This is a really gripping YA debut, with a paranormal twist!

Logan's Dads are popular TV ghost hunters and they're in Snakebite (best creepy town name ever) to look into strange things happening. But there is a history here the Logan isn't aware of and she teams up with golden girl Ashley to get to the bottom of this mystery.

This isn't my typical genre but it was really engaging! As a reader, you are left guessing, wondering what is going on. There are definitely some creepy elements here and I thought the writing was really descriptive and well done. Overall, an intriguing thriller worth reading!

Thank you to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for an advanced copy of this and the opportunity to share my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This was such a thrilling and eerie debut! I was on the edge of my seat the entire time. I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough to find out what was happening. I had such a great time reading this book. I loved every second of it!

The setting of Snakebite, Oregon was an interesting one for sure. It’s a small and remote town where the people are unforgiving, cold and rude.You could just feel the sinister vibes from the town. It definitely made the story feel a little more haunting.

The paranormal aspect was my favorite part of the story. It was the perfect amount of spooky. It reminded me a lot of Supernatural and Wynonna Earp! So if you like those shows, I think you should check out The Dead and the Dark.

I really enjoyed the main characters Logan and Ashley. I was fully invested in both of their stories. I loved the sapphic romance, but I do wish we had a little more time to explore their relationship.

The writing was perfect for me! It was so easy to get into and the pacing was great. I could easily picture scenes in my head (especially when it came to the Dark) which was so helpful. I cannot wait to see what Courtney Gould writes in the future!

4.25 Stars
Content Warnings at end of review!

Thank you to Wednesday Books and Netgalley for an e-arc and an ALC of this book!

When Logan is forced to temporarily move to Snakebite, Oregon for her dads' ghost-hunting show, she doesn't expect what they will find. The small town is plagued by more than just small-minded people, and Logan will have to team up with town-sweetheart, Ashley in order to discover what is really at play.

I loved this book! It was the perfect amount of spooky for me and I really loved the twists and turns! I especially loved to see Logan and Ashley slowly getting to know each other better through their sleuthing. I loved the way things turned out with Logan's dads and am so glad things worked out the way they did. This was the perfect sapphic ghost story for me!

Pub Date: August 3, 2021
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Death, Violence, and Bullying
Moderate: Emotional abuse

The Dead and the Dark by Courtney Gould was better than I expected. I found all of the characters likeable and this story didn't end how I expecte which was amazing. The story had elements of horror, creepiness, and kept me in suspense of wanting to know what was going to happen. It doesn't hurt that there was a little slow burn romance.

✨ The Title/Cover Draw:
The summary of this book was very intriguing. There was lots of buzz about this book early on so I requested it from @netgalley (Thank you! And also to Wednesday Books for this opportunity).

💜 What I liked:
The imagery in the book was beautiful and the story, while in the horror category, was never really gross. There is nice LGBTQ+ representation, but be warned there are instances of bullying which may be a trigger. I can honestly say I will read more of her books!

😱 What I didn’t like:
There could have been more clues given to the outcome, but it didn’t matter because the journey was great!

💁‍♀️ The Characters:
How Logan and Ashley grow in their friendship is touching and deep.

🚦 My face at the end: 😚

💭 5 Reasons to Read:
1. Moving and fast paced story
2. Mysterious dark atmosphere
3. LGBTQ+ Characters
4. Wonderful relationship journey
5. Horror “lite”



🕧 Mini-Summary:
People are disappearing in Snakebite, so Logan and her two dads show up to investigate. Everything here seems creepy and abnormal.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Received from Netgalley.

Wow! I couldn't read this fast enough. This was a dark, gripping, ominous slow burn of a novel. I was drawn in by the cover and the summary, and The Dead and the Dark completely lived up to my every expectation! If you love the show Supernatural or mysteries with a twist of horror, The Dead and the Dark is definitely the book for you. Logan follows her dads around the country as they film their ghost-hunting tv show. But all she longs for is a real home… and when they end up in her dads’ hometown to investigate, she gets more than she wanted or expected.

I was really impressed with the character development and detailed world the author created… I could picture everything -- I was IN Snakebite with Logan and her family. This is the author's debut novel, and she is definitely on my must-read list now. I just wish there was a back catalog to dip into while I wait for her next book. (I’d love a spin-off of Brandon and Alejo’s adventures… just saying.)

A few trigger/content warnings just in case they apply to you... homophobia, hate crimes, violence, murder, drowning.

I am extremely grateful to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read and review The Dark and the Dead, and for the introduction to Courtney Gould's work.

Logan Ortiz-Woodley, eye rolls and all, helps her dad, Alejo pack the minivan to take a trip to Snakebite, middle-of-nowhere, Oregon, to scope out locations for her dads’ paranormal investigation series, ParaSpectors. She is not looking forward to leaving her LA house to stay in the place where her dads grew up, especially since her dad, Brandon, has grown more and more distant to the point where she questions why he adopted her.

Snakebite turns out to be just as bad as Logan imagined--and only grows worse. Logan’s loneliness and distance from her dads, her only family, is magnified in this small town, a town where teens are disappearing. Logan wonders if she could be next. Enter Ashley. Ashley and Logan form an unlikely partnership to track down the teens, the person responsible, and maybe some happiness at the end of it all.

Before reading Courtney Gould’s debut YA novel, The Dead And The Dark, I read a description comparing it to Riverdale and Stephen King’s The Outsiders. That’s all I needed. I knew I had to read it. It did have notes of both--but of a Riverdale that I didn’t scream at because it lost all sense. Gould masterfully created a story-world fully developed characters that the reader loves one minutes and detests the next, including the paranormal “character” that stirs up all of the trouble that the Ortiz-Woodleys are blamed for. The twists and turns in this thriller kept me guessing and revising my guesses throughout the novel.

Young adult readers, 8th grade and above, will love this book, not only for the paranormal mystery, but also for the family issues and the LGBTQ representation and issues. The homophobia running through small-town Snakebite, a town stuck in its ways, resistant to change, is one that many readers will identify with.

*This is an honest, voluntary review of The Dead And The Dark, by Courtney Gould in exchange for an E-ARC. Thank you St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley

I was surprised by how much I loved this. I picked up THE DEAD AND THE DARK because I was interested in the f/f romance, but was immediately sucked in. I couldn’t put this down, and for me this was a standout YA paranormal read.

I recommend this book if you love:
-Queer teens
-Sharp, three-dimensional female leads
-Gay ghostbuster dads
-Mysteries with paranormal elements
-A strong sense of setting

I enjoyed every moment of this debut, but interestingly enough, the romance wasn’t what stuck out for me. I loved both Logan and Ashley as individual narrators and I did overall like them as a couple. However, I would have appreciated more chemistry (or maybe just sapphic yearning?) between the two. I also guessed the murderer pretty easily, but there were still additional twists in the plot that were shocking.

The pacing of this novel was fantastic, the writing was lovely, and I certainly look forward to Courtney Gould’s future releases.

An amazingly sharp thrill ride that was impossible to put down.

I read this book in less than 24 hours and it was an incisive read that kept me guessing. Between the tension of the earlier book and then the absolute breakneck speed of the 3rd act, I cannot recommend it highly enough.

I will admit, the catalogue of mystery thrillers I have read is not as grand as say, the number of romances I have dived into. Yet, if this past year of on again off again quarantine has brought me anything, it is new and fascinating genres to explore. So, that being said, I am so happy to add The Dead and the Dark to my repertoire. This novel isn’t just a methodical paranormal thrill-ride, it is genuinely spooky.
In terms of mysteries, I really enjoyed how slow burn this one was. The Dead and the Dark doesn’t bombard you with answers right away, nor does it toss out very many bread crumbs. Instead it uncoils itself slowly, revealing each new layer piece by murderous piece until finally you find yourself staring down at a completed puzzle wrought with dark mysterious powers and small town intrigue.
Although I thoroughly enjoyed this read, I will say that the characters themselves are a little generic. Homophobic bully, all-american girl, new kid from the big city, etc. However, they are distinct enough from one another to not be confused within the confines of the novel itself, and they do diverge somewhat from their archetypes near the very end.
Ultimately, I would praise this novel for its creep factor, and for being successfully unpredictable. I would also classify it as a must-read for any horror fans that appreciate something a little more suspenseful.

4.5 out of 5 stars

This was a thrilling debut novel from Courtney Gould! The Dead and the Dark was fast-paced and kept me guessing pretty much right up till the end. My favorite part just might be how expertly Gould takes something as seemingly unremarkable as a negative feeling and materializes it into something monstrous, growing its own sharp teeth and dark desires.

Also, you can feel the off-ness of Snakebite so so strongly. That lovely little unnerving feeling holds onto you and won't let go all throughout the story. Such an under appreciated feeling in the time of jump scares imo. It feels like a more classic type of thriller/horror to me and I really dug that.

If that's not enough to entice you, there's also a whole bunch of jaw-dropping moments, secrets revealed, rich family dynamics, and really an intense look at grief and trauma as their ripple effects branch across time and people. I quite enjoyed this one and I'm really looking forward to more from this author in the future.

A thrilling, dark story! It reminded me of the first season of Riverdale, but way better. Has a lot of representation as well. Suspense. Missing teens. Ghosts.

It has it all. I loved the eerie chapters and the representation of queer characters. It is really well written and kept me on my toes.

A page turner decent spooky and mystery thriller. I loved the lgbt forward relationships.

Solid debut novel and snakebite creepy town will remain in my travel wish list.

I was surprised by how absorbed I was in this story from the very start! I loved the relationship dynamics, the mystery surrounding this town, Snakebite, and Brandon, and the beautiful queer relationships. I loved Logan and Ashley as main characters and I was equally as invested in each of their stories / perspectives. I was actually taken by surprise at one of the plot twists and absolutely in tears over a few revelations. Honestly, if you love a good YA thriller, this is among the best that I’ve read!

Its been a while since I've read a paranormal mystery/thriller that I really loved but I freaking loved this book! The characters had depth and were well thought out, the dynamic and relationships between them were interesting and really added to the plot. The plot itself was very well paced and literally kept me guessing. The Dead and the Dark was very unique and I already want to reread it. This book had a little bit of everything including a nice spooky vibe that I feel is hard to accomplish in fiction. I really enjoyed it overall and highly recommend picking this one up.

The Dark has been waiting for far too long, and it won't stay hidden any longer.

Whoever said to not be afraid of the dark, did not know what he/she was talking about!

Something is wrong in Snakebite, Oregon. You can feel it, can't you? It is as if there is a static buzz hidden somewhere underground. You cannot see it, you cannot almost hear it, but you can feel it deep in your soul. Plus, the weather is changing, and teens are disappearing, and some are dead. People are on edge, and they become even more suspicious and unhinged when TV’s most popular ghost hunters, Brandon and Alejo, have returned to town with their daughter, Logan.

Logan Ortiz-Woodley has never been to Snakebite before even though it is where her fathers grew up, where they met and where they fell in love. Her first impression is one of unease. The town makes it clear that they are not welcome.

Ashley Barton’s boyfriend, Tristan, is the first teenager to go missing. Ashley has been searching for him, she can feel his presence and his ghost following her. When she meets Logan, they decide to ban together, determined to uncover the towns secrets, find what is haunting the town, and in the process learn more about themselves. As the tension mounts and the darkness spreads, they soon realize not only do they have feelings for each other but that there may be light at the end of the tunnel.

This was a delight to read. I loved, loved, loved the sections where The Dark is featured. I thought those were brilliant and were some of my favorite parts of the book. Those sections are sinister, creepy and dare I say delightful. Plus, I almost tripped wading through all the secrets in this book!

The characters are both interesting and frustrating at the same time. I wanted to knock some heads together while thinking "Why doesn't anyone just say why you are doing things? How about tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth?" Jeepers. Now that I am done shaking my head, back to Logan being interesting. Logan grew up lonely, always on the move. With fathers who travel to various location to film their television show, she did not have a semblance of a normal happy family life. She pulled on my heartstrings right there. She is not only lonely, but also spunky, brave and a connoisseur of weird food combinations. Logan also believes that her fathers are keeping things from her. Of course, there are things that parents do not tell their children, but this goes deeper than that.

It took me a couple of chapters to get into this book but once it grabbed my attention, it held it. It has just the right amount of spookiness and underlying unease. As the story progresses, things get darker and more tense. If paranormal and tension filled books are your thing, this may be the book for you! This book also has a strong LGBTQ representation as well.

There are a lot of themes in the book: loneliness, family, home, friendship, love, acceptance, secrets, and belonging to name a few. The themes of home and loneliness stood out for me. What makes a home? Is it a location, a building, a town, or the people in your life? You can be alone and be lonely, but you can also be surrounded by people and still feel incredible lonely as well.

Plus, if you have not looked - check out the book's cover!

Dark, tense and entertaining.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.

Ashley finds it strange when all of the sudden her dad Brandon is gone to "film" their show and Alejo her other dad decide its time to follow him and be in Snakebite. The town that both her dad's grew up in. Strange things start happening. Kids are coming up missing and some even dead.

I found this horror/paranormal young adult book fantastic. I felt like Courtney Gould did the perfect amount of spooky to keep me at the edge of my seat. I really enjoyed this one.

Thank you Wednesday Books and Netgalley for an advance copy of The Dead and the Dark for an honest review. A+

Paranormal horror isn't usually my genre of choice. I tend not to enjoy being frightened. I have never liked to imagine spectral somethings with sinister intentions sneaking about or snaking around ankles in the dark. I suppose you could say I block myself off from being disquieted by such things, from being haunted by unseen monsters that may or may not go bump in the night as much as possible.

That said, there was something so eerily compelling to me about the premise of The Dead and the Dark, and because of that I couldn't be kept away. I needed to investigate. I had to surrender to the prospect of being terrorized by what might be hidden in the dark, dive right in to discover whatever horrors awaited within, and I'm so glad I did.

Reading this book was an experience. It hypnotized in increments. It raised the hair on the back of my neck little by little, drawing a gasp or a cry of surprise as I followed all the disappearing footprints.

Unspooling like fraying string after fraying string, the story prolonged the big mystery of the Dark by tangling me up in three or four little ones about the characters and their strained relationships along the way, which I thought was brilliant. Effectively what that did was slither me further and further into the disturbing depths and concaves of the plot without me even realizing that's what was happening.

Snakebite, Oregon, the small town where Logan Oritz-Woodley and her two ghost hunting dads found themselves stuck in for the summer, was the perfect setting. It had that desolate, claustrophobic, cloying, too quiet off-ness which I've come to expect from a place as well as a story where there are both family secrets and paranormal mysteries to unearth. Wrongness permeated as soon as I crossed into it.

There was also that hair-raising sense of being watched. Followed. Hunted. Targeted. I wanted to escape the town's slithering phantasmic clutches almost as much as I wanted to sink back into them and allow myself to be possessed. That push and pull, in my opinion, that urge to get the hell out of dodge even though you're curious enough to stay and get to the bottom of all the weird, is the trademark of any good horror story.

The derelict buildings in addition to the sweltering weather conditions and darkness only added to the overall ambiance. It helped to preserve the unnaturalness that surrounded Snakebite, unsettling all the characters who were involved in big or small ways.

I enjoyed how the story traversed many different genres, too. With teenage disappearances and deaths, there was spine-chilling mystery. With the Dark as a personification of hatred, homophobia, rage, and loneliness, there was horror. And with a coming of age relationship between Logan and Ashley as well as an established one between Alejo and Brandon, there was LGBT romance. I was surprised and impressed by how well these elements all fused together to tell a creepy well-developed story.

All in all, an impressive, suspenseful, blood-curdling debut!

Thank you to NetGalley, Wednesday Books, and St. Martin's Press for the ARC in exchange for my review.

The Dead and the Dark was filled with fantasy, characters, suspense, plot, and world building.

Logan is an adopted gal that grew up with two dads and both dads are on the ghost hunting show that is very popular. They decide to go back to their home town to do a show. One dad, Brandon, goes a week early to look for a shooting spot. A week after he is there a boy goes missing. There are secrets about why the two left town 13 years ago. This leads the town to start pointing fingers. No one will talk about it to Logan about why they left before.

Things get worse and Logan decides to try to figure it out you is taking kids with the help of another girl that can see images of the past and ghosts. This is when the story really takes a turn and suspense is cranked up to high! Twists and turns everywhere! Supernatural elements and dark human elements become terrifying.

I hope this story continues into a story, but if not I look forward to more from this author.

Logan Ortiz-Woodley has been bouncing around the country most of her life. Her Dads are the stars of television's most popular ghost-hunting show, <i>ParaSpectors</i>, and owing to this, she has traveled quite extensively with them filming. When they tell her they need to return to the hometown they fled years ago, Snakebite, Oregon, she doesn't think too much of it. Just another stop on the road for another episode.

What Logan wasn't prepared for was the chilly reception the family would receive in Snakebite. The town seems to blame her Dad, Brandon, for unusual occurrences following his most recent visit. Because of this, Logan and a group of local teens get off to a rough start. There's been a lot of tension in the town since a popular boy, Tristan, went missing. In fact, on the day Logan arrives there is a vigil praying for Tristan's safe return.

His girlfriend, Ashley Barton, hasn't given up hope that Tristan will be found, although others aren't so sure. Disturbingly, Ashley begins to be plagued by visions of what appears to be Tristan's ghost. Unsure what to do, she seeks help from the only person she can think of who may actually have knowledge of paranormal activity, Logan.

The girls begin a cautious friendship and start to investigate what is going on in Snakebite. As more teens disappear the stakes are raised, as is the creep factor. In addition to all of this, Logan also learns a lot more about her Dads, their relationship and what caused them to leave Snakebite in the first place. She's been desperate to learn more about them, as her relationship with her Dad, Brandon, has been particularly strained.

I really enjoyed diving into this story. There's a lot of exploration of topics outside of the paranormal, such as family, sacrifice, grief, forgiveness, the idea of home being tied to people versus place and what it's like to be different in a small town.

I listened to the audiobook and was completely transported to Snakebite. It's that small town many of us grew up in. I felt like I had been there before and could recognize all the Town players.

For a debut, I was impressed with the flow of the story and the layers Gould was able to bring to the page. While the paranormal aspects, as well as the atmosphere, were a ton of fun, I think I enjoyed the family dynamic and character growth most of all.

If you enjoy Mysteries or Thrillers with a Paranormal twist, you absolutely need to be adding this title to your TBR!!

Thank you so much to the publisher, Wednesday Books and Macmillan Audio, for providing me with copies of this to read and review. I had a great time with it and cannot wait to see what Courtney Gould writes next!!!