Family Ties Run Deep As Hell In Rachel Harrison's "Black Sheep"

“I should have stayed estranged from my family. Bad time, black sheep? An understatement.”― Rachel Harrison, Black Sheep

Every family has one: the black sheep. That cousin whom everyone pretends doesn’t exist but who makes a yearly appearance at Thanksgiving, an estranged uncle you met once at a wedding, your quirky sibling who doesn’t quite fit in—or maybe you’re the black sheep. Perhaps you ran away at eighteen in search of freedom and a world that understands you, only to be haunted by your family's love and disapproval. Regardless of your relationship with your family, Black Sheep by Rachel Harrison offers insight into the complicated familial ties we are born with and asks how much of ourselves we are willing to sacrifice to be a part of a family.

Vesper Wright ran away from her deeply religious family and community when she was 18, knowing that if she left, she would not be welcomed back. Now, six years later, she is a cynical 24-year-old waitress, subconsciously searching for the identity of her father whom she hasn’t seen in 14 years. Thinking that no one from her old life knows where she lives and having no close friends, Vesper is shocked to receive an envelope on her doorstep. Inside was an invitation to her cousin Rosie’s wedding, to be held at the family farm. Curiosity and a little bit of spite drive Vesper to return to her mother’s home, even if it means reuniting with her mother, Constance, a horror film star who was anything but nurturing to Vesper.

Upon returning to her mother’s horror movie memorabilia-filled home, however, she begins to experience strange and unexplainable occurrences: windows opening on their own, objects randomly appearing, and the sensation of being watched.

As Vesper attempts to reconcile with the demons of her past, a sinister secret is revealed that will challenge her faith and force her to confront her family’s religious beliefs.

Once again, Rachel Harrison crafts a fascinating, relatable literary coming-of-age tale and intertwines the supernatural to create a captivating and symbolic story. Following the formula of her previous novels—which works wonderfully, in my opinion—our main character is the “final girl” with a prominent personality type. Vesper is cynical, confident, brazen, has trust issues, and has difficulty making lasting friendships. Despite her pessimistic outlook and brash attitude, she is an empathetic character with trauma, flaws, and an innate desire to be loved and cherished by her family. In her search for her father, Vesper recalls an idealistic image of him from fourteen years ago. Subconsciously, Vesper believes that the answer to her search for a place to belong lies with him. She will discover her mistake the hard way and realize the ways that family ties can bind us as we look for our place in this world.

As usual, Harrison has focused on an aspect of the paranormal. Black Sheep is an ode to the demonic and cult side of horror, without the overused 80s setting and familiar “satanic panic” clichés. She once again expertly integrates a horror premise into our day-to-day lives and uses it to amplify the anxiety and horror of living a normal human life. The satanic rituals are just the cherry on top.

For fans of "Rosemary's Baby," this novel is another in a line of delightfully insightful works by Rachel Harrison. Her next novel, So Thirsty, will be released on September 10th, 2024. Available now for pre-order.

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