It started out well - snarky with a little bit of ... bombastic descriptions, which is actually how I imagine a smart, religiously home-schooled young adult would sound after a few self-taught years away from her upbringing.

Vesper leaves her isolated, insular, evangelical compound days before her 18th birthday. She's getting by on her own, but not thriving. She decides to go back for a wedding. Her bestie/cousin/good-as-a-sister Rosie is marrying Brodie - who was Vesper's True Love. Things go way way way downhill.

I kind of lost interest towards the over-the-top denoument, and felt that loose ends weren't tied up after that. Some should not have been, but I felt a bit of a letdown. Still, will look for other titles by this author.

Finished Rachel Harrison's Black Sheep today and had a BAA-last (yes!). A charming and unpredictable story about growing up in a dark "you can never go home again" tragedy. Harrison continues to capture relatable main leads who earn all your attention. Like her previous titles she uses the backdrop of horror to explore being an adult and the directions life takes us.
I wouldn't let the horror label scare you away(intended joke) from this one either. Harrison is great at transcending the genre and putting forth a character in Vesper who any fan of cynical dark humor and being annoyed by your family will love.
Mostly I look forward to some reviewer using the joke of this being or not being the Black Sleep of Harrison's career. That bad pun will bring me joy, almost as much joy as this book did.

This seems counterintuitive because I'm writing a sort-of review, but DON'T READ TOO MANY REVIEWS OF THIS BOOK BEFORE YOU READ IT. I've already seen several reviews with spoilers in them that ruin one of the best surprises of the story.

I will not say anything more about this book, other than it is fast-paced and weird and chock-full of Harrison's epic snark and wit and feminist commentary, and I love her and everything she writes.

READ THIS.

Black Sheep by Rachel Harrison is a fantastic story about a young woman's struggle with her inner nature versus who she wants to be, or not be. It drew me in from the first page and kept me wanting to know more about Vesper Wright and her family. You might see the twist coming, but the exploration of what it means to Vesper, who has tried to escape from the pull of her community, and how she comes to terms with her past is compelling. A spooky must-read!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC.

Rachel Harrison is one of the best horror writers out there. Horror, humor and even heartwarming at times I always look forward to her books . Vesper a waitress has not been home in many years . She gets a wedding invitation to go baby home and it accepts . I don’t want to say much more for fear of giving anything away . Just go read this and be surprised. Loved it

I’ve been a fan of this author since I saw the cover for her book “such sharp teeth”

I was immediately drawn in by the unique, fun, yet thought provoking plot. It was no different for this book. This cover captures your attention right away and the premise sucks you in. The talented writing is what makes you stay.

My favorite of Harrison's so far! This is for fans of cult fiction, someone who grew up in a complicated family, and those who want a complicated kickass protagonist. I wish it would have been a little longer but only because it was so good. The characters and setting were so richly detailed.

23-year old Vesper grew up in a religious cult and she was told if she left, she could never return. That didn't stop her from leaving at age 18 without looking back. She finds work as a waitress at a chain restaurant. Unfortunately, she gets fired after an unfortunate incident. One day, she gets an invitation to her cousin, Rosie's wedding that is to be hosted at the family farm. She decides to return home even though there's a chance this could be a trap. Her toxic family is far from normal. Her mother, Constance, used to be a horror film star and she's cold as ice. Vesper's homecoming brings up a huge, terrifying family secret. She's forced to face her beliefs (or lack thereof) head on.

I love this book! It's so atmospheric and dark which is perfect since it comes out in the fall. Vesper is cynical but for good reason. I love her attitude and how tough she is. I really didn't expect the direction it took. It's hard to surprise me so that says a lot! I'm being careful not to give anything away, so I can't say much more about the plot. Just pick this up! It's so weird and creepy and just perfect.

No one has a “normal” family, but Vesper has always stood out. She left home at eighteen and never looked back. She grew up in a highly religious cult, and never wants to return. That is until she receives a wedding invitation from her favorite cousin.

Vesper decides to return home for the wedding, but things feel off from the get-go. When a terrifying secret is revealed, Vesper is forced to reckon with everything she ever thought true. Will she be able to escape again? Or is she stuck for good this time?

This was such a fun read! I had never read a book by this author before and I am excited to say I loved it! This will not be my last. I love a good cult story, and this one was extra fun for being a satanic cult. This book was a wonderful horror book - it wasn’t too gruesome, but it was atmospheric and captivating. I loved the supernatural elements to this one – they were a lot of fun and just added to the atmosphere. The pacing was well done, and I didn’t want to put the book down because I just couldn’t wait to the end. This is one of those books that I would love to watch the movie of (if done well) it would just be fantastic.

A big thank you to the publisher Berkley Publishing, @berkleypub, and Netgalley @netgalley for this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

If you are looking for an amazing horror book, then check this one out September 19th!

Additional links will be added closer to publication date.

4.5 rounded to 5 stars.

I have never been disappointed with a Rachel Harrison but this might be my favourite. It's a fun blend of bleak humour, sarcasm, family issues, and, of course, horror. I think Harrison is getting a little darker with each book and I fully support it. Full of quippy, quirky characters, it's got the feel of a light read with moments of meaning and terror that give it beautiful depth. Keep writing, please, Ms. Harrison.

I usually hesitate when it comes to cult style stories. But oh boy, I couldn't put this down! I loved Vesper as a character and her interactions with her family and what she goes home to. Even though once you leave you can never go back, except when they invite you to a wedding and then everything goes nuts.

This was such a captivating horror novel and I love everything I've read from Harrison so far.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for the eARC for an honest review.

What a wild ride! Harrison is great at taking a supernatural premise and grounding it in a very real believable real world, making for horrifying and hilarious storytelling.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I got this book for free, in exchange for my honest opinion via NetGalley.

This was my first Rachel Harrison novel, and it certainly won't be my last.

I devoured this book. I've read my share of cult style horror, but this is by far the best one.

At age 18, Vesper left behind her religious family for a new start. Now a twenty-something, she is struggling in all aspects of her life. Then, on the same night is she fired from her job, she finds an invite to her cousin's wedding. Which is odd, since once you leave, you can never come back. Vesper decides to attend the wedding and all hell (literally) breaks loose.

There was only one plot twist I saw coming, and that was Vesper's dad. Speaking of her dad, this book needs to be made into a movie, and the role of her dad needs to be played by Pedro Pascal. I am leery to go on, as I may spoil the novel. Just know, that it is beyond worth the read.

I was a little nervous reading this. I'd just finished a book that like this one, started off with an intriguing premise. Unfortunately, it then laid an egg immediately afterward. Thank goodness, I did not have a repeat experience. For one thing, there's a little detail that's revealed about 17% into the book that made me say, "Oh, nice." That baby reveal turns out to be just a taste of a load-bearing plot point that made me kick my legs in delight. (Did I really do that? I dunno, prob'ly--sounds like me.) Anyway, I've been kind of whelmed with this author's books in the past, but again, I did not have a repeat experience. I really liked this one.

4.5

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 have loved all of Rachel Harrison's previous books and was so excited to get an early copy of Black Sheep! I tried to save her latest for closer to Halloween, but the premise was too intriguing to wait. My advice is not to read reviews before diving in--just go into this one blind, knowing that it is the perfect blend of horror and social commentary. The main character of Black Sheep is Vesper, a twenty-something waitress who was raised in a cult; after escaping from her home just before turning 18, Vesper returns for her best friend's wedding. Things get really weird, and you won't be able to look away until the end of this wild ride. Thanks to Netgalley, Berkley Publishing, and the author for the librarian preview!

Rachel Harrison delivers a devilishly good time with Black Sheep. I wouldn’t expect anything less from her - Harrison’s writing always takes the macabre, the gruesome, the stuff of nightmares, and manages to turn it into a disgustingly delightful romp that I couldn’t put down. I’ll read everything she writes.

I know I'm probably going to be in the minority here, but I thought this plot was utterly predictable. With that said, though, I don't think that necessarily took away from the plot, which was more about family dysfunction than about family specifics. I enjoyed the examination of extreme belief, and found the characters to be well-developed for the most part.

This ARC was selected for this reviewer's media outlet. This reviewer is in contact with the publicists attached to this release. Please contact this reviewer directly if you have any questions.

She did it again!!!! I am obsessed with the absolute vibes that Rachel is able to produce in each and every book and how different they all are. This one is no acceptation. I had so much fun reading it and couldn’t wait to find out what happened next.