First off, wow. I know that’s not a great way to start off a review but I’m still a bit in awe over what Catriona Ward pulled off in Looking Glass Sound.

This is yet another book I went into basically blind. I think I skimmed the synopsis when it was announced but I mean it’s a Catriona Ward what else do you need?

I’m not sure where to start with this one as everything I’d love to say would spoil it for you. The plot is immersive. It’s a bit of a slow-burn at first but has great character archs that keep you company throughout. The entire story is raw, yearning, and dissects our obsession with true crime in yet another great manner.

The story feels part coming of age, part magical, and lots of horror. Both based in reality and potentially some not. I feel like the times I actively set out to try and figure out the twists are so few and far between. I didn’t try to do that here and I’d be really curious to hear if anyone called some of these twists. Because once I made it to a certain point, I was shocked in the best way.

I loved each of these characters and their messy desires as they tried to navigate a world of secrets that weren’t all their own. It would make one hell of a TV show or movie, that’s for sure.

If you need an audiobook to get lost in, I highly recommend checking this out.

From the book description:

“In a lonely cottage overlooking the windswept Maine coast, Wilder Harlow begins the last book he will ever write. It is the story of his childhood summer companions and the killer that stalked the small New England town. Of the body they found, and the horror of that discovery echoing down the decades. And of Sky, Wilder’s one-time best friend, who stole his unfinished memoir and turned it into a lurid bestselling novel, Looking Glass Sound.

But as Wilder writes, the lines between memory and fiction blur. He fears he’s losing his grip on reality when he finds notes hidden around the cottage written in Sky’s signature green ink.

Catriona Ward delivers another mind-bending and cleverly crafted tale about one man’s struggle to come to terms with the terrors of his past… before it’s too late.”

Let me just say….my mind is blown yet again by Catrina Ward. I used the book description because I don’t even know where to begin in describing this book. How do you describe her books and their twisted storylines without giving anything away?!

The best thing to do is to go in knowing two things: You should know as little as possible, and you should be open to reading a book that’s a little different, but is worth it. Because her book are definitely “different” storyline-wise, but they ALWAYS deliver in the end, and this one was no exception.

I would not have guessed this book was going in the direction it did, and in the end I was creeped out, shocked and I want more from Catrina Ward, yet again!

Once again, Catriona proves herself the queen of imaginative horror, and I’m happy to read along!

Wilder Harlow is an author busy at work writing the last novel he will ever pen. It’s all about a killer who’s hunting ground was the small town of his childhood. It’s also about Sky, his friend turned thief after Sky stole Wilder’s previous work, a memoir, and claimed it as his own. Much to Wilder’s chagrin it became a bestseller entitled Looking Glass Sound. Retreating to a cottage overlooking the coast of Maine with the dream of finding his way to the bestseller list, Wilder soon questions his sanity when he begins to find notes hidden throughout the cottage, notes written in Sky’s distinct green ink.

I was not a big fan of this novel. I like strange, twisted novels, but this one jumped around way too much for me and I often found myself confused about what exactly was happening throughout the majority of the novel and to whom. I liked the basic concept of Looking Glass Sound, but I was just too confused too often to truly enjoy the novel the way I would have liked to.

I really wanted to get to this one, as it seemed interesting. This was requested when I first found out about NetGalley and I had requested so many ARCs that I could not get to all of them before they were archived. If I can find this somewhere for a reasonable price, I will try to get it!

Wilder Harlow is a writer and he's now working on the last book he will ever write. This one is the story of his own childhood. At sixteen years old, Wilder's uncle has died and has left his Maine summer cottage to his parents and while visiting, Wilder meets two people who will become life-long friends - a boy named Nathaniel and a girl named Harper.

But the town has a dark secret - it is home to a serial killer known as the Dagger Man of Whistler Bay who takes polaroid photos of children while they are sleeping.

Years later and Wilder heads off to college where he meets Sky, a boy who seems to be a kindred spirit. But Sky betrays Wilder by stealing his unfinished manuscript - his memoir - and turning it into a horror novel that becomes a best-seller, titled Looking Glass Sound.

I've been impressed with author Catriona Ward, who rather burst onto the horror scene just a few years ago with some really powerful works which I've enjoyed. This might be her best work yet, but frankly, I don't think I'm up to the task of disseminating it. That is, to say, there's a lot to this book. A story within a story within a story and layers and layers characterization and setup.

I can see the intricate tapestry that Ward has woven here, but I can't see it from a distance - I can't see the big picture so I can't make out what it's supposed to be. This is the sort of book that needs to be read slowly and carefully and probably with some flipping of the pages back and forth ("wait ... two chapters ago, didn't I read...? Oh... right...").

Catriona Ward is a brilliant, careful writer and she requires brilliant, careful readers to get the most from her her work. Unfortunately, I wasn't careful this time around (and I'm never brilliant) so I was mostly confused and feeling three steps behind and never able to catch up.

I did something I don't usually do, but I looked at some of the other reviews for this book and I see that it's pretty evenly split between those (careful & brilliant) readers who absolutely loved this, and those who didn't understand what was going on.

It's worth reading, but know going in that you will be expected to pay attention. This is no light, beach read.

Looking for a good book? Catriona Ward is a marvelous writer and Looking Glass Sound is intricately and heavily plotted, but the casual reader will likely feel stymied by what's going on.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.

Wow, what a roller coaster ride of a novel! The first section of the book I absolutely loved. It read like a suspenseful coming-of age novel. Wilder Harlow was a teenager. An only child to a couple who had a rocky marriage. He was bullied in school and has no friends until that pivotal summer in Maine where he meets Nat and Harper. A summer when a cave on the beach gave up it’s gruesome secrets.

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

Then things turned quite dark and disturbing (in a delicious way) when Wilder attended college. He suffers panic attacks as a result of his experiences that Maine summer. He becomes friend with a wealthy student named Sky who comforts and sustains him when he most needs it. Sky is writing a book.

“Friends can break your heart, it seems, just like love.”

Skip ahead three decades and Wilder is riddled with self-doubt and he is losing his eyesight. He suffers hallucinations and fears that even his most precious memories might be unreliable… Wilder is writing a book.

“The thing about anger is, your mustn’t let it drop or you might find out how you really feel.”

This book has vivid imagery, of scenes both real and imagined. The characters personas seem to blur and blend. It is dangerous, like the deepest unfathomable parts of the ocean. There are themes of friendship, grief, betrayal, traumatic memory, and damaged psyches.

“The human heart is deep and dark with many chambers. Things hide down there.”

We briefly are introduced to Pearl. She was only five years old when her mother went for a swim and never returned… Jump ahead a decade and Pearl meets Harper at school. Then even later when Pearl is writing a book.

“The truth is precious, not everyone deserves it.”

Then, we come to meet Gracie.

This novel is an amalgam – of timelines, of narrators, of genres, of perspectives. It is complex, extraordinary, and compelling. All of these traits seem to be a trademark of this author. Some call this metafiction. I just call it beautifully written, literary, psychological horror.

The author’s writing exposes her love of the written word, and it was penned with panache and skill – though I found the latter part of the book confusing at times. It showed damaged people who try to cope with deep trauma via writing. There are word games and witchcraft. The reader is left to wonder ‘What is real?’, ‘What is fiction?’.

In three words: bizarre, dark, compelling.

Looking Glass Sound by Catriona Ward
2.5 stars

[Thank you to Netgalley and Tor Publishing Group for providing me an ARC to review.]

Looking Glass Sound is Catriona Ward’s newest novel that is a twisted psychological horror novel. This is the first novel I’ve read by Catriona Ward and I did enjoy their writing style. It was very well-written and the characters had great development. 

However, I will say it felt like this book had more than one story throughout it. We start out with Wilder visiting his family’s cottage where he meets these two friends. They spend a lot of time together and throughout spending time together, there’s a murderer on the loose.

Then, when Wilder is in college, he starts to write the story about his time at the cottage and he meets his new friend Skye. When Skye steals his memoir, he can’t seem to understand why.

And then, many years later, Wilder is older, married, and still bitter over Skye stealing the work he worked so hard on. He wants his own revenge. 

This book seemed like three stories in one and I wish I could say it flowed well. But it almost felt choppy and like some parts didn’t fit. I really liked the characters and the writing style. It seemed like such a great plot going into it and if Ward stuck with one storyline, it would have flowed a lot better throughout the story. 

There’s a lot I’m not saying because I don’t want to spoil anything. This book has so many 4 to 5 star reviews, that you could end up feeling completely different about this book than I did. You could end up loving this book and I would 100% recommend anyone give this book a try because everyone has different reading tastes. This one just wasn’t for me.

This is my first book by the author. I feel like additional editing could be helpful and there were some pot holes but overall I enjoyed the character development in the overall ark of the story.

Daring, addicting, page-turning. This book was everything I loved about Catriona Ward's writing and I couldn't get enoough of it. Highly recommend.

July 10, 2023
I thought I would like this book. The beginning reminded me of Stephen King. Kids bonding in a weird place. However, by the midway point I had not idea what was going on.

Unfortunately, I am in the minority here because I didn't really enjoy this book. I loved the premise (about an author and his book) but the story was erratic and confusing. I'm not even sure what happened to be honest.

I don't know if I missed some critical piece of information while reading the book or what, but the story simply wasn't for me.

After loving Last House on Needless Street, I was so excited to get the opportunity to read Looking Glass Sound. However, I felt like I couldn’t get into the story, I wasn’t connecting with the characters or able to figure out exactly what was going on. I feel like this can be Catriona’s MO, but this time it was a little too off the rails for me. I wanted to love it and have seen a lot of mixed reviews and am sad to be on the other side of this one. I look forward to read what she comes out with next!

Overall, I enjoyed this story. I ended up listening to the audiobook, and I definitely found it difficult to keep all of the characters and times straight. I felt a roller coaster of emotions while listening to this story. I don’t think I will ever forget the suicide by eating cement.

Ward once again plays with the reader's perspectives with this nesting doll of a thriller. The ending is ambiguous enough to stick with readers long after the story ends.

🌊 Book Review🌊
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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 the cabin, 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.
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Rating: ⭐️⭐️💫
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My thoughts: In typical fashion this one started really strong. I was so into the beginning of this story, and then there was the time jump and a story within a story. This one became so convoluted toward the end that I have no idea what was happening. It’s impossible to tell what was truth and what was fiction within the story inside of the story. This one in my opinion was unnecessarily complicated. I loved her first book but every single one after has just been all over the place, confusing, and not a rewarding read. Thank you @netgalley and @tornightfire for the advanced copy back in august. Sorry for the brutally honest and late review 😂
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QOTD- do you have any fun weekend plans ?!
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I had a really hard time with this book. It jumped around so much, I found I was lost a lot of the time. At the end of the book, I thought to myself, "what did I just read?!" I was engrossed in it at first, but then right away there was a climax in the action, and I thought it was done. Unfortunately, it dragged on longer. I just couldn't get into it after that. I would write a synopsis of it, but I can't. I really have no idea how to. I'm just glad I'm done with it.

Looking Glass Sound by Catriona Ward is a masterclass in literary horror. It is a complex and unsettling novel that explores themes of grief, loss, and the power of stories.

The novel is set in the late 1980s and follows Wilder Harlow, a teenage boy who spends the summer with his parents at their deceased uncle's cottage on Whistler Bay in Maine. Wilder is immediately drawn to the bay's eerie whistling sound and its dark history of drownings. As he explores the area, he begins to uncover secrets about his uncle and his past.

Ward's writing is beautiful and lyrical, but it is also deeply unsettling. She creates a palpable sense of dread and suspense as Wilder's reality begins to unravel. The novel is also emotionally resonant, exploring the themes of grief and loss in a powerful and moving way.

One of the things that makes Looking Glass Sound so unique is its complex structure. The novel is told from multiple perspectives, including Wilder's, his uncle's, and even the perspective of the bay itself. This allows Ward to weave a complex and intricate web of stories, all of which are interconnected.

Another strength of the novel is its characters. Wilder is a complex and relatable protagonist, and the supporting characters are equally well-developed. Ward does a masterful job of creating characters that the reader will care about, even as they are drawn into the dark and disturbing world of the novel.

Overall, Looking Glass Sound is an outstanding novel that is sure to stay with the reader long after they finish reading it. It is a must-read for fans of literary horror and suspense.

Here are some specific things that I liked about the novel:

The writing is beautiful and lyrical, but also deeply unsettling.
The structure of the novel is complex and intricate.
The characters are well-developed and relatable.
The novel explores themes of grief, loss, and the power of stories in a powerful and moving way.
I highly recommend Looking Glass Sound to anyone who is looking for a well-written, suspenseful, and thought-provoking horror novel.

I always have a solid time with a Catriona Ward book -- if not an unsettling time! I always close her books thinking a mix of "what the heck did I just read?" and "did I even fully comprehend what I just read?" Her books turn my brain to mush and this one was no exception. The way she gradually builds dread cannot be overstated. I also really felt endeared to the characters and wanted to see them through, even if it was slow to start with a weird ending. Ominous and surreal with a gothic feel and a spooky seaside setting, I recommend giving this a shot!

Thanks to Netgalley for sending me the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review!

I ultimately liked this thriller, despite the fact that the final twist had me side eyeing the book hard. I liked that it was a quiet, more psychological slow build than I expected. I liked that I genuinely could not have told you what was really happening most of the story. And I loved that Ward showed off her skill at building mystery by weaving together stories within stories, because it showed how excellent she is at her craft. I especially also loved the use of one of the particular literary devices which I will not name as to remain spoiler free because I was actually SHOCKED when I realized what was happening!

Yes, this was a confusing book. And yes, it wasn’t your typical scary, pulse racing thriller horror. But if you want a twisty, what the actual hell is going on kind of story, check this out.

Thank you to Tor and Netgalley for the ARC. Looking Glass Sound is out now!

3.5/5

Thank you so much to Catriona Ward, Tor Nightfire, and Netgalley for the ARC of this lovely tale. A huge fan of Little Eve and The Last House on Needless Street (one of my all time favorite novels) - I am extremely thankful to have had this opportunity.

Wilder Harlow is a writer set off to write his final novel in the scenic, windswept Maine coast-side. The book is based heavily on his own childhood - the town he grew up in, the killer that stalked the streets, and the kids he spent his summer days with - including one particular friend who stole one of his unpublished manuscripts and published it as his own. As he writes, however, the lines between reality and fiction begin to blur. Life becomes even more unstable for Wilder when he finds a note written by said friend inside the cabin he resides.

Ward's writing style always has me focusing on the little details because I know they'll come back around later. It makes for a slower read, but I take it all in and I enjoy it every step of the way. Looking Glass Sound took what I'm used to experiencing from Ward, and took it a step farther. There are pros and cons to that. The con being I had to re-read multiple parts and go back occasionally to better process what I was reading. It was very reminiscent to one of my all time favorite authors, Gene Wolfe, in that way which made me feel nostalgic.

I loved the twists and turns however, and I loved the story as a whole. I greatly recommend it to those that are fans of Ward's other works - but especially The Last House on Needless Street. This is one I will absolutely be reading again.