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libraryfangirl's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
A good read with well rounded characters. I wish there had been a map of the beach for my spatially challenged self.
Content Warnings
Minor: Body horror, Suicide attempt, and Animal death
booksthatburn's review
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
BLACK TIDE features two almost-strangers suddenly trying to survive after a meteor shower that left behind very strange things on the beach.
Early on I realized what it's horror novel treatment of, and I don't really want to spoil it except to say that any of my fellow exvangelicals might find something you recognize. You don’t need to figure it out to understand the book, however, since it’s using that sequence of events as the bones in a wonderfully horrific creation. It's from the perspective of two characters who aren’t already familiar with the shape of what’s to come, who have no way to guess the truly twisted shit that’s going down.
The characters have the kind of communication errors which completely fit people who met yesterday and have very little emotional energy to navigate interpersonal dynamics in addition to trying to stay alive. It's just enough to feel real but doesn't bog down the story. The worldbuilding is very good, with the characters slowly figuring out what's happening and some strategies to deal with immediate dangers, but lacking any ability to fix things more broadly. This is a very good horror novel and I'm quite pleased overall.
Early on I realized what it's horror novel treatment of, and I don't really want to spoil it except to say that any of my fellow exvangelicals might find something you recognize. You don’t need to figure it out to understand the book, however, since it’s using that sequence of events as the bones in a wonderfully horrific creation. It's from the perspective of two characters who aren’t already familiar with the shape of what’s to come, who have no way to guess the truly twisted shit that’s going down.
The characters have the kind of communication errors which completely fit people who met yesterday and have very little emotional energy to navigate interpersonal dynamics in addition to trying to stay alive. It's just enough to feel real but doesn't bog down the story. The worldbuilding is very good, with the characters slowly figuring out what's happening and some strategies to deal with immediate dangers, but lacking any ability to fix things more broadly. This is a very good horror novel and I'm quite pleased overall.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Gore, Body horror, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Medical trauma, and Death
Moderate: Animal death, Grief, Cursing, Alcohol, Fire/Fire injury, Vomit, Violence, Gun violence, Car accident, Suicidal thoughts, and Death of parent
Minor: Ableism, Suicide attempt, Suicide, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Excrement, and Sexual content
enchantressreads's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
"The darkness is coming for me after all. And it has teeth."
Black Tide is unlike any kind of apocalypse novel I've ever read before. Some of them really sound the same at this point--a disease, zombies, warfare. What about perfectly circular meteorites that grow vines, invisible monsters with mouths full of razors, and jellyfish clouds?
Beth is currently house sitting at a beach in Oregon, where she meets the next door neighbor, Mike. After a quick affair, she has a strange dream. Mike, wanting to end it all after losing his wife, sees meteors start to fall from the sky. Beth believes she's had too much to drink, until Mike comes to the house with a perfectly round ball. It burns his hands, so he drops it. They think nothing of it, until they decide to go to the beach, where they see a group of people desperately trying to leave the island. Something strange is happening at Strawberry Dunes.
This book had me hooked from the beginning, lost me a bit in the middle, and got me back at the end. I enjoyed learning more about Beth and Mike, while also watching them try to figure out how to survive this weird event. Both people seem to be notorious for fucking things up, and they don't want this to be their last fuck-up. They both lean on each other to try to survive.
I'd love to see more of this world, or possibly a different location. Is it happening world-wide? How are other people handling it? How is the government handling it? I don't believe this is a series, but I would love to see a spinoff book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood and Gore
Moderate: Animal death and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Suicide attempt
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