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Reviewed by:
  • Sawkill Girls by Claire Legrand
  • Kate Quealy-Gainer
Legrand, Claire Sawkill Girls. Tegen/HarperCollins,
2018 [464p]
Trade ed. ISBN 978-0-06-269660-1 $17.99
E-book ed. ISBN 978-0-06-269662-5 $8.99
Reviewed from galleys R* Gr. 9-12

Something's not right on the island of Sawkill Rock. Sixteen-year-old Marion hasn't been able to rid herself of the bone-crushing headache she's had since moving there with her depressed mother and needy sister. Zoey, Sawkill resident, is certain her best friend's disappearance relates to the town's history of missing girls, even if no one else, including her sheriff father, seems to see the pattern. And Val? Well, Val knows exactly what's going on. and she continues literally to feed the monster that has preyed on Sawkill girls for decades. This is cinematically, gorgeously creepy and horrific, sliding between breathlessly suspenseful and disturbingly grotesque. Just when the story settles on a predictable track, Legrand spins in elements of folklore, science fiction, and social commentary to create a wholly and frighteningly unique tale. Focus shifts among the three girls, allowing readers a fuller picture of how the town happily maintains its ignorance and providing depth to various characters; Val in particular benefits from the different perspectives, especially as she begins to fall in love with Marion after leading Marion's sister to her death. This falls somewhere between Blake's Anna Dressed in Blood (BCCB, 12/11) and Ernshaw's The Wicked Deep (BCCB 3/18). and fans of either of those titles will be left haunted by the many demons of Sawkill Rock. KQG [End Page 77]

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