This one was a little slow but the ambiance was fantastic! I thought the writing could’ve been edited down a bit

Took me a long time to read but I did enjoy in the end. Wish it had a faster pace! I liked the characters and the plot - lots of questions though!

An easy to read and engaging family mystery story. Not overly academic or challenging in its language but very readable and engaging. A great tale. Coming of age stories are always a hit with me

I love coming-of-age stories! This book was so refreshing, the premise and the setting so nicely woven with the characters, their needs and wants, that I really fell from it, from the very first moment I started reading it. You keep guessing what will happen next and this is something difficult to find in a YA book as many tend to be predictable.

The most favourite of all though was the Southern Gothic charm--Candice Marley Conner nailed this one and she's my new auto-buy author. Thanks for giving me a chance to read this ARC!

Thank you to NetGalley and Owl Hollow Press for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of The Existence of Bea Pearl. An interesting family drama and mystery, although the book starts out slowly and the ending might be disappointing to some. The prose was a bit unwieldy and the characterization wasn't always consistent. Great atmospheric setting and natural description.

An easy to read and engaging family mystery story. Not overly academic or challenging in its language but very readable and engaging. A great tale.

*Thank you to NetGalley and Owl Hollow Press for providing me with an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own*

Characters
Although I enjoyed the narrative voice throughout, and the untrustworthy narrator aspect (which had me double guessing at several points in the book), unfortunately I found that Bea, Honey and Colin read as quite young in some sections, in both their language and behaviour, and then by the end they were speaking like adults instead of a teenagers. This made sections quite jarring and confusing. However, I really enjoyed the questioning around Colin in the first half of the book, and the way that this relationship grows. It wasn't necessary (I feel this way about a lot of romance, these days), but it was done well in my opinion.

Plot
The first half of the book dragged and it felt like not much was happening, even though there were a fair number of clues being dropped. It took me 3 months to read, as a result. I read the second half quite quickly as things started to pick up and fall into place. However, a lot of the solutions to the mystery were far fetched and I let out an audible sigh of discontent when I put it all together and figured out which direction we were headed in. The resolution felt rushed and unbelievable.

Content warnings: Drugs, Guns, Missing Person, Death of a family member (referred to in past), common use of the word "crazy" to describe the MC, flood, kidnapping

i really enjoyed reading this it was a great mystery novel and had interesting premise. The characters were fun and I enjoyed going on this adventure with them.

I have received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Why hello my little spooky book. I feel like it was the perfect time to jump into The Existence of Bea Pearl. Mostly because it's fall weather time and I'm ready for all the scary movies and books to come my way. Heck, I might even do a conjuring movie marathon this weekend.

In this, you will meet Bea Pearl. I mean the title of the book really gives it away so you shouldn't be surprised. She's about 16 years old and is basically the only person alive who doesn't think her brother is dead. Even after he's declared dead she still wants to figure out what actually happened.

Move on over Nancy freaking Drew because Bea Pearl means business and she's going to solve this mystery!

Now I'm not going to lie. I was completely suspicious of every person or thing in this book. Especially whenever Bea is near the water. At times I didn't know what to think or believe because each twist and betrayal that came my way confused me so much. In a good way though because it kept me and the true suspect(s) on their toes. Or my toes really.

In the end, I kind of wished I liked the characters a bit more. Don't get me wrong, some were likable but a lot weren't my cup of tea. I also felt like Bea was a pretty unreliable narrator at times. Especially when it came to her memories/dreams throughout this book. I'm still very happy that I got the chance to dive into this book and now I need more spooky reads in my life!

The Existence of Bea Pearl is a very nice read. Slightly predictable in parts but it doesn't detract from the overall reading experience. It's a mixes mystery and thriller elements together extremely well. Has likeable characters and characters who are just downright horrid, who all bring their own quirks to the story.

If you're looking to fall in love with the perfect mix of mystery meets thriller then this book is for you. Set in a small town on a swampy river in lower Alabama, this book captures the uneasy atmosphere of the swamp to fit its overarching mystery tone.

Bea Pearl, the main character, is attempting to solve what truly happened to her brother during a terrible storm. She's been convinced that she's the reason he died; however, things just aren't adding up. The short and sweet chapters that were written from Bea's perspective created a really intriguing narration throughout the story.

It felt like the characters were often gaining up on Bea and forcing her to accept her grief before she ready. The writing was very raw and I had a hard time putting this book down as I felt like I was with Bea as she unearthed more clues.

*I received this book for free from the publisher via NetGalley. Thank you!*

⭐⭐⭐⭐ -- Mixed Bag

This was a bit of a mixed bag for me. I enjoyed the book overall. I loved Bea, Honey, and Colin. Loved the setting. However, I hated every adult in this book. Especially Bea's parents. There is one incident that takes place in the book that you find out Bea's mother was responsible for that just nailed the coffin shut for me. These people basically let the entire town think their daughter is crazy!? I also had an issue with the ending. It felt rushed, far-fetched, and honestly, a little eye rolling. 🤷🏻‍♀️

**ARC Via NetGalley**

I honestly don’t know how I feel about this book! It wasn’t bad at all. It was predictable though. I enjoyed the setting, I thought the author did a great job placing us in that gulfy swamp bayou town. Even though it was predictable, I enjoyed the pacing. I couldn’t pinpoint a couple of plot points, which was nice. Bea was a developed character. Her pluckiness was admirable. Overall it felt like a Cajun Riverdale episode. Take that as you will. (I don’t mean it in a negative way at all!!)

I received a digital copy of the book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

The story starts six months after the disappearance of Bea Pearl’s brother, Jim. For six months there hasn’t been any evidence Jim is still alive that’s why his family holds a funeral and declares him dead. Everyone but Bea Pearl thinks he’s dead. We follow her on her daily life after the funeral and her search for clues on Jim’s whereabouts.

The start of the book is really slow paced. It took me about half the book to get me into it. Sometimes it felt like nothing was happening even though something was indeed happening and we were discovering things related to Jim’s disappearance.

It was hard to connect with the main character. Maybe it was the writing style? It just didn’t get me to interest me for what was happening in the story.

To put it simply, I think this book just wasn’t for me.

Even though I said that, I read the last third of the book in one sitting, I just couldn’t put it down.

Bea Pearl is an interesting character - her ability to investigate and head strong personality, makes her a nice and likable protagonist. I like that the plot started straight away and the world building wasn’t too intense or too wordy. Every feature of the book meshed really well and Candace has a way of writing that is so beautiful, it is hard to not imagine the world whilst going through the plot. My image of the town was so dark, rainy and wet which fits the dreary topic and investigation.

This book made me think about how someone so close to us might be a stranger to us as well, no matter the proximity we have with people, we never really know them as well as we’d like to think.

Overall, the pace and plot were executed excellently. I really enjoyed this book 💖

"Limestone covered in Ferns, Spanish Moss hanging from Cypress Branches, Mullet jumping, Damselflies spreading Rainbows"~~~~The Beauty of a River. (quoted from a card the author sent me for winning a little Instagram contest called this or that).

"I am indebted to the past of Lake Geneva and the stories told to me by other generations. To Michael McDowell's Blackwater Saga (and Lake Pinchona) that first showed me how to wrap the familiar into atmospheric stories" ~From the author under Acknowledgements

I loved this book! No, I mean...I really loved it! I came across this local author thru a Facebook book club I am in. I read a few of her short stories in some of the Mobile Writer's Guild Anthologies. I mostly knew I would love anything she was putting her hand to when she co-led a discussion we had in our book club for Michael McDowell's, The Elementals last summer/fall. (August 2020). She brought so much background to the setting and about McDowell himself. We also couldn't help but discuss Blackwater in our week-long group read. I was blown away by her enthusiasm and knowledge of the author and the place Blackwater was set in. She "brought it!" and I was amazed!

I was so excited when I began to see her post about writing this book about sweet Bea Pearl. When I saw it was going to be offered on NetGalley I requested it immediately. I was not disappointed. Candice will be a go-to author from here on out. This is a coming-of-age novel set amidst the rivers and swamps about 3 hrs away from me. I loved young Bea Pearl so much. While I admit I enjoy beaches, sand, and waves, seashells and mermaids more than swamp life, I have to say I grew up spending summers off a river in Greene County, AL, and I have some of the best memories of floating down the river and swinging from a rope into the river. I broke my ankle doing that one summer. I think I was about 13. I let go too soon and hit the bank. Oh man, that hurt! But, anyway...I loved river life until I moved to the Gulf Coast and became a beach girl. I still love Spanish moss and damselflies!

So..the story begins...hey have declared Bea's brother dead. They never found his body after he and Bea got swept off by a flood. Bea is miserable. Some would say it was her fault. Maybe even her own mother thinks that. Bea cannot give up hope her brother is still alive out there somewhere. She saw a boat pick him up and lift him out of the water. Half the town thinks she has lost it. Nothing seems like it will be normal for her again. A lot of shenanigans go down at the restaurant her father owns and people blame her. She meets a cute boy and we find out he knows a little bit, but is it enough? They share some summer kisses on the river (and of course you want them to). How is he involved tho? And then there are mean girls. Really mean girls who want to see Bea suffer and someone definitely thinks Bea might be on to something with her investigations and make attempts to stop her. Bea questions her own existence. She is falling in love too.

The author said she loved reading Nancy Drew growing up and I did too. (and sometimes still do!) This is so much better! The author's note is one you will not want to miss. Bea's world is a world I feel I know very well and setting can make or break a book. I also grew up spending a lot of time out on some property my grandparents owned close to Tuscaloosa, AL, called Big Sandy. We often swam in that icy cold creek water, dark and full of little bugs and what other little creatures...who knows what. But we loved it!

Conner shares, "The two rivers in Bea Pearl's world are modeled after real ones that flow down lower Alabama and reach the Gulf of Mexico near the Destin, FL and Fort Walton Beach area-the Choctawhatchee and one of its tributaries-the Pea River. Talakhatchee is the Muscogee name for the Pea River which translates to "pea green stream." The Chatothatchee is modeled after the Choctawhatchee. It's an incredibly biodiverse area (hence Colin's sturgeon storyline), and along with two other neighboring river basins, it makes up the highest level of biodiversity in the United States. The Choctawhatchee is named after the Choctaw Indians. But the Native Americans that lived in this region were the Chatots, though the name was spelled incorrectly on those early British maps. This story is my little way of correcting the clerical mistake and paying homage to the now extinct Chatot tribe." (author's Note).

I really can't say enough about this book. It is most certainly my favorite read so far of 2021. Many thanks to the publisher, Oak Hollow Press, via NetGalley, and the author, Candice Marley Conner, for a digital copy to read for review. The pleasure has been all my own. Publishes June 14. $4.99 on kindle. It’s totally worth that price. Go read it! #swampwild

When her parents have her brother declared legally dead, a teen embarks on her own investigation into his disappearance--only to discover that her small town's secrets may put her in grave danger.

THE EXISTENCE OF BEA PEARL checks all the boxes you look for in a YA thriller: a kidnapping, parental drama, a supportive but skeptical BFF, a love triangle, ill-defined danger, and a protagonist you're not sure you can trust. While it's not in the same league as a Megan Miranda or a Karen McManus, the lower intensity and lack of violence allows this thriller to skew younger, and it might have an easier time getting past gatekeepers. I'd put THE EXISTENCE OF BEA PEARL in the hands of a thriller-hungry reader in grade 8 or above.

A good mystery.

The story follows sixteen year old Bea Pearl as she struggles to find her brother, Jim, who went missing during a flood. Everyone in her town including her parents think that Jim drowned and declared him legally dead. Bea Pearl is the only one who believes that Jim is still alive. Going against her parents and her town, she tries to solve the mystery behind her brother's disappearance. Will she be able to find her brother? Or, Is he really dead? Read to find out.

This book is loaded with fascinating details of forests, swamps, and lakes. The book cover rightly compliments the natural setting of the story. The setting gives the story a mystical feel and many times I felt that I am reading a fantasy.

Coming to the characters, I like Colin the most. Unfortunately, I didn't like Bea especially in the beginning. She is whimsical and a bit childish. The quality I like about her is that she didn't give up and believed in herself.

The beginning of the story is a bit slow but it picks up somewhere around chapter ten. After that the story became more interesting and I enjoyed the mystery part of it. But, the conclusion disappointed me. It's a bit unrealistic.

Overall, it's an interesting and good mystery to read. I would recommend this to those who likes light and easy to read mystery.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the arc.

I wonder if those two fireflies on the cover are intentionally there to look like eyes. I only noticed them after i started to fear that something supernatural might happen. I even went through the genres of the book and thankfully there was no horror in it so I continued reading trying to solved the clues. However, its never what you think so you start to suspect everyone and let Bea’s paranoia get to you. There was a time I even started to suspect her friend and parents.

At times I got annoyed when Bea instead of investing something that happened either forgot about it or thought it was her imagination. Other than that it was a quick read. I couldn’t put it down and raced to the end to see what happened to her brother Jim.

Despite him being legally declared dead and accusations of insanity, Bea Pearl believes her brother is still alive. After his funeral she sets out full force to find him, navigating high school, family, and corruption along the way. This book has received some wonderful reviews, although it simply isn't for me, and I fear my review won't do it justice for its intended audience. There's definitely a fan base for this story!