Sawkill Girls
On the island of Sawkill Rock, kids whisper the legend of a monster at parties and around campfires. It’s where girls have been disappearing for decades, stolen away by a ravenous evil no one has dared to fight - until Marion arrives on the island and the Rock chooses her as one of the three girls destined to save the island from the monster. Joined by outcast Zoey, who lost a close friend to the monster, and Val, the island’s Queen Bee who is closer to the monster than anyone realizes, Marion will discover the truth about what’s been hunting the girls of Sawkill Rock.
Clarie Legrand’s Sawkill Girls is brilliantly terrifying and beautifully written. I typically don’t pick up Contemporary Young Adult books, least of all mysteries/horror ones, but Legrand has a reputation in my personal library for being a terrific storyteller, so I couldn’t resist picking this up. As I suspected, I fell in love with Sawkill Girls within the first few pages.
I loved how the chapters switched between the three leading ladies’ perspectives. If Sawkill Rock’s monster had me and would only let me go if I picked a favourite, I suppose I would choose Val, but honestly I loved all three girls so much it would be a difficult choice. What I enjoyed most about Val’s chapters was reading how much she changed after meeting and subsequently falling in love with Marion. It was clear from the beginning that Val wanted a way out from under the monster’s thumb, but until Marion came into her life, she didn’t try as hard to fight the his control. She followed her mother’s orders and obeyed. Val was always a strong girl, but she became braver with Marion by her side, and eventually Zoey, too.
The dynamic between these girls was interesting. Although Val and Zoey aren’t close, they both care for Marion. In the beginning, she’s the only thing keeping Zoey and Val from tearing each other apart. Marion is Zoey’s first real friend since she lost her best friend to the monster, and Zoey is the first person who doesn’t dismiss Marion’s claims that the island is speaking to her.
What I love most about these ladies is how none of them are straight. Marion is bisexual, Zoey is asexual, and although Val has had relationships with men before Marion, I suspect she is a lesbian (but I could be wrong, this is just my interpretation). It’s great to read a story without a cisgender, heterosexual lead.
Sawkill Girls is creepy as hell, and I love it. While I would mainly classify it as Contemporary Horror, this story does have fantastical elements to it, especially when we look at the theories as to how the monster came to be and where Marion went when she destroyed the monster. Legrand really showed off her fantasy skills in a book that isn’t classic fantasy.
Legrand’s Sawkill Girls is a terrifying tale that any lover of horror and mystery would be thrilled to get sucked into.
Sawkill Girls Rating: ★★★★★
Goodreads Link
Buy on Indigo
Buy on Amazon
Clarie Legrand’s Sawkill Girls is brilliantly terrifying and beautifully written. I typically don’t pick up Contemporary Young Adult books, least of all mysteries/horror ones, but Legrand has a reputation in my personal library for being a terrific storyteller, so I couldn’t resist picking this up. As I suspected, I fell in love with Sawkill Girls within the first few pages.
I loved how the chapters switched between the three leading ladies’ perspectives. If Sawkill Rock’s monster had me and would only let me go if I picked a favourite, I suppose I would choose Val, but honestly I loved all three girls so much it would be a difficult choice. What I enjoyed most about Val’s chapters was reading how much she changed after meeting and subsequently falling in love with Marion. It was clear from the beginning that Val wanted a way out from under the monster’s thumb, but until Marion came into her life, she didn’t try as hard to fight the his control. She followed her mother’s orders and obeyed. Val was always a strong girl, but she became braver with Marion by her side, and eventually Zoey, too.
The dynamic between these girls was interesting. Although Val and Zoey aren’t close, they both care for Marion. In the beginning, she’s the only thing keeping Zoey and Val from tearing each other apart. Marion is Zoey’s first real friend since she lost her best friend to the monster, and Zoey is the first person who doesn’t dismiss Marion’s claims that the island is speaking to her.
What I love most about these ladies is how none of them are straight. Marion is bisexual, Zoey is asexual, and although Val has had relationships with men before Marion, I suspect she is a lesbian (but I could be wrong, this is just my interpretation). It’s great to read a story without a cisgender, heterosexual lead.
Sawkill Girls is creepy as hell, and I love it. While I would mainly classify it as Contemporary Horror, this story does have fantastical elements to it, especially when we look at the theories as to how the monster came to be and where Marion went when she destroyed the monster. Legrand really showed off her fantasy skills in a book that isn’t classic fantasy.
Legrand’s Sawkill Girls is a terrifying tale that any lover of horror and mystery would be thrilled to get sucked into.
Sawkill Girls Rating: ★★★★★
Goodreads Link
Buy on Indigo
Buy on Amazon