Claire Legrand is quickly becoming one of my favorite writers. I loved Furyborn by her last year, and Sawkill Girls did not disappoint either.

I would recommend this book to anyone looking for:

-LGBTQIA+ representation that is stated on the page. There is an asexual character and two characters who are lesbian and/or bisexual.

-Kick-ass ladies working together to take down a super-evil being. This is one of the most feminist YA books I've ever read. The entire message is about women making choices for themselves, taking on evil themselves instead of letting the corrupt patriarchy deal with the situation. It was great.

-A setting that is just as much a character as the people in the story. The Rock even has moments from its perspective.

-Evocative writing that sets an atmospheric and whimsically creepy tone. I don't know if anyone else would feel this, but I got Stranger Things vibes from this.

I will say that for people who are squeamish about horror, there are some gory moments in this book. I consider myself kind of wimpy when it comes to super graphic and grotesque details, and I was okay with this. I think the fact that the villain is a legit monster and not a person helps with that. It makes it more fantastical and less serial-killer.

I will say, I didn't care for the audiobook. I only listened to it for about a half hour before switching exclusively to the physical book. I just couldn't get into it for some reason. I kept getting distracted and confused about whose perspective I was following. I don't think the voice actor did enough to differentiate the characters voices. I had the same problem with Furyborn. Luckily, both of them caught my attention right away when I read the physical copy.

I also thought there were little bits that could've been streamlined just a bit. The book dragged just the tiniest bit leading up to the climax. A couple of moments felt a little repetitious. But other than that, I have very little to complain about.

I want to see this made into a movie or television series. Again, in the vein of Stranger Things or maybe Haunting of Hill House. Get on it, Netflix!