Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of <i>The Dark Beneath the Ice</i> in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

<h4 style="margin-top: 84px;">The Gist</h4>

<i>The Dark Beneath the Ice</i> is a gripping and atmospheric journey into the unknown, skillfully blending elements of the supernatural with the challenges of adolescence. Amelinda Bérubé weaves a narrative that keeps readers on the edge of their seats, balancing the eerie with the emotional intricacies of the protagonist's journey.

<h4>The Details</h4>

Bérubé's writing is atmospheric and evocative, immersing readers in the chilling world that the protagonist inhabits. The exploration of mental health themes is woven seamlessly into the supernatural plot, adding depth to the narrative. The protagonist’s struggles are relatable, making her a compelling and sympathetic character.

The pacing is well-crafted, with a gradual build-up of tension that crescendos to a satisfying climax. The author skillfully creates an unsettling atmosphere, playing on the fears and uncertainties of both the characters and the readers. The supernatural elements are intriguing, and the author successfully keeps a level of ambiguity that adds to the overall suspense.

However, the resolution can be somewhat predictable, and the blending of mental health and supernatural themes could be challenging for those seeking a more straightforward narrative.

<h4>The Verdict</h4>

Overall, <i>The Dark Beneath the Ice</i> is a haunting and well-executed supernatural thriller that successfully combines the paranormal with the emotional complexities of adolescence. Bérubé's storytelling prowess makes this a compelling read for those who enjoy atmospheric and psychologically layered young adult fiction.

It's been a few years since I read this. I remember enjoying it but I honestly couldn't say what it was entirely about. My goodreads says 4 stars so that's what I'm going with. Thought I already reviewed this back then so I was shocked to see if on my needed feedback list

I was instantly drawn by the comps – Black Swan meets Paranormal Activity and immediately wanted to read the book. I wanted to get the same type of psychological horror we see happen to Natalie Portman’s character in Black Swan – that type of dreading we get from having to see the character slowly going down this path where they’re not sure what’s happening to them. With Paranormal Activity¸ I’m a fan of seeing creepy and disturbing things happening to the characters and sometimes those around them who don’t believe them (about the paranormal happenings) at first.

I like Marianne – her personality and her narration. We see enough from her point of view that we root for her from the beginning and like her early on enough. Which is a good thing because I really don’t like reading books where I don’t like the narrator. She’s also an unreliable narrator – though that’s more because she’s experiencing the strange circumstances happening around her rather than her being unreliable due to her personality.

I liked Ron and her relationship with Marianne. She believed Marianne from the beginning and helped her as much as she could. Their friendship easily melded into a sweet relationship and I really enjoyed that transition.


The first half of the book starts creating the atmosphere and showing the reader odd things that are occur around Marianne. Then it starts to escalate and the action happens more – which is exactly what I like in this genre.

Memory plays a big role in the story and Marianne’s understanding of herself and what’s happening. I always enjoy reading books where memory loss occurs. And by enjoy, I mean I like to angst over the memory loss, the character having the memory loss and now having to deal with that. And the book adds the paranormal genre and the love for this book grows.

Most of my experience with the paranormal genre comes from movies, so I did compare the storyline and the timeline of this book to paranormal movies. It worked out well and I’m impressed by how well Bérubé channeled the feeling of a horror movie into a book format. I could easily see this as a movie and I think that’s a big reason why I liked reading this so much – the easily readability of The Dark Beneath the Ice. Everything flowed well together and although it did sometimes feel like it dragged in places, the pace picked up nicely the next chapter.

Read this if you want something for Spooky month. Or if you’re looking for a sweet relationship. Maybe you’re looking for a book that reads like a movie. You’ve got that all here.

I liked the paranormal aspects and the mental health topics but unfortunately the story really never felt atmospheric, dark or scary and fell flat and anticlimactic for me.

I deeply apologize for the very late review....

I did enjoy the story and the characters were interesting. I thought I would be able to give a review at the time but something must have come up as it was years ago. I apologize again.

I am still super interested in this book. Will definately try to actually read it at some point, hopefully sometime soon. Will be putting it on my TBR in the future.

I couldn’t get into this book. I tried multiple times and it just didn’t grab my attention. I skimmed through hoping something would grab me but nothing ever did.

Marianne’s life is falling apart.
Ever since she quit dance, her best friend has moved away to San Francisco, her parents have split up, and her mom has checked herself into the hospital. And that isn’t the worst part… Marianne is beginning to lose track of time and a strange presence waits for her in the dark.
Even though I am Canadian, I don’t tend to read many books by Canadian authors. After reading The Dark Beneath the Ice, a young adult novel written by a Canadian author that takes place in Canada (Ottawa to be exact), this book was a breath of fresh air I didn’t know I needed. It’s sort of an inexplicable feeling to read a book by an author from your own country.
Usually, I don’t tend to read too many young adult horror or thriller novels. They’re mostly predictable and the romance overshadows the entire premise. The Dark Beneath the Ice blew me away by how original the story was. I couldn’t read fast enough. My eyes were darting across the page and I wanted so desperately to know what was going on with Marianne! Even until the last twenty pages, I still hadn’t predicted the ending.
In spite of The Dark Beneath the Ice being a horror story, the way the author wrote about the separation between Marianne’s parents really hit home with me. Most novels tend to gloss over divorce and separation and its effects on the child. Usually, divorce and separation is used as a plot device and is not the main focus, but in this novel, I could see myself in Marianne’s experience.
I would recommend The Dark Beneath the Ice to those who are looking for a young adult horror novel that is super unique and will keep you guessing until the very end.

There were some really cool aspects to the story, and all the intense scary moments were perfect and kept me on the edge of my seat waiting to see what would happen next. Unfortunately, the ending was a big let down that didn't even really make sense and kind of caused me to disconnect from the story. I am sure that others will like the direction the book took and I recommend this for anyone who likes horror stories with lots of emotional twists.

The Dark Beneath the Ice reminded me of the Upside Down in Stranger Things meets Black Swan meets Paranormal Activity. It was dark, creepy, and kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time!

3 stars

I so love an unreliable narrator and this book pulled it off well. The blurb said paranormal activity meets black swan and I can see why but to claim that the book needed to be much stronger. It wasn’t very scary to me. The ending felt rushed as well.

(Sorry for the late review I’m finally getting through my backlog of books I’ve read)

"It's not just that her parents have split up, or that life hasn't been the same since she quit dancing. Or even that her mother has checked herself into the hospital."

I'm a GINORMOUS fan of horror, ghost stories, and spooky stuff. So I was very excited to pick up this book, and overall, it was a awesome read! I really enjoyed the book, it was well written and a great read!

Marianne has had a normal life for the most part. Until her parents split up things were great. Now weird things seem to be happening to her. Even when she's forced to stay with her aunt while her mother tries to heal from the split, the weird events follow her and only get worse as time goes on.

When someone offers to help try and get rid of the madness, Marianne jumps at the chance. She will give anything to feel normal again. Things don't go as planned though and Marianne ends up in a race to save her life.

A spooky and thrilling story.

THE DARK BENEATH THE ICE is a stunningly written YA horror that follows Marianne as she starts losing time, sees objects literally break around her, and more. This story asks questions like: what does it mean to be possessed, how much can you trust yourself, and what really is fear? What I most appreciate about THE DARK BENEATH THE ICE is how it handles mental health concerns. Too often, the 'losing my mind' trope veers into harmful ableist territory, but I felt Marianne's journey is a respectful balance of real world concerns and supernatural force.

I also love the slow burn f/f romance. Going in, I didn't know there would be any romance at all, and I was so pleased at how Marianne and Rhiannon develop organically and sweetly.

While I wouldn't have minded a few more scares, my favorite aspect of THE DARK BENEATH THE ICE is the lyrical writing. Bérubé has a way of drawing you in with a lovely flow to the sentences that still manage a sharp edge.

Overall, YA horror readers will love THE DARK BENEATH THE ICE for the twisted premise, side of romance, and solid opportunity for chills down the spine.

This book was not what I was expecting, I must not have thoroughly read the description. I have chosen not to read it.

I wanted to LOVE this book.. Black Swan meets Paranormal activity had me sold. But it missed the mark for me. I wanted so much more out of this story or maybe I just wanted things to slow down and provide more detail or more time for me to experience what Marianne was going through.

Unfortunately this book didn’t appeal to me after I picked it up. I’m sure it will be well loved by others, however.

I started this book and I wasn't able to finish. Honestly I got lost after a couple chapters. The characters did not captivate me at all.

was a gripping thriller that took you to every aspect of trying to figure out what was really going on and what was going to happen next! This was such an amazing book and I can’t wait to see what else is released from this author!

The Dark Beneath the Ice by Amelinda Bérubé The Dark Beneath the Ice is blurbed as Black Swan meets Paranormal Activity, and honestly, I think that’s about accurate. I have to do a full disclaimer I do not often read young adult books and found that the cover really caught my attention that I had to give it a chance, I found the writing style rather poetic and it made it easy to follow. This is one of those spooky stories you should pick up on Halloween. While the blurb is correct in the two-movie comparison it is on a much tamer scale then I expected. Like I stayed in the beginning this was just not my cup of tea. I have recommended it to a few people that have found it enjoyable. Not bad for my first read by this author may continue with her work in the future.