THE DEAD AND THE DARK BY COURTNEY GOULD

8/4/2021

Based on the synopsis I found this to be much different than I anticipated. However, I enjoyed it regardless because it’s deliciously creepy and blends two of my favorite genres: horror and murder mystery!

Rating: ★★★★
Release Date: August 3, 2021
Genre: Young Adult Horror and Mystery
Series: None. Complete standalone.
Pages: 374 pages
Format: eBook. Source: ARC.

Courtney Gould’s thrilling YA debut The Dead and the Dark is about the things that lurk in dark corners, the parts of you that can’t remain hidden, and about finding home in places—and people—you didn’t expect.

The Dark has been waiting for far too long, and it won't stay hidden any longer.

Something is wrong in Snakebite, Oregon. Teenagers are disappearing, some turning up dead, the weather isn’t normal, and all fingers seem to point to TV’s most popular ghost hunters who have just returned to town. Logan Ortiz-Woodley, daughter of TV's ParaSpectors, has never been to Snakebite before, but the moment she and her dads arrive, she starts to get the feeling that there's more secrets buried here than they originally let on.

Ashley Barton’s boyfriend was the first teen to go missing, and she’s felt his presence ever since. But now that the Ortiz-Woodleys are in town, his ghost is following her and the only person Ashley can trust is the mysterious Logan. When Ashley and Logan team up to figure out who—or what—is haunting Snakebite, their investigation reveals truths about the town, their families, and themselves that neither of them are ready for. As the danger intensifies, they realize that their growing feelings for each other could be a light in the darkness.

PURCHASE A COPY

AMAZON KINDLE | AMAZON PRINT | LISTEN WITH AUDIBLE

READ MY BOOK REVIEW

𝗥𝗘𝗩𝗜𝗘𝗪 𝗦𝗡𝗔𝗣𝗦𝗛𝗢𝗧: Based on the synopsis I found this to be much different than I anticipated. However, I enjoyed it regardless because it’s deliciously creepy and blends two of my favorite genres: horror and murder mystery!

The Dead and the Dark is a genre blend of young adult horror and mystery. Truth be told, I thought this book would be a lot different than it was because when I read the synopsis, I immediately thought it was just another murder mystery. However, while there IS a murder mystery that takes up most of the plot there is also a darkness to the story that lends to the creepiness. There are paranormal elements to the novel and while they are ambiguous until the very end it’s these elements that make it a horror novels mixture! I enjoyed it very much. Readers will also be delighted to see that the romantic relationships within this novel fall in line with all those amazing LGBTQ romances out there. For example, Logan (the heroine of the story) has two fathers and even finds love with a new friend (Ashley) herself. I think this made the story even more unique!

As for the plot, this is another one of those books that I don’t want to spoil with details. It’s a good story that should be processed by the reader themselves and not other people’s opinions. So, I’ll keep this review light and leave it here.

𝗣𝗘𝗥𝗙𝗘𝗖𝗧 𝗙𝗢𝗥 𝗙𝗔𝗡𝗦 𝗢𝗙:
• Young Adult Horror and Thriller novels
• Books with paranormal elements
• Authors like Darcey Coates, Courtney Summers, and Erica Waters

𝗠𝗬 𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚: ⭐⭐⭐⭐