A review by ghostiegail
Ring Shout by P. Djèlí Clark

adventurous dark emotional fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

 

With all the flag-waving and cavorting, you might forget they was monsters. But I hunt monsters. And I know them when I see them.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

I’ve been on a quest to find a horror novel that has all the elements I love in a horror movie, and the characters and dialogue jumped off the page and into my mind like a film projector on a mountainside. Disturbing but beautiful, heartfelt yet brutal, Ring Shout is a study in contrast. The elements of diasporic folklore, the historical setting, and the break-neck pacing all grabbed my attention and refused to let me go for 185 pages.

For how short it was, this book packed a sucker punch. Ring Shout is just the right length — long enough to explore its ideas and build a solid plot, but short enough to leave readers desperate for more. P Djèlí Clark books will be instant purchases for me from here on out thanks to the candid voices of his characters and gorgeous, gorey descriptions. Five stars.