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3.8 AVERAGE
3.8 AVERAGE
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
a dark, intense narrative that balances tension and heartbreak with moments of haunting beauty. The story’s momentum never falters, pulling the reader into a world that feels both unpredictable and deeply emotional.
While the central mystery is compelling, some of the side characters feel underutilized, particularly in the alternating points-of-view chapters where their perspectives could have enriched the overall narrative. At times, the plot veers toward the extreme, though Elizabeth skillfully reins it back in before it unravels. This unpredictability adds to the novel’s intrigue, even if it occasionally borders on chaotic.
Briar, as the protagonist, is both sympathetic and exasperating. Her struggles are raw and believable, yet her unwavering obedience to her parents—even as an adult capable of making her own choices—can be frustrating to witness. This tension, however, also speaks to Elizabeth’s ability to create flawed, realistic characters whose decisions spark strong emotional responses from readers.
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This book has a strong eerie vibe, which works well in a quiet seaside town and brings to mind stories reminiscent of Lovecraft and Ira Levin, filled with gothic atmosphere and dreams of drowning, hauntings by mysterious ghostly women, rumors of witches and trapped demons. Toss in a cult or two, a creepy old man who stares at Briar like she’s his newest toy, and it’s a wonderful setting for this story that’s a cross between horror and mystery, but mostly a romance.
Briar wakes up one morning to realize her best friend and maybe-sort-of boyfriend is gone. And not in the usual way of vanishing; instead it’s like he never existed, leading to Briar and her friends trying to find him in a world where they’re the only ones who remember he exists at all. Meanwhile Finn is in a place where time both does and doesn’t exist — very reminiscent of the Upsidedown from Stranger Things — having sacrificed himself for Briar.
But the whys and whos and wherefores and whens are all up in the air, being revealed slowly and disjointedly in a way that kept me reading. As a couple, Briar and Finn are a tad codependent, both willing to go to horrifying extremes for one another in the name of love, but the end of the book and their eventual relationship are very well done, giving both characters time to grow as people without that bone deep need and obsession.
The bisexual rep, with Briar and Morgan — a young girl whose life Briar ruined — does and doesn’t work for me. On the one hand, I get the sudden need Briar had for comfort, for someone to hold her, for a moment away from the chaos and the horror; on the other, the first move was made by Morgan with no encouragement from Briar. Though she did enthusiastically consent after the kiss, it’s still Morgan who makes the first move.
And for Morgan … this girl kept her from making friends in school from the age of 10 to 18. She started rumors, drew pentagrams on her locker, stuffed her locker with tampons dipped in blood. Morgan’s life was hell because of Briar, so why did she so easily forgive and fall in love? Personally I think rather than a love scene they should have had a long talk and maybe an apology or two from Briar.
I really like how this book played with time, and that the big fuss with cults and demons wasn’t as important as friendship and love. I mean, they’re there, but Briar and Finn are too busy with one another to really fuss with the power hungry adults and their shenanigans.
This was fun, and a quick read.
Briar Winters has a secret she's cannot share. Not even with her three best friends. Just before Astrid, Kai, and Finn leave her behind for colleges across the US, they go to the carnival. After waking the next day, Finn is suddenly gone and his phone is out of service. Briar is racing to find Finn as dark secrets threaten to catch up and as her nineteenth birthday approaches.
The yearning, the starcrossed lovers, the town buried in dark secrets! And this is a debut novel? This was such an achingly heartbreaking and lovely YA dark fantasy book. De weaves in idyllic coastal town unease, eldritch secrets, and the sudden disappearance of Finn. Give this a read if you like:
- there's something evil in the sea
- coastal Massachusetts/haven from witch trials
- sacrifices for the ones you love
- the threads of time
Thank you to Holiday House for an ARC on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. This book will be published on 9/23/25.
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Thank you to Holiday House Books and Netgalley for the eARC!
To say I’m disappointed by this book is a huge understatement. And partially I think it was the marketing of this one. This should have been solely marketed as a horror - maybe a horror romance. It’s so very loosely a fantasy and there ain’t no physics-based “magic system” - it’s run-of-the-mill multiverse hopping. 😅 Theoretical physics at best - you know, stuff that is not practical. As an engineer, I definitely thought we’d be getting practical physics: statics, dynamics, F=ma, hell, fluid mechanics even. And the way they use the “magic” in this book is not a system. 😩 I feel like I was misled. Why not just call it a time travel / multiverse book? Why even mention physics?? Or why not specify that it’s THEORETICAL physics??
Sigh.
Anyway, I have way more issues with this one.
- Briar is the worst protagonist I’ve ever seen. Her best friend and the guy she is supposedly in love with disappears from the timeline. She finds out she’s going to die. Then she also finds out she’s descendant of a witch. What does she do? Has sex with the girl she bullied for 13 yrs! 🤨 Obviously. 🙄 And everything that happens, she turns back to herself. She constantly thinks the world revolves around her. It is infuriating!!! And two people are in love with her???? Why, Finn??? Why?? This girl sent $500 worth of flowers that DIE to a girl she bullied whose mom died of cancer! 💩 to make herself feel better!! Because charity what? Giving it to the person herself, what? Nahhhh flowers! 🌺 That’s soo nice!!! 🙄
- Morgan was… unnecessary. I hated her character too. She felt like a plot device, not a human.What person would be tortured for 13 yrs by a girl and then be super up for getting it on with her?? 🤦♀️ We needed more backstory.
- Finn’s two personality traits were “smart” and “obsessed with Briar.” 🤷♀️ idk why. It doesn’t make sense. Six year old seeing an angel? 😐 Ok.
- The villain was non-existent to me - he was a voice inside their heads, not an evil being. He felt like an afterthought when advertising made me think he was going to be Darkling-level of amazing. Nope. We didn’t even actually get to SEE him defeated. He just kinda didn’t exist anymore. Yay?
- This book felt like book two in a series. I had no chance to get a sense of Briar and Finn’s relationship bc he just disappears.And no idea why tf Morgan and Briar even remotely see each other in a romantic aspect. Six year olds falling in love. Obviously. A 6yo who is so cognizant of things that she decides never to tell what she saw to anyone…. Umm my 7yo would have told me in five seconds k.
- The action was never IN the story!!! I always felt like I was being TOLD about the action. The entire book felt like I was watching people watch other things. Or watching people tell me about world-building that made no sense. It was all atmosphere and no action.
- The endingwas too nice. Too clean. Too picture perfect. A book where we get some crazy grotesque horror and they’re just like “yay, love wins!” Please. Even Bly Manor made it bittersweet.
Ultimately, here’s the deal. If you liked A Study in Drowning and Skyla Arndt’s books, you’ll like this one. This is first and foremost, a horror.
If you want a better “I’ll find you in every multiverse” book: go read A Thousand Pieces of You by Claudia Gray. I liked that more.
To say I’m disappointed by this book is a huge understatement. And partially I think it was the marketing of this one. This should have been solely marketed as a horror - maybe a horror romance. It’s so very loosely a fantasy and there ain’t no physics-based “magic system” - it’s run-of-the-mill multiverse hopping. 😅 Theoretical physics at best - you know, stuff that is not practical. As an engineer, I definitely thought we’d be getting practical physics: statics, dynamics, F=ma, hell, fluid mechanics even. And the way they use the “magic” in this book is not a system. 😩 I feel like I was misled. Why not just call it a time travel / multiverse book? Why even mention physics?? Or why not specify that it’s THEORETICAL physics??
Sigh.
Anyway, I have way more issues with this one.
- Briar is the worst protagonist I’ve ever seen.
- Morgan was… unnecessary. I hated her character too. She felt like a plot device, not a human.
- Finn’s two personality traits were “smart” and “obsessed with Briar.” 🤷♀️ idk why. It doesn’t make sense.
- The villain was non-existent to me - he was a voice inside their heads, not an evil being. He felt like an afterthought when advertising made me think he was going to be Darkling-level of amazing. Nope.
- This book felt like book two in a series. I had no chance to get a sense of Briar and Finn’s relationship bc he just disappears.
- The action was never IN the story!!! I always felt like I was being TOLD about the action. The entire book felt like I was watching people watch other things. Or watching people tell me about world-building that made no sense. It was all atmosphere and no action.
- The ending
Ultimately, here’s the deal. If you liked A Study in Drowning and Skyla Arndt’s books, you’ll like this one. This is first and foremost, a horror.
If you want a better “I’ll find you in every multiverse” book: go read A Thousand Pieces of You by Claudia Gray. I liked that more.
emotional
mysterious
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:
Complicated
"Our love crosses galaxies. Defies the laws of physics... Maybe we're stronger than magic too."
ooo this gave me the PERFECT summerween transitioning into fall creepy coastal vibes, i was so here for it!
a small town on the northeast coast that hides something dark in its shores 🌊 briar has always hated her birthdays, after her losing her twin brother on their 6th birthday. and now it's her last one before her best friends all leave her behind for college.
but strange things are happening, and something even weirder is up with her best friend finn (who she's totally not been avoiding since they finally kissed).
what ensues is a magical murder mystery, a race against timelines, and a bit a (dark) practical magic.
the vibes and aesthetic were so much fun as someone who is beach goth, but the love story and found family were definitely the heart of this. i wasn't expecting to get teary eyed and i was definitely in my feels after this one.
also shout out to the bi rep: oops! i'm kind of into my arch nemesis! oops! why is the evil villain so hot?!
this was an excellent debut read and i'm excited for de elizabeth's upcoming books!
dark
emotional
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Going into this, I was expecting an upper YA/New Adult mystery fantasy. Based on the author's social media, I was really excited for a physics and math-based magic system and bisexual representation in the story. This did not deliver.
What I liked or met expectations
- There were some beautiful sentences and parts where I thought the writing was well done/quotable
- There was a 1 page moment where the bi representation felt authentic (this is also a con - I felt like the bi rep was mostly performative and to check a box, but this one page captured my experience as a bi person well).
- The writing had the YA audience in mind, mostly. More of a upper-YA as there are a few scenes where sex is heavily implied and some on-page making out. Which is fine, just something to be aware of. This would be in the more 16/17+ YA side of things in my opinion.
- About 1/3 of the way in I started to get "Stranger Things" vibes
What I disliked:
- TIME TRAVEL/TIMLINE HOPPING - this was not mentioned anywhere in the blurb or marketing. I really dislike time-bending/non-linear timelines so I really forced myself through this one. This would have been great to know about in advance.
- Overuse of the phrase/variations of "she bit/chewed her cheek". It could be a drinking game for the first half of the book
- The magic system was a HUGE let down. The author marketed it as a math-based and physics-based system. Saying this magic system is based in these things is like saying The Amityville Horror was based on a true story. It should be inspired by at best. Using ideas like equal and opposite reaction, using the term chaos theory, googling a formula, doesn't make something based in it. I might be a little overly harsh here, but as someone with an extensive background in math and physics, I had really high hopes for a magic system that was based in math and science and it just wasn't.
- The relationship between Blair and Morgan.It was every cliche wrapped into a few run-ins. The relationship (and Blair being bi) felt like it was forced and was there specifically to make their eventual partnership happen. Their partial chapter of a romance was everything I don't like about romance books wrapped into one - fated enemies to lovers, social enemies to lovers, one bed, grumpy sunshine. I was literally rolling my eyes.
- The bi representation was tokenized and felt really inauthentic. It's hard to do bi characters' experiences justice because there is so much nuance and undertones to the lived experience of it. Given the upper-YA nature of this book, I expected more of the nuance to come through vs it being there strictly as a vehicle toget Morgan to help.
Thank you to NetGalley and Holiday House for an advanced reader copy of this book.
What I liked or met expectations
- There were some beautiful sentences and parts where I thought the writing was well done/quotable
- There was a 1 page moment where the bi representation felt authentic (this is also a con - I felt like the bi rep was mostly performative and to check a box, but this one page captured my experience as a bi person well).
- The writing had the YA audience in mind, mostly. More of a upper-YA as there are a few scenes where sex is heavily implied and some on-page making out. Which is fine, just something to be aware of. This would be in the more 16/17+ YA side of things in my opinion.
- About 1/3 of the way in I started to get "Stranger Things" vibes
What I disliked:
- TIME TRAVEL/TIMLINE HOPPING - this was not mentioned anywhere in the blurb or marketing. I really dislike time-bending/non-linear timelines so I really forced myself through this one. This would have been great to know about in advance.
- Overuse of the phrase/variations of "she bit/chewed her cheek". It could be a drinking game for the first half of the book
- The magic system was a HUGE let down. The author marketed it as a math-based and physics-based system. Saying this magic system is based in these things is like saying The Amityville Horror was based on a true story. It should be inspired by at best. Using ideas like equal and opposite reaction, using the term chaos theory, googling a formula, doesn't make something based in it. I might be a little overly harsh here, but as someone with an extensive background in math and physics, I had really high hopes for a magic system that was based in math and science and it just wasn't.
- The relationship between Blair and Morgan.
- The bi representation was tokenized and felt really inauthentic. It's hard to do bi characters' experiences justice because there is so much nuance and undertones to the lived experience of it. Given the upper-YA nature of this book, I expected more of the nuance to come through vs it being there strictly as a vehicle to
Thank you to NetGalley and Holiday House for an advanced reader copy of this book.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
THIS RAGING SEA by De Elizabeth (Sept 23)
Thank you Netgalley and Holiday House for the earc
Loch Creek is a witchy town, it's also where Blair Winters thinks she's going to die---like her brother did 13 years prior...among the waves. When her best friend, Finn Adler, disappears, Blair must seek put her enemy to help find him. Together, they unearth secrets and darkness that makes up the town.
THIS RAGING SEA is a YA sci-fi esque mystery filled with rage, heartache, a tinge of romance, and a mysterious force at hand---witches and magic. This book is the epitome of atmospheric, and it reminded me so much of something some of my favorite authors would write: nature stirring everything up, in this case with "the raging sea." It was almost lyrical as the author told the story. I loved that it was dual-pov, because Finn's pov added to the book. And I loved how everything just sort of flowed...almost like a sea.
With everything positive, there comes negative. I had to take break reading this book because of the length. It was long, the chapters and the book in and of itself. As I pushed through, the second half was where its at---where everything flowed nicely as I mentioned above. The pace of the book picked up, and everything began to unravel. And as revelations were made, nothing was as it seems. And then that ending---specifically those last few chapters brought tears to my eyes. Love, loss, magic, if that's what you want to read, this this is for you.
THIS RAGING SEA by De Elizabeth (Sept 23)
Thank you Netgalley and Holiday House for the earc
Loch Creek is a witchy town, it's also where Blair Winters thinks she's going to die---like her brother did 13 years prior...among the waves. When her best friend, Finn Adler, disappears, Blair must seek put her enemy to help find him. Together, they unearth secrets and darkness that makes up the town.
THIS RAGING SEA is a YA sci-fi esque mystery filled with rage, heartache, a tinge of romance, and a mysterious force at hand---witches and magic. This book is the epitome of atmospheric, and it reminded me so much of something some of my favorite authors would write: nature stirring everything up, in this case with "the raging sea." It was almost lyrical as the author told the story. I loved that it was dual-pov, because Finn's pov added to the book. And I loved how everything just sort of flowed...almost like a sea.
With everything positive, there comes negative. I had to take break reading this book because of the length. It was long, the chapters and the book in and of itself. As I pushed through, the second half was where its at---where everything flowed nicely as I mentioned above. The pace of the book picked up, and everything began to unravel. And as revelations were made, nothing was as it seems. And then that ending---specifically those last few chapters brought tears to my eyes. Love, loss, magic, if that's what you want to read, this this is for you.
Thank you to NetGalley and Holiday House for an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I thought this book would be like a Nancy Drew (the tv show) story with a Scooby-gang of characters and I was very excited for that.
While the Nancy Drew tv show vibes were very strong with the supernatural mysteries and small, creepy town, the found family and characters fell flat for me.
First of all, the found family has 4 (possibly 5?) members and we get almost zero information about 2 of them. I still have no idea who Kai or Astrid are as individual people OR why they’re friends with Briar and Finn. We’re TOLD that they’re as close as family, but we don’t get to see that in any meaningful way. Briar is actively lying and misleading them during the entire book.
As for Briar and Finn, they sure do have a funny way of showing that they’re in true love, going around and being with other people in the 3-ish days it takes for them to reunite? Neither of them really sold the whole true love thing to me.
Lastly, this book ended on a sort of open-ended, interpret-it-how-you-will, kind of ending, which was not satisfying in my opinion. With how much a mess was made by these characters during the story, I feel like a resolute ending would’ve been like a reward. Instead, I’m just as confused as I was at the start.
Overall, the vibes and the world were really cool, and I thought the writing flowed smoothly. But the characters will make or break a book for me, and this book just wasn’t it for me.
I thought this book would be like a Nancy Drew (the tv show) story with a Scooby-gang of characters and I was very excited for that.
While the Nancy Drew tv show vibes were very strong with the supernatural mysteries and small, creepy town, the found family and characters fell flat for me.
First of all, the found family has 4 (possibly 5?) members and we get almost zero information about 2 of them. I still have no idea who Kai or Astrid are as individual people OR why they’re friends with Briar and Finn. We’re TOLD that they’re as close as family, but we don’t get to see that in any meaningful way. Briar is actively lying and misleading them during the entire book.
As for Briar and Finn, they sure do have a funny way of showing that they’re in true love, going around and being with other people in the 3-ish days it takes for them to reunite? Neither of them really sold the whole true love thing to me.
Lastly, this book ended on a sort of open-ended, interpret-it-how-you-will, kind of ending, which was not satisfying in my opinion. With how much a mess was made by these characters during the story, I feel like a resolute ending would’ve been like a reward. Instead, I’m just as confused as I was at the start.
Overall, the vibes and the world were really cool, and I thought the writing flowed smoothly. But the characters will make or break a book for me, and this book just wasn’t it for me.
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
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:
Yes
God I'm so sad now. Easily one of the best books I've ever read, full review coming once I've processed my thoughts. 🤧