3.75/5 stars.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Dead and the Dark follows Logan and her dads, who run a television show focused on ghost-hunting and the supernatural, as they move to the town of Snakebite, where Logan’s dads grew up.

Snakebite is a town wrapped in mystery, perfect from the outside but perhaps less so on the inside, ever since the mysterious disappearance of Tristan Granger. Logan and her dads arrive in Snakebite shortly after this disappearance, and turn out to be less than welcome – especially as more disappearances take place, and the newcomers to the town are blamed for them. New to the town and lacking much else to do, Logan begins to work on solving the mystery, with the help of a local – Ashley Barton, girlfriend to Tristan Granger, the first person to go missing – and together they gradually work to untangle a web of lies.

Logan as a character was extremely relatable and easily likeable, and it was interesting to see how her and her relationships grew and developed over the course of the book – especially her relationships with both her dads, and her relationship with Ashley.

The romance wasn’t the most prominent part of this book, but it did gradually build at a steady place and I, as a reader, came to love Logan and Ashley, both as friends and as eventual lovers.

My main complaint with regards to this book is that it felt somewhat rushed. There was a long buildup and then suddenly a lot of the main problems were solved, and I found this to be slightly odd to read. I also feel that the supernatural elements of the novel could have been better developed, as conceptually they were extremely interesting but I don’t feel they necessarily were explained as well as they could’ve been. However, despite all this the book is fun, and the lack of extreme detail makes it easy to read.

Overall, it was an interesting read and I enjoyed it. It didn’t challenge me too much as a reader, and didn’t require loads of attention on my part. I came to care about the characters and the ending was fairly satisfying – while I don’t think the book had the biggest impact on me, that’s not to say I didn’t enjoy it. The vibes were similar to those of The Raven Cycle, Stranger Things and Riverdale, so I think this novel would appeal to fans of all three.

Content warnings: frequent homophobia, homophobic language, homophobic hate crimes, blood, violence, murder, attempted murder, drowning, funeral, death, child death, a child being buried alive.

This book took me awhile to get through, but it wasn’t so much due to a lack of enjoyment. The Dead and the Dark has all the elements of a darker YA mystery and mostly manages to pull it off well.
The story follows two paranormal investigator dads and their daughter as they work against the clock to solve murders that are plaguing the small town of Snakebite. We are introduced to the idea that maybe not everything is as it seems with the town and it’s inhabitants. Is the weight of the town and its history to blame or is it something else entirely?

There are so many appealing things about The Dead and the Dark. There are several lovely storylines woven in, but are equally balanced with heartbreak as to keep the reader interested and asking those important questions. I did enjoy reading this book, though I think it would be best suited for middle school/younger high school kids.

Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Thank you Net Galley and the publisher for a free ARC of this book.

This book was never as creepy or scary as I initially thought it was going to be. It felt mostly like a teen thriller. I loved the romance concepts of this book but just felt like some of the characters were a little bland. Overall I did thoroughly enjoy reading this book and also enjoyed the creepy parts of it. Being a huge Ghost Adventure fan I really enjoyed this story as it progressed throughout the book.

This was such a fun read! Normally when I read suspense, I can figure out what's really going on, but this book had me stumped almost until the end. I liked Logan a lot as a protagonist, and I appreciated the thoughtful, nuanced development of Ashley's character.

What a debut!!
I am shooketh at how atmospheric and dark and creepy this book was.
Definitely do not read at night, in bed with the lights off!

A small town mystery shrouded in themes of grief, acceptance and healing, lots of healing.

While there were a few questions I still had at the end regarding the origins of the killer the character depth made up for it! That being said, the killer was very surprising 😮 I was off but not far off in my thinking!

Definitely gonna be on the lookout for more of Goulds novels!

The Dead and The Dark is about what “lurks in dark corners, the parts of you that you keep hidden, and finding home in people and places you didn’t expect.”

I loved everything about this book. From the paranormal activity and the ghost hunting show to finding a romantic connection you didn’t expect. This book has it all. It also had the point of view of the perpetrator and it left me guessing and wondering who could be behind the deaths.

This book was incredible and one that I will be recommending to everyone

The Dead and the Dark follows Logan and her dads as they travel to Snakebite. Famous for their hit paranormal TV show, her fathers are scouting their hometown as a possible new episode. There’s an odd feeling that creeps over everyone in Snakebite, but it’s only a feeling, right? Until the first teenager goes missing...

This book was amazing! I loved most of the small town vibes (see content warnings below) and what the Dark represents in Snakebite. We’re following Logan and Ashley throughout most of the book, but we also get Interludes from the Dark that helps us understand more of the paranormal elements. And that plot twist?! Yes.

As far as character development, I think the one person we don’t fully understand until the end of the book is Brandon. I do think this is purposely done for more of an element of mystery for his character. It helped to build up more of a suspense for the plot twist.

If you’re looking for a small town with a darkness falling over it, mixed with a female-female romance, look no further!

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC.

CW: homophobia, death of a child

Where do I start with The Dead and the Dark? It was one of my most highly anticipated releases of 2021 so I pretty much read the ARC of this as soon as I got it. And then I loved it and I’ve been thinking about rereading it since (and the only thing stopping me is the sheer number of other ARCs I’ve been slacking off getting to).

The story follows Logan, brought to the town of Snakebite, Oregon by her ghost-hunting dads, for reasons that they won’t explain, to find that their arrival has coincided with the disappearance of the town’s golden boy and everyone thinks they’re behind it. Determined to find the boy and prove them wrong, Logan enlists the help of Ashley and together they start investigating.

I think the first thing I have to mention is that Logan calls herself a lesbian. This may not seem like a whole lot, but when you’ve read countless books that go out of their way to avoid the word, having a clearly lesbian character claim the word on page? It’s a whole lot.

And what I also loved is that this isn’t THE lesbian experience in the book. There’s Ashley too. Ashley who so vividly experiences comphet, in a way I’ve never seen in YA lit before — as an experience that’s recognised as comphet, rather than, say, me thinking I’m reading comphet and it’s not (happens more often than you realise) — that I had to put the book down for a moment. (Also as a side note: she isn’t bi. You can check the author’s tweets if you don’t believe me.)

On top of that, the story is so deliciously creepy, with twists and turns you (mostly) won’t spot. (I only say mostly because I’ve read too many mysteries now. I know how these things go.) And at its centre is a family. That’s what I loved most here. That all these things can happen, and you would think maybe the mystery is enough, but it all comes back to Logan and Brandon and Alejo and the family they built together (and obviously Ashley later on). For all that it’s a horror story with murder and ghosts, it’s also a story full of love and heart.

All of which to say, you really really want to be picking this one up come August. If you trust me on nothing else, trust me on this.

★★★★☆ 3.5/5

this was spooky. i liked it alot! it really only kind of picked up at the 40-50% mark and even then was really slow at times, but it was so worth it. i felt like the characters could have been a little more developed, but the fantastic plot and overall creepiness was more than enough to satisfy me.

(arc provided by netgallery and Wednesday Books. all thoughts and opinions are my own)

Brandon and Alejo Ortiz-Woodley are reality TV ghost hunters. They travel the country for their show. On the premise that he is scouting a location to film, Brandon goes back to their tiny hometown of Snakebite, OR, which had basically chased them off about 13 years before. Alejo and their daughter, Logan, meet him in Snakebite after he has been there a few months.

Ashley's boyfriend Tristan went missing about a week after Brandon showed up in town. Naturally, the tiny town assumes the outsiders had something to do with the disappearance? ...the murder? Ashley is sure she can feel him around her still, even months after he has been gone.

The Dark just wants a host to do its evil bidding. It will use anyone it can to keep on thriving.

When another teenager goes missing,, Logan and Ashley reluctantly decide to work together to try to figure out what is happening. Logan wants to clear her dads' names; Ashley wants her boyfriend, her perfect life, and perfect town back.

This had a really Southern feel to it, even though it was set in the Northwest. I'm guessing it was the small town, the cattle ranch, the everyone knows everyone in town vibe.

I really enjoyed this book! It made me excited to read again for the first time in close to a year. I just HAD to know what was going on, who was doing it, and why. The ending was good, but I personally would have liked a little more of a comeuppance for some of the characters, or a little more time with the family to see how things worked out.

Overall 4/5 stars

I could not finish this book, at this time. It was not due to poor writing. It was actually quite well written and I would recommend it to other readers. It was just hitting too close to home for me on real-life issues.

Wow. The dead and the dark was so creepy. One of the creepiest books I’ve read in awhile. I wasn’t really sure where it was going. There were ghost hunters and a creepy weird town. Logan’s two dads are the parasoectors ghost hunting all over. Then they all go to snakebite where kids are disappearing. Insanely creepy. Amazing debut for Courtney Gould!

Snakebite, Oregon is a dark place full of a lot of hate.

Six months ago, Logan Ortiz-Woodley's father Brandon returned to his hometown to scout locations for his and his husband's hit show ParaSpectors (a ghost hunting tv show) but is being elusive as to why he's there and what he's looking for. Now Logan and her other father, Alejo, are joining Brandon in the hopes of making some progress. Alejo tells Logan they'll be fine as long as they're together as a family. But what are Brandon and Alejo afraid of?

Six months ago Ashley Barton's boyfriend Tristan disappeared without a trace. She's not willing to give up and accept that Tristan is most-likely dead unlike everyone else in town. To her, nothing bad ever happens in Snakebite. That is until Brandon Woodley returned to town. But is Brandon somehow responsible for Tristan's disappearance? Or is the town just against him and his family because they're different?

To figure out the mystery and get to the bottom of what's wrong with Snakebite Ashley and Logan will have to work together before someone else disappears.

This book started out kind of slow for me and I wasn't sure I was going to like it. It had lots of things I like in books - a dark 'paranormal' force, a mystery, and a touch of romance. Once I got into it, I did really enjoy the book as a whole. Like Logan, I seriously thought maybe Brandon did have something to do with the disappearances and I was dying to find out if I was right.

I got really annoyed with the people of Snakebite over the course of the book, which I guess is the author's intent. Overall, the book kept me reading and I like the hate-to-love trope between Ashley and Logan. But as the book is billed as horror, I could have done with a bit more of the chill factor. Everything was kind of expected along the way with little-to-no tension or build-up.

Logan is moving to Snakebite, Oregon with her ghosthunting dads who are investigating oddities in town: a disappearance, met with ominous weather changes and community suspicion. In Snakebite, Logan meets Ashley. Together, they are going to find out what is crouched down low in the bushes, the heaviness that sweeps across town, the darkness.

Content warning for: drowning, homophobia and instance of a hate crime, violence

This is so immersive and well written, I really enjoyed it! I think this is going to be an incredibly well loved book. I was so engaged in the fast pace, I LOVE a good haunting tale and was so delighted that this story doesn't waste time getting into the thick of it.

Loved the exploration of Logan's dads past and their love for her. Loved seeing Ashley and Logan's adoration for each other grow !!! Loved the way the mystery was set up and kept me very much in The Dark about what exactly was going on until the last few chapters. I think this would make for such a good television mini series.

Thank you so much to Wednesday Books and NetGalley for an e-arc!

Is darkness something that can touch your soul? Or do you touch darkness and command the power it holds?
Logan has grown up on the road, watching her two Dads film ParaSpectors. Eventually, Logan will go with her Dads to their hometown of Snakebite, Oregon. The paranormal threat the family faces uncovers past secrets that change their lives forever. This book will keep you guessing till the last chapter and leave you with a few shed tears.

Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book received in exchange for an honest review.

The Dead and the Dark centers around a couple and their daughter on a search for the cause of dark happenings in their hometown of Snakebite.

Overall, the tale was good, but it was not earth shattering, nor as dark expected. This falls pretty much into your standard teen thriller with nominal scares. There were some interesting "twists", which seemed straight out of a Stephen King book, which was awesome. It just needed to deliver more on the creepy factor.

This feels like if Supernatural and Riverdale had a baby in the best possible way!

I loved the sapphic slow burn between Logan and Ashley. They're both such strong, dynamic characters on their own and together the chemistry was *chefs kiss*. Their relationship was my favorite part of the book, with the father/daughter relationship coming in a close second.

This is such a great debut and I'm even more excited to read Echo Sunset.

It was just okay - I never was truly gripped by it, never binge read any of it. It wasn’t plotted to be a thriller in its pacing. The overall concept pulled me in & the representation of a lesbian main character with 2 dads was well done, but I just wasn’t invested.

For fans of: Sawkill Girls and Now Entering Addamsville
4.5 stars. It's been a long time since I've read a thriller with a satisfying ending. I'll try my best not to spoil anything, but it will be hard, because it was just that good.

For a long time now, Alejo Ortiz and Brandon Woodley have been known for their TV show, ParaSpectors, where they travel to many different locations across the country to look for ghosts. Now they've returned to their hometown of Snakebite, Oregon with their daughter, Logan, but it's clear that the people of Snakebite aren't going to make it easy for them. Brandon is being blamed for the disappearance of local teen Tristan Granger, and it's difficult for any of them to go anywhere without being harassed or threatened.
Ashley Barton was Tristan's girlfriend until right before he disappeared, and now she's seeing his ghost appear in various places. Logan Ortiz-Woodley is the only person who believes her, and Ashley starts an attempt to solve his disappearance with her even though she knows that her friends and her mom won't approve. While her only goal at first is to prove that Tristan isn't dead, she ends up finding out more about the town and the Ortiz-Woodleys than she could have imagined, while kids continue to die mysteriously.
There was a slight supernatural element (not a spoiler, it's mentioned as early as the first page) but not in the way that I thought. There aren't just ghosts walking around everywhere-- it's more of the general feeling that something's off about Snakebite. And I liked the use of the "Dark" as a metaphor for small-town homophobia and hate. I don't think I've ever seen this done before. Ashley's friends (mostly John and Paul) are quick to discriminate against the Ortiz-Woodleys, even defacing their motel room door, and Ashley feels that she has to keep her attraction to Logan a secret from them. Even though the deaths seem to be kind of random (I won't say who they are, but I don't think they really had anything in common).
As for romance, if you like a slow-burn love story, this is the book for you. The characters' first kiss doesn't happen until over halfway through, so things can only get better from there.
And the ENDING. Finally, a happy ending with no unanswered questions! The last mystery I read before this was The Lake, and that had one of the worst endings I've ever read. But there's none of that here. No main-character death, no finding out that the murderer is really who we thought it was all along, no ambiguous ending sentence implying that the evil hasn't really been defeated. Everything is wrapped up very nicely.

I enjoyed this one a lot! The mix of paranormal and social/family/crime drama was really well done. I loved Logan and how unapologetically herself she always was, and Ashley’s journey was excellent! Having multiple queer relationships was the cherry on top!