Cackle

• Author: Rachel Harrison 
• Genre: Horror
• Publication Date: October 5, 2021
• Publisher: Penguin Audio

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?

This is one of those book that I’ve had on my TBR for so long, and had *so many* people recommend it to me, that it was finally time to bite the bullet and check it out from the library. I chose the audiobook version, narrated by Dylan Moore, who did fantastic with all of this.

To start with, we meet Annie just as she’s going through a period of intense change in her life. She and her boyfriend break up, but still find themselves sharing a Manhattan apartment. But Annie decides she needs a change and some space of her own, and finds herself in a small town upstate, working as a teacher. Everyone in the town seems so friendly right off the bat, and everything is picturesque and beautiful, even if there does seem to be a bit of a spider infestation.

I really try not to kill spiders if I can help it, although if there is one encroaching on my personal space, all bets are off. Unlike myself, Annie will pick up the spider and relocate them (WITH HER HANDS), which is a few steps further than I was willing to go, but overall, I really liked the spider characters when they showed up in small doses, but too many spiders gives me the heebie jeebies. 

Annie’s strange quirk when it comes to spiders? Not a deal breaker, and I really liked seeing Annie’s personal growth over the course of the story, especially once she grows a little closer to Sophie, a compelling, beautiful, and mysterious woman who lives there. Sophie is a take no prisoners, spontaneous character, although she does push Annie to become more comfortable in her skin. Through her association with Sophie, she learns how to stand up for herself, stop settling for less than she deserves, and above all, to stop apologizing all the time, especially when she has nothing to apologize for. 

In the beginning of the book, Annie is still grieving the end of her decade-long relationship with Sam, while also trying to maintain a friendship with him while they alternate bedroom access in their shared living situation. However, Annie is having a really hard time with moving on, which is completely understandable. I couldn’t imagine having to face that situation and have to see my ex multiple times a day. Annie quickly comes to the same conclusion I would have—it’s time for her to get outside her comfort zone and make a move.

Early on, I noted that Sophie likes to use pet names, referring to Annie as ‘my pet’ and ‘darling,’ which can sometimes come across as sweet and endearing, but in this case, they gradually felt like Sophie was trying to manipulate Annie to reach the same decision about what she wants out of life as Sophie herself, and was a bit rigid when Annie confessed wanting something different for her own life. It made me feel a bit less warmly towards Sophie, even if she wanted what was best for Annie. 

Annie goes from being way too easygoing and not being able to speak up for herself at all to someone who unapologetically knows what she wants and what she doesn’t, and isn’t scared to speak up. Along the way, she discovers that she might have a hidden talent for magic, threading some magical realism through the book. I loved watching Annie become more of a feminist and someone who won’t accept less than what she really wants, and it was wonderful to see how she ended up.

Overall, this was a delightful read, even if I found myself loving Annie more than I connected with Sophie. It kept me hooked, and this is the perfect type of horror-lite novel that I enjoy best—keeps me hooked and reading nonstop, but doesn’t make me have nightmares. I even liked seeing how Sophie changed and grew as a result of her friendship? mentorship? I’m not quite sure what to call the platonic relationship between Annie and Sophie, but I’m always supportive of friendships between women that encourage us to learn, grow, and change in healthier ways. I’ve been fortunate to have a couple of friendships like that in my own life, and it is honestly a blessing. I’m so glad that all the people who told me I’d love this one were right, and although I missed Halloween for this read, it’s perfect for the cooler fall/winter weather if you live in a place where the climate changes seasonally.

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