Review: Black Bird of the Gallows by Meg Kassel

 

Black Bird of the Gallows
by Meg Kassel

September 5, 2017
300 pages

Goodreads   Indigo

Goodreads Summary:

A debut novel about a teenage girl who discovers the new boy next door is a harbinger of death, and who must find a way to survive in a town destined for tragedy.

A simple but forgotten truth: Where harbingers of death appear, the morgues will soon be full. Harbingers settle in places where tragedy is about to strike, then feed on the energy of the dying. Then, they leave. Off to the next doomed place. No one wants a family of harbingers of death as neighbors, but that’s exactly what seventeen-year-old Angie Dovage gets when Reece Fernandez moves in next door.

Angie knows the mysterious boy is more than he appears, but can’t imagine that his presence heralds a tragedy that will devastate her small community. But her fears run deeper than Reece’s inevitable departure, because where harbingers of death go, grotesque, ruined creatures called Beekeepers follow. And where Beekeepers go, fear and chaos and death follows.

Angie wants to protect everyone she cares about, but stopping the Beekeepers involves a choice that will claim her life or Reece’s soul. She will learn the price of both.

Review

Black Bird of the Gallows was such a pleasant read. Its beautiful yet somber cover definitely does the book justice. I really enjoyed the supernatural aspect of the story.

Although some parts of the story felt too drawn out the writing and pacing in Black Bird of the Gallows made for a great read. Each chapter title held my interest and the short lengths kept the flow of the story. Ms. Kassel managed to pack a lot of details into a 300 page book.

I was really intrigued by the harbinger/Beekeeper curses. Learning about them was my favourite part of the story. I only wish there was more explanation for that climax and the aftermath. It felt a little simple given all the build up.

Angie is such an admirable character. She's experienced much horrors at a young age. Her alternate persona shows us she has a vulnerable side but she's doesn't let her past define her. When odd things started happening in her town her quiet strength helped her stay on a sane path. With one selfless act after another Angie again and again proved her worth. She was also full of silly thoughts a lot of times so it's impossible not to like her.

There's a certain degree of attraction between Angie and Reece right off the bat but I wouldn't exactly call it insta-love. I wasn't very convinced of their romance until the story showed me there was more to them than meets the eye. The reality of their relationship will make your heart ache for them but there was no shortage of sweetness and fluttery feels between the two.

Black Bird of the Gallows is yet another terrific read for paranormal lovers. I was fascinated by the story and I'm really glad I took the time to read it!

 

*I received an eARC of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinion are my own and not affected in any way.