Looking Glass Sound is a story about a young man named Wilder. The start of the book portrays a normal, not so happy family. Wilder doesn't fit in at school and his parents have a rocky relationship, The death of a relative leads to an opportunity for a summer long vacation.
Ward has an exquisite way of drawing me into a story and lulling me with the scenery and the normalcy of it all. The characters are believable, but the story has an uneasiness about it. Everything is not as it seems in Whistlers Bay or Wilder's life.

I don't want to recap more or give any spoilers. This one has friendship, love, tragedy, mystery, and betrayal. Pay attention, it's a wild ride.

Looking Glass Sound

In the summer of 1989, Wilder and his parents head to his Uncle Vernon’s house before they sell it after his death. The stones around Whistler Bay seem to whistle at night and we find out they hold even more secrets. Wilder is a shy kid and is bullied at school, but this summer he meets Nat and Harper. They quickly become inseparable and decide to go to a cave off the bay. When they get there they will find much more than they bargained for.

I don’t even know where to begin with this book. There are so many layers. You start with Wilder’s summer, follow him through college and then finally get to his adult life. However, the farther in you get, you realize you’re reading about a book in a book in another book? It was hard to keep what character actually did what and what was actually real. The only other book by Catriona Ward I’ve read has been The Last House on Needless Street and that was not my cup of tea. I liked this one a lot more. I did feel like there were stopping points in the book that could have been the ending and given more closure than the actual end of the book. The ending was very chaotic and somewhat confusing. But, all that being said I couldn’t put this one down. I binged it in two days. And while I was left feeling confused, I enjoyed it. The premise was super interesting and I liked the characters, even if they were a little out there. Overall, a quick horror read that has a lot more in it than meets the eye

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

A killer stalked a small New England town where Wilder Harlow started spending his summers with his parents. The body count that was found from over the decades, is a horror like none other. Wilder was encouraged by his one-time best friend, Sky, to write of his past to purge it from his body. As Wilder wrote his stories, Sky stole them to create his own best selling novel, Looking Glass Sound, which was Wilder’s unfinished memoir. Wilder determined to finish his own story is reciting his memories, but they are blurring between real and fiction. He fears he’s losing his grip on reality when he finds notes hidden around his family’s cottage in Sky’s signature green ink writing….

I have such a hard time describing how I feel after reading this. I thoroughly enjoyed it no doubt, but all of the central characters, while portrayed amazingly, were incredibly unreliable, which I think Catriona Ward writes incredibly well. At one point I described another one of her books as a ‘feverish riddle’ and this one absolutely lived up to that description as well. It was such a dark and magical coming to age story with horror, love, murder, and betrayal. This book was difficult to read after about 60%, but I love how her writing really get’s the cog’s turning in my brain. Thank you so much @TorNightfire for this copy! This was a 4/5 for me!

The writing was beautiful. I felt transported to every single setting of the book. The book gave me all the feels, sadness, uneasiness, creepiness, but also confusion. It was a lot for me. A book inside a book inside a book? This was not an easy read, as I was overwhelmed and I had no idea what I was reading. But maybe that was the point? If that’s the case then this book did exactly what it set out to do. If you’re a fan of Ward’s previous books, I would definitely give this a read. Looking Glass Sound will be published August 8th!

Thank you @netgalley, and @tornightfire for the e-ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review. #LookingGlassSound #NetGalley

Big thank you NetGalley and to the publisher for the chance to review this book pre-release. This was my first novel by Ms. Ward, and I really enjoyed the entire experience of it. It was a little bit of a slower pace, but I still didn't find myself losing interest, and enjoyed the creepy moments even more so because of the pacing. I will certainly be picking up more of her work, including Sundial, which I hear is a must-read in comparison. A more formal review will be available on my IG/TikTok and Goodreads.

Love them or hate them, Catriona Ward's books are garanteed to be something entirely unique! Like her previous books, I think Looking Glass Sound lived up to that expectation.

This had its creepy moments but it was so sloooowwww. I had zero cares for any of the characters and lost interest and DNFd at about 50% in. I loved Sundial so much and am waiting for Ward to hit me with a story like that again.

Seven With Secrets, Needing To Be Told

Catriona Ward is an exceptional author who never fails to draw me into her stories quickly and to make me care about (or despise) her vivid characters. Her presentation is full of an understated darkness that oozes menace despite blue, sunny skies. Her books horrify me in all the best ways, reminding me of much-loved classics by Daphne DuMaurier and Shirley Jackson.

From the first chapter, I felt uneasy about what was to come for Wilder. I could tell that things weren't what they seemed, but couldn't predict what would happen. It's a complex story, with changing timelines and glimpses of other perspectives that reveal the truth about the characters' roles in events. I enjoyed how the author kept me guessing.

Many thanks to the author, Tor Nightfire, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read a free advance reader's copy of the book. I'm under no obligation to anyone to give a positive review, but I will anyway. Looking Glass Sound is another powerful, heartbreaking, illuminating read from the masterful writer, Catriona Ward.

Firstly, I'm a huge Catriona Ward fan. The Last House on Needless Street was my favorite book of 2021, and Sundial was in my top 10 in 2022.

At around the 60% mark, I was ready to 5-star this one, then it takes a strange turn that took me out of the story some. I was fully invested in each characters' relationships with each other, and then...the book gets more complex. There are some supernatural elements that were too jarring to the plot.

I received an audio ARC of this book and will be leaving my full review on that copy. Two chapters in, I am thoroughly invested. Ward has a unique voice that turns any story into a pageturner.

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Catriona Ward stays true to character, with her absolutely out of this world story! It was very easy to get lost in the story, and to follow along. However, I found myself confused, too many times, to really enjoy the story. I think I will definitely give this book another shot, maybe in a buddy read.

Title: Looking Glass Sound

Summary:
In a cottage overlooking the windswept Maine coast, Wilder Harlow has begun the last book he will ever write.

It is the story about the sun-drenched summer days of his youth in Whistler Bay, and the blood-stained path of the killer that stalked his small vacation town. About the terrible secret he and his companions, Nat and Harper, discovered entombed in the coves off the bay. And how the pact they swore that day echoed down the decades, forever shaping their lives.

But the more Wilder writes, the less he trusts himself and his memory. He starts to see things that can’t be real – notes hidden in his cupboards, from an old friend now dead; a woman with dark hair drowning in the icy waters below, calling for help; entire chapters he doesn’t recall typing, appearing overnight. Who, or what, is haunting Wilder?

No longer able to trust his own eyes, Wilder begins to fear that this will not only be his last book, but the last thing he ever does.

My Thoughts:
A beautifully written horror novel that had so many unpredictable twists and turns, I couldn’t put it down.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing this ARC!

I picked up Catriona Ward's NEEDLESS STREET a year or two ago and had to shelve it because I had trouble getting into it--I chalked it up to it being a me issue and figured I'd revisit eventually. I still haven't revisited, but I did request this hoping it might help me springboard back into the other title.

I'm hoping it worked, because I got SO sucked into this and couldn't stop thinking about it when I wasn't reading it. This was such a surreal fever dream of a book and I'm STILL not totally sure what parts of it were real and what parts of it weren't.

I was so invested in the coming of age mystery in the first half, and then the second half turned into something so much twistier and I kept thinking "what else could POSSIBLY happen here?" and it was such an interesting ride.

Also, I have not been able to shake one specific part that was truly only mentioned in passing but it got under my skin SO much. I'm a little uneasy writing about it right now.

I really enjoyed this, and I have to go back and try NEEDLESS STREET again, now.

"Looking Glass Sound" by Catriona Ward is a marvel. Twisty and turny with emotional gut punches on almost every page, it will keep you guessing right until the very end.

There is so much going on in this book - betrayal, revenge, rage, murder, passion - that you need to stay sharp to keep up. Luckily Ward's writing is beautiful and hypnotic, so you'll be thoroughly engrossed. It is one of those titles that takes me back to reading under the covers with a flashlight past bedtime. Impossible to put down.

Wilder Harlow is such a fascinating character. He is equal parts awkward and charming and as we learn more about him, we understand that he is more than just an unreliable narrator (elaboration would mean spoilers - go read to find out!). You can't trust anyone in this work, and you won't trust yourself by the end. What a wonderful ride!

This title will appeal to horror and thriller fans alike.
Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Nightfire for the ARC.

3.5 stars rounded up because of the impeccable writing!

When I started Looking Glass Sound, I told everyone that I was reading what may be the best book of the year. I was immediately in love with the setting, the characters, but most specifically the writing. Not necessarily poetic in the wispy sense but definitely in the same way that no word is wasted. Every sentence is intentional and as the plot builds and we get closer to the characters, a darker, more sinister plot is slowly unveiled. The story starts with 3 teenagers spending the summer together on the coast of Maine. When the story of The Dagger Man, a suspected serial killer takes wind and polaroids of sleeping children are found the town grows closed off and suspicious. The looming sense of dread is felt on every page while looking through a lens of nostalgic summertime, carefree teen escapades. But when the horror hits too close to home, the characters attempt to move on. As the story unfolds we follow the main character as he goes off to college and beyond still trying to shake the events of that *memorable* summer.

Then things got confusing, and weird, and ultimately spun out of control. The ending felt forced and rushed after a beginning pace that felt menacing leading the reader to dead-end after dead-end. It truly felt like I was in a maze and I couldn't figure out how to get out, and when I did I was left wishing one of the dead-ends was the true ending. I think if I read it again, AND spoke with other readers about it to gain their perspectives I would like it more.

I wouldn't classify this as horror but more of a psychological suspense.

Great, entertaining read that ultimately left me disappointed.

I loved her previous books but this one just did not do it for me. I found it very confusing and mundane.

What the hell did I just read?!

And I mean that in the best way. This was my first book from the author and won't be my last.

The story had me hooked and interested the entire way through. As some reviewers have said, I was a bit confused towards the end, things and timelines got a little murky, but what a ride. It wasn't a high-paced thriller, but it was multi-faceted and definitely had me on the edge of my seat.

***Thanks to NetGalley, Catriona Ward and Tor Nightfire publishers for an advanced reader copy

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Tor Nightfire for providing me with an advanced reader copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Wilder and his family stay the summer at his uncle’s cottage in Whistler Bay. There he meets Nat and Harper who become his best friends. As they go on adventures and prank each other, they become closer and closer to unraveling the mystery behind The Dagger Man and years of missing women.

A lot of people seemed to have enjoyed this book- I did not. I found the pacing to be incredibly unbalanced. I don’t enjoy time jumps or perspective changes, but this was done in such a disorienting way that I feel like it took time away from the flow of the story. It’s difficult to explain, but it felt like the progression of the story was not something that was thought out but rather added to. Like the twists were something that came after conceptualization of the story. Catriona Ward is known for her twists, so it’s no surprise that there were a few in this story. Unfortunately, I felt like they were poorly executed and became convoluted. There was so much information to keep track of by the end that it got confusing when they tried to pull a “remember this?”.

This was not my favorite story by her, but if you like coming of age thrillers and don’t mind slow paving, then this book comes out August 8th!

NO spoilers here. The following is my opinion and thoughts on the book, not a synopsis.

Catriona Ward is clearly a gifted story teller. Her writing is sophisticated and her thoughts are deep. I WISH I could get in her head and experience how her wheels turn. I would say this book sucked me in. I felt as if I read an entire book before getting to the next section where scenery was changed. Then things changed again and this is where I got a little lost and confused. A story within a story within a story....felt like a maze and I had a lot of questions. This is not an easy read. You will need to focus and pay attention but the writing alone is worth it.

So far, for me The House on Needless Street is my favorite then followed by Sundial. Little Eve is next on my list so we'll see where that falls. If you are looking for unique stories that are deep, dark, and creepy as heck, this is the author for you.

Looking Glass Sound by Catriona Ward was received directly from the publisher and I chose to review it. I had never read this author before but I am always willing to read authors I am unaware of. That being said, I was looking forward to a coming-of-age book taking place along an ocean setting, throw in bonus points for an 80's era tale. The story however had me confused, reeling as the time and people jump around, twisting and turning. At the end of the book, most everything I remembered, and some stuff I had forgotten about, all seemed to come together. I had read this was the authors least "horror" book, so I may give her another shot with an earlier book. If you, or someone you buy gifts for enjoys a coming of age in the 80's book, that you must pay attention to, give this book a read.

3.5 stars rounded up to 4 stars.