This book is categorized as horror and I know horror is a subjective feeling, but the reason why this book doesn't feel like a horror book to me is because of the lack of tension in the narrative and writing style. No one has any personality among all of these people in the island and the reveals and sightings and overall weird shits happening are so bland and just there. I am so disappointed because I have hyped this book so much in my head because of the beautiful cover and the very interesting premise. However, I could care less for the actual writing and narration.

3.5 rounded up to 4.
Pristine beaches, lush greenery, and perfect weather, the island of Kisapmata would be the vacation destination...if not for the curse. The Filipino locals speak of it in hushed voices and refuse to step foot on the island. They know the lives it has claimed. They won't be next.

A Hollywood film crew won't be dissuaded. Legend claims a Dreamer god sleeps, waiting to grant unimaginable powers in exchange for eight sacrifices. The producers are determined to document the evidence. And they convince Alon, a local teen, to be their guide.

Within minutes of their arrival, a giant sinkhole appears, revealing a giant balete tree with a mummified corpse entwined in its gnarled branches. And the crew start seeing strange visions. Alon knows they are falling victim to the island's curse. If Alon can't convince them to leave, there is no telling who will survive. Or how much the Dreamer god will destroy...

Chupeco has a really distinctive style and creates interesting and intriguing characters that are hard not to either love or hate and The Sacrifice is full of many of these. The storyline is full of mystery and tension and kept me guessing what was going to happen next… but more importantly… who would be next!

I really enjoy the way Chupeco uses traditional culture, history and mythology in her writing to add a sense of realism to her spooky tales and it’s fun learning new things about cultures I normally wouldn’t be exposed to.

My only qualm with The Sacrifice is that the plot kind of dragged towards the end and I would have liked a snappier, more impactful ending. Overall though, very enjoyable.

A legendary island notorious for curses and missing people and human sacrifices becomes the set for a Hollywood film crew in this tale of you-dumb-people-shoulda-left-well-enough-alone. Mysterious local, teenage Alon, becomes the guide for the documentary team, which is headed up by their fearless leader, a reality show survivalist who is hell-bent on making a comeback. Or is there more to it than that? Everyone is a bit more, or a lot more on this island where mysterious things breathe and move and won't stay dead ...or were never really alive...if they were ever really there at all? I loved the setting and the atmosphere of this story, which I thought was thrillingly original. The nonbinary Alon was aloof and enigmatic, and very, very cool, and if I was looking for some YA horror, I would have loved this. But I wasn't, and i didn't realize that's... sort of what this story is. is. If that's your thing, you'll dig this.

Having read previous novels from the author I was looking forward to this new one and I was not disappointed at all, I breezed through it and thoroughly enjoyed it.

The Sacrifice was fast paced, thrilling and had a lot of suspense moments in there. An amazing read that kept me questioning my thoughts and will make you want to keep reading. The premise was different that what I go for but it was a nice change.

Starting off a Hollywood film crew are making a documentary about a cursed island in the Philippines, we are introduced to the care taker of the Island - Alon who will also be their tour guide for their time there on the island. He does warn them about the island and it will end very badly for them if they go ahead but our film crew swipe the warnings under the carpet and only care about fame, money and their reputation’.

Run Chupeco did an amazing job entwining mythology, Filipino culture as well as Cultural appropriation and other amazing aspects in the novel which is eye opening to the readers. The book was so very creepy and kept me engaged throughout my whole read. It had a good amount of gore in which I like. Overall a great read and I couldn’t recommend it enough. I am looking forward to other novels the author will bring out in the near future.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for my copy in exchange of an honest review.

Fabulous.

The premise of this book was so interesting, and I definitely found myself ripping through the read. I loved Alon and loved to hate the American film crew that barged into the island of Kisapmata. The book was intense and spooky, with a really captivating narrative I enjoyed quite a bit.

There were some parts that felt a bit weaker than others in the carry out, but ultimately I didn’t pay much attention as the book was so great at capturing the eerie happenings on the island.

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

ARC was given by NetGalley & Sourcebooks Fire in exchange for an honest review.

This review is being published before the release date (October 4th, 2022)

Content/Trigger Warnings: Death, murder, loss of a loved one/parent (in the past), mentions of plane crash, racism, themes of colonization & gentrification, alcoholism, talk of cheating, human sacrifices, cult themes, depictions of blood, graphic violence, gun violence, mentions of domestic violence, gaslighting & manipulation (from Hemslock), mentions of suicide, scene of dog being shot



“It is believed that when people hear the screaming, someone is about to die.”

It’s no secret that Rin Chupeco has easily become one of my favorite authors and when this earc landed in my lap, with a synopsis that lures you in, I had to start this book immediately. And of course, recommend it to all my horror/thriller loving friends! This was probably the easiest 5 stars I’ve given all year and I didn’t even think about it because at the end of this book, I just couldn’t stop saying ‘wow’ and I stand by that statement. Also, before we get into this review, I want to quickly mention that there is a dog in this book. For those wondering, ‘Does the dog die?’ No, the dog doesn’t die and despite my content/trigger warning, I’m not going to say anything else. Just know that this book is full of twists, turns, and surprises! And I also want to mention that this book won’t be for everyone, but this was the right book for me.

The island of Kisapmata is a beautiful place, but despite that beauty the locals fear the island and know of all the lives lost who stepped foot on it. With a body count of fifteen people dead, Hollywood quickly descends upon Kisapmata, determined to find out if the legend of a slumbering god is true and document everything. Alon, the only person who’s unafraid of stepping foot on the island wants nothing more than for everyone one to leave this place. And if he can’t convince them, there’s only one thing sure to happen… death and destruction.

Chupeco has such a beautiful and detailed way of building her worlds and establishing her characters. One of the biggest things that always sucks me into a Rin Chupeco book is the detailing in the environment and the those little details that make a character feel real. That’s what you get with this book. Plus, I’ve mention this to a few people, but it gives very strong Mummy vibes (for those who have seen the movies) and The Dark Picture Anthology vibes for fellow gamers. You get a rich, detailed, atmospheric book with characters who are so well detailed that even the ones you’ll come to dislike, you can’t help enjoying. Trust me when I say, there’s a lot of characters to dislike in this book, but I enjoyed them anyway because of those little details the author added in. I also want to point out that there is no good or bad person in this book, either. Okay, that’s a bit of a lie because there’s one lovely madman/power hungry nutjob thrown into this book that just makes this book feel just right. Otherwise, most of the characters are morally grey despite a few characters having bad pasts and you see the confliction in a lot of the side characters about certain things later on in the story. I also want to put in here that Alon, our main character is non-binary and the love interest, Chase Gries is either bisexual or pansexual. And I kind of really loved them a whole heck-a-ton!

“The living bring their own ghosts to the shore, and only the latter are honest about why.”

There’s also so many themes within this book and I think this is one of the strongest reasons why I fell madly in love with it. The author never holds back on themes she wants to include in her books. When Chupeco decides to include these themes, they’re beautifully woven throughout and honestly, at time, I think it’s hard for many readers to pick them out because they’re so intricately laced in the story. The prime example, there are a few characters we see who are haunted by their past choices and we see how the choices of those pasts can impact the way the characters are in the now. And there’s many other themes like that sprinkled throughout.

Respect was one of the major themes that really spoke to me because I’m a huge believer in respect. Not just respect being earned instead of given, but also showing respect to foreign people and a culture that isn’t your own. There were so many moments in this book that put an emphasis on respect and how even a little bit of it can go a long way. We also see what happens when disrespect occurs and how people respond to that disrespect. Though this theme isn’t a major theme of this book, it’s one I wanted to highlight and put emphasis on.

“Respect is key. But most foreigners don’t have that for us.”

The other major theme of this book ties in with colonization, gentrification, and how when foreigners come to a place that isn’t their own, they constantly demand and take, and if that doesn’t work then they just pay everyone off so they can do what they want. If you think this doesn’t actually happen, then you would be very, very wrong. This is something that still continues in North America with the Native/Indigenous people to this day and this is something that constantly occurs in other places such as the Philippines and South America, and many other places in the world. This was a theme that spoke to me on so many levels, for a plethora of reasons. And I want to point out, that with the entitlement that comes from foreigners to a new place that isn’t their own, there’s a lot of racism that comes along with that too. Prime example, Chase Gries, the love interest, upon arriving on Kisapmata hands all of his bags of to Alon and assumes they are “the help” when Alon is actually the guide and local of Kisapmata for the entire production cast. There’s also conversations in the beginning with a side character who talks with Alon of how Hollywood likes to take advantage of, not only young people, but foreign people, as well. These are just two of the various moments that highlight this key theme of the book. And again, this themes ties back to the themes of respect and how respect is often disregarded by majority of people who aren’t locals.

“No. The opportunities you have in America are not always available everywhere.”

Of course I have to talk about the mythology of this book! You knew this was coming at some point in this review and we’re finally here. I have absolutely fallen in love with Filipino mythology because of Rin Chupeco and this book is no exception. This book, like all of Chupeco’s books, are very unapologetically Filipino. The amount of notes of words I had to go look up, the creatures and legends I spent three hours scrolling to learn more about, it was just everything. It filled my heart with so much joy and honestly, I wanted even more and was so sad when the book came to an end. Though the author does add English translation or the definition afterwards, I still wanted to do my own research. That also lead me down many rabbits holes and a lot of late hours scrolling to learn as much as I could find. I really enjoyed that this book motivated me to look into things more and I also love when you can tell an author is being unapologetically themselves in their book, as well. I think this will be something many readers will either like or dislike. That’s just always been the nature of the beast when it comes to things like this, but I strongly encourage readers to look things up if they still don’t understand. And if you’re a mythology lover like me, the extra research is so worth it!

If I had to say anything negative about this book (which I don’t), aside from the Filipino words/language and mythology, I think many readers may have issues with romantic subplot. Now for me, this wasn’t any sort of issue and I kind of enjoyed it. I really liked that it still happened, but it wasn’t a main focus of the story and it wasn’t too much of a standout that it impacted the main storyline. However, I think if you’re a reader who’s not always a fan of romantic subplots, this could go either way for you.

And I will say, I don’t think the horror in this book will be for everyone. I think there will be readers who thoroughly enjoy this book because of the horror/thrilling aspects of it, but I think there will be many readers who get chills or become unnerved by a lot of the things that unfold in this book. Again, this is another thing that could go fifty-fifty for many readers. Obviously, I loved it and really enjoyed the way things unfolded and played out.

“The Diwata knows. He knows all who come to his shores. He remembers us after we die.”

Overall, I had a wonderful time reading this book! I saw so many similarities between this book and The Mummy, and for the video game lovers, The Dark Picture Anthology series. It was the perfect read for me! And let me say, curling up with this book while it’s storming outside was absolutely delightful and meshed so well with the story inside these pages. If you’re looking for a good atmospheric read for Summerween or for just fall reading in general, then you definitely need to put this book on your radar. It’s the perfect spooky read for lovers of all things spooky!


The quotes above were taken from an ARC and are subject to change upon publication.

TW: violence, racism, body horror, death, guns, alcohol usage, grief, mentions of SA

The Sacrifice was a compelling read but I have conflicting feelings about it.

If there is one thing I know about my reading taste, it's that I love a good horror book set on an island. And I loved that about this book. I loved the peaceful setting of a relaxing island mixing with horror elements and the whole atmosphere it creates. This book does that perfectly. The horror elements and all of the twists that happened were intriguing. But that ending!! I haven't been able to stop thinking about it!!

But I had a whole bunch of tiny problems with this book. One is the writing style. Something about it just made the first half of the story very confusing. Also the main character Alon refers to all of the characters by a nickname, which got very confusing because there are A LOT of characters. Most of the characters seemed like a caricature. Like the Hollywood producer guy is bad and takes advantage of people, the social media star is dumb and only cares about how people are perceiving him, etc.

Another thing that kinda threw me off (but will hopefully get resolved before the book is published) is that the main character Alon states that they don't see themselves as either male or female but every character in the book refers to them as "he" and there's never a conversation or any sort of correction to this. Even the love interest who states that he has nonbinary friends, never corrects anyone about Alon's pronouns, and he also would occasionally refer to Alon as "he". Hopefully, this gets fixed or something is added in before the final copy is published.

So while this book had the makings of something I would love, I just had a few small problems (and the big pronoun problem that I'm holding out hope of it getting fixed). I do think lots of people who read a lot of YA horror would enjoy this book. I think it does a lot of new things with the plot twists, and it's just a fun read.

Rating: 2 stars (will be lowered if the pronoun problem doesn't get fixed)

*Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book has a lot going on. Some of it works and some of it doesn't. The creep factor with the vines and trees, haunted history, cultists, ghosts, curses--all fantastic! Hemslock's altering character was interesting and entertaining. Nothing like a sinister Hollywood idiot thinking he's done no wrong and getting his comeuppance. He's a dynamic character and I couldn't wait to see what maniac idea he had next. And there's a twist at the end that I thought was kind of brilliant. What didn't work for me, at all, was the forced romance between nonbinary Alon and pretty boy Chase. It was totally unnecessary to the plot. Alon is asexual, stoic, and evasive. Chase is the same age but lacks maturity and any alluring qualities. Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC.

Thank you to Sourcebooks Fire and NetGalley for the ARC! This was fast paced, suspenseful, and a little bit grotesque. It’s an easy read that makes you want to keep reading and I finished it in under 24 hours. I thought the premise was really unique - a Hollywood film crew decides to make a documentary series about a cursed island in the Philippines, and Alon, the teenage caretaker of the island, acts as their tour guide. Alon warns them that things are going to end badly, but they’re more concerned with money and reputation.

There are creepy tree monsters, an ancient god who requires sacrifices, ghosts of people who have been wronged, scary caves, sinkholes, cultists, murders, and more. There is just a hint of romance which I thought was cute. The twist at the end was good as well, a great spooky read all around!

I have read books from this author previously and of course, when I found out she was writing another novel, I was absolutely thrilled to be able to have the opportunity to read it. This was nothing short of what I imagined, the gothic atmosphere Combined with the plot and the characters, was excellent. I cannot wait to see what Chupeco has planned for the near future!

They were warned to stay away. They didn’t listen.

4.5 stars rounded up.

——

The premise of this book instantly captured me. Haunted island setting? Count me it! Once I started this book, I could not put it down. From the plot to the pacing, this book is a page turner. Run Chupeco did such a wonderful job entwining Filipino culture and mythology, the harm of gentrification and cultural appropriation, the negative effect of colonialism past and present. This book was wonderfully creepy, gory and kept me engaged the entire time I read it.

One thing I didn’t love was the romance. I was pretty bored and unconvinced by it overall, but loved the LGBTQIA+ representation! The narrator was unreliable in a negative way and just fell kind of flat for me.

This book is creepy, well written and an absolute joy to experience.

3.5 stars. This book sounded like the perfect horror story with an island vibe. A remote island is being exposed by Hollywood and it awakens the island's god. The island punishes people for their awfulness.

I enjoyed the creepiness of this book. Seeing figures through the trees, over someone's shoulder, in the background of photos, etc. The descriptions of the creatures were done well and I could easily see them in my mind. I struggled with the romance aspect. I honestly don't think that the story needed it. It took away from the horror aspect of the story. The ending left me wanting more.

This book was a nice creepy read!

Thanks to Netgalley and Sourcebooks Fire for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

3.5/5, rounded up to four stars. The description of the Sacrifice immediately hooked me: a haunted island, a dreamer god, and a documentary film crew. The book didn't disappoint in those aspects. I loved the plot of this, but at times the main character, Alon, felt a little detached. While this played into their mysterious nature, it did make it hard to relate to them at points. Aside from this, it was a pretty solid YA horror. I loved how Chupeco intertwined gentrification, colonialism, and cultural appropriation into the classic horror elements of cults and ghost stories. The Sacrifice is pretty fast-paced, too, once the action starts it doesn't really let up. The twist at the end was amazing and completely unexpected.

Thanks to Netgalley and Sourcebooks for allowing me to read this ARC!

First off, Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

The description of this book sucked me in and I knew I needed to read it. Monsters, my home country (Philippines), creepy horror vibes? Please count me in. Let me tell you, that I COULD NOT PUT THIS BOOK DOWN! Seriously, I could not. This book was so well paced and perfect for a day of reading in my bed.

Now what I loved:
- As a person from the Philippines, I knew I needed to read this. The culture was perfectly depicted. I also loved the mythology of the Phillipines weaved in there. I was so happy to see how well it was represented! I’m a huge fan of AAPI representation in any book!
- LGBTQI+ representation! Our main character Alon is non-binary
- Pacing was well done. The book will keep you on your toes.
- The horror and creepy vibes was absolutely spooky. The world building was also well done. This book hands down gave me the creeps

This book was a fun read that I enjoyed 100%. I cannot wait to read future books by this author. This read is perfect for anyone looking for a fun and spooky read. 4 stars out or 5!

Wow! This was incredible! A truly unique and fascinating experience.

This was my first ever book by Rin Chupeco but now I want to read everything this author has written. I ended up reading it all in less than 24 hours. I loved the characters and how dynamic they were. Usually I have trouble keeping track of so many characters, but they were all so fleshed out that I was able to tell them apart instantly.

This entire book played out like a movie in my head. I was captivated the entire time. This is one book I'd love to see adapted on the big screen.

Rin Chupeco returns to YA horror with this fast, timely read! I loved the concept and the setting (Philippines). Rin expertly incorporated folklore with modern-day horror, told from the eyes of a non-binary character living on the island where an American film crew are exploring and filming. This is an easier read compared to some of the author's other works, like The Bone Witch. It's a great summer/fall horror read to add to the collection!

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

I was drawn to The Sacrifice for the stunning cover. Then I noticed it was by an author on my TBR (Bone Witch) so I decided to give it a try. I really enjoyed it!

The story is about a deadly island oasis haunted by a non binary teen and something else that lingers just beyond the shadows. A paranormal film crew comes in to make a documentary about the hauntings and HUMAN SACRIFICES that have happened on the island. While filming, some spooky things go down. There's a little bit of romance. Ah, young love. It was sweet and important to the story, but this is not a romance book. The main character speaks Tagalog occasionally, so that was cool to see another language. Also I've never read a book set in the Philippines. I absolutely enjoyed an #OwnVoices book. The pacing and plot were very good, there were a few moments where I literally raised my eyebrows in surprise. (That's a good thing!)

If you're into a little horror, YA, or LGTBQIA stories, give The Sacrifice a go. I read this digitally with NetGalley, but the cover is so beautiful, I might just have to pick up a copy in print too.

Thanks NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire for the ARC!

I should start this off by admitting that I am a Rin Chupeco stan. Ever since I read The Bone Witch I have devoured their books and this book was no different.

I love this book, its a light horror book with scenes of suspense and a little body gore. There are some mentions of sexual assault throughout the book which are not graphic at all, but if you like to steer clear of those themes this may not be the story for you. Every time I read one of Rin's books my knowledge for Asian cultures grows.

Alon is our guide as neo-colonialists in the form of Hollywood has beens storm a local island that is rumored to not only be haunted but host a sleeping God. From the start there is general sense of foreboding and creepiness. This creepy undertone ramps up quickly when a sinkhole opens up and a balete tree pushes forth. Did I mention this balete tree has a human body fused to it? From here the cast and crew grow increasingly scared as the myth of the sleeping God turns out to be more of a reality.

In between all these horrors is a cute little flirtation between Alon and the son of one of our Hollywood interlopers. I love the normalization of queer youth. Honestly this book was a great quick read. I would recommend this book 100%.

Before I begin my review, let's me answer the most important questions without giving away spoilers. This is a horror story, and there is a very cute dog who tags along with our narrator. Don't worry, the dog ends up fine, but there is one scene of animal death that occurs off-page but might be still be triggering for some readers.

Having read Rin Chupeco's The Bone Witch trilogy, I knew I was in for a treat. Let it be known that my expectations for this book were VERY high, and Rin Chupeco surpassed them all!

Spine-tingling, creepy, and ominous, The Sacrifice is a terrifying horror story about a mysterious boy trying to guide a team from Hollywood as they try to film real footage of a cursed island in the Philippines, one where they say a powerful god sleeps, awaiting eight sacrifices that would wake him so he can remake the world.

Where do I even start with this book? I finished this book in one whole sitting because I literally couldn't put it down for a minute. Forget sleep--Rin Chupeco is a master at creating and building the terror that haunts the island, and eventually, the foreign trespassers who barged in with the hopes of monetizing the ghost stories surrounding the island. I loved the way Chupeco took this opportunity to show how the culture, traditions and beliefs of BIPOC groups are often misrepresented by Hollywood to make it more palatable for their audience. This book, despite being a horror novel, does not shy away from the ugly truth: that Hollywood was built by alienizing and dehumanizing any culture that's different.

But I am getting ahead of myself. At the end of the day, The Sacrifice is a YA Horror, and it stays true to the genre. Rin Chupeco pulls out all the stops of all the best horror/slasher movies--while still giving the story its own unique spin. Told from the perspective of a very unreliable and strangely aloof narrator, with every page Chupeco builds on the suspense and intrigue about the island, and the curse that had claimed so many lives and garnered international media attention.

The world-building in this book was phenomenal, and it tied in perfectly with the horror elements of the story. And as always, I loved how Rin Chupeco dived deep into Filipino mythology and lore for this story and drew heavily from folklore surrounding balete trees. It's an intensely fast-paced and action packed novel, and yet Chupeco manages to give us a picturesque view of the serene island where so many unimaginable horrors take place, many during broad daylight.

The one thing that I think many readers might struggle with are the characters. Most of the characters, save for a select handful, are rarely even mentioned by their name when our narrator is telling the story. This creates a sort of disconnect, but I personally felt it was a clever to show who our protagonist actually cares for and who they don't really want to spare a second thought for.

And speaking of the protagonist, I loved the LGBTQ+ representation Chupeco did with Alon. A non-binary queer protagonist, Alon's perception of himself ironically ties in perfectly with his role in the story. I loved having him in my head, and while his aloofness makes it hard to relate to him, I couldn't help but grow fond of him over the course of the story.

Overall, what a fantastic book! It's not easy for me to get spooked, but this one had me up all night, I am not gonna lie.

Chupeco is a master at using the horror / thriller genre to unpack the difficulties of our times, and The Sacrifice is no exception. The story opens with a heavy creepy factor, which increases steadily and immediately while rooting into the stories and culture of the island. I had some difficulty with the first person narration and present tense throughout the story, but I understand the way Chupeco uses these tools will increase the feeling of fear for many readers.