**** Thank you to Sourcebooks Fire for providing me with a copy via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review ****

Trigger Warning: Involuntary Outing of a LGTBQ+ Character

1.5 Stars

I am very disappointed that I have to rate this so low, I was really looking forward to adding another YA Horror to my recommendations lists but unfortunately that won’t be the case. This was just….bad. Usually I can find a few redeeming qualities but this was a tough one, nothing really stuck out to me and overall I was extremely bored with it.

Plot

First of all I felt there wasn’t much of a plot going on, the main character starts seeing and hearing things and believes she is possessed. And thaaaat’s pretty much it. Her parents are separating and she’s dealing with that along with maybe being possessed, there wasn’t a whole hell of a lot left happening and thus lead to my extreme boredom while reading. There’s almost no action, creepiness, or plot twists it just felt like reading a book about nothing. I had zero interest in this book by the end and skimmed the last little bit because I just wanted it to be over. Nothing even remotely related to the original synopsis (i.e. the haunting/possession) happened until 30%! Come on! However, I gave this 1.5 stars because it did deserve that extra half just for me finishing it and not DNFing.

This had so much potential to be a creepy YA horror, it’s about an unknown entity haunting a girl. How do you make this boring and un-creepy? One of the biggest reasons I get scared in movies/books is when creepy things happen and it’s “unknown”! However, I feel the author really dropped the ball here as I found it to be very un-horror like. Sure things would move or make noise but it never felt urgent or scary. This ended up feeling more like a psychological thriller than a horror, which was even more disappointing, especially since I found it to be predictable on top of that.

It also just felt like the story didn’t make much sense and I felt myself asking “why?” a lot. Things would happen but, why? Nothing made sense and not in a “this is a ghost story” kind of way. Fortunately the pacing was relatively fast otherwise I definitely would have ended up DNFing this one.

There was also a ton of extra stuff being mentioned such as Marianne’s past with her parents and dance classes. I do get why this ended up being sort of important but at the same time it felt like too much unnecessary information. I would quite literally dread the moments in the story that would go on, and on, and on, and on about her past because they were just way too long and tedious.

And that ending. The ending was the most disappointing part of this book because it was predictable, not creepy in the least bit, and overall just felt really unsatisfying.

Characters

Marianne, the MC, was just sort of okay, I didn’t love her and I didn’t hate her. She was just there. I felt that Marianne was pretty judgemental of others though, she wasn’t always the nicest person. However, I did really like Ron (Rhiannon) though she was a great character with a devil may care attitude and (in my opinion) great fashion sense. Ron was just a good person too, she was misunderstood and judged for her appearance but really has a heart of gold. However, I felt that everyone could have used a lot more development.

It’s also revealed that both Marianne and Ron are lesbians so there is some LGTBQ+ rep, but I can’t personally speak for how well it is represented. However, there is a brief scene where the MC is outed against their will by the “entity”. Of course the MC is very distressed by this especially since this was to a character she had a crush on. I didn’t really care for that scene since it’s pretty insensitive and I don’t understand why it needed to be included. If you want to introduce your character as being gay then do it, don’t do it by outing them in such a distressing manner.

As for any other characters there were a few shown but honestly felt so one dimensional that they aren’t even worth mentioning.

Romance

There is a bit of romance between Marianne and Ron, thus the F/F romance I mentioned earlier. I liked the pairing but as I said I can’t really speak for the rep.

In Conclusion

What I Loved:

Ron’s character
LGTBQ+ presence

What I Didn’t Love:

Un-horror like atmosphere and events (felt more like a psychological thriller)
Boring plot
No action, no twists
Lots of focus on past experiences that felt long, tedious, and at times unnecessary
The ending was unsatisfying and predictable
Underdeveloped characters
Outing of the MC in a distressing manner

Recommend?

Overall I really didn’t enjoy my time reading this book, there’s nothing I dislike more than going into a YA horror book and walking away with something that feel flat on all fronts especially the spook factor! I cannot say I recommend this one, in fact I recommend not wasting your time and passing on it.
2 likes

This book is definitely a HORROR one!

At first, I thought this was going to be a contemporary novel with the YA struggles of the teenaged life, but then about 1/3 of the way through, you could tell the paranormal elements were seeping through. But this story had me freaked out with a hint of spine-tingling moments.

First, there is mystery with the main character's mother who is struggling with a 'mental' problem, and then you have the main character who is slowly showing similar signs. It made you wonder what was real and what was all in their head. But as she thinks she's going crazy, she meets the unlikely friend who may be making the situation worse. The character development drives the horror effect into the tipping point between insanity and possession.

I will say that this YA book is higher on the scary scale than most 'horror' novels. There were moments when you could feel the icy, cold moments along with the characters. The writing is just the right amount of spooky while also bringing in mental health elements and a unique, friendship twist.

I don't want to spoil anything, but there is a diverse relationship that was semi-hinted throughout the book. But, you'll have to read the book for more information..

I gave this book 4 out of 5 stars. I highly recommend this read during the fall/Halloween season as this is perfect to read with a cup of warm, pumpkin spiced hot chocolate and a warm blanket (cause this story is a cold one).

Marianne 's life is falling apart. Her parents are getting divorce and her mother checked herself in a hospital. Her bestfriend Ingrid's family moved to different town. And then there's this someone trying to drown her beneath the icy river that all started in her dreams nightmares but then things begun breaking around her and unusual things started happening that she can't even remember a thing about. But then, life had always been different ever since she quit dancing.

The story opens with Marianne's mother taking her to her Aunt Jen's to stay for a while and right then I'm intrigued. I thought the writing is a little poetic and really mysterious. Though the opening scene is a little cliche, a car ride with our main protagonist obviously having a hard time and reminiscing a once perfect joyous times with her family. It was really eerie specially with Marianne talking about something that happened the night before. I was intrigued and thought this is exactly what I was expecting when I saw that beautiful, spooky cover on Netgalley. In short, the book started really well and very promising.

But as I read through, everything changes. Or at least how I see the story is not as eerie as it was at the beginning. I found myself just reading not really hundred percent interested on what's happening rather just reading to know the ending. It's not really uninteresting, it was just slightly mediocre. Everything was mediocre. The writing became less poetic and mysterious. The plot became a little obvious. The drowning-and-dark thing she experiences became less interesting.

This one is advertised as Black Swan meets Paranormal. BUT Black Swan and Paranormal are such incredible movies, they're too hard to equal. I mean Black Swan is phenomenal and Paranormal is really spooky. If you're going to read this book thinking you'll get the same experience when you watched those movies, ahm, you'll be disappointed. Sure the vibe is there. The reason why I even said the plot became a little obvious is because of Black Swan. But the entire experience is really different. Sorry.

I love how unreliable as a narrator Marianne is. I love unreliable narrators in general. They make suspense and mystery more suspenseful and mysterious. hehe. But overall, as a character, she's a little weak.(Okay, she has to be vulnerable because of the plot but till the end she's very needy) I actually like Rhiannon more. Her character is more defined and thankfully she's a big part of the story.

The ending is okay, I guess. But it's not as grand as I wanted it to be. I guess I wanted it to be more than it was. Though I really like what the author wanted to show. It was an amazing concept and really interesting. And because of that, I look forward to this author's works. This is her debut novel, btw.

Wow, what a great psychological horror novel! Reading a blurb stating "Black Swan meets Paranormal Activity" how can you not be immediately intrigued? And being a huge fan of horror and anything that has the power to evoke the feeling of uneasiness I couldn't resist wanting to dive into this title! Bérubé's writing style kept me reading, and she definitely knows how to write creepy!

Though I enjoyed <i>The Darkness Beneath the Ice</i> quite a bit, it was a slow burn for me; but once things started intensifying I couldn't put it down - this happened maybe at/around the 2/3 mark. Bérubé introduced a LGBTQ aspect that I found to be a nice addition. However, there was a lack of satisfaction when I realized I read the last page. The ending wasn't "bad," it just wasn't what I hoped for. All-in-all, this was a great summer read, and I would read more from Bérubé!

Was a good read but not my usual cup of tea, confusing in parts, good storyline. Would like more of a wrap up for the family at the end. Spooky and gripping though kept me till the end. Well Written

I received a free e-copy of The Dark Beneath The Ice by Amelinda Berube from NetGalley for my honest review.

This is an good creepy book. A spirit is haunting Marianne. Her Aunt doesn't believe her and her only friend is on the opposite side of the continent. She has no one to talk to or get help from. Marianne tries to pretend that nothing is wrong, but the more she denies the ghost, the angrier the ghost gets. Marianne needs to figure out a way to save herself but before she can, she has to believe that she's worth saving.

This story will keep you up reading through the night but have you so spooked that you find yourself reading under the covers. The story is written so vividly that you feel like you, yourself are falling through the ice.

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book.

2.5 Stars.


This was pitched as “dark swan meets paranormal activity”, and that was correct. I was in the mood for something creepy and fast paced, but hate to admit this one let me down.

The writing style was a little choppy for me, and abrupt. I would find myself asking, “wait, what?” and had to reread a page or two to figure out how we got from point A to point B. Very fast paced, and didn’t slow down much at all, but I couldn’t get into the writing style. It was a struggle for me to get through.

As for the main character, Marianne, I couldn’t stand her. I couldn’t make a connection to any of the characters to be honest. Marianne annoyed me the most. She is very needy, and cares too much about what everybody else thinks.

I am not sure I will be reading anything else from this author, but this is just my opinion. I hope that others do enjoy this book.

I must admit, the YA genre isn’t usually my first choice when i’m browsing for a book to read but i’m not sure why! This book has proved yet again that you don’t necessarily have to be a ‘young adult’ to enjoy the YA genre!

The main character Marianne starts off having a tough time of it to say the least. Her parents are in the process of getting divorced, her mothers had a nervous breakdown, her best friend has moved away and she is dealing with the normal teenage emotions of feeling like she doesn’t fit in. This, however, is not the worst of her problems.

Strange things happen around Marianne and she becomes convinced she is possessed by a ghost. Determined to try and take control of the situation she attempts to communicate with the ghost which needless to say, does not go according to plan.

I wasn’t entirely sure where this book was going at one point. This isn’t necessarily a criticism, in fact, in this instance it was actually a positive because as a reader I felt compelled to read to the end to find out what was actually going on.

I liked how the author wrote about the relationship between Marianne and her mother. The breakdown of her parents relationship has clearly affected Marianne but she’s trying desperately to hold it together for the sake of her mother who is also not coping.

My only real criticism of this book is that for me personally I felt the plot could have been slowed down slightly to leave the reader with the element of guess work and surprise. Having said that though, I did really enjoy this book and I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it to anyone who likes their books with a supernatural theme.

I was definitely in the wrong demographic to read this book.. I think it would be a great YA horror/suspense selection but for me it just lasted too long and I skimmed over a lot of the dramatic scenes where Marianne fights with her demon.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read and review.

Advanced copy received for review purposes.

The Dark Beneath the Ice is a deeply moving, often terrifying journey. Our narrator, Marianne, finds herself in shambles as her parents divorce...and what emerges through her is dark and alien. She see herself slipping beneath the ice, sliding into the darkness, only to snap back to reality and discover she has acted bizarrely, destructively without her own awareness. I will warn readers- as the novel develops, Marianne's visions become legitimately scary and not for the faint of heart.

This novel brought back a lot of memories for me. For several awful years as a teen I had debilitating dissociative episodes. I have never read anything so similar to my own teen experience. Marianne's feelings- her shame, her fear, her anger, her love- echo mine 25 years ago. Even the steps her parents and doctors take, the language they use, is spot-on. I'll be honest, I wept numerous times reading this novel.

I am so thankful to Amelinda Berube for writing this extraordinary novel. It has helped me exorcise my own old, lonely emotions. But more importantly, it will give teens experiencing something very painful some hope that someone out there understands them, and knows that they are wonderful.

“Black Swan meets Paranormal Activity in this compelling ghost story about a former dancer whose grip on reality slips when she begins to think a dark entity is stalking her”

So this was…interesting.

Marianne’s life has never been more out of control. With her parents announcing their divorce despite seeming to be so in love, her mother’s recent hospitalization, and the drama surrounding Marianne’s decision to quit dance; it feels like Marianne is drowning. As she is sent to live with her aunt, strange things begin to happen in Marianne’s quiet world. Losing time, objects being moved without her moving them, strange knocking and banging on the walls, and the never-ending feeling of being watched. After a loss of time happens in one of Marianne’s classes, she attempts to reach out to the goth girl named Ron in hopes that her psychic mother may help her. But when communicating with whatever haunts Marianne only strengthens it, everyone close to Marianne is in danger. Something is coming for Marianne, and its angry at her for being shoved down and drowned. But in the end, Marianne may be the one being dragged beneath the ice.
Intriguing concept and idea, but a bit of a miss for me.

Don’t get me wrong, there were definitely some positives! The story started out great in regards to the writing style. It was so descriptive and beautiful, I felt as if I was reading a more relaxed form of poetry. The writing feels like a well-choreographed dance, and I found myself having to read between the lines to figure out what these characters were hiding. It was constructed well, had an even tone throughout, and was a very quick and easy read. The theme that the author kept with through this story (as you can tell from the title) is a theme of being drowned or shoved down beneath ice. Marianne uses her memories of the river near her aunt’s house as a meditative tool when she begins to feel overwhelmed or scared. She pictures the calming feeling of her being submerged in the water, and the silence and security that comes with hiding under the surface. The water is her safe place, and the ice on top of the water becomes her shield against anything negative. This theme is carried throughout the entire book, but becomes less of a symbolism and more of a….sigh…it honestly just becomes ridiculous.

As I started this read, I was really into it and devouring the words in order to find out WHAT exactly was going on. Is this a ghost story, is it a story of delusions and misconceptions, or is it a fantastical read about demons?! Halfway through the story I had decided that this was a ghost haunting/exorcism story that was about to be twisted and wild, and it was proving to be just that. Marianne would wake up at the piano in her aunt’s house banging on the keys in the middle of the night, or she would find herself up in front of her class at school being scolded by her teacher but having no recollection of what had happened. Things got worse after Ron, the goth/emo girl from school, tries to give Marianne a tame version of an exorcism. But even after enlisting the help of Ron’s mother, the physic, things turn dangerous. Knives floating in the air and being aimed at herself, bruises on her body, and a distinct pulling feeling that tries to drag her into the river and drown her.

However, how this turns out just DOES NOT ADD UP.

*Watch out, there’s a puddle of SPOILERS down there*

Nearing the end of this story I had a thought that MAYBE this was all just a symbolism for Marianne figuratively drowning herself in her hardships and woes and BLAH BLAH BLAH. MAYBE there isn’t actually a ghost or anything haunting her, MAYBE it’s just her.

Well, guess what?

It was literally both of those things.

It was her own “shadow self” trying to drown her because Marianne had pushed her “shadow self” beneath the figurative surface, and the “shadow self” wanted out because the “shadow self” was actually the original Marianne, and the Marianne that is now Marianne isn’t actually the original Marianne. The “shadow self” is actually the first Marianne, but in the end they are actually both Marianne.

Makes total sense right?

-__-

Apart from that complete mess, the character of Marianne that the reader follows during this read proves to be another negative in my eyes. Marianne is, simply put, annoying as all hell. She felt a bit dull, emotionally confusing, and extremely desperate and needy in a way that made me scrunch my face up in a “WTF” sort of way. She has this fabricated idea of friendships in her head that I just didn’t follow. She was so worried about looking needy all the time, but it just made her look doubly needy and a little stalkerish. She just wasn’t my cup of tea. Ron on the other hand, was a more agreeable character for me. This could be because of my tendency to favor the weird gothy kids though. But Ron proves to be a strong character, she is willful and a “take no s**t” kind of gal, and I love her for it.

Also as a heads up, there is a bit of LGBT moments that happen in this story. They are very tame and mild, so if this is your thing or isn't, just a warning in advance.

All in all, that ending really ruined the story for me. It started out promising, I loved the writing style, but the main character and the conclusion just didn’t hit the mark for me. I appreciate where the author was trying to take this story, but I don’t think she was able to take this book to the place it needed to go. The ending just didn’t feel completely thought through, and the delivery was a bit lacking. Of course, this is just my own opinion, and not all readers share my thoughts. If you think this might be a story that interests you, then I would love to hear your thoughts on it.

What I liked:

I love the paranormal, so this book called to me, I really enjoyed watching Marianne and trying to figure out what was happening to her. It was a mysterious and at times, downright scary, but in the end it was a little disappointing.

I liked that there was an lgbt aspect to the book, however low-key it was. This story had a very small cast of characters but they ranged from likeable, to something close to awful. I really liked meeting her friend Rhiannon and her mother. On the other hand, I hated Marianne’s father.

What I disliked:

The ending of this book was disappointing for me. I wanted more of an “Wow” ending, especially after all of the spooky stuff that happened during the book. The book was a touch confusing at times, being from Marianne’s perspective and dealing with the missing times, the nightmares, the visions… It was a little messy, however well written.

Overview:

This is a great spooky story to read closer to Halloween, it’s fantastic if you’re into ghosts and the paranormal. It's been blurbed that this book is something like Paranormal Activity meets Black Swan, and that could have been where it went wrong for me, as I love the Paranormal Activity movies, but felt like Black Swan was a let down. Either way, give this book a shot, it's definitely worth the read for the creepy scenes alone!

“‘You don’t buy into it. You’re the same person from every angle. You’ve got… what’s the word. Unity? Integrity. I’d almost forgotten what that looked like, you know?’”

I received a free e-ARC through NetGalley from the publishers at Sourcebooks Fire. I have a love for horror and an impulse-control problem when it comes to books, but you’re probably well familiar with that by now. Trigger warnings: horror, mental illness, drowning.

When her parents split up and her mother has a breakdown, Marianne goes to stay with her Aunt Jen for a few days. Then she starts losing time and strange things start happening around her, things Marianne couldn’t possibly be responsible for. Objects break when she enters a room, there’s a mysterious knocking in the walls, and the nearby river haunts her imagination. When she tries to confront it, it gets worse. Whatever is haunting her is angry. It wants something that Marianne took from it, and it will make her life unlivable unless she gives it back.

The Dark Beneath The Ice is an original and surprisingly frightening horror novel and one of the best in YA horror that I’ve read. It’s a better haunting story than Bad Girls Don’t Die, and it has the deliciously spooky atmosphere of a Nova Ren Suma novel (although not quite on that level, but let’s be real, nothing is). With its water imagery and all-girl cast, I was drawing comparisons to Imaginary Girls for the first half of the novel. All comparisons aside, The Dark Beneath The Ice is entirely its own thing, and I enjoyed it from beginning to end.

Out of a lot of things to like about this book, I think my favorite is how creepy it is, and that’s a big deal for me. I have a maddeningly high tolerance for horror. (At a scary movie, an ex-boyfriend once asked me if I could at least pretend to be scared. …No? I’m not good at faking things.) Bérubé incorporates poltergeist mythology to excellent effect, and I enjoyed seeing some of the classics–water flooding the room from nowhere, knocking in the walls, writing on the mirrors–as well as her original twists on the subject matter. The writing is incredibly atmospheric, to the point where it’s even a little overwhelming at first. The water motif is constant throughout the book, and whatever is happening with Marianne, we know it begins and ends with the river.

I like the characters a lot. We’re not just told that Marianne is timid and compliant; we see it in almost every interaction. She’s handling a number of heavy issues, from her parents’ divorce and her mother’s mental illness to her own uncertainty about her mental health and her sexuality–and it all feels very realistic. She reacts like a teenager (or even, probably, an adult) would in these situations; she’s worried and frightened and, most of all, she doesn’t want anyone else to get hurt. Her love interest, Ron (short for Rhiannon) is a lovely complement. She has a take-no-shit attitude that doesn’t detract from her compassion. I very much enjoy a novel where the women are the most complex, flawed, and delightful characters on the page, and the male characters are relegated to the margins. I didn’t even mind the romantic subplot. Despite all the horror, it’s a very cute wlw relationship.

The other major pull of the novel is the direction Bérubé takes with her “haunting.” It’s not clear whether it’s a demon, a ghost, or something else entirely that’s tormenting Marianne, and without giving anything away, let’s just say that I love where she went with it. It’s fresh and original, and it’s eerily relevant in a world where women are encouraged not to use their voices. It also takes an interesting look at the relationship between mental illness and the paranormal, and how quick we are to assume a woman is “hysterical” rather than actually experiencing something out of the ordinary. I highly recommend it for fans of the genre, and I’m eagerly awaiting my own copy for re-reading.

I review regularly at brightbeautifulthings.tumblr.com.

Right away, I like the atmosphere and the setting. Berube has managed to lace a feeling of dread and creepiness throughout the opening pages. I can tell by the mood that this was a horror story.
However, I just could not connect with this book. The descriptions were great, but I got so tired of ice and water. Also, Marianne had no personality or at least her personality was bland to me.

The cover was beautiful, but since I have seen neither Black Swan or Paranormal Activity i thought it was a disappointment.

** spoiler alert **
**I received an advanced copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own**
This book was kinda all over the place.
The one thing I think the author did very well on, where all the details. The descriptions of things were written very well (not too well I don't think, maybe on some of them), but when I read some of the descriptions, I liked that I could actually thoroughly see what the author wanted me to see.

The story itself...meh

It was pretty confusing most of the time. There were places where I'd get completely lost and would have to re-read sections just to figure out what was going on.
The little romance that sprung up was interesting and I wasn't really expecting it. At the same time, I feel like a book like this could do without it...but I love that they ended up together at the same time...my opinion on this is all over the place.
The ending though...I think that is what made me decide on 2 stars over 3. It just didn't make sense to me. This ghost or whatever was haunting her, turned out to be her????? I think that's what I got from that. Whatever was going on there just did not make sense to me.

I can't remember the last time I gave a book a 1 star review, but I feel so close to doing it for this book. And I actually got all the way through it, so I feel like that should count for something.

Let's start with the good first:
-> There are parts of this book that feel creepy, especially once we know there is something "possessing" Marianne. Ghost stories and possession just creep me out, but in a good way when I'm looking for them! So, there parts that really interested me.

-> We have some lesbian rep... kinda. It is there, but I have complicated feelings about it which I will bring up later.

-> It is a quick, easy read that I sped through in just a few hours.

-> Ron is AMAZING. She is the saving grace of this book. I disliked when Marianne referred to her as Emo Ron (just rubbed me wrong), but Ron totally puts people in their place when they deserve it. LOVE.

-> I will admit that I wanted to know what it was that was following Marianne around-- it is seriously the reason why I continued the book to the end. So, I think it is decently suspenseful/mysterious.

Now, for the parts that disappointed me:
-> First up, there was a point when I almost dropped the book. It 8% in there is a part where Marianne is talking about how since she is invisible, people talk around her without worry-- but there is a point where I can't tell anymore if she is repeating what people have said or sharing her own thoughts. It is about a gay classmate that this line comes up:
"And guys like that, what they were into? That was just gross. No offense or anything."
??????????????
Not okay and then we find out later Marianne is a lesbian, so wtf? So, not cool.
Then comes the part when we are introduced fully to Ron who dresses emo, which I'm cool with, but Marianne judges her for. There is sooooo much judgement in the first 10%.

-> This one feels like a slow start. In the beginning Marianne doesn't know what is going on, therefore we don't know, so the beginning when she isn't sure if she is possessed or haunted or whatever isn't thrilling, just felt like waiting. Then again, I might have just been too eager.

-> I'm so disappointed with the ending. It is better than what I thought it was going to be, but still just *shrug*. I really really want to talk about my thoughts so I've put then under a spoiler tag on my Goodreads review which you can check -> here <-
If I have misunderstood the ending please comment and let me know!!

->There is a slight romance angle to this book. I did say I liked the lesbian angle AND I STILL DO, but I really dislike how it got involved in the ending and helped push the ending. It felt like a cop out.

In the end, I think the book is worth 2 stars-- perhaps 2.5 or 3 if that whole gay-bashing part wasn't included. Will I recommend this to people? Perhaps to friends so I can find out what they think about it and we can talk about it. Depending on what they say, then maybe???

Equal parts creeping dread and beautiful prose, Bérubé's debut novel will frighten even the stoutest horror buff. The eerie descriptions, constant rain, and "roaring water" build such an intensely threatening atmosphere that when the ghost finally shows herself, it's almost overpowering. I had to read this one in small doses during the day. Highly effective horror. There is certainly more to the story, though. The complicated relationship between Marianne and her mother is fascinating, and the slow-build romance (hurray LGBT rep!) makes you root for both Ron and Marianne to overcome seemingly impossible odds. Highly recommended.

As a side note, it was heartening to see an accurate depiction of dissociation and mental illness in a horror story. So often madness is used as a plot trick, then discarded, but Bérubé handles the subject with care. I will definitely be reading her next book

Oh gosh, this review is not going to be pretty. I’m sorry! I think I am getting pickier when it comes to the horror genre. Throw in an unreliable narrator, and I’m probably going to knock one star off automatically. I’m really sad I did not love this book. It just wasn’t for me. But I really do think that it would be the perfect read for Halloween time.

The Dark Beneath the Ice follows Marianne, a high schooler whose parents are separating. Once her mother commits herself to a hospital, Marianne temporarily goes to live with her aunt. While with her aunt, Marianne begins to see and hear horrific things. Of course, no one believes her, and Marianne also questions her own sanity.

The things I liked were short lived: The creep-factor really slowed down for me once I got to the last 20% of the book, and by that point I was forcing myself to finish. I really liked Rhiannon (Ron), but her character started to annoy me by the end as well. I also didn’t understand the purpose of Ron’s psychic mother at all. She was so pointless. And while mental health is a huge theme, I felt like it was only touched in the beginning (doctor visits). There wasn’t a clear explanation about what was triggering Marianne’s visions/hauntings.

Then there’s the ending, which just felt so rushed, lackluster, and confusing. I don’t really understand the point of anything that happened.

The Dark Beneath the Ice is being marketed as Black Swan meets The Exorcist meets Paranormal Activity. The overall concept sounds like my jam, but in truth, I cannot get past a dull, whiny, unreliable narrator. I’ve read enough of those and wish it was a trope that would die.

I’m sorry, I know this review is harsh and I really don’t like writing negative reviews because I don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings. But I was left feeling very let down after finishing this book. I think I’m partly to blame. I shouldn’t have requested this ARC because I’m starting to lose interest in YA horror. But I so appreciate Sourcebooks Fire for approving this copy for me, and I always look forward to writing reviews for them!

Overall I think that if you’re a fan of YA psychological/paranormal horror with an unreliable narrator, then you may like this one! And it would be perfect to read in October!

I really enjoyed this one! I'm much on a YA horror kick and this satisfied that craving quite well with a relatable lead in harrowing circumstances, a cute f/f ship and interesting family dynamics.

The best thing about Marianne for me was that she behaved very reasonably and I understood the decisions she made; everything flowed from her characterization and even when she was behaving destructively or self-destructively, I sympathized because I could see where she was coming from. Her toxic relationship with an absent former best friend was very sadly realistic and rang true to my experience of being a teenage girl. I admired her steadfast dedication to her mother, trying to be strong for her while she was in the throes of a mental breakdown, and again I thought her emotional reaction to her father was very realistic in the resentment of him for leaving her mom and building barriers even as he tried to maintain a relationship with her. 

I LOVED her growing friendship and eventual romance with Rhiannon aka Ron, seeing the school misfit and the wallflower make tentative strides towards a relationship was absolutely freaking adorable and I squealed internally with each step forward! Thank goodness for no insta-love as they weren't ride-or-die for each other the first moment they laid eyes on each other, instead they developed a mutual crush after getting to know one another and it was so sweet. I'm still not over my awe whenever an author casually includes diversity, and especially when it's well-done, which I thought was the case with Marianne and Ron's relationship. 

Was this scary? I definitely thought so, but I had the advantage of some spooky atmosphere - I read this late at night after having adopted a cat, and as she was hiding on her first night with me, it was easy to forget I even HAD a cat. So there I was, fully engrossed in this story with all the strange happenings and terrifying moments where Marianne is in jeopardy...and suddenly there's a scratching sound in my dark room! I was so tense and then heard a little sneeze and realized my kitty had wriggled under my bed! Later on, she grew braver and ventured out to claw at my clothing hanging outside my wardrobe, which again made me quite paranoid and jumping at shadows since I kept seeing sudden movements in my peripheral vision! 

But even without the advantage of a cat determined to scare the life out of you, I think most readers will find this creepily atmospheric. I lost myself in the writing very easily and could feel myself growing more tense and nervous whenever the author was escalating towards another supernatural confrontation. I really liked how a lot of the horror was character-based, so it wasn't about the body count or gore, but the simple fear of your loved ones being in danger and fretting over how to protect them and trying to summon the nerve to risk yourself for their well-being. 

I will admit that Marianne seems a little dense for not working out what the dark spirit is after and why it's enraged with her; it became fairly obvious halfway through and their exchanges pretty much spell it out, yet it remains a mystery to her for basically the entire story, which is a little frustrating. I also don't quite understand the mechanics behind the existence of this entity and how it came into being under what seems to be a fairly common set of circumstances, but I was able to suspend disbelief on that front because I was invested in Marianne's character and rooting for her to be safe and victorious.

This beautifully written, very atmospheric story was very hard to put down. Luckily it was a quick read as well. The imagery was gripping especially when the paranormal activities were taking place and I loved how everything related to water, ice and drowning because that was how it felt to be Marianne.

Marianne’s character was very interesting. She really tried hard to understand what was going on as everything fell apart. In some ways she was a very strong character, but she also had her weaknesses. Being inside her mind was just as scary for the reader as it was for her, especially during the attacks. I really liked her emerging feelings toward Rhiannon, who goes by the name of Ron. Ron ends up being the friend that Marianne so desperately needs at this time in her life. Although many of the things that happen would be enough to scare most people away, Ron sticks it out with her to the end.

I liked her Aunt Jen for the most part. She really had a hard time with everything going on around Marianne, but she tried really hard to understand it. She was a bit of a beacon in the storm for Marianne as well. I liked the way that she tried to explain away some of the paranormal activity with what was happening with the weather. Some if it probably could be, but not all. Still, Aunt Jen had her faults, like treating Marianne like she was about 5 years old most of the time and not being honest with her about her own life.

The plot is very fast moving, and the arc of the story is only a few days time. But there are some flash backs, especially to her dance days. Her relationships with her parents are also explored through these flashbacks. You really get a sense of how hard it was dealing with her mother, and how stand offish her father was. Although you do get the sense of how much they love their daughter as well.

Although this is being labeled as a paranormal, and it is, it is also about the demons inside that haunt us. Marianne has plenty of demons, and mental illness in her family. This is more of a journey of how she learns to deal with those demons and her own anxieties and depression. The ending of the book really shows this as well as the scenes with her therapist.

This book is beautifully written with exceptional imagery. The constant rain and threats of flooding as well as the imagery of drowning and being trapped in ice really added to the story. This story wasn’t scary so much as it was disturbing. How someone’s inner conflicts can manifest into a living nightmare. An excellent and haunting read.