A review by horourke
Jackal by Erin E. Adams

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious fast-paced

3.5

“Jackal” is a fast-paced horror novel exploring the mythology of Appalachia and the country’s history of racism and Black displacement. Primarily a tale of shape-shifting monsters in the woods, “Jackal” also explores the dangers of white (and especially white male) jealousy and the violence of white supremacy. Adams deftly merges Appalachian folklore with lived experiences of Black people in rural areas, tying together the history of her hometown with mystical, monstrous elements of the horror genre. 

My one major critique is that the differing points of view were confusing at times. Although there were brief vignettes exploring all the missing girls, I wish the novel explored their stories more in depth. Found a few typos and inconsistencies within the text, but overall was very compelled by this novel. It’s not as “literary” as what I usually read, but was a welcome change of pace. 
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