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.

It is a must-read for fantasy enthusiasts and anyone who craves a captivating escape into a world where the impossible becomes possible. It's a tale of magic, wonder, and the enduring power of hope, sure to leave readers eagerly awaiting the next adventure in this enchanting series.

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.

I gave this a four out of five stars. I really enjoyed this and I like the characters. It wasn’t what I was expecting but it was good.

My goodness I forget how deeply Rin Chupeco's horror titles spook me! They are a master at lush and atmospheric suspense. Can jump scares exist in books? Because I feel like Rin Chupeco is the ruler of literary jump scares and it terrifies me. This is horror rooted in colonialism and the characters who have so little respect for the island and the beliefs of locals, and they fully believe that money gets them what they want. That is not how it works when Gods are at play. This was just so good.

It was a disjointed but interesting book. I found the premise fascinating but the POV choices definitely caused the story to falter. All in all enjoyable especially due to the phillipino culture threaded through the story.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC!!

I finished reading this a couple of months ago and wow. Just wow! Rin Chupeco certainly made a lasting impression on me with this anti-colonizer story. The worldbuilding, most of the characters, and the island setting all felt real to me. Honestly, I had to look over my shoulders a few times to make sure there wasn't something trying to creep out to get me. Ahhh!! I just loved this. But enough fan-girling from me, let's get down to the review.

The story starts with Alon, a young non-binary fisherman, who, along with his dog, Askal, is the keeper of the deserted island of Kisapmata due to its haunting legend. Stories from the others on the islands tell of a death god who is sleeping and needs sacrifices to awaken and will bring about rebirth or destruction. Several humans have tried, which has led to strange disappearances and brutal murders. Alon guards the island until they are persuaded by a camera crew to be their guide under the guise of providing Alon with enough money to help care for their ailing father. What follows is a tale of horror, intrigue, and awesome East Asian mythology.

My likes: I love the scares. I forgot that books can give you jump scares, so many thanks to Rin for giving them to me during the spooky season. I love a good horror book that leaves me wanting to sleep with the light on, but also gets inside of my head, which this book does very well. Rin paces the horror with a bit of comedy and a little romance very nicely so that I didn't feel overwhelmed with the horror at times or suffocated with the minor romance and teen angst. Also, I'm so glad that the Black character in this wasn't a caricature of Black people by using outdated or cringe-worthy language. He felt like a genuine, well-crafted character and not just some stock image of "Insert Black person here for diversity". Major kudos again for Rin's dedication to diverse and well-fleshed-out characters.

My dislikes: The naming of certain characters and misgendering of Alon. As the story is told from Alon's perspective, some of the characters are only named for their characteristics or clothing, which isn't a bad thing, but sometimes can get confusing when there is a group of characters talking or performing some action.

The misgendering was annoying, but I guess I can't be too annoyed since it was from the perspective of clueless people who couldn't even be bothered to head the warnings of a cursed island, so it wouldn't be much of a stretch for them to call a non-binary person by "he" all of the time. Meh. But if you are trans/nb, this would be something to keep an eye out for.

Honestly, even though the spooky season has passed and we're all winding down from the mad rush of the holidays, I would definitely recommend this to everyone that can possibly get their hands on this book. Ms. Chupeco put a lot of heart and soul into this book and it shows on every page. If you're looking for East Asian mythology, diverse characters, nb-rep, and a sinister story hiding behind a plush atmosphere, I highly recommend this book.

Oh, that ending is just *chef's kiss*.

Rin Chupeco is a horror genius! Every book of hers that I pick up I end up wanting more! This one was creepy and full of twists and turns!

Rin Chupeco is quickly becoming a go-to horror author for me.  All their books are fast-paced, compelling, and easy to read with an important message. This book follows a teen who is tasked with guiding a reality television crew around a supposedly cursed island. We quickly find out that this is true, and follow Alon, the local teen, as they try to convince the team of this. This is a fun horror story, but it does well at covering important topics. The TV crew does not take any local warnings seriously and often disrespects the island's god. It feels all too real to current situations and stories about tourists not respecting native land. This particular story is set in the Phillippines but the themes can be applied to many countries. 

This message is important and necessary, but I believe my young readers will be drawn in by the action and horror in this. There's also a very sweet queer romance. Much of the horror elements revolve around plants and the natural world, which I love, and will be refreshing for students who are used to ghost stories. This is haunting in its own way but also relies on real-world horrors, like the greed of men. The ending is full of action that one might get lost, but there are a few great twists and turns. And even if it drags for a few chapters, the final chapter is really lovely and makes it all worth it. 

Ultimately, this was a great read that I am hoping to add to our library collection. I wish I grew more attached to the characters, but this was still exciting and unique. Can't wait to read whatever spooky story Rin Chupeco writes next.