The Sacrifice - READ THIS BOOK!!!
“Nobody tells Hollywood about the screaming. Nobody tells Hollywood about the curse. Or the way things walk across the sands here like they were alive enough to breathe.”
An incredibly spooky read filled with killer trees, a vengeful God, a documentary crew, and a very good dog. The Sacrifice by Rin Chupeco is a phenomenally good time!
A documentary crew arrives at a mostly abandoned island to film a cave called the Godseye. This island has been plagued with deaths for centuries including a cult and a plane crash. While the locals refuse to speak to the crew and offer any help, a young person named Alon decides to step in and be their guide. But this Hollywood crew are disrespectful and in it only for the money and fame, which makes the island’s God verrrrry angry. After a sinkhole in their first few days, chaos becomes the norm as everyone fights for their lives.
Book mood board, images from weheartit.com
“Nobody tells them of the odd ways the night moves around these parts when it thinks no one sees. Nobody gives them permission to visit, and it’s all the incentive Hollywood needs to permit themselves.”
Here’s what I loved:
I read this entire thing in two-sittings, I genuinely couldn’t put it down. Our narrator, Alon, is the guide to the documentary crew, but also our guide. Their narrative is so well written and you’ll quickly become attached to this mysterious ghost whisperer. They also have an amazing dog called Askal who you will love endlessly (no harm comes to him!). All of the characters in this story are fascinating, even the baddies. As the heated relationships build across the few days on this island, you’ll learn that everyone has a dark secret, and Diwata sees all. There’s also non-binary rep, bisexual rep, and there may be a very cute love story…
There’s some genuinely scary imagery in this story. The island is also one of our main characters in a way and is filled with balete trees that creep around in the shadows and may or may not have corpses inside. There’s an especially terrifying scene involving a mysterious figure in the jungle, and a facetime call. It’s so well done with the spook factor and so easy to visualize, making it even scarier.
The story also has a lot to say about colonising, tourists invading sacred spaces, and Hollywood trampling everything wonderful for the sake of a pay cheque. It’s a major plot point throughout as Alon constantly tries to warn everyone of what they’re really doing while stomping all over the island and disregarding centuries of culture. Luckily, in this story, the bad guys get what’s coming to them and it’s immensely satisfying.
Overall, The Sacrifice is an incredibly refreshing read and the perfect October pick. Go get lost on an island and relax, just keep an eye out for those moving trees in the shadows. And you better hope you don’t have any deep, dark secrets that will come out to haunt you….
Big thank you to Sourcebooks for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review. The Sacrifice hits shelves October 4th!
“Am I dreaming? Are we all just dreaming? That’s what it’s telling me. That’s what it’s whispering in my ear. We’re all dreaming, and we will all cease to exist when the god awakes.”
