What can I say!!!! My queen Rachel Harrison can do no wrong!! Another incredible main character! Funny super dark. If you like the movie Midsommar you’ll love this

I mean -- nobody is doing it quite like Rachel Harrison. Her books are so fun and spooky, with lots of laughs and twists and just overall fun vibes. I tore through this bonkers family reunion novel -- every aspect is hilarious, and Vesper is a main character you just automatically love.

I’ve been looking forward this book, and it did NOT disappoint! 🖤

The title Black Sheep comes with a pretty clear implication. Indeed, our main character, Vesper, is the odd one out in her family—the super-religious family she’s been estranged from for six years. In the church her family is a part of, once you’ve left, you can never come back, which is fine because Vesper has no intentions of returning to the family farm. That is until, at the end of a really bad day, she receives a mysterious envelope inviting her home…for the wedding of her old best friend and her ex.

This invitation and how she responds turns Vesper’s life upside down. I really can’t say much more without spoiling the reveals that Rachel Harrison has expertly crafted for us readers. Let’s just say that, as things progress, the term “black sheep” takes on new and more disturbing meanings.

I absolutely LOVED reading this book! Harrison’s voice resonates with me so much that I feel like I’m in an easy conversation with a good friend. And the plot is so engaging that I found it impossible to put down. I HAD to know what was going to happen next, and I was astounded time after time. The places this story goes are so far from where it starts, but in the end, it’s so clear that this is where we were headed all along.

I will admit that there are a few tiny plot holes toward the end. And some may question if this story is truly horror, but there’s no doubt that what happens is horrific—and horrifyingly analogous to toxic family dynamics that are entrenched in harmful religious practices.

I can’t wait for others to read this so we can discuss it!

Full review posted to Goodreads on 6/18/23: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5273073601

Was very interesting on this story being told. Our main character is estranged from her family; she is alone but not truly happy. Weird things do happen to happen around her, and she really never understood why.
She is called back to her home, and you can tell she really doesn't want to go back, but she must.
This reminded me of The Omen series. The kid is part of the devil, and bad things always happen around the kid.
This book was entertaining, but I wasn't as in it as I had hoped. I didn't understand why Rachel didn't know that she was a part of this cult, to put it nicely. I understood why the devil himself was trying to get her to come home, but it just wasn't really what I was hoping for. It was a regular sorta horror story. It was missing some back story of the family. It sorta jumped right into bam, they are praying to the devil, which threw me for a loop for a minute. I may read something else by this author, but this book was just not for me.

I’ve read all of this author’s other books and really enjoyed them. This new one didn’t disappoint! A snarky/witty young female on a strange mission. Talk about skeletons in a family’s closet! Even though it was kind of campy and fun there were moments of deep clarity of life.

The best thing about Black Sheep is that it is funny. Mordantly so, knowingly so, and that’s part of what makes it so great. It’s also genuinely suspenseful, but it’s the way that it makes you care about its cranky heroine that makes it interesting.

Twenty-three year old Vesper Wright escaped her bizarre family years ago. Her mother was a former horror movie star and has always been distant; her father died young when she was a child. She and her beloved cousin Rosie were raised in in a cult called Hell’s Gate, where her father was worshipped, for reasons she doesn’t understand.

Vesper has escaped and now slings hash in a TGI Fridays-alike chain restaurant. An unfortunate incident involving melted cheese and a sexual harasser results in her being fired. Then the only thing that could ever convince her to return to Hell’s Gate happens: an invitation to the wedding of her beloved cousin Rosie – to her first love, Brody. Desperate for money, Vesper returns to her mother’s old farmhouse out of love for Rosie and healthy spite for everyone else. But the party waiting for Vesper has some ugly surprises in store. Can she leave Hell’s Gate behind her for good?

Black Sheep is gory as heck, sharp as all get out, and archly hilarious in the best of ways. Vesper has been through a lot, but a quitter she is not. Even though she goes through some incredibly dangerous situations she does not buckle.

I will leave it to the reader to find out if she makes it out of there alive. Be warned - this isn’t a romantic book, and there is crazy occult stuff going on between Vesper and her father. Her relationship with her mother is fascinating and easy to lose yourself in. Ultimately if you like your gore heavy, this will be a novel that will entertain you.

This is so wicked. It’s creative and creepy and sad. I loved the Victorian home and learning about the cult. Really fascinating. All the macabre details are so easy to visualize. This book says a lot about choice and free will. And about trauma. Harrison is a smart, talented author. Great book. Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC

Thank you to Netgalley and Berkley Publishing for an early copy in exchange for an honest review.

Rachel Harrison wrote another amazing read! I only read The Return to go by, but what a great follow up! Vesper was a good MC, she was easily likeable and relatable. I enjoyed going into this story quite blindly and that's what I would suggest to everyone wanting to read this- don't read reviews, just base it straight off the synopsis!! That's what I did and I was pleasantly surprised by it. It's tricky to review this without giving too much away, but in Harrison's writing fashion, it was a good read. I would highly recommend it.

Family is hard, but family it’s even harder when they’re in a Satanic cult!

Vesper is in her 20s, just barely getting by in the city. She then gets brought back to her family’s farm because of some mysterious letter that showed up after leaving behind the cult. Then some sh*t goes down. It’s hard to like any of the members, but I did enjoy Vesper as a main character!

I think the story was lacking a little more depth. I wish I got to know more about Vesper and the family she left behind. It all of a sudden turned into a ritual at the end, but I was wanting more to happen before it. It was very entertaining and comical at times.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC!

Vesper Wright — she’s a lonely 24 year old, working a dead end job at Shortee’s, which a chain restaurant reminiscent of TGI Friday’s. Years ago, she escaped her family’s tightly knit religious community, as well as a toxic, faded horror film star mother. She’s has been struggling to find her footing since. One night, she comes home to find an invitation — her childhood best friend Rosie and her first love Brody are tying the knot back home. She feels compelled to return, even though she thought leaving meant she was exiled.

But waits for her in Virgil, NJ? Closure? An olive branch? Or…something else?

Either way, when she returns, the darkest secrets of her past are unearthed and she’s forced to face them — or else.

——
Okay so this was a fun, breezy book and I really enjoyed it! Like a lot. The vibes were fantastic. Rachel Harrison explores the ties that bind and those of us who suffered due to dysfunctional family dynamics in a way that never feels anything other than compassionate, yet empowering. It was a bit short, I wish I’d had more time to get to know Vesper and her family’s culture before things POP OFF but I enjoyed the time I did have.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my eARC; I’m looking forward to getting a physical copy in September 2023!

I was a little nervous because this was categorized under horror but wow, it was more of a psychological horror and it was amazing!

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this arc in exchange for an honest review!

Rachel Harrison is an auto buy (and auto rec) for me! I love her work so very much!

This latest finds Vesper, a down on her luck former waitress, returning to her family home for the first time in years.

Alongside general family trauma (an actress mother who never seemed to care), her cousin is set to marry the only man Vesper ever loved. But it was all Vesper could to do escape her family and their religious teachings.

Of course this is Harrison so the book is dark and twisty horror fun!

I love Harrison's characters. I love her writing. And I love the fact that all in all these are horror stories I'd rec to genre fans and newbies alike!

Thank you for the opportunity to read this book!

“Hope is like candy, I thought. It’s sweet in the moment, until it rots your teeth out.”

I absolutely LOVED this book! It’s so well written and such an original idea. I was biting my nails halfway through it. I love the character development that Vesper goes through. I definitely recommend this if you’re looking for your next spooky read!

Well this was different! Without spoilers I’ll say I liked this a bit less than Such Sharp Teeth which I found had a bit more bite - ugh sorry pun intended. I thought this might be a bit like Sign Here from last year which did a lot of world building and wish that had more of that here. There was a lot of exposition on mundane things Vesper did vs hearing more about life on a cult ranch or about the characters. I found this to be a quick read and it was enjoyable overall.

A one-sitting read.
A heroine to root for,
dark, twisted, funny.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I write haiku reviews on Instagram but am happy to provide additional feedback.

Rachel Harrison is one of my favorites. She writes engagingly fun horrors that also meaningfully exemplify the real life traumas that many of us have experienced. Black Sheep was another fine example of her talent.

Not everyone knows what it’s like to be the black sheep of the family. Many will never fight the pain of being the one the family never accepted until they finally decide they just don’t need that acceptance after all. Unfortunately, some of us do get it and I think this story will speak to readers who’ve made some hard choices after countless years of pain.

But even if you can’t relate, Harrison has still penned an entertaining story that can be enjoyed at face value. Plus, she included stringent religious beliefs (aka cultish) as a part of her main character’s background. I love a good cult story, and this was definitely a good one, and it included a few surprises (one that truly shocked me and one I saw coming) along the way.

I liked the ties Harrison made to the reality of a dysfunctional childhood, especially when she addressed the confusion of worshiping a specific family member only to realize that they aren’t who you believed them to be. We can’t see things as clearly in childhood as we do in adulthood. The layers of betrayal felt bitingly authentic, despite the fantastical portrayal. I felt the ending was especially strong with this symbolism and it spoke to the still broken child within me.

The story was honest in its depiction of the grief that lingers, even after we’ve walked away from our horrific upbringings. I only wish I’d felt the strength of all its symbolism earlier on, but my expectations were awfully high since the trauma parallels of her last novel (Such Sharp Teeth) were exceptionally vivid all the way through.

I am immensely grateful to Berkley and NetGalley for my copy. All opinions are my own.

BLACK SHEEP by Rachel Harrison
Other Books I Enjoyed by This Author: Cackle, The Return, Such Sharp Teeth, Bad Dolls
Affiliate Link: https://bookshop.org/a/7576/9780593545850
Release Date: September 19th, 2023
General Genre: BISAC Categories: Horror - General, Occult & Supernatural, Thrillers - Supernatural

Sub-Genre/Themes: Family, religion, religious trauma, mothers & daughters, estrangement, weddings, secrets & lies
Writing Style:
What You Need to Know: You need to go into this book blind. The synopsis doesn’t give away a major plot detail so reader discovery here is to be protected at all costs. I didn’t know anything about this going into it and I’m so glad. Things landed exactly as they should and it was *perfection* So again, avoid reading reviews that could potentially spoil things that are not disclosed on the back of the book. Mine will be spoiler-free.

My Reading Experience: There are certain horror tropes that just never, ever get old. I love when the main character reluctantly returns to their small, rural town for something–a wedding, a funeral, a family reunion, no matter the reason, it’s always fun to read about people reconnecting with old flames, or bumping into familiar faces.
In Black Sheep, Vesper is unexpectedly invited to return home for her cousin’s wedding. She has been gone for a few years, having left when she turned 18 to get away from a toxic relationship with her mother and a growing resentment toward her religious upbringing.
But she does go back and Harrison’s set up is peak religious trauma vibes, especially for readers who have totally “been there”.
If you have “been there” you know what I mean. The storyline is simultaneously triggering and cathartic. It’s hard to read religious stuff but it’s also very comforting to allow horror an open pathway into my heart to let it do some rearranging and introspection; feels good.
Sometime after a big reveal, there was a lag in the pacing. I was hoping for more between a few characters, just more relational development between the MC and some of the supporting characters. One relationship in particular I thought would get a little more attention and I was disappointed that nothing further transpired.
Once we get to a certain point in the story, the build toward the climax and ultimately the big ending is quite compelling and I found my initial investment return. This is a clever, fun, well-developed tale to add to my expanding Rachel Harrison collection. Definitely and insta-buy author for me.

Final Recommendation: Rachel Harrison already has a loyal fan base that shows up time and time again for her unique brand of female-centric horror. This book is exactly what we have all come to expect and Harrison faithfully delivers.
Comps: Reception by Kenzie Jennings, Jackal by Erin E. Adams, Mexican Gothic

I went into this book with pretty mid expectations. I'd read Rachel Harrison's debut The Return and I hadn't really enjoyed it. But I saw the cover of this and the synopsis drew me in. I'm pleased to say that I actually had a good time reading this!

Black Sheep follows twenty-three-year-old Vesper, A lonely waitress living on her own and away from her religious (and cult-ish) family. When Vesper gets an invitation to a wedding at her estranged mother's farmhouse, she's shocked. Though this isn't just any wedding... it's actually the wedding of her cousin...who's tying the knot with Vesper's first love (Yikes). Vesper returns home due to spite and curiosity and quickly learns she's been summoned for something much darker than just a marriage celebration...

I can't say much more without giving spoilers, and I think going into this book blindly is the way to go. I enjoy Harrison's writing style and found the characters in the story to be really entertaining. I think the concept was smart and while it was more on the predictable side, I still had a good time flipping the pages and honestly could see this story being a great candidate for a movie adaptation. Vesper is quick-witted and awkward, and you can't help but feel for her and root for her as well.

I do wish we could have maybe learned more about Vesper and her family, and I found myself hoping for more scenes with the side characters as well. I think more world-building would have been great too. At times the story would be going a great pace and then speed up a little quicker. All in all, though, I definitely enjoyed this deliciously evil story.

A huge thank you to Berkley Publishing Group & NetGalley for the ARC!

As a fairly recent newcomer in the horror scene, Rachel Harrison made her debut with The Return in 2020. The subsequent releases of Cackle in 2021, and 2022's Such Sharp Teeth and Bad Dolls have made it abundantly clear that she doesn't plan on slowing down anytime soon. Zombies, witches, werewolves, possessed dolls, and magic 8-balls have all been story fodder so it only seems natural that her next step would be Black Sheep's cult.

Having left her intensely religious family and community, Vesper is attempting—with questionable results—to make it on her own. The night she's fired from her waitressing job, she discovers an envelope at her door containing an invitation to the wedding of her cousin and childhood best friend, Rosie, to Brody, the only guy she ever loved. When Vesper left the church six years ago, she was told she would essentially be dead to them and could never return. Understandably stunned and unsure of who sent the missive or their motives, she makes the decision to go to the wedding, mostly out of spite for the couple.

Going back home is a perplexing experience for Vesper. Not only does she have to grapple with her emotions about the marriage and the couple, but she also has to confront her unconventional family and community. Her cold disapproving mother is a scream queen idol that never showed her affection. Her father, whom she adored, abandoned her at a young age when all she wanted was someone to love her. Being home, she is confronted again with these things, as well as her skepticism about religion and her disdain for the seemingly mindless religious devotion of those around her.

While there's no denying given the subject matter that horror is Harrison's genre, her stories lean heavily on a first-person narrative as they navigate complex relationships and emotional trauma. Black Sheep is no different. Harrison renounces the superficial female archetype and instead constructs strong, memorable, and relatable protagonists. Her characters are refreshingly raw and authentic. Unrestrained and sometimes even ugly, we gain a front-row seat to their motivations, perspectives, and, most significantly, their apprehensions and insecurities. If Vesper's irreverence and quick wit doesn't instantly charm you, hang in there; building genuine characters takes time.

Along with her protagonist being so well-fleshed, Harrison creates an uneasy atmosphere that gets more and more ominous, even if you aren't yet quite sure why. As Vesper revisits her childhood home and reconnects with her past, she can't help but notice the stark distinction between the memories of her youth and the present. Through a mix of humorous and sobering observations, she slowly pieces together the truth about her family and the place she once called home. She is forced to confront the ugliness of her past which ultimately leaves her with a frightening sense of clarity and understanding. Once all the pieces lock into place, you can't help but rally around Vesper before it all comes crashing down.

Having previously described Harrison's Such Sharp Teeth as "cozy horror", I would say that this entry is equally approachable for those that like their horror spooky but not too dark. However, seasoned horror enthusiasts may find the time spent on character development, the slow start, and the minimal blood and guts too mild. Although I enjoyed reading Black Sheep, I must admit that I was hoping for some unforeseen revelations or turns in Harrison's story. If you plan on reading Black Sheep when it's released, I would highly recommend going in blind, which is why this review is relatively vague. Even though I predicted the twist, I don't want to ruin the experience for readers who may not.

With the ability to take clichéd tropes that have been used countless times before and infuse them with fresh and invigorating energy, I can't wait to see what subject Harrison tackles next. Overall, Harrison's newest horror entry Black Sheep is a compelling and entertaining read—a delightfully diabolical contemporary horror and another win for Rachel Harrison.

This is a tough book to review without revealing too much. I love Rachel Harrison's writing. This is well-written and SO clever. (Seriously, I had several moments where I said, "Ohhh...I see what you did there.") And it was pretty entertaining! I think the reasons I'm struggling a bit with how to rate and review are:
1. My personal reading preferences. This got pretty dark. It might be a case of not the right book at the right time for me.
2. I've read (and loved) Cackle. So I was hoping for a bit more of the types of incidents that caused our main character to have some workplace drama early in the book. (view spoiler)
3. For whatever reason, the book started dragging for me in the middle. I just didn't care very much about what was happening or the side characters' feelings. I did get drawn back in, but there was a definite lull for me in the middle.

Overall, I'm still a huge Rachel Harrison fan and this is probably worth the read if you are a fan of horror novels.

Thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for the e-ARC. Publication date is Sept. 12, 2023