Standalone
by Courtney Gould
LGBT, Horror, Paranormal
Release Date: August 3, 2021 from Wednesday Books
ebook, Hardcover, Audiobook, 352 Pages
Blurb:
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.
My Review:
Snakebite, Oregon is a dark place full of a lot of hate.
Six months ago, Logan Ortiz-Woodley's father Brandon returned to his hometown to scout locations for his and his husband's hit show ParaSpectors (a ghost hunting tv show) but is being elusive as to why he's there and what he's looking for. Now Logan and her other father, Alejo, are joining Brandon in the hopes of making some progress. Alejo tells Logan they'll be fine as long as they're together as a family. But what are Brandon and Alejo afraid of?
Six months ago Ashley Barton's boyfriend Tristan disappeared without a trace. She's not willing to give up and accept that Tristan is most-likely dead unlike everyone else in town. To her, nothing bad ever happens in Snakebite. That is until Brandon Woodley returned to town. But is Brandon somehow responsible for Tristan's disappearance? Or is the town just against him and his family because they're different?
To figure out the mystery and get to the bottom of what's wrong with Snakebite Ashley and Logan will have to work together before someone else disappears.
This book started out kind of slow for me and I wasn't sure I was going to like it. It had lots of things I like in books - a dark 'paranormal' force, a mystery, and a touch of romance. Once I got into it, I did really enjoy the book as a whole. Like Logan, I seriously thought maybe Brandon did have something to do with the disappearances and I was dying to find out if I was right.
I got really annoyed with the people of Snakebite over the course of the book, which I guess is the author's intent. Overall, the book kept me reading and I like the hate-to-love trope between Ashley and Logan. But as the book is billed as horror, I could have done with a bit more of the chill factor. Everything was kind of expected along the way with little-to-no tension or build-up.
My Rating:
3.75 of 5 Stars!
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