Creeping up from the shadows, Catronia Ward has become my favorite "horror" author of all right now. Her books twist and turn and cut deep into bone and memory. They're fever dreams.

Layers, layers, layers is a good way to describe this book. Many twists. Because of that, I think it's best to go into this book knowing almost nothing about it. I picked it up because I love the author. I knew nothing about the synopsis. So it made all the twists that more surprising.

3.5 stars. Wilder is kind of a weird kid, a loner. He makes new friends during his summer at Whistler Bay in Maine, but they're also kind of strange, and maybe hiding dark secrets. Returning to the town some 30 years after that first summer, Wilder is attempting to pen his memoirs, but his memory is hazy and perhaps unreliable. What actually happened? Is he going insane? Why is he seeing phantoms, and can he figure out the puzzle before they hurt him?

Gathering my thoughts on this one is kind of tough. I want to read it again, now that I understand what's going on, because my first read was more than a little bit confusing. I'm not even sure my summary above actually aligns with the plot of the book because it's — complicated. No spoilers.

I love Catriona Ward's other books, and Looking Glass Sound is similar in vibes but lacking compelling characters and story for me. It's a very lush world she's created, with plenty of creep factor but also a good bit of "what the?" and not necessarily in a satisfactory way. Again, I want to read this a second time and see if my opinion changes, but for now I think the story was just a little <b>too</b> layered and confusing.

Thank you to Catriona Ward, Tor Nightfire, and NetGalley for my advance digital copy.

After reading the summary of this book and looking at the beautiful cover, I was fascinated by it. However, when I began the journey of reading, I was apprehensive. I will say that Ward's writing is beautiful. She is a very talented writer, but the storytelling was lacking for me. It was ultimately very confusing with the book inside of a book concept. However, I do feel like it had a lot of potential, and many others may like it. I just think it wasnt for me.

Ward has done it again and delivered a twisty, psychological horror that keeps you invested to the very end. Her fucked-up brand of horror is right up my alley. So many elements I love in a book! I enjoyed the first half of the book more but I do like how everything came together in the end. It’s hard to review this without spoiling anything so I won’t say much but do recommend going in blind. Be prepared to be very confused and strap in for a ride down multiple character POVS, a non-linear timeline, and a distorted sense of reality.

If you enjoyed her previous books, you’ll love this one. If you haven’t really enjoyed her previous books but like how Stephen King or Ronald Malfi do coming-of-age horror or books within books like The Last Word by Taylor Adams, then definitely give this a chance!

Rating: 4.5/5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ (Rounded up to 5 Stars)
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There it is, that living rent free in my head after finishing it feeling! This was what I’ve been waiting for.
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This book is told in multiple points of view and in multiple timelines? I question that because at times it can be a bit confusing. Let me explain. This is told in the perspective of our main characters Wilder’s memoir, through Wilder in the present and through Pearl.
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The atmosphere of this one was on point - right from the start I felt so drawn to this one, I couldn’t put it down. I was transferred to Whistler Bay. This is a gothic thriller, a horror, a mystery, a romance, and even a coming of age story. There are so many layers to it. There are points where you will be so confused, parts where it is absolutely riveting and parts that are a bit on the slow side. Let me tell you though, when it all comes together, and it most certainly does, your mind will be absolutely blown. Without a doubt worth the read. I wasn’t a huge fan of when Wilder began to question his sanity but how everything ties together makes it all worth it. Now that I know all of the pieces to the great big mystery of this book, I would like to venture back to this one and see what else I could pick up on!
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The narration of Christopher Ragland and Katherine Fenton was absolute perfection. They complimented one another, making this a very enjoyable and easy read! I was happy to have both the ALC and eARC to be able to utilize together because there is a lot to this story.
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Catriona Ward has a way of writing that is just so captivating, so hauntingly beautiful that you can’t help but get sucked into the story. She is so descriptive that you are transported into it and next thing you know its 5am and you have stayed up wayyyy past your bedtime.
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Calling all Catriona Ward fans, to all my horror fans, to all my gothic thriller fans - this one is great and definitely one that I will be recommending for a while. Looking Glass Sound comes out on August 8th, be sure to grab a copy!
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Huge thank you to @negalley, @tornightfire, @macmillinaudio and @catrionaward for the ALC and eARC in exchange for my honest review.
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#netgalley #netgalleyearc #netgalleyalc #electronicadvancedreaderscopy #advancedlistenerscopy #horror #thedaggerman #serialkiller #memoir #stealingstories #abookwithinabook #witchcraft #folklore #whistlerbay #maine #fourandahalfstarread #greatstory #confusingattimes #mindblowingrevelation

Looking Glass Sound by Catriona Ward
Well…Catriona did it again. She is the queen of the plot twist.
I LOVED this book! I was hooked while reading it and didn’t want to put it down because I just had to know what was happening. This is the type of book that would make the perfect read while staying in a cabin in the middle of no where. It’s creepy in all the best ways.
There’s not much I can say about the plot without giving away spoilers, but what I can say is you will appreciate every twist and turn. This is one of those books that after finishing I immediately wanted to pick up again so I could see all the clues that I missed during my first read. I will be buying a finished copy once this book is published.
Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed Little Eve, so I went into Looking Glass Sound with high expectations--especially given the comp. to Stand by Me. Instead, I found the prose uninspiring and dull. Maybe other readers will love it; it just wasn't for me.

Looking Glass Sound is a tough one to talk about with saying too much.
So I'm just going to say that Catriona Ward has quickly become one of my favourite authors. The way that she has of being able to tell such multilayered stories is absolutely wild.
This is the story of Wilder and the friends he meets during a fateful summer when he's 16 years old. Now, in the present, he's writing a memoir about that time and as time goes on the fabric of what's real and what isn't becomes thinner and thinner.
I haven't been able to stop thinking about this book since I finished it.
For more info please find attached my spoiler free youtube review: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uL-EeraVhnE

Atmospheric and Suspenseful

This novel is so creative and darkly witchy. Experience three teens coming of age on the moody shores of the New England coast. What bonds form over a fateful Summer break will reverberate for years to come. Reality will blur with passion, pain, grief, and memory . . . the seemingly eternal echos of family, friendship, and loves lost.

Occasionally I had to re-read sections. The story became a little bumpy and disjointed, hard for me to follow . . . yet, the prose created such an eerie and compelling unease that I didn't care if I got a little lost. I'll let this author lead me anywhere and not be terribly concerned with the destination. You'll likely enjoy this one if you are a big fan of spooky fiction or horror.

I received an advanced copy of Looking Glass Sound for my unbiased evaluation. 3.5 stars

Do not take this book lightly. Pay attention, process, absorb Catriona’s words. Every single one has purpose.

The heart of this novel involves the summer friendship of Wilder, an awkward bullied outsider, Harper, a wounded lost girl who self-medicates and dabbles in witchcraft and Nathaniel, a loner, cautious and independent.

This book is a murder mystery, within a teenage love triangle, within a ghost story, wrapped in a high school witchcraft gothic tale. It is The Craft and Stephen King’s Darker Half and House of Leaves.

Beautifully written and complex. Secrets, heartbreak, betrayal, hope and desperation. Looking Glass Sound lingers on the mind and in the heart.

This is my first @catrionaward novel, although I own The Last House on Needless Street. It is a must read now.

Murder and mind-fuckery in true Catriona Ward style, Looking Glass Sound left me thinking WTF.

I don’t even know how to break it down. There’s so much going on, so much to pick up on and just when you think you’ve solved it, you’re wrong. I think the author did a great job with character development and weaving this into the complex puzzle it really became. A little bit coming of age, some trauma, mystery, murder and grief, there was a bit of everything for most horror lovers. Many thanks to the author and publisher for my eARC. Looking Glass Sound is expected to be published in the US 8/8.

I read this as I truly enjoyed the authors previous work, House on Needless Street. If you enjoyed that, then this is the book for you. You are left guessing as to how it all connects until near the end. Not to say the story is not gripping throughout.

A friendship is formed one summer between 3 teens in a sleepy coastal town. This bond, it seems, is one that will last regardless of the unforeseeable future that beholds them. I am sure in way none of them thought possible.

A serial killer
An author(s) writing a book
Witchcraft
What does it mean to truly be bonded?

I don't want to give too much away, but a must read for fans of the author. It all feels disconnected until it really really isn't.

My head genuinely hurts.

****.5

Looking Glass Sounds is a fever-dream of a novel surrounding harrowing events that happen in a sleepy beach town.

I tend to sway from thriller genre lately as I can predict what is happening about 1/2 way through. But this? I'll be sitting here reeling even hours after finishing. It just kept unfolding and unfolding… and just when you thought you figured it out, here comes another unfolding. I might need to lie down after all this brain origami.

This was the first novel I read of Catriona Ward’s and definitely not the last.

5 Stars!

It's a complete and utter shame that I have been sleeping on Catriona Ward! Wowza! What an impressive writer with an amazingly complicated mind!

This story has it all! It begins in the 1980's, there's a vacation home, coming of age friendships, the haves and have nots, a serial killer, ghosts, and magic. UH! I loved it all! This story will bend your mind around itself and then back again.....I finished it a few days ago and I'm still thinking about the characters.

Run out and grab yourself a copy!!

A special thank you to NetGalley, Tor Publishing Group, and Catriona Ward.

If you’re looking for a fun horror/thriller to add to your summer reading list Looking Glass Sound comes out in August and I really enjoyed it!

This one starts off slow, but I was so invested in characters I could not put it down. Once things start to pick up we’re taken for a ride. I definitely did not have this one figured out.

Looking Glass Sound was spooky and mysterious. Dark and suspenseful. I think this might be my new favourite by Ward.

Thank you very much to NetGalley and Tor Nightfire as well as Ms. Ward for this ARC. It was delightful.
#LookingGlassSound #CatrionaWard #NetGalley #TorNightfire
Catriona Ward is always difficult to review because her books are always intricate puzzles. Looking Glass Sound is no exception. Pulling on one thread of this tapestry, if not careful, will unravel the whole thing. I will do my best not to include spoilers.
Looking Glass Sound begins as a coming-of-age story and ends up as an intricate mystery. Wilder Harlow is spending the summer at his recently deceased uncle’s cottage by the sea in a small Maine town. WIlder’s parents are always fighting, so he wanders the beach and takes a swim alone. This is when he meets Nat, a local boy about his own age and Harper, a beautiful, red-headed English girl. The three kids become friends and spend the summer days together. From his friends, Wilder learns about The Dagger Man, the local boogeyman. We are taken along as he learns some terrible secrets about those he thought that he knew. Later, Wilder meets Sky, a man who becomes a dear friend. Sky helps Wilder make sense of the events of the past. This is way less a horror story than a mystery.
There are a lot of things to like about this book. Firstly, it’s beautifully written. Ms. Wards choice of words as well as pacing is impeccable and unique. She has a gift for painting a clear picture using imagery and prose. Each chapter flows easily into the next. Secondly, the characters are all beautifully brought to life. The protagonist, Wilder, is a sympathetic character that I couldn’t help but like and care for. Lastly, the story was like a mental jigsaw puzzle. It was not an easy read at all. My mind was kept busy constructing and deconstructing what I thought was happening right up to the last chapter. All of these things are what I’ve come to expect from Catriona Ward.
This book wasn’t an easy read. I didn’t love the ending. I can’t say much but, for me, it was convoluted. It’s great that this was a multi-layered story but it could have been a bit neater. One of the things I like best about Ms. Ward is that her stories are layered but also tight. This story wasn’t as concise and packaged as usual. There were times that I felt that the book could have been shorter without hurting the plot.
All in all, I really enjoyed reading this. It’s not going to be my favorite of her books for sure, but I still highly recommend it.

This one is not easy to review, I was left confused through most of it, my brain was too mindf*cked. I didn't know what was real, fake, who was speaking, which book. I still stuck to it but…

I felt there was so much going on, and went from one place to the other where I never truly knew what was happening. I felt like the author tried to add too much to this book.

There were so many layers to this book. The characters were just meh for me, I didn't truly care for any of them. I couldn't relate to them.

There is practically no chapters in this book and that is an automatic turn off for me, some chapters were 50 minutes long.. I'm very conflicted about this book, the vibe and the creepiness was nice but the rest just didn't do it for me unfortunately.

I’m not sure how I feel about this book. I thought it was one thing going in and it turned out to be something else. I was bored for a good majority of the time. Overall I thought it was just ok.


Thank you netgalley and the publisher for this arc in exchange for my honest review

I never stopped being lost once I was about half way in. The writing is engaging, the descriptions are beautifully done & I think it achieved what it wanted to? But I couldn’t tell you for sure because I’m still not sure what happened in the last 40% & for once the fantasy elements didn’t work for me. I may try a reread in the future, to see if doing reading and audio simultaneously will help me work it out.

Thank you so much @netgalley @macmillan.audio & @tornightfire for the e & audio arcs!