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A review by musingswithmiranda
The Dead and the Dark by Courtney Gould
4.0
Happy release day!
I received an eARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This book being pitched as a f/f paranormal thriller with enemies to lovers, monsters, ghosts, and a killer on the loose was enough to make me add it to my list of highly anticipated reads and request an arc. The author’s note points out that Gould’s editor said it is “like Riverdale, but good” while others have compared it to having Supernatural vibes.
Courtney Gould’s The Dead and the Dark opens with something called the Dark that has been lurking in a small town in Oregon called Snakebite. When a local boy named Tristian goes missing, tv’s beloved ghost hunting duo from ParaSpectors, Brandon and Alejo Ortiz-Woodley, return to town and bring their daughter Logan along for the ride. The townspeople think the Ortiz-Woodleys are somehow connected to what has been happening, and even Logan thinks there is more to the story than what her fathers are letting on. She eventually meets Ashley Barton, Tristian’s girlfriend, who reveals that she has been seeing his ghost. Since the two are not getting answers from their parents, they decide to team up to investigate Snakebite’s dark secrets and find out the truth once and for all.
I was immediately pulled into this story because of how it opens. The start of the book and the interludes throughout definitely have that spooky factor. In the beginning before the story has really even started to develop, readers are introduced to the Dark, a mysterious monster-like entity. I found this to be an intriguing opening because it set up the mystery and made me feel like I had to keep reading in order to make sense of the Dark. It was very weird but very cool.
I love how there felt like there was a balance to Gould’s writing. I thought she did a great job at setting up the whole insider versus outsider views in Snakebite. I appreciated how the chapters switched between these characters to explore what they were thinking and feeling. It set up different struggles as well. There were these tense, scary, dark, and heavy moments all throughout the story, but Gould pairs them well with lighthearted and funny moments. This is what I mean where I say there is a balance. There were a few jokes that I audibly laughed at, and I really loved seeing snippets of the ParaSpectors show. I thought Gould did a great job with writing character and relationship development too. Seeing Logan and Ashley navigate their feelings was really interesting. I also liked how Alejo and Brandon were given space for their relationship to be explained and explored. Something that I have not encountered a lot in books is a good portrayal of father-daughter relationships. It was fun and heartwarming to see how close Alejo and Logan were. On the other side of that, I am glad that the story expanded on the tense or awkward relationship between Brandon and Logan.
When it comes to thrillers or horror novels, I am the type of person who never stops trying to guess who the killer is, where a monster came from, or what will happen in the end. I really appreciate that this book was not predictable. I had a lot of guesses and nearly all were wrong. At times, the pacing felt a bit slower than I was expecting, but overall it was pretty solid. I have seen some people say the ending is kind of cliché, but I do think it is a very fitting ending and it made me happy.
This book tackles some heavy topics like grief, loneliness, family, and belonging. Sometimes these things can weigh on a person, so it was nice to see how Ashley and Logan could relate to one another. These conversations felt honest and relatable. This story also shows what can happen when a small town is full of hate and bigotry. I appreciated how Gould criticized the kind of views that tend to dominate small rural towns because it is something I can completely relate to and understand. I grew up around people who acted very similar to some of the characters in Snakebite. It is exhausting and frustrating to say the least, so I am also glad to see social commentary that challenges these kinds of beliefs.
I have seen nothing but good things about The Dead and the Dark so far, and I am so glad it lived up to its hype and the expectations I had for it! I have been feeling like I needed a break from reading every day, but this book was one I have definitely been in the mood for. Courtney Gould’s debut was very impressive, and I am very excited to see what she does next!
*Content warning: underage drinking, child death and endangerment, murder, violence including strangulation and drowning, homophobia and homophobic slurs, claustrophobia (buried alive), hate crimes, death, blood*
Thank you to the publisher, St. Martin’s Press, and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book before its release on August 3, 2021.
I received an eARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This book being pitched as a f/f paranormal thriller with enemies to lovers, monsters, ghosts, and a killer on the loose was enough to make me add it to my list of highly anticipated reads and request an arc. The author’s note points out that Gould’s editor said it is “like Riverdale, but good” while others have compared it to having Supernatural vibes.
Courtney Gould’s The Dead and the Dark opens with something called the Dark that has been lurking in a small town in Oregon called Snakebite. When a local boy named Tristian goes missing, tv’s beloved ghost hunting duo from ParaSpectors, Brandon and Alejo Ortiz-Woodley, return to town and bring their daughter Logan along for the ride. The townspeople think the Ortiz-Woodleys are somehow connected to what has been happening, and even Logan thinks there is more to the story than what her fathers are letting on. She eventually meets Ashley Barton, Tristian’s girlfriend, who reveals that she has been seeing his ghost. Since the two are not getting answers from their parents, they decide to team up to investigate Snakebite’s dark secrets and find out the truth once and for all.
I was immediately pulled into this story because of how it opens. The start of the book and the interludes throughout definitely have that spooky factor. In the beginning before the story has really even started to develop, readers are introduced to the Dark, a mysterious monster-like entity. I found this to be an intriguing opening because it set up the mystery and made me feel like I had to keep reading in order to make sense of the Dark. It was very weird but very cool.
I love how there felt like there was a balance to Gould’s writing. I thought she did a great job at setting up the whole insider versus outsider views in Snakebite. I appreciated how the chapters switched between these characters to explore what they were thinking and feeling. It set up different struggles as well. There were these tense, scary, dark, and heavy moments all throughout the story, but Gould pairs them well with lighthearted and funny moments. This is what I mean where I say there is a balance. There were a few jokes that I audibly laughed at, and I really loved seeing snippets of the ParaSpectors show. I thought Gould did a great job with writing character and relationship development too. Seeing Logan and Ashley navigate their feelings was really interesting. I also liked how Alejo and Brandon were given space for their relationship to be explained and explored. Something that I have not encountered a lot in books is a good portrayal of father-daughter relationships. It was fun and heartwarming to see how close Alejo and Logan were. On the other side of that, I am glad that the story expanded on the tense or awkward relationship between Brandon and Logan.
When it comes to thrillers or horror novels, I am the type of person who never stops trying to guess who the killer is, where a monster came from, or what will happen in the end. I really appreciate that this book was not predictable. I had a lot of guesses and nearly all were wrong. At times, the pacing felt a bit slower than I was expecting, but overall it was pretty solid. I have seen some people say the ending is kind of cliché, but I do think it is a very fitting ending and it made me happy.
This book tackles some heavy topics like grief, loneliness, family, and belonging. Sometimes these things can weigh on a person, so it was nice to see how Ashley and Logan could relate to one another. These conversations felt honest and relatable. This story also shows what can happen when a small town is full of hate and bigotry. I appreciated how Gould criticized the kind of views that tend to dominate small rural towns because it is something I can completely relate to and understand. I grew up around people who acted very similar to some of the characters in Snakebite. It is exhausting and frustrating to say the least, so I am also glad to see social commentary that challenges these kinds of beliefs.
I have seen nothing but good things about The Dead and the Dark so far, and I am so glad it lived up to its hype and the expectations I had for it! I have been feeling like I needed a break from reading every day, but this book was one I have definitely been in the mood for. Courtney Gould’s debut was very impressive, and I am very excited to see what she does next!
*Content warning: underage drinking, child death and endangerment, murder, violence including strangulation and drowning, homophobia and homophobic slurs, claustrophobia (buried alive), hate crimes, death, blood*
Thank you to the publisher, St. Martin’s Press, and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book before its release on August 3, 2021.