Title: The Dead and the Dark
Author: Courtney Gould
Published by: Wednesday Books
Released: August 3, 2021
Source: Electronic Review Copy from Netgalley / Physical Copy from Library
Synopsis: 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.
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.
My Thoughts: I liked the idea of this, I just don't know if I was in love with the journey or the pacing. I also don't know if I really needed this to be dual perspective. I don't think I did.
The horror aspect of this was very interesting. I liked what it was trying, but it needed a little more oomph. I needed more answers to my questions. Everything also gets resolved a little too neatly in the end. The weird goings on in Snakebite definitely had potential.
Snakebite also had potential, but I don't think it every fully got there. There were multiple sections telling how bad Snakebite was, but you didn't really see it. It felt just like any small town. Some of the residents maybe weren't the nicest, but would that make a place really evil? I saw no.
Our duo of Ashley and Logan were subpar when it came to investigating the situation. It mainly just served as an excuse for them to hangout. They didn't really find out anything. They didn't do any kind of research. They didn't follow up on questions they did find. Or if they did follow up, they'd give up very quickly.
This also had weird time jumps that just got to be a little irritating. It was always two weeks passing. Why two weeks? What was annoying about it was that we would get some big happening at the end of a chapter, and instead of the next chapter showing those consequences, it would instead be two weeks later with nothing really to show for it.
Logan, to me, didn't really feel like she had parents. They didn't treat her like their child, more just like their little sister, niece, cousin, or something. Alejo and Brandon didn't really keep track of her. They were always off doing mysterious stuff or just lounging in their motel room. They didn't seem to care what Logan was doing with her time in Snakebite. I don't think she had much structure.
Ashley's switch flipped too fast. Maybe even Logan's too. I felt a whole lot of nothing when it came to their relationship. It wasn't insta-love, but it sure had no real development. Logan getting mad and jealous just didn't really fit for me.
I also was very annoyed with Logan because she didn't push for answers when it came to anything. This book would have been a whole lot more enjoyable if secrets were revealed a whole lot sooner. Then it could have really been an investigation into the goings on in Snakebite with Ashley, Logan, Alejo, and Brandon. There could have been relationships built and more character growth.
I also questioned why Ashley wasn't more freaked out when it came to seeing ghosts. Why does she even have this talent?
I enjoyed the last bit of this book because that's when everything really came together. The final battle was a tad anticlimactic though.
This book was just okay for me. It had the potential, but it didn't quite reach it. It had good story bones.
The horror aspect of this was very interesting. I liked what it was trying, but it needed a little more oomph. I needed more answers to my questions. Everything also gets resolved a little too neatly in the end. The weird goings on in Snakebite definitely had potential.
Snakebite also had potential, but I don't think it every fully got there. There were multiple sections telling how bad Snakebite was, but you didn't really see it. It felt just like any small town. Some of the residents maybe weren't the nicest, but would that make a place really evil? I saw no.
Our duo of Ashley and Logan were subpar when it came to investigating the situation. It mainly just served as an excuse for them to hangout. They didn't really find out anything. They didn't do any kind of research. They didn't follow up on questions they did find. Or if they did follow up, they'd give up very quickly.
This also had weird time jumps that just got to be a little irritating. It was always two weeks passing. Why two weeks? What was annoying about it was that we would get some big happening at the end of a chapter, and instead of the next chapter showing those consequences, it would instead be two weeks later with nothing really to show for it.
Logan, to me, didn't really feel like she had parents. They didn't treat her like their child, more just like their little sister, niece, cousin, or something. Alejo and Brandon didn't really keep track of her. They were always off doing mysterious stuff or just lounging in their motel room. They didn't seem to care what Logan was doing with her time in Snakebite. I don't think she had much structure.
Ashley's switch flipped too fast. Maybe even Logan's too. I felt a whole lot of nothing when it came to their relationship. It wasn't insta-love, but it sure had no real development. Logan getting mad and jealous just didn't really fit for me.
I also was very annoyed with Logan because she didn't push for answers when it came to anything. This book would have been a whole lot more enjoyable if secrets were revealed a whole lot sooner. Then it could have really been an investigation into the goings on in Snakebite with Ashley, Logan, Alejo, and Brandon. There could have been relationships built and more character growth.
I also questioned why Ashley wasn't more freaked out when it came to seeing ghosts. Why does she even have this talent?
I enjoyed the last bit of this book because that's when everything really came together. The final battle was a tad anticlimactic though.
This book was just okay for me. It had the potential, but it didn't quite reach it. It had good story bones.
BOOKCITEMENT LEVEL 3.5/5
Love the Cover. Had potential, just didn't quite get there.
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