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loserlesbianlover's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
zaineylaney's review
4.0
A super creepy town that seems to stand still? Let’s explore the book:
Letter - Becks has received a letter from her mother to find her in the town of Backravel, AZ. Problem is, her mom is dead
Rural town - Backravel is in the middle of nowhere and there doesn’t seem to be a lot of people anywhere
Search - So Beck begins to look for her mother and what she finds confuses her
Losing Time - People have glazed over expressions, forget where they are, and Becks finds herself losing time
Courtney Gould has a way of writing that makes you want to keep reading until you find the answer. This book was slightly slow paced but the descriptions were so deep and beautiful. The way the topic of grief was discussed was also very insightful. While this was a YA Horror, I wouldn’t say it’s extremely graphic, but rather that the horror might take place psychologically. I liked this book a lot. Thank you to Wednesday and Macmillan audio for sending me this ARC to share with you!
Letter - Becks has received a letter from her mother to find her in the town of Backravel, AZ. Problem is, her mom is dead
Rural town - Backravel is in the middle of nowhere and there doesn’t seem to be a lot of people anywhere
Search - So Beck begins to look for her mother and what she finds confuses her
Losing Time - People have glazed over expressions, forget where they are, and Becks finds herself losing time
Courtney Gould has a way of writing that makes you want to keep reading until you find the answer. This book was slightly slow paced but the descriptions were so deep and beautiful. The way the topic of grief was discussed was also very insightful. While this was a YA Horror, I wouldn’t say it’s extremely graphic, but rather that the horror might take place psychologically. I liked this book a lot. Thank you to Wednesday and Macmillan audio for sending me this ARC to share with you!
dowryofbooks's review
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
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
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
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 against another edition
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
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
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