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3.74 AVERAGE
3.74 AVERAGE
This is the bone-chilling, enchanting thriller that I’ve been seeking out throughout my reads this year. Not only does this novel take you on an adventure, but it leaves you with lessons you’ll see within yourself and your dearest loved ones around you. With love, there is loss because hurt is simply a part of the package. It is what you do with that hurt that truly matters.
“She nods. She looks lost, so lost, like she’ll never find her way home again. And I can’t go with her, can’t lead her back to us. Even if I could, I don’t have a map to her grief. That’s the thing about losing someone. It’s a landscape no one’s familiar with, and it’s never the same for two people. We’re all alone in our loss, without a map, without a companion. It’s the loneliest thing there is.” — Shady Grove in The River Has Teeth (Erica Waters, p. 79)
I created a Playlist for reading through this novel that I used. For those that are interested as well, I’ve included a link below. I also create playlists for other novels I indulge in as well, so please feel free to follow my GoodReads account for various updates.
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7fiAhgMsuhdwoHO8V1B1da?si=UFkDrLQ8TUyhLwbub6VLNQ
“She nods. She looks lost, so lost, like she’ll never find her way home again. And I can’t go with her, can’t lead her back to us. Even if I could, I don’t have a map to her grief. That’s the thing about losing someone. It’s a landscape no one’s familiar with, and it’s never the same for two people. We’re all alone in our loss, without a map, without a companion. It’s the loneliest thing there is.” — Shady Grove in The River Has Teeth (Erica Waters, p. 79)
I created a Playlist for reading through this novel that I used. For those that are interested as well, I’ve included a link below. I also create playlists for other novels I indulge in as well, so please feel free to follow my GoodReads account for various updates.
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7fiAhgMsuhdwoHO8V1B1da?si=UFkDrLQ8TUyhLwbub6VLNQ
TW: death, murder, grief, attempted sexual assault, abuse, blood, car accident, cheating
Ghost Wood Song is a haunting whisper of a book that completely captivates your mind. The atmosphere around it will completely envelop you and provides an intoxicating read that is impossible to put down.
At its heart, it revolves around an intriguing mystery and complex family dynamics & relationships. It delves into a dark familial history and the secrets buried within it, while having this ethereal, mystical feel to the story. Music powers much of the story, which is appropriate as it’s such an evocative artform that can powerfully manipulate your emotions and memories. All our lives have soundtracks to them and Water beautifully exploits this feeling. For Shady, her grief and music are intertwined deeply, with every song reminding her of a moment captured in time. The entire story centres around a beautiful, emotional exploration of grief with the use of some brilliant metaphors that really drive it home. Waters captures the nuances of grief and the differing reactions to it, creating a powerful and gut-wrenching story.
In terms of the mystery, it’s a well-constructed mystery with plenty of suspects, red herrings and the all important twists. The fantastical elements of the story add that extra layer to the story that elevates it and perfectly compliment Waters’ lyrical writing. Southern Gothic is an endlessly fascinating sub-genre, with its darkness and willingness to explore our own treacherous past. The past and present collide quite literally here but Waters ensures that she revitalises the old tropes by breathing new life to them through her own lens. Having studied the Gothic for a while, it is so refreshing to see modern authors put their own stamp on the genre.
Ghost Wood Song is a majestic, stunning and eerie tale that you won’t be able to get out of your mind.
Ghost Wood Song is a haunting whisper of a book that completely captivates your mind. The atmosphere around it will completely envelop you and provides an intoxicating read that is impossible to put down.
At its heart, it revolves around an intriguing mystery and complex family dynamics & relationships. It delves into a dark familial history and the secrets buried within it, while having this ethereal, mystical feel to the story. Music powers much of the story, which is appropriate as it’s such an evocative artform that can powerfully manipulate your emotions and memories. All our lives have soundtracks to them and Water beautifully exploits this feeling. For Shady, her grief and music are intertwined deeply, with every song reminding her of a moment captured in time. The entire story centres around a beautiful, emotional exploration of grief with the use of some brilliant metaphors that really drive it home. Waters captures the nuances of grief and the differing reactions to it, creating a powerful and gut-wrenching story.
In terms of the mystery, it’s a well-constructed mystery with plenty of suspects, red herrings and the all important twists. The fantastical elements of the story add that extra layer to the story that elevates it and perfectly compliment Waters’ lyrical writing. Southern Gothic is an endlessly fascinating sub-genre, with its darkness and willingness to explore our own treacherous past. The past and present collide quite literally here but Waters ensures that she revitalises the old tropes by breathing new life to them through her own lens. Having studied the Gothic for a while, it is so refreshing to see modern authors put their own stamp on the genre.
Ghost Wood Song is a majestic, stunning and eerie tale that you won’t be able to get out of your mind.
A very nice read with great atmosphere that peters out at the end
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I read this book in a day or two. It is very atmospheric and I needed to know what was going to happen next. However, there was something, and I think it was the romance aspect of it, that kept bringing me out of the book. I know I say this a lot, but there are just some books I think would be better if the romance was minimized. And this is one of them. It didn't really vibe with the rest of the book, which was a shame. The themes of grief and death and moving on were amazingly done though. I'm definitely going to be checking out the author's other books.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Drug use, Self harm
This book is very much about grief and moving on from the death of a parent.
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Death of parent
There were some things I enjoyed, along with some things I didn't enjoy that much. I listened to it on audio, and the southern accent got a bit on my nerve sometimes. But the audiobook was overall good. I very much liked the atmosphere. I didn't like all the characters though. Overall it was a good book, but perhaps a bit forgettable.
This scored 6.00 on CAWPILE. That makes it on the middle three-star mark.
This scored 6.00 on CAWPILE. That makes it on the middle three-star mark.
Wow, this book was such a great read.
I loved the whole concept of this book and thought it was very well executed. The atmosphere was dark and spooky, and very much up my alley. I didn't think the love triangle was that great.
Overall, this was definitely a fun read and I can't wait to read more books from this author. Already eyeing up her next release which doesn't have a synopsis yet, but if it's anything like this, I know I'll enjoy it.
I loved the whole concept of this book and thought it was very well executed. The atmosphere was dark and spooky, and very much up my alley. I didn't think the love triangle was that great.
Spoiler
I felt like we were supposed to think that Sarah was the superior love interest and it felt like Shady would end up with her, but I wasn't feeling the connection. Like there moments when it seemed that Shady wasn't that into Cedar and I thought he would be discarded when Sarah realised her feelings for Shady. But I liked Cedar and I wanted her to pick him over Sarah but I didn't feel like Shady was that into him. I hope I'm making sense here.Overall, this was definitely a fun read and I can't wait to read more books from this author. Already eyeing up her next release which doesn't have a synopsis yet, but if it's anything like this, I know I'll enjoy it.
This book was creepy and awesome and I loved it! Great read!
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes