The Dead and the Dark
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- Create Date：2021-09-09 07:51:22
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Courtney Gould
- ISBN：1250762014
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Summary
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。
Reviews
The LitBuzz
，
They would have more nights under the stars。They had skies left to see。 I was immediately captivated by the cover of The Dead and the Dark by Courtney Gould and once I read the blurb it was a done deal， I needed to read this book！ I am fairly new to the mystery genre， but The LitBuzz has given me the opportunity to discover books that otherwise would have missed my radar。 Our first main character Logan Ortiz leaves L。A。 to move to Snakebite， Oregon， the hometown of her two dads。 Since leaving th They would have more nights under the stars。They had skies left to see。 I was immediately captivated by the cover of The Dead and the Dark by Courtney Gould and once I read the blurb it was a done deal， I needed to read this book！ I am fairly new to the mystery genre， but The LitBuzz has given me the opportunity to discover books that otherwise would have missed my radar。 Our first main character Logan Ortiz leaves L。A。 to move to Snakebite， Oregon， the hometown of her two dads。 Since leaving the small town they’ve become ghost-hunting TV personalities who return to the to conduct an investigation inconveniently around the same time that a teenage boy has gone missing and the town people have not missed the coincidence。 Our co-star Ashley’s boyfriend has gone missing， and even 6 months later she refuses to believe that he isn’t somewhere waiting to be found。 When a new family comes arrives their intentions and involvement in his disappearance are uncertain and she， along with the rest of her town are understandably weary。Ashley and Logan may not trust each other， but they have the same goal， to find Ashley’s missing boyfriend and clear Logan’s dad of any wrongdoing。 As they get deeper into the investigation dark secrets are revealed while danger grows by the minute… but so does their connection。 The first thing I have to mention is how successful Coutney Gould was in creating a setting that you could literally feel as you read。 Maybe it was divine intervention that I was reading this during a record-breaking heatwave in my state but I could feel the suffocating dryness as the dark force that covered Snakebite grew。 Creating a story that is creepy in broad daylight is an impressive feat that Courtney Gould was able to achieve effortlessly。 Each different relationship within the Dead and the Dark worked to amplify the tension during an already dangerous and unknown situation。 Logan’s relationship with each of her fathers was unique as she clings to one while she struggles to remain close with the other。 They know things she shouldn’t be exposed to， but without it， she has no way of understanding why there is a distance between her and one of her dads that didn’t used to be there， leaving her feeling rejected by someone that is supposed to put her above all else。 Logan and Ashley’s relationship began out of desperation as they try to move on from the loss of love from someone they cared deeply for。 The progression of their feelings towards each other felt natural as they went from strangers， to enemies， to teammates and finally to love interests。 The thing about their relationship that moved me the most was the mutual respect that grew from a dangerous situation and the tentative affection that slowly developed as time passed。 The dramatics were left to the paranormal， and the love story was kept subtle， but powerful。 This was an amazing debut by Courtney Gould and I am convinced that even those who do not gravitate towards the mystery/suspense drama would find it enjoyable。 I will anxiously wait for her future releases and encourage everyone to pick up The Dead and The Dark！ 。。。more
Drew
，
4。5 rounded up
Haley Counts
，
This is one of those books that you don't realize you were reading too fast until it was over。。。 way better in the second half but overall fantastic。 This is one of those books that you don't realize you were reading too fast until it was over。。。 way better in the second half but overall fantastic。 。。。more
Mel
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Honestly the tag line “Riverdale but good” does a great disservice to this surreal， creepy YA novel。 More Twin Peaks and Pet Semetary than some poorly written teen TV show， I had a lot of fun with this one。 Some of the reveals in the final act were a bit hammy， but there were also some genuine surprises that caught me off guard。 Plus， The Dead and the Dark gets bonus points for actually incorporating supernatural elements， rather than some Scooby Doo reveals to explain the sinister happenings in Honestly the tag line “Riverdale but good” does a great disservice to this surreal， creepy YA novel。 More Twin Peaks and Pet Semetary than some poorly written teen TV show， I had a lot of fun with this one。 Some of the reveals in the final act were a bit hammy， but there were also some genuine surprises that caught me off guard。 Plus， The Dead and the Dark gets bonus points for actually incorporating supernatural elements， rather than some Scooby Doo reveals to explain the sinister happenings in a rational way。 。。。more
Anna
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4。5 and oh my goodness。 About 45 pages into this book I thought I had the mystery all figured out — until I didn't。 Part of the reason this book is so great is because it blends metaphorical with the metaphysical。 Without giving too much away， I really appreciated the lean into the almost gothic literature trope of evil manifesting not only from the supernatural， but from people's very real （and sometimes terrifyingly Dark。。。pun intended） emotions。 The plot twists and turns I truly didn't expect 4。5 and oh my goodness。 About 45 pages into this book I thought I had the mystery all figured out — until I didn't。 Part of the reason this book is so great is because it blends metaphorical with the metaphysical。 Without giving too much away， I really appreciated the lean into the almost gothic literature trope of evil manifesting not only from the supernatural， but from people's very real （and sometimes terrifyingly Dark。。。pun intended） emotions。 The plot twists and turns I truly didn't expect， and I loved many of the descriptions in this book that were as beautiful as they were chilling。 Our main characters' quest for truth and the ability to be their authentic selves is lovely， sweet， and a gentle reminder that love can triumph over all even when everything seems lost。 。。。more
Katie
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A slow burn romance that also happens to include some ghosts and murder。 It took a minute to get into it， the main characters are all sort of the worst in the beginning but they have good reason to be I guess。 Once Logan stops being as broody it’s much better and she turns out to be a really compelling and lovable character。 Logan and Ashley both go on a journey to find a killer in the small town they both reside in and along the way go on a journey to find themselves too。 It does a wonderful jo A slow burn romance that also happens to include some ghosts and murder。 It took a minute to get into it， the main characters are all sort of the worst in the beginning but they have good reason to be I guess。 Once Logan stops being as broody it’s much better and she turns out to be a really compelling and lovable character。 Logan and Ashley both go on a journey to find a killer in the small town they both reside in and along the way go on a journey to find themselves too。 It does a wonderful job of intertwining the trials and tribulations of being a gay teenager （and also maybe a suspected murderer） in a small town and a seedy supernatural underbelly。 Every time I thought I had it figured out there was a new twist to add a new layer of suspense and questions。 。。。more
Abby
，
"like riverdale but good" is the best possible way to describe this I love it "like riverdale but good" is the best possible way to describe this I love it 。。。more
Stateria
，
This is another book in my collection that I will be reading a second time。This story honestly blew my mind， the many dark twists and turns only increased my interest。 I love a good spooky story and this one is a keeper。 I must say that where the story was going caught me off guard multiple times， which does NOT happen very often。 Again like in my other reviews where I have said that usually it's hard for me to find a story that holds my attention。 This story held my attention right from the fir This is another book in my collection that I will be reading a second time。This story honestly blew my mind， the many dark twists and turns only increased my interest。 I love a good spooky story and this one is a keeper。 I must say that where the story was going caught me off guard multiple times， which does NOT happen very often。 Again like in my other reviews where I have said that usually it's hard for me to find a story that holds my attention。 This story held my attention right from the first page all the way to the last。 It had me wishing for more to be honest with you。 I think the biggest comment I have about the story however is that it's mostly focused around the 'story'。 （That's not necessarily a bad thing） It didn't really focus on the romance to much at all。This book is categorized as a romance， and it is。 However the book mostly revolves around the issue within the story（There is nothing wrong with that。 I love stories like this）。 And by that I mean it does leave you craving for more interactions between the two main characters and I can completely understand why。I wish that this story did in fact have more interactions between the main characters because at some point it left me scratching my head due to the fact that I honestly don't know where the romance came from。 There are some stories where the lovers fit like a glove， and then there are some stories where you are trying to fit a misshapen puzzle piece into a space where it doesn't belong。 So you shove it in there and force it to make it fit。 That pretty much sums up the romance for me。 It felt like one moment they didn't know each other and then the next they were love struck。 It just doesn't make any sense to me。 To me the romance felt forced。 I am sorry if that's an unpopular opinion but that is the ultimate reason it's only a 4 star for me。All in all however， it is a very good story。 。。。more
Elizabeth
，
3。5！ RTC
Katie Sendia
，
Amazing。 Haunting， well-written。
Karlea
，
This was a perfect YA Paranormal mystery。 I loved the storyline， and was so interested in both the Dead。。。and the Dark。 It had some twists and turns that I didn't see coming， and overall I was very satisfied with the ending。 It wasn't too scary， but did have a good amount of creepy sprinkled in throughout the book。 Overall I really enjoyed my reading experience。 This was a perfect YA Paranormal mystery。 I loved the storyline， and was so interested in both the Dead。。。and the Dark。 It had some twists and turns that I didn't see coming， and overall I was very satisfied with the ending。 It wasn't too scary， but did have a good amount of creepy sprinkled in throughout the book。 Overall I really enjoyed my reading experience。 。。。more
janel
，
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 This is a pretty standard book for me - nothing too outstanding but it kept my interest， flowed well， and delivered on everything it promised it would。 The fact that it's a debut gives me hopes that I'll like books from this author even more in the future。YA mysteries that don't center around high school students are surprisingly rare， and I appreciated that the POV characters in this are freshly graduated and on that precipice of going forward into "the real world" but halted by what's happenin This is a pretty standard book for me - nothing too outstanding but it kept my interest， flowed well， and delivered on everything it promised it would。 The fact that it's a debut gives me hopes that I'll like books from this author even more in the future。YA mysteries that don't center around high school students are surprisingly rare， and I appreciated that the POV characters in this are freshly graduated and on that precipice of going forward into "the real world" but halted by what's happening in Snakebite。 It adds to the tension for me， and if all the seriousness of the plot was interrupted by homecoming details I think it would have ruined the book for me。 I liked Logan a lot - she's blunt and a bit crass but she clearly cares about everyone around her and she has a reason for everything she says。 Ashley needed time to grow on me - the sympathy I felt for her initially was easily erased by her mindset when Logan's family comes to town and how complicit she was with her shitty friends being awful。 I tend to get just as angry at characters who excuse bigotry as I would for the bigots themselves， so I would have liked a bit more growth there， or a scene where she rises against it （other than the obvious scene we have towards the end）。The dads and their show didn't work for me， and I don't really know why。 It felt off the whole time， and I don't know if that's because of the intentional direction of the plot or because I just didn't buy the characterization of them， particularly Brandon。 I liked Garcia a lot， and I would have taken more time with her over the transcripts from the show。 Spoilers below。Onto the mystery。 I figured it out pretty early on， but that's not a demerit against the book - I do think the book tries to be leading with a pronoun usage when "the host" is mentioned， attempting to have the reader think of the likelihood of one outcome more than others， but it might have been more effective to avoid pronouns， since it just had me look for named characters other than the red herring character， and then it was obvious。 Credit should be given for how the mystery played out， though， especially for a debut。 The added aspects of Logan's past and the real reasons for leaving Snakebite were great additions and well thought out （even if they require further suspension of disbelief than I thought I needed for this book）。All in all， I don't know how memorable this book will be for me， but it was worth my time and I had no real complaints that aren't easily written off by knowing this is Gould's first book。 I'm looking forward to reading whatever she comes up with next。 。。。more
Kris
，
You say queer girls and ghosts， I say sold。 The Dead and The Dark gave me strong early seasons Supernatural vibes and I loved it。 Amazing YA debut novel by Courtney Gould & I can't wait for the rest！ You say queer girls and ghosts， I say sold。 The Dead and The Dark gave me strong early seasons Supernatural vibes and I loved it。 Amazing YA debut novel by Courtney Gould & I can't wait for the rest！ 。。。more
Jessica Woodbury
，
2。5 stars。 This was。。。 fine。 It just didn't deliver all that much of what I'm looking for in a good horror novel。 Wasn't scary， but also didn't really give me much by way of atmosphere。 There's not much happening plot-wise and I found the character beats pretty basic。 It was nice to have so many queer characters， but somehow this book is both about bigotry against queer people and yet never seems to really address it at all？ I was hoping the ending would elevate it but it neither explained thing 2。5 stars。 This was。。。 fine。 It just didn't deliver all that much of what I'm looking for in a good horror novel。 Wasn't scary， but also didn't really give me much by way of atmosphere。 There's not much happening plot-wise and I found the character beats pretty basic。 It was nice to have so many queer characters， but somehow this book is both about bigotry against queer people and yet never seems to really address it at all？ I was hoping the ending would elevate it but it neither explained things nor provided any closure。 ¯\_（ツ）_/¯There is a feeling that this is not quite a real reality， which I think is intentional， but a lot of the time I found it distracting。 The criminal justice system makes no sense。 The way the town works makes no sense。 And given that it's set in a specific state during a specific time， it must be an alternate reality for any of it to be true。 （In 2001 gay people couldn't get married or adopt children in Oregon， where it's set， and yet here they do both as if it's nbd？？？） I thought the initial setup of the TV ghost-hunter dads was great but they did so little with it， felt like a missed opportunity。 。。。more
Kristy
，
Really slow and at all spooky。 Disappointing。
muskan
，
tv adaptation when
Vignesh Kumar
，
WOW。 WOW。 WOW。 I seriously can't believe this is the debut novel from Courtney Gould。 It's really really good。 A mix of both horror and fantasy perfectly combined together to form this book。It's about the loneliness， the stigmatism， the discrimination， and how it affects all。 I had to look behind my back most of the time when I read this book because I felt someone watching me which quite enhanced reading this book to an intense level of creepiness。 HA HA。 And I really loved the budding relation WOW。 WOW。 WOW。 I seriously can't believe this is the debut novel from Courtney Gould。 It's really really good。 A mix of both horror and fantasy perfectly combined together to form this book。It's about the loneliness， the stigmatism， the discrimination， and how it affects all。 I had to look behind my back most of the time when I read this book because I felt someone watching me which quite enhanced reading this book to an intense level of creepiness。 HA HA。 And I really loved the budding relationship between Logan and Ashley。 This is soo good！ 。。。more
Janine Padro
，
Absolutely enthrallingly amazingly terrific book。 Dark， filled with horror and dark fantasy， great representation， and all the more。 Solid characters and an inviting plot that keeps you guessing， perfect for me！
Valerie Lawson
，
Perfectly dark and spooky with just the right amount of attitude。
Elizabeth
，
This was incredible。 There is something similar to Erica Waters's books， the tone， atmosphere or something like that。 I was obsessed， and read this all in one sitting。 This was incredible。 There is something similar to Erica Waters's books， the tone， atmosphere or something like that。 I was obsessed， and read this all in one sitting。 。。。more
maddie
，
4。5 stars rounded up！What an incredible debut！！ I loved this book so much and finished it within 24 hours， sitting and soaking up the last of the summer sun。 I loved Ashley and Logan's relationship， the slow build-up to the story's main twist， and the depth given to both Alejo and Brandon。 While I personally would have liked to have seen more scenes about the main trio's life on the road and of what life was like before the Dark was released， I'm satisfied with how the story went。 Definitely a b 4。5 stars rounded up！What an incredible debut！！ I loved this book so much and finished it within 24 hours， sitting and soaking up the last of the summer sun。 I loved Ashley and Logan's relationship， the slow build-up to the story's main twist， and the depth given to both Alejo and Brandon。 While I personally would have liked to have seen more scenes about the main trio's life on the road and of what life was like before the Dark was released， I'm satisfied with how the story went。 Definitely a book that I'm going to purchase when I can， and I cannot wait to see where Courtney Gould goes next！ 。。。more
Amanda Shepard （Between-the-Shelves）
，
4。5 starsThis is a slow-burn， creepy story that was different than I was expecting， but I still enjoyed it！ If you like paranormal ghost hunting shows， you'll definitely enjoy this。 The relationships are believable， and Gould captures the feel of small town America spectacularly。 I think the feel of this book is the best aspect of it， and it will definitely be perfect for spooky season！ 4。5 starsThis is a slow-burn， creepy story that was different than I was expecting， but I still enjoyed it！ If you like paranormal ghost hunting shows， you'll definitely enjoy this。 The relationships are believable， and Gould captures the feel of small town America spectacularly。 I think the feel of this book is the best aspect of it， and it will definitely be perfect for spooky season！ 。。。more
Karina （shedreamsinwords）
，
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 3。5⭐️I really enjoyed this YA thriller following Logan， the daughter of actual tv Ghost Hunters， as they return to their hometown of Snakebite， Oregon， to uncover the mystery of local teens going missing。 The atmosphere was definitely eerie and the perfect setting during spooky season。 This was also much darker than I was anticipating， so that was a pleasant surprise being that this book is meant for a young adult audience。 I hate to say that wasn’t a fan of the sapphic romance， in the sense tha 3。5⭐️I really enjoyed this YA thriller following Logan， the daughter of actual tv Ghost Hunters， as they return to their hometown of Snakebite， Oregon， to uncover the mystery of local teens going missing。 The atmosphere was definitely eerie and the perfect setting during spooky season。 This was also much darker than I was anticipating， so that was a pleasant surprise being that this book is meant for a young adult audience。 I hate to say that wasn’t a fan of the sapphic romance， in the sense that there was no build up or chemistry in my opinion。 The one thing that annoyed me was the plot point of lack of communication between characters， mainly between Logan and her fathers。 I found Alejo repeatedly express to Logan that she could ask them （her fathers） anything， and they will tell her the truth in turn。 Yet when Logan would ask him flat out， his reply would be along the lines of， “yeah sorry I can’t tell you about it right now。” All that being said， this debut is definitely one to check out！ I look forward to picking up Gould’s future releases。 。。。more
Rafaela Arnold
，
firstly， this cover is GORGEOUS。 never judge a book by its cover unless the cover is cute。 now more to the point of a review。 queer haunted mystery small town are the key words of my dreams and i was beyond happy to see a book that encompassed all of them。 props to the author for writing a real page turner。 i couldn’t get enough， i just had to now wtf was going on。 i loved logan， was neutral towards ashley。 their relationship went from 0 to 100 real quick but i’m not gonna judge because i know t firstly， this cover is GORGEOUS。 never judge a book by its cover unless the cover is cute。 now more to the point of a review。 queer haunted mystery small town are the key words of my dreams and i was beyond happy to see a book that encompassed all of them。 props to the author for writing a real page turner。 i couldn’t get enough， i just had to now wtf was going on。 i loved logan， was neutral towards ashley。 their relationship went from 0 to 100 real quick but i’m not gonna judge because i know that’s just how lesbians are sometimes you know？ i was a little put off by the ghost hunting gear， especially the scripto8G （ghosts can text？ what？） It felt a little silly， but it didn’t ruin the overall enjoyment。 while this book does deal with murder and mystery I didn’t think it was ultra dark， but maybe that’s only my impression because it was so fast paced。 the descriptions in ashley’s chapters of her seeing ghosts were positively creepy。 to finish this off， just want to mention i love the underlying metaphor through it all。 yay to social criticism through ghost allegory！！！！ yay to ghostbusters gay dads！！！！ yay to nomad lesbians！！！！ 。。。more
Ellis Padilla
，
I loved the thrill of knowing about the history of the town & the people in it。 The suspense of not knowing who was doing it。 I like how the author depicted every situation with a lot of details。 I was immersed in the story。 Because of work， I couldn't read it faster。 The end didn't disappoint but I wanted more。 I loved the thrill of knowing about the history of the town & the people in it。 The suspense of not knowing who was doing it。 I like how the author depicted every situation with a lot of details。 I was immersed in the story。 Because of work， I couldn't read it faster。 The end didn't disappoint but I wanted more。 。。。more
Anna
，
I。 LOVED。 THIS。 BOOK。 （But let’s rewind for a second）I heard about this book on Twitter a few months before release and the concept really stayed in the back of my brain。 Normally I don’t read much YA， but this book kept nagging at me so I pre-ordered from an independent bookstore to get a signed copy。 I was initially really worried I might not like it， but holy crap DID IT DELIVER。The literal underlying darkness in this book was amazing。 The characterization was phenomenal and just the writing I。 LOVED。 THIS。 BOOK。 （But let’s rewind for a second）I heard about this book on Twitter a few months before release and the concept really stayed in the back of my brain。 Normally I don’t read much YA， but this book kept nagging at me so I pre-ordered from an independent bookstore to get a signed copy。 I was initially really worried I might not like it， but holy crap DID IT DELIVER。The literal underlying darkness in this book was amazing。 The characterization was phenomenal and just the writing itself—oh my GOD。 I can’t even review this book coherently because it was that good。 One thing that really stood out to me was that Logan had gay parents， which is something you don’t see much in the genre （or at least I haven’t）。 And the plot between Logan and Ashley was an amazing slow build that I really enjoyed。 All of it was wrapped up in this dark， creepy package and， man， I freaking fell in love！！It’s safe to say that I’m pre-ordering all of Gould’s future work from now until the end of time。 TDAD has a special spot on my bookshelf now next to all my other creepy sapphic favorites！ 。。。more
That Nerdy Witch
，
3。5 stars
Em（ily） Ann ♡︎♡︎♡︎ - theglitterybookworm_
，
some wild shit that i guessed， and some wild shit that i didn’t guess。 maybe i need to read more paranormal thrillers since that’s the stuff that always throws me off guard。
Jessica
，
“I am the dark created from everything。 I am the memories of this place come to life - anger， grief， hate。 You know these feelings well。 You have felt me here your whole life。 In a sense， I am Snakebite。 When the Dark stopped speaking， the world was quiet。 But I want to be more than a shadow。 I want to help you。 Will you let me？”I loved this surprisingly poignant， emotional， scary story。 I knew it had everything I loved in it going in， but it hit me in unexpected ways as I blasted through。When L “I am the dark created from everything。 I am the memories of this place come to life - anger， grief， hate。 You know these feelings well。 You have felt me here your whole life。 In a sense， I am Snakebite。 When the Dark stopped speaking， the world was quiet。 But I want to be more than a shadow。 I want to help you。 Will you let me？”I loved this surprisingly poignant， emotional， scary story。 I knew it had everything I loved in it going in， but it hit me in unexpected ways as I blasted through。When Logan Ortiz-Woodley follows her ghost hunter dads to Snakebite， Oregon， their hometown， she expects a boring summer full of location scouting for them， and time in her boring motel room for her。 However， something is up in Snakebite; teenagers are going missing， including Ashley Barton's boyfriend， Tristan。 Ashley grew up in the small town - it's the one home she's ever known， whereas Logan has never felt she had one。 The pair of them will turn into reluctant partners in the investigation into the disappearances， but whatever is hiding beneath the surface of Snakebite is more cunning and cruel than they know， and will not give up on its goals easily。I feel like Courtney Gould reached into my head and pulled out so many of the things that make my favourite books and smashed them all together with this book。 There are spooky vibes galore with this small town and its secrets; there's excellent representation; there are layers to the mystery and the characters that are so wonderfully detailed and complex; there's one of the most authentic relationships I've read in a book in a long time， and on top of it， it's sapphic。 I was living as I read this book， and I'm honestly sad it's over。The plot here is so strong for a debut novel。 I didn't see things coming until I was meant to， and the reveal was satisfying and emotional。 I never had that feeling of "really？ That's it？" that I sometimes get with YA horror/mystery， and I was so pleased with that。But the characters are where this book truly shines the most for me。 Everyone was so real-feeling。 Everyone had specific motivations and histories and complexities that made them leap off the page。 From Logan and Ashley to the main group of adults to Ashley's group of friends to Logan's family at the motel， everyone was so well-written， I wanted to yell。And again， the ✨vibes✨ need to be mentioned。 A tiny town in the remote Oregon wilderness where strange things are happening。 Wild weather events and a pervading intensity to the environment that gives everything that happens an edge that it wouldn't have otherwise。 A creepy cabin on the edge of town。 Mysterious footsteps on the roof that stop。。。just。。。before。。。the open window。 There was a scene later in the book that just got me so hard。 I expected to like Logan more as a character， but Ashley was the one who I ended up relating to more， who tugged at my heartstrings and made me want to give her a hug。 Though of course the relationship is important， the two girls' journeys outside of that and how beautifully they move through their different griefs and traumas are just heart-wrenching and， again: so well-written。Seriously。 All of it was so well-executed， I just can't。 I'm broken。 I want to yell about this book to everyone because I love it so much。 Perfect for this budding autumn season， and anytime， really。 。。。more
margaret :）
，
spooky sapphics！！！！sosososo good！！read this rn！
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=The Dead and the Dark
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=The Dead and the Dark&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,The Dead and the Dark&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0