Book Review: 'Cackle' by Rachel Harrison
Image by Marko Blažević via Unsplash
Written by Paris Bowe
Cackle by Rachel Harrison is everything you need for the month of October. If you’re ready to cosy up after a crisp day of fall with this witchy tale, get your blankets to the ready and look no further… This novel is the perfect supernatural companion for the season.
As an ADHD girly, Cackle was the perfect easy read - it kept me tuned in and turning the page with its perfect touches of suspense. The book is everything you could ever want if you’re not a fan of horror like myself; however, are reluctant to miss out on a spooky themed Halloween. Think ‘90s Whimsigoth’. THAT’S the aesthetic. It’s inclusive to every Halloween lover.
Annie, the main character, is a people pleaser. After an unexpected breakup with her long-term partner, she is desperate for a new start. Lucky for her, she’s been offered a teaching job in the small upstate town of Rowan. We follow her journey of self-discovery as a newly single lady, who has given up her life in the big apple. (I mean who doesn’t think escaping the city for a charming small town after a devastating breakup isn’t just the most perfect thing?!?)
The townspeople are perfectly warming to Annie, especially Sophie. A confident, alluring, mysterious woman, who in Annie’s words is, “the most beautiful person I’ve ever seen. Easily.” Over the course of the book Annie builds a friendship with Sophie. Sophie challenges Annie to debate who she’s been all her life, and who she has the potential to be.
With some wicked twists, and discovered truths, it’s easy to fall in love with the lead characters. Annie is relatable to any fellow introvert who aches to be more than how they’re perceived. Sophie is a feminist protagonist who will easily inspire any solitary individual to stand up and take matters into their own hands. For being alone isn’t truly that bad with a little magic in your life…
This duo is delightful to follow, and I highly recommend you get down to your local bookshop and pick this one up. It really offers readers a refreshing take on embracing who you are in an excitingly wicked form.
Edited by Nico Horton