Ranking Rachel Harrison Novels

It’s no secret that I’m a longtime fan of Rachel Harrison. Her books just have a combination of elements that I absolutely love, especially this time of year. So today, I wanted to take a second to rank her novels from my favorite to least favorite. Spoiler alert: I like them all. But keep reading if you want to hear my thoughts.

Cackle

Cackle was my first Rachel Harrison novel, and I fell in love right away. The town reminded me of a spooky Stars Hollow and I immediately wanted to live there. I loved the development of Annie, and I found it empowering. She was a great match for Sophie, the loveable, but morally grey character.

My Rating: 5/5

Black Sheep

In my review of Black Sheep, I said that I might like it even more than Cackle. After some thought I disagree even though it’s easily my next favorite. I loved the juxtaposition between Vesper’s disillusioned feelings toward this cult and her nostalgic feelings toward her home. Harrison does an excellent job at creating a cozy, yet creepy, atmosphere and I’m addicted to it.

My Rating: 5/5

So Thirsty

I was so excited to see Harrison’s take on vampires and she definitely pulled it off. So Thirsty was super creepy in the beginning and it was pretty gory all the way through. But then it went in an unexpected direction as per usual. Think of this as a Laverne and Shirley retelling plus vampires.

My Rating: 5/5

The Return

The Return is the closest thing to traditional horror that I’ve read by Harrison. And it’s the scariest. There were some unsettling parts, and I couldn’t read this while I ate. I’m not normally super squeamish but this one got me. This was Harrison’s debut novel, and I think she was still developing her style when she wrote this. I could see glimpses of it hidden away but it wasn’t quite what I know and love from her. But it was a great read, nonetheless.

My Rating: 4/5

Such Sharp Teeth

I didn’t vibe with Such Sharp Teeth quite as well as I did with the rest of these. I felt like it focused more on the family and relationship drama than it did the werewolf aspect. It seemed like it was just a mild inconvenience because she only transformed three times in the entire story. It was still a fun read it just lacked the balance that the rest of her books have.

My Rating: 3/5

So that’s how I would rank Rachel Harrison’s novels so far. I can’t wait until she releases more to add to this list. I just wonder if anything will ever dethrone Cackle.

Now what about you? How would you rank her novels?