. I read Jackal by Erin E. Adams courtesy of NetGalley and Random House, in exchange for an honest review. And those two words say it all. Unrelenting terror.

Every year, on the summer solstice in Johnstown, PA, a young girl disappears. Every year, the young girl’s butchered body is later found. The heart is always missing. The murders started many, many years ago and have become part of the community’s life.

This year is no different. Almost. A young girl disappears during an outdoor wedding reception. The woman responsible for watching her walked away for a few minutes to the bar. The girl was gone when she returned.

As the search unsuccessfully progresses, long-held secrets are revealed, accusations are made, friendships are tested, passions reignited, and yet truths remain hidden, mysteries unsolved, until everything is tossed upside down and the truth comes out. Getting to that point is all the gut wrenching fun.

Setting the story in Johnstown, PA is no accident. The town plays an important role in the book. Settled in 1770, the town experienced three major floods in its history. The Johnstown Flood of May 31, 1889, occurred after the South Fork Dam collapsed during heavy rains. At least 2,209 people died as a result of the flood and subsequent fire that raged through the debris. The failure of the dam was blamed on the lack of maintenance. The money, it is believed, was instead used to develop the lakefront property behind the dam, property owned by rich while folks. The majority of the folks impacted by the flood were african americans. The town remained racially divided, which is significant to the story being told.

I love being surprised by books. I was not familiar with the author, hadn’t heard of the title, and generally stay away from slasher/stalker books. Adams has created a ensemble of fascinated, haunted characters. The pacing is unrelenting. The plotting and details dense. This has become one of my favorite books of the year.

This horror thriller from a debut author is so good I literally read it in one night.

Thank you Bantam Random House for the digital review copy.

Stayed up until 2 AM finishing this and I am still trying to process what I read.

Liz Rocher returns home for a wedding. She dreads returning home, but her best friend is getting married. Liz has some not-so-pleasant memories of home. She is not a fan of the woods, and wouldn't you know the wedding is taking place in the woods. There is a history of young Black girls going missing each summer. for years. This year, history repeats, and the young girl is Caroline, the daughter of Liz's best friend.Liz was watching Caroline at the wedding and stepped away for a moment. Now, Liz furiously tries to find Caroline and figure out what has happened with all the young girls who disappeared previously.
The way this plays out is so unreal. I didn't know what to expect. I'm a mother, so the thought of losing a child is terrifying. The parents not knowing who to blame and the authorities not taking the matter seriously made the disappearances so sorrowful. I'm not sure how this could go on for years and how no one else could really not know the true cause of the girls disappearing, but I would like to think the end was truly the end of the danger. But can we truly know? Can it come back? I will wait and watch and see.

Black girls are going missing.

In the small PA town, it’s just what they do. The town, observes their disappearances and moves on. Various reasons are given but the underlying menace can’t be dismissed. Though, the town tries.

Liz, a thirty-two year old black woman arrives back home for her friends wedding. Memories swirl. Regret hardens. Prejudices pierce and wound. Never far from the menace, Liz uncomfortably attends Mel’s wedding set on the edge of the woods. The same woods that snap up young women of color, destroy their bodies and toss them aside.

When Mel’s young daughter Caroline goes missing, Liz is faced with much of the last she has tried to escape. On a journey to find Caroline, Liz must face the menace head on.

What is the menace? Here the author brilliantly exposes racism and misogyny along with classism, carefully layering fiction with all-to-real truth.

The book starts like Get Out where the undertone of racism drives the tension and exposes the reader to questions that in themselves are often hard to ask. The menace here is palpable! Heart-pounding. And unrelenting.

As Jackal progresses the story becomes less Get Out and more supernatural or magical realism. I can’t delve in to it much because it would spoil the story.

3.5 stars rounded up.

A Black woman returns to the flood-scarred town reluctantly to attend the wedding of an old friend, but is caught up in a mystery when a girl goes missing - and she learns she's only the latest Black girl to vanish into the woods, one taken on every summer solstice.

For me, this was a mixed bag. I found the narrative voice compelling and the way the setting and its history was explored was fascinating. That said, I'm not a horror fan, and there is a strong element of horror and the supernatural in this story. Certainly the history of white supremacist violence is horrifying, and here the author uses horror to explore the nature of this evil. Interesting, but for this reader it didn't totally work. For horror fans, it would likely be a success.