Book Review: Picking by Samantha Marchand

 

Sophie has spent her entire life in her remote mountain village—picking strawberries, caring for her family, and getting home before sunset. All she wants is to keep her family safe, well-fed, and alive, and she doesn't trust anyone to do it except herself. Work hard, waste no time, and everything will be okay.

However, the Nightsnatchers that visit each night want full bellies, too. Fast, strong, and hungry, they'll eat any living thing. No one knows where they come from, where they go, or how to kill them. All villagers are trapped, fated to live out their days under the Nightsnatchers' reign. After disaster strikes, Sophie's family dissolves into husks of their former selves, and she yearns for a life free of Nightsnatchers. Filled with grief and regret, Sophie leaves her village for the first time, determined to destroy every last one.

Nightsnatchers aren't the only creatures lurking in the forest, however. Spirits, monsters, and fae all call these wild places home. Exposed and vulnerable, she must learn which are friends and which are foes, all while battling the terrors within her mind. To find the Nightsnatchers' secret and survive the ordeal, Sophie will have to turn to others, leaning on their strength to forge her own.

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REVIEW

Picking takes you over within the first page, not letting you go till the end. Charming, adventurous, and magical in the likes of Labyrinth, we meet hard-working Sophie, who has felt she has to be the matriarch of the family, being that she is the oldest. That is all due to her and her village being taunted by the Nightsnachers. No one knows when they appeared, only the terror and grief they create once the sun goes down. Never be out after dark. That's the only monster Sophie knows is horrifyingly real. 

Tired of the Nightsnachter reign of terror, Sophie sets out to kill them so her village so everyone can be free. Entering the forest, those old folk stories about fae, monsters, and spirits her mother told her are about to become true. Sophie meets friends and foes as she journeys to end the Nighsnatchers once and for all. The problem is how?

The Nighsnatchers are the most brilliant monster creation I have ever read. Marchand does not make them pushovers either, which I loved. Marchand put her characters and you as a reader through the wringer in this book, and you will love every heart-pounding step. Marchand writes to make you feel. As I said, Picking reminded me a bit of Labyrinth as both Sophie and Sarah are strong-willed and have an annoying younger sibling they wish ill will upon. It sadly happens; thus, Sophie and Sarah must go on a magical journey to learn more about the appreciation of life and family. That is all I can say without revealing too much.

Picking is Marchand's debut novel, and I can say she came out kicking. A wondrous YA dark fantasy tale is sure to be someone's coveted favorite book. Books are to bring joy, and this book brought me joy.

 Marchand will be an author we should all be watching with great interest.

Rating 5 out of 5

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Born under a wolf moon in the Rocky Mountains, Samantha Marchand now lives on the coast of the Baltic Sea. Sami has a fondness for fantasy, magic, animals, and monsters that she expresses in her written worlds. She also creates visual spectacles of these passions under the name Dancing Fox. When she's not writing or drawing, she enjoys eating candy, watching TV with her husband, exploring nature, trying to be a responsible adult, and playing with her dog.