Looking Glass Sound is a story within a story, but it would have worked much better for me if it had stopped after Part 1. Part two felt quite repetitive and went on and on and on. The more pages read, the more questions popped up, leaving this reader wondering if anything was true by the end. Thank you to Tor Publishing Group and NetGalley for an ARC of this book.

I started out really enjoying this book. It's atmospheric with great tension building and then it goes entirely off the rails into a chaotic meta fiction mess that is so confusing I'm still not sure I can put it together...nor do I care to.

Cat Ward does it again with another phenomenal story. Her writing is so beautiful, I don’t know how she does it. This book captivated me from the very beginning.

In a cottage overlooking the Maine Coast, Wilder Harlow begins writing the last book he’ll have write. It’s the story of his childhood and the killer that stalked the island. Sky, one of Wilder’s best friends stole his unfinished memoir and turned into a bestseller. Wilder feels like he’s losing grip on reality when he starts finding little notes around the cottage written in Sky’s green ink.

This book was so freakin good! I didn’t love it as much as I’ve loved some of Cat’s other books but it’s still a fantastic read. I loved the setting of the story and the different timelines throughout. It made the book even more enjoyable. It did get a little confusing at times and I found myself having to fully concentrate on what I was reading.

If you love gothic, twisty feels with some murder mystery then I highly recommend picking this one up on August 8th!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Tor Nightfire for the e-arc!

"Often the hands will solve a mystery that the intellect has struggled with in vain." (Carl Jung)

Not gonna lie.......

Don't enter into this one unless you're up for a sparkin' 10 on the Creep-O-Meter. Catriona Ward has a magnificent gift of getting into the dark things. She weaves her words into the dimly lit places in the mind that build long shadows top to bottom. True Horror fans wait with excitement. All others call an Uber and exit immediately.

It's 1989 near Whistling Rocks on the coast of Maine. Wilder Harlow, just sixteen, and his family have inherited a cottage facing the ocean and the jagged coastline. Often bullied at school, Wilder desperately needs an escape. His parents bring their disjointed marriage along with them.

Wilder takes to the water like one of the seals sunbathing near the shore. It's here that the inner core of this story will take hold. Wilder "Will" meets up with Harper and Nathaniel "Nat". Harper has bright red hair and a British accent. She confesses that she's transferred to more schools than Skittles in a bag because of her behavior. Nat lives with his fisherman father. His mother abandoned him when he was young. Keep your eye on this trio. It's about to get rough.

Catriona Ward will take us on a journey through the years following these individuals. Ward is known for takin' the back road through the forest and over the hills. Looking Glass Sound is lengthy, tightly wound, and often times confusing. There are twists within twists dropping no breadcrumbs along the way until the conclusion. But there is brilliance here in Ward's writing. The storyline is filleted and re-shaped again and again. As readers, we steady ourselves in trying to get our sea legs. The waves keep comin'......and the result is mind-blowing. Periscopes up.

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley for an honest review. My thanks to Tor Publishing Group and to the talented Catriona Ward for the opportunity.

This is the first book by Catriona Ward I've read... and I breezed through it in 24 hours! I was completely absorbed in the narrative and appreciated the multiple viewpoints throughout. I honestly didn't see where this book was going, which is the best kind of reading experience for a mystery. This is a disorienting book at some points, but it feeds the reader's confusion, which is a big part of the build-up of tension during some of the key plot twists. Some parts of this book read like a fever dream, and as things get resolved, you come to look at the entire story in a completely different light, which I LOVED. This book is moody and atmospheric - - - and its resolution was completely unexpected.

I see that one of the genres listed to describe "Looking Glass Sound" is "horror", but I think a better description might be "psychological mystery" (maybe?). If you come into this book looking for "horror," this definitely is not traditional horror in the ways you might expect.

I really enjoyed "Looking Glass Sound", and now I feel like I need to read more books by Catriona Ward! Thank you, Netgalley, for providing a review copy!

Thanks so much to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with this arc! I am currently in the midst of working on a post and/or review in regards to this book that will be posted on my IG account! Thats where I do my reviews at as well as on GR & Tiktok! Thank you so much again!

This book was very strange. I wasn’t the biggest fan unfortunately. Half the time I was confused and it was hard to follow along.

Looking Glass Sound Review!

Thank you so much Tor Publishing Group and Macmillan Audio for this gifted e-read and Audio book, in exchange for an honest review! Looking Glass Sound is out August 8, 2023.

I read The Last House on Needless Street and loved it. It was very twisty and dark and I had no clue what was going on until about 1/2 way through. I felt a little different about Looking Glass Sound. I read about 1/4 of it on my kindle, but I was so lost I decided to try the rest on audio. That was a mistake. I was so completely confused and lost this whole book. I still don’t really understand it now that I finished it and looked up spoilers. This one wasn’t for me, it went way over my head. I did like the atmosphere in this one, it was creepy and involved a serial killer. Just wasn’t for me. 2/5 ⭐️s.

Reading a Catriona Ward book is like opening a Russian nesting doll set . Looking Glass Sound is a book within a book etc. Just when you think you have it all figured out - bam no you haven’t right up until the last pages. On the surface this is the story of Harper, Nat and Wilder at a summer cottage in Maine where a serial killer is hidden in plain sight. But it’s also the story of other characters-Pearl, Sky, Skander who may or may not be the real main character.I do not want to give any hints to this brilliant novel - the twists are part of the fun.
Thanks Netgalley for the ARC- my opinions are my own.

I had never read any of Catriona Ward's books, but they've been on my radar. The cover of this one is what drew me into it. and I enjoyed it quite a bit. It was maybe a little more 'literary' than I lean toward. but I thought the descriptions were great and the setting was creepy. Good characters and an enjoyable time was had. Will be seeking out more of Ward's work in the future.

Not my favorite from Catriona. The first part was heading towards 4 stars for me but then the stories within stories came in, things got repetitive and confusing, and I checked out.

Another fantastic book from Catriona Ward! This was everything I thought it would be and then some, and I can safely say that Catriona Ward is one of my all-time favorite authors and an auto-buy author. Looking Glass Sound had me on the edge of my seat, confused, stressed, and heartbroken all at once. It was thrilling and perfectly paced, with writing that really made me feel like I was in the cave with the three kids or on the cliff edge looking at a ghost in the water. Catriona Ward is a writer unlike any other and I know this is a book that, when it finds its audience, will be talked about long after its release.

This book is a shapeshifter! It’s almost like reading through a kaleidoscope. The details swirl in dazzling distortion, and you’re never quite sure how they will shift next. It’s a little disorienting, yes, but also mesmerizing. Look, and you might glimpse:
- A coastal town with a dark history
- A trio of curious teenagers who will forever be bound by a sacred pact
- Secrets and wishes spoken into the sea
- A writer seeking revenge
- A portrait of reality that might just be a mirage
- A trail of blood and heartbreak over 30 years long

A story of longing and obsession, Looking Glass Sound is twisty, perplexing, and unpredictable. Catriona Ward is such a master storyteller, and this tale of psychological suspense will certainly confuse and bewitch you as much as it entertains.

Wilder Harlow has not had an easy childhood. He has been bullied and has struggled to make friends. His family has a summer home where he finally meets two friends he won’t ever forget. He has started writing a memoir as an adult about the traumatic events of that summer. Wilder begins to unravel as he can’t distinguish between the past and present.

I listened to this on audio and thanks to @macmillan.audio and @netgalley. I found the book within a book within a book very confusing. It was also extremely long for what it was in my opinion. I think I would have been better off with a physical copy. Some of the imagery was really disturbing, but it just didn’t hit home for me as I couldn’t get a grip on all of the subplots and the characters being represented by different names throughout the novel.

Catriona Ward continues to blow me away with her unique storylines! Looking Glass Sound took me on such a puzzling rollercoaster ride; there were many times in this book I had to think about the narrator and whose book excerpt I had just read. The character development overall was great, especially with Wilder. The setting was exquisite; I could picture being on the beach or down at the cave. I love when a book keeps my guessing, and there's many mysteries here- was Wilder's Dad or Uncle the serial killer? Whose story is the true story-Wilder or Sky? How close was Nat to his father? What's up with Harper? This is a book you must read closely to pick up on every little piece of information and nuance. Some may say this is more of a mystery book, but there's plenty of horror to be had here. The haunting images of the oil drum women and the woman in the billowing dress will stay with you; the killer's letters and crimes are chilling. I think this is a book I will want to read again, to see if I pick up on more hints and imagery (much like Ward's Last House on Needless Street). Very great read, and one of my picks for the best of 2023. Thanks, NetGalley and Publisher for the opportunity to read it!

Catriona Ward can do no wrong for me at this point.

This psychological horror novel starts out as a coming of age story, but the darkness comes at you FAST!
This twisty book in a book (in a book?) is almost impossible to review.
What I’ll say is: so many despicable characters doing questionable and stomach turning things, packaged in a meta story that winks at the reader,

Reading Ward is always such a unique experience, this horror is no different. 4.5/5 stars because I needed more answers!

NetGalley kindly provided an ARC against an honest review!

A great, mind-twisting read that makes the reader keeping guessing as to where the story is heading. A mind-boggling story!

Another wild ride from Ward, Looking Glass Sound kept me on my toes the entire time! If any of her past books have hit the spot for you, I definitely recommend her newest novel!

As with any novel by Ward, you have to get in, buckle up, and hold on. This is my third by her and I am still learning to be patient and let the novel grow and build to a nicely created thrill. This one has a great multi layered composition. As with her others it feels like an immediate reread to help your brain have all the pieces slot together. Enjoy this one if you find books that slightly confuse you while trying to understand pleasurable. #NetGalley #arc

I'm a big Catriona Ward fan, but this is a puzzling book. Strange teenager Wilder is haunted by the string of murders committed by the father of a close friend. After going off to college, he finds the manuscript he has written about the crimes swiped by another close friend and then published. So far so good, but then it becomes unclear if the events and characters are real or just part of a book-within-a-book. I don't get the twists, and the ending either for that matter,