This was such a treat to read from start to finish, wow! I fell in love with Logan, her dads, and Ashley all - the characters in this were incredible, thoroughly written and very well developed. I loved the "voice" of our main character - her kind but sarcastic inner monologue had me giggling to myself a few times; I would've really loved this as a teen, too! Part horror/thriller, part romance, this has a little bit of something for everyone - especially those seeking queer, diverse reads. So, so good - can't recommend highly enough!

This was not a book for me or for my students, though probably some of them would like it more than I did. I didn't know it would be more of a horror novel than a mystery. And one character deciding out of nowhere she was gay was not realistically presented

THE DEAD AND THE DARK caught my heart after about 0.3 seconds of reading. It has one of the most chilling, atmospheric opening chapters I've ever encountered, and Courtney Gould does not. let. up.

This is the eerie, rural American gothic of my fondest nightmares. We've got a murder mystery brimming with paranormal elements, a beautifully complex father-daughter relationship, a sloooowburn sapphic romance to die for, and a lonely small down dripping with dark secrets. Add in Gould's GOREGEOUS prose, and if you aren't already sold, there is absolutely nothing I can do for you.

I mean ... just look at the cover. LOOK AT IT. Now whisper "gay ghost hunter horrormance" to yourself slowly and tell me you don't need THE DEAD AND THE DARK yesterday.

Overall an easy 5/5 recommend.

Lesbian ghost hunters!

This book was all I ever wanted. The characters are so loveable (especially Alejo) and the romance is really cute.

The paranormal mystery kept me hooked from start to finish. I could not put the book down as I was nearing the ending.

I can’t express my feelings towards this book properly. It was just SO GOOD. But paranormal stuff and lesbians - why wouldn’t I love it?

The book comes out august 3rd and I highly recommend it! I really need this book to have a fandom so I can see fanart of the characters. please.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

cw: murder, slurs, homophobia, child death, violence, death, blood, drowning, hate crimes

"The dead and the dark" is by far one of the best books I've read this year. It had me hooked from start to finish and I simply could not stop thinking about it.

The plot worked really well with the small town setting. It was really interesting to see how Ashley figures out how many secrets are buried in so little space, in a town where everyone knows everyone. I especially enjoyed the bits we got about the past and the unexpected ties between some characters.

I adored the characters A LOT. Logan and Ashley made an interesting duo and I loved the "enemies to lovers" elements (but don't expect knife to the throat enemies to lovers please). I appreciated the fact that the romance doesn't happen right away and that it's not that big of a plot. I expected a lot more romance and I'm glad the author chose to focus on the other aspects of the story as well. Besides the two girls, the dads were my favourite characters. The author made a phenomenal job with the way they were written!

Among the things this book does well, the writing is the shining star. It's so so good. I flew through the book because it was so easy and fun to read. The added jokes and the sarcasm made everything even better.

The blend of paranormal, thriller and the romance part of the book made this book very well balanced, which will probably keep the reader interested to the very end. I loved the subtle horror undertones and the slow romance.

One thing I wished the book focused more on were Ashley's friends. I feel like they weren't that well fleshed out in comparison to the other characters. They had potential to do more than what happened to them in the book.

thank you to netgalley for providing me with an arc in exchange for an honest review!

This book was so spooky and eerie and I loved the gay elements. Gay dad ghost hunters and their teen daughter all move to a small town to try and help with a missing person case. The switching POVs do a really good job of establishing the characters and the town. I would recommend this to readers who like horror and diverse LGBTQ storylines.

This is it! This is the content the gays want! While a little slow in the beginning, The Dead and the Dark winds up becoming a delightfully spooky, poignant read. I've always wanted a f/f frenemies horror novel, and alas, here one is before me. I'm extremely grateful to have been approved for a galley of this because it's what I would've loved to have had available to me when I was mid-late teens like Logan and Ashley. Even now at almost 30, I'm thrilled to see its presence, so I can't imagine how it will make LGBT+ teen girls feel when they can relate to it so much more presently than I can.

Some of the twists were predictable (mainly the big one), but I don't necessarily consider that worth knocking the novel over. I would've liked to be surprised, but I also read/watch a lot of horror, so I could just be too tuned into little clues to look for. I really found myself rooting for Ashley and cheering whenever she did something gay or to break away from her mom. I liked Logan, but Ashley was a standout character for me. Overall, I'd recommend this book, especially for LGBT+ girls who love horror like me!

The Dead and the Dark is a fast-paced mystery centered around a small town named Snakebite. When Logan and her dads (a paranormal investigation duo) find themselves in the middle of a series of murders, Logan joins forces with one of the affected teens to find out what's haunting Snakebite.

I liked this book! It doesn't take long to get into the action of the story, and the characters are great. I enjoyed the fact that we get to know more about Logan's dads (who both grew up in Snakebite and left) as the story progresses, and their relationship was one of my favorite aspects of the book. I also think Gould did a great job in creating a heavy, dark atmosphere over Snakebite. There was such tension as the story progressed, especially in terms of Snakebite residents vs Logan and her family. I do wish this had been explored a little more––it's fair and obviously true that LGBTQIA+ folks have a harder time living in small cities, but I also think that can be a bit too surface level, especially once we get the reveal. I almost think that takes away some of the seriousness of the issue.

Overall, I would definitely recommend this book to my students if they want to read more contemporary gothic-esque stories and 10/10 would love to see more adventures from Logan and her family.

Wow! This book was so cool. I thoroughly enjoyed it and will be recommending it, and it will be in time for pre-spooky season! :)

Thank you to the publisher, Wednesday Books, for providing me with an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I flew through this book in two sittings in just over 24 hours (and during a work week, so that's really something!). This story in GENUINLY CREEPY and will be the perfect Fall read for Fall 2021 (it releases 8/3/2021). I also really appreciated the Eastern Oregon setting, as it's somewhat similar to Western Idaho where I live! I have to say, the insular, small town community portrayed in this story is all too real out here...as a East Coast transplant to Idaho, I can relate.

THIS BOOK IS SO ATMOSPHERIC! You can tell the author did a lot of travelling and research around Eastern Oregon, and it really shows in the level of detail of the setting of the novel, Snakebite OR (not an actual town, but it definitely feels like one). There is also a paranormal show aspect of this, which also drew me in to the story. I don't even like ghost hunting shows because they're so cheesy, but this book acknowledges the cheesiness of these shows while also making you interested in them. Just trust me on this. :)

Let's talk representation! The book is sapphic and there is a really great female-female relationship. The parents of the main character are a bisexual man and a gay man. I adore them with all of my heart, but the story really sends you on a rollercoaster with one of them. I can't say much else without spoiling the story!

If you ever watched Riverdale but gave up because it just got way too ridiculous, this book is for you. It will give you all of the small town, creepy vibes but without the plot soup/ridiculousness of that show.

I recommend this book for fans of The Devouring Gray, Sadie, The Accident Season, The Broken Girls, and The Sun Down Motel. This book will appeal to teenagers and adults, as there are themes that transcend age and the writing is SO COMPELLING.

There are some trigger warnings here that readers should be aware of. Many of these triggers come up often throughout the book, and some are main plot points/themes of the novel. TW include but are likely not limited to: homophobia, homophobic slurs, hate crimes against LGBTQIA characters (specifically attempted murder and graffiti), murder of teenagers, microaggressions against LGBTQIA characters, intense loneliness, loss of friends, childhood death, childhood terminal illness, and coming to terms with ones sexuality/coming out to family who are homophobic.

I will provide a "Why You Should Read This Book" review on my bookstagram closer to release date. (IG is @monstrouslybookish).

I had an enjoyable time reading this and it held my attention the entire way through that I finished it within the day! I enjoyed every page and thought that the plot/story was very unique. Would recommend to anyone!

I am unable to rate this book because it would not download on my phone - wish I could have had a chance to read it.

This is dark. This is disturbing. This is ominous and haunting and eerie. This is amazing. That's it. That's the review. I loved this so much.

There are books that I read that absolutely hit all of the right buttons for me. The Dead and the Dark is definitely that kind of book.

Logan Ortiz-Woodley is a recent high school graduate living with her dads; waiting patiently to turn eighteen so she can set out into the world to discover herself and where she belongs. At the start of the story, Logan, along with her dad Alejo Ortiz are packing up for a short-term move to Snakebite, Oregon — where her dads grew up — to meet up with Logan’s other dad, Brandon Woodley. Adding a little twist to the mix, Alejo and Brandon are TV’s ParaSpectors, ghost hunters with a pretty opinionated following.

Things in Snakebite are weird. While Alejo and Brandon grew up there, and eventually left (under semi-weird circumstances that is poked at through the entire novel), not much else has changed over the years. Of note, though, is a malevolent shadowy evil called the Dark that seems to be involved in the disappearance of at least one local teen. There is definitely something going on in Snakebite that involves the history of Alejo and Brandon, and Logan is going to get to the bottom of it.

Supernatural YA mysteries are my absolute bread and butter, and The Dead and The Dark does not disappoint. Yes, there are a couple of plot points that are a touch clichéd, but, for me, that is what locks it right into the genre. You have to have these signposts in order to say “Welcome to this familiar ride. Just wait until you reach the twists.” And boy howdy, there are some twists.

Ms. Gould really nailed this one in regards to little town attitude, teen angst and a whole lot of institutional hate and mistrust. Most of the way through the book I found myself questioning why the Ortiz-Woodleys would ever put up with what they are going through, and why they wouldn’t, rather, just find another location to scout. It is painfully obvious that Snakebite is not a place anyone should be. It seems to be an absolutely awful place, but it sure makes for some compelling reading.

Bottom line: if you like spooky queer YA, then do not sleep on this one. The Dead and the Dark is Ms. Gould’s debut, and I could not be more excited about what she puts out next.

Something isn’t right in Snakebite, Oregon. Things haven’t been normal since the return of Brandon Woodley, co-host of ParaSpectors and former Snakebite resident. When his husband, Alejo Ortiz, and daughter, Logan, join him in Oregon, it’s under the guise of location scouting for their television show. But Logan isn’t convinced, and the second she steps into town she has a feeling secrets are buried there. Ashley Barton’s boyfriend, Tristan, disappeared without a trace six months ago, just a week after Brandon arrived in town. Since the family reunion, more teenagers have gone missing, and some have even turned up dead. Logan is convinced something far more sinister is behind these disappearances, and teams up with Ashley to uncover the truths about Snakebite and unravel the dark forces at play.

I thought this was such an incredible debut. It was dark, sinister, atmospheric, full of characters you may want to hit over the head with a shovel (I mean, I’m not condoning violence perse, I’m just saying…) and at the heart of it all there is Logan, a girl who knows she doesn’t belong and isn’t accepted in the unforgiving town but is forced to find the force behind the madness. Then enters Ashley, a girl living in a small town her entire life, surrounded by like-minded people who aren’t as loving to outsiders as they are to each other. She is conflicted about associating with Logan because the entire town thinks her dads are behind the murders, and additionally they don’t approve of a relationship that may form between the two of them. The mystery itself, especially interludes from the Dark’s point of view, had me itching to know what would happen next, wanting to warn the characters before they met their untimely fate, and overall kept me guessing as to who or what exactly I was dealing with here. The force itself became such a metaphor for the hatred and discrimination that can fester for generations in a place where people just aren’t open to the idea that people can be different than them. This book showed how a place filled with that hatred was able to push Alejo and Brandon, two men who loved each other and just wanted to raise a family, fully outside its bound, and did not welcome them back. This book was tough to read at times, because I could see how the adults’ world view of people who are different rubbed off on their children, who tried to incite violence upon Logan and her dads any chance they could, and in turn people who associated with them. I found it to be excellently crafted, and I will say I did not guess then ending, nor was I even confident about how the book was going to end 90% of the way through. I’d say that’s good thriller storytelling right there.

If you haven’t already surmised this, I thought The Dead and the Dark was an excellent paranormal mystery/thriller debut that will have people guessing what is amiss in Snakebite, Oregon the entire way through. I am will certainly be keeping a lookout for future works from this author, as I’m sure they will be just as spooky (and, in turn, just as gay) as this one. *Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher, Wednesday Books, for the e-copy, all thoughts and opinions are my own.*

I would love to read this book. This book looked really interesting to me and I was super excited to read it and enjoy the book. But the book will not let me download it and so I am not able to read it and give a proper review. But I did contact NetGalley to ask if they could fix it and they said that they did and it never got fixed; and I told them that and they never said anything else. So, I do not know what to do other than put a review...they said they would contact the publisher?? But so, anyways this is a ARC copy from NetGalley for exchange for a honest review. I did really thought it would be a good book, but wasn’t able to read it because it would not let me download the book on NetGalley.

This is the biggest disappointment of a book I have ever read. Perhaps i went in with a high expectation, but it is still no excuse for this story being what it is. Thanks for Netgalley for providing an arc for this.

Firstly, the writing is very dry and monotone. I felt like I was kept ata distance from the story and had no emotional attachment to anything that was happening. Multiple people died in this story yet all I can manage was "oh, they died? Okay". Because the writing just feels in a very strong lack of impact.

Secondly, the characters are very strange and hard to sympathize with. The only character I actually liked is Logan. I find Ashley to be extremely self-centered and hypocritical. Also The other characters also felt underdeveloped or just one dimensional. Almost NO single character in this remote town isn't a homophobic asshole, with the majority of them very ready to cross the line to murder like it's no biggy. It's just, almost cartoonish? Yet despite establishing all the characters in the town are trash people, the story at the end still had to force some sort of glorification and "nuance" into the utterly unsympathetic characters - including repeatedly stating an attempted murderer's motivation is pain so he can't be AS BAD AS THE SERIAL KILLER. Also the homophobic and guilt tripping woman becomes one of the "strength" of the little town Snakebite spirit. Plz, if she is the best this town has to offer, it's probably best for everyone if the town just burn down in the end.

The pacing in this book is also just weird. There was a bunch of flashbacks that slowed down the story dramatically in the middle of the climax. It really disrupted the flow of the story.

Honestly I wanted to burn the town to the ground myself in the end. Frustration is the only emotion this story invoked in me.

We follow sceptic (and unabashedly queer) Logan after her ghost hunting (also queer) fathers drag her back to the town they grew up with where she has to battle social ostracism, murder allegations, and a potentially paranormal murderer. We also follow Ashley - a popular, influential member of that town who also happens to be the girlfriend of the first teenager to go missing in a string of disappearances and deaths. While some of the paranormal aspects were lost on me, the overarching theme of what created the darkness in the book was unique. It didn’t stray away from the harshness of homophobia, the confusion of being a teenager, all while being spooky and downright wonderful.

Reads like an episode of Supernatural, but with WAY more LGBTQ rep.

Intriguing and addictive story with:
ghosts
ghost hunters!
grief
AND
a strange, small town riddled with secrets, missing teens, changes in the weather, and more secrets (and also a lot of homophobia/bigotry which I thought was handled/addressed well by the author. ( I acknowledge that ingrained and internalized homophobia/bigotry cannot be rectified over night and the treatment some characters were given were absolutely realistic.)

PLUS that cover is to DIE for.

I did find the ending a bit abrupt and would liked to have more of The Dark explored.

Gould is an OBVIOUS writer and I look forward to more of their work.

All in all a quick, enjoyable, SOLID read for a rainy Friday.

I might've been guided here by the gimmick of ghosthunting gays...but what I got was so much more than I was gunning for, and I'm so glad about it. The Dead and the Dark starts off as a seemingly standard story about supernatural sleuths slinging their ghoul-tracking gear across a tiny, traditionally tight-knit town where something sinister scuttles, but it soon slips into a thoughtful and touching synecdoche on the shadows of our grief and what we'll grit our teeth and give up for those we love. Gould's spin on the symbolism and literalness of the spectres of loss, loathing and loneliness that lurk within ourselves, our communities, and those we care about is spot-on, and the clever corollaries of the connect-the-dots plot convolutions are as compelling in their phantasmal curveballs as in their commentary about prejudice and pariahism. Both pairs of protagonists - undauntingly determined teen detectives and dog-tired TV dads - are spiritedly three-dimensional takes on tried-and-true tropes, and the town's traits and Snakebite's other denizens are developed deftly with significant depth and detail too, realized through a range of realistically rendered relationships and tender, down-to-earth romances. The small snag for me (though I'm acutely aware that this is an ARC) was that some snippets of the story appeared a little scattered or skipped altogether, but by the unfolding of the second act this seems solved, and the spine-tingling slippery slopes and absorbing sequences of the falling action - which alternate between achingly sad and absorbingly adrenaline-charged - segue soothingly to the semi-sweet, semi-forlorn and fully satisfying finale of this soul-searching scramble of spooks versus sapphics (and friends).