This book in 3 words: Haunting. Poetic. Thoughtful.

Liz returns home - a rural, Appalachian town - where black girls continue to go missing. THAT IS YOUR SYNOPSIS IN 1 LINE BECAUSE YOU NEED TO GO INTO THIS ONE BLIND. I'm baffled that this is a debut; I'm already ready for her next book.

An interesting (but sadly realistic) interpretation of racism and class in America. Living in the fiction genre, this story felt so important and significant. This is such a visceral read and the whole thing is an entire experience. The writing style, which shifts and moves with the plot/pace of the book, furthers the experience for the reader - amazing. What an amazing literary device to tap into to really execute a story?!

I couldn't pin this one down - I was guessing up until the end (can't ask for much more than that),

Our main character, Liz, is mutli-faceted and complex. At times, my heart absolutely broke for her, and others I could feel her anxiety ripple through my skin. This is such a visceral read and the whole thing is an entire experience. The writing style, which shifts and moves with the plot/pace of the book, furthers the experience for the reader - amazing. What an amazing literary device to tap into to really execute a story?! Also really liked the supporting characters, and how it made Jackal feel like a short story collection (at times).

The author's note at the end is such an incredible bow on a great book. I loved learning a bit about the author's inspiration. Such a stellar addition. This. Book. Is. It. Going to be a big hit for fans of Get Out and those that are interested in monsters (who hide in broad daylight, not just underneath your bed).

Liz is coming home to her small, country town for her best friend’s wedding. Her plan is to get in for the wedding and turnaround and get right back out. But when her best friend’s daughter, Caroline, goes missing during the reception while Liz is supposed to be watching her, she decides to stay and do whatever she has to do in order to get Caroline back. And when Liz starts digging and realizes that little black girls have been going missing in this town for years—all around the same day of the year—she realizes this is not just a random kidnapping and the threat goes much deeper than she could’ve ever imagined. I wasn’t sure what to expect from this book, but the description and the reviews were all good enough for me to request it through NetGalley, and I’m so glad I did! I was glued to this book, flipping through pages as fast as I could read them! I thought the author did a really good job of weaving racial issues throughout the story, making a strong case for how assumptions with race and class are relevant, no matter where you’re from. I wasn’t as crazy about the final explanation for how Caroline was taken and who was ultimately responsible, but I’ll leave that alone so as not to spoil it for other readers. This was definitely a great read, and I’ll be watching for more from this author in the years to come.

Special Note: Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Jackal tells the story of a Black woman, Liz Rocher, who is returning to her hometown, Johnstown, PA, to attend the wedding of her childhood best friend, Mel. For decades, Black girls have gone missing from the town every summer, and the town lore says to beware of the shadow in the woods. When Mel's daughter, Caroline, goes missing, Liz is determined to get to the bottom of this mystery.

As a Black woman from the Pittsburgh area, I'm familiar with Johnstown and also relate to growing up in a small town and being only one of a few other Blacks in the area, so when I read the synopsis of Jackal, I was immediately drawn to it. I was surprised by how touched I was by many parts of this book. Erin Adams' writing style really resonates with me and I look forward to reading more of her work.

The book kept me guessing who or what was responsible for the disappearances and I kept guessing wrong. I never saw the ending coming. This is a great book and I highly recommend it. Many thanks to Random House and NetGalley for the ARC.

Liz Rocher returns to her small, predominantly white hometown of Johnstown, Pennsylvania for her childhood best friend’s wedding. Black girls have gone missing every summer for years, but when it’s her friend’s daughter who goes missing Liz is determined to find out the truth.

Originally I gave this book a 4.5, but upon further reflection I decided it was well worth it to bump my rating up to a solid 5⭐️. This book brought together multiple tropes that I love in the thriller/horror genre: small town secrets and a troubling history, paranormal folklore, and an investigative main character gone rogue. Liz’s best friend is white and is marrying a Black man, much to the dismay of her family members. When their biracial daughter goes missing like the other Black girls before her, Liz desperately tries to get her friend and her family to acknowledge the pattern, but faces pushback. This book brought all the suspenseful plot twists of your usual thriller, but also was deeply enmeshed with themes of racism, inequality, and class disparities. If you enjoy thrillers that center on a small town’s dark past with a dash of the paranormal, then this is definitely worth checking out.

Special thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Expected publication: October 4, 2022

CW: Violence. Racism. Child death. Body Horror. Domestic violence. Gore. Alcohol abuse. Eating disorder. Animal death. Kidnapping. Off-page rape. Off-page violence against children. (I copied these from the author herself.)

WOW. I think the less you know going into this one, the better. I didn't read the blurb before getting into it, and I am grateful for it.

I will say that this took me by surprise. It was a lot more metaphorical than I anticipated, and I loved it. There were things that confused me, but I was eager to read more to get it all cleared up. I kept guessing whodunnit, which is always fun. I really appreciated the author's note at the end that went into her inspiration for the story, and that really solidified my thoughts and feelings about the book and what the "big bad" really represented.

This book is a real conversation piece and something to talk about in a bookclub for sure. Also, a book that might have some people seeing the world through a new perspective if they are unaware of certain horrors of our history (and present) about the way certain groups/classes are treated in this country.

The fact that this is a debut author is also insane! The TALENT! I will definitely be reading her future work.

I loved the synopsis of this book so knew it was a must read. Real horror surrounds us in plain sight, nestled in the hearts of friends who hide behind the barest of masks. This book will take you on a breathless ride, leaving you turning page after page....revealing the courage it takes to stand up to the monster in your hometown. Fearless. This book is a great fast paced read that you won't want to put down

Thank you tot Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Bantam & NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this digital ARC

I saw Erin Adams talking about her new book on tiktok and knew I had to read it. I love supporting new authors and Jackal did not disappoint! This book was beautifully written and very detailed! Amazing job on a debut novel!

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!