I'm not usually into horror, but wow, this book was so good!! I loved the characters (that are meant to be loveable, lol), the mythology and how that world was crafted in such a believable and suspenseful way!, and pretty much... everything.

"The Sacrifice" by Rin Chupeco is a haunting novel that takes place on the island of Kisapmata, known for its pristine beaches, lush greenery, and perfect weather. However, a terrifying legend surrounds the island, causing the local Philippine residents to avoid it at all costs. They speak of a curse that has claimed lives and are unwilling to become its next victims.

DNF - I wasn't able to fully immerse myself in this story & ultimately struggled to really engage with the story. I know that other readers will find their ideal read with this one but, it wasn't for me.

There's an uninhabited island in the Philippines that some say is haunted or cursed. The locals know that a god dwells there-- a vengeful god who will wake once eight prophesied sacrifices are made. It once ate up a conquistador who sailed with Magellan and later an American woman who formed a cult around sacrificing others to the god in exchange for power. The island won't take the innocent, but those who have done great wrongs best be wary of setting foot on its shores...

Island protector Alon has their work cut out for them when a Hollywood crew descends with permission to film a reality ghost hunting show on the island. Alon warns them away and then accepts a job as a local guide to keep an eye on things. While most of the crew are just there doing a job, the high-powered producers and the TV personality at the helm have other ideas. And soon they start to see faces from their pasts among the trees, haunting them. This expedition can only end poorly.

Alon's a person of few words, and I found them an interesting horror protagonist because they're not frantic with worry about an unknown assailant. They know exactly what's happening and merely try to mitigate the damage. With a few exceptions, Alon mostly calls people by names based on what they wear or other physical features like "Hawaiian shirt" or "Armani." It's not that they don't care about these people, but there's a sense of separation between the world Alon occupies and the ones the crew brought to shore. While Alon is a generally helpful person, they go out of their way to protect their potential love interest, Chase. He's an influencer who followed his dad on this trip to escape some of the drama around his messy, public breakup back home (and online). His dad is producing this reality show because Chase's mom was lost in a plane crash in the area, and both seek closure to the mystery of what happened to her. We get a nice little romantic subplot but it doesn't advance much or take up too much space. The main focus is the looming retribution for some on the island and how Alon intends to protect who they can.

I loved the way Chupeco builds up the lore of the island and provides several layers of antagonism-- between the island and its would-be victims, between the locals and the colonialist interlopers, and between the human and the inhuman. The book is spooky without being fully scary because you know from the start who's eligible for the island's wrath. And I have to say I don't much disagree with the god's agenda even though I admire the tension with Alon's compassion. While I was fully committed for most of the book, I'm not sure I'm satisfied with the ending. I appreciate how it fits with the rest of the book, but some parts of the story feel unresolved or rushed in their resolution. On the other hand, some things need to be that way, so I'm conflicted.

Fans of YA horror who want a story that pits a powerful, vengeful god against the powerful and unaccountable should check this one out. The centrality of queer identities and the anti-colonialist framing add yet more layers to enjoy and admire. Thanks to Sourcebooks Fire for my copy to read and review!

A haunted island? Count me in! This was such a fun and twisted read with an exotic setting. It gave me Hunger Games vibes and I loved it. Definitely read this for a fun summer thriller!

I liked this one, and I think it would make an incredible film. 3.5 stars
Thank you very much to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire for the ARC!

3.5⭐️

Like many books that hinge on a creepy atmosphere, I was thoroughly sketched out (and entertained) for the first 50% when the big bad is still lurking in the shadows. I love all the creepy imagery that Chupeco evoked and was genuinely hesitant to turn out my light some nights.

Unfortunately, I found that the book kind of lost steam when the Diawata was revealed. I also felt like our narrator didn't have much of a personality. They were more of an observer... though that might have been on purpose (and I'm just not smart enough to realize it).

Regardless, this is a great book for spooky season and I intend to pick up more books by Rin Chupeco in the future. Her writing style vibes with me and she creates rich and well-developed worlds.

Thank you to the publisher for sending me an arc of The Sacrifice. Unfortunately I’m going to have to dnf this one. I’ve tried to read it a couple times and can’t get into the story.

When a film crew bribes their way onto an uninhabited island, their young guide warns them away. The adults refuse to listen, however, & begin to investigate the Island's cave & history. Soon, they find evidence that the stories of ghosts & gods may be real. People are dying. Strange things are happening. And Alon, the guide, seems to be hiding something. No one's survival is assured in this fast-paced paranormal thriller. YA. Trans friendly. A good read. if you like paranormal thrillers & horror be sure to try other books by this author.

This is a creepy read perfect for the spooky season! Nothing says creepy like a deserted island and an ancient curse!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book.

Thank you to Rin Chupeco and Sourcebooks Fire for the ARC last year through Netgalley! Unfortunately, I was never able to read it till now that it’s published. This doesn’t affect my review in any way.

“Huwag kakalimutang magsabi ng ‘tabi po.’” That’s what the elders always told us growing up. This was a common saying among the locals who believe in the existence of such beings and I’d never once forgot to say those words when visiting unknown places.

This was a thrilling young adult paranormal novel that explored the rabbit hole of Filipino folklore and mythology, especially prior to Spanish colonization in the 1500s. The Philippines is rich with stories of what we call “ang mga engkanto at kakaibang nilalang” and growing up, I used to love hearing them from my now late Lola. I also grew up around the Balete trees (they are real!) and I remember how the adults used to scare children with stories surrounding such huge, enchanting trees.

The author’s done a wonderful job creating this story and bringing to life tales from local provinces and islands wherein up to this day there are multiple accounts of the ‘engkantos’ and ‘Diwata’ being real. And on the deserted island of Kisapmata in Leyte, an entity is said to have been inhabiting for centuries and is slowly wakening upon disturbance and seeks revenge. So when a crew from Hollywood comes to visit the island in the hopes of getting footage for a documentary, a boy named Alon suddenly appears to help them from angerung the Diwata. However, not believing Alon’s warnings as they continue to tresspass, the crew suddenly starts having visions of entities lurking in the forest at night.

The premise definitely exceeded my expectations! I knew most of the lore, but Rin Chupeco’s done such a good job with binding threads of history and fiction. I was very surprised that she emphasized the harmful stereotype and microaggressions by tourists towards Filipinos whenever they visit the country. Additionally, I was impressed that she used real pieces of historical events to supplement the plot such as The Battle of Mactan that took place in 1521, which delves into how the Spanish conquistador died after trying to claim Cebu, which was formerly under Rajah Humabon’s rule. Also, that twist by the end left me entirely speechless. Not only does this book offer queer rep, but it also gives us sparks of young, bittersweet love.

Overall, this was really an enthralling and fast-paced read with a poignant resolution written through beautiful and engaging prose. I really hope more Filipino authors delve into the beauty and mysteries of Philippine lore.

3.5 star rounded to 4.

I love Rin's Chupeco so I really wanted to love this, but it was just ok to me, It had the Rin effect that really keeps you in the moment by the way they are so descriptive. It was really easy to picture everything. It was that creepy, gloomy feeling but it wasn't as gripping as Rin's stories have been in the past for me. I hope to give this a second chance and read it again but as of now, it's a 3.5 star. I'm sad this is my review when I really love Rin's writing, this one just wasn't for me.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this advanced reader's copy and the opportunity to read this early. Review has been posted on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

Reading this book was both an unsettling and eerie experience, particularly since the lore originated from the region I grew up in. The Sacrifice is a precautionary tale of messing with lands where beings that long existed before us have consequences. This story also offers a critique on Western media exploiting uninhabited regions and sensationalising and framing these islands as an exotic getaway and ignoring the local customs and lores about disturbing the old gods for the sake of TV views.

While I had my own issues about the framing of how Cilapulapu and Cortes as mentioned in the latter halves of the book, it was still an unsettling read, and leaves us with the warning that you do not want to mess with old gods and balete trees

I was looking for an entertaining read and I got it with this one! A haunted island, Hollywood hotshots swooping in to shoot the next big thing on screen, native people expected to be nothing less but grateful and reverent - we’ve all seen this movie right? Drawing on local legend, this is a gently subversive and thrilling horror with the fire of decoloniality at its centre. It is a tale that asserts there is always the possibility of forgiveness and renewal for us as humans, lest risking our demons consume us. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book!

This book would definitely be a great read for spooky season! The creepy nature of the legend of the island was crafted really well, and it was a plus that the writer's prose flowed so well. It was easy to read, and I truly felt like I got sucked into the story and didn't want to put it down. All in all, definitely one I can see myself recommending.

4 star.

I was happy to have the chance to finally read something by YA author Rin Chupeco when NetGalley provided me with an ebook arc of “The Sacrifice,” and I’d definitely be open to reading more from this author in the future.
This book was a quick, fun read, and felt light despite it being horror. I really like that this book feels so unique among other YA fiction options - it’s a stand-alone, is contemporary horror/fantasy, is set in the Philippines, and has minimal romance. It follows the haunting events plaguing a film crew who have come to a magical island against the recommendation of all the locals… and they only have one person (the mysterious MC) to help protect them.
The book didn’t have a profound message to impart, but it was still good fun. I liked the mystery of the MC, which added the element of an unreliable narrator. I didn’t think the (already minimal) romantic subplot was actually necessary at all, but it was fine.
Overall, would recommend especially for youth collections looking for greater variety in YA fiction (not just diversity in terms of content, but also of genre).

This book was so fun! I was seriously creeped out. Nothing is better than a deserted island setting.

I had high hopes for this book and it delivered. It had the spook factor I was looking for, a very likeable non-binary character, and a seriously killer ending.

The Sacrifice by Rin Chupeco takes place on a cursed island known as Kisapmata. The Filipino locals refuse to set foot on the island because they are well aware of the lives that have been lost there. A Hollywood film crew gets wind of this curse and plans to film a documentary series on it and the treasures that are supposedly hidden there. The legend claims that a sleeping god is waiting to grant powers to a mortal in exchange for eight sacrifices. Local teen Alon has been tasked by the producers to be their tour guide. Alon is the only local willing to go to the island with the crew. Not long after their arrival, a massive sinkhole appears, revealing a balete tree with a corpse entwined in it. Soon, things escalate as crew members start seeing visions. Alon knows the curse is taking its toll on these people. They must convince them to leave, or there is no chance of survival.

I was engrossed in the atmosphere of the story almost right away. I loved how reminiscent the Hollywood film crew was to the crew from King Kong. I also got major Lord of the Flies vibes later on in the story.