Cackle
by Rachel Harrison
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?
GoodReads Nominee for Best Horror 2021
My Review
Unfortunately, this book didn’t live up to my expectations. It was my first time reading this author, and after hearing so many positive things about her work, I was disappointed. There was also more profanity than I preferred, and I didn’t enjoy the frequent feminist commentary throughout the story. It just wasn’t my cup of tea.
However, I did enjoy the characters of Annie and Sophie. Annie was extremely relatable, while Sophie had a mysterious vibe that made me want to learn more about her. Their dynamic was definitely toxic, and I wished the book had explored their friendship more deeply. Overall, I wanted more from this story—more magic, creepy supernatural elements, romance for Annie with a new guy, and a better backstory for Sophie. The plot felt flat and boring, and I kept waiting for something exciting to happen, but it never did. Some scenes had potential, but it wasn’t enough. This read more like women’s lit or chick lit, not the horror fantasy I was expecting. It wasn’t scary at all—just a few gross moments. I was hoping for more fantastical elements to truly capture the feel of a witchy fantasy horror book.
The highlight of this book was definitely Ralph, the adorable fuzzy spider who behaved more like a pet dog than an insect. I kept picturing him as an animated or CGI character with loads of personality. He brought some much-needed comic relief, especially in a few fun scenes toward the end.
Personally, I wouldn’t recommend this book. There are plenty of better witchy reads out there without such an overt feminist tone. However, if the premise appeals to you, it might be worth a try—you may enjoy it more than I did. While this one didn’t work for me, I’m still interested in checking out a few more of the author’s books and hoping those will resonate better.