At 18, Vesper leaves her small town home and the church she attended and knows that she can never return. Six years later, her life's not great but she is so glad to be on her own and away from her toxic mother. She's surprised to receive a wedding invitation from her high school ex-boyfriend and her cousin and thinks she will be allowed to return home. When she arrives to her childhood home, everyone is there at the rehearsal dinner and most greet her warmly except her mother. Then everything changes when the dinner starts. My jaw literally dropped a few times in this book as family secrets start coming out.

Like all Rachel Harrison novels, Black Sheep balances heart, humor and horror in the best way. There were many reasons why I was primed to love this story, and there were some great and unexpected elements that really made it a fun reading experience. I couldn't put this book down.

I don't want to say too much about the story because it's definitely a story you need to go into blind. A part of me is a little worried people are going to accidentally give stuff away in reviews or marketing, because the experience of reading and reacting to the story with no prior knowledge was worth it.

I downloaded this sight unseen since Rachel Harrison is by far one of my favorite authors. So I just had to read the summary of this to know that a major plot point is a surprise. You are going to be blown away by this one. Just as good as Cackle and maybe more so. Protagonist Vesper has been exiled from her strict church in New Jersey and is now living in Westchester County serving cocktails to rich people. She has vowed never to go back - until she finds out her perfect, pious cousin Rosie is marrying Brody, Vesper's one true love. Vesper is struggling to find meaning in her current life, so she takes a chance and agrees to attend the wedding. Returning to the tiny community of Virgil is an adjustment, and Vesper doesn't really want to be there. Her mother, a Hollywood scream queen, never truly loved her, and everyone ostracizes her because she's one of the few who left. But Vesper's return is anything but uneventful. You will just have to trust me on this one because the major reveal comes pretty early in the book, so there's not much I can talk about here. But I devoured it, and I might have to read it again to make sure I didn't miss anything.

Loved sharp teeth by this author and was so excited to read Black Sheep. I’m so glad I did bc it’s even better than sharp teeth (which I enjoyed) I love seeing authors getting better

Check me out on Instagram @books_boards_and_brews and @themarriagestoriespod

Black Sheep
By Rachel Harrison
Book 134/200
Genre: Horror
Format: Digital, ARC
Pages: 336
Published: 2023
Rating: 9.5/10
Horror: 👻👻👻

Thanks to Rachel Harrison, NetGalley, and Berkley Publishing Group for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

"It’s a cruelty of life that we can never protect our own innocence. We can only watch ourselves lose it in retrospect. Scream at memories."

Back-Cover Blurb:
Nobody has a “normal” family, but Vesper Wright’s is truly...something else. Vesper left home at eighteen and never looked back—mostly because she was told that leaving the staunchly religious community she grew up in meant she couldn’t return. But then an envelope arrives on her doorstep. Inside is an invitation to the wedding of Vesper’s beloved cousin Rosie. It’s to be hosted at the family farm. Have they made an exception to the rule? It wouldn’t be the first time Vesper’s been given special treatment. Is the invite a sweet gesture? An olive branch? A trap? Doesn’t matter. Something inside her insists she go to the wedding. Even if it means returning to the toxic environment she escaped. Even if it means reuniting with her mother, Constance, a former horror film star and forever ice queen.
When Vesper’s homecoming exhumes a terrifying secret, she’s forced to reckon with her family’s beliefs and her own crisis of faith in this deliciously sinister novel that explores the way family ties can bind us as we struggle to find our place in the world.

Rachel Harrison knocks it out of the park again with her newest release Black Sheep. I binged this ARC over vacation, and while it may not be the typical "beach read" I enjoyed it immensely. This book took the already creepy cult, and made it absolutely terrifying! Black Sheep is a rollercoaster that you will not want to get off! The twists and turns throughout had me double-taking and gasping, and my family concerned over what I was reading. I loved this new book from the newest entry of auto-buy-author list, Rachel Harrison.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advance reader copy of this book. This is a great story weaved by a fantastic story teller. Love the twists and surprises. 5 stars

Really great book. Rachel Harrison has quirky, interesting ideas and I thoroughly enjoyed this one. Can't wait for the next one.

Thank you, NetGalley, for the opportunity to read BLACK SHEEP by Rachel Harrison. What fun! I was tethered to my Kindle until the very end and devoured it in a day. The story follows the fiercely independent Vesper, who denounced her faith, and chose to set out into the world alone. She left behind her one true love, best friend, mother and tightly-knit community knowing full-well the rule that once you leave, you can’t come back. Several years later, Vesper is still on her own, struggling financially, and has trouble with authority and relationships in general. Basically, she’s a bad a** (can I say this in a book review?) with no filter. I can identify with Vesper.

She receives a wedding invitation from an anonymous source, unexpectedly and suspiciously calling her to the home she vowed never to return. Upon her arrival, the reasons she left become not only clear, but justified. We learn more about her 80’s slasher movie star mother, Constance, and her infamous father who left home when she was a girl.

Rachel Harrison’s writing has quickly evolved, making her one of my favorite writers. Her latest fed my craving for a good horror story with all the best ingredients: 80’s horror, strong female characters, a sprinkle of spunk, and an interesting plot. She has a unique writing style with ability to make horror fun without being overly campy (not that campy is a bad thing, of course). BLACK SHEEP just knocked Such Sharp Teeth out of first place in my Rachel Ranking.

Highly recommend!

Rachel Harrison's work gets better with every book. While Such Sharp Teeth is probably my favorite of their books to-date, Black Sheep was a dark horror-comedy, but definitely a touch more horror and the humor dry. The twists I didn't see coming and clever.

It was a fun fresh read. It was interesting all the way through and fast pace as well. I enjoyed the dark comedy elements with the touch of horror.

Black Sheep is a dark and twisted horror novel that will keep you up at night. The story follows Vesper, a young woman who returns home to her family's remote farm after her mother's death. Vesper is quickly drawn into the dark and disturbing world of her family, and she soon realizes that they are not what they seem.

Harrison does a masterful job of creating a sense of dread and suspense throughout the novel. The characters are complex and well-developed, and the plot is full of twists and turns. The novel also deals with some dark themes, such as family secrets, abuse, and violence. However, it is ultimately a story about hope and redemption.

I highly recommend Black Sheep to fans of horror novels. It is a well-written and thought-provoking novel that will stay with you long after you finish reading it.

Here are some of the things that I liked about Black Sheep:

The characters are complex and well-developed. Vesper is a sympathetic and relatable protagonist, and I found myself rooting for her throughout the novel. The other characters are also well-developed, and they all have their own secrets and motivations.
The plot is full of twists and turns. I was never sure what was going to happen next, and I found myself turning the pages quickly to find out what would happen.
The novel deals with some dark themes in a sensitive and thoughtful way. The themes of family secrets, abuse, and violence are handled with care, and the novel never feels exploitative.
The writing is sharp and evocative. Harrison's prose is beautiful and atmospheric, and she does a great job of creating a sense of dread and suspense.
Overall, I thought Black Sheep was a fantastic novel. It is a well-written, thought-provoking, and suspenseful horror novel that I highly recommend to fans of the genre.

Here are some additional thoughts on why I liked Black Sheep:

I appreciated the way that Harrison explored the themes of family secrets and abuse. These are dark themes, but Harrison handled them with care and sensitivity.
I also liked the way that the novel dealt with the theme of redemption. Vesper is a flawed character, but she is ultimately a good person. I found it satisfying to see her overcome her challenges and find redemption.
I thought the ending of the novel was perfect. It was both satisfying and open-ended, and it left me thinking about the novel long after I finished reading it.
If you are looking for a dark and twisted horror novel that will keep you up at night, then I highly recommend Black Sheep. It is a well-written, thought-provoking, and suspenseful novel that I highly recommend to fans of the genre.

Vesper left her home town and her church 6 years ago, and she knows she can't go back. She just doesn't believe in their God...Satan, and their not-a-cult doesn't accept apostates. However, when she receives an invitation to a wedding between her best friend and ex boyfriend, she knows she has to go back and be petty about it. She just won't lead any prayers or sacrifice any lambs. Easy. She might even be happy to see her friends and family again, as long as she doesn't find out they've all been lying to her for her entire life.

Black Sheep is fun. Not an original concept, the ambivalent anti-christ, but it's an interesting choice to make the whole town in on it. Despite the fact that the main character is 23 and Not A Virgin, I'd think this was a better fit for YA shelves.

Rachel Harrison is one of my absolute favorite authors! When I started with The Returned, I had no idea what an awesome journey I was starting. Black Sheep is another dive into Harrison's world and I want to live there!

Tired of running from her past, Vesper Wright coasts through life as a waitress and a smartass but secretly acknowledges the connection she still carries for all she left behind. When she gets an invitation to attend a wedding for her ex-boyfriend and best friend, Vesper decides to use it as an opportunity to gain closure. She knows seeing Brody and Rosie together will be hard, but she’s determined to get through it if it means showing everyone that the church doesn’t control her anymore.

Or does it? Because soon after her arrival, Vesper finds herself sucked back into the church. It needs her, she realizes. But for what? Vesper wants to find out but knows the truth will be uglier than she’s prepared for. That it not only involves her and the church, but also her absentee father—who is convinced he is the Adversary, and Vesper is vessel of doom to carry out his apocalypse.
•
•
•
My god I can’t tell you how much I loved this! Like imagine getting to see “The Omen” from Damien’s POV and that’s what you get with this—only much more bloody, terrifying, and better written! I really loved that Harrison wrote Vesper’s character to be darkly cynical,
morbidly curious, and stone-cold stubborn. She also really made the entire Hell’s Gate community feel so atmospheric that I literally felt like I was really there or watching a super immersive movie. Vesper is a fantastic MC and the journey of self-discovery she goes on is both horrifying and so very heartbreaking. She had a much rougher time than Sabrina Morningstar did!. I wanted to hug that girl so bad at the end. this was hands down one of THE BEST BOOKS I’ve read this summer and I so highly recommend!!!

What can I say!!!! My queen Rachel Harrison can do no wrong!! Another incredible main character! Funny super dark. If you like the movie Midsommar you’ll love this

I mean -- nobody is doing it quite like Rachel Harrison. Her books are so fun and spooky, with lots of laughs and twists and just overall fun vibes. I tore through this bonkers family reunion novel -- every aspect is hilarious, and Vesper is a main character you just automatically love.

I’ve been looking forward this book, and it did NOT disappoint! 🖤

The title Black Sheep comes with a pretty clear implication. Indeed, our main character, Vesper, is the odd one out in her family—the super-religious family she’s been estranged from for six years. In the church her family is a part of, once you’ve left, you can never come back, which is fine because Vesper has no intentions of returning to the family farm. That is until, at the end of a really bad day, she receives a mysterious envelope inviting her home…for the wedding of her old best friend and her ex.

This invitation and how she responds turns Vesper’s life upside down. I really can’t say much more without spoiling the reveals that Rachel Harrison has expertly crafted for us readers. Let’s just say that, as things progress, the term “black sheep” takes on new and more disturbing meanings.

I absolutely LOVED reading this book! Harrison’s voice resonates with me so much that I feel like I’m in an easy conversation with a good friend. And the plot is so engaging that I found it impossible to put down. I HAD to know what was going to happen next, and I was astounded time after time. The places this story goes are so far from where it starts, but in the end, it’s so clear that this is where we were headed all along.

I will admit that there are a few tiny plot holes toward the end. And some may question if this story is truly horror, but there’s no doubt that what happens is horrific—and horrifyingly analogous to toxic family dynamics that are entrenched in harmful religious practices.

I can’t wait for others to read this so we can discuss it!

Full review posted to Goodreads on 6/18/23: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5273073601

Was very interesting on this story being told. Our main character is estranged from her family; she is alone but not truly happy. Weird things do happen to happen around her, and she really never understood why.
She is called back to her home, and you can tell she really doesn't want to go back, but she must.
This reminded me of The Omen series. The kid is part of the devil, and bad things always happen around the kid.
This book was entertaining, but I wasn't as in it as I had hoped. I didn't understand why Rachel didn't know that she was a part of this cult, to put it nicely. I understood why the devil himself was trying to get her to come home, but it just wasn't really what I was hoping for. It was a regular sorta horror story. It was missing some back story of the family. It sorta jumped right into bam, they are praying to the devil, which threw me for a loop for a minute. I may read something else by this author, but this book was just not for me.

I’ve read all of this author’s other books and really enjoyed them. This new one didn’t disappoint! A snarky/witty young female on a strange mission. Talk about skeletons in a family’s closet! Even though it was kind of campy and fun there were moments of deep clarity of life.

The best thing about Black Sheep is that it is funny. Mordantly so, knowingly so, and that’s part of what makes it so great. It’s also genuinely suspenseful, but it’s the way that it makes you care about its cranky heroine that makes it interesting.

Twenty-three year old Vesper Wright escaped her bizarre family years ago. Her mother was a former horror movie star and has always been distant; her father died young when she was a child. She and her beloved cousin Rosie were raised in in a cult called Hell’s Gate, where her father was worshipped, for reasons she doesn’t understand.

Vesper has escaped and now slings hash in a TGI Fridays-alike chain restaurant. An unfortunate incident involving melted cheese and a sexual harasser results in her being fired. Then the only thing that could ever convince her to return to Hell’s Gate happens: an invitation to the wedding of her beloved cousin Rosie – to her first love, Brody. Desperate for money, Vesper returns to her mother’s old farmhouse out of love for Rosie and healthy spite for everyone else. But the party waiting for Vesper has some ugly surprises in store. Can she leave Hell’s Gate behind her for good?

Black Sheep is gory as heck, sharp as all get out, and archly hilarious in the best of ways. Vesper has been through a lot, but a quitter she is not. Even though she goes through some incredibly dangerous situations she does not buckle.

I will leave it to the reader to find out if she makes it out of there alive. Be warned - this isn’t a romantic book, and there is crazy occult stuff going on between Vesper and her father. Her relationship with her mother is fascinating and easy to lose yourself in. Ultimately if you like your gore heavy, this will be a novel that will entertain you.