Scan barcode
ashmont27's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I absolutely devoured this book. The story does a great job of making you question yourself, questioning what is right. I can definitely see myself reading this again.
My only complaint is I wish those dove a bit deeper into commentary on how we talk about true crime. It touched on it briefly a couple of times, mentioning that it was never really their story to tell, but I would have loved more of that.
If you enjoyed this, you should read Devil House by John Darnielle. It's very similar in a lot of ways!
If you enjoyed this, you should read Devil House by John Darnielle. It's very similar in a lot of ways!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Pedophilia, Self harm, Suicide, and Suicide attempt
Minor: Abortion
foldingthepage_kayleigh's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
This is like the perfect summer horror novel. You have sun, sand, sea and tumultuous summer friendships.
Catriona Ward captures the immersive depths and fear that can come with the unknown ocean depths like no other author I’ve read. I’d say it’s a great beach read, but maybe not for those who have a touch of thalassophobia.
The first half of the novel had me obsessed. I loved Wilder’s perspective and the atmosphere Catriona Ward created, moving from the New England coast to dark academia and back. Unfortunately, from the 50-80% mark, the storytelling got quite confusing, trying to figure out who’s who, what’s real and what’s not, random time skips, and shoehorned in POVs, which left me feeling discombobulated. And I won’t get into any spoilers, but I have to say I hated the ending, I thought it was such a cop-out.
Thanks so much Macmillan Audio and Netgalley for this advanced listening copy! I’d recommend this one, even given the parts I didn’t love, and it’s still a 4⭐️ read for me!
Overall, if you’re looking for a gothic horror read with a summer setting to cap off your August and get you ready for that September academic vibe, this is the one for you!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Body horror, Death, Gore, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Bullying, Cursing, Sexual content, and Abortion
booksandcoffeewithlexi's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Death of parent, and Murder
Minor: Panic attacks/disorders, Vomit, and Abortion
whatsemilyreadin's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
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? Yes
5.0
Catriona Ward has quickly become one of my favorite living writers. She has mastered such a specific atmosphere throughout her books (at least the two that I have read) that hangs over you like a haze, even after you’ve finished. When I read Sundial earlier this summer, I had a hard time forgetting the way that it made me feel. Even now that dread sits in my chest, and Looking Glass Sound has made me feel no differently.
This was comped, at least to me, as Stand by Me meets Shirley Jackson, and I’d be remiss not to confirm this comparison is correct. Wilder is sixteen when his parents first bring him to Whistler Bay, to the cottage that his uncle lived in up until he died, and he’s determined that that summer, he’ll get a girlfriend, and he’ll write every day. Then he meets Nat and Harper, a local fisherman’s son and a rich British girl who summers in Maine, and his plans fall askew – in more ways than you can possibly imagine. Women are disappearing, and have for as long as everyone can remember, and there’s someone slipping into children’s rooms in the night to do nothing more than photograph them with a knife against their sleeping necks, but nonetheless, and rightfully so, people are frightened. It all comes to a head the summer before Wilder is meant to head off to college, and what happens will linger in his life until the end of it.
I love how many different narratives Ward is always able to weave together. You think you know exactly what’s going on, but she’s always one step ahead, and when she finally reveals to you how all of these stories align, it’s like you never actually understood what was happening at all. This could get confusing at times, but I was never lost for too long, and I came to understand that when I was lost, it was because Ward wanted me to be. And that ending! This is my favorite Catriona Ward novel so far, and I can’t wait to delve further into her backlog.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Body horror, Violence, Blood, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Abortion
jlneuber's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eArc; the following thoughts are my own.
Didn’t hate it, but definitely didn’t love it. It was hard to believe the age of the primary narrator in the first portion, because the writing just didn’t fit how young he was supposed to be. When time progressed, it was easier to read, but then it felt like a bit of a slog. The last third gave me whiplash, and not in a *fun* way. It became difficult to follow and more ridiculous the further you got.
Catriona Ward has beautiful writing, and I’d love to read more from this author, but I just don’t think I’m a paranormal or paranormal adjacent thriller person.
All of this said, I also wish I had waited for more reviews or done more research before requesting this title, because the last half is trigger city for me, which I think contributed to my lack of enjoyment. I didn’t take anything away, rating wise, because that’s my fault, but just something to note for myself and others for future book requests.
TW: suicidal ideation, suicide attempt, alcohol abuse, and panic attacks
Didn’t hate it, but definitely didn’t love it. It was hard to believe the age of the primary narrator in the first portion, because the writing just didn’t fit how young he was supposed to be. When time progressed, it was easier to read, but then it felt like a bit of a slog. The last third gave me whiplash, and not in a *fun* way. It became difficult to follow and more ridiculous the further you got.
Catriona Ward has beautiful writing, and I’d love to read more from this author, but I just don’t think I’m a paranormal or paranormal adjacent thriller person.
All of this said, I also wish I had waited for more reviews or done more research before requesting this title, because the last half is trigger city for me, which I think contributed to my lack of enjoyment. I didn’t take anything away, rating wise, because that’s my fault, but just something to note for myself and others for future book requests.
TW: suicidal ideation, suicide attempt, alcohol abuse, and panic attacks
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Alcoholism
Minor: Abortion