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dowryofbooks's review against another edition
2.0
This isn't doing it for me the way The Dead and the Dark did it for me :/
The concept is everything I could want. The town itself is such a fascinating setting. In my mind I was picturing Strangerville from the Sims 4. Also, Courney Gould has been blessed with the best cover artist, her books are just stunning.
However, the main character was really unlikeable and frustrating. Beck and Riley's predicament leaves me with a lot of questions. Like, why are we supposed to buy into them being in this town under the guise of being on a vacation when Beck does everything she can to not spend time with Riley... not even a believable lie to tell her. I also wish it would've gone deeper exploring/explaining the town and it's mysteries. And I wasn't feeling the romance in this one.
I'd also recommend going into this expecting a sapphic mystery story, I was definitely thinking more horror vibes but it leaned a bit more towards sci-fi.
thanks so much to Netgalley and the publisher for an arc!
The release date is June 20!
The concept is everything I could want. The town itself is such a fascinating setting. In my mind I was picturing Strangerville from the Sims 4. Also, Courney Gould has been blessed with the best cover artist, her books are just stunning.
However, the main character was really unlikeable and frustrating. Beck and Riley's predicament leaves me with a lot of questions. Like, why are we supposed to buy into them being in this town under the guise of being on a vacation when Beck does everything she can to not spend time with Riley... not even a believable lie to tell her. I also wish it would've gone deeper exploring/explaining the town and it's mysteries. And I wasn't feeling the romance in this one.
I'd also recommend going into this expecting a sapphic mystery story, I was definitely thinking more horror vibes but it leaned a bit more towards sci-fi.
thanks so much to Netgalley and the publisher for an arc!
The release date is June 20!
cobaltbookshelf's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars
I have to admit that one of the main reasons I wanted to read this book was I liked The Dead and the Dark and the fabulous cover. The story sounded promising so I was eager to give it a try.
Once I started reading this book, I was hooked and ended up having a great time with it. The ideas behind world-building and characters are so intriguing. This was such an interesting read that I'd definitely recommend to people who enjoy sapphic YA books.
A special thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press & Wednesday Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I have to admit that one of the main reasons I wanted to read this book was I liked The Dead and the Dark and the fabulous cover. The story sounded promising so I was eager to give it a try.
Once I started reading this book, I was hooked and ended up having a great time with it. The ideas behind world-building and characters are so intriguing. This was such an interesting read that I'd definitely recommend to people who enjoy sapphic YA books.
A special thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press & Wednesday Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
awoodenbird's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
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? It's complicated
5.0
trashkingmax's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-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
3.75
Beck (the main character) has a sister named Riley that she drags along to investigate a weird, small town in AZ in order to try to piece together the story their mother was trying to write before her death, mostly by trying to figure out why she was so obsessed with said town. Riley doesn't actually want to be there. Riley is the only character that I personally found likeable, and she spends most of the book in the camper that the sisters are renting, offscreen.
I think the pacing of the book is pretty decent, but Beck gets handed the idiot ball more often than not. I don't know if this is supposed to keep the audience from piecing the mystery together ourselves or to build tension or just to make us feel smarter than the teenage main character. What it did for me was act as an exercise in frustration.
The relationship between the sisters also doesn't feel organic at all. It definitely doesn't feel like it was written by someone who has siblings.
I think the pacing of the book is pretty decent, but Beck gets handed the idiot ball more often than not. I don't know if this is supposed to keep the audience from piecing the mystery together ourselves or to build tension or just to make us feel smarter than the teenage main character. What it did for me was act as an exercise in frustration.
The relationship between the sisters also doesn't feel organic at all. It definitely doesn't feel like it was written by someone who has siblings.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Animal death, Abandonment, Death of parent, and Mental illness
Moderate: Gaslighting, Cancer, and Confinement
zickcantkill's review
adventurous
reflective
sad
medium-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? It's complicated
4.0
izzys_internet_bookshelf's review against another edition
3.0
3.5/5
Really enjoyed this book! Ugh man I loved the vibe it had and the mystery. For me it didn’t really seem like a thriller because I was so into it.
Really enjoyed this book! Ugh man I loved the vibe it had and the mystery. For me it didn’t really seem like a thriller because I was so into it.
marieintheraw's review against another edition
5.0
I legitimately cannot tell which of Courtney Gould's books that I like more at this point. A master of setting and making interesting characters already for sure!
I received an ecopy of this book through Netgalley; however, my opinions are my own
I received an ecopy of this book through Netgalley; however, my opinions are my own
ellehawk's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-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
3.0
I had a hard time with this one. I really like Courtney Gould's style of writing and the way she creates characters, but this whole book had me confused. I understand that the author wanted us to be confused, to reflect the main character's confusion throughout the story, but I didn't really know what was going on throughout the whole thing and it made me care less about the characters than I should have. Even though this one was a bit of a dud in my opinion, I am looking forward to her next book!
morguebooks's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0