Sawkill Girls

Tips to writers out there: don't name an enemy “the rock”... I didn't imagine a demon entity thing, I imagined Dwayne the rock Johnson. very weird but made the story a bit better for me imo

went into this thinking it was one thing but it surprised me when it was not what I thought.... but I didn't like what the story was about. I didn't like the plot.

The characters made up for everything!! Val is the prettiest fictional character ever and just ughhh I wish she was real

2 star story, upgraded to 3 because of the gorgeous writing style and how much I loved Zoey. Also, Grayson.

Disappointed that the rest of the book didn't live up to the intrigue of the beginning.

Also, I wasn't a huge fan of the audiobook narrator. But I couldn't bring myself to care enough to spend more time reading the ebook, so multitasking + audiobook is where we wound up.

HOLY SHIT!!!!!!!!! I LOVED THIS BOOK SOMEHOW MORE THAN I THOUGHT I WOULD!!!!!!

i didn't want to put this down and i was sucked in within the first chapter.

so mad at myself for waiting this long to buy and read this book, but it knocks off a few challenges for the reading rush so......... kinda worth it lol

Recensie van audioboek (via Storytel)

Dit begon echt goed. Een kleine gemeenschap, een griezelige legende en net te veel onopgeloste verdwijningen om geen argwaan te wekken. De sfeer zat er dan ook van in het begin in, maar de personages die in eerste instantie veelbelovend waren, vervielen uiteindelijk tot behoorlijk irritante clichés. Ook het verhaal verloor glans door te snel te veel te willen zijn en de finale boodschap dat alle mannen klootzakken zijn deed mij te hard met mijn ogen rollen.
Goeie poging, maar helaas mislukt.

You'll LOVE it if...you crave horror that passes the Bechdel test.

The relationships between Marion, Zoey, and Val are all breathtaking in their complexity, nuance, and relatability. As the girls grapple with the horrifying occurrences on Sawkill Rock and the emerging powers those tragedies evoke, alliances are constantly shifting in ways that feel natural, rather than contrived. Each girl serves a purpose in the slow-forming trio, yet none of them ever come across as stereotypical or predictable. Readers will find something to love (and occasionally pity) in each of these characters; rather than feeling like “chosen ones” set apart from the crowd, Marion, Zoey, and Val develop as normal young women caught in extraordinary circumstances, driven to stand tall when no one else can or will.

Romance and sisterhood both blossom in the group, emphasizing the importance of female friendships at any age, while also providing strong, positive queer and asexual representation. Some moments of girl power and social awareness are a touch on the nose, but this is still a huge step in the right direction for girls in search of heroines who look, act, and feel like they do.
The nameless creature that preys upon the girls of Sawkill Rock delivers on terror in spades. Its predatory zeal would frighten even if it was one of a kind; as the three girls slowly band together and pool their knowledge of the Rock's tragic history though, the mythology behind the creature reveals even greater horrors. This made me think of Stranger Things and it was a great mix of page turner and intrigue because you want to figure out what the girls will do and if the town will survive. I got the suggestion to read this book from a you-tuber I trust and I find myself hoping that the next book by this author is just as great. I am not a young adult book kind of reader but this one I really enjoyed.

4.5 stars I don't even know, guys. This book. I'm obsessed with it. As soon as I finished it, I wanted to start it all over again. The writing is beautiful, so atmospheric and eerie. I was actually spooked a couple of times while reading (which never usually happens). A sad story about monsters and strong, queer girls. It sort of gave me Stranger Things vibes. I love it.LGBTQ+ rep: asexual main character, bisexual and/or lesbian main characters.

I'm so shocked by how much I liked this!!
Likes:
- The atmosphere of this is SO good. It's ominous and spooky and I genuinely got chills while reading this.
- Queer shit!! A female/female relationship & an asexual character.
- The writing is fucking GORGEOUS.
- Feminist themes throughout!
Dislikes:
- A little too long.
- The ending fell a bit flat for me.