Thank you to Bantam for providing me with an e-ARC of Jackal & PRH Audio for providing me with a complimentary audiobook!

I absolutely hate writing reviews on books that didn't really hit for me but weren't necessarily bad books. I think Jackal is well-written and a solid debut. I would definitely read more from Erin E. Adams!

However, I can barely remember what happened and I never found myself fully invested.

A mix of Appalachia lore and social commentary on race relations, this was absolutely chilling!

Missing girls, the woods, a woman who has broken memories and is trying to solve it all, this was a whodunnit with twists and turns that had me guessing until the very end!

I’ve always been wary of the forest – in fact, when we lived in Sardinia and our villa had a forest behind it, I always stayed out of it. Even at four years old I had a gut feeling that whatever noise I heard in the forest I should ignore it, and never investigate its origin. Liz returns to Johnstown for her best friend’s wedding, only for her goddaughter Caroline to go missing. But every year for thirty years young Black girls have gone missing – always in the same spot in the forest. This novel is rich with history, terror, and what it means to return home to a place that has never quite felt like your own. The writing is rich and the protagonist Liz is flawed but hopelessly determined. I love folklore and the author masterfully crafted a thriller mystery that weaves folklore with history in a way that you’re left racing through the pages attempting to escape the darkness and rush towards the light. I loved this book, there’s so much one can learn from this about race, class, and history. Read this book even if it scares you, actually read it because it will.

*Thank you so much to NetGalley and Bantam for the digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

On the surface, Jackal is a crime thriller. Liz returns to her hometown, Johnstown, to attend the wedding of her childhood friend, Melissa. It isn’t exactly a happy homecoming for Liz; as a black girl in a predominantly white town, her memories are riddled not only with racism, but a tragic accident that befell the only other black girl in her school, Keisha.

At the wedding, Melissa’s daughter goes missing, beginning a race against time to find the girl alive. As Liz begins to investigate the disappearance, she unravels Johnstown’s strange past, and begins to genuinely fear she will never make it out alive.

There is a lot going on in this book, but it never feels messy or convoluted. This is a really rich, unfortunately all-too-believable story of how society at large ignores the deaths of black women and girls. The central character of Liz is anything but expendable. She is not only a survivor of domestic abuse, but she also has to contend with the arbitrary expectations her mother has set for her. This woman is badass, fearless, and an absolute pleasure to read.

I love it when I’m wrong. About halfway through this book, I thought I had it all figured out. I was so completely off-track, and it was such a wonderful surprise. No spoilers, but my initial assessment of Jackal as merely a crime thriller completely underestimated Erin E. Adams’ talents as a writer. Jackal is an incredibly strong debut.

Another FIVE star read!!! OMG! What did I just read?? This book moved me, in the best way. It made me cry, made me smile, and angry. The plight of what Black women are going through and how we're thought of. It's categorized has a horror, but it's so much more than horror. There's so much to say, but im afraid of giving too much away. If you can, please go into this book knowing as little as possible. You won't regret it; it's a book that must be experienced. I also listened to it via audio, which enhanced the story so much better. Ms. Erin ain't to played with. Her play on words? It invokes such intense feelings. Afterwards? I'm still in my feelings. This book just won't leave me alone .... and that's a good thing. Very few books are tagged as a re-read .... this is one of them. If there's ANY book to read, please treat yourself to this one.

#NETGALLEY #JACKAL #ERINADAMS

The blurb on this one sounded like a mystery/thriller. At her best friend’s wedding, Liv is supposed to be watching little girl Caroline. When Liv leaves her alone for five minutes, Caroline disappears into the woods. Liv has her own issues with the woods: a traumatic experience as a teen and a scar to prove that something is out there. As the search for Caroline picks up speed, Liv starts doing her own research to discover what exactly happens to girls in these woods.

I stopped reading this book around the 50% mark. This is more of a supernatural horror story, which is not my preferred genre. The writing was very choppy, with short, straightforward sentences and nothing to shake the format up. I lost interest.

Fans of supernatural horror with a slow burn will enjoy this one. It just wasn’t for me.

Well, this book took a turn and I'm not sure how to describe it without spoiling it. It definitely falls into the social horror category. Jackal was well written and pretty creepy. It had some really interesting dynamics but hard to root for any of the characters, except for maybe Caroline. I don't know that I fully understood it, and it was engaging, but hard to connect to toward the end.

If you're in the mood for a dark thriller that will resonate within your soul, be sure to check out Jackal by Erin E. Adams. Seriously, words cannot quite describe how hard this novel hits.

Liz Rocher thought she had finally escaped the clutches of her hometown. She thought wrong. Returning home to celebrate her best friend's marriage, Liz notices things she had been completely unaware of as a child.

Such as the dark coincidence behind all the missing children. Something horribly wrong is happening in this town, and everyone seems to be looking the other way—everyone except for Liz.

Ohhhh. Jackal is one of those books that'll suck you in and give you the chills! It's the perfect read for a stormy Friday night (or not, if you're the type that is prone to nightmares...). This book kept me on the edge of my seat all night and then stuck in my brain for days afterward.

Jackal is a bit of a perfect storm. It combines supernatural horror with thriller vibes but takes several more notches before calling it quits. That leaves plenty of room for tensions to rise. And then there's the whole mystery of the plot – that kept me guessing until the end.

In truth, I don't think I could have predicted how Jackal. I was so surprised by every twist and turn, even having read the description and a couple of reviews. So good luck trying to guess it! I would love to see how this experience is for other readers.

I had to stop about 65% of the way through this book because I was bored and needed to read something else.

This may be my jaded opinion as I’ve read quite a few thrillers lately, but the story was not one that will stick with me. I was so excited to get an ARC, but it missed the mark big time for me.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Something is feasting on young black girls in the forest in Johnstown, Pennsylvania. The town used to be wealthy and prosperous until a flood wiped everything out. Now, each year, a girl disappears in the woods. Are the merely accidents? Or something more sinister?

This book was...wild. I kept turning pages faster and faster, dying to know what was going on. Until the final pages, i wasn't even sure what kind of book this was. Overall, it was a fantastic debut.

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

A fine thriller set in a quietly racist town where someone is trying to ensure white supremacy continues. The story skips around and at first I found it a little confusing. But it all comes together and leaves the reader with a 'wow' feeling as we near the end of the story. I like what the author has done here.... creating a thoughtful vehicle to tell a scary small town story. I would definitely read another book from this author.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advance copy of this book.

Dear Jackal,
I have to start by saying I finished you in a single day. Your story had me needing to know more. I loved how you were undefinable; a bit of a thriller, with a supernatural/magical realism twist. Liz was a bit ineffable for me; I had a difficult time capturing her character in my head, and she seemed to be inconsistent, which made her less likable for me. There were also parts of the story that were tough to follow as an audiobook, and tracking the action was difficult. But you were so gorgeously written, beautiful prose that I could get lost in. Your ending felt rushed and a bit out of left field, although there were very subtle clues throughout your story.

Liz bid good riddance to her small hometown several years ago, moved to NYC, and never looked back. Now several years later, she and her fiance have recently split up, and she’s returning home to be a bridesmaid in best friend Mel’s wedding. Let’s just say Liz isn’t looking forward to the visit and plans to stay only a couple days. The relationship with her mother is strained at times, especially when she mentions Liz’s weight gain and presses her to talk about the breakup – she blames Liz. The nightmare begins at the wedding reception when Mel’s daughter/Liz’s goddaughter goes missing while Liz was supposed to be watching her.

It gets off to a slow start, but initially the story presents as a mystery – who took Caroline? Soon it’s revealed that for years young Black girls have gone missing at the same time every year. But every death has been declared an accident, runaway, troubled youth, etc. It was maddening that no one noticed the pattern even when the missing girls’ families complained and pleaded with law enforcement to do more. Small town racism is alive and well in Johnstown. And then it’s not just a missing persons story – something evil is behind the abductions.

Early on I honestly thought I’d pegged the culprit and decided I’d be pretty disappointed if it was that easy. I was wrong, but my suspicions continued until almost the end. The first part of the novel captivated me and made putting down the book nearly impossible, but the last twenty percent confused me at certain points. I wasn’t sure what was real, but I won’t go into it for spoilery reasons.

Judging by other reviews, readers either give Jackal enthusiastic thumbs up or a meh. The ending didn’t work as well for me, but the mystery itself is compelling. Be warned – you may never go into the woods again after reading this novel.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Jackal was an edge of your seat thriller and had me extremely invested in the plot line for the 1st half. The story did take a turn I wasn’t expecting. I thought this would be more of a thriller, but it was a little more horror. Overall, I still really enjoyed this book and it was a good October ready for the Halloween season.

Jackal by Erin E. Adams is a wild ride! Liz Rocher is returning home for the wedding of her childhood friend Melissa. She is dreading her return to Johnstown as it's a place that was difficult to grow up in as one of the only Black people in town. Many years ago something happened in the woods that she doesn't like to mentally revisit but the scar on her wrist serves as a constant reminder. At the wedding in the woods Liz is keeping an eye on Melissa's daughter Caroline, but when she briefly looks away she finds that Caroline has disappeared. As the search for Caroline commences Liz starts to uncover a history of Black girls disappearing in the woods. She doesn't know who to trust as she searches for the truth.

Overall the beginning had me super hooked but the book ended up veering off course in a way that lost me along the way. I found parts of the book to be confusing - at times I couldn't tell what was metaphor and what was real - but that could just be me. It was definitely a thrilling read with many potential "suspects" that kept me guessing. The writing was great and I appreciated the character building.

I would recommend Jackal - I think at a minimum it is thoughtful and will encourage discussion. Thank you to Netgalley and Random House - Ballantine for the ARC - Jackal is out now!

I enjoyed this book by Erin Adams. It is her first book, and a very good start. Enjoyed the characters, the pacing, and the story. Will need to be on the lookout for her next book. #Jackal #NetGalley

This creepy thriller examines a small Pennsylvania town and the young black girls who go missing each summer. Equal parts mystery, horror, and thriller this book is dark and twisty. My reason for the 3 star rating is that I didn’t realize that this book was horror as well so I had a different expectation of what I would be reading going in.

I felt like the ending was a little abrupt but I can’t wait to see what she writes next. This was scary yet socially aware and relevant. Very fresh seeming take on a genre that has been long over due for some new blood. I loved how all the characters really felt distinct and realistic.

Another great addition to my #spookyseason reads! This book is creepy and dark and the audio sets the tone for a creepy atmosphere.
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A young Black girl goes missing in the woods. When her body is found it’s missing her heart. She’s not the first end and she’s not the last.
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Liz left this town for a reason but when she returns for her best friend’s wedding the woods are watching again.
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This book is downright creepy and I don’t want to say much more, but I really liked this and how little interviews or articles are sprinkled throughout.
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Huge thank you to #batnam @prhaudio and @netgalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

This debut thriller from Erin E. Adams delivers taut suspense as horrors both cultural and supernatural plague a small Rust Belt town. This is the second coming-home novel I've read recently where the main character has been 'othered' out of town and dreads returning to a place populated with metaphorical monsters. This horror thriller, however, also features the supernatural kind of monster that hides in the shadows to feed on people's hearts and fears. While there are clues to the real monster's existence (including the title), the novel's supernatural tone doesn't kick in until two-thirds into the narrative. Until then, the book is a well-paced race to find Liz's beloved goddaughter, Caroline, a young Black girl who disappeared in the woods during a wedding. As Liz comes against obstacle after obstacle, she learns that Black girls have been disappearing on the summer solstice in these woods for thirty years, and the town has buried that fact even as the mothers of those girls have grieved their buried daughters.
[Thanks to Bantam Books and NetGalley for an opportunity to read an advanced reader copy and share my opinion of this book.]