Jackal: A Novel (Unabridged)
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4.5 • 19 Ratings
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- $14.99
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- $14.99
Publisher Description
RECOMMENDED BY GILLIAN FLYNN ON THE TODAY SHOW • A young Black girl goes missing in the woods outside her white rust belt town. But she's not the first—and she may not be the last. . . .
“I read this thriller that is Get Out meets The Vanishing Half in one night.”—BuzzFeed
“Extraordinary . . . A terrifying tale of fears and hatreds generated by racism and class inequality.”—Associated Press
EDGAR® AWARD FINALIST • BRAM STOKER® AWARD FINALIST • SHIRLEY JACKSON AWARD NOMINEE • PHENOMENAL BOOK CLUB PICK
ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR: Esquire, Vulture, PopSugar, Paste, Publishers Weekly • ONE OF COSMOPOLITAN’S BEST HORROR NOVELS OF ALL TIME
It’s watching.
Liz Rocher is coming home . . . reluctantly. As a Black woman, Liz doesn’t exactly have fond memories of Johnstown, Pennsylvania, a predominantly white town. But her best friend is getting married, so she braces herself for a weekend of awkward, passive-aggressive reunions. Liz has grown, though; she can handle whatever awaits her. But on the night of the wedding, somewhere between dancing and dessert, the newlyweds’ daughter, Caroline, disappears—and the only thing left behind is a piece of white fabric covered in blood.
It’s taking.
As a frantic search begins, with the police combing the trees for Caroline, Liz is the only one who notices a pattern: A summer night. A missing girl. A party in the woods. She’s seen this before. Keisha Woodson, the only other Black girl in Liz’s high school, walked into the woods with a mysterious man and was later found with her chest cavity ripped open and her heart removed. Liz shudders at the thought that it could have been her, and now, with Caroline missing, it can’t be a coincidence. As Liz starts to dig through the town’s history, she uncovers a horrifying secret about the place she once called home. Children have been going missing in these woods for years. All of them Black. All of them girls.
It’s your turn.
With the evil in the forest creeping closer, Liz knows what she must do: find Caroline, or be entirely consumed by the darkness.
Customer Reviews
Stunning & Unique
The best of horror is rooted so deeply in reality that by the time the creeping dread arrives, it seems beyond plausible, realistic, perhaps, even - inevitable. This masterful blending of genres - horror, mystery, and psychological thriller - invites the reader in best through the complex and fraught life-long relationships of family and childhood friends. There’s something comforting about the vivid familiarity of these interactions. But no matter how comfortable it might feel, “if you hear your name, or a whistle from the shadows: DO NOT ANSWER. He is waiting.”
One of my favorite books I read in 2023, truly stunning, bone-chilling tale about family, society, and what it takes to find yourself, brought masterfully to life by Sandra Okuboyejo and William DeMeritt. It’s the author’s first novel, which is somewhat obvious by the final couple of pages, but I’m looking forward to reading her next book, and keeping an eye out for future narrations by the readers! Give it a listen! (But maybe not at night)
Jackal
I really really enjoyed this book and how it connected real life horrors to fantasy. I felt like I could connect to a lot of the main characters internal monologue regarding growing up in a predominantly white town and feeling like an outsider. Though the connection between the shadow and the plot was a bit confusing at times, I think the author did a good job at tying in the loose ends.
Magic!!!!
Wow, Wow, Wow!!! It’s a page turner and once you start reading it you can’t put it down! Congratulation dear Erin E. Adams can’t wait to read more of your magnificent work!!