A review by mx_manda
The Return by Rachel Harrison

dark emotional funny reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

This is definitely darker and more bleak than Harrison's other stories, but it's the first one to give me genuine chills and goosebumps multiple times. Less cozy and more messed up friendships—but as is her M.O., she has a lot to say about the nature and evolution of female friendships in here. What happens when a toxic friend group is forced to evolve and grow up? What happens when all of you are just...not decent people and feed off each other? Having just come off her latest, So Thirsty, I noticed a lot of parallels between the protagonist in that story and Elise in this one. This one is rather gorey and involves a good amount of body horror—including mouth/teeth stuff. 

My one (possible) issue with this story is the kind of monster Julie  is inspired by, even if not talked about by name.

Nearly 100% sure Julie is a w*ndigo or that-creature-adjacent. It's not really my place to say, but I'm not sure if basing a monster off an Indigenous monster that's not supposed to be talked about at all is skirting and disrespecting that taboo. So while I really enjoyed this, the uncertainty has me feeling a touch iffy about that aspect. But a shape-shifting voracious cannibal who brings frigid cold and howling winds with it is pretty on-the-nose for versions of that story I've heard over the years.

(I am having a solid laugh at all of the reviews that are not that familiar with monsters beyond the big 4 or so that turn up everywhere.)