A review by charm_city_sinner
The Ritual: a Holiday Folk Horror Story by Michael R. Goodwin

dark sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

As December 31 was winding down, I had managed to finish How to Sell a Haunted House and was looking for my next read. 

I have a section on a shelf that's only big enough for mass market paperbacks, and have a handful of some other small books there too. So when I spotted that section, I grabbed The Ritual by @michaelrgoodwin and thought "I can read this before midnight." So I did, and that put me at 69 books for the year, only one short of my goal. And before you give me your attitude, if an 800 page book counts as one book, so does a 30 page book. 

ANYWAY...

This short story is SOLID. Very dark and creepy, and it gives off The Lottery vibes, which I mean as a total compliment, so hopefully Michael doesn't mind the comparison. What really makes this type of story work is the ambiguity at the end that lets the reader's mind travel wherever it wants to. Having read this and Scribe earlier this year, it really drives it home for me that I need to snatch up everything else Goodwin has written because he does not disappoint 🤘

Highly recommended (no matter what day of the year it is).