Ring Shout is set in 1915 Georgia, where Maryse Boudreaux and her friends Chef and Sadie work as bootleggers by day, and demon hunters by night. But unlike their K-pop counterparts, this trio of demon hunters is after Ku Kluxes: terrifying, pointy-headed monsters that fill the ranks of the KKK alongside regular (also monstrous) Klansmen. Ku Kluxes feed on hate, and in Jim Crow-era Georgia, there is plenty of that to go around. But with Chef’s explosives expertise, Sadie’s sharpshooting abilities, and Maryse’s magical sword, the three are more than a match for the demons. With the support of Nana Jean, a Gullah woman who fights evil with root magic and the titular Shout, and three otherworldly Aunties, the trio will soon face their greatest battle yet. With the arrival of an entity known as Butcher Clyde, and the upcoming screening of Birth of a Nation at Stone Mountain, an unimaginable evil is about to be released on the world.
I am amazed at how much Clark was able to pack into this short novella. The characters are vivid, lovable, fully-realized people. I loved the rapport between Maryse, Sadie and Chef. Evocative descriptions bring the setting to life, especially in the scenes that take place at juke joint. The dialogue is snappy and the action never lets up. And throughout the whirlwind of a plot, Clark is able to deftly tie in themes of racial trauma, hatred, and justice. The monsters were truly terrifying; if there is ever a film adaptation of this book, I don’t think I’ll be able to watch it.
