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books_by_the_bottle's review
4.0
Thank you to Tor Nightfire and Catarina Ward for the ARC!
Lonely and in a cottage overlooking the Maine Coast, Wilder Harlow begins the last book he will ever write. And it is personal; the story of his childhood and the killer that stalked the small New England town. As he delves deeper into writing, the story of his one-time best friend Sky stealing his story and turning it into a tacky bestselling novel (titled Looking Glass Sound) comes to surface as well. When Wilder begins to find handwritten notes from Sky hidden around the cabin, he fears he is losing his grip on reality.
Ever get a book that you drop everything to read - even if youâre midway through a different book? This was one for me! The synopsis referred to this book as âmind bendingâ and boy is that ever true! It was a story within a story within a story. And to be completely honest, I wasnât entirely sure what I was reading for about half of this book but I really enjoyed trying to figure it out! Catriona Ward is a gifted storyteller, skilling blending the boundary between reality and fiction. This book also served as one of the best book chats I have ever taken part in - I really enjoyed discussing our thoughts and ideas on this wild ride of a story.
This story is out August 8th and this review will be shared to my instagram blog (@books_by_the_bottle) shortly.
Lonely and in a cottage overlooking the Maine Coast, Wilder Harlow begins the last book he will ever write. And it is personal; the story of his childhood and the killer that stalked the small New England town. As he delves deeper into writing, the story of his one-time best friend Sky stealing his story and turning it into a tacky bestselling novel (titled Looking Glass Sound) comes to surface as well. When Wilder begins to find handwritten notes from Sky hidden around the cabin, he fears he is losing his grip on reality.
Ever get a book that you drop everything to read - even if youâre midway through a different book? This was one for me! The synopsis referred to this book as âmind bendingâ and boy is that ever true! It was a story within a story within a story. And to be completely honest, I wasnât entirely sure what I was reading for about half of this book but I really enjoyed trying to figure it out! Catriona Ward is a gifted storyteller, skilling blending the boundary between reality and fiction. This book also served as one of the best book chats I have ever taken part in - I really enjoyed discussing our thoughts and ideas on this wild ride of a story.
This story is out August 8th and this review will be shared to my instagram blog (@books_by_the_bottle) shortly.
rhatchett1122's review
4.0
Everything I expected from a Ward novel. Unique, layered, emotional, complex, and a complete mind-bleep. The coolest premise, the craziest ending. My mind did gymnastics trying to put together the pieces, which I love in a book. I love Wardâs writing, and canât wait to see what she comes out with next.
zjswetlik's review
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-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
3.0
ellasreadingnook's review
5.0
Thank you to NetGalley and Tor for providing me with the ARC!
Catriona Ward has done it again. This book gave me thrills, chills, and then it fried my brain in the best way possible. Was it confusing? Absolutely. Did I understand where it was heading? Nope. The only way I can describe this book is by comparing it to a puzzle. Imagine youâre doing a 5,000-piece puzzle, and you think youâre nearing the end, but then you realize youâre missing a few pieces. Then you somehow find the missing pieces, put them in their places, and think, âI figured it out!â but then you look at the puzzle, and youâre like, âwhat the heck is this supposed to be?â Itâs only then that you realize youâve been putting the puzzle together upside down.
That was what the journey of reading Looking Glass Sound was like.
I canât really talk about the actual plot of the book without spoiling it, so all I can say is that Ward has continued to masterfully craft a creepy, off-feeling ambiance filled with twists and mind games. Ward is one of the few authors that Iâm automatically excited to read, and I canât stop myself from rushing through her books. I have no doubts that Looking Glass Sound will be met with even more positive acclaim, and Ward will continue to be an iconic voice in horror.
Catriona Ward has done it again. This book gave me thrills, chills, and then it fried my brain in the best way possible. Was it confusing? Absolutely. Did I understand where it was heading? Nope. The only way I can describe this book is by comparing it to a puzzle. Imagine youâre doing a 5,000-piece puzzle, and you think youâre nearing the end, but then you realize youâre missing a few pieces. Then you somehow find the missing pieces, put them in their places, and think, âI figured it out!â but then you look at the puzzle, and youâre like, âwhat the heck is this supposed to be?â Itâs only then that you realize youâve been putting the puzzle together upside down.
That was what the journey of reading Looking Glass Sound was like.
I canât really talk about the actual plot of the book without spoiling it, so all I can say is that Ward has continued to masterfully craft a creepy, off-feeling ambiance filled with twists and mind games. Ward is one of the few authors that Iâm automatically excited to read, and I canât stop myself from rushing through her books. I have no doubts that Looking Glass Sound will be met with even more positive acclaim, and Ward will continue to be an iconic voice in horror.
cait_henry56's review against another edition
Picking this up later, I just ran out of time on the library loan and there is a wait listÂ
brockzahler's review
2.0
Oof. Where to begin with this one? Iâll echo a lot of the other reviews here and say that I started off somewhat bored, got really into the middle, and then completely hated the end. Itâs hard to review this book due to the plot, but suffice thereâs a love story here that I really liked and that sort of becomes⌠nothing due to the bizarre semi-supernatural twist? I donât know. This one definitely did not work for me in most aspects. If youâre into sci-fi or meta-fiction this might be for you, but honestly Iâm too confused about the plot and characters here to even review it coherently.
hypnagogicmaze's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
maddiefish09's review
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-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