This book is the definition of small but mighty. Somehow Clark is able to captivate and absolutely gross me out at the same time and that is a book worth picking up.

A fantastical horror novella with a bad ass female lead who is taking down the monsters (literally) of the Ku Klux Klan. Clark has written such an original story and it is told so well, the author is truly a craftsman to tell this tale in less than 200 pages. Completely worthwhile!

Thank you to Netgalley and the author for allowing me to read this!

I was instantly intrigued by the synopsis of this book. This book instantly drew me in. This author did amazing. I loved the writing style.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.
P. Djèlí Clark’s powerful novella examines the source of hate and how it can tear a person apart.

Maryse and her two friends had the sight to tell a human being from a Ku Klux – demons or monsters who were often in the company of the Ku Klux Klan. With the help from prophetic spirits, Maryse learned the secret behind the Ku Klux Klan and what their unwarranted hatred was truly fueling.

While short in length, Clark’s worldbuilding was impressive and I would happily return to this world with sword-wielding heroines. Ring Shout explored African diaspora lore and beliefs which made the world complex and engaging. It reminded me of both American Gods and Lovecraft and I think fans of either of those series will enjoy this novella.

Ring Shout was a complex novella that uplifted the voices of Black people in the face of oppression with a speculative slant. I will definitely be returning to Clark’s backlist.

When I first requested this book I was intrigued but shifting the talk around racism to a world of horror full of magic fed by hatred. From the get go I loved the ragtag trio that were hunting down the supernatural klu kluxes. It took me a bit to be fully hooked on this book, but once I was I raced through to see how it would end. I loved the message it ended with and the fact that it could be open for sequels! Give me more!

Wow, what a great book. Really enjoyed this one, story and setting that P. Djèlí Clark created were amazing. I think that the narrator (Channie Waites) also did a great job and really made this book come alive as I listened to it. Looking forward to reading other books by this author, and I asked my library purchase a copy of this book.

Thanks to RB Media and NetGalley for providing an early copy for me to review.

I love P. Djèlí Clark's writing, and Ring Shout is no exception. This is a horror novella set in 1920's Georgia that explores American racism by converting racial hate into magic and turning KKK members into literal monsters. Fighting back are a ragtag group of Black women bootleggers with their own traumas. P. Djèlí Clark is a master of world building, and this novella packs a lot into a short work. The setting and protagonists are exceedingly well drawn. My main concern while reading was the thought that if racists are literal demons, this lets the real-world racists-next-door off the hook. This is commented on in the epilogue, and has the potential to be addressed in future stories.

Content warnings include assault, gore, body horror, racism, and lynching.

What in the creepy f - - - did I read? I'm not really sure, but I was in for most of it. There were literally only a couple of moments that lagged but I did not mind. My one complaint is that it was too short and I actually want more.

Channie Waites did a fantastic job bringing the story to life.

Thoroughly enjoyed Clark's writing (even with a few gaps here and there - possibly because my listening was a bit fragmented) and Waites' narration and characters. I, for one, would love to see how this could be adapted and even expanded on (with additional chapters or a possible sequel).

Loved the narrator of this audiobook - she was perfect or the anger and history and love in this story. I have not yet read something bad by P. Djèlí Clark, and this novella is no exception. Set just a year after the Tulsa massacre in Georgia during the re-rise of the KKK after the release of the racist Birth of a Nation, the story follows a group of African Americans (and oddly, Emma Goldman) touched by the supernatural fighting against the otherworldly beings using the KKK for their own ends. Mixing the racist history of the USA with Lovecraftian horror is a high wire act - hearing about this I was worried the giving the KKK a supernatural tinge could discount the evil that they did. But Clark mostly avoids that by making the story barely focus on the white people at all. The focus is on the African Americans and their magic (the titular shouts from Gullah culture), strength, heroism, choices, and above all personhood. This is a great read.

Great story, great characters and excellent storytelling.
I loved this story and was fascinated by the characters and the plot.
The world building is excellent and the narrators voice kept my attention alive.
Strongly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

This is one of those times when I think “what did I just read”? Or in my case “what did I just listen to”. I started this audiobook at least 3 different times because I kept getting lost. But notice, I never gave up because it’s so weird you just have to see what is going to happen next. I loved it. It was such a different look at race, fantasy, magical realism, etc. And it leaves itself open for a sequel. I think this book would make for great discussion in a university class. Heck even in bookclub, but most of the book clubs I know probably wouldn’t read it, or would lose interest before chapter 5 because of confusion. I once had a young boy say to me after reading The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants” “I loved it. I don’t get it, but I loved it.” At the time I thought that was an odd statement, but this is the second time in my life, I have found a book for which I have to say the same thing. I think before the sequel comes out I would pick up the print book. I'm not the greatest at audiobooks, but I can say I loved it. I don’t get all of it, but I loved it.
#ReadHarder - intimidated to read
#musicchallenge - david bowie space oddity
#Popsugar - on a BLM booklist

Part of what I love about Ring Shout was how clever it is. Clark takes this historical fiction setting, infuses it with magic and shows not only their racism, but the mixture of sorcery and magic to blur the lines between them. The racism that Maryse and her community is immersed in and struggling to figure out how to fight for their future. How they're struggling to find a way to move forwards and to survive. And all I could think about is how we're still struggling with this same fight today.

So apart from how obsessed I was with the historical fiction touches, the audio book brought the novella to life. The action scenes read, or listened, like a movie or tv show. Channie Waites is able to bring you to the battle. With the fear coursing through your veins and the fire on your back. Waites has such a way with differentiating the characters and even bringing a musical element to the experience. Ring Shout has incredibly emotional high and lows.

This is definitely a unique book! It's a mixture of history, horror and fantasy. The audiobook is certainly well-performed and I'm actually quite pleased that I got a chance to listen to it, rather than read it! The premise of Macon, Georgia in 1922 sets the stage for the narrator, Maryse, and her friends who have the sight to see the truth beneath the hoods and robes of the Ku Klux Klan members - they are real monsters in spirit and flesh with too many teeth and too many eyes. But when they learn of a spell buried within the re-release of the film A Birth of a Nation and some new types of monsters, the stakes are even higher than normal.

Honestly, this is more of a novella, and it moves at quite a fast pace while still giving plenty of detail into both the characters' development and the setting. It's certainly on the gory side, too - much bloodier even than I imagined it would be. The audio performance is truly stellar, too - and there seems to be room for this to be more than just a single book. I would definitely be interested in seeing more of these characters!

I also really appreciated all of the female warriors! The only thing that I wanted was a little more detail about the true nature of these monsters - though if this becomes a series, I suppose that leaves room for it to be added!

This book was wild! It combined so many genres - from fantasy, to horror, to historical - and seamlessly wove them together with some seriously kick-a$$ Black female resistance fighters who carried this intense and fast-paced story.

The "Ku Klux" are not your typical Klansmen. There's something way more demonic and sinister about them and our three protagonists are fighting to protect what is left of their community. It's a fascinating twist on the Black experience and the horrors of the KKK, incorporating cultural elements in a profound alternative history.

The audiobook was really fun - Lovecraft Country meets The Walking Dead - and you felt it ALL while listening. My heart was pounding in the most riveting of fight scenes and I loved the rich accents and quotes - the narrator really brought the story to life in my mind.

The historical aspect was equally fascinating and gut wrenching. It's a unique take on a good vs. evil and monster/vampire slayer tale, and done in the most magical and unexpected of ways.

I'm definitely picking up Birth of a Nation after reading this one. This book would make a really great movie as well!

Compelling and powerful novella; innovative twist on the theme of hatred and racial injustice. A fantasy sci fi that reimagines the Ku Klux Klan as monsters in a magical world.  Strong female lead and empowering message. The narrator really added to the enjoyment of the story and this would be a great physical read as well. A fast paced and well written story that is engaging from start to finish. Thank you to Net Galley for allowing me to review this audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

I wish I picked up this book sooner! If you're looking for a great story that seamlessly weaves some history, African folklore, some badass women, and body horror - Look no further!

I don't tend to love novellas because they often feel too short. However, I was very satisfied with this one. There was so much to this story in so very few pages. It managed to get me to feel for the characters and I typically need more than 176 pages to do that.

The audiobook was also very enjoyable. I think the narrator really helped me get immersed in the story with the accents and the tone of voice. The main character went through a variety of emotions in this story and the narrator did a very good job at intensifying them with her voice.

Thank you to RB Media for a free audio recording of this book.

This was a really compelling and powerful look at the damage hate can do. In a history only slightly different from our own, the Ku Klux Klan are literal monsters summoned by the sorcerer D. W. Griffith using his film The Birth of a Nation as a rallying cry to unleash hell on Earth. I loved the protagonist, Maryse who hunts down and kills 'Ku Kluxers' and thought that Clark did a fantastic job of providing nuance and depth to her narrative, given the length of the book. I thought the narrator really brought the characters to life with skill and vitality, which is always a massive plus. The world created here is frightening and unsettling, more so when you see how closely it mirrors historical events and I would be intrigued to read more stories about Maryse, Chef and the others as I think their fight could prove to be a depressingly long one.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for an Audiobook copy in exchange for an honest review.

Ring Shout follows what could have been in the 1920's if the Klan had swept the nation....oh and if there was magic and monsters. Klansmen sometimes evolve into horrific monsters that only some have the sight to see. These monsters creep around eating Dogs and amplify the hatred in those around them.

This book was hard for me to get into originally, but after I started it again and gave it my full focus it turned out to be a nice quick read. It gave thought provoking life to hatred and how people let it fester and feed them. The characters were hard to follow sometimes, and the story was pretty choppy sounding during certain points, but I believe that was more on how the narrator read this story rather than the story itself. Honestly, if I had read it rather than listened to it, this could easily have been a 4.5 to 5 star rating.

I highly recommend this book for anyone, even middle school age. It carries a message that seems to be more relevant than ever in today's world. My only ask is this: Don't buy the audiobook, read it and let the characters introduce themselves to you as you imagine them, not as the narrator did.

4.5 stars.

I really enjoyed this audiobook. Wow, what a story. Clever, original, and a wild ride. I think this is one I want to reread in print!

Thank you to RB Media/Recorded Books & NetGalley for providing me with a copy of the audiobook in exchange for an honest review.