Reviews with content warning for Animal death - Black Sheep

Not my usual genre of book but I was instantly drawn into this story and finished it in a day. It had the right level of suspense and tension, it gave clues to the twists without outright giving it away.

Vesper was such an interesting character, she wasn't typically likeable but there was something about her that made you root for her and be firmly on her side. You could understand her actions and thoughts, she just made a lot of sense and felt strangely quite real. The rest of the characters brought in throughout the story were difficult to characterise because we saw them so strongly through Vespers point of view. I felt about them how Vesper felt about them because they were only really brought in through her memories and experiences of them but I found that interesting in its own right. It seemed like no one was quite what I thought they were going to be, something about them just seemed 'off' but I couldn't always place my finger on why.

A really enjoyable and intriguing book and I particularly liked the epilogue, I feel like it added to the story.

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directorpurry's review against another edition

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dark funny mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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bookishvicky's review against another edition

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5.0

I finished this in one day. Holy shit.

I can’t even explain how much I loved this. Vesper’s voice was so distinct, so desperate and cynical and raw. The atmosphere and setting was FANTASTIC— the twist of just what god they celebrate was beautifully done, and I while I did see that One twist coming, it still felt shocking and I had to just take a moment during the reveal.

Every character was so full of life. I truly just loved every character dynamic (especially Carl, the goofy dad in a pentagram tie. Love ya man).

As a long time horror fan, this is a love letter to slasher films, satanic cult documentaries, Blackcraft Cult as a whole— but this is also a beautiful story of finding one’s own identity after their childhood has been stolen from them, after having to endure living a lie and conditional love. It’s just so strong.

And the dialogue!! HOLY SHIT! It was all done so well, I was actually terrified for Vesper during her birthday party. All in all I’m gonna be screaming about this one for a while

THE RIB!! “DADDY’S LITTLE GIRL” THIS IS THE BEST DEPICTION OF SATAN IVE EVER READ. I WAS SCARED!!

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eli99's review

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dark mysterious fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I really enjoyed this book. The only thing was some of how it was writing was giving 2010s YA novels. The multiple references to Twitter and Reddit sometimes felt like they were bringing me out of the story.

It only had one moment that truly felt scary. Very minor horror like the type you see in YA, but with an older author. Some cliches thrown in, buy that was expected.

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