Jackal
Ratings46
Average rating3.8
Super strong start, great writing, I think it just needed a bit of fine tuning in the last 25%. The information was provided all at once. Overall I'll definitely be looking out for more from this author.
i really really loved the themes and issues this book discussed. i enjoyed the writing and i think this is truly a spectacular debut thriller.
The mix of real life social issues, mystery, and supernatural stuff made it a pretty interesting read. The book kept me guessing the whole time trying to figure out who was involved, and what was really going on. The supernatural twist caught me off guard at first, but it worked and added to the tension.
Overall the story was interesting predictable. It was entertaining but I don't imagine this story will stick with me for very long.
3.5 stars. Rounded down for the confusing and ridiculous ending. I was with this book all the way to the end. I got totally lost with the supernatural elements that came in at the end. Black life is scary enough without adding the supernatural.
Loved the first half of the book - probably even first 3/4ths (4 stars). Last quarter - 2 stars.
3.5 ⭐️
stunning debut. lagged in a few areas for me but overall the tension, the commentary, and the lore really worked here. horrific if unsurprising to hear that some of the historical events were based in fact. highly recommend reading the author's note at the end.
Several times I thought I knew where it was going, but it kept surprising me. I was able to guess part of it, but not all of it. So it kept surprising me. The story went a lot of different ways, so the ending wasn't a nice tied in a bow ending. It was left a little loose. I really liked it and I thought it was clever.
Disappointed
I was excited about this book when I read the synopsis. I was so excited when I started this book but the excitement didn't last. At times I just wanted this book to be over. I found myself just trying to figure out who the enemy was as a way to keep me reading. There were a lot of interesting parts if the book. Parts like finding out a glimpse of the victims lives before they were taken and finding out the history of the jackal but as a whole this book did not keep my attention. I enjoyed the authors writing style and ideas for this book. I would give another book from the author a read but this wasn't the book I hoped but would be
For the most part I enjoyed Jackal! It gave what it needed to give. Horror, Thriller, Suspense, and Mystery!
Black girls have been going missing every year, for the past thirty years, on the summer solstice. The fact that that was not pieced together until Liz mentioned it just speaks volumes on how little the people in this town cared to actually figure out what was going on. Especially since all the girls died and were found with the same gruesome injuries.
The reason this book didn't get five stars was because towards the end where everything comes to a head... I couldn't figure out what was happening. It was a good plot twist that fell short for me. I have it sectioned off to read it again. If I could compare it to anything it gives of IT (MOVIE NOT THE BOOK 🫠) vibes in terms of a supernatural element.
Overall I would definitely recommend. I feel like this should be read as a buddy read. The discussions raised from this book can be very very productive in a group setting covering violence, classism, racism, and how the negative views of young black girls are detrimental in our society.
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First quarter was good but it got really confusing. Not sure if I'm not smart enough to understand what happened, or if it was really just out of left field.
A spooky, thrilling page-turner! Adams does a great job with the setting, giving it a real sense of place and the plight of Black lives in Appalachia - there are “good” Black people or a “bad” Black people and those labels mean different things to different people.
I think this would work well in concert with Megan Giddings' Lakewood.
So good!! Super creative horror, well-paced and easy to read. Clever use of structure with a main narrative interspersed with related but separate stories. Really nuanced look at race and class in a small town.