I've been hit or miss with Chupeco's story but I will always try because her stories seem so intriguing when the summaries are released yet I never quite vibe with the story itself. This one has all the hallmarks of an epic horror set on a remote island that is being exposed by Hollywood forces and it awakens the island in ways that are scarier and scarier. Chupeco uses folklore and myth to tie it together with the Filipino main character and her interactions with these outsiders.

So I will certainly recommend it but it didn't work for me because I needed something more atmospheric out of the opening to pull me in. So I was half-vested reading the rest.

Thanks to NetGalley for an e-arc of this georgous georgous book!
The Sacrifice was eerie and spooky yet a page turner. I was hooked from the first sentence and from there couldnt stop reading it.
I must admit at first the characters were a bit confusing to me since Alon, the main character, dosent call them all by their name but either their last name or a nickname or even their first and last name. So since there was quite a few characters it wss hard to get them appart.
I loved the concept of a documentary on a cursed/hunted island. It just gets crazier throughout the whole book and the ending has plot twist that you won't see coming!! Although I kinda saw them coming but i was not disappointed it was so good.
The romance was cute and didn't take too much space. It was well done and I was rooting for our 2 love interest.
If you love island and especially spooky island that .ight be cursed with weird ghostly apparitions, a bad ass main character and some LGBTQ+ representation, this book is definetly for you. It's horror-ish and the writting was really good.

I couldn't help but think this would make an absolutely fantastic horror movie. Netflix should definitely get in on this.
Taking the usual haunted island idea but making the Hollywood documentary idea was a unique way of presenting it, especially with the fantastic visual feast the author laid out.
I googled Balete trees so I could properly understand the creepy way that the branches resemble hands and limbs and could twist and smother their prey.
Each of the characters had their own specific personality as well as their flaws and Rin Chupeco made them all come alive.
The rhyme about who is to be sacrificed didn't feel like it specifically matched to those who died but I allowed it a little leeway. Genuinely enjoyed it and finished it in one sitting. Excellent.

With The Sacrifice Rin Chupeco makes a welcome return to YA horror after several years writing dark fantasy. The Girl from the Well (2014) and sequel The Suffering (2015) were outstanding reads, with the former ranked ten in our top fifty YA horror novels of the last decade. It was one scarily terrific horror novel! Like those earlier works Chupeco makes full use of the folklore and mythology of the Philippines, setting the action entirely on a remote island which is bot highly inaccessible quite possibly cursed. The action opens with a group of loud and obnoxious American filmmakers arriving at the island of Kisapmata, after greasing the hands of the local government to visit a location which is normally out-of-bounds to tourists. The island has a history of disappearances, strange occurrences and the novel nicely delves deeply into local folklore, curses, demons, gods, sacrifices and builds an impressive body count (with some nasty kills along the way) as the mystery deepens and the film goes way off track. Of course, initially the loud Americans do not believe any of this and treat the local teen (Alon) who becomes their guide as a gullible mug. Big mistake.

Most of the Americans were deserving of their fate, but the novel revolves around the native Alon. This character was presented predominately as gender-neutral and it was hard to decide whether the teen was male or female, although some of the reasoning for this was revealed much later in the plot. Because of the nature of this character the first-person narrative was very vague (I found it slightly bland) and they are presented almost as an observer who warns the Americans of what lies ahead, but in actual fact does not do much to truly put them off. On the day of their arrival a huge sink hole appears in the camp, which uncovers ancient looking trees which look like wizened dried out old people and from there on the book begins to motor. This was a good fast read, even though the characters were relatively shallow the location was terrific and the use of the supernatural was very convincing. I saw the ending coming and will be interested to find out whether genuine teen readers do the same. It’s great to have Rin writing horror again! AGE RANGE 13+

Thank you NetGalley, Sourcebooks Fire, and Rin Chupeco for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review! Sadly, I couldn’t really get into this book, but I understand why many people would like it. It has a really interesting premise and I liked the setting of the island. It’s a creepy book and I think that a lot of people would enjoy that. I had a couple of issues with the pacing and characters, but nothing too major. I’m giving it three stars, but I definitely recommend picking it up and trying it.

I love the idea of the story, but I felt towards the end a lot of info is thrown at the reader and it’s hard to process it all. Since this isn’t the final version, I’m hopeful that some grammatical errors, alternating pronouns that were def typos for the MC, and other minor issues will be cleared up. I appreciated a non-binary character, but some of the other characters did seem a bit flat.

3.5 stars but rounding up to 4 because the idea is great and it’s mostly successful.

Rin is probably one of my favorite authors. That said, this did not hold up to what I expected (writing wise) from this author. I truly don't know if I'd read this again. HOWEVER I definitely recommend people try to read this

I was not ready for this book. It was terrifying in parts, suspenseful in others, and wrapped up in the end beautifully. A picture-perfect island that is rumored to be haunted. A Hollywood team comes in to make a show about it, but deaths are happening and the crew members appear to be losing their minds. What is causing it and how do they stop it?

I’ve long been a fan of Chupeco’s work – young adult horror for anyone wondering – so I had extremely high hopes for The Sacrifice. Unfortunately, while the plot was appealing and there were a few great creepy moments, this book fell a bit flat for me. While Chupeco makes the island setting unbelievably creepy, I would have loved a lot more of the creepiness. The pacing really slowed the story down, especially in the middle. I also struggled which the one dimensional supporting characters.

I expect that the final version of the book will improve on some of [the editorial] issues , and I suspect that I was more disappointed because of my high expectations. While I didn’t love this one, someone else might. Definitely good for anyone looking for a spooky read.

The Sacrifice is a solid 4/5 star book that perfectly fits into my very-specific-sub-genre of "creepy flowers and trees on the cover". The horror of this book is incredible and I had to read it with my back against the wall so I knew nothing would sneak up on me. The ending was a WILD ride and I loved the ride. Having a nonbinary Filipino character was lovely. My two hold-ups for not giving this book five stars are:
1. The horror was fantastic, but there was too much repetition, too much of the same events happening over and over. This dulled the scare-factor for me as I became acclimated to experiencing the same moments over and over. I think there could have been a little more variety of events.
2. The romance felt rushed and forced into the book. The same emotional reaction could have been achieved with a platonic friendship.

3.5

An exhilarating horror suspense novel centering around a NB Phillipinx MC! Fast-paced, dark, and not to mention, there is a dog who is a main character in the book.

I highly recommend this for fans of Jungle Cruise, Pirates of the Caribbean, etc. because while this was a “horror” novel, the island/treasure/old god out with a vengeance vibes dominate the story.

I don't even know where to start with this one. 
The cover I absolutely love and can't wait to get me a copy for my shelf!
This was a brilliant book.
I thought the pacing was exquisite and flowed nicely.
The writing was extremely easy to follow along to.
The descriptions were spot-on, but also the plot itself was utterly gipping.
I loved the force and suspense throughout. It drew me in and kept me engaged the entire way. It read like a movie; vivid and tense.
This was well written and unputdownable from the first page.
Hang on to your seat… Adrenaline-fuelled thrill ride… Will keep you riveted and reading till the early hours!

“I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.”

Sourcebooks Fire,
Thank You for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!
I will post my review to my platforms, blog, B&N and Waterstone closer to pub date.

I’m so excited to say I enjoyed this!
The first thing I want to mention is I loved the Filipino representation in this. It’s so great to see stories from other countries that mix in their culture and language without having the need to translate every little thing to make it easier for the readers. If we want to learn something, we can look it up ourselves. I love when authors do this.
The story itself was interesting and unique. Seeing the behind the scenes of how tv documentaries are made and the people behind it was nice to read about it. I know some people may find this part boring so I suggest to try it out and see but if you’re not feeling it then you may want to drop this book. The haunted island and Alon’s (the main character) warnings made the island feel mysterious and you want to discover the reasons why.
Alon was a great main character, they made the story much better. The other characters were interesting and frustrating. Chase, poor Chase. I liked him in the beginning but he quickly because annoying. If he was a more minor character he’d probably be better.
Chupeco has created a creepy, haunting story that could keep you up all night. The ending for me was unexpected and was very pleasing. I hope you try this and enjoy it yourself.

3.5 stars

I am a huge scaredy cat, so I usually avoid horror films or books. Making an exception for The Sacrifice, however, is worth my time. I love the small island vibes of Kisapmata, reminiscent of the haunted tales told about Siquijor and my own visits to my relatives who live along coastal Aurora. This book stoked a fresh fear of the balete, and it also compels the reader to discard the usual Western tropes to understand the Diwata. I love, love, love the writing style, and it shows how much Chupeco has grown from earlier novels. In particular, the tone of the book reminds me of the Older Tea chapters in The Bone Witch, and to have a whole book with my favorite aspect of their writing is such a treat.

I particularly love the themes that the author dares to address in this work: Hollywood as an interloper bringing in a new form of colonialism, white creators who speak over the voices of people who live and breathe these tales, #MeToo movement, labor rights in the media industry, and so much more. The commentary can get too heavy-handed at times and might feel like agenda-setting, but I agree with many of the stands presented here.

However, my biggest drawback would be the lore. Initially, I was willing to overlook the wonky lore because I loved everything else, but since it was too important to ignore for the resolution, I had no choice but to endure all the ?????? in my head. This would honestly have been a 4-star read, but my confusion over some major aspects sadly made me dock a half-star for this.

SPOILER ALERT:
- Hemslock keeps invoking his theory on Cilapulapu, and I'm afraid that non-Filipinos who are not aware of PH history and context of colonialism might see this as a defense of Magellan, Cortez, and other Spanish colonizers. I strongly believe that it is the opposite of the author's intent, and some more adjustments could have been made to clear this up. But for me, connecting this to the Spanish colonial era feels like a reach. If colonialism were still the theme, why not set in the American colonial era?
- Or: why not pare it down and focus on commodifying remote islands and dismissing indigenous people's beliefs?
- Language: Were the curse, riddles, etc. originally written in English, Tagalog, Spanish, or another Philippine language? Not gonna go deep into translation theory here, but much of the magic and mystery of folklore lies in the language and its corresponding cultural connections.

I do love this a lot, as long as I don't think too hard about its lore. I recommend it for the haunted island vibes, the beautiful writing style, the atmosphere, and the commentary on Hollywood culture, but I advise you to take the history presented here with a grain of salt.

I always love the trope of consequences of going to places you shouldn't be. For example The Mummy or King Kong. So I was very excited to see that trope used in this book as well, while also bringing up the conversation of people not leaving Native islands and their peoples alone and trying to colonize land for profit. I felt like the plot was very well done and I could not put this book down!

Wow! What a thrill ride this story is, and how quickly I devoured it.

The writing is lush and draws the reader in, as does the unfolding story; while the twist isn’t hard to guess, it doesn’t matter, guessing it couldn’t detract one bit from my enjoyment. I enjoyed reading the story as it unfolded.

A horror story shrouded in mystery, with a complex cast of characters to love or hate. My favourite character was Askal but Alon and the paranormal creatures populating the island were close seconds.

Grab this book, get comfy and prepare to enjoy… (but not in the evening if you get nervous about things going bump in the night).

I must add that I loved The Bone Witch series so was predisposed to enjoy this title too.

With thanks to Netgalley and Sourcebooks Fire for my ARC.

Goodness! This was epic/amazingly good for a horror book.

I really wasn't expecting much when I started reading the book, but the writing and the story took me away. It's been a while since I've read an adventure/horror book like this and I really recommend that it be made into a movie. It has a very good movie material so, I am here knocking on the producer's door and asking for them to recognize this horror-piece of a gem.

Thank you to NetGalley, Author Rin Chupeco, and Sourcebooks FIre for granting me an E-Arc in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me access to this book for an honest review!

Rin Chupeco is an author who has been on my TBR for the longest time but this is the first book by them that I read. I thought it would probably be The Never Tilting World or Wicked As You Wish but hey, I'm happy it was this one and I absolutely can't wait to read more of their works.

The Sacrifice is set on Kisapmata, an island in the Philippines known for its creepiness and various creepy events on the island. When some people from Hollywood decide to make a documentary on the island in spite of the warnings given by locals, the MC, Alon, a local, takes it upon himself to see it through so no one gets hurt.

The writing style is sufficiently creepy and paints a vivid picture of the things happening on the island. It flows smoothly and is very captivating, I couldn't stop reading!! I loved the descriptions, they were so raw and intriguing and the mystery element was just enough to keep me reading and not get irritated.

At first, it did feel like a typical horror movie story but the writing and the world-building give it a lot of depth and new elements. I would definitely pay to watch a horror movie based on this novel. It was that amazing!!

I really liked some of these characters, and the way they were written, including, of course, Alon, Chase, and Melissa. I also liked how Mr. Gries's character is written and all the depths and layers that the author adds to all the characters playing any sort of role in the story.

This would be a perfect read for the witchy/spooky season! And it also features bi (Chase) and non-binary (Alon) characters!

Actual rating: 4.5

TWs: Racism, death, grief, violence

I really liked the horror idea behind this book, the characters too where great and I enjoyed learning there back stories without them being too in-depth and lengthy just enough for you to get an understanding. I loved the twist at the end I really wasn’t expecting it. However the reason for the 3* is due to there being some really slow parts of the story and I found those really ruined some of the great bits for me.
Never the less a good read, probably enjoyable for young teen readers as a beginner horror.

I received an eARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I feel like I just read a movie. This book was so good at painting a picture in my mind that it didn’t feel like I was reading; it felt like I was watching a horror movie. I did figure out fairly early on the twist but I still enjoyed the journey to the end. I don’t feel like the twist at the end of this book was meant to be the hook. I was so invested in these characters. Even when that just meant that I absolutely hated some of these characters and could not wait for them to die lol. I love the representation in this book. I will not be surprised if this book is turned into a movie and if it is I want to see it. It definitely gives me Lost (the TV show) vibes.