DNF at 20%

Firstly a huge thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Group for giving me a digital arc of this book!

Inherently there was nothing bad with this book. It gave exactly what it promised: dark academia, witchy vibes and entertaining characters.

Unfortunately I just do not think this book was for me. I found myself getting bored and forcing myself through each page instead of enjoying the book the way the author intended. I cannot say anything bad this book because there was nothing, the writing and story were just not for me.

I am sure if you love dark academia, witchy vibes and a mystery you will LOVE this book. Because that is exactly what it is! I might pick this book back up after it gets published, but for now, it is just not for me.

For those of you wanting another House of Hollow, this is not that. It was good, don’t get me wrong, but this just left me confused a lot of the time. I also could have done with just one narrator instead of three.

4.5 - I really enjoyed House of Hollow and was excited to pick this one up! I am a little leery of witch stories, but this one didn’t fall into the campy cheesy normal that I’ve come to expect from witch books.

We follow 3 different girls all mixed up in the occult in some way. They are all wonderfully different but complement each other well. I thought the plot was great, it kept me hooked from the beginning!!

This was witchy, funny, and a great time with a heart-warming ending.

Wowowowow this was everything I want in my ya horror!

Brutal, gruesome, emotional and so riveting. Even correctly predicting the twist didn’t stop me from enjoying every minute of this.

She has become a must read author for me.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC

Witchy vibes, feminist rage, hunting a murderer and bringing back the dead? What more could you ask for?

This had a lot of groundwork to cover which led to a slow start. However, it was interesting enough to keep me reading. I enjoyed the characters-Jude was probably my favorite. Full of sass and hilarious one liners. I loved how the 3 girls were connected.

The ending was jaw dropping and unexpected (unless you were looking for it), but why does the villain always lay out their plan step by step? It’s insane and does not happen in real life.

All in all, this was a fun read and I enjoyed it a lot!

From the very first line on the very first page, I had the feeling that this was going to be one of those books that would sweep me up completely with every chapter -- and it turns out that I was absolutely right! This is my first experience with Sutherland's work, and I really liked the cadence of her narrative. Her word choices and turns of phrase really tickled my fancy; I'd immediately be transported right into the story every time I picked up the book to read a little bit more. The plot reeled me in as well, keeping me on my toes as it unfolded, crescendoing into an exciting climax that slides right into a satisfying end.

I also enjoyed getting to know these three narrators: clever, grieving Zara who wants to bring her sister back from the dead; rich, larger than life Jude who wants to be free of the demons tethered to her that cause her much pain; and talented curse writer Emer who has ghosts haunting her past. It took me a couple of chapters to really warm up to them, but before I knew it, I was deeply invested in this trio and what they would manage to accomplish together in the face of a serial killer and their own individual goals.

The Invocations was a very good book, though it isn't typically the type of tale I reach for. I would suggest looking up content warnings, since it does include body horror, violence and more.

The Invocations is a contemporary YA fantasy thriller about three young women whose stories do not seem connected, but who find themselves united in desperation and in grief.

Emer is a cursewriter quietly working to empower women with magic while she secretly hunts for the men who massacred her coven when she was a child.

Jude is suffering from an intensely painful curse that she accidentally inflicted upon herself and is searching for a way to remove it and return to the life she lost.

Zara's older sister was mysteriously murdered, and she is desperate to find a way to resurrect her, if only so she can apologize for her hurtful last words to her.

The three cross paths when it comes to light that a serial killer is hunting down Emer's clients. They work together to solve the murders, and end up unearthing deady secrets far greater than they could have imagined.

The Invocations is well crafted from end to end. Krystal's writing is immersive and lyrical, even when she's writing about the horrors of curses and broken souls and death. She weaves the seemingly disjointed journeys of these three women together in a really satisfying way, and she keeps the tension high throughout.

You will love these characters. They are equal parts desperate and hopeful, and they will frustrate and endear you to them in equal measure, especially Jude.

Even so, The Invocations is not a book I would recommend broadly. This is a thriller that reads like a horror story to me. The author does not shy away from the gruesome details and gore. Even so, she manages to convince the reader that the most horrific experiences are the less magical but no less violent ones - being overpowered, disenfranchised, used, and discarded.

Reading this book was a cathartic experience. It made me feel seen as a woman raised in a culture that teaches us to anticipate violence at every turn. If your experience is anything like mine, you will find yourself asking yourself the same question I did: "How many times have I been that girl?"

I recommend this book for fans of witchy thrillers, murder mysteries with a magical twist, and feminist fantasy.

This book has made Krystal Sutherland an auto buy author for me. I enjoyed House of Hollow when I read it for a book club, but The Invocations was on a whole different level. Emer, Jude, and Zara were all so different but came together to make the perfect trio for this novel. Each having different motivations and backgrounds, they came together with the same end goal - stop the person murdering witches and cutting off their invocations. This book had my heart racing and my skin tingling and I loved every single second of it. I will be recommending this book to everyone.

The beginning of the book was a little slow to me, but the characters were well written. About a quarter of the way through the book it really picked up and the action and storyline really moved quickly. There is alot of women power and women helping women in this book, which I really enjoyed. The ending was really good and gave alt of closure to the characters.
3.5 stars

I had so much fun reading this!

It is dark, witchy, gruesome, and full of angry women who actually do something about it. I really like the messages of feminism, toxic masculinity, and misogyny that are sprinkled throughout the book. This book is also MUCH darker and more violent than I was expecting and is full of body horror (def a fan, but def gross). The serial killer mystery was great and the book had some fun twists.

Overall, this book is great. Krystal Sutherland is amazing. #girlpower

I read The Invocations by Krystal Sutherland. Thank you, NetGalley and Penguin Group.

This is the story of three young women. One spends her day at a college campus, using magic to make it so people don’t recognize her. She constantly thinks about how she has to keep under the radar and keeps in shape by spending a lot of time at the gym. The second is a rich young woman with her own house and money from her father, but she is also attached to four demons. The first two demons were improperly attached to her, so she attached the other two as they would be compelled to keep her alive so they could eat her soul. Now she is looking for a real witch, one that could hopefully save her from the demons that plague her. The third young woman is a genius still in high school. She is looking for more information on witches’ spells, specifically ones that can raise the dead, as her sister was murdered almost a year ago.

One day the rich woman and young genius are called by the same policewoman to the site of a strange murder. Both of them pay to get on the scene, and both realize that they are looking for the same sort of answers. Both looking for a witch with real magic that can help them. That’s when they find that all the women who have been killed had a piece of skin removed, and this last one had the card that could lead them to the person who attached her soul to demons.

That’s when the two find their way to the witch in the college, and the search for the woman’s murderer begins. As the story continues, the women look to their past, present, and future for answers to their own personal problems, and the bigger one at large.

I found the overall story a little dragging at parts, but overall an enjoyable book. Some of the themes and morals of the story were a bit on the nose. But if you enjoy witchy books, this book is definitely one to pick up.

Love Krystal Sutherland, and this book was creepy and so unique. Loved the queer content, the demons, the fresh way Sutherland weaved familiar tropes into the story.

I was super excited about this book. I love a witchy spooky vibe. However, I just could not get into this book. I read 30% and ended up dnfing it. I had trouble connecting or feeling a vested interest in the characters and the book is alot more graphic than I know it would be. I know that this book is going to hit for people that like really dark books with anti-hero’s. I just am not the target audience for this book.

Thank you so much to Krystal Sutherland and Penguin Young Readers Group for my early copy! If you're a fan of YA witchy mystery/horror and don't mind some gore, definitely pick up a copy when it publishes on January 30.

HOW DO I REVIEW THIS BOOK.

There's found family and necromancy and magic and demons and very human (read: flawed, scared, brave) characters and a badass girl trio and cursed souls and old languages and chaotic wedding murder. There’s sarcasm and libraries and gore and demonic rituals and witches and witch-hunters and serial killers and rage and grief and humor and private jets and sushi and an annoying group of older brothers known as the Horsemen.

It's everything I love to see in books with things I never knew I loved in books. It drags a bit in the middle, but it's all necessary buildup to the ending. There's a lot of very descriptive, graphic gore, including self-harm for ritualistic purposes and gruesome deaths, but it fits well with the vibes of the story. I couldn't be happier.

Bottom line: This book isn't for everyone, but it definitely is for me.

Really loved this one! Was hard not to with so many elements that I enjoy: demons, witches, body horror and a sprinkling of sapphic love throughout. Some of the body horror in this took me by grossed out surprise in the best way and will definitely be picturing some of those scenes for a while.

Big thanks to Krystal Sutherland and Penguin Young Readers Group for my early copy! If you love YA witchy horror, definitely recommend picking up a copy when it publishes January 30th.

A unique twist on modern witches and witch hunters.

This book is unputdownable!

An action-packed tale of witchy intrigue, demonology, mystery, serial killers, romance, sorrow, gore, horror, and three strong female leads, all mixed up with gothically rich elements and humor. All that to say, even without getting into the realistic tri-perspective of three women who have their own distinctive story to tell. I was hooked right from the start, and had to mentally tell myself to slow down so as not to rush to find out the ending. Highly recommend if you enjoy horror and mystery, I cannot wait to read more from author Krystal Sutherland.

Thank you so much NetGalley and the publisher Penguin/Nancy Paulsen Books for the opportunity to read this ARC. Five stars!

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Once I started reading this book, I couldn’t put it down. I’m not big on horror or witchcraft mainly because books about the occult gives me the creeps but once I saw that this book was centered around female rage and retribution, I was intrigued. I usually struggle with multiple POVs but the characters’ points of view were so distinctly different in voice, I thoroughly enjoyed it. I love a good murder mystery as well (which was what initially drove me to want to read the book). If you want to read a fantastic novel about revenge and sisterhood, then I highly recommend this book. My rating is 4.5 out of 5 stars only because the ARC was kind of hard to read at sometimes and because some of the gore got to me but I’m a wimp so if you can stomach it, I’m confident you’ll rate it 5 stars

#TheInvocations #NetGalley.

I was pleasantly surprised by how much I loved this book. From the first few pages I was invested in this story and these characters journey. Emer, Zara, and Jude are three young ladies with ties to the occult. Zara desperately wants to bring her sister back to life after she is murdered. Jude is desperate to find a witch who can fix the invocation that screwed up her life. Emer is a Witch, one who has thr ability to craft invocations, but she is unable to give either girl what she so desperately wants. Then there is the serial killer aspect of the book that completely took me by surprise. I was actaully shocked when I found out who the killer was! I also love the surprise twist about Jude's family. I hope that the author writes a second book about Emer's path with Bael, because I am all for reading that story. So glad I picked this one up as it did not disappoint.

Content Warning: death, violence, self harm, gore

+ If you want demons and witches and females trying to fight the men who are killing them – you will want to read this book. I actually had to process this book in my mind for a bit before writing what I thought about it. The Invocations is outright, in your face, blood, gore, dark, not some glamorous wholesome kind of witchcraft. No, this one has witchcraft that comes with lots of blood and old languages. It is gritty, it is scary but shows how desperate these women seeking these invocations are to have power against the men hunting them. I thought the themes of feminism was great – loved that only women can have magic. 

+ There are three characters: Emer, Jude, and Zara and I thought they were pretty cool trio with very different personalities. Jude brings the humor which I loved since this book is so dark in themes and gory in some scenes. Zara is someone grieving her sister and wants to bring her back to life so she can apologize. Emer is a witch who has had quite a life – she’s so fascinating and scary with her power. I love how the three of them meet and start to bond over finding this killer. They are all tied to the murders in some way. There is also a little romance brewing but it’s not something that is the focus of the story.

+ This is a murder mystery or serial killer mystery and I did like the twist at the end. And what an ending it was – my eyes were wide open for most of the climatic ending! It was disgusting and gory but I couldn’t look away, so to speak!

+ I did find the second half of the book more exciting than the first, maybe because that’s when Tabatha is getting close to figuring things out and a bunch of wild things happen that I did not expect! I liked the twist.

~ The beginning was slower than the second half but it was introducing three characters and tying them together. But once they meet the story really gets rolling! 

~ It is dark, there is self harm, lots of blood, cutting skin. Lots of gruesome deaths. 

My Thoughts:

This book was like, “you want demons and witches? I’ll give you demons and witches.” This is a dark story about women, men, demons, witches and power. There is a lot of blood and gore but also a sort of happy ending. I loved that the story didn’t shy away from the gore – even though I don’t usually read gory books in general. I wish this was released near Halloween because this is the perfect dark, witchy read for Fall! I look forward to reading more from this author, she’s becoming one of my must-read authors!

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC of this book!

Krystal Sutherland, the mind behind "House of Hollow," once again demonstrates her mastery of storytelling and vivid detail in "The Invocations." As a fan of her previous work, my expectations were high, and Sutherland not only met but exceeded them.

In "The Invocations," Sutherland introduces a trio of distinct young women, each with her own set of unique qualities. Emer, wielding magical powers and combat skills; Jude, the snarky and sarcastic queen radiating boldness, amusement, cunningness, and charm; and Zara (affectionately called Jones by Jude), the nerdy, quirky brain of the group with a big heart ready to protect her loved ones and face extreme challenges. These characters converge in unexpected circumstances to thwart a serial killer targeting women who made pacts with a cursewriter for special talents.

The plot was quite intricate with three different POVs that allow the reader to peek into the minds of 3 very different women. I definitely appreciated the blend of strategy and spunk from the different characters. I especially enjoyed Jude’s characterization while Zara felt a little flat. The girl power at the forefront of the narrative is both empowering and refreshing. The idea that only women can bargain with demons for power because even the demons can’t trust men adds a unique layer to the tale. I did find the plot to be a little slow at the beginning and some of Jude’s dialogue to be unrealistic, but the book definitely picks up in the second half. While some characters may initially seem flat, they gradually become more fleshed out, drawing you deeper into the story.

This book definitely won’t be for everyone. If you aren’t a fan of descriptive, graphic imagery (the imagery of Jude’s leg wound was too much for me, and it kept being repeated throughout the book), you may want to skip this novel. I will say that even though the writing might be too descriptive/gruesome, it definitely fits with the story.