The Dead and the Dark – 5 Star Book Review

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

I was granted complimentary ARC access to The Dead and the Dark via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to all involved in affording me this opportunity! My thoughts are my own and my review is honest. Note that I requested the eARC before the audio ARC, but I prefer audiobooks so I requested it after anyway and was approved for both. I won’t be writing two separate reviews, so in regards to the print/ebook just ignore my paragraph on narration.

About the Book

The Dead and the Dark
by Courtney Gould

Publishing 3 August 2021
Wednesday Books

Genre: YA Paranormal Romance, Thriller, LGBTQIA+
Page Count: 348
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Courtney Gould’s thrilling 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.

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My Review

My Rating: 5 Stars
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The Dead and the Dark is a fascinating thriller set in Snakebite, Oregon, which is every little backwater town that hasn’t embraced 21st-century views on diversity and human rights yet. Logan’s fathers are every ghost hunting TV show’s hosts, and she’s over it. When the show brings them to Snakebite, a past Logan can’t remember threatens to swallow her future.

Oh my gosh, I loved this book! I love paranormal stories, especially when there’s a mystery element. I love thrillers. I love both positive and boldly realistic LGBTQIA+ representation. I love tragic twists and turns in sweet romance. This book? This book has all of that and more!

This book has a very cinematic feel to it and I feel like I’ve already watched a screen adaptation. These are definitely main characters and deserve this full length story they got, but they would make perfect guests and plot drivers in a Supernatural episode (maybe a 2-parter?)

The Dead and the Dark is an amazing debut and I’ll be watching for Courtney Gould’s name coming through NetGalley from now on. Wow! Seriously, if you like any of the genres and categories this book fits into, you really need to read it.

In terms of the audiobook performance, the narratiion was perfect. I didn’t have any trouble at all telling the characters apart, the pacing of the performance was comfortable, and the narrator’s voice is pleasant to listen to.

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If this sounds like your kind of book you may also like When the Stars Go Dark by Paula McLain

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