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siennabea's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
I think this book was good, I just wish it had a bit more description on who the characters actually were.
It dealed with grief okay, but the last few chapters where it all came together was truly my favourite part.
It dealed with grief okay, but the last few chapters where it all came together was truly my favourite part.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Death of parent, Mental illness, Toxic friendship, Child death, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Cursing, and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Domestic abuse, Child abuse, and Blood
izzyvioletgrace's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-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
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Blood, Domestic abuse, Grief, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Physical abuse, Violence, Child death, Death of parent, Alcohol, Death, Gore, and Sexual content
bookboxbabe's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
no one speak to me for a bit, i’m not well
this book is beautiful and gut wrenching at the same time. it’s raw and feels like you’re being ripped open and spilt onto the pages.
i loved the small town dynamics, the mystery that kept me guessing till the very end, and the whiplash of reveals felt like i myself was in the middle of the hurricane
the summer children will forever be in my heart
this book is beautiful and gut wrenching at the same time. it’s raw and feels like you’re being ripped open and spilt onto the pages.
i loved the small town dynamics, the mystery that kept me guessing till the very end, and the whiplash of reveals felt like i myself was in the middle of the hurricane
the summer children will forever be in my heart
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Physical abuse, Grief, Death, Death of parent, and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Suicide, Toxic friendship, Suicidal thoughts, Self harm, and Suicide attempt
laylareadsthings's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
This is a tough one to review for me. I really enjoyed the writers style, and her descriptions, the ambience she creates is stunning. I will definitely keep an eye out for more works from her.
Unfortunately, the plot was so incredibly slow moving I had a hard time getting through this. It’s tagged as a murder mystery, but there is nothing to unfold here. There are no hints given along the way, no way for the reader to resolve what’s happening or form theories. For about 350 pages, it felt like a hamster wheel of continuous conversations where nothing was revealed, and no action was taken. Everyone wants to solve the crime! But absolutely no one, not a single person is willing to have even the remotest hint of a conversation about it. The main character spends the entirety of the book fixated on and frustrated by her inability to solve the murder, but literally ANY time she discovers a clue, or needs to ask someone something she just… doesn’t. Instead it’s more inner monologue about how upset she is that she can’t solve the crime.
Again, I think the backdrop and atmosphere were quite literally perfect - but the plot and character development was so flat for me, I really had to stop myself from DNFing multiple times.
Unfortunately, the plot was so incredibly slow moving I had a hard time getting through this. It’s tagged as a murder mystery, but there is nothing to unfold here. There are no hints given along the way, no way for the reader to resolve what’s happening or form theories. For about 350 pages, it felt like a hamster wheel of continuous conversations where nothing was revealed, and no action was taken. Everyone wants to solve the crime! But absolutely no one, not a single person is willing to have even the remotest hint of a conversation about it. The main character spends the entirety of the book fixated on and frustrated by her inability to solve the murder, but literally ANY time she discovers a clue, or needs to ask someone something she just… doesn’t. Instead it’s more inner monologue about how upset she is that she can’t solve the crime.
Again, I think the backdrop and atmosphere were quite literally perfect - but the plot and character development was so flat for me, I really had to stop myself from DNFing multiple times.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Grief, Murder, Death, Death of parent, Suicidal thoughts, and Domestic abuse
beckyremillard's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
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? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Gaslighting, Gore, Child abuse, Death, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, and Violence
hollyheartless's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
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? It's complicated
3.0
I have very mixed feelings about this book. This is quite fast paced and I was very hooked on finding out what happened. Part of me loves the dark atmosphere and the absolute rollercoaster I was on in trying to solve the mystery I did not trust any of these characters apart from MC Grey. The history of the characters and world building was clearly really thought out and clear while reading. There are some very clever snippets of writing using small visions of text to build a whole scene which I thought was brilliant!! However, I will say I didn’t feel fully satisfied with the ending of the book as a whole in the epilogue, I feel like I have a lot of questions still unanswered. Also there are a lot of triggers with this book, including child death, abuse, alcoholism and brief mentions of self harm. It is a dark and more mature book, one that I would read again but I wouldn’t be in any rush to
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Child abuse, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Grief, Gun violence, Gaslighting, Child death, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Addiction, Alcohol, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Alcoholism, Blood, Gore, Murder, and Vomit
Minor: Suicide, Suicide attempt, Cancer, and Fire/Fire injury
micaelamariem's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
I’m not much of a thriller reader but this YA thriller with magical elements kept me on my toes. In it, Grey returns to a small Louisiana town known for its psychic powers. But this is the first summer since her best friend’s disappearance and she’s determined to know what happened. I loved the beautiful descriptions in this book. If you ever wanted Southern Gothic with a touch of magical realism, this is it. I especially loved how the place of this town was a character in itself, showing how there was rot under even what was pretty, just like the festering secrets people kept. The twists were also satisfying. I was only partially correct in my original guess of who the killer was. I also liked the portrayal of grief and how trauma can affect mental health and the way a character interacts with others. I do agree that the characters acted stupid and selfish often—though they are teenagers so that could be realistic. I also agree that the pace was a bit slower than it needed to be. Still, I really enjoyed this book and if you like gothic fiction and thrillers, this is the perfect mix. But beware of trigger warnings: murder, domestic violence, death of children, alcohol.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Suicide, Alcohol, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Child death, Cursing, Violence, Vomit, Death, Death of parent, and Physical abuse
jadehusdanhicks's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Truly shocked by how much I wound up enjoying this book. Nothing was predictable and each twist shocked me more than the last.
Harts tempted should’ve been a dead giveaway but knowing the summer 10 had lost three before adulthood allowed the reader to excuse it as grief. He shouldn’t have kept the secrets he did, but even then he was not the worst … no one could’ve seen Evie’s plot twist coming.
I fell for her being the victim, haunted both literally and by grief for those of their group who passed. Finding out it was her literally being haunted by guilt and by Elora for killing her left my jaw on the floor.
Overall, I loved the magical aspect of all these psychic abilities those in La Cachette had. The intrigue that followed decades of murders, guilt and lies. Ginny is a beyond talented author, truly having my heart beat for all the summer 12 while I devoured this book whole.
I fell for her being the victim, haunted both literally and by grief for those of their group who passed. Finding out it was her literally being haunted by guilt and by Elora for killing her left my jaw on the floor.
Overall, I loved the magical aspect of all these psychic abilities those in La Cachette had. The intrigue that followed decades of murders, guilt and lies. Ginny is a beyond talented author, truly having my heart beat for all the
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Alcoholism, Blood, Alcohol, Violence, Death, Toxic friendship, Child death, Abandonment, Child abuse, Gaslighting, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Domestic abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Gun violence, and Murder
darquedreamer's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
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? Yes
4.75
Dark and Shallow Lies was atmospheric and captivating. Very well written. So little happened, but so much happened at the same time. It was breathtaking and heart clenching, and gripping.
The story inside most definitely matched the beautifully gothic cover on the outside. It was dark and tense and I could see it clearly in my mind. It was mysterious and reflective, and had an amazing build up.
For taking place in such a short amount of time, the characters had so much depth to them. Even the characters that were no longer in the story. They were rich and felt so real, despite most of them having not so real abilities.
The setting was perfect. It transported me to the bayou. The descriptions, the feel of the words, and the way the characters spoke all anchored me to the story and location.
I definitely enjoyed this one. It had a tiny bit of predictability that allowed the truly shocking twists to be hidden. It unfolded in a perfect way, just like a hurricane.
The story inside most definitely matched the beautifully gothic cover on the outside. It was dark and tense and I could see it clearly in my mind. It was mysterious and reflective, and had an amazing build up.
For taking place in such a short amount of time, the characters had so much depth to them. Even the characters that were no longer in the story. They were rich and felt so real, despite most of them having not so real abilities.
The setting was perfect. It transported me to the bayou. The descriptions, the feel of the words, and the way the characters spoke all anchored me to the story and location.
I definitely enjoyed this one. It had a tiny bit of predictability that allowed the truly shocking twists to be hidden. It unfolded in a perfect way, just like a hurricane.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Death, Alcoholism, Death of parent, Murder, and Violence
kitfkat's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Grief, Child abuse, Death, Suicide, Alcoholism, Blood, Child death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, and Violence