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A review by thegoblinempress
Cackle by Rachel Harrison
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I received an eARC of Cackle from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Hmm. I have very mixed feelings about this one.
Up to the halfway mark I was preparing for this to be a new 5 star favourite. I don't agree with the reviews that claim this book isn't horror because horror, like any genre, has many subgenres, and in my opinion cosy horror is still horror. But whether or not this book is horror isn't what demoted Cackle from a 5 star to a 3 star read for me.
I love the concept of a 30-year-old woman fresh out of a long relationship befriending an older woman who introduces her to literal empowerment through witchcraft. I would also like to move to a new a town and befriend a witch. Initially Annie is someone you can't help but feel for; she was convinced she and her ex, Sam, would get married, and instead she finds herself single and having to leave New York City to start a new job in a small town where she can afford rent.
Then Annie meets the glamorous Sophie who takes her under her wing. Annie is enamoured by her, even though the rest of the townspeople seem to be almost... scared of Sophie.
There's a lot about this novel I enjoyed. It's such an easy read and there are several air-punching moments where Annie finds gumption.
But I think Cackle could have done more with the ideas it had. There are brief mentions of some of the things Sophie's done to protect herself and the friends like her she's lost because, throughout the ages, townspeople have been threatened by her being a woman who's quite happy and comfortable in her own company, but I don't think Sophie got as much attention as she should have. This isn't Sophie's book, but because we didn't see more of her it ultimately felt like Annie went from doing everything her ex-boyfriend suggested to everything Sophie suggested. She does stand up for herself eventually, but it feels a bit too little too late.
For a book about friendship, I actually thought what was missing the most was kindness. I love that Annie learns to stop pleasing everyone around her to the detriment of her own happiness, but she's very quick to doubt Sophie despite the various ways she helps her, andhaving the novel end with the townspeople also slightly scared of her didn't feel like the feminist win I think Rachel Harrison was aiming for. I was hoping Annie would breach the gap between Sophie and the rest of the town rather than merely joining Sophie as someone who can wander around without paying for her coffee and her groceries because she can curse anyone she likes if she doesn't get what she wants.
Ultimately I still had a lot of fun with Cackle and I'm still keen to read more from Rachel Harrison, but I wish I'd loved it more.
Hmm. I have very mixed feelings about this one.
Up to the halfway mark I was preparing for this to be a new 5 star favourite. I don't agree with the reviews that claim this book isn't horror because horror, like any genre, has many subgenres, and in my opinion cosy horror is still horror. But whether or not this book is horror isn't what demoted Cackle from a 5 star to a 3 star read for me.
I love the concept of a 30-year-old woman fresh out of a long relationship befriending an older woman who introduces her to literal empowerment through witchcraft. I would also like to move to a new a town and befriend a witch. Initially Annie is someone you can't help but feel for; she was convinced she and her ex, Sam, would get married, and instead she finds herself single and having to leave New York City to start a new job in a small town where she can afford rent.
Then Annie meets the glamorous Sophie who takes her under her wing. Annie is enamoured by her, even though the rest of the townspeople seem to be almost... scared of Sophie.
There's a lot about this novel I enjoyed. It's such an easy read and there are several air-punching moments where Annie finds gumption.
But I think Cackle could have done more with the ideas it had. There are brief mentions of some of the things Sophie's done to protect herself and the friends like her she's lost because, throughout the ages, townspeople have been threatened by her being a woman who's quite happy and comfortable in her own company, but I don't think Sophie got as much attention as she should have. This isn't Sophie's book, but because we didn't see more of her it ultimately felt like Annie went from doing everything her ex-boyfriend suggested to everything Sophie suggested. She does stand up for herself eventually, but it feels a bit too little too late.
For a book about friendship, I actually thought what was missing the most was kindness. I love that Annie learns to stop pleasing everyone around her to the detriment of her own happiness, but she's very quick to doubt Sophie despite the various ways she helps her, and
Ultimately I still had a lot of fun with Cackle and I'm still keen to read more from Rachel Harrison, but I wish I'd loved it more.
Content Warnings
Minor: Gaslighting, Vomit, and Toxic relationship