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3.59 AVERAGE
3.59 AVERAGE
i’d have given this 5 stars, but the last like… 50 pages felt so endless. but also the horror becomes less about the murders and what happened that summer, and more about the uncertainty and confusion around what’s real. so the uncertainty had a purpose, but it was a lot to parse through at the end
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This was a tough one! It took me awhile to read because the story changed so much. I really enjoyed the beginning bit with Wilder, Harper, and Nat as teens and then once the story began to shift... and shift... and shift... my engagement continued to dip. Once I got to around the 60% or 70% mark, it becomes more clear how much of a meta story this is (a book within a book within a book etcetera) and I just don't think it worked for me. Maybe this isn't a style I like or maybe the execution was a miss--or perhaps both?
I struggled to feel a connection to any of the characters and the constant plot twists, jumps in time, and changes in perspective were a challenge for me. I was far more intrigued with the story of Wilder's coming of age and the mystery of the Dagger Man than I was when it came to this whole who-stole-who's story that ends up dominating the narrative once we time-jump to Wilder at university. When I was reading the last couple of chapters and everything was coming to a head between Pearl, Harper, and Gracie, I was just like... Okay? It just didn't really work for me. Catriona Ward is clearly talented at writing though, even if the plotting and general story wasn't slaying for me. I would check out other books from this author, as long as they're not like this one lol.
I struggled to feel a connection to any of the characters and the constant plot twists, jumps in time, and changes in perspective were a challenge for me. I was far more intrigued with the story of Wilder's coming of age and the mystery of the Dagger Man than I was when it came to this whole who-stole-who's story that ends up dominating the narrative once we time-jump to Wilder at university. When I was reading the last couple of chapters and everything was coming to a head between Pearl, Harper, and Gracie, I was just like... Okay? It just didn't really work for me. Catriona Ward is clearly talented at writing though, even if the plotting and general story wasn't slaying for me. I would check out other books from this author, as long as they're not like this one lol.
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Blood, Suicide attempt, Murder
If you love books that are about books and writing and making terrible, terrible mistakes, then this book is for you! I absolutely loved it.
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I really liked the first third of this...and then I disliked everyone... And then I was too confused to know who was who.
Spooky, unreliable narrator story of three teens uncovering a serial killer.
Spooky, unreliable narrator story of three teens uncovering a serial killer.
slow-paced
Wow. This book really took bury your gays to a new level. Like zoinks scoob. Also like I get it your main character is ugly ugly UGLY. Not the book for me and made me want to never read from this author again. The book writhing a book is so unrewarding and what little characters I did manage to care about felt like a cheep rug pull.
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
There’s so much I loved about this book.🌊💀
First off, the prose is absolutely gorgeous. It’s lush, immersive, and the kind of writing you just want to sink into. Whistler’s Bay isn’t just a setting, it’s a whole vibe, and the way the atmosphere seeps into the story makes it even more haunting.
The perspective, a writer reflecting on what it means to create, really worked for me. The whole “story within a story” thing adds layers, and the way the imagery and little hints come back around in the plot twist at the end is so satisfying.
I know this plot won’t be for everyone, but for me, a great thriller-mystery gives you just enough to piece things together while still leaving some things up to interpretation. And this book totally nails that balance.
It’s eerie, intelligent, and so beautifully written that the horror almost feels romantic. That’s exactly my kind of read.
Safe to say I’ll be reading more from this author.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
What a strange book (in a good way). I don't know how to describe any of it. I felt like it has the vibes of The Secret History by Donna Tartt but with more plot twists, non-linear storytelling and magic (maybe?). I will definitely need to reread it to figure it out.