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clarkg's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Overall, I found this book to be a pretty compelling thriller with a decent twist ending. It's explorations or race, class, gender, and the geography and topography of the land were unlike anything I have read before and I valued Erin Adams' unique creative vision. That said, some moments felt heavy-handed and trope-y, which took me out of it a bit. Even with that caveat, I would still recommend it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Torture, Violence, Gaslighting, Physical abuse, Stalking, Child death, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Racism, Animal cruelty, Blood, Body horror, Animal death, Death, Domestic abuse, and Kidnapping
Moderate: Confinement, Excrement, Sexual assault, Vomit, Rape, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Pedophilia, Alcoholism, Addiction, Alcohol, Child abuse, Suicide, Grief, and Sexual content
marinnelilly's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and Racism
Moderate: Kidnapping, Death of parent, Grief, Domestic abuse, Hate crime, Child death, Cannibalism, Rape, Murder, and Body horror
ccard0223's review
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
I loved this book so much. Until the last 25%....
Content Warnings
Graphic: Kidnapping, Racism, and Animal death
natofthecreeps's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Jackal is a thriller with a definitive message and point of view. What begins as a pretty straight forward mystery blooms into something much larger and much more meaningful, and the novel truly shines when it is tackling head-on themes of racism, community, and personal growth. Our main character Liz is well-rounded and has a very clear path of growth throughout the novel, not something always seen in mystery-thrillers, and this makes the story very personal and emotional. Adams really does a great job of frustrating readers and imbuing much of this story with the sort of crazed helplessness Liz is feeling, and I think that really adds to the racial commentary in this story -- it's impossible to not be angry at the gaslighting and micro-aggressions that Liz is uncovering and faced with.
The ending here is sure to be polarizing and reminded me of Just Like Home by Sarah Gailey in terms of the melding of trauma and the supernatural. I didn't mind this, and it led to a good reveal near the book's end, but it did feel a little incomplete. My main critique of this book is that while certain aspects of it are really well done and Adams has filled this book with excellent descriptions and is able to keep things in suspense, the plot itself feels a little clunky. Liz's internal monologue is a bit redundant at the book's start, and when we get to the parts of the novel that start unpacking some of the town's and Liz's personal secrets, I feel like we're left wanting. There's many loose threads, and I don't know if they're tied up in the most effective way at the story's end.
Overall though, this was inventive and moving, and that cover art is just gorgeous.
Overall though, this was inventive and moving, and that cover art is just gorgeous.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Kidnapping, Gore, Racism, and Violence
Moderate: Domestic abuse
karenreadsbooks's review against another edition
challenging
dark
tense
medium-paced
4.5
This book is a thriller, a mystery, and a horror story. It's important to realize that before going into the book so you'll know what to expect. I found the story compelling and a quick read because I didn't want to put it down.
A small town. Racism. A history of "the flood" but no one really seems to know the full story of what happened there (or at least it's not a story that gets told). Girls going missing, those found have been brutally killed. Black girls. So the stories are swept away as accidents or animal attacks. But there's also something supernatural happening with the disappearances.
The ending comes together rather quicky so it would be easy to miss details of the final review. I listened to this on audiobook and rewound the final part to hear it again to be sure I caught everything.
A small town. Racism. A history of "the flood" but no one really seems to know the full story of what happened there (or at least it's not a story that gets told). Girls going missing, those found have been brutally killed. Black girls. So the stories are swept away as accidents or animal attacks. But there's also something supernatural happening with the disappearances.
The ending comes together rather quicky so it would be easy to miss details of the final review. I listened to this on audiobook and rewound the final part to hear it again to be sure I caught everything.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Racism, Body horror, Murder, Animal death, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Physical abuse, Domestic abuse, Child death, and Gore
calamitydane's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
I was in love from the jump. This is a wonderful mystery and an honest depiction of a black girl growing up in a mostly white southern town. I spent the whole time trying to guess who could have done it. There were so many potentials with good evidence to support them. I was texting my partner with guesses and reasons every five minutes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Child death, Physical abuse, Body horror, Animal death, Kidnapping, Alcohol, Death, Domestic abuse, Gore, Violence, Police brutality, Hate crime, Murder, and Racism
journeywithrosie's review
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I honestly did not understand why the average rating of this book is lower than 4 stars. After reading other reviews I now know that many people did not realize there would be supernatural elements in this story. For me, that only added to the story. And in my opinion, from the start of the story it was pretty clear that is what this would be. If this were just a simple murder mystery I would have been disappointed.
I loved this book. It is a horrific tale of grief, loss, racism, and hatred - it is an ode to all the black, brown and indigenous girls that have gone missing. It reminded of Appalachian folklore, which for me has always been super eerie. I can't say enough good things about this book.
On storygraph I will be rating this 4.5, and that is honestly because there is one decision that the FMC makes around the first 20% of the book that makes no sense to me. Apart from that, this was a perfect read for me.
I loved this book. It is a horrific tale of grief, loss, racism, and hatred - it is an ode to all the black, brown and indigenous girls that have gone missing. It reminded of Appalachian folklore, which for me has always been super eerie. I can't say enough good things about this book.
On storygraph I will be rating this 4.5, and that is honestly because there is one decision that the FMC makes around the first 20% of the book that makes no sense to me. Apart from that, this was a perfect read for me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Kidnapping and Child death
earl_grey_without_lemon's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
I pretty much read this book in one sitting! It hooks you quickly, and I love the trope of searching for loved ones in thriller/horror. Full of twists and turns that kept me on my toes trying to figure out who took Caroline. I also loved the relationship between Liz and her mother, and the complicated ways that race and class and the way they are both publicly perceived impacted their relationship as mother and daughter (disclaimer that I am not Black, and therefore will miss many of the nuances in this relationship, and with Liz’s relationships with every other character in the book). The POV chapters of all of the girls who had gone missing previously were gripping, and I really liked that they gave life to each of the girls through the brief snapshots we see of them. The prose is easy to read and not overly flowery but effective. Pacing is excellent throughout the book, although I think I would have preferred a more drawn out resolution, and it does feel a little like some of the larger themes (especially regarding the history of the town and the man and his shadow) are not explored as fully throughout the book as they could have been. Overall, a really interesting and good read that had me at the edge of my toes (literally got off work and then read for three and a half hours). Erin E. Adams has crafted a compelling story that weaves horror, history, and social commentary that I would highly recommend and left me for sure interested in reading further works by her!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Violence, Domestic abuse, and Racism
Moderate: Kidnapping, Alcohol, Racism, and Classism
Minor: Racial slurs and Ableism
carolynkwolff's review
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Physical abuse, Kidnapping, Violence, Racial slurs, Racism, Child death, Classism, and Murder
Moderate: Child abuse
Minor: Sexual content and Sexual violence
theboricuabookworm's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
A gripping and intense (semi-paranormal) thriller that leaves me just a little wary of forests now. The book ends masterfully illustrating a point that Liz was trying to argue for the entire book: the world only cares and believes when the bad things happens to the white women even when the Black women have been the primary - and sometimes only - victims. Throughout the entire book, my suspects kept jumping and that is a credit to Adams ability to make us - and Liz - trust in different people every time. I'm not a thriller person much at all but Jackal is certainly one I will recommend.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Racism, and Animal death
Moderate: Kidnapping and Child abuse
Minor: Vomit, Rape, and Violence