Rating: 5/5 stars, one of my favourites of the year so far

“I don’t think people should live by the ocean. It’s too big to understand.”

I have really enjoyed Catriona Wards brand of horror in the past, but Looking Glass Sound hit me on an even deeper and more existential level than any of her previous works did. What seemingly starts off as a traditional King-esque thriller about a trio of teens confronted with the threat of a serial killer in a small town quickly opens up to reveal a layered masterpiece of metaphysical horror on memory, storytelling and more.

Synopsis:
Our story begins in the late 1980’s, with 16-year old Wilder, vacationing with his parents in a cottage in rural Maine’s Whistler Bay. Over the course of the summer, Wilder develops a close friendship with Nat and Harper, exploring the beaches and scaring each other with local legends of oceanic ghosts and the infamous serial killer known as the Dagger Man of Whistler Bay. The three make a seemingly naive vow to return to this place every year to meet up, and relive these glorious days. When a gruesome discovery is made, involving the legend of the Dagger Man, it reframes the magical events of this summer forever.
Wilder, unable to shake the trauma of what happened that fateful summer, returns years later to Whistler Bay to face his ghosts and to finish his book: the autobiographical tale of the summer that changed his life. Before long, the lines between facts and fiction begin to blur for Wilder ánd for us as the reader.

A layered masterpiece
Ward weaves a tale of layer upon layer, twist upon turn, and, fiction upon truth. The result had my had reeling in the best way possible, and makes for a novel that I couldn’t stop thinking about even after putting it down. I read it compulsively and even caught it doing circles in my head when I was doing something else entirely.
The setting and atmosphere are vivid, characters are memorable, but the true strength of the book is in its unpacking of the nature of storytelling and memory. Wilders novel is an exorcism of his own childhood trauma: revisiting it, examining it through the eyes of different “characters” involved, and ultimately twisting and warping it into a cohesive narrative. For both the character ánd the reader, it’s a trip through the looking glass; a desperate hunt for answers in a tale that seems to spiral its way down into the dark.
These meta-layers make Looking Glass Sound a novel that requires the readers full attention. It also made it one of my favourite reads of the year so far, as a mindboggling piece of psychological horror, but also a heart wrenching and strangely relatable tale of a man haunted by childhood trauma he cannot shake.

Personal take-aways
Full disclosure: I read this book as I’m in the middle of writing my own novel. A lot of these themes of storytelling were already taking up free real-estate in my mind, so that may have helped to deepen the impact this book had on me personally. It does not take away from the depth of my recommendation that you read this book. If you are a fan of psychological horror, do yourself a favour and set apart a chunk of time to commit to this book. Catriona Ward has created a masterpiece that I hope will be enjoyed by many.

Many thanks to Viper Press for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

As usual with Catriona Ward’s books, nothing is quite what it seems in Looking Glass Sound. It is a genre-defying and inventive read that subverts expectation at every turn. I’m not going to try to explain the plot as it’s the kind that really has to be experienced to understand but it’s a deeply fascinating story that includes themes of life-altering friendship, retribution, death and the question of to whom a story truly belongs and who has the right to tell it.

Looking Glass Sound is very much a story about storytelling and is beautifully written with a hauntingly eerie atmosphere throughout. The characters are complex and layered in a way that makes them increasingly difficult to truly decipher, a feat made harder by the structure of the book which turns everything on its head more than once. Looking Glass Sound is a complicated book in some ways but it is well worth the concentration it demands. Dark, poignant, unnerving and achingly emotional - this is yet another triumph from Catriona Ward!

If you’ve been following this author’s career up til now you’ll know what a twisy unpredictable ride you are in for especially after the previous two novels, ‘Last House on Needless Street’ and last year’s ‘Sundial’.

And boy, does ‘Looking Glass Sound’ follow suit.

However, don’t be fooled. This novel isn’t just twists and turns (or maybe it is). Essentially it’s beautifully crafted, haunting (in just the right dose), and terrifying at times – the exploits of the Daggerman will send a shiver down your spine. It’s also a coming-of-age story, a love story, a horror story. It is everything. And more…

Looking Glass Sound is a triumph – mesmerising whilst being totally unpredictable. I got around 30 pages from the end and had absolutely no idea how it was all going to play out, even after being side-stepped a couple of times. And while I couldn’t wait to finish the novel just to see what fate would befall the characters – in the same breath, I did not want the story to end.

It’s a book that reaches a satisfying (and suitably spooky) conclusion and at the same time it’s one that you’ll want to read again – immediately – as you go over in your mind exactly what has happened and all the different connections you may have missed.

This is set to be a re-read for me just so I can experience the friendships and ultimate fate of Wilder, Nate, Harper and Sky all over again. They are wonderful characters wrapped up in an exceptional book. It’s just a pity I can’t read this for the first time again. Although maybe with a little bit of black magic…

A five-star read and highly recommended.

⭐️ 2 ⭐️

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC, in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.

I’ve seen so many rave reviews for this book, so I’m definitely in the minority with my thoughts on this one.

I think Ward’s writing is excellent — The Last House on Needless Street was one of my favourite reads in 2021 but unfortunately Looking Glass Sound didn’t hit the mark at all for me. I thought the first half was better than the second but I still didn’t find it atmospheric, chilling or creepy and certainly wouldn’t describe it as horror.

The second half was just too disjointed and confusing — the book within a book (within a book) storyline became repetitive and by the end I didn’t care what happened to any of the characters and I couldn’t wait to finish it.

I’m sure lots of people will love Looking Glass Sound, but sadly it wasn’t for me.

I'm not going to say too much about this book. It's one of those where the least you know the more you'll enjoy it. What I can say is that it's BRILLIANT!

Ward's writing is excellent, dark and gripping.

The story is simple enough on the surface... but the deeper you go into the story the stranger it gets. Small things that don't fit. Different point of views in different timelines that don't add up. My theories went wild at some point but nothing could have prepared me for the twist... amazing.

This is a book you'll want to reread as soon as you finish to see if you could have figured it out.

Highly recommended.

Thank you NetGalley and Viper for an advance copy.

Everything can be seen differently. Every author can write the same story and yet take the reader down a different road. Catriona Ward understands this and uses different perspectives as the basis for this novel.
The result is complex, captivating, original and, at times, more than a little confusing. But her books consistently contain something that sticks with you and often draw you back for a second read as you seek answers as to why her characters chose to follow certain paths. Clever and intelligent writing by an accomplished author

I received this book from NetGalley and the publisher in return for an honest review. This review is based entirely on my own thoughts and feelings.

Overall rating : 5*
Writing skill : 5*
Plot: 5*
Pace: 4*
Characters: 5*
Twists: 4*

I’m going to have to review this much the same way as The Last House On Needless Street because you cannot give anything away in these reviews. The writing is yet again incredible. I don’t know how she thinks up these stories and plots and characters, buts she’s genius. If you like a story that’s plot driven with brilliant characters that’s leads you down a path you have no idea where it’s heading then I implore you to pick this up. I will never not be excited when I see Ward is writing a new book!

This book transports the reader to summer, to the beach and sun and also something more sinister lurking in the shadows.
The book follows Wilder, from teenager through to writer and his story unfolds like the sea - ebbing backwards and forwards.

I found this a challenging read - I struggled to connect with the younger characters at the start of the book, I found them all unlikeable and the pace was a little slow for me to get drawn in. I had to keep coming back to read little excerpts at a time which interrupted the flow of the story.

The writing was very descriptive and I could feel the visual image of the coast line and of the danger that lurked. I didn’t enjoy the experience of reading this book, but perhaps that is all credit to the author for some cleverly crafted writing.


Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for this ARC in return for an honest review.

I was delighted to receive an early copy of Looking Glass Sound, having loved Catriona Ward's previous novel, The Last House on Needless Street (one of my favourite books of 2021!).

The novel follows a character named Wilder, whose parents inherit a cottage on the Maine coast. While vacationing there, Wilder becomes friends with Nat, a local who lives with his fisherman father, and Harper, an English girl who is holidaying with her family for the summer. Their days are spent in the water and by the fire on the beach, experiencing things that will bind them together for life. Sounds like a charming coming-of-age tale, right? Well, it's much darker than that!

The novel opens with an excerpt from Wilder’s memoir, through which we discover more about the the characters' friendships as well as sinister events going on in the coastal town. Several women have disappeared, one of whom is said to haunt the waters that lick the cove, and a predator has been stealing into houses and photographing sleeping children, leaving only a polaroid behind as evidence.

This is the kind of novel you want to inhale, but one that needs time and consideration to properly appreciate it. The writing is beautifully rich and arresting, and the non-liner narrative coupled with the book-within-a-book structure may throw some readers off-guard. But trust me when I say this book is worth your time.

Looking Glass Sound is utterly mesmerising, dark and sinister in it's depiction of friendship, identity, perception and memory, love and revenge. It is so vivid and atmospheric and claustrophobic, it will give you chills as you take it in. I was constantly unnerved as I read it!

If you like to be captivated by words on a page; if you like to stretch your imagination and explore stories about murder and magic and ghosts - both literal and metaphorical - this is a must-read. The true crime vibe adds an extra layer of intrigue, making it the perfect blend of horror, mystery, and psychological thriller, all wrapped up in the most stunning prose.

This novel is so unique. Ward has created a world that feels both familiar and entirely new, and her characters are so well-developed that you feel like you know them personally. The dark turns in the plot will keep you guessing, and the ending is both satisfying and thought-provoking.

This is a haunting but deeply human and emotionally resonant novel; a true gem of a book that I know will be on my favourites of 2023 list.

Wow! Ward is the queen of messing with your head! This book is so twisty, meta and intriguing.

I loved the storyline at the beginning, about Wilder, Nat and Harper, it was so well-written and evocative of childhood friendship, very reminiscent of Stephen King. Then we have a gear change with the plot taking us to Wilder at colleg where he forms a relationship with Sky and works through the trauma haunting him from his past.

Ok, all of this is reasonably linear. Then prepare yourself to get on board the rollercoaster where Ward takes you on high velocity twists and turns looping in and in on yourself until you don't know which way is up or down. Don't worry, you're in safe hands with Ward as she always makes it clear what she wants you to know and understand at the right moment. But it's a real ride!

Loved the premise of this book and the twists. The ending let it down for me though, just felt a bit jarring. Maybe because the pov changes so often, but just didn't work for me. But overall a really enjoyable read.

This honest review is given with thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this book.

A summer by the beach
Friendships
Love
The dagger man
Murder
Tragedy
Betrayal

Ah no-one is more disappointed than me, that in a tidal wave of praise, I cannot get fully on board..
There is so much good to say about this so I'll start there.

Catriona Ward's writing is exquisite! So beautiful! Her vivid descriptions transported me to Whistler bay, then to college, a boarding school and back to the bay again. I felt like I was there, I can still picture it as if it's a real place. In addition, the characters were written so well, making them believable, if not entirely likeable!

AHH the feelings her books evoke.. I felt unease, unsettled, creeped out, sad. This book has ALL the triggers!

I loved the mystery element of the Dagger Man, and the horrifying events which unfolded when Wilder, Nat and Harper were teenagers.

But then it started to go a bit off the rails for me. Part two, when Wilder decided to write a book was very repetitive. It was the same story but with slightly different names, and I didn't enjoy it at all.

The ending disappointed me also. It was just chaotic! There was just so much going on.

Ultimately, this book was a little too weird for me. Reading about a book within a book within a book?! So confusing! I'm clearly not as clever as other readers because I was overwhelmed! For a large part of the book, I didn't know what was real and what was imagined. I was confused about the characters, who wrote what and what actually happened. I'm pretty sure I know now having finished it, but this is becoming a familiar trend when reading a book by this author! Just confusing layers upon layers upon layers 😂

I feel haunted by certain parts, some of this book is going round and round in my head! And I did go back through the book, once something was revealed!

I do have to mention, that the first third of my E-ARC wasn't formatted very well. This happens sometimes, and I know I read an unedited early copy of this title and any typos or formatting issues will be edited for the final version, but in this case, I found it incredibly difficult to read. There were paragraphs missing or out of order, half sentences that I had to chase up on other pages, and strange incidents where a character would be talking to another character somewhere, and then in the next paragraph there were with someone else in a completely different place! It speaks well for part one, that this didn't make me DNF, I wanted to find out what happened!

I loved The Last House on Needless Street and my mind was a bit blown by Sundial but I still don't really know how I feel about this one...

This is a very dark and atmospheric book, or should I say it’s a book within a book. It all started off so normally I actually checked to make sure I was reading the right book! Written by Wilder Harlow we are swept into the story of his childhood holidays in Whistler Bay where he meets and befriends poor little rich English girl Harper and dirt poor Nate. Wilder is not a happy boy, he is different, and all his life he has been teased and bullied, but now he has friends. Wilder also had a roommate at college, Sky, his best friend, or so he thought! Written largely in the form of Wilder’s memoir this is a beautifully composed atmospheric read but not an easy one, I did need to concentrate and read it over the course of two days.

Briefly, Sky stole Wilder’s notes and turned it into a bestselling novel but he died without ever having explained why. The memoir was about his childhood and his childhood friends and the often frightening and unexplained events that took place during his summers in Whistler Bay. But as he writes his book strange and disturbing things happen.

The narrative can be confusing, Wilder was an unreliable narrator at times, and I feel I want to go back and read it again to explore all the nuances I didn’t quite get at first read. Disturbing and unsettling but completely engaging, I couldn’t put it down. So hard to review without spoilers, a haunting read that needs its own genre - horror, paranormal, murder mystery, coming of age, romance, family drama - that should cover it. Brilliant.

Looking Glass Sound by Catriona Ward
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4.5 stars
Publication date: 20 April 2023
Thank you to NetGalley and Serpent's Tail for providing me with an e-copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
~~~~~
In a windswept cottage overlooking the sea, Wilder Harlow begins the last book he will ever write. It is the story of his childhood companions and the shadowy figure of the Daggerman, who stalked the New England town where they spent their summers.
~~~~~
This is such a difficult book to review because I think that you are better off going into it knowing nothing about it at all (very much the same as Ward's The Last House on Needless Street, which was a 5-star read for me a couple of years ago.)
I loved this; Ward's writing is really evocative and atmospheric. She creates an extremely strong sense of place and the environment is as much a character as the protagonists. This story always keeps you on edge and completely off-kilter, especially as you can never quite trust what you're being told, who by or when.
It is a very meta book, that builds on itself and takes you places you cannot predict, right until the end.
You need to trust the process and go with the flow of this book; it will mess with your head and you'll often wonder what the heck you're reading.
I am very grateful to have been given the opportunity to read and review this book ahead of its publication, and I've already treated myself to a finished copy. I also really want to catch up on Ward's Little Eve and Sundial sooner rather than later, because I think I have another favourite author in my life.
~~~~~

Unsettling, eerie & utterly compelling. Part coming-of-age, part horror, part crime, part meta-fiction, this story combines gentleness & ferocity. And just as you think you know what's going on, everything changes. I loved the Wilder-Nat-Harper scenes and the idea of one story told by various people. As with all Ward's books, when I finish, I swear a bit & then want to start again at the beginning. Fabulous.

Wilder, a teenager with complicated parents gets to have a family holiday in his uncle's cottage off the Maine coast. Every single ingredient of escapism and coming of age is there: an isolated spot, a sunny beach, unforeseen and slightly dangerous friends, late night drinking & swimming, and a serial killer lurking. If that doesn't hook you, nothing will I guess. But it wouldn't be Catriona Ward if the whole plot would just trod along the way. No sir, not with her. Here, the story stops being linear and we get to read a different book from a different writer about that fateful summer. And when you think you have it all figured out, she does it again and we're off puzzling again...

I think that confusion is the main theme of the book; the characters certainly are, the writing is, but we the reader are just being thrown from here to there and it's done in the most wonderful way. I think the first thing I wanted to do after finishing is to start all over again, but then I'm afraid it would just detract from that wonderful confused state that I am left in. I don't really know who or what I should believe, and that is just perfect and very refreshing after all the "let me explain in detail" endings that seem to be so popular lately.

And apart from the original theme, the modern build up, the eerie atmosphere, most and foremost there is the incredibly beautiful writing. It's poetic and tender and then smashes you with a sledgehammer that you just didn't see coming.

Bravo !

A very sincere THANK YOU to Netgalley, Serpent's Tail / Viper and the author for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is a superbly written novel. The level of intricacies throughout the book is acutely noticeable, as is the quality and depth of the story. This author has really evolved and grown from her previous work, which bearing in mind how amazing her earlier works are, is no small compliment or accomplishment.

The story is complicated, engaging and frankly delightful. The plot is strong on many levels, full of interesting and intriguing characters who are not one dimensional. What I especially liked is that the book doesn't fall into genres, but is simply a very clever and original story told very well.
I am grateful to the publisher for allowing me to read an early copy and when I read a story of this quality, I am even more appreciative.
This author has written some incredible books and I think her progression and evolvement will continue on a unbelievably high level in the future.

The story:
In 1989, the Dagger Man is stalking the small coastal community of Whistler Bay. Years later, Wilder Harlow returns to write his story, a story that was stolen from him, to put the record straight about the horrifying events that happened to him and his friends that summer. But Wilder is not the only one to own this story… Will he, or someone else be the one to finish it?

My thoughts:
“Looking Glass Sound” is the third Catriona Ward book I’ve read (following the fabulous “Sundial” and “The Last House on Needless Street”), and once again I felt in need of turning right back to page 1 as soon as I’d finished reading…! The author has an amazing skill for turning the reader’s expectations on their head, while at the same time writing an exciting and satisfying thriller.

The story centres around the events of one summer in a coastal town in Maine. Lonely, bullied 16-year-old Wilder and his family have come to Whistler Bay to spend the summer by the sea in a cottage inherited by his parents. There he is befriended by local boy Nat and troubled, rich-girl Harper, who take him under their wing. Through them he learns about the Dagger Man — an unknown person who has been breaking into local homes at night, and taking Polaroids of sleeping children with a knife held to them. If this isn’t disturbing enough, there is something worse lurking under the surface at Whistler Bay, and Wilder and his friends are at the centre of a horrifying discovery that tears them apart and binds them together. Years later, Wilder returns to write his story about what happened that summer, and the events that followed.

This alone would be enough plot for any thriller, but is really just the beginning of this twisting, intriguing and menacing story, which pulls the rug from under the reader just when you think you know where things are going.

As with the author’s previous works, to say too much in a review would be to spoil it for others. To say that I have just read a book, about someone writing a book about someone writing a book about someone stealing a book sounds ridiculous, but that (I think!) is what I’ve done and somehow is both works and is extremely enjoyable. This book is a wonderful mixture of murder mystery, coming-of-age story, with a helping of horror thrown in. Catriona Ward has become a go-to author for me, and I can’t wait to see what she comes up with next!

Looking Glass Sound is a bit of genius wrapped in a tribute and dusted with meta-fiction. It is a parcel to be unwrapped with care; a delicious puzzle to piece together telling a horror story that never really ends.
We begin with a tribute. We are on the edge of the cliff in Whistler Bay looking out at the wild Maine seascape. 16 year old Wilder is a strange boy. Pale, with large ‘bug’ eyes, he has no friends and is miserable at school. He is staying at his late uncle’s house with his parents who do nothing but argue – except when his father disappears for long periods at a time.
Then Wilder meets Nat and Harper and for the first time he finds the bonds of friendship. This, then, is a coming of age story set beside the bleak and angry sea, under which very bad things lie.
Very Stephen King. But this is also a book about the act of writing; about who can tell a story and whether the stories belong to those who experience them, or are better told by those who can place some objectivity between events and those to whom they happened.
We follow Wilder from those days of early friendship through the horrors of The Daggerman, a serial killer who first takes Polaroids of his victims, posing them while they sleep with a dagger at their throat or ear before taking them and then sending the families their photograph.
Wilder helped to expose the true horrors of The Daggerman and it has haunted him ever since, alongside what it did to the only true friends he has ever had.
In college he tries to write about it. A memoir that he desperately needs to write, but which he can’t find the words for. His notes though and the news clippings from that time keep him calm. They are his solace when he can’t sleep.
His college roommate Sky Montague becomes a close friend. A somewhat pretentious young man who carries Proust ad writes in green ink. If he used a computer to write, it would surely be in comic sans. Sky helps Wilder to get his emotions out and encourages him to write and to face some of his demons – in one case literally. But Wilder is again betrayed again by one he trusts the most. Sky writes his own book about Wilder’s experiences and it is a barely concealed populist horror story based on Wilder’s experiences. It is hugely popular and Sky himself much feted before he dies.
So Wilder decides he will now write the real story and in the process he will expose Sky for the fraudulent story teller that he was. He is still hurting from Sky’s betrayal and from losing what he believed was a real love. But Wilders eyesight is failing and although he finds a way to put Sky into his story, he fears that he is losing his mind as he keeps seeing a woman drowning in the cove – a woman no-one else can see. Then notes in green ink start appearing in the periphery of his vision. What is going on?
Verdict: Looking Glass Sound is a multi-layered story with some truly horrific elements and a very intricate plot. It has some wonderful characters but what makes it so special is the way that it creates massive empathy for the characters while treating writing as the real monster. One story told in different ways by different people. Who really owns a story? This one is slippery; it keeps changing, like a dynamic entity. The full story will not become clear until the end and even then it will surprise you and break your heart. It is a beautifully vivid horror story, with real depth and full of wonderful imagery you want to get lost in. This is literary fiction wrapped in horror and it is such a deliciously dark read.

Catriona Ward is an author who will forever excite me. There's always something about her books that disturbs and intrigues me, and I love it!

A chilling and mesmerising ghost story, Looking Glass Sound is a powerfully atmospheric and beautifully unnerving story that will unsettle and compel in equal measures.

I absolutely loved the horror elements of this one. The opening section had me immensely excited but full of apprehension at the same time, the atmosphere gave me chills but completely drew me in, and the image of the ghost of Rebecca felt straight out of a Guillermo del Toro horror film.

I loved the characters and could easily picture this trio of friends. There's so much mystery around each of them and I was desperate to know what was going on in both the past and present. It's an absolute puzzle of a plot, but I absolutely loved trying to piece it together.

But while there's so much about this book that I'm in awe of, there's also a lot that went over my head. I wish I had a better grasp of what was going on at the end, but it just didn't connect very well in my head. That, of course, won't be the case for most readers, though.

Even while writing this review, I have upped my rating by half a star. I think it's always exciting to expect the unexpected with a book, because it's likely to completely blow your mind. And while I may have to re-read this one at some point, the characters and the setting are still living in my head, so I have to praise it for having such a long-lasting effect on me.

Having read a few of this authors books, I knew I was going to be in for a bit of a unique ride reading this one, and I was not wrong!

In Looking Glass Sound, we are introduced to teenagers Wilder, Nat and Harper as they meet over a summer break at Whistler Bay. What starts of as what feels a bit like a coming-of-age story, takes a very Ward twist quite quickly!

Covering several character points of view and timelines, this book requires, and deserves your full attention. It is out there, in the best and most addictive way and I am not sure I fully understood all aspects of this multi-layered tale, but I enjoyed it nonetheless!