A heart-stopping tale somewhere between thriller, hero story, and horror, Claire Legrand takes an empowering, feminist spin on the genre with Sawkill Girls. Told in the shifting, close third person perspective of three girls–Marion, who has just moved to Sawkill Island; Zoey, whose best friend was the latest in the long line of girls who’ve disappeared over the years; and Val, the queen bee whose life is not a perfect and simple as it seems–Legrand will scare and inspire readers. The Collector is the horrifying local legend that might turn out to be not such a story after all. Marion, Zoey, and Val find themselves united in a unlikely trio to try to stop this creature.

Legrand shows impeccable ability to create characters that grip the reader’s heart as much as the action and horrors. High school readers won’t be able to put this book down, desperate to find out what happens. As each mystery starts to unravel in a predictable way, Legrand suddenly sends readers down a different path. The result is a fresh perspective on a classic story, one that will capture even those who don’t usually like the genre.

Reviewed by Sarah Cropley, Scarborough Public Library.