Scan barcode
A review by laelyn
The Dead and the Dark by Courtney Gould
5.0
Talented, brilliant, incredible, amazing, show stopping, spectacular - Gould's debut novel is all of these things. I could not put it down, was completely mesmerized from the very first page on. "The Dead and the Dark" is a YA horror mystery thriller, a mash up of different genres that left me completely breathless. It is incredibly well written in a captivating style that makes it an unputdownable pageturner.
The plot sounds, on the surface, like every other thriller there is out there: Kids keep disappearing and turning up dead in a small American town where everyone knows everyone, making the crime something deeply personal in itself. But "The Dead and the Dark" is so much more than that.
It truly is dark and twisted, playing with supernatural themes, exposing the darkness of humankind as well as the power of grief, hatred, desperation, loneliness - and also love. Love is one of the central themes of this novel, and it's not even the romantic kind of love (even though the romance between the two protagonists is absolutely wonderful despite all the darkness surrounding them), it's the love that parents have for their children and vice versa. This novel is creepy, creating an eerie atmosphere from the start, never letting the reader off the hook - but it's also deeply emotional on so many levels. It deals with heavy topics like grief, death, homophobia, but at the same time never lets us forget that there is good in the world, too.
The characters are just... ugh. I don't even know how to express my love for them, which is a very rare thing for me, to be honest. I rarely connect with characters from thriller/horror/mystery type books like I did with Logan, with Ashley, with Brandon, with Alejo. They are complex, utterly likeable and unique. Brandon especially really hit home with me, even though he is the most tragic character of them all. The whole "tv ghost hunter" angle was really fun, too, even though it didn't really add much to the plot in the end. Listen, I just really really love this family of two dads, their lesbian daughter and their 'redneck princess' daughter-in-law.
Does everything make sense in this story? No, probably not. There is one decision the "big bad" makes that made me wonder if they're maybe a giant idiot, because really, they should know better for various reasons. Does that have any negative influence on just how much I enjoyed this book? None whatsoever.
This novel is honestly so good, I'm going to read anything Courtney Gould will release in the future. Even if it's just her forking shopping list.
Maaaaaany many thanks to St. Martin's Press for the amazing arc!
The plot sounds, on the surface, like every other thriller there is out there: Kids keep disappearing and turning up dead in a small American town where everyone knows everyone, making the crime something deeply personal in itself. But "The Dead and the Dark" is so much more than that.
It truly is dark and twisted, playing with supernatural themes, exposing the darkness of humankind as well as the power of grief, hatred, desperation, loneliness - and also love. Love is one of the central themes of this novel, and it's not even the romantic kind of love (even though the romance between the two protagonists is absolutely wonderful despite all the darkness surrounding them), it's the love that parents have for their children and vice versa. This novel is creepy, creating an eerie atmosphere from the start, never letting the reader off the hook - but it's also deeply emotional on so many levels. It deals with heavy topics like grief, death, homophobia, but at the same time never lets us forget that there is good in the world, too.
The characters are just... ugh. I don't even know how to express my love for them, which is a very rare thing for me, to be honest. I rarely connect with characters from thriller/horror/mystery type books like I did with Logan, with Ashley, with Brandon, with Alejo. They are complex, utterly likeable and unique. Brandon especially really hit home with me, even though he is the most tragic character of them all. The whole "tv ghost hunter" angle was really fun, too, even though it didn't really add much to the plot in the end. Listen, I just really really love this family of two dads, their lesbian daughter and their 'redneck princess' daughter-in-law.
Does everything make sense in this story? No, probably not. There is one decision the "big bad" makes that made me wonder if they're maybe a giant idiot, because really, they should know better for various reasons. Does that have any negative influence on just how much I enjoyed this book? None whatsoever.
This novel is honestly so good, I'm going to read anything Courtney Gould will release in the future. Even if it's just her forking shopping list.
Maaaaaany many thanks to St. Martin's Press for the amazing arc!