Swallow by Sam Schill (ARC Review)

Title: Swallow
Author: Sam Schill
Type: Fiction
Genre: Young Adult, Horror, Paranormal
Publisher: Wattpad Books
Date published: July 29, 2021

A complimentary physical copy of this book was kindly provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Revenge is a dish best served cold.

The students at Roanoke High School have created a soundtrack that runs constantly in Mildred Waco’s mind . . .

Change your hair, Mildred.
Change your face, Mildred.
Change your body, Mildred.
Everyone hates you, Mildred.
Are you really going to wear that, Mildred?

The stares, the snickers, the constant teasing—combined with Mildred’s own self-doubt and absentee parents—takes its toll. Stumbling upon the Crossroads Magicks shop, Mildred decides she will no longer simply endure the bullying and skeptically buys a revenge curse.

But when she begins to lose her memory and Roanoke students are found brutally murdered, Mildred realizes that she may have bought more than she bargained for. With time running out, Mildred will have to stop the terrible forces she’s unleashed or lose her soul forever.

⤖ My Review ⬻

I was very excited about Sam Schill’s Swallow when I first heard about it, and when I saw the cover I was even more obsessed with the idea of reading it. The cover might be simple, but there’s something aesthetically pleasing and also creepy about it––especially in combination with the title. There’s something about it that makes me want to keep looking at it, while also making my skin crawl a little.

Once I started reading Swallow, I was sad to find that I really had to push to get through most of the book. I didn’t find the main character to be very likeable (not even from the perspective where I might resonate with her experience because I myself was bullied in school).

The horror aspect of the story is what kept me going, especially the gory bits! Those parts were definitely fun to read and I wish there had been more of it. But due to the length of the story, I understand why there were as many gory scenes as there were. Going back to the cover really quick, I find that it was the right choice for this book, because the story also made my skin crawl, but also made it impossible for me to ‘look away’ so to speak.

Some of the plot didn’t seem completely developed to me, which made it difficult to immerse myself. I think those parts could have used more elaboration to make the plot more airtight. I found that I really got into the story about 80% in and then, before I knew it, I was done reading the book, which again for me point to Swallow having benefitted from more details being added in, as it would have added more substance as well as length to the book.

⤖ About the Author ⬻

Sam Schill penned her first story at age nine after telling scary stories as a child. She’s had a slew of jobs in retail, housekeeping, and even dabbled in tattooing, but writing has always been the most natural to her. When she isn’t reading or writing horror, Sam enjoys art and 90’s music karaoke, and she lives in Southeastern Kentucky with her family.