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.

Catorina Ward has done it again. After reading 4 of her books I've learned she has a formula and I am totally here for it. This is how it works, with no spoilers, but helpful to know this going into any of her books.

1. You begin the story and you totally understand and know what's going on.
2. Things start to get a bit twisty, but you are still hanging on and with it.
3. Forget all that you thought you knew and start considering other options.
4. Become totally lost and question if you even were paying attention.
5. Finally you get clued in to what's REALLY going on, and it's not what you thought was.
6. Still question the book and have to talk to other readers to figure out how it all went down.
7. Consider a re-read.

I really enjoyed this storyline. The ideas and concepts were fascinating. Bravo. I'm ready for the next!

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Publishing Group for the complimentary e-copy of this book.

My expectations were high going into this book and I was worried I was going to be let down. I should have trusted the genius that is Catriona Ward because this is a really good book. Ward’s writing is captivating as she weaves what begins as a coming of age story. It is during the first half of the novel that I fell in love. I loved the characters and and that allowed me to really connect with the novel. They seemed real and broken and I was drawn into their world.
The story eventually morphs into a mystery that becomes ever darker and more bizarre until we eventually head into horror territory. I liked this trajectory but it did become a little confusing. But not to worry, everything eventually makes sense. This is a complicated and layered story but it is definitely worth the effort and that is all I’m going to say. Just read the book. Ward has a brilliance to her writing that really excites me and I can’t wait to see what she does next.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Nightfire for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review. This book. One of my most anticipated of the year from a favorite author of mine and it did not disappoint. I will say I don't think it's a favorite of Ward's for me because I did find the book to become very confusing in the end. I will say that I think what added to my confusion was simply the format of the book from the file NetGalley transferred to my kindle. The spacing was what threw me off the most. Luckily though, I have ordered a hardcover copy and that arrived in the mail today. Once I was 30% of the way through I knew I needed this one for my shelves. I would go into this book basically blind or at least go in knowing that what you read in the synopsis is both true and not. Ward is known for her twisty ways and this might be her most twisty of them all! Her writing is captivating as always and I think from a pure prose standpoint, she is one of the greatest. She is able to create such a dark and tense atmosphere and once again makes the setting of her novel come to life as a character of its own. I can see this being confusing for people in the end or people not liking the direction that the story ultimately goes but I loved it and these characters will be in my heart for a long time. Definitely recommend it if you have read Ward before or if you are looking for a thriller book that leans heavily on horror elements.

Looking Glass Sound is my third book from Catriona Ward and once again I’m blown away with the twist that she conjured up. With a story that is horrific, heartbreaking, and unique, Catriona Ward takes you on a rollercoaster ride then leaves you with a shattered mind that craves a second run. I tried to write a description for this wild and incredible novel, but it’s impossible for me to leave out spoilers. From the beginning there are twists and turns that make writing a spoiler-free, catchy description damn near impossible, so I cheated and included the description from the publisher

(This is where I inserted the description from the Tor Nightfire website)

2.5

I was excited to get this arc but it was a let down. Slow and boring. I did not care whatsoever about what was happening or about any of the characters. I was hoping it was going to be more of a fever dream novel but it just didn’t reach that level.

3.5 rounding up. After hearing that Catriona Ward was a great voice in the horror-sphere I was so excited to read this. I thought the writing was great and the storyline super engaging. I did have a hard time following it at points and was left feeling a. little bit "WTF" lol but I've heard that's how her books are supposed to go. I loved all of the layers and tangled mess that the author wove and I truly would recommend it to thriller/horror fans.

Ⓑⓞⓞⓚ Ⓡⓔⓥⓘⓔⓦ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

𝕃𝕠𝕠𝕜𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝔾𝕝𝕒𝕤𝕤 𝕊𝕠𝕦𝕟𝕕
𝗖𝗮𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮 𝗪𝗮𝗿𝗱
Thriller
352 pages

Sʜᴏᴿᴛ Sʏɴᴏᴘsɪs

The story of summer friends and the dark effects of what they uncover.

As adults, the gritty past is captured in a book that becomes well-known. The question is, where did the story truly come from? What really happened in Whistler Bay?

Mʸ Tᴴᴼᵁᴳᴴᵀs

Looking Glass Sound is an intricate series of knots unraveling one by one to show us the truth of these characters and their story.

I found myself confused at times. The story is a book about a book about another book. That leads to some confusion.

Even so, I wanted to find out what happened. I like the unexpected in a book, and this has it in droves. The ending was the biggest surprise to me.

I suggest you don’t read multiple books with this one in the mix. You really need to focus to keep everything straight.

This story is like juggling too many balls and trying to keep them all going. You can do it if you focus hard, but you might still drop a few and might not know how to get them back in the mix.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for providing this ebook for me to read and review.

Amazing. I am not going to lie, this book was almost a 2 star, then almost a dnf but the last 100 pages of this book were absolutely everything. This will be in my favorites of the year for sure. I love this author and this one was just so smart

Whoa, as someone else said, this one is a brain bender. Very meta. Makes you want to go back and reread it as soon as you finish! And I did go back and reread parts of it... I enjoyed the story and only found it mildly confusing.

I love her books, but this one was twisted and kind of a gross creepy way. The sexual content was disturbing and unexpected. More than her other books, this one jumped the shark too many times, though I will still say it was very creative and twisty.

Early copy received from netgalley and Tor to voluntarily Read and review.

I struggled at first with the digital format of this one, but started listening on audio that was definitely the best way to enjoy this one.

The story had me hooked from the start and had me coming up with all sorts of crazy theories of what I thought was happening, but after the first section I can admit that I really had no idea what was going on.

It got a little confusing towards the end as the stories and characters started to converge. It was difficult to determine what was actually happening and what was part of the story, but overall I enjoyed it.

This is one I think would benefit from a re-read to full grasp the concepts and storylines.

Not going to lie, I was nervous going in because the Last House on Needless Street wasn't my favorite or anything, but Catriona Ward surprised me. I thought the blend of Coming of Age story and horror was well done and felt perfect against the Maine coast.