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satsumaorange's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I love ghosts, I love gay people, I love evil supernatural mind control . What more could I want?
I wasn't a huge fan of the audiobook narrator's tone, but I got past that eventually. Logan's dads were the best part of the book, I loved whenever they were in a scene. Gay rights and dead kids!
I wasn't a huge fan of the audiobook narrator's tone, but I got past that eventually. Logan's dads were the best part of the book, I loved whenever they were in a scene. Gay rights and dead kids!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Child death, Death, Hate crime, Homophobia, Lesbophobia, Bullying, and Grief
Moderate: Biphobia, Violence, and Alcohol
Minor: Blood, Police brutality, Classism, and Gun violence
marcostorin's review
adventurous
dark
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
5.0
This book felt like watching a good thriller/horror movie with lots of well-handled social commentary. I couldn't put it down after I started it. I think my favorite part - besides how fun it was to read the book - is that it makes you face your (internalised in my case) homophobia. I think the best way to read this book too is without knowing much about it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Child death, Death, Grief, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Lesbophobia, Murder, Police brutality, and Violence
Moderate: Bullying, Alcohol, Biphobia, Toxic friendship, Emotional abuse, Kidnapping, Misogyny, and Sexism
Minor: Stalking
frantically's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
My highlight was definitely Ashley and Logan's relationship and I wish we could've spent more time with them. The paranormal element was interesting but a bit too little developed for me and I felt like everyone accepted it's existence (or the existence of any real paranormal activity) wayyy too quickly.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Death, Homophobia, Gun violence, and Child death
Minor: Grief and Alcohol
nickoliver's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
The mystery was intriguing all the way through, albeit a little bit predictable - I even predicted the more paranormal elements fairly easy. I did think that for about two thirds of the story, all that was offered were more questions and never answers, which was a bit annoying, especially since that meant Gould just put all the resolutions at the end. I liked the paranormal twists, especially the way it interwove with Snakebite and the hatred that flowed like an undercurrent through the town.
The story was told from two POVs. One was Logan, whose dads had a ghost-hunting show. One of them, Brandon, had gone to small town Snakebite (where he and his husband had grown up) to research for the next adventure. Because he kept delaying his coming home, Logan and her other dad, Alejo, came to him six months later. Their arrival in Snakebite was met with suspicion and abhorrence - partly because due to typical small town ignorance and homophobia, but also partly because shortly after Brandon had arrived in town, one of the local boys had gone missing.
Said misssing kid's girlfriend, Ashley, was the second POV. She was part of the family who pretty much owned half the town, so she was kind of Snakebite's princess. Up until her boyfriend Tristan had gone missing, she'd loved her hometown, because obviously, she was privileged and hadn't had to deal with bigotry, so she thought Snakebite was perfect.
While I liked both perspectives - though I did like Logan's better (and Logan in general; the girl had a lot of oomph and courage, it was admirable) -, what I didn't like was the romance that blossomed between the girls. Mainly because there was a lot on Ashley's side that just never got addressed? For example, two of her friends wrote slurs on Logan's dads' wall and blamed them for Tristan's murder (which they assumed must've happened). I got the latter part, but I didn't get why resorting to hate crimes and targeting Brandon for his sexuality was necessary. And that's something that was never discussed? Ashley knew it was her friends who did it, and she also knew what they did, but she never felt bad about the slurs, nor did she ever properly reprimand her friends about it. And Logan never got angry about these things, either.
It was hard for me to root for a romance knowing that Ashley was fine with her friends being hateful just because she wasn't the target of it. And those friends who did it were constantly being mean and full of hatred, with Ashley never doing anything to call them out on it. Plus, the romance wasn't really developed at all. Ashley just suddenly had feelings for Logan, and Logan just conveniently reciprocated them despite the bad things Ashley did to her and her dads. I would've liked the ending a lot more if I could have rooted for them.
I did really love Logan's dads, though! I think I was a bit biased because I'm always a sucker for gay parents, especially gay dads - probably because the idea of having not just one, but two dads is insane to me (I have daddy issues, if that's not obvious enough) -, and I spent a big part of the book worried that they were going to be the bad guys. That was probably part of the reason I was so tense. But I liked the direction Gould took in the end, even if some of the twists weren't exactly fleshed out.
The book's definitely fast-paced and I did overall thoroughly enjoy myself, even if I didn't love it all the way through.
The story was told from two POVs. One was Logan, whose dads had a ghost-hunting show. One of them, Brandon, had gone to small town Snakebite (where he and his husband had grown up) to research for the next adventure. Because he kept delaying his coming home, Logan and her other dad, Alejo, came to him six months later. Their arrival in Snakebite was met with suspicion and abhorrence - partly because due to typical small town ignorance and homophobia, but also partly because shortly after Brandon had arrived in town, one of the local boys had gone missing.
Said misssing kid's girlfriend, Ashley, was the second POV. She was part of the family who pretty much owned half the town, so she was kind of Snakebite's princess. Up until her boyfriend Tristan had gone missing, she'd loved her hometown, because obviously, she was privileged and hadn't had to deal with bigotry, so she thought Snakebite was perfect.
While I liked both perspectives - though I did like Logan's better (and Logan in general; the girl had a lot of oomph and courage, it was admirable) -, what I didn't like was the romance that blossomed between the girls. Mainly because there was a lot on Ashley's side that just never got addressed? For example, two of her friends wrote slurs on Logan's dads' wall and blamed them for Tristan's murder (which they assumed must've happened). I got the latter part, but I didn't get why resorting to hate crimes and targeting Brandon for his sexuality was necessary. And that's something that was never discussed? Ashley knew it was her friends who did it, and she also knew what they did, but she never felt bad about the slurs, nor did she ever properly reprimand her friends about it. And Logan never got angry about these things, either.
It was hard for me to root for a romance knowing that Ashley was fine with her friends being hateful just because she wasn't the target of it. And those friends who did it were constantly being mean and full of hatred, with Ashley never doing anything to call them out on it. Plus, the romance wasn't really developed at all. Ashley just suddenly had feelings for Logan, and Logan just conveniently reciprocated them despite the bad things Ashley did to her and her dads. I would've liked the ending a lot more if I could have rooted for them.
I did really love Logan's dads, though! I think I was a bit biased because I'm always a sucker for gay parents, especially gay dads - probably because the idea of having not just one, but two dads is insane to me (I have daddy issues, if that's not obvious enough) -, and I spent a big part of the book worried that they were going to be the bad guys. That was probably part of the reason I was so tense. But I liked the direction Gould took in the end, even if some of the twists weren't exactly fleshed out.
The book's definitely fast-paced and I did overall thoroughly enjoy myself, even if I didn't love it all the way through.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Hate crime, Murder, and Death
Moderate: Child death
Minor: Gun violence
ashthemenace's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I read this book in a day. I haven’t done that in YEARS, but it was impossible to put down!! It was so easy to get into it and keep reading it. Pretty much all the characters were likeable, and if they weren’t, you at least didn’t hate them. except for the Sheriff. But you’re supposed to dislike him at the end.> It doesn’t waste time on descriptions and there was no point in time where I ever caught asking why the author included something. This review is so bad because I can’t even really gather my thoughts on this book. But it was PHENOMENAL. Do yourself a favor and read it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: Grief, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Cursing, and Death
Minor: Lesbophobia, Alcohol, Hate crime, and Gun violence
I’m not sure if the gun violence tag counts for this book, but there technically is an act of violence committed using the gun, even if it wasn’t shot, so I counted it.spiritedfaraway's review
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Death of parent, Violence, Hate crime, Murder, Child death, Grief, Bullying, Lesbophobia, and Kidnapping
Moderate: Gun violence, Stalking, Police brutality, and Blood
Minor: Alcohol and Body horror
lycanhood's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol, Death, Hate crime, Homophobia, Lesbophobia, Murder, and Gun violence
Moderate: Abandonment, Blood, Kidnapping, and Panic attacks/disorders
Minor: Cursing
onceuponabookcase's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
I have been craving YA horror for the past several months, so have been overjoyed to see a number of sapphic YA horrors publish recently. The Dead and the Dark by Courtney Gould sounded right up my street, and I had been saving it specifically to read during October's spooky season. But while I enjoyed it on the whole, I finished it with mixed feelings.
Logan is the daughter of TV ghost hunters Alejo and Brandon. Their success has meant a life living on the road travelling from place to place for the show, and a lot of time away from them during filming. She's close to Alejo, but her relationship with Brandon is strained and awkward, and has been ever since she once appeared on their show ParaSpectors. They're practically strangers, and no matter how hard she's tried, Brandon doesn't seem interested, so she stopped trying. Now, the family are moving yet again to Snakebite, the small town her parents are from, with plans to investigate strange happenings for their show. Logan is unhappy and desperately lonely, but she'll turn 18 in a few months, and will then be able to go and find somewhere to put down roots, a place to call home, away from a father who doesn't seem to want her.
Six months ago, Ashley's boyfriend Tristan disappeared without a trace. The police and people of Snakebite have searched and searched, but have come up with nothing. His disappearance coincided with the arrival of Brandon, who went on ahead of Alejo and Logan, to scout the location, and the townspeople are even more colder to Brandon than they were before he left. But while the people are cold, the weather is anything but, reaching extreme temperatures. With the arrival of Alejo and Logan, more teens go missing, only for their bodies to be found. The town becomes more convinced than ever that Brandon and Alejo are behind the deaths.
But Ashley doesn't want to believe Tristan is dead; she continues to feel his presence, and as no body has been discovered, she's convinced he's not. Logan wants to clear her parents names of crimes she's certain they didn't commit. So the two team up to figure out what happened to Tristan and who is behind the murders. But they discover there's something a lot darker and sinister at the heart of Snakebite, but they might the light that sees them both through.
The Dead and the Dark is narrated by both Logan and Ashley, with mostly alternating chapters. For this particular story, this actually worked really well. Being the daughter of professional ghost hunters, Logan knows about the dramatics and the things that are played up for TV, and doesn't really think there's anything out there. At the same time, she knows about her fathers' ghost hunting equipment - what it does and how to use it. Ashley, on the other hand, has started seeing ghosts. Of Tristan, and others, and people that are neither dead nor missing. So we get Logan's skepticism, but complete confidence that whatever's happening has nothing to do with her dads (no matter that she doesn't get on particularly well). We have Ashley seeing things for the first time that she can't fully explain, with Logan being the only one who will listen to her, because everyone else believes Tristan is dead, and what Ashley is experiencing is because of her grief. And then we have Logan sneaking her dads' equipment out, which seems to back up what Ashley is saying. Something is definitely going on, something more than just a murderer, and Ashley isn't losing her mind.
I really loved what Gould did with this story. The Dead and the Dark seemed quite a simple story for the most part while I was reading; teens disappearing and turning up dead, ghosts of people dead and alive, a murderer and possibly something much darker. But the more I read, the more depth was revealed. This is a story that has layers, and is a lot more complicated than it seems. I really loved this twist on the ghost story, especially as there are ghosts of people you know are alive. It keeps you asking questions, never quite sure what exactly is going on. I had theories, but they were completely off. Gould gives you just enough for you to think you have some idea of what's happening, even though there are not yet any answers, but then completely pulls the carpet out from under you feet when the truth is revealed. It was so clever and imaginative, and quite disturbing. I am fairly new to horror, so I'm not sure I could say what Gould did here has never been done before, but it was definitely refreshing and interesting.
It was fascinating to me how this is very much a queer story - with Logan having two dads, Logan being a lesbian, and Ashley finding herself falling for Logan - and how the story would be so different, if the characters weren't queer. That's not to say there would be no story, but I do think it would have been drastically different. I can't really get into it without giving away major spoilers, but it's a horror story born from the very real experiences of queer people; how they are seen and how they are treated. Honestly, it's mind-boggling to me, thinking about all the pieces of this story that would not be what they are if there were no queer characters. This is what I mean about the depth and the layers. It's just so damn clever, but equally really upsetting.
However, I do feel there was an issue with atmosphere. As I started reading The Dead and the Dark, I was overjoyed at the natural flow of the writing, realising it had been missing in some of my previous reads. I reveled in it. But I felt there was a lack of tension. There was no real build up to any of the scarier parts of the story; no feeling of dread or that something awful was just about to happen. Because of this, it was always a surprise, but so much of a surprise that I wouldn't realise that this was one of the climactic moments of the story until it was well and truly happening. Things just seemed weird, not scary, so I wasn't on the edge of my seat, I wasn't anticipating anything. It would just suddenly occur to me by how scared the characters were described being that this was one of those moments, but it never felt like it. And consequently, I was never scared myself. My emotions stayed pretty much neutral throughout. While I don't necessarily have to be scared to enjoy a horror, I don't expect to not be aware that a climactic moment is taking place.
I also couldn't tell you much about who Ashley and Logan are. I could tell you who their family is, and what they both feel about their current situation, but that's about it. I don't know what their interests of hobbies are, their dreams, or anything that makes them, them outside of what's currently happening in Snakebite. Because of this, I also struggled to believe the romance subplot. What exactly is it about the other person they're falling for? No clue, they just are, apparently. It was also strange, because they don't spend an awful amount of time in each other's company in the great scheme of things. Every time they're together, it's on page, but several weeks go by - several times - between chapters, where they've not been around each other at all, so what are their feelings based on? I just didn't really feel it. But it is a subplot, and didn't take away from the overall story.
Despite my issues, I was gripped by the story, and read it fairly quickly, wanting answers. I needed to know what was going on, who was involved, and the answers to several why and how questions. It was really intriguing, and I was completely captivated, and as I said, I loved what Gould did with the story, so I do recommend it. Just maybe don't expect to be scared much.
Logan is the daughter of TV ghost hunters Alejo and Brandon. Their success has meant a life living on the road travelling from place to place for the show, and a lot of time away from them during filming. She's close to Alejo, but her relationship with Brandon is strained and awkward, and has been ever since she once appeared on their show ParaSpectors. They're practically strangers, and no matter how hard she's tried, Brandon doesn't seem interested, so she stopped trying. Now, the family are moving yet again to Snakebite, the small town her parents are from, with plans to investigate strange happenings for their show. Logan is unhappy and desperately lonely, but she'll turn 18 in a few months, and will then be able to go and find somewhere to put down roots, a place to call home, away from a father who doesn't seem to want her.
Six months ago, Ashley's boyfriend Tristan disappeared without a trace. The police and people of Snakebite have searched and searched, but have come up with nothing. His disappearance coincided with the arrival of Brandon, who went on ahead of Alejo and Logan, to scout the location, and the townspeople are even more colder to Brandon than they were before he left. But while the people are cold, the weather is anything but, reaching extreme temperatures. With the arrival of Alejo and Logan, more teens go missing, only for their bodies to be found. The town becomes more convinced than ever that Brandon and Alejo are behind the deaths.
But Ashley doesn't want to believe Tristan is dead; she continues to feel his presence, and as no body has been discovered, she's convinced he's not. Logan wants to clear her parents names of crimes she's certain they didn't commit. So the two team up to figure out what happened to Tristan and who is behind the murders. But they discover there's something a lot darker and sinister at the heart of Snakebite, but they might the light that sees them both through.
The Dead and the Dark is narrated by both Logan and Ashley, with mostly alternating chapters. For this particular story, this actually worked really well. Being the daughter of professional ghost hunters, Logan knows about the dramatics and the things that are played up for TV, and doesn't really think there's anything out there. At the same time, she knows about her fathers' ghost hunting equipment - what it does and how to use it. Ashley, on the other hand, has started seeing ghosts. Of Tristan, and others, and people that are neither dead nor missing. So we get Logan's skepticism, but complete confidence that whatever's happening has nothing to do with her dads (no matter that she doesn't get on particularly well). We have Ashley seeing things for the first time that she can't fully explain, with Logan being the only one who will listen to her, because everyone else believes Tristan is dead, and what Ashley is experiencing is because of her grief. And then we have Logan sneaking her dads' equipment out, which seems to back up what Ashley is saying. Something is definitely going on, something more than just a murderer, and Ashley isn't losing her mind.
I really loved what Gould did with this story. The Dead and the Dark seemed quite a simple story for the most part while I was reading; teens disappearing and turning up dead, ghosts of people dead and alive, a murderer and possibly something much darker. But the more I read, the more depth was revealed. This is a story that has layers, and is a lot more complicated than it seems. I really loved this twist on the ghost story, especially as there are ghosts of people you know are alive. It keeps you asking questions, never quite sure what exactly is going on. I had theories, but they were completely off. Gould gives you just enough for you to think you have some idea of what's happening, even though there are not yet any answers, but then completely pulls the carpet out from under you feet when the truth is revealed. It was so clever and imaginative, and quite disturbing. I am fairly new to horror, so I'm not sure I could say what Gould did here has never been done before, but it was definitely refreshing and interesting.
It was fascinating to me how this is very much a queer story - with Logan having two dads, Logan being a lesbian, and Ashley finding herself falling for Logan - and how the story would be so different, if the characters weren't queer. That's not to say there would be no story, but I do think it would have been drastically different. I can't really get into it without giving away major spoilers, but it's a horror story born from the very real experiences of queer people; how they are seen and how they are treated. Honestly, it's mind-boggling to me, thinking about all the pieces of this story that would not be what they are if there were no queer characters. This is what I mean about the depth and the layers. It's just so damn clever, but equally really upsetting.
However, I do feel there was an issue with atmosphere. As I started reading The Dead and the Dark, I was overjoyed at the natural flow of the writing, realising it had been missing in some of my previous reads. I reveled in it. But I felt there was a lack of tension. There was no real build up to any of the scarier parts of the story; no feeling of dread or that something awful was just about to happen. Because of this, it was always a surprise, but so much of a surprise that I wouldn't realise that this was one of the climactic moments of the story until it was well and truly happening. Things just seemed weird, not scary, so I wasn't on the edge of my seat, I wasn't anticipating anything. It would just suddenly occur to me by how scared the characters were described being that this was one of those moments, but it never felt like it. And consequently, I was never scared myself. My emotions stayed pretty much neutral throughout. While I don't necessarily have to be scared to enjoy a horror, I don't expect to not be aware that a climactic moment is taking place.
I also couldn't tell you much about who Ashley and Logan are. I could tell you who their family is, and what they both feel about their current situation, but that's about it. I don't know what their interests of hobbies are, their dreams, or anything that makes them, them outside of what's currently happening in Snakebite. Because of this, I also struggled to believe the romance subplot. What exactly is it about the other person they're falling for? No clue, they just are, apparently. It was also strange, because they don't spend an awful amount of time in each other's company in the great scheme of things. Every time they're together, it's on page, but several weeks go by - several times - between chapters, where they've not been around each other at all, so what are their feelings based on? I just didn't really feel it. But it is a subplot, and didn't take away from the overall story.
Despite my issues, I was gripped by the story, and read it fairly quickly, wanting answers. I needed to know what was going on, who was involved, and the answers to several why and how questions. It was really intriguing, and I was completely captivated, and as I said, I loved what Gould did with the story, so I do recommend it. Just maybe don't expect to be scared much.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Homophobia, Child death, and Gun violence
fthepatriarchy's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
IM SOBBINGGGGGG. this book had me literally shaking n crying n then smiling n laughing within the space of 5 minutes oh my god i am in pain. BRANDON COME HERE SO I CAN HUG YOU. gonna go spend the next hour crying bye bye
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Grief, Gun violence, Homophobia, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, and Murder
nothingrhymeswithrachel's review
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
From beginning to end, I loved everything about this book. I was drawn in to every second. Absolutely wonderful.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Biphobia, Bullying, Child death, Death, Gaslighting, Gore, Grief, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Kidnapping, Lesbophobia, Murder, Outing, Panic attacks/disorders, Police brutality, Torture, and Violence