Such a great read. This book keeps you entertained the entire time. Such a simple plot but like watching a car crash you just can’t look away.

Suuuuper creepy and dark! Loved it!!!

Imagine a religious cult. Make it satanic. And Satan himself is the leader.

Our MC is the daughter of Satan.
She doesn’t really agree with some things about the cult, and I don’t really blame her LOL

Rachel Harrison, you have a dark mind, and I love it haha

A dark comedy about the journey of coming home when your family isn’t a safe haven. Vesper escaped from her hyper-religious family as a teenager and is drawn home after a string of bad luck and the arrival of mysterious wedding invitation. A few of the twists and turns really surprised me and I really enjoyed how gruesome the author was willing to be with the details of the story. Overall a fun book for spooky season.

Rachel Harrison could write the phone book and I would preorder a personalized copy. Black Sheep was SUCH a good time, especially if you go in knowing exactly nothing about it. The twist was great and it has made me want to go reread all of her other books. This is *perfect* for fans of Sabrina & maybe folks who hate-watch The Duggers.

This is a clever concept, well written and well paced. Harrison does a great job with set-up and characterization. I do think the novel loses some steam once the central conceit is revealed, but it's a fun and engaging read.

Spooky szn is upon us so buckle up kids! This book was not only spooky but a lot of fun IMO. The movie star mom? The best friend marrying the former boyfriend? The satanic cult of it all?! I was IN. The only thing I didn’t love was the pacing but overall I think this is a great book for fall.

“Some people need conspiracies, finding the simple horror of the truth too brutal”

Harison is back and did it again; another absolute banger of a book! I have been struggling to write this review because I really think this is a book you need to experience by going in blind and I don’t know how to talk about it without spoiling it.

Things that I think are worth noting:
-- This book is a wild ride and SO much fun to experience - you can and will read it in one sitting
-- Like many of her other books overcoming/dealing with trauma is an underlying theme but its done well and is incredibly relatable
-- There are so many damn good quotes in this book so get your highlighters ready

I have never been so eager for a book to be published, because I am DYING to talk to others who have read this and I refuse to be the one to spoil it for anyone.

Readers, trust me. Go in blind – don’t even read the publisher provided blurb, just enjoy the ride!

Final rating: 4.5/5 stars - Highly recommended!!

Vesper left her family right before her 18th birthday. She grew up with a mother who is almost never home, a boy she loved, her best friend, and a father she adored. But Vesper knows this extremely isolated community is not where she belongs.
She swore she would never return, but an invitation to a wedding draws her home. It is there that she learns a secret about herself and her family that she cannot quite believe. The book description doesn’t mention some key details. Because of that, I gasped out loud more than once, when certain details were revealed. I hope you can avoid all spoilerish reviews and just read this one blind.
Vesper is quite a character and learning about her upbringing made me understand her more. There is humor and sadness throughout as her story unfolds, and I’m not going to say more and risk falling into spoiler territory.
Final thought: I loved it!

This is my first Rachel Harrison, and for the first 65% - according to my Kindle - I was riveted. The back 1/3 was a faster read but also much more campy than horror. It’s very possible that was the point; to be fair, I wasn’t allowed to watch scary movies as a kid in the 80s, so I may have missed it. Constance, despite being awful, turned out to be the most interesting character in the book.

I have really enjoyed other stories from Rachel Harrison so I though I would really enjoy this one, too. I was incorrect. This was too slow to start. I found myself really struggling through the beginning and Vesper's back and forth exposition about her family/life. This was also not a thriller, like I was expecting. It is more of a magical realistic/fantasy family drama exploration? I thought that the parts addressing religion were interesting, though. I liked both the commentary and the role religion plays in this story. Overall, though, I was not a big fan of this book.

Vesper Wright leaves home at 18, no longer able to handle the religious upbringing set by her family. She puts everything behind her and tries to enjoy a normal life. Then one day she comes home to find a wedding invitation for her closest friend and her old flame. Vesper heads home. No family is ever normal, but hers harbors some dark secrets that could bring about the end of her. What length will she have to go through to come to terms with the facts that surround her very life?

This was an interesting read, slow at first with a lot of back and forth from Vesper about her life. Even as she reaches her family home, the drama slowly builds. This is not an action packed thriller, it's more of a fantasy/family dynamic exploration. Religion plays a large part into the main concept of this book. I personally was not a huge fan of this book but I did finish it pretty quickly.

Thank you Netgalley for the advanced copy in exchange for my review.

"Black Sheep" by Rachel Harrison is a spellbinding horror novel that delves deep into the twisted dynamics of family and the unsettling secrets that lie beneath the surface. Vesper Wright, a young woman with a past she's tried to escape, receives an unexpected wedding invitation from her enigmatic family, prompting her to return to the stifling community she left behind. Harrison masterfully weaves a tale of suspense and unease, skillfully capturing the tension between Vesper's desire for answers and her fear of the dark truths hidden within her family's history. With sharp wit and a chilling narrative, "Black Sheep" explores the boundaries of faith, the complexities of familial bonds, and the haunting power of the past. This fiery, irreverent horror novel keeps readers on the edge of their seats until its bone-chilling conclusion.

Ok so this definitely was not what I was expecting, and unfortunately not in a good way. This book made me sooooo uncomfortable and it was not enjoyable for me. I was one of the people who loved The Return despite all the bad reviews (which I personally never understood) though I hadn’t picked up another Rachel Harrison book since because none of them had a premise I was interested in, until this one. But this definitely was not what I expected it to be and to be honest this book made me immensely uncomfortable in a way that I didn’t like. It was also really really depraved. It wasn’t the kind of cult book I was expecting and it took me by surprise. But I also couldn’t put it down because I wanted to see where the story was going but when I saw the direction the story was going in, I was shocked and pretty uncomfortable.

Rachel Harrison has a fantastic writing style though, and something that I also noticed from The Return is that her writing is just compulsively readable. It’s not overly wordy or flowery and it draws you in easily. As someone who gets distracted easily while reading, her books are easy to maintain focus on. This book is full of surprises pretty early on. When you find out what kind of religion/cult her family is in, my jaw actually dropped because I was not expecting that. That’s when I knew this book was going to be extremely twisted and messed up. This book is much darker than you’d expect. Basically every character is twisted and crazy and evil.

This isn’t the kind of horror I am comfortable reading and this book wasn’t for me. But, Rachel Harrison has a talent for writing stories that you just can’t put down, and even though nothing much happens at the beginning, you’re still never bored because you want to see what happens next. Like The Return, this book was a really quick read. Her books go by super fast! I preferred The Return, which had a body horror trope. This genuinely was really terrifying though, filled with twisted and messed up people. I am willing to read another one of Rachel Harrison’s books if another premise catches my eye, with different subject matter than this book had, because she has a fantastic writing style and her books always keep you guessing. 3 stars because the writing was not bad at all but I really just did not like this storyline at all. I feel like I need to cleanse my brain now.

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

Black Sheep by Rachel Harrison stands out among contemporary authors for its exceptional ability to capture the essence of humanity within the horror genre. Harrison skillfully weaves a tale that simultaneously captivates and unsettles readers, taking them on an emotional rollercoaster ride.

In this gripping novel, Harrison skillfully tugs at the heartstrings of her audience, drawing them in with a warmth that is both comforting and inviting. However, just as the reader begins to feel a sense of security, Harrison masterfully shatters this illusion, leaving them vulnerable and exposed.

With each turn of the page, Harrison's writing becomes increasingly intense, as she fearlessly delves into the darkest corners of the human psyche. She fearlessly explores the depths of fear, despair, and the unknown, leaving readers on the edge of their seats, eagerly anticipating what lies ahead.

Black Sheep is a testament to Harrison's exceptional storytelling prowess. Her ability to create vivid and relatable characters adds depth and authenticity to the narrative, allowing readers to form a genuine connection with the story. As the plot unfolds, the reader becomes emotionally invested, experiencing the characters' triumphs and tragedies as if they were their own.

Harrison's writing style is both eloquent and evocative, painting a vivid picture of the eerie and unsettling world she has crafted. Her attention to detail and atmospheric descriptions transport readers into the heart of the story, immersing them in a chilling and unforgettable experience.

In Black Sheep, Harrison fearlessly explores the boundaries of horror, pushing the genre to new heights. With each twist and turn, she challenges conventional expectations, leaving readers breathless and craving more. This novel is a testament to her talent and a must-read for any fan of the horror genre.

Prepare to be enthralled, disturbed, and ultimately captivated by Rachel Harrison's Black Sheep. This remarkable novel will leave an indelible mark on your soul, long after you've turned the final page.

Thanks to Netgalley and Berkley for the advanced copy of this book. Below is my honest review.

Hello, fellow readers. I have to admit something. I've turned down ARCs of Rachel Harrison before. I know, I know. You're seeing that and thinking, "What's wrong with him? He should have jumped at the chance!" I know that now, and I'm here to make amends.

I picked up Black Sheep because it seemed like it would be a fun horror cult story. And it was. I mean, it was fun for me. It wasn't really fun for Vesper. It was brutal for her. It was so fun, in fact, that I read it in two sittings. I would have read it in one sitting, had I not started it at 1:30am or so after finishing another ARC and not being ready to sleep yet. I read 26%, felt myself crashing, and called it a night. Then, the following evening, I picked it back up and tore through the rest, reading until 3am. It was dang near impossible to put down.

Did I guess one of the big reveals? Yeah, but I'm not entirely sure it was supposed to be a shock to us as the reader. I think we're supposed to know about it and be watching for her to pick up on the clues that lead her to the revelation (see what I did there? Apocalypse pun!).

The author knew just how to end each chapter to make me say, "Okay, fine, I'll read ONE more" deep into the night. She plotted it almost perfectly, really made you feel connected to some of the characters.

I own my past mistakes - Rachel Harrison, please forgive me! I promise I'll make it right by reading your entire back catalogue as soon as humanly possible.

Absolutely and highly recommended to any and all horror/horror adjacent/urban fantasy fans. This was a total diamond of a story! Five stars!

Comedy-horror is one of my favorite genres of films, and this super fun book played like a film in my imagination — and it answers the burning question: What would you do if you found out you're literally Satan spawn? If you're our narrator Vesper, you burn the world down! Vesper is a heroine for the ages. Simultaneously tough and vulnerable, snarky and sassy, I want to hang out with this girl, even though it might be dangerous and messy. (Hello, lamb's blood!). Angsty, darkly funny, and with pages that turn themselves, this is an excellent read for Spooky Season.

I'll be featuring this book in my podcast The Library of Lost Time (https://strongsenseofplace.com/library) on September 15.

I’m not sure what I was expecting but this wasn’t it. Maybe it just wasn’t for me. Thanks to the publisher and netgalley for this copy for read and review

Black Sheep by Rachel Harrison is a riveting horror novel that intricately weaves together a tapestry of complex characters, unexpected plot twists, and a delicate exploration of dark themes. Protagonist Vesper Wright's journey back to her enigmatic family and their toxic past grips readers with its suspenseful narrative. The book's well-developed characters, led by the relatable Vesper, harbor their own secrets and motivations, while the skillfully crafted plot keeps readers on the edge of their seats, eagerly anticipating each revelation.

Harrison's deft handling of themes such as family secrets, abuse, and redemption sets this novel apart, as she navigates these dark waters with sensitivity and nuance. The prose is evocative, inducing a palpable sense of dread, while the seamless interplay between darkness and comedy adds depth to the story. As the novel concludes with a haunting yet open-ended finale, Black Sheep firmly establishes itself as a masterpiece in the horror genre, inviting readers to confront their own demons and explore the intricate complexities of family ties and personal transformation.

Wow. This book is spook-tastic. And I thought my family was dysfunctional.....ha! I loved the twists and did not expect the ending. Truly did not see that coming. I thought it was going to go a totally different way. I love it when a book surprises me. It's the perfect book for your spooky season tbr.

Holy hell I was not expecting that. This book is so dark and twisted and I freakin loved every second of it! Now I understand why everyone loves Rachel Harrison’s writing because it’s addictive. I devoured this book!

This book follows Vesper. She left home at eighteen and never looked back. Mostly because when she left the religious community she grew up in, she wasn’t allowed to return. When she receives an invitation to her cousin’s wedding on her families farm, she’s not sure if they changed their mind or if it’s a trap.

I seriously loved this book! All the spooky elements throughout and horror props around the house were a great addition. I loved Vesper so much. She was a strong-willed and interesting character. Her horror actress mother on the other hand, I wanted to smack the shit out of her. She was so cold and awful.

This book would be the perfect Halloween read! I highly recommend adding it to your spooky season tbr. Book releases September 12th!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for the e-arc!