I borrowed this audiobook from the library.
Publisher: Penguin Audio
Published: October 5, 2021
Summary:
A darkly funny, frightening novel about a young woman learning how to take what she wants from a witch who may be too good to be true, from the author of The Return.
All her life, Annie has played it nice and safe. After being unceremoniously dumped by her longtime boyfriend, Annie seeks a fresh start. She accepts a teaching position that moves her from Manhattan to a small village upstate. She’s stunned by how perfect and picturesque the town is. The people are all friendly and warm. Her new apartment is dreamy too, minus the oddly persistent spider infestation.
Then Annie meets Sophie. Beautiful, charming, magnetic Sophie, who takes a special interest in Annie, who wants to be her friend. More importantly, she wants Annie to stop apologizing and start living for herself. That’s how Sophie lives. Annie can’t help but gravitate toward the self-possessed Sophie, wanting to spend more and more time with her, despite the fact that the rest of the townsfolk seem…a little afraid of her. And like, okay. There are some things. Sophie’s appearance is uncanny and ageless, her mansion in the middle of the woods feels a little unearthly, and she does seem to wield a certain power…but she couldn’t be…could she?
My thoughts:
This is the third book I’ve read/listened to by Rachel Harrison and I am most definitely a fan of her writing! Horror is a genre I’ve been wanting to dip my toes into and she is just that author to get me into it. Her books are fun and engaging and have some horror elements but not so much that I don’t want to keep reading.
Once again, one of the biggest draws I find with Harrison’s books is how takes on a deeper issue while providing an entertaining story. This time her message is all about self-love and that we as women are enough. We don’t need to depend on anyone, especially a man, to determine our self-worth or happiness. The way she goes about this was quirky, as I’ve come to expect with her books, and I loved the “witchy” theme and of course meeting Ralph…but you’ll have to read the book to find out who he is!
These books might not be my typical type of read but I cannot tell you how much I end up enjoying them.
Audio thoughts:
I find Rachel Harrison’s books translate really well onto audio. And this one, narrated by Dylan Moore, was just fantastic! She does an amazing job bringing this story to life. She gives each character their own voice and unique personality, making it such a fun listening experience.
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