the sacrifice | book review

by - January 30, 2023

 

IT IS BELIEVED THAT WHEN PEOPLE HEAR THE SCREAMING, SOMEONE IS IS ABOUT TO DIE"

     An island oasis turns deadly when a terrifying legend threatens to kill off visitors one by one in this haunting novel from the highly acclaimed author of The Girl from the Well and the Bone Witch trilogy. 
Pristine beaches, lush greenery, and perfect weather, the island of Kisapmata would be the vacation destination...if not for the curse. The Philippine locals speak of it in hushed voices and refuse to step foot on the island. They know the lives it has claimed. They won't be next. 
A Hollywood film crew won't be dissuaded. Legend claims a Dreamer god sleeps, waiting to grant unimaginable powers in exchange for eight sacrifices. The producers are determined to document the evidence. And they convince Alon, a local teen, to be their guide. 
Within minutes of their arrival, a giant sinkhole appears, revealing a giant balete tree with a mummified corpse entwined in its gnarled branches. And the crew start seeing strange visions. Alon knows they are falling victim to the island's curse. If Alon can't convince them to leave, there is no telling who will survive. Or how much the Dreamer god will destroy...

publication date: September 27th, 2022 | source: kindle 
page count: 332 | genre: horror, fantasy, thriller
I'M BACK WITH THIS VERY MUCH OVERDUE REVIEW AS PROMISED BECAUSE IT WAS MIDTERMS WEEK AND CHEMISTRY IS A PAIN IN THE ASS I'M SORRY!! Anyways, hi people, I'm alive yes thanks for asking. Y’all Rin Chupeco is a BEAST because this book was terrifying in all the right way possible. My sister picked this up before I did and like freaked out while reading so I got curious. And when I say freaked out, my sister was asking me to hold her hand and saying “Oh my god oh my god” over and over. Also she refused to go upstairs by herself and was very spooked. Needless to say, I was not that spooked but this book still have me the chills. I will now word vomit my pain and admiration for Rin Chupeco and this roller coaster of a book so grab some bubble tea and let’s chat with ghosts!
 
The story opens up with a film crew from the US here to film a ghost hunting documentary thingy on a deserted island in the Philippines that’s supposedly haunted with a curse. They meet Alon, a local teen who seems to have a special relationship with the island and warns the crew to stay away if they know what’s good for them. And in a very Hollywood fashion with entitled celebrities and white men, they ignore Alon’s warning. With Alon agreeing to be their tour guide, the crew begin to settle down but the island’s little horrors begin showing themselves one by one. Cue the scary shit. 

I do not know what to think anymore man. I was so confused when reading this which obviously means that this book is amazing and you should go read this right now. First things off, the horror. I don’t really read horror books with like ghosts and stuff because then I become paranoid but this book was extremely creepy and I mean that in the best way possible. The crew members have their own ghosts and the island is dead set on exposing the living shit out of them with said ghosts! Specifically the ones who have commited a big no no. If this book taught me anything, it’s that people are greedy as heck and karma is real people. Y’all should’ve gotten off the island when you had to chance but nOo, you just had to stick around because of legends of a Dreamer god who’ll grant unimaginable powers in exchange eight sacrifices. Now doesn’t that sound like a lovely time. 

So the horror is amazing and creepy af. What next? I’m glad you asked because the romance is FREAKING ADORABLE. I was literally reading this in my room and squealing the second said characters were introduced to each other. When you read as many romance novels as I have, you can spot a ship from a mile away; it’s an amazing skill to have. Seriously though, they’re adorable and I feel perpetually single. Also I was not satisfied with the amount of cuteness and I want more. 

I don’t think words can express how much I adored reading this and this book without a doubt made it onto my all time favorites lists. I loved the world that Rin Chupeco created and I hope to see more of it in the future. This is definitely one of their more underrated books but I would highly recommend more people check it out. Don’t read this book at night if you spook easily though, because I don’t think you’ll be able to sleep. And seriously, I don’t think I can ever look at a tree the same way ever again.

FINAL RATING: 


What's your favorite creepy urban legend? 


ALSO HAPPY LUNAR NEW YEAR OF THE RABBIT TO THOSE WHO CELEBRATE IT!!!


 

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2 comments

  1. i am now forever scared of trees

    riv @ dearrivarie

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    Replies
    1. ive literally been eyeballing every tree i see on the way to school 😭

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