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Cackle
Goodreads Choice Award
Nominee for Best Horror (2021)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?
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?
291 pages, Paperback
First published October 5, 2021
About the author
Rachel Harrison
7books2,627followersRachel Harrison is the author of The Return, nominated for a Bram Stoker Award for Superior Achievement in a First Novel. Her short fiction has appeared in Guernica and Electric Lit. She lives in New York with her husband and their cat/overlord.
Librarian note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Librarian note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
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October 22, 2023
Happy publishing day to this bizarre, extremely smart, quirky, outstanding thriller! 🥳📚🕷🕸
I know that most of you start cackling so loud as soon as finish this book.
It’s freaking weird, eerie, disturbing! But this is great kind of weirdness combined with originality, uniqueness, absurdity and balanced dosage of sarcasm with feminism and girl power messages I truly enjoy!
I liked this batsh*t crazy journey a lot! My casting choice for Annie is Emma Stone and my choice for actress who should play Sophie is absolutely Angelina Jolie! Both women gave me creepy, bitchy, witchy vibes I experienced during my read!
It was fast pacing,interesting story you’re drawn into as soon as you devour the first chapter. Poor Annie celebrates her birthday with her colleague she doesn’t know much! She has to move to the small village upstate by leaving her nearly one decade long Manhattan life! Because her boyfriend she grew up with ( we can use this term after dating for ten years) dumps her when she accepts marriage proposal.
So she is the one who has to change her life completely and make fresh start by getting teaching job at high school.
And at the birthday day, her friend forces her to visit a fortune teller who gives her bad news about her dark and not so promising future!
She gathers her things, saying goodbye to Sam who is still love of her life ( or she thinks so), starting her journey! Thankfully the town resembles Storybrooke from Once upon a time series. The people are welcoming her with open arms, acting kind and friendly. Her apartment is also charming minus the spider infestation.
And when she stops by at the liquor store, she meets with eccentric, sophisticated Sophie who invites to meet her at the Farmer’s market. As they spend more time together, they get closer. Annie is so happy to find a great friend as she still licks her wounds after her traumatic breakup.
But townies seem like thinking otherwise. They act like they are afraid of Sophie who lives at a gorgeous mansion reminds us of American Horror Story’s famous Murder House. Actually there are ghosts luring around the house just like Ryan Murphy’s famous mansion.
This is not the only creepy thing about Annie’s new friend. Sophie has some powers and as she continues to spend more time together she starts seeing the changes about herself which terrify her a lot!
There’s a witch of their town everybody beware or! What makes Annie by bonding the relationship with Sophie? She also crosses the dark side. What will happen to her at the end?
My favorite character of the book is obviously Ralph. The protective, friendly, smart creature stole my heart.
I found this story so smart, entertaining, peculiar, outstanding!
I wasn’t a big fan of the author’s debut Return but this book exceeded my expectations and earned my weirdest funniest nonstop cackling five stars!
Special thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for sharing this digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest opinions.
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I know that most of you start cackling so loud as soon as finish this book.
It’s freaking weird, eerie, disturbing! But this is great kind of weirdness combined with originality, uniqueness, absurdity and balanced dosage of sarcasm with feminism and girl power messages I truly enjoy!
I liked this batsh*t crazy journey a lot! My casting choice for Annie is Emma Stone and my choice for actress who should play Sophie is absolutely Angelina Jolie! Both women gave me creepy, bitchy, witchy vibes I experienced during my read!
It was fast pacing,interesting story you’re drawn into as soon as you devour the first chapter. Poor Annie celebrates her birthday with her colleague she doesn’t know much! She has to move to the small village upstate by leaving her nearly one decade long Manhattan life! Because her boyfriend she grew up with ( we can use this term after dating for ten years) dumps her when she accepts marriage proposal.
So she is the one who has to change her life completely and make fresh start by getting teaching job at high school.
And at the birthday day, her friend forces her to visit a fortune teller who gives her bad news about her dark and not so promising future!
She gathers her things, saying goodbye to Sam who is still love of her life ( or she thinks so), starting her journey! Thankfully the town resembles Storybrooke from Once upon a time series. The people are welcoming her with open arms, acting kind and friendly. Her apartment is also charming minus the spider infestation.
And when she stops by at the liquor store, she meets with eccentric, sophisticated Sophie who invites to meet her at the Farmer’s market. As they spend more time together, they get closer. Annie is so happy to find a great friend as she still licks her wounds after her traumatic breakup.
But townies seem like thinking otherwise. They act like they are afraid of Sophie who lives at a gorgeous mansion reminds us of American Horror Story’s famous Murder House. Actually there are ghosts luring around the house just like Ryan Murphy’s famous mansion.
This is not the only creepy thing about Annie’s new friend. Sophie has some powers and as she continues to spend more time together she starts seeing the changes about herself which terrify her a lot!
There’s a witch of their town everybody beware or! What makes Annie by bonding the relationship with Sophie? She also crosses the dark side. What will happen to her at the end?
My favorite character of the book is obviously Ralph. The protective, friendly, smart creature stole my heart.
I found this story so smart, entertaining, peculiar, outstanding!
I wasn’t a big fan of the author’s debut Return but this book exceeded my expectations and earned my weirdest funniest nonstop cackling five stars!
Special thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for sharing this digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest opinions.
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October 5, 2021
Cackle by Rachel Harrison
The synopsis for this book is misleading. It mentions that the story is dark, funny, and frightening but it didn't seem dark or frightening to me, when seen through the eyes of Annie, the main character. Even though Annie is sad due to her boyfriend of ten years dumping her (he says eight years but maybe really six years...how is that for not seeing the past the way your boyfriend sees it), the story has a lighthearted feel to it. Sure, you might not want to be a bully or rude or block headed if you live in the small town where Annie has a new teaching job, but from Annie's perspective, once she gets over thinking about Sam every single second of the day and night, she's in a pretty good place. And she has a friend now, two in fact, although one of her friends is a bit different than anyone she's hung around with in the past.
Sophie is beautiful, generous, popular (even if some folks seem leery), full of life, and ready to mentor Annie to live life for herself and not for anyone else. Sophie's forest mansion is a bit strange, has strange things going on in it, but then Sophie is a bit strange, too. Actually, Annie begins to suspect that Sophie is a witch, a witch that takes Annie under her wing. Brew a cup of hot tea and settle into a comfy spot for this cozy witch story. And say hi to Ralph for me.
Publication: October 5, 2021
Thank you to Elisha Katz, Berkley, and NetGalley for this ARC.
The synopsis for this book is misleading. It mentions that the story is dark, funny, and frightening but it didn't seem dark or frightening to me, when seen through the eyes of Annie, the main character. Even though Annie is sad due to her boyfriend of ten years dumping her (he says eight years but maybe really six years...how is that for not seeing the past the way your boyfriend sees it), the story has a lighthearted feel to it. Sure, you might not want to be a bully or rude or block headed if you live in the small town where Annie has a new teaching job, but from Annie's perspective, once she gets over thinking about Sam every single second of the day and night, she's in a pretty good place. And she has a friend now, two in fact, although one of her friends is a bit different than anyone she's hung around with in the past.
Sophie is beautiful, generous, popular (even if some folks seem leery), full of life, and ready to mentor Annie to live life for herself and not for anyone else. Sophie's forest mansion is a bit strange, has strange things going on in it, but then Sophie is a bit strange, too. Actually, Annie begins to suspect that Sophie is a witch, a witch that takes Annie under her wing. Brew a cup of hot tea and settle into a comfy spot for this cozy witch story. And say hi to Ralph for me.
Publication: October 5, 2021
Thank you to Elisha Katz, Berkley, and NetGalley for this ARC.
October 21, 2023
After Annie's boyfriend, Sam, breaks up with her, she's devastated. Sure, maybe they have gotten too comfortable lately, but she can't imagine life without him.
As a school teacher, she knows she can't afford to live on her own in Manhattan, and at 30-years old, she's too old to get a roommate. Sam is keeping their apartment and Annie agrees she'll move on; away from the city
She applies for a teaching position in a small town in Upstate New York and when it is offered to her, she accepts.
After that, things begin to fall into place rather quickly. She ends up finding the perfect apartment, minus the tiny spider infestation, and the entire town seems warm and inviting.
Unfortunately, as Annie tries to settle into her new life, she is still just as heartbroken as the day she left the city and her old life behind. She can't stop thinking about Sam and running endless what-if scenerios through her head.
Then she meets Sophie, a confident and mysterious local woman, who seems to have the entire town in the palm of her hand.
Intrigued from the start, Annie begins to spend a lot of time with Sophie; pretty much every spare moment. The good news is, Sophie is great at helping her take her mind off of Sam and her aching heart.
But when Annie can no longer ignore mysterious traits about Sophie, her circumstances begin to tip a toe into the ominous unknown.
🖤🕷🖤🕷🖤🕷🖤🕷🖤🕷🖤🕷🖤🕷🖤🕷🖤🕷🖤🕷🖤🕷🖤🕷🖤
Iabsolutely lovedthis story with my whole heart. It truly has such a powerful message. I think it will resonate with a lot of Readers.
It's for anyone who has ever had a broken heart and found themselves on the other side, or anyone who needs to find the other side, pick this book up.
You're stronger than you know!
The way Harrison wrote Annie, what she was going through after the dissolution of her long-term relationship, it was extremely relatable. I was feeling every emotion.
After she met Sophie, it was indeed distracting. I was equally intrigued by her. She was enchanting, mysterious, sexy, addicting; I wanted to know everything about her. I think I would have fallen for her as quickly as Annie did.
The small town, spooky vibes are on point throughout. It's one of those stories where small town citizens act a little strangely around the new girl and you want to know why!
This is the perfect book for Autumnal vibes for someone who maybe doesn't want to get too scary. Although, I will say, there were at least a couple of scenes in here that gave me legit chills.
Thank you so much to the publisher, Berkley Books, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I finished this at the end of August and it is still fresh in my mind.
I have no doubt this will be on my Favorites list for the year.Cackleshould absolutely be on your Spooktober TBR!!
As a school teacher, she knows she can't afford to live on her own in Manhattan, and at 30-years old, she's too old to get a roommate. Sam is keeping their apartment and Annie agrees she'll move on; away from the city
She applies for a teaching position in a small town in Upstate New York and when it is offered to her, she accepts.
After that, things begin to fall into place rather quickly. She ends up finding the perfect apartment, minus the tiny spider infestation, and the entire town seems warm and inviting.
Unfortunately, as Annie tries to settle into her new life, she is still just as heartbroken as the day she left the city and her old life behind. She can't stop thinking about Sam and running endless what-if scenerios through her head.
Then she meets Sophie, a confident and mysterious local woman, who seems to have the entire town in the palm of her hand.
Intrigued from the start, Annie begins to spend a lot of time with Sophie; pretty much every spare moment. The good news is, Sophie is great at helping her take her mind off of Sam and her aching heart.
But when Annie can no longer ignore mysterious traits about Sophie, her circumstances begin to tip a toe into the ominous unknown.
🖤🕷🖤🕷🖤🕷🖤🕷🖤🕷🖤🕷🖤🕷🖤🕷🖤🕷🖤🕷🖤🕷🖤🕷🖤
Iabsolutely lovedthis story with my whole heart. It truly has such a powerful message. I think it will resonate with a lot of Readers.
It's for anyone who has ever had a broken heart and found themselves on the other side, or anyone who needs to find the other side, pick this book up.
You're stronger than you know!
The way Harrison wrote Annie, what she was going through after the dissolution of her long-term relationship, it was extremely relatable. I was feeling every emotion.
After she met Sophie, it was indeed distracting. I was equally intrigued by her. She was enchanting, mysterious, sexy, addicting; I wanted to know everything about her. I think I would have fallen for her as quickly as Annie did.
The small town, spooky vibes are on point throughout. It's one of those stories where small town citizens act a little strangely around the new girl and you want to know why!
This is the perfect book for Autumnal vibes for someone who maybe doesn't want to get too scary. Although, I will say, there were at least a couple of scenes in here that gave me legit chills.
Thank you so much to the publisher, Berkley Books, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I finished this at the end of August and it is still fresh in my mind.
I have no doubt this will be on my Favorites list for the year.Cackleshould absolutely be on your Spooktober TBR!!
October 31, 2023
Let's make one thing clear: 👏This is not a thriller! This is not a horror!👏
To be a thriller, it has to play with your (or at least the MC's) mind, to be a horror, it has to have at least one character dead/murdered (or in danger of the same) and at least one gory scene.
(Not) Sorry to spoil you, but this has non of that.
This is cozy women's fiction with paranormal (witchy, perfect for Halloween) elements that can also be categorized as feminist novel and that is it!!
It was weird, I'll give it that,but it is definitely not disturbing (unless you hate spiders, who are here pets because why not throw something childish and unnecessary to make it unique)!
So yeah,if you consider Twilight a horror because it has vampires as characters, then this is the horror/thriller for you.
If you are looking for thrilling book that will keep you at the edge of your sit, this is not a book for you.
This is cozy, slow paced book, perfect for readers who are looking something to read for Halloween, but instead of being scared, they want to be relaxed.
It was entertaining, with characters interesting enough, and easy to read writing style.
It is written in first person.
I could spend my time overanalyzing the novel, telling you how Annie reminded me of my own friend which made me care for her on a higher level, how in my mind Sophie looks like Megan Fox, how I loved Sam and am sorry the writer ruined his character even though I understand why she did it, how I think cat would work way better then the spider and how absurd it was for MC to take everything like it was even though no sane person would do it.
I could also tell you how I really enjoyed the atmosphere and my friend Amanda who I buddy read this with, and me, we had great time and how this book was exactly what we both needed after finishing Mexican Gothic, but I won't bore you more then necessary.
I will justrecommend this novel to everyone who are looking for cozy autumn book with witchy/Halloween elements.
To be a thriller, it has to play with your (or at least the MC's) mind, to be a horror, it has to have at least one character dead/murdered (or in danger of the same) and at least one gory scene.
(Not) Sorry to spoil you, but this has non of that.
This is cozy women's fiction with paranormal (witchy, perfect for Halloween) elements that can also be categorized as feminist novel and that is it!!
It was weird, I'll give it that,but it is definitely not disturbing (unless you hate spiders, who are here pets because why not throw something childish and unnecessary to make it unique)!
So yeah,if you consider Twilight a horror because it has vampires as characters, then this is the horror/thriller for you.
If you are looking for thrilling book that will keep you at the edge of your sit, this is not a book for you.
This is cozy, slow paced book, perfect for readers who are looking something to read for Halloween, but instead of being scared, they want to be relaxed.
It was entertaining, with characters interesting enough, and easy to read writing style.
It is written in first person.
I could spend my time overanalyzing the novel, telling you how Annie reminded me of my own friend which made me care for her on a higher level, how in my mind Sophie looks like Megan Fox, how I loved Sam and am sorry the writer ruined his character even though I understand why she did it, how I think cat would work way better then the spider and how absurd it was for MC to take everything like it was even though no sane person would do it.
I could also tell you how I really enjoyed the atmosphere and my friend Amanda who I buddy read this with, and me, we had great time and how this book was exactly what we both needed after finishing Mexican Gothic, but I won't bore you more then necessary.
I will justrecommend this novel to everyone who are looking for cozy autumn book with witchy/Halloween elements.
October 11, 2021
If stories had color palettes, Cackle’s would be an ombre fade of white gradually turning to black. This is a book that vibes hard, though the vibes vary big time.
What starts out feeling like a NYC-set romcom slides through magical realism on its way to paranormal before ending with a wee bit of witchy horror. It’s almost like a writers’ relay, where chapters might have been written by different authors in the following order:
- Christina Lauren
- Sarah Addison Allen
- Alice Hoffman
- Anne Rice
Cackle follows a year in the life of 30-something Annie after she’s dumped by her boyfriend and moves from the big city to upstate New York to start over. She meets an impossibly beautiful woman named Sophie, and they become insta-BFFs. They drink a lot of wine, play dress up, and play with spiders. A LOT of spiders, most notably a big one named Ralph who has a jovial personality and dons a little hat. Through her friendship with her new feminist bestie - who, it goes without saying, is a witch - Annie learns to take back her power over her life while gaining powers over the universe.
While uneven in tone, Cackle is a great choice for a little Halloween reading that’s spooky enough to feel seasonal but not enough to scare. I can’t stress this enough though: Must Love Spiders.
3.5 stars
My thanks to the author and Berkley Publishing Group for the gifted copy to review. Cackle is now available.
Blog:https://www.confettibookshelf.com/
What starts out feeling like a NYC-set romcom slides through magical realism on its way to paranormal before ending with a wee bit of witchy horror. It’s almost like a writers’ relay, where chapters might have been written by different authors in the following order:
- Christina Lauren
- Sarah Addison Allen
- Alice Hoffman
- Anne Rice
Cackle follows a year in the life of 30-something Annie after she’s dumped by her boyfriend and moves from the big city to upstate New York to start over. She meets an impossibly beautiful woman named Sophie, and they become insta-BFFs. They drink a lot of wine, play dress up, and play with spiders. A LOT of spiders, most notably a big one named Ralph who has a jovial personality and dons a little hat. Through her friendship with her new feminist bestie - who, it goes without saying, is a witch - Annie learns to take back her power over her life while gaining powers over the universe.
While uneven in tone, Cackle is a great choice for a little Halloween reading that’s spooky enough to feel seasonal but not enough to scare. I can’t stress this enough though: Must Love Spiders.
3.5 stars
My thanks to the author and Berkley Publishing Group for the gifted copy to review. Cackle is now available.
Blog:https://www.confettibookshelf.com/
October 25, 2021
Okay then... this is one of those times where I truly wonder if I've read the same book as everyone else. People are blindly praising this novel without acknowledging how screwed up Annie and Sophie are. There aren't that many reviews yet, so I'm going to make a note to myself to check back here at the end of the month and see if anything changes.
There are a whole slew of witchy books I want to read that are coming out this October, butCacklewas at the top of my list. I think I was mistaken about the premise, though. Someone on TikTok labeled it as LGBTQ+, so I was falsely expecting a sapphic witchy tale. Nonetheless, though, I found the premise intriguing: Annie has recently been dumped by her boyfriend of ten years. She's devastated and needs some space, so she takes a teaching job a few hours away and moves to a picturesque, small town. Everyone seems really friendly, and she befriends a gorgeous, glamorous woman named Sophie. The closer they become, though, the more something seems off. Why are the townspeople afraid of Sophie? Is she really as warm and friendly as she seems? Healing from a breakup by bonding with a hot witch sounds like a fantastic premise to me. Unfortunately, I just couldn't get behind it as I read.
Your enjoyment ofCacklewill probably depend on how much you sympathize with Annie. I couldn't stand her. She's so whiny. She spends the entire book rambling on about missing her ex. Sure, they were together for ten years, so she had a right to be upset. But the way she had no personality or hobbies outside of him frustrated me. He so clearly never appreciated her, yet she devoted her life and ruined all of her relationships for him.
Annie's entire approach to men made me roll my eyes. She talks about how she can't live alone and always cycles through guys. Growing up, when her friends told her she spent too much time with her boyfriends, she got mad and stopped talking to them out of spite. She never grew out of that dependence on a man. She's also extraordinarily sensitive and takes every single passing remark by other characters the wrong way and never gets over anything. She was bullied as a kid, but mostly in the way of random insensitive comments from other children, rather than one bully targeting her... And she never forgets it and is still wishing ill on everyone who has ever made a slightly rude comment to her. It's exhausting, and she seemed so cold for no reason to everyone but Sam and Sophie that I couldn't get behind her.
I also thought Sophie was extremely toxic. She made some good points, but her actions were pretty despicable. I supported her sentiments that Annie needed to move on and believe in herself. She's right that society pushes women to feel like they need a man in their lives, and, as a result, women end up settling because they don't know they deserve better. However, she was way too controlling and didn't give Annie any room to come to those conclusions on her own. She physically took her phone from her, encouraged Annie to drink way too much every weekend, was too possessive over Annie's time, and eventually.Oh, andwith zero remorse. That's abusive behavior! Not to mention all the lies and manipulation. She's an interesting villain, but I'm frustrated to see people saying that she's empowering and in the right.
I'm spending so much time harping on the characters because they truly are the focus of the story. There's not much plot or depth beyond the characterization. In fact, there are so so many things left unexplained and zero answers about the magic system.I think it's probably fine if you like the characters, but if you don't, then the cracks show and there's not really anything else to enjoy. The writing is fine, but I didn't feel strongly about it one way or the other. I was listening on audiobook, though, and I have a harder time judging writing when I'm listening. FWIW, the narrator was good (it's the same woman who narratesLock Every Door), though I didn't love the voice she used for Sophie.
Kind of spoilers for the end below here, but I'm not tagging them because they're vague. If you don't want to know the direction of the story, stop reading after this paragraph. Overall, it just wasn't for me, mostly because I thought the characters were all bad people, in a rude, unentertaining way. It did have spooky vibes, but it almost felt like the author was including too many food and coffee references just for the sake of it. It felt more like a random grocery list sprinkled in than the coziness and October atmosphere I was hoping for (sometimes less is more! Tell me HOW the pie smelled and tasted, rather than giving me twenty different baked goods).
Giving this book the benefit of the doubt, I could say Harrison was intentionally trying to make the characters unlikable. I do really like stories where protagonists become antagonists and the bad guys win. They're so fun and interesting! Arguably, that's what this book does, but I didn't have fun. Sophie and Annie try to pass their behavior near the end off as feminist and empowering, but I found it to just be mean for the sake of being mean without a greater purpose. I love sinister villains with a morally grey reason for their behavior... but Sophie and Annie were petty and took things too far. Maybe if they actually got to know the townspeople instead ofthey'd all get along. Sure, you can stand up for yourself and take what you want out of life, but you don't have to ostracize yourself in the process.
I liked the themes of this book, but I couldn't quite tell how far the reader was supposed to go with them. Should we root for Sophie and Annie? Are we supposed to dislike them and view Sophie as the traditional mean witch living in a forest out of a fairytale? I dunno, but I didn't have a good time.
2 stars. I do see how some people might like this-- it's unique and liking Annie might give you a different perspective than I had. I'm very curious to see more reviews of this one.
There are a whole slew of witchy books I want to read that are coming out this October, butCacklewas at the top of my list. I think I was mistaken about the premise, though. Someone on TikTok labeled it as LGBTQ+, so I was falsely expecting a sapphic witchy tale. Nonetheless, though, I found the premise intriguing: Annie has recently been dumped by her boyfriend of ten years. She's devastated and needs some space, so she takes a teaching job a few hours away and moves to a picturesque, small town. Everyone seems really friendly, and she befriends a gorgeous, glamorous woman named Sophie. The closer they become, though, the more something seems off. Why are the townspeople afraid of Sophie? Is she really as warm and friendly as she seems? Healing from a breakup by bonding with a hot witch sounds like a fantastic premise to me. Unfortunately, I just couldn't get behind it as I read.
Your enjoyment ofCacklewill probably depend on how much you sympathize with Annie. I couldn't stand her. She's so whiny. She spends the entire book rambling on about missing her ex. Sure, they were together for ten years, so she had a right to be upset. But the way she had no personality or hobbies outside of him frustrated me. He so clearly never appreciated her, yet she devoted her life and ruined all of her relationships for him.
Annie's entire approach to men made me roll my eyes. She talks about how she can't live alone and always cycles through guys. Growing up, when her friends told her she spent too much time with her boyfriends, she got mad and stopped talking to them out of spite. She never grew out of that dependence on a man. She's also extraordinarily sensitive and takes every single passing remark by other characters the wrong way and never gets over anything. She was bullied as a kid, but mostly in the way of random insensitive comments from other children, rather than one bully targeting her... And she never forgets it and is still wishing ill on everyone who has ever made a slightly rude comment to her. It's exhausting, and she seemed so cold for no reason to everyone but Sam and Sophie that I couldn't get behind her.
I also thought Sophie was extremely toxic. She made some good points, but her actions were pretty despicable. I supported her sentiments that Annie needed to move on and believe in herself. She's right that society pushes women to feel like they need a man in their lives, and, as a result, women end up settling because they don't know they deserve better. However, she was way too controlling and didn't give Annie any room to come to those conclusions on her own. She physically took her phone from her, encouraged Annie to drink way too much every weekend, was too possessive over Annie's time, and eventually.Oh, andwith zero remorse. That's abusive behavior! Not to mention all the lies and manipulation. She's an interesting villain, but I'm frustrated to see people saying that she's empowering and in the right.
I'm spending so much time harping on the characters because they truly are the focus of the story. There's not much plot or depth beyond the characterization. In fact, there are so so many things left unexplained and zero answers about the magic system.I think it's probably fine if you like the characters, but if you don't, then the cracks show and there's not really anything else to enjoy. The writing is fine, but I didn't feel strongly about it one way or the other. I was listening on audiobook, though, and I have a harder time judging writing when I'm listening. FWIW, the narrator was good (it's the same woman who narratesLock Every Door), though I didn't love the voice she used for Sophie.
Kind of spoilers for the end below here, but I'm not tagging them because they're vague. If you don't want to know the direction of the story, stop reading after this paragraph. Overall, it just wasn't for me, mostly because I thought the characters were all bad people, in a rude, unentertaining way. It did have spooky vibes, but it almost felt like the author was including too many food and coffee references just for the sake of it. It felt more like a random grocery list sprinkled in than the coziness and October atmosphere I was hoping for (sometimes less is more! Tell me HOW the pie smelled and tasted, rather than giving me twenty different baked goods).
Giving this book the benefit of the doubt, I could say Harrison was intentionally trying to make the characters unlikable. I do really like stories where protagonists become antagonists and the bad guys win. They're so fun and interesting! Arguably, that's what this book does, but I didn't have fun. Sophie and Annie try to pass their behavior near the end off as feminist and empowering, but I found it to just be mean for the sake of being mean without a greater purpose. I love sinister villains with a morally grey reason for their behavior... but Sophie and Annie were petty and took things too far. Maybe if they actually got to know the townspeople instead ofthey'd all get along. Sure, you can stand up for yourself and take what you want out of life, but you don't have to ostracize yourself in the process.
I liked the themes of this book, but I couldn't quite tell how far the reader was supposed to go with them. Should we root for Sophie and Annie? Are we supposed to dislike them and view Sophie as the traditional mean witch living in a forest out of a fairytale? I dunno, but I didn't have a good time.
2 stars. I do see how some people might like this-- it's unique and liking Annie might give you a different perspective than I had. I'm very curious to see more reviews of this one.
March 22, 2024
This book had potential, after a break up this woman goes to live in a small town and becomes friend with a witch (or so people seem to think).
My issue is that even though it was a part of the plot, the MC annoyed me. Yeah you were with your ex for years but please move on...
PS. This book isn't for you if you're scared of spider.
My issue is that even though it was a part of the plot, the MC annoyed me. Yeah you were with your ex for years but please move on...
PS. This book isn't for you if you're scared of spider.
November 23, 2022
This is exactly the kind of book I really crave in the autumn.
Cackle follows Annie who has recently broken up with her long time boyfriend and moved to a new town where she meets Sophie. But, all is not as it seems with her new friend. Can Annie ever get over her ex-boyfriend? Is she safe?
I haven’t read a witchy book in so long, this really hit the spot for me. This is an absolutely perfect book for October/Halloween but would be enjoyable at any time of year. I loved the creepy horror moments that were woven throughout. But despite these horror flashes, this was quite an easy and light read with an important message hidden amongst the pages; a message of self acceptance and love. I really liked the positive spin that was added to topics that are usually handled with suspicion and mistrust in books like this. It really added a different perspective.
I can’t believe I’m going to say this, but my favourite character in this was Ralph the spider. I’m usually terrified of spiders but Ralph had a charm and sweetness that had me giddy with glee. I found myself noting every single passage involving Ralph so that I could return to his cuteness whenever I feel like it! I’m still not sure how I feel about real spiders, but I certainly have a deep love for Ralph now! I feel I may read this book again during future Halloweens because I thoroughly enjoyed it.
I would recommend Cackle to anyone who enjoys a Halloween/witchy read. I want to thank Netgalley, Titan Books and Rachel Harrison for sending me a copy of this book so I can give my personal thoughts.
Cackle follows Annie who has recently broken up with her long time boyfriend and moved to a new town where she meets Sophie. But, all is not as it seems with her new friend. Can Annie ever get over her ex-boyfriend? Is she safe?
I haven’t read a witchy book in so long, this really hit the spot for me. This is an absolutely perfect book for October/Halloween but would be enjoyable at any time of year. I loved the creepy horror moments that were woven throughout. But despite these horror flashes, this was quite an easy and light read with an important message hidden amongst the pages; a message of self acceptance and love. I really liked the positive spin that was added to topics that are usually handled with suspicion and mistrust in books like this. It really added a different perspective.
I can’t believe I’m going to say this, but my favourite character in this was Ralph the spider. I’m usually terrified of spiders but Ralph had a charm and sweetness that had me giddy with glee. I found myself noting every single passage involving Ralph so that I could return to his cuteness whenever I feel like it! I’m still not sure how I feel about real spiders, but I certainly have a deep love for Ralph now! I feel I may read this book again during future Halloweens because I thoroughly enjoyed it.
I would recommend Cackle to anyone who enjoys a Halloween/witchy read. I want to thank Netgalley, Titan Books and Rachel Harrison for sending me a copy of this book so I can give my personal thoughts.
February 3, 2024
Absolutely LOVED this. What a fun and special book this is, I knew it was gonna be good but, wow. RH books make me feel like they were written especially for me and I’m sad I don’t have any more to read. Truly didn’t want this to end and I can definitely see myself rereading in the future! 🥹
October 5, 2021
NOW AVAILABLE!
How should you spend Halloween this year? 🕷🕸
A. Eat way too much chocolate 🍫 because you have an excuse to do so.
B. Read Cackle and learn to discover your inner 🧙🏻♀️ Witch.
C. Both answers are correct.
The answer is C-both answers are correct!
Sam and Annie. Annie and Sam. They have been a couple for 10 years, and Annie thought the next step was marriage while Sam thought it was to break up and be “just friends”.
Yeah-that old line.
So, Annie has accepted a new teaching job upstate and is leaving Manhattan for the small, picturesque town of Rowan, to lick her wounds in private.
Instead she immediately meets, Sophie, a beautiful, independent woman who lives life unapologetically and seems to want to help Annie to live her life the same way.
But, Sophie has had many years to learn this lesson-possibly hundreds if you are to believe what is said.
I wasn’t expecting a feminist slant to this book-and not a whole lot happens as the two women hang out, eating, drinking wine and talking, but it was a QUICK-often humorous read-UNIQUE, CAMPY and UPLIFTING!
You may even find yourself “cackling” once or twice!
Who ever decided that being a WITCH was bad, anyway? 🕷
3.5 ⭐️ rounding up for the POSITIVE message!
And the FANTASTIC COVER! ☕️🕷
Thank You to Elisha at Berkley for inviting me to read an early gifted copy of this delightful book, provided through NetGalley.
How should you spend Halloween this year? 🕷🕸
A. Eat way too much chocolate 🍫 because you have an excuse to do so.
B. Read Cackle and learn to discover your inner 🧙🏻♀️ Witch.
C. Both answers are correct.
The answer is C-both answers are correct!
Sam and Annie. Annie and Sam. They have been a couple for 10 years, and Annie thought the next step was marriage while Sam thought it was to break up and be “just friends”.
Yeah-that old line.
So, Annie has accepted a new teaching job upstate and is leaving Manhattan for the small, picturesque town of Rowan, to lick her wounds in private.
Instead she immediately meets, Sophie, a beautiful, independent woman who lives life unapologetically and seems to want to help Annie to live her life the same way.
But, Sophie has had many years to learn this lesson-possibly hundreds if you are to believe what is said.
I wasn’t expecting a feminist slant to this book-and not a whole lot happens as the two women hang out, eating, drinking wine and talking, but it was a QUICK-often humorous read-UNIQUE, CAMPY and UPLIFTING!
You may even find yourself “cackling” once or twice!
Who ever decided that being a WITCH was bad, anyway? 🕷
3.5 ⭐️ rounding up for the POSITIVE message!
And the FANTASTIC COVER! ☕️🕷
Thank You to Elisha at Berkley for inviting me to read an early gifted copy of this delightful book, provided through NetGalley.
August 24, 2021
3.5 STARS
Hocus Pocus
This one has more giggles than screams, so no need to be frightened! Maybe a few goosebumps!
The story is about Annie finding her true self after a twelve year long break-up with her boyfriend, Sam.
Annie moves to a small village and meets a charming unconvential friend, Sophie. Her home is enormous, beautiful and as enchanting as she is. They become good friends. They spend time together drinking tea, playing dress-up, trying on her collection of hats, making caramel apples and watching documentaries on Netflix.
There is also some magic and sweet creatures, but its focused on friendship, building self confidence and living your best life!
Its a sweet read, a bit juvenile (except a few curse words) and I would call it a witchy fairytale or cozy witch story.
If your in the mood for something unique that may make your spidey senses tingle. This may be your cup of tea!
Thanks to NG and the publisher for my review copy! OUT October 5, 2021
Hocus Pocus
This one has more giggles than screams, so no need to be frightened! Maybe a few goosebumps!
The story is about Annie finding her true self after a twelve year long break-up with her boyfriend, Sam.
Annie moves to a small village and meets a charming unconvential friend, Sophie. Her home is enormous, beautiful and as enchanting as she is. They become good friends. They spend time together drinking tea, playing dress-up, trying on her collection of hats, making caramel apples and watching documentaries on Netflix.
There is also some magic and sweet creatures, but its focused on friendship, building self confidence and living your best life!
Its a sweet read, a bit juvenile (except a few curse words) and I would call it a witchy fairytale or cozy witch story.
If your in the mood for something unique that may make your spidey senses tingle. This may be your cup of tea!
Thanks to NG and the publisher for my review copy! OUT October 5, 2021
August 26, 2021
YOU WILL NEVER LOOK AT A SPIDER THE SAME AGAIN!!!!! 🕷🕸
I love all things witchy, so I was immediately drawn to this book, love the cover!!!
Don’t be too afraid to read this one, you will meet some wonderful characters that you can root for and have some great life lessons reaffirmed.
Annie has just turned 30. She is leaving Manhattan where she has lived for 10 years. Her boyfriend since she was a teen has broken up with her. After 10 years he thinks they should stay “friends” but move on. Annie is devastated!!!!! She has loved Sam and lived with him for years, she thought they’d get married, he has other ideas.
Annie takes a job as a teacher in a small town in upstate New York. The town is so pretty, quaint, idyllic in fact, almost like a story book!! The people she meets are friendly and her apartment is great, just what she was looking for!!
Annie doesn’t have a lot of self confidence or self assurance. She wants to make a fresh start but doesn’t know if she can let go of Sam. She spends a lot of time brooding in her apartment and drinking the nights away.
THEN SHE MEETS SOPHIE!!
Annie and Sophie seem to bond from the start; Sophie is so kind and inviting. She is like a balm for Annie’s downtrodden self esteem. She is beautiful and self assured. But some of the townspeople seem to be afraid of her???? WHY????
Annie has found a friend who teaches her how to cook, how to enjoy doing things just for your own enjoyment. They have some great picnics and fun nights together. Annie will have to decide how she can move forward and let go of the past!!
Sophie is very mysterious and of course as you know from the blurb there are some out of the ordinary things going on in this town!!!!!!
This is really a late stage coming of age novel with some great “witchy” elements. Annie grows a lot during the novel which I always enjoy. I would recommend this book for anyone from mid teen years and up!!
I received an ARC of this novel from the publisher through NetGalley.
This novel is set to publish on October 5, 2021.
I love all things witchy, so I was immediately drawn to this book, love the cover!!!
Don’t be too afraid to read this one, you will meet some wonderful characters that you can root for and have some great life lessons reaffirmed.
Annie has just turned 30. She is leaving Manhattan where she has lived for 10 years. Her boyfriend since she was a teen has broken up with her. After 10 years he thinks they should stay “friends” but move on. Annie is devastated!!!!! She has loved Sam and lived with him for years, she thought they’d get married, he has other ideas.
Annie takes a job as a teacher in a small town in upstate New York. The town is so pretty, quaint, idyllic in fact, almost like a story book!! The people she meets are friendly and her apartment is great, just what she was looking for!!
Annie doesn’t have a lot of self confidence or self assurance. She wants to make a fresh start but doesn’t know if she can let go of Sam. She spends a lot of time brooding in her apartment and drinking the nights away.
THEN SHE MEETS SOPHIE!!
Annie and Sophie seem to bond from the start; Sophie is so kind and inviting. She is like a balm for Annie’s downtrodden self esteem. She is beautiful and self assured. But some of the townspeople seem to be afraid of her???? WHY????
Annie has found a friend who teaches her how to cook, how to enjoy doing things just for your own enjoyment. They have some great picnics and fun nights together. Annie will have to decide how she can move forward and let go of the past!!
Sophie is very mysterious and of course as you know from the blurb there are some out of the ordinary things going on in this town!!!!!!
This is really a late stage coming of age novel with some great “witchy” elements. Annie grows a lot during the novel which I always enjoy. I would recommend this book for anyone from mid teen years and up!!
I received an ARC of this novel from the publisher through NetGalley.
This novel is set to publish on October 5, 2021.
November 11, 2022
**Many thanks to Edelweiss, Berkley, and Rachel Harrison for a DRC in exchange for an honest review! Now available in paperback!**
To make aCackle-worthy witch's brew, take:
*one part sass
*two parts angst
*a splash of spooky seasoning
and aHEARTYhelping of magic to taste!
Annie is aching to embrace her heartbreak and use it as fuel for a new life. She has left her apartment in NYC and her ex Sam behind, and is taking a chance on a unique small town that seems to have everything, including that cozy, quaint feeling she wouldNEVERhave found in the big city. She settles into her new place and finds the loneliness and rumination about her failed relationship drowning her...
UNTIL...she meets Sophie in the town's liquor store. Glamorous, mysterious, and kind, she instantly puts Annie at ease and seems to be the best friend she never knew she needed. The two become inseparable, and Annie doesn't even hesitate spending the night at Sophie's fabulous MANSION...until she catches a weird reflection over her shoulder anytime she looks in the mirror. Spiders, spiders, and MORE spiders keep appearing. 🕷 And after Sophie presents her with a mysterious mushroom tea, Annie has an unusual night that she just CAN'T quite remember clearly...
Are the ugly whispers and rumors in town true...or is Sophie truly as lovely as she seems?Is Sophie changing Annie into the free and independent soul she's always longed to be...or something else entirely?
I'm so ashamed to say Ialmostblacklisted this book before ever giving it a chance.
...Why?
Because aside from the charming and venerable Charlotte from Charlotte's Web,spiders are basically my mortal enemy.I'd heard this book featured them heavily and what I was picturing was spiders, spiders everywhere a la Arachnophobia, where reading this book would just leave my skin crawling and my imagination on overdrive until some time had passed.
And now that I'm finished, I am THRILLED to report this was aVASTLY unfair prejudgment of this FANTASTIC book!
Sure, there is an important spider character...but I'll be honest:I flat-out adored him.The fact that I kept picturing him as an adorable cartoon character rather than a menacing and fanged real-life spider probably helped...but still. While this character is important, this book could have certainly moved on without him.
What Cackle REALLY is instead is a book about empowerment, finding a sense of self, and OWNING your life, without hesitation...and I loved every minute of it.
Annie goes on a long journey to get there, but wow, is it worth it. Her reflections about life and her relationship with Sam were gut-wrenching and SO realistic at times, I couldn't help but relate looking back at some of my own past relationships. I wasn't expecting such a weighty emotional component, but it was SO appreciated after so many recent thrillers and suspense books I've read were wildly lacking in this area.
And then there's Harrison'sHUMOR.Witty, acerbic, laugh-out-loud funny. Again, not at all what I was expecting from this book so in a way, it captured my attention that much more. I found myself wishing I could be friends with Annie (always a good sign) and she caught me off guard more than once. Cackle knows how to be silly, but also keeps it in check and keeps the spooky up at all times. I also loved that I had NO idea what was going to happen next up until the VERY end and the last section of the book was the PERFECT cap on this spooky and spirited tale!
Although I am very grateful that I both a) took a chance on this book and b) saved it for Halloween reading, I think I am most grateful to Harrison for taking my spider phobia down from a 9 to a comfy 5...I mean, as long as said spider looks simplyMARVELOUSin a top hat!😉 🎩 🕷
4.5 witchy, spooky stars! 🧹 👻
To make aCackle-worthy witch's brew, take:
*one part sass
*two parts angst
*a splash of spooky seasoning
and aHEARTYhelping of magic to taste!
Annie is aching to embrace her heartbreak and use it as fuel for a new life. She has left her apartment in NYC and her ex Sam behind, and is taking a chance on a unique small town that seems to have everything, including that cozy, quaint feeling she wouldNEVERhave found in the big city. She settles into her new place and finds the loneliness and rumination about her failed relationship drowning her...
UNTIL...she meets Sophie in the town's liquor store. Glamorous, mysterious, and kind, she instantly puts Annie at ease and seems to be the best friend she never knew she needed. The two become inseparable, and Annie doesn't even hesitate spending the night at Sophie's fabulous MANSION...until she catches a weird reflection over her shoulder anytime she looks in the mirror. Spiders, spiders, and MORE spiders keep appearing. 🕷 And after Sophie presents her with a mysterious mushroom tea, Annie has an unusual night that she just CAN'T quite remember clearly...
Are the ugly whispers and rumors in town true...or is Sophie truly as lovely as she seems?Is Sophie changing Annie into the free and independent soul she's always longed to be...or something else entirely?
I'm so ashamed to say Ialmostblacklisted this book before ever giving it a chance.
...Why?
Because aside from the charming and venerable Charlotte from Charlotte's Web,spiders are basically my mortal enemy.I'd heard this book featured them heavily and what I was picturing was spiders, spiders everywhere a la Arachnophobia, where reading this book would just leave my skin crawling and my imagination on overdrive until some time had passed.
And now that I'm finished, I am THRILLED to report this was aVASTLY unfair prejudgment of this FANTASTIC book!
Sure, there is an important spider character...but I'll be honest:I flat-out adored him.The fact that I kept picturing him as an adorable cartoon character rather than a menacing and fanged real-life spider probably helped...but still. While this character is important, this book could have certainly moved on without him.
What Cackle REALLY is instead is a book about empowerment, finding a sense of self, and OWNING your life, without hesitation...and I loved every minute of it.
Annie goes on a long journey to get there, but wow, is it worth it. Her reflections about life and her relationship with Sam were gut-wrenching and SO realistic at times, I couldn't help but relate looking back at some of my own past relationships. I wasn't expecting such a weighty emotional component, but it was SO appreciated after so many recent thrillers and suspense books I've read were wildly lacking in this area.
And then there's Harrison'sHUMOR.Witty, acerbic, laugh-out-loud funny. Again, not at all what I was expecting from this book so in a way, it captured my attention that much more. I found myself wishing I could be friends with Annie (always a good sign) and she caught me off guard more than once. Cackle knows how to be silly, but also keeps it in check and keeps the spooky up at all times. I also loved that I had NO idea what was going to happen next up until the VERY end and the last section of the book was the PERFECT cap on this spooky and spirited tale!
Although I am very grateful that I both a) took a chance on this book and b) saved it for Halloween reading, I think I am most grateful to Harrison for taking my spider phobia down from a 9 to a comfy 5...I mean, as long as said spider looks simplyMARVELOUSin a top hat!😉 🎩 🕷
4.5 witchy, spooky stars! 🧹 👻
November 2, 2021
This could’ve been a new favorite, I loved the beginning so much, but then it got kind of repetitive and the main character started to annoy me 😅 love the concept though!
Reading vlog:https://youtu.be/1-Q5QE_faPY
Reading vlog:https://youtu.be/1-Q5QE_faPY
March 15, 2023
I was looking forward to reading
Cackle
especially right before Halloween but this disappointed though the premise was spot on.
My biggest caveat was how much IdespisedAnnie. She is the mascot ofdicks before chicks.
She whines constantly about being alone, needing a man in her life; she is thatchickwhose life can only be fulfilled by adick.
And, yes, her ex-boyfriend of 10 years is adick.
She also has a drinking problem.
It's clear that I would not be Annie's friend.
She personifies what I despise in women like her; ditching your friends to hang out with your man, having your life revolve around a man, having no thoughts or interests or ambitions of your own except what your man wants.
That made it all the more difficult to believe Annie had any supernatural,witchypowers.
I liked Sophie a lot more, not surprisingly. She is confident, charismatic, ethereal, beautiful and powerful.
Annie is none of these things, and naturally gravitates to Sophie. Who wouldn't?
But Sophie has issues of her own. She's psychologically abusive toward Annie; telling her what to do, plying her with booze, taking away her phone and trying to get her to realize what she's capable of.
In other words, she's forcing Annie to recognize her true self, but an epiphany like that can't be rushed.
There's no drama or tension here; horror this ain't.
I wasn't scared at any point except at how desperate Annie needed a man to be complete.
This is about Annie and Sophie and their burgeoning toxic relationship and Annie thinking constantly about her ex.
I had hoped for something dark, like magic gone awry, the residents exploding into bits of candy corn, you know, stuff like that.
I get what the author is trying to say in Cackle: female empowerment, believe in yourself, you don't need a dude, especially adick dude,blah blah blah but the good vibes and potential of the narrative was tamped down by the sheer presence of Annie.
There is no magic, not even between Annie and Sophie.
There's no rapport, friendship or otherwise Sapphic, no chemistry.
The vibe I get is that Sophie forces Annie to confront her whiny self because she needs someone to add to her witch's coven.
Annie doesn't develop her true powers on her own (what powers?) and when it does happen, it's abrupt, sudden, with no buildup or suspense.
Like I said earlier, it'sSOOOOhard to believe Annie is capable of anything more than getting back in her car and following her ex-boyfriend back to town and becoming aStepfordwife.
Ralph was my favorite character.
My biggest caveat was how much IdespisedAnnie. She is the mascot ofdicks before chicks.
She whines constantly about being alone, needing a man in her life; she is thatchickwhose life can only be fulfilled by adick.
And, yes, her ex-boyfriend of 10 years is adick.
She also has a drinking problem.
It's clear that I would not be Annie's friend.
She personifies what I despise in women like her; ditching your friends to hang out with your man, having your life revolve around a man, having no thoughts or interests or ambitions of your own except what your man wants.
That made it all the more difficult to believe Annie had any supernatural,witchypowers.
I liked Sophie a lot more, not surprisingly. She is confident, charismatic, ethereal, beautiful and powerful.
Annie is none of these things, and naturally gravitates to Sophie. Who wouldn't?
But Sophie has issues of her own. She's psychologically abusive toward Annie; telling her what to do, plying her with booze, taking away her phone and trying to get her to realize what she's capable of.
In other words, she's forcing Annie to recognize her true self, but an epiphany like that can't be rushed.
There's no drama or tension here; horror this ain't.
I wasn't scared at any point except at how desperate Annie needed a man to be complete.
This is about Annie and Sophie and their burgeoning toxic relationship and Annie thinking constantly about her ex.
I had hoped for something dark, like magic gone awry, the residents exploding into bits of candy corn, you know, stuff like that.
I get what the author is trying to say in Cackle: female empowerment, believe in yourself, you don't need a dude, especially adick dude,blah blah blah but the good vibes and potential of the narrative was tamped down by the sheer presence of Annie.
There is no magic, not even between Annie and Sophie.
There's no rapport, friendship or otherwise Sapphic, no chemistry.
The vibe I get is that Sophie forces Annie to confront her whiny self because she needs someone to add to her witch's coven.
Annie doesn't develop her true powers on her own (what powers?) and when it does happen, it's abrupt, sudden, with no buildup or suspense.
Like I said earlier, it'sSOOOOhard to believe Annie is capable of anything more than getting back in her car and following her ex-boyfriend back to town and becoming aStepfordwife.
Ralph was my favorite character.
December 24, 2022
Pure Magic!
Annie was ready for a fresh start when her longtime boyfriend, Sam dumped her. Heartbroken, she accepts a teaching position in upstate New York and leaves the city behind. Her new town is picture perfect, warm, and inviting. She also loves her new apartment even if there a few spiders hanging around. The Annie meets Sophie who becomes almost an instant friend to Annie. Sophie is wise, sophisticated and full of advice. Annie feels drawn to her but can't understand why there are those in town who are leery of Sophie, heck, some are even downright afraid!
Annie constantly thinks of Sam and what he is doing, they remain in contact and Annie would love to have him back. Sophie is a voice of reason. She gives Annie empowering advice. To be happy on her own, to find things that she enjoys doing, to make herself a priority and to know that she does not need a man to define her. While reading I thought "Yes, yes, yes!" as I was getting annoyed with Annie constantly thinking of Sam and obsessing on what he is doing.
As Sophie and Annie get closer, Annie begins to be warned about Sophie by a man in town. But will the warnings fall on death ears? Annie knows that Sophie is unique and as she spends more time with Sophie, she learns that Sophie and she are more alike that she thought!
I absolutely adored this book. I loved the message of finding your own happiness and doing what makes you happy. I loved seeing Annie, become stronger, more self-confident, and realize that she may have been looking at her relationship through rose-colored glasses and that she deserves to be happy.
While I am scared out of my mind by spiders, I loved Ralph, the main spider in this book. He was a happy fellow who stole a few scenes.
Cackle was a magical read which left me with a smile on my face and joy in my heart. I love books where there is growth and I loved seeing Annie become more self-confident and sure of herself.
Annie was ready for a fresh start when her longtime boyfriend, Sam dumped her. Heartbroken, she accepts a teaching position in upstate New York and leaves the city behind. Her new town is picture perfect, warm, and inviting. She also loves her new apartment even if there a few spiders hanging around. The Annie meets Sophie who becomes almost an instant friend to Annie. Sophie is wise, sophisticated and full of advice. Annie feels drawn to her but can't understand why there are those in town who are leery of Sophie, heck, some are even downright afraid!
Annie constantly thinks of Sam and what he is doing, they remain in contact and Annie would love to have him back. Sophie is a voice of reason. She gives Annie empowering advice. To be happy on her own, to find things that she enjoys doing, to make herself a priority and to know that she does not need a man to define her. While reading I thought "Yes, yes, yes!" as I was getting annoyed with Annie constantly thinking of Sam and obsessing on what he is doing.
As Sophie and Annie get closer, Annie begins to be warned about Sophie by a man in town. But will the warnings fall on death ears? Annie knows that Sophie is unique and as she spends more time with Sophie, she learns that Sophie and she are more alike that she thought!
I absolutely adored this book. I loved the message of finding your own happiness and doing what makes you happy. I loved seeing Annie, become stronger, more self-confident, and realize that she may have been looking at her relationship through rose-colored glasses and that she deserves to be happy.
While I am scared out of my mind by spiders, I loved Ralph, the main spider in this book. He was a happy fellow who stole a few scenes.
Cackle was a magical read which left me with a smile on my face and joy in my heart. I love books where there is growth and I loved seeing Annie become more self-confident and sure of herself.
February 8, 2021
If you got to the end of Midsommar and thought "good for her," this book is for you.
December 13, 2021
reading all the goodreads horror nomineeshttps://youtu.be/XGfWQh5Ou_c
September 1, 2022
Annie Crane needs a fresh start when her long term relationship with Sam is over, he thinks they should stay friends and move on. Whatever, Sam! She accepts a teaching position in upstate New York and goes to live in Rowan. It’s a perfect picture postcard of a place, too perfect? She finds a lovely apartment and oh, just to tip the balance there are rather a lot of spiders in it, I’ll show myself out! She meets beautiful Sophie and feels like they’re not strangers who are just meeting. However, why do the residents of Rowan seem to bend over backwards for Sophie? Could it be they’re afraid?
Well, it made me cackle! Must be my inner witch! This is a really fun, entertaining read which is different and creative. Yes, there are spooky happenings, yes there is some trepidation, some cold chills, some distinctly weird and wonderful happenings which might be explained by being a tad tipsy or…?? There might be the odd hex or curse, maybe some spells and a bit of magic and the occasional ghost. It’s delivered in such a way that you find yourself totally engaging! In addition anyone, anyone who can make me like a spider like I fall for the charms of Ralph has to have witchy powers. I’m sure I’ll scream the house down in autumn when they come in the winter! (I can confirm the screeching has commenced!)
As well as all the hocus-pocus it delivers a great message. A very different Annie arrives in Rowan to the one who appears at the end. Sophie is an enabler, she teaches friendship, about being confident and standing up for yourself and not being afraid to be just you.
I so enjoy this, I rip through the pages I’m having so much fun. This is a great choice for a Halloween read or at any time of year really it’s your choice!
With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Titan Books for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.
Well, it made me cackle! Must be my inner witch! This is a really fun, entertaining read which is different and creative. Yes, there are spooky happenings, yes there is some trepidation, some cold chills, some distinctly weird and wonderful happenings which might be explained by being a tad tipsy or…?? There might be the odd hex or curse, maybe some spells and a bit of magic and the occasional ghost. It’s delivered in such a way that you find yourself totally engaging! In addition anyone, anyone who can make me like a spider like I fall for the charms of Ralph has to have witchy powers. I’m sure I’ll scream the house down in autumn when they come in the winter! (I can confirm the screeching has commenced!)
As well as all the hocus-pocus it delivers a great message. A very different Annie arrives in Rowan to the one who appears at the end. Sophie is an enabler, she teaches friendship, about being confident and standing up for yourself and not being afraid to be just you.
I so enjoy this, I rip through the pages I’m having so much fun. This is a great choice for a Halloween read or at any time of year really it’s your choice!
With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Titan Books for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.
October 17, 2021
What a refreshing, original, spooky read!!
Cackle is a horror / comedy written by Rachel Harrison, who happened to write my favorite horror novel of 2020, titled The Return. That being said, I had very high expectations going into this, which I know can be a recipe for disaster - however I am pleased to say that was not the case with this book! While this novel was nowhere near as sinister as her debut, it was nonetheless incredibly enjoyable and I can say I'm continually impressed by Harrison as an author!
With Cackle, I was immediately drawn to our protagonist Annie, who has just been dumped by her boyfriend of 10 years and has decided to put some distance between herself and him, taking a new teaching job and renting an apartment several hours away. This leads her to Rowan, a very charming small community outside of the big city. Annie hopes this will be the perfect place to recover from heartbreak, and boy is she in for a surprise! Almost immediately she falls in love with the simplistic way of life Rowan has to offer and how warm and welcoming the townspeople seem to be. Then she meets Sophie, who by all accounts is just as welcoming and friendly. In fact, she almost seems too good to be true! After a couple weeks of rough adjustment she settles into small town life and establishes a close friendship with Sophie, who the townspeople oddly seem keen to keep a distance from.
The longer Annie stays in Rowan, the more she learns about who Sophie really is and what that means to her personally. Sophie of course is not your average person, in fact she's a four hundred year-old witch! Is Sophie a good witch, like she claims to be? Or is she in fact evil, with dark, macabre intentions for Annie? Is she behind the strange occurrences Annie has been experiencing lately? And what is the deal with all these darn spiders everywhere?!
Man, this book was so compulsively readable I didn't want to put it down! Even though it didn't end anywhere remotely close to how I thought it would, I was still very satisfied with pretty much every aspect of the story.
This is primarily a story about self-discovery whilst at a crossroad, and finding happiness in your true self outside of a relationship, but don't get me wrong, there are definitely a handful of creeeepy moments along with just as many hilarious moments! I don't think I've read a book with such a variety of elements in it in quite some time! I recommend this to anyone who enjoys mysteries, horror, dark comedies, and anything with a Halloween vibe, it's the perfect book for the season!
Cackle is a horror / comedy written by Rachel Harrison, who happened to write my favorite horror novel of 2020, titled The Return. That being said, I had very high expectations going into this, which I know can be a recipe for disaster - however I am pleased to say that was not the case with this book! While this novel was nowhere near as sinister as her debut, it was nonetheless incredibly enjoyable and I can say I'm continually impressed by Harrison as an author!
With Cackle, I was immediately drawn to our protagonist Annie, who has just been dumped by her boyfriend of 10 years and has decided to put some distance between herself and him, taking a new teaching job and renting an apartment several hours away. This leads her to Rowan, a very charming small community outside of the big city. Annie hopes this will be the perfect place to recover from heartbreak, and boy is she in for a surprise! Almost immediately she falls in love with the simplistic way of life Rowan has to offer and how warm and welcoming the townspeople seem to be. Then she meets Sophie, who by all accounts is just as welcoming and friendly. In fact, she almost seems too good to be true! After a couple weeks of rough adjustment she settles into small town life and establishes a close friendship with Sophie, who the townspeople oddly seem keen to keep a distance from.
The longer Annie stays in Rowan, the more she learns about who Sophie really is and what that means to her personally. Sophie of course is not your average person, in fact she's a four hundred year-old witch! Is Sophie a good witch, like she claims to be? Or is she in fact evil, with dark, macabre intentions for Annie? Is she behind the strange occurrences Annie has been experiencing lately? And what is the deal with all these darn spiders everywhere?!
Man, this book was so compulsively readable I didn't want to put it down! Even though it didn't end anywhere remotely close to how I thought it would, I was still very satisfied with pretty much every aspect of the story.
This is primarily a story about self-discovery whilst at a crossroad, and finding happiness in your true self outside of a relationship, but don't get me wrong, there are definitely a handful of creeeepy moments along with just as many hilarious moments! I don't think I've read a book with such a variety of elements in it in quite some time! I recommend this to anyone who enjoys mysteries, horror, dark comedies, and anything with a Halloween vibe, it's the perfect book for the season!
January 11, 2022
Fun read with lots of magic! You must like spiders. I was like they are obsessed with them. It grew on me. Lol. I ended up liking Ralph. Who would have thought? So that’s real good character development. It seemed odd and unrealistic, but I got over it.
Annie is in New York City living with her boyfriend and they break up. She moves to upper state New York in a very small quaint town and becomes great friends with Sophie who is a witch. She develops from a shy inward person to one that is independent and out spoken while, developing her own magic along the way.
Quote “you’ll discover for yourself soon enough the things that devastate us most in the moment are always the things we look back on with such gratitude.”
My favorite quote “I would have been an old woman somewhere, wrinkled as a raisin, realizing I’d spent all my good years eating shitty cereal for an unsatisfactory prize.”
Annie is in New York City living with her boyfriend and they break up. She moves to upper state New York in a very small quaint town and becomes great friends with Sophie who is a witch. She develops from a shy inward person to one that is independent and out spoken while, developing her own magic along the way.
Quote “you’ll discover for yourself soon enough the things that devastate us most in the moment are always the things we look back on with such gratitude.”
My favorite quote “I would have been an old woman somewhere, wrinkled as a raisin, realizing I’d spent all my good years eating shitty cereal for an unsatisfactory prize.”
February 4, 2023
Lots of fun and a bit of meanness, Cackle is exactly what the doctor ordered for me. A young teacher whose long-term boyfriend has just broken up with her after eight years, takes a teaching job in a picturesque small town, far from New York and heartbreak. There she meets a fascinating older woman who is beautiful, kind and magical.
Should she be frightened of her new friend's powers or envious? I know which I would choose. Oh, and somehow a spider becomes a cute pet.
Should she be frightened of her new friend's powers or envious? I know which I would choose. Oh, and somehow a spider becomes a cute pet.
September 12, 2021
If you're looking for a witchy Halloween book that's more light-hearted than scary this is a good one.
October 27, 2023
Ideal night: A pumpkin candle, tea or wine with mulling spices and a witchy book 🧙🏼♀️
This started out a clear winner to me. The spooky vibes especially reading near Halloween were just what the doctor ordered. The witch doctor ordered?
There’s a few really gross and graphic scenes that the horror lover in me appreciated. But unfortunately they could be far and few between.
Also, arachnophobics beware. This book is heavy on the spiders. I like spiders. I mean I don’t welcome them in my home by any means, but I liked that element as I know a lot of people have a phobia of spiders so it was cool seeing that played up in a book for a fear factor.
Cute message at the end too but ultimately I was hoping for a bit more answers and maybe a few more scares too.
3.5 ⭐️ rounding up! 🎃🧙🏼♀️🧡
This started out a clear winner to me. The spooky vibes especially reading near Halloween were just what the doctor ordered. The witch doctor ordered?
There’s a few really gross and graphic scenes that the horror lover in me appreciated. But unfortunately they could be far and few between.
Also, arachnophobics beware. This book is heavy on the spiders. I like spiders. I mean I don’t welcome them in my home by any means, but I liked that element as I know a lot of people have a phobia of spiders so it was cool seeing that played up in a book for a fear factor.
Cute message at the end too but ultimately I was hoping for a bit more answers and maybe a few more scares too.
3.5 ⭐️ rounding up! 🎃🧙🏼♀️🧡
September 2, 2022
What an unusual story! I loved Rachel Harrison's quirky, funny writing with some very dark and sad vibes and found myself relating to Annie,the protagonist of the story, and her journey of self-discovery.
I would definitely recommend it to my blog readers, especially in October as this is a perfect October read- spooky, but without any gore (unless you count the German restaurant scene:-))
I would definitely recommend it to my blog readers, especially in October as this is a perfect October read- spooky, but without any gore (unless you count the German restaurant scene:-))
August 9, 2021
Looking for a deliciously wicked treat to throw into your cauldron of Halloween Reads? Look no further!
This is literally the PERFECT witchy Halloween book! This has small town vibes filled with feminism, cutesy and sometimes spine tingling supernatural happenings. Pretty much everything you could want in a fun book for the spooky season. However, please don't go into this expecting it to be straight up horror. Although it has horror elements, horror is not what this is per se. I would say this is closer to a Spooky Disney movie than horror. But if Disney is what you're looking for, you're in the right place!
I have to say that my favorite part about the book is the characters. Annie got really frustrating sometimes because all she could think about was her ex. I couldn't fault the book for that though because I have to admit that I was that person when I was younger. I thought I needed a man to be happy and I think this is a great book to remind women that that's not the case. (Sophie is a fantastic role model in general but especially in that aspect.) Plus, I appreciated getting to see Annie go through the amount of character growth that she went through.
I also want to point out that I am absolutely TERRIFIED of spiders. I never thought that I would be able to say that I love a spider. Much less "I absolutely adore this spider!" But this book made that happen for me. Yup. That's right. I love the spider in this book and I think he's adorable! So that was a feat in and of its self!
As far as the plot goes, there were slower parts here and there. But there was always something keeping you guessing and wanting to continue turning the pages. Sophie in particular was a big aspect of that. I kept going back and forth on deciding whether shes really a good person or if theres something more sinister going on. And i loved that! Besides that, shes very mysterious. Theres so many layers to her that you just want to learn more about.
Again, I thing the characters play a huge part in this book. So if you're a character based reader and love a fantastic atmosphere, (particularly homey, small town, spooky atmospheres) then I really think this would be right up your alley! Either way though, I think this book would be worth anyone's time and would recommend giving this one a shot!
Thank you to Berkley Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!
This is literally the PERFECT witchy Halloween book! This has small town vibes filled with feminism, cutesy and sometimes spine tingling supernatural happenings. Pretty much everything you could want in a fun book for the spooky season. However, please don't go into this expecting it to be straight up horror. Although it has horror elements, horror is not what this is per se. I would say this is closer to a Spooky Disney movie than horror. But if Disney is what you're looking for, you're in the right place!
I have to say that my favorite part about the book is the characters. Annie got really frustrating sometimes because all she could think about was her ex. I couldn't fault the book for that though because I have to admit that I was that person when I was younger. I thought I needed a man to be happy and I think this is a great book to remind women that that's not the case. (Sophie is a fantastic role model in general but especially in that aspect.) Plus, I appreciated getting to see Annie go through the amount of character growth that she went through.
I also want to point out that I am absolutely TERRIFIED of spiders. I never thought that I would be able to say that I love a spider. Much less "I absolutely adore this spider!" But this book made that happen for me. Yup. That's right. I love the spider in this book and I think he's adorable! So that was a feat in and of its self!
As far as the plot goes, there were slower parts here and there. But there was always something keeping you guessing and wanting to continue turning the pages. Sophie in particular was a big aspect of that. I kept going back and forth on deciding whether shes really a good person or if theres something more sinister going on. And i loved that! Besides that, shes very mysterious. Theres so many layers to her that you just want to learn more about.
Again, I thing the characters play a huge part in this book. So if you're a character based reader and love a fantastic atmosphere, (particularly homey, small town, spooky atmospheres) then I really think this would be right up your alley! Either way though, I think this book would be worth anyone's time and would recommend giving this one a shot!
Thank you to Berkley Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!
October 8, 2021
Wow. This book is so fucked up and it doesn't even know it. On the surface, it's about a 30 year old woman whose long term boyfriend breaks up with her who moves to a small town and discovers the literal power inside herself as well as self love, realizing she doesn't need to be part of a couple to be happy. What it really is about is two women with magical abilities who dominate and use the people of a small town for their own validation. If you're happy being alone, you don't need a whole town to line up outside to wish you a happy birthday against their will. What the absolute fuck.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 27, 2021
Annie gets dumped by her boyfriend of 10 years, so she takes a teaching position and moves out of NYC to a small town upstate NY where she meets beautiful and charismatic Sophie. Never one to have many friends, Annie quickly bonds with mysterious Sophie and learns that there is much more to her than meets the eye.
Cacklewasn't what I was expecting, but it was different and gave me the witchy feels I've been craving this Halloween season. The tone of the story starts out light, then gets a bit darker, delves a tiny bit into mild horror, but clearly not much if I was able to handle it. Despite those elements, under all of the hocus pocus, it is really a book about finding one's true identity.
I enjoyed watching Annie's growth and found myself cheering for her. I am most definitely not a fan of spiders, but Ralph stole the show and may have converted me. This is a good choice if you are looking for a lighter story with atmospheric fall vibes. 3.5 stars.
Cacklewasn't what I was expecting, but it was different and gave me the witchy feels I've been craving this Halloween season. The tone of the story starts out light, then gets a bit darker, delves a tiny bit into mild horror, but clearly not much if I was able to handle it. Despite those elements, under all of the hocus pocus, it is really a book about finding one's true identity.
I enjoyed watching Annie's growth and found myself cheering for her. I am most definitely not a fan of spiders, but Ralph stole the show and may have converted me. This is a good choice if you are looking for a lighter story with atmospheric fall vibes. 3.5 stars.
September 12, 2021
While Cackle by Rachel Harrison is technically a paranormal horror novel this one is not overly scary horror but more on the humorous side. There are a few moments that could give a reader chills but this is more like a chicklit paranormal. Think of what a cozy mystery does with a murder instead of a darker thriller and then you’ll be more on the right track of what you may find in Cackle.
At only thirty Annie has spent the last ten years of her life with the man she thought she would be with forever living in Manhattan. Now though Annie finds herself alone and packing her things to move upstate and begin her life again. Annie has taken a teaching position in a charming little town and is moving in a quaint little apartment on her on for the first time in years.
After arriving in the town the only thing Annie can complain about are the spiders she has to keep shooing away. The residents are all so welcoming wherever she goes in the new town but Annie does find herself a little lonely. Then Annie meets the mysterious Sophie. Sophie just has the personality that draws Annie into her world and makes her feel special, so what if the others in town seem a little afraid of her and she lives in that spooky old mansion.
Being someone that absolutely adores books that are just a little bit out of the ordinary and don’t fall into the same old mold following a singular genre Cackle was right up my alley. This one has a little bit of several genres thrown in and mixed together, perhaps in a witches cauldron, and I loved every minute of it. I will certainly never look at a spider the same way again or think twice about that quick swim. At the core of this one though was character growth and discovery magically molded in a humorous but slightly spooky package just in time for the Halloween season.
I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.
For more reviews please visithttps://carriesbookreviews.com/
At only thirty Annie has spent the last ten years of her life with the man she thought she would be with forever living in Manhattan. Now though Annie finds herself alone and packing her things to move upstate and begin her life again. Annie has taken a teaching position in a charming little town and is moving in a quaint little apartment on her on for the first time in years.
After arriving in the town the only thing Annie can complain about are the spiders she has to keep shooing away. The residents are all so welcoming wherever she goes in the new town but Annie does find herself a little lonely. Then Annie meets the mysterious Sophie. Sophie just has the personality that draws Annie into her world and makes her feel special, so what if the others in town seem a little afraid of her and she lives in that spooky old mansion.
Being someone that absolutely adores books that are just a little bit out of the ordinary and don’t fall into the same old mold following a singular genre Cackle was right up my alley. This one has a little bit of several genres thrown in and mixed together, perhaps in a witches cauldron, and I loved every minute of it. I will certainly never look at a spider the same way again or think twice about that quick swim. At the core of this one though was character growth and discovery magically molded in a humorous but slightly spooky package just in time for the Halloween season.
I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.
For more reviews please visithttps://carriesbookreviews.com/
February 25, 2022
What a smashing book, I loved the message! This was a humorous and touching book about empowerment and self-actualization, with a magical spin. This really isn’t horror, although there are a few creepy scenes. I can see why some people would be disgruntled at finding a mash up of genres they weren’t necessarily expecting, but it was a nice surprise for me. Much different than anything I’ve read recently.
I would really give it 6 stars because of Ralph the spider, he was flipping adorable.
I would really give it 6 stars because of Ralph the spider, he was flipping adorable.
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