Wilder spends his 16-year-old summer in a small New England town on the coast of Maine, where he makes two friends he believes will be his for life. When a horrific discovery is made, everything changes for the three friends.

Years later, Wilder is writing his memoir, and the lines between what really happened and what he remembers happening start to blur.

This was really a wild ride. At times I struggled to follow the story, but once you've finished it it is truly fascinating how many webs Ward managed to weave. I think this may be my favorite of Ward's yet, but part of me thinks that a little too much was crammed in here. Although Ward masterfully winds these stories together, sometimes less is more, and a few of the pieces could've been dropped without significant damage to the story.

Overall, I'd recommend - it's really a beautiful story.

I really struggled with this one, as it just felt too convoluted. I wasn't able to connect with the characters or stay engaged. The "twist" seemed like an afterthought, to try and make up for other parts that were lacking. The majority of the book felt rushed, and the pace was too slow for the genre. Overdetailing also created lulls. That could've been fixed with a tighter edit.

Talk about a psychological thriller that makes you work! One really needs to be on their game while reading or listening to this book! There were several times in this book where I questioned if I really knew what was happening. This is a book about a book within a book. Whew!

Wilder Harlow is in a cottage in Maine writing the last book he will ever write. He is writing about the summer when he was a teenager when he made two friends while a killer was stalking the small New England town. It is about their gruesome discovery of a body. It is also about his ex-best friend, Sky who stole Wilder's unfinished memoir and published it as Looking Glass Sound. Fact and fiction blurs as Wilder finds notes from Sky and wonders if he what is real.

Sounds simple enough, doesn't it? Yet, it is complicated, demands 100% attention, is twist filled, and turns the tables on readers many times during the book. Throughout the book, I kept wondering what was going on, thinking I had things figured out, to have the tables turned on me. Like Wilder, I began to wonder what was real, puzzled by what was happening and frustrated that I could not figure things out.

This is an intricately woven book that kept me on my toes. Catriona Ward does a good job keeping readers (at least this reader) in the dark, yet wanting more, and yearning for answers. Her writing is fabulous, and this book is very well thought out. I had no idea where she was going at any part of the book, yet I was invested in the story wanting to know how it would end.

Well written, well thought out, and unsettling.

Thank you to Tor Publishing Group, Tor Nightfire, Macmillan Audio and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.

I was given the privilege of reading Looking Glass Sound by Catriona Ward early in the form of an advanced reader copy, courtesy of NetGalley and Tor Nightfire. I’ve read a few horror books before, but it’s definitely not one of my more well read genres, so I was excited to try something new from Ward. The book is billed as good for fans of Shirley Jackson. Between that note, the description of the book, and its setting in Maine, I was intrigued.

The book is narratively separated into three main parts, though that isn’t evident from the beginning. The book follows the story of Wilder Harlow, a young man whose uncle recently passed away. With the intention of spending one summer at Uncle Vernon’s summer cottage in Maine before selling it, the whole family decides to go on a vacation in Whistler Bay, Maine. When they arrive Wilder meets Harper, a young British girl, and Nat, the son of a local fisherman. The usual teenage hijinks unfolds, but with a sinister twist. Wilder quickly learns of the Dagger Man, someone who breaks into local homes and takes polaroid photos of children with daggers at their neck and then mails the polaroids to the families. He also learns of the mysterious disappearance of several women.

As time goes on more of life unfolds for Wilder, Harper, and Nat, but the mysteries of the missing women and the Dagger Man are solved much quicker than you would imagine. When you start the book it seems that the secrets of Whistler Bay will take up the entire book, but they barely have anything to do with the plot as a whole. When those mysteries are wrapped up, we reconnect with Wilder in university. He meets a mysterious and kind young man named Sky. Wilder is exhibiting clear signs of PTSD and Sky, kindly, helps him through it. Wilder begins to confide in Sky, telling him more about his past in Whistler Bay. This second section comes to a conclusion that I didn't see coming, but one that introduces the reasoning for the name, Looking Glass Sound.

In the last part of the book we meet Wilder as a man in his fifties, thirty three years after we leave him in university. It is here we learn of Wilder’s present day struggles, but by this point it is hard to feel any warm affection for him. Throughout the entire book, there hasn’t been, to this point, anyone to root for or to want to succeed. Even Wilder, though he hasn’t necessarily done anything wrong, doesn’t give you much to root for. Having returned to Whistler Bay, we follow his interactions with characters old and new and eventually come to the end of Wilder’s story. Just when you think the story is over, as unsatisfying of an ending as it would have been, we are introduced to another two characters and find out that everything we have read so far isn’t as it seemed.

I have no problem with a book that isn’t what it seems and I have no problem with stories that make you question what you have read before, but in Looking Glass Sound it just felt unnecessary and convoluted. The twist and explanation felt as if Ward was looking for something to make the book interesting as it had not been for the vast majority of the story. I might be desensitised, but there wasn’t anything in the book that I found horrifying or scary and there wasn’t anything that left me on the edge of my seat.

The writing of the book is fine, but that’s all I could say about it; it’s fine. There wasn’t any part of the book before the explanation of what’s really been going on to make the “twist” seem worth it or necessary. I would have much preferred a book that was all about the first portion of the story, when Wilder first goes to Whistler Bay. That storyline was the most interesting to me and would have served as a better book if it had been expanded and given the time it deserved. Each part of the book felt rushed and cheap. The “twist” in the end didn’t achieve what I think Ward was trying to achieve. Rather than being left saying, “Wait, what, that’s so cool,” I was left thinking, “oh okay.” The “twist” didn’t pay off.

My sincere hope is that if you choose to read Looking Glass Sound you have a completely different reaction than me and absolutely adore the book. As for me, it’s not a book I will be rereading anytime soon. I sadly rate Looking Glass Sound by Catriona Ward two stars out of five.

This was a DNF for me. It may be a slow burn and I missed out on a great story but it moved too slowly for me and just didn't hook me. I got about 30% of the way through before putting aside unfinished.

Parts of this book were wonderful. Parts of this made no sense. I don’t quite know how to reconcile the differences in this. I guess I’m going to rate it halfway since they seem like vastly different stories, just similar names.

Thank you Netgalley & Tor Publishing Group for an eARC Looking Glass Sound by Catriona Ward!

This was my first book by this author, and I switched back and forth between the audiobook and ebook. For me, the audiobook was easier to follow. I think the narrator did a fantastic job with the story. It was tougher for me to follow in the ebook format.

I really enjoyed the first half of the book - And to be honest, I can’t tell you what happened at the end. The plot went off the rails and it was really hard for me to follow - Not sure if it’s just me or what. The writing was great, which makes this book really hard to rate for me. The fact that I don’t know exactly what was going on in the book has me giving this a rating of 2.5 stars, rounding up to 3 for NG and Goodreads.

Friendship, betrayal, obsession, and murder. It all started when Wilder Harlow spent the summer in Whistler Bay and met his two friends, Nat and Harper... and how they became intertwined with the blood stained path of the killer that stalked the vacation town known as the Dagger Man. Wilder writes about his time there, about his friendship and about the dark secrets he discovered.... but the more he writes the less he can trust his memory. The story jumps between many different things and people, from Wilder’s POV, to Pearl’s POV, to the book that Wilder is writing to Skye and Skye’s book, honestly it was a lot of turns and twist and it got muddled, so muddled and it felt like it kept dragging on and on. I do love a mystery and I enjoyed Catriona Ward’s writing style, it’s gorgeous and really creates and eerie and atmospheric read, however I would have to say this was my least favorite book written by Ward as I just felt like the overall mystery and twists were not that great. The story deals with an unreliable narrator and you are trying to figure out the exact events of Wilder’s summer involved with the killer as well as the consequences of the summer that followed him after as well as it’s impact on Nat and Harper. Overall, if you like unreliable narrator mysteries with childhood secrets and complicated relationships as well as different “stories” being part of the structure then definitely give this one a go.

*Thanks Netgalley and Tor Publishing Group, Tor Nightfire for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

Book : Looking Glass Sound
Author : Catriona Ward
Release Date : 08 Aug 2023

Thank you Net Galley, Tor Publishing Group and the author of this book for an opportunity to review this ARC.

Let’s start with the fact that this books cover is so awesome! I am a sucker for a neat and fresh cover.

This book was such an amazing book. It had that perfect dark chilling horror factor, psychological thriller aspect…it was all the things I love most in a book. I gobbled all of it up!!! The character development, world building and dialogue was perfection. I felt as if I could picture all of it as I read. I felt the characters seemed so realistic to me.

I went into this book 100% blind as I usually do and I was NOT disappointed. The twists and turns and guessing and sitting on the edge of my seat is what I live for!!!! This was such an amazing read that I can’t not share this with all of my fellow bookish friends.

I read this book in a few sittings because I had to carefully take in all that I was reading, it stumped me in a few places but — I couldn’t stop, I couldn’t place it down. I just kept wanting more and more.

I can’t wait to read more from this extremely talented author!!! This is shelved on my top books of 2023!

Race and put this on your TBR NOW!

Catriona never ceases to amaze me with her writing style, imagination, and overall story telling. I've come to expect the weird from her novels and this isn't any different. I thoroughly enjoyed how each character had their time to shine and own character arc. Plus this was creepy as hell.

LOOKING GLASS SOUND was featured in my DISPATCHES newsletter. Thank you for approving an ARC! The text and link are below.

"Looking Glass Sound is a mind-bending tale of friendship and betrayal, and the impossibility of escaping your own story. Loved this twisty meta-story, filled with lovely, good gothic-ness. Catriona Ward seemed to explode onto the scene a few years back with each of these big releases immediately capturing a wide audience, and there’s a good reason. They’re great reads and each has her terrific ability to consume your consciousness while you’re reading them—even many months later.

https://a.co/d/1sN20jc

#LookingGlassSound #NetGalley"

This was an amazing and gripping story! I can’t wait to get a copy to keep! There was no pacing issues, the characters felt so real. Amazing book!

I don't completely know what I read, but I know my brain enjoyed it and thought it was clever and well-written. Lots of twists and turns and parts that are woven together that you don't even know are woven together. Genius. It's a book I'll be thinking about for quite a while. I look forward to more from this author - she does not disappoint!

I enjoyed the narration for this book. I switched back and forth between listening to this on audio and reading it on my Kindle. I found it easier to follow via the audio version. Ward's writing is beautifully descriptive and eerie as are the characters. After finishing the book, I felt uneasy, confused, and creeped out. It went a little off the rails for me at the end which I think is why it left a lot to question at the end.

I will probably reread and review this immediately after getting my physical copy because I LOVED this story. I need to say that I love Catriona Ward’s absolutely fantastic imagination. It seemed like it might be hard to compete with The Last House on Needless Street and Sundial, but in my opinion, this is superior writing.

This book cemented Ward as a definite top-five author for me. Full review to come around publication day :)

"Looking Glass Sound" is the second book of Catriona Ward that I’ve read this year, and with it, Ward has proven to be one of my new favourite authors.
Our protagonist Wilder Harlow seems to be a troubled youth who, having no real friends at school, is happy to meet two young people at the family’s summer home in Maine. However what at first seems to be a summer of fun and sun and new friends soon turns into a nightmare when Wilder begins to believe that someone he loves may be a serial killer.
Flash forward and we find Wilder a university student where he has begun to deal with PTSD of that notorious summer by writing a memoir about his experience. Unfortunately Wilder’s trauma is exploited by someone he is close to who takes his memoir and uses it to write a best selling novel. To deal with this betrayal, Wilder returns to the summer home to face the memories and heartache life has dealt.
I was expecting this novel to be an easy mystery with tinges of horror (like" Little Eve") but I soon realized that it is also an assortment of complex character studies woven into a layered plot that leaves the reader wonderfully perplexed at times. I’ve read some reviews from people who found it a confusing read, but if you take your time to enjoy the story, all will be revealed with patience.
I would recommend this novel to my high school students (and use portions of it) for examples of suspense, character building, and author craft.
I loved this book. I will be buying it in hard copy for a re-read.

This is my second Ward book and it did not disappoint! This novel set a beautiful atmosphere and I loved the characters. Kept you engaged and wanting more. Definitely recommend!

It pains me to rate this, because The Last House on Needless Street is a five star, recommend to everyone type of book for me!

This book started off strong, I loved the friendship in the beginning and I felt like the characters were super well rounded, all with their own problems and traits, but eventually it just went off the deep end and not in an entertaining way. I felt for Wilder, especially after the betrayals he faced, as a self labeled wallflower, I could relate to him in a way, and he was probably my favorite character. I’m also a sucker for a serial killer book, so I enjoyed that element.

Where it fell flat for me was the last half of the book, there were so many twists and turns, that I felt like didn’t make sense and the explanation for things felt messy and not well thought out. You mean to tell me police discovered a certain serial killer in one part, but failed to recognize someone’s murder in another?

In the last hour, I felt like the book should have ended and I wasn’t really satisfied with the final ending.
I would also say this book was more of a mild suspenseful thriller than horror.
Either way, Catriona is still a top author in my mind, this one just wasn’t a defining book for me.

Please check TW’s for this one as this is lots of talk of murder and suicide.

Rating: 3.25/5
Ebook: the formatting was off, but I’m sure it’ll be fixed once it’s released on ebook platforms. I just found it hard to follow.
Audiobook: the narrator did a good job portraying the characters, accents were weird at times, but I would still listen to other books of theirs

Thank you NetGalley, Macmillan Audio, and TorNightfire for the ARC & ALC of this book. All opinions are my own.

First, thank you so much for a copy of this for review.

I had both ebook and audio. I was having a hard time with the formatting in the ebook, so when the audio dropped, I jumped at it so that i could give this book a fair shot.

Unfortunately, this really really fell flat for me. I found myself bored, then completely confused. And not confused in a fun way, confused in a way that was making me irritated.

Ward is an excellent writer, I just think after this one (I've read others), she just isn't for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Nightfire for this ARC! I went back and forth with rating this one 3 or 4 stars. I felt the first half of this book was wonderful, but I struggled with the second half. Without giving away too much, I felt the switching back and forth POV was very confusing as well as Looking Glass Sound being a book within a book, within a book. I’ve read a few stories with this concept that were easy to follow, but I struggled with this one.

I was lucky enough to get approved for the audiobook of Looking Glass Sound and that helped with reading this towards the end especially. I loved the build up, but I felt the plot crumbled by the end.

All that being said, I think fans of Ward’s other books will love this one! This is the 3rd book by her I’ve rated 3 stars and at this point I think it’s just me. Catriona is an incredible writer and there’s no disputing that I was entirely hooked on this book and wanted to know the outcome.