Cackle by Rachel Harrison | Book Review

I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

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?

During spooky season, I love a good witch book or two. Cackle by Rachel Harrison delivers in spades. I was not too sure what to expect, but I just dove right in. Going in not knowing a lot was a good choice. However, I think I still would have enjoyed this book had I known a little bit about it beforehand. Cackle is well written and had exactly the sort of vibe I was looking for.

Harrison’s Cackle follows main character Annie who is a school teacher. Annie has been dumped by her boyfriend of many years. Unfortunately, that means she can no longer afford to live in Manhattan. And so, Annie accepts a job upstate and moves to a small charming village called Rowan. Turns out one of Rowan’s residents is the most elegant, glamourous woman that Annie has ever met. Her name is Sophie and although she’s so nice, there’s something off about her. It could be the ghosts that live in her mansion. It could also be the distrust the residents have in her. Regardless, Annie strikes up a close friendship with Sophie and learns to value her independence.

Overall, I found Cackle to be such a good read. It sucked me in and I read it quickly for me these days. I found Annie to be relatable — having been through a rough break up once in my lifetime as well. Her reactions were very accurate and true to life — even if there was a little bit of magic sprinkled in the pages. There is zero romance in this book. So, don’t pick it up looking for spice. Instead, pick up this book if you are looking for an empowering, magical read about adult friendships. I do think I will certainly be seeking out more books by Harrison — particularly as I can always use a well paced book.

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♬ Paper Birds (3 min) – Jordan Halpern Schwartz

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April (Books&Wine)

April is in her 30s and created Good Books And Good Wine. She works for a non-profit. April always has a book on hand. In her free time she can be found binge watching The Office with her husband and toddler, spending way too much time on Pinterest or exploring her neighborhood.

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