I blasted through this book, eager to find out what happened next and staying up way too late in the process. It was a fun read, and suitably unsettling along the way. The island was creepy and the tension was well-built. I will definitely be recommending this book to patrons who are looking for more YA horror in their lives.

This is horror/ghost story. Lots of suspense and scary imagery/scene. Warning: Do not read this at night or you won't be able to fall asleep. It's an interesting read. I can see it being made into a movie. Totally recommended for people who love horror/ghost stories....

Thanks to the publisher for the arc.

The horror in this book was really good. I was reading this night and literally afraid to go to the bathroom. However there's a few slow parts or just talk of the TV show in which I was really bored. I liked that the main character was nonbinary, but it didn't feel done right. It's never really outright said what Alon's preferred pronouns are, but everyone just assumes and calls Alon "he." Alon says they don't see themself as male or female, Chase says they're nonbinary, and that's the only mention of it. Nonbinary is different for everyone, but I just feel like Alon's pronouns should have been explained somewhere instead of everyone just calling them boy and he. There were also a few spelling errors. I liked the dog in this book and the twists at the end. I could have done without Chase's character.

So this is my first Rin Chupego book! Obviously I’ve heard of her before since she’s quite well known in the YA horror circles, but this was the first book of hers that really caught my eye. The Sacrifice is about a legendary island called Kisapmata renowned for being cursed by the Philippine locals who wouldn’t dare step foot onto it. But of course, a dumbass Hollywood film crew don’t take any of the warnings seriously and insist on being led to the island by a local. And of course, they get caught up in the curse.

“Nobody tells Hollywood about the screaming. Nobody tells Hollywood about the curse. Or the way things walk across the sands here like they were alive enough to breathe. Nobody tells them of the odd ways the night moves around these parts when it thinks no one sees.”

This book is not boring, not for one second. And that is a VERY rare thing. I read a lot of books in this genre. Maybe about 3% of those books genuinely do not have a single boring page. As someone who gets bored easily especially in the first half of whatever I’m reading, this is a really rare thing. From the second this book started, I was incredibly invested and never felt the need to skim because I didn’t want to miss a single thing. And I just HAD to know how this was going to end.

Some of the mythology and way the island and curse worked confused me and made my eyes cross when I tried to reread it but other than that, I don’t really have any complaints. This isn’t quite on the level of a 5 star book because I didn’t close the book feeling wowed, but this was SUCH a fun ride and great for readers who get bored easily!

Thank you to Netgalley and Sourcebooks for sending me an advanced copy in return for my honest review.

I love this book. It’s very fast paced, and it builds to the twist about the protagonist very well. Also I think this is the type of book you read on Halloween or on the dark night if you don’t want to sleep. It’s also nice to have Filipino representation. But I loved that their was a little romance despite the horror

Blog: Anything by Anthony
Link: https://anythingbyanthony.wordpress.com
Date of Publication: September 27th, 2022

Review:
The Sacrifice tells the story of Alon and the cursed island of Kisapmata. Locals shares story and Rufuses to step foot or even come close in fear of the Dreamer good that is asleep beneath. In Chupeco’s next foray into horror, the story mixes in mythology and lore with fears, anticipations, and everything in between.

Chupeco is no stranger to horror as much of their novels has a varying amount horror mixed in. Creatures come from between the trees to a giant sinkhole appearing, whatever happens to film crew, nobody can guess. In some ways, the story will keep you on your toes. However, as the horrors goes on the rise, backstory fails to follow.

It is understood that keeping everything a mystery is what works for the horror aspects of the island. However, with a character like Alon, who knows everything about the island, it felt some information was withheld unintentionally. If Alon provided just a bit more information, the story could have worked much better and the horrors would strike much sharper. In this area, it has its both pros and cons. However, do not let this stop you from giving The Sacrifice a chance. This is definitely one to read.

I would liken The Sacrifice to a summer blockbuster, it's big, bold, and a whole lot of fun!
Chupeco invites you to a pristine Island Oasis, where you'll join a television crew that's hoping to uncover and exploit the islands history and alleged curse. Local guide, Alon, is the only person willing to escort them as they unravel the horrifying mysteries of the island.
The author brilliantly creates a cast of characters that most will instantly recognize, we meet a influencer, a reality survivalist, and a handful of Hollywood big wigs. We're given the task of fleshing out these characters, a job easily done because of the familiarity, and rewarded by jumping headfirst into the action!
If you're in the mood for a page turner brimming with jump scares, and some seriously gnarly imagery, The Sacrifice won't disappoint!

Thanks to NetGalley and SourceSafe books for the review copy.

3/5 Stars (GR!)

The Sacrifice is a fast-paced suspense (oxymoron much?) that features a haunted island, idiot Hollywood shmucks, the cutest dog on the planet — as well as sleeping Gods, tree monsters, and general despair.

Alon is a young man who's grown up near the Island his entire life; he knows the waters and the creatures/spirits that live there as well as his own home. The Island seems to favor him, and that makes him an asset to the people who come to the island looking for their next cash-cow in the form of a documentary. No one has been allowed on the island after the mysterious deaths that have plagued it throughout the years. But legend says Cortez and Magellan themselves buried treasure there, and no form of warning is going to stop them from getting what they want.

My favorite thing about this is that it's absolutely terrible people getting what they deserve. The Island punishes bad people, and spares the innocent...most of the time. Alon agrees to be their guide, for a fee, to take care of his sick father, but spends the entire time warning them that not only are they not welcome, the Diwata(the Sleeping God) is gonna be pissed.

Of course they don't listen, and of course, they immediately start seeing/hearing horrible things. This is a classic case of Colonizers Gonna Colonize, and they definitely get their due for not listening to Alon or the local government that they had to pay off to get there in the first place.

The first half of this book was FANTASTIC. I can't stress this enough. I was hooked by the ease of Alon's voice, and the narrative went along smoothly. I loved the description of the island and was so genuinely creeped out by the imagery of the creatures that it left me feeling super uncomfy in the dark. All of the things one would look for in a book like this was there. I was definitely settling in to enjoy how this turned out, especially as Alon basically walked behind them filing his nails like "Oh no...if it isn't the consequences of our own actions." It was *chefs kiss*.

My one annoyance during this period was Chase. His character felt forced. I love a good himbo dynamic, but the kid spent the entire time either thirsting over Alon or being incredibly whiny. it was hard to find something to endear him to me. If we wanted to find something to tie Alon to the group, we could have just as easily used Melissa, who was Alon's first friend of the group, and who was abruptly pushed aside in favor of the bland romantic relationship between Chase and Alon.

Something happened in the second half. Suddenly, the dialogue became bland and predictable, the charm and bizarre nature of the story fell flat. By the time we reached the twist at the end, it was the only redeeming factor. I think the last half needed more love, and less of an inclination to follow the common genre tropes. And again we absolutely, in no way, needed this romance (and this is coming from ME, you know, the girl who lives and breathes romance).

Overall it was still a good, creepy read and was definitely easy to get through.

*My thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for gifting me with this ARC in exchange for my honest review.*

An island oasis turns deadly when a terrifying legend threatens to kill off visitors one by one in this haunting novel from the highly acclaimed author of The Girl from the Well and the Bone Witch trilogy.

Pristine beaches, lush greenery, and perfect weather, the island of Kisapmata would be the vacation destination...if not for the curse. The Philippine 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...- Goodreads

I want to start off to say that this book is creepy AF. It can give you nightmares (it gave me nightmares). This is my first book by Rin Chupeco well technically. I didn't finish The Bone Witch because that girl was so drawn out I got bored. However, after reading this, I may give it another try.

This book is detailed and some parts of it does feel drawn out. However, its the detail to the lore, to the setting, to the mental state of each character that gives the book its meat and I would not want it any other way; because it is such a well-written read.

It is funny because I am having a hard time coming up with the words for this book even though I let it sit in my mind for a day after finishing it. But what I can say is that I wanted this toi be an adult book and that is mostly due to the fact that I wanted it to keep going. I wanted more of a development of relationships, I wanted to dig into the islanders and honestly another character would have been a bit of fresh air.

I want to note that even though this book is considered YA, it is creepy. It has that horror you want in a horror. It has the faults of humans in it which only adds to the horror. It discusses dreams, discusses the evil of the heart and geeze this book is creepy. I have no other way to describe it.

This book was great. I loved it. Will never read it again but would read a book two (if it happens) but this book is worth the read.

honestly i really had to push myself to finish this :( i loved the haunted island atmosphere but i just didn’t feel a connection with any of the main characters. i was more interested in chase’s two friends that are literally in only two chapters ( “damn it’s great to be bi” i agree !! ). i appreciated the non-binary representation tho <3 and also seeing abusive rich hollywood men getting killed

*thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the earc in exchange of an honest review*

I had such a good time reading this one! It was so delightfully creepy and atmospheric. I don't always have the easiest time picturing things while I'm reading, but everything in this one was so vividly described that it was almost like a movie in my head.

Also, Askal is the goodest boy!

rating solely on the story itself, the sacrifice is a beautifully written tale that explores the horrors of a supposedly 'haunted' island—but beyond that, it shows tragic fates induced by human greed and cultural gentrification. the casual queerness and non-binary mc were a refreshing twist to the genre that made me really happy to see. besides the few spelling and grammar mistakes that are common for an arc, i really loved everything about the sacrifice, so much so that i finished it in a day. unfortunately, it's so disheartening to learn that this author is problematic after already finishing. i will not be purchasing chupeco's work in the future.

Well I devoured this book! It wasn't on my TBR, but it sounded so excellent-and I love Rin Chuepco's writing, so I just had to read it! It was such a great read, and I couldn't put it down, absolutely loved everything about it!

This book was so atmospheric, so dark and spooky, and I loved it! An October release date is pretty perfect for this book! This mythology of a god on an island, who takes sacrifices, and gives power, is so interesting! Though I was slightly confused about some of the details.

Alon was a mysterious character, no matter that were were in their head. They were just trying their best to keep everyone alive-and these people weren't making it easy on them. I really enjoyed learning why everyone was there-as everything was going to chaos.

As the sacrifices were made, I just wanted to know what was going on, and it was easy to find out, because I just flew through reading this book. And that ending, oh, that was so fantastic! It was heartbreaking, but oh, so good! It was really fantastic to read!

This was an amazing read, and I can't wait for whatever Rin Chupeco writes next!

I really loved The Sacrifice!
Everything about it was amazing and it was a really creepy read!
I've actually already preodered it as i need aphysical copy of this book in my hands!
This was also the first book I've ever read by Rin Chupeco and I'll definitely be reading their other books.
I highly recommend this book if you are interested in a YA horror set on an island in the Philippines.
Thank you Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book.

It was a very nice horror ride with creepy local lore! I love it!

Alon was a nice lead of the story. It was interesting to follow the book from their perspective, and they were a good non binary rep too. And it somehow fit into the story. I love the little romance sprinkle of them and Chase, also their friendship with Melissa. I love the eerie, mysterious feeling of secluded creepy island as well! It felt like watching a horror movie while reading this book and I like it so much.

The pacing was perfect, I love how the story flowed from events to events. The writing made the story easy to follow and that was so good. The only setback for me is that I wish we didn't have to call several characters using nicknames like "Hawaiian Shirt" for almost the whole book because after several chapters it got a little frustrating. But other than that, I love everything else.

< Advanced copy received from publisher via Netgalley in exchange with an honest review >

I loved the setting (an island in the Philippines) and the sheer creepiness factor of everything! I couldn't read the story at night because it was just too spooky. Would highly recommend to those seeking a different type of horror.

Finished this late last night. I really liked this. First few chapters I still wasn't sure how to feel. but then I really got into it and just kinda flew through the rest of the book. Alon, our main character, is a nonbinary teenager, and a sort of "care-taker"of the island Kisapmata. I won't go through the whole plot I'll just make a few points. I felt like the book was trying a bit too hard to sell me on Chase. Like yes, yes, I get it, he's a good guy or whatever, but stop pushing the point so hard. I also didn't feel any chemistry between him and Alon. Chase felt very young, and Alon did not, and I personally just saw him as a sort of caricature of an american teenager, which was fine.
It felt like it was a bit random whether Alon was acknowledged as nonbinary or not. They're basically not referred to with pronouns the whole book, except one point where a random crewmember refers to them as "they". And then at one point Chase shouts at someone and calls Alon "boy" and "him"?? I'm sorry, but why? He was the first person to very quickly accept Alon an nonbinary. Maybe it's a typo I dunno? It just felt weird to me, like the author forgot who the characters were.
All in all it was a good and exciting story. The twist didn't surprise me, but it was still good.

"I wander through these half-forgotten thoughts, into the dreams of those who have never left the island."

rating solely on the story itself, the sacrifice is a beautifully written tale that explores the horrors of a supposedly 'haunted' island—but beyond that, it shows tragic fates induced by human greed and cultural gentrification. the casual queerness and non-binary mc were a refreshing twist to the genre that made me really happy to see. besides the few spelling and grammar mistakes that are common for an arc, i really loved everything about the sacrifice, so much so that i finished it in a day. unfortunately, it's so disheartening to learn that this author is problematic after already finishing. i will not be purchasing chupeco's work in the future.

thank you netgalley and the publisher for this arc!

This is a really solid YA horror book that concentrates on not only the legacy but ongoing violence of white supremacy and privilege. It's great to see the white imperialist-style characters get their comeuppance, though the book is fairly nuanced and engaging with its horror (though it's straightforward with its political and ideological assertions, which is fantastic).

Based on the description, this book should have been right up my alley, but I had to force myself to finish it.
The characters were bland and the story confusing and convoluted. One of the main characters was so inconsistent that it seemed the author kept forgetting who they were writing. The background information for the island contained far too many characters.
I was glad when the book was over. Three stars because I finished it.