BLACK SHEEP by Rachel Harrison
Other Books I Enjoyed by This Author: Cackle, The Return, Such Sharp Teeth, Bad Dolls
Affiliate Link: https://bookshop.org/a/7576/9780593545850
Release Date: September 19th, 2023
General Genre: BISAC Categories: Horror - General, Occult & Supernatural, Thrillers - Supernatural

Sub-Genre/Themes: Family, religion, religious trauma, mothers & daughters, estrangement, weddings, secrets & lies
Writing Style:
What You Need to Know: You need to go into this book blind. The synopsis doesn’t give away a major plot detail so reader discovery here is to be protected at all costs. I didn’t know anything about this going into it and I’m so glad. Things landed exactly as they should and it was *perfection* So again, avoid reading reviews that could potentially spoil things that are not disclosed on the back of the book. Mine will be spoiler-free.

My Reading Experience: There are certain horror tropes that just never, ever get old. I love when the main character reluctantly returns to their small, rural town for something–a wedding, a funeral, a family reunion, no matter the reason, it’s always fun to read about people reconnecting with old flames, or bumping into familiar faces.
In Black Sheep, Vesper is unexpectedly invited to return home for her cousin’s wedding. She has been gone for a few years, having left when she turned 18 to get away from a toxic relationship with her mother and a growing resentment toward her religious upbringing.
But she does go back and Harrison’s set up is peak religious trauma vibes, especially for readers who have totally “been there”.
If you have “been there” you know what I mean. The storyline is simultaneously triggering and cathartic. It’s hard to read religious stuff but it’s also very comforting to allow horror an open pathway into my heart to let it do some rearranging and introspection; feels good.
Sometime after a big reveal, there was a lag in the pacing. I was hoping for more between a few characters, just more relational development between the MC and some of the supporting characters. One relationship in particular I thought would get a little more attention and I was disappointed that nothing further transpired.
Once we get to a certain point in the story, the build toward the climax and ultimately the big ending is quite compelling and I found my initial investment return. This is a clever, fun, well-developed tale to add to my expanding Rachel Harrison collection. Definitely and insta-buy author for me.

Final Recommendation: Rachel Harrison already has a loyal fan base that shows up time and time again for her unique brand of female-centric horror. This book is exactly what we have all come to expect and Harrison faithfully delivers.
Comps: Reception by Kenzie Jennings, Jackal by Erin E. Adams, Mexican Gothic

I went into this book with pretty mid expectations. I'd read Rachel Harrison's debut The Return and I hadn't really enjoyed it. But I saw the cover of this and the synopsis drew me in. I'm pleased to say that I actually had a good time reading this!

Black Sheep follows twenty-three-year-old Vesper, A lonely waitress living on her own and away from her religious (and cult-ish) family. When Vesper gets an invitation to a wedding at her estranged mother's farmhouse, she's shocked. Though this isn't just any wedding... it's actually the wedding of her cousin...who's tying the knot with Vesper's first love (Yikes). Vesper returns home due to spite and curiosity and quickly learns she's been summoned for something much darker than just a marriage celebration...

I can't say much more without giving spoilers, and I think going into this book blindly is the way to go. I enjoy Harrison's writing style and found the characters in the story to be really entertaining. I think the concept was smart and while it was more on the predictable side, I still had a good time flipping the pages and honestly could see this story being a great candidate for a movie adaptation. Vesper is quick-witted and awkward, and you can't help but feel for her and root for her as well.

I do wish we could have maybe learned more about Vesper and her family, and I found myself hoping for more scenes with the side characters as well. I think more world-building would have been great too. At times the story would be going a great pace and then speed up a little quicker. All in all, though, I definitely enjoyed this deliciously evil story.

A huge thank you to Berkley Publishing Group & NetGalley for the ARC!

As a fairly recent newcomer in the horror scene, Rachel Harrison made her debut with The Return in 2020. The subsequent releases of Cackle in 2021, and 2022's Such Sharp Teeth and Bad Dolls have made it abundantly clear that she doesn't plan on slowing down anytime soon. Zombies, witches, werewolves, possessed dolls, and magic 8-balls have all been story fodder so it only seems natural that her next step would be Black Sheep's cult.

Having left her intensely religious family and community, Vesper is attempting—with questionable results—to make it on her own. The night she's fired from her waitressing job, she discovers an envelope at her door containing an invitation to the wedding of her cousin and childhood best friend, Rosie, to Brody, the only guy she ever loved. When Vesper left the church six years ago, she was told she would essentially be dead to them and could never return. Understandably stunned and unsure of who sent the missive or their motives, she makes the decision to go to the wedding, mostly out of spite for the couple.

Going back home is a perplexing experience for Vesper. Not only does she have to grapple with her emotions about the marriage and the couple, but she also has to confront her unconventional family and community. Her cold disapproving mother is a scream queen idol that never showed her affection. Her father, whom she adored, abandoned her at a young age when all she wanted was someone to love her. Being home, she is confronted again with these things, as well as her skepticism about religion and her disdain for the seemingly mindless religious devotion of those around her.

While there's no denying given the subject matter that horror is Harrison's genre, her stories lean heavily on a first-person narrative as they navigate complex relationships and emotional trauma. Black Sheep is no different. Harrison renounces the superficial female archetype and instead constructs strong, memorable, and relatable protagonists. Her characters are refreshingly raw and authentic. Unrestrained and sometimes even ugly, we gain a front-row seat to their motivations, perspectives, and, most significantly, their apprehensions and insecurities. If Vesper's irreverence and quick wit doesn't instantly charm you, hang in there; building genuine characters takes time.

Along with her protagonist being so well-fleshed, Harrison creates an uneasy atmosphere that gets more and more ominous, even if you aren't yet quite sure why. As Vesper revisits her childhood home and reconnects with her past, she can't help but notice the stark distinction between the memories of her youth and the present. Through a mix of humorous and sobering observations, she slowly pieces together the truth about her family and the place she once called home. She is forced to confront the ugliness of her past which ultimately leaves her with a frightening sense of clarity and understanding. Once all the pieces lock into place, you can't help but rally around Vesper before it all comes crashing down.

Having previously described Harrison's Such Sharp Teeth as "cozy horror", I would say that this entry is equally approachable for those that like their horror spooky but not too dark. However, seasoned horror enthusiasts may find the time spent on character development, the slow start, and the minimal blood and guts too mild. Although I enjoyed reading Black Sheep, I must admit that I was hoping for some unforeseen revelations or turns in Harrison's story. If you plan on reading Black Sheep when it's released, I would highly recommend going in blind, which is why this review is relatively vague. Even though I predicted the twist, I don't want to ruin the experience for readers who may not.

With the ability to take clichéd tropes that have been used countless times before and infuse them with fresh and invigorating energy, I can't wait to see what subject Harrison tackles next. Overall, Harrison's newest horror entry Black Sheep is a compelling and entertaining read—a delightfully diabolical contemporary horror and another win for Rachel Harrison.

This is a tough book to review without revealing too much. I love Rachel Harrison's writing. This is well-written and SO clever. (Seriously, I had several moments where I said, "Ohhh...I see what you did there.") And it was pretty entertaining! I think the reasons I'm struggling a bit with how to rate and review are:
1. My personal reading preferences. This got pretty dark. It might be a case of not the right book at the right time for me.
2. I've read (and loved) Cackle. So I was hoping for a bit more of the types of incidents that caused our main character to have some workplace drama early in the book. (view spoiler)
3. For whatever reason, the book started dragging for me in the middle. I just didn't care very much about what was happening or the side characters' feelings. I did get drawn back in, but there was a definite lull for me in the middle.

Overall, I'm still a huge Rachel Harrison fan and this is probably worth the read if you are a fan of horror novels.

Thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for the e-ARC. Publication date is Sept. 12, 2023

Rachel Harrison is, without a doubt, one of the best ‘new’ voices in horror literature. Every time I see she’s releasing a new book I do my best to get an early copy, because I cannot wait to read them. Thankfully, I was able to do so with both Bad Dolls — which was great — and Black Sheep during this calendar year. In fact, I just finished the latter and wanted to share my thoughts.

Black Sheep by Rachel Harrison is a book that I cannot say a lot about without threatening to spoil it. Thus, I’ll do my best to summarize without any sort of spoilers.

The story begins as twenty-three year-old Vesper sings yet another happy birthday song at the chain restaurant in which she works. It’s the third time that shift, and she’s grown to absolutely detest doing it, likening it to some sort of Hell. However, after an accident involving an injured customer, our protagonist finds herself quickly unemployed and unsure of what to do next. It’s after this frustrating night at work that she comes home to find a lavish envelope on her doorstep.

Inside the envelope is an invitation to her best friend and cousin’s wedding, with a note asking her to please come home for the weekend, or to stay. The thing is: Vesper hasn’t been home in six years, because her family is deeply religious and wants to control her life through their beliefs. Nobody is allowed to return after leaving, but they seem to be willing to make an exception for her. The question is whether she’ll return home and face her family’s dark secrets, judgement and beliefs all over again. To her credit, she decides to in order to see one of her favourite people get married, even if she’s marrying Vesper’s former crush.

The result is a dark, but not very scary book about going home and reuniting with a troubled family. One that is very much unlike any family you know. It’s a bit weird, it’s a lot dark and it’s quite interesting from start to finish. We experience everything through Vesper’s eyes, of course, and it’s all told in first-person. There’s a lot of depth there, too, which is nice.

Black Sheep may not sound all that great on paper. At least how I’m describing it. However, it’s a rather good book and one that is worth your time, especially if you’re a fan of the author, or horror in general. I had a hard time putting it down, and read it over the course of one night when I couldn’t sleep. That’s saying a lot. However, I must admit that I didn’t love this one as much as Cackle or Such Sharp Teeth before it. Regardless, it’s still well above average.

As with all Rachel Harrison books, this one is well written and easy to read. It’s also pretty hard to put down.

If you’re looking for a good, female written, horror book, Black Sheep won’t do you wrong. I quite enjoyed it, and find it easy to recommend.

This review is based on a copy of the book that we were provided with. Receiving a free, early ARC, did not sway our opinion. Thank you to NetGalley and its publisher.

Y'all, I was not prepared for this book. I really liked this one!! I read it in 2 days on the boat in the sun. It was a darker book and I was glad I read it in the sunshine! I mean her family worshipped Satan after all. They were definitely a cult. They referenced pentagrams and said All Hail Satan. I was gripped from the first page to the last and loved the entire wild ride!!

Read This Book If:
🖤You want a book that has a very bizarre family dynamic.
🖤You enjoy books about a cult.
🖤You enjoy the MC who is the "underdog", for a lack of a better phrase, who overcomes in the end.
🖤A mixture or thriller and horror is what you want to read next.

On my Scale of Buy, Bargain, Borrow, Bud or Bust I'm rating this one a bargain. I'm so grateful I got this as an eARC but I am sad I don't have a physical copy for my bookshelves.

(will be posting a review to IG, GR and StoryGraph closer to pub date)

Thank you NetGalley for the DRC of this book. Black Sheep was so fun! I think it would make a great movie or miniseries. Vesper is returning to her deeply religious community after six years for a wedding and finds out the answers to questions she has had her whole life. Definitely notes of religious trauma, cult mentality, and family issues throughout a solid horror/drama. The writing is engaging and very visual. I am going to pick up more Rachel Harrison ASAP!

Yes! This was so fun and creepy. This is the best twist I have read in a while and it really makes you so excited to keep reading. Excited for this to come out to hand sell to everyone!

Rachel Harrison has done it again. Black Sheep is amazing and scary and intense and funny and sad. Like her other work, the setting is evocative and cinematic. Don't look up anything about this book just read it.

When Vesper turned 18, she left her rural life and religious family for New York City and never turned back. When Vesper left she was told that once she left the deeply religious community she was no longer welcome back.

Seven years later, she receives an invitation to her best friend Rosie and her ex boyfriend Brody’s wedding. Vesper’s mom Constance is a horror film star and has always treated Vesper very coldly. Even though she’s not in an rush to return the toxic environment she escaped, something on the inside is pulling her to go.

Another highly entertaining story from Rachel Harrison! I can always count on her for an original page turner. I devoured this book in less than 24 hours. Similar to her prior works, Black Sheep is equal parts dark humor, and horror, centered around a badass female main character.

Thanks to Rachel’s incredible writing, so much of the story felt real. This book read just like a movie playing. And even though there are a few feel good moments in the story, the horror aspects were absolutely terrifying.

Black Sheep by Rachel Harrison will be available on September 12. A massive thanks to Berkley Pub and Netgalley for the gifted copy!

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.