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noahsingh's review against another edition
fast-paced
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism and Gun violence
Moderate: Vomit and Colonisation
Minor: Death of parent, Rape, Addiction, Alcoholism, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, and Body horror
onthesamepage's review against another edition
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
ARC provided by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This isn't a perfect book by any means, but I really enjoyed my time with it. I loved the creepy island vibes, the Filipino myths, the commentary on colonization and racism. I also loved that this was about a group of white people who go to a remote island, ignore all the warnings from local civilians, have zero respect for the culture and religion of the place, and then suffer for it by getting picked off one by one. Alon makes for a great main character, although I do think Askal the dog stole the show a little. I liked the twists and turns this story took, and was pretty satisfied with the ending.
I also really liked the inclusion of lines in Tagalog, but I've been told by a Filipina friend that the Tagalog reads a little stilted. I also looked up a few other reviews, and this one by Kate also mentions the Tagalog, and goes a step further to say that it was the wrong language to use for the region the island is supposed to be located in.
This isn't a perfect book by any means, but I really enjoyed my time with it. I loved the creepy island vibes, the Filipino myths, the commentary on colonization and racism. I also loved that this was about a group of white people who go to a remote island, ignore all the warnings from local civilians, have zero respect for the culture and religion of the place, and then suffer for it by getting picked off one by one. Alon makes for a great main character, although I do think Askal the dog stole the show a little. I liked the twists and turns this story took, and was pretty satisfied with the ending.
I also really liked the inclusion of lines in Tagalog, but I've been told by a Filipina friend that the Tagalog reads a little stilted. I also looked up a few other reviews, and this one by Kate also mentions the Tagalog, and goes a step further to say that it was the wrong language to use for the region the island is supposed to be located in.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror and Alcoholism
Minor: Sexual assault
daniellestarredpages's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
I really enjoyed this book. The fact that most off this book was entered around privileged white Americans encroaching on a space that wasn't theirs to enter, ignoring all the warnings and suffering the (horrifying, supernatural) consequences was something I never thought would become a plot point I would thoroughly enjoy but I did.
This book also makes a budding queer relationship between a the son of one of the producers of the show and Alon (they/them) the local boy, with a strange connection to the island, who tries repeated to warn the Hollywood people to get off the island.
The horror element of the story was amazing written, vividly detailed and sufficiently creepy without being too much for the people who have a lower tolerance.
Also the twist! It was hinted at without being too obvious. I loved it.
If you are looking for more reviews from me, check out my YouTube channel here : https://m.youtube.com/channel/UCGRr_IBoWd5ue-0Q9qffYdw/featured
This book also makes a budding queer relationship between a the son of one of the producers of the show and Alon (they/them) the local boy, with a strange connection to the island, who tries repeated to warn the Hollywood people to get off the island.
The horror element of the story was amazing written, vividly detailed and sufficiently creepy without being too much for the people who have a lower tolerance.
Also the twist! It was hinted at without being too obvious. I loved it.
If you are looking for more reviews from me, check out my YouTube channel here : https://m.youtube.com/channel/UCGRr_IBoWd5ue-0Q9qffYdw/featured
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Blood, Body horror, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Grief, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, and Violence
Moderate: Car accident, Racial slurs, and Colonisation
modernmatilda's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
The Sacrifice is a solid 4/5 star book that perfectly fits into my very-specific-sub-genre of "creepy flowers and trees on the cover". The horror of this book is incredible and I had to read it with my back against the wall so I knew nothing would sneak up on me. The ending was a WILD ride and I loved the ride. Having a nonbinary Filipino character was lovely. My two hold-ups for not giving this book five stars are:
1. The horror was fantastic, but there was too much repetition, too much of the same events happening over and over. This dulled the scare-factor for me as I became acclimated to experiencing the same moments over and over. I think there could have been a little more variety of events.
2. The romance felt rushed and forced into the book. The same emotional reaction could have been achieved with a platonic friendship.
1. The horror was fantastic, but there was too much repetition, too much of the same events happening over and over. This dulled the scare-factor for me as I became acclimated to experiencing the same moments over and over. I think there could have been a little more variety of events.
2. The romance felt rushed and forced into the book. The same emotional reaction could have been achieved with a platonic friendship.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Gun violence, Gore, Body horror, Addiction, Animal death, Grief, Colonisation, Racism, Medical content, Injury/Injury detail, Death of parent, Death, Alcoholism, Violence, Racial slurs, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Blood
Minor: Physical abuse and Domestic abuse
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