New Release Spotlight + Mini-Review: Extasia by Claire Legrand

Today I'm excited to share a spotlight for Claire Legrand's latest release: EXTASIA! Extasia is a new YA horror full of witches, cult-like elements, and a dark, foreboding atmosphere that will keep you hooked for every page. Below, you will find some information about the book and author, as well as a short review from me. 

ABOUT EXTASIA:
Author:  Claire Legrand - Website
Pub. Date: February 22nd
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Pages: 496
Find it: Amazon | Bookshop.org  

SYNOPSIS:

“From New York Times bestselling author Claire Legrand comes a new, bone-chilling YA horror novel about a girl who joins a coven to root out a vicious evil that's stalking her village. Perfect for fans of The Handmaid's Tale and The Grace Year. 

Her name is unimportant. 

All you must know is that today she will become one of the four saints of Haven. The elders will mark her and place the red hood on her head. With her sisters, she will stand against the evil power that lives beneath the black mountain--an evil which has already killed nine of her village's men. 

She will tell no one of the white-eyed beasts that follow her. Or the faceless gray women tall as houses. Or the girls she saw kissing in the elm grove. 

Today she will be a saint of Haven. She will rid her family of her mother's shame at last and save her people from destruction. She is not afraid. Are you? 

This searing and lyrically written novel by the critically acclaimed author of Sawkill Girls beckons readers to follow its fierce heroine into a world filled with secrets and blood--where the truth is buried in lies and a devastating power waits, seething, for someone brave enough to use it."

 

Review:

You can't ever really have too many books about witches and religious cults, and Claire Legrand's latest book is a unique and welcome addition to this concept. In Extasia, we follow Amity, one of four girls soon to become a saint of Haven, a role that will essentially make her an outlet for the people of her religious sect to vent and confess their sins. This is a deeply sexist and difficult world to read about, and Legrand did an excellent job of creating a setting that was completely abhorrent and frustrating to read, a world where women are silenced and religion acts as a major oppressor. 

Extasia is a story of questioning what one has been taught and brought up with, and whether it can be worth it to keep questioning and looking for something different–even if that means the consequences for doing so will be dire. The atmosphere and setting of Extasia were both vividly created to the point that I could feel the apprehension and dread that seemed to ooze out of each page and scene. The characters were well-developed and I enjoyed getting to follow Amity on her intense, life-changing journey. And as you may have already seen in other excited reviews, we do indeed have some sapphic relationships that were the perfect additions to this story. 

If you're in need of some witchy horror, complete with intense cult-like religions and a disquieting atmosphere, then be sure to give Extasia a read. 

*I received a copy of Extasia in exchange for an honest review. This has no effect on my enjoyment of the nove.*