I wanted to love this one so much more than I did, I think I set my expectations too high based on how much I loved Last House on Needles Street.

I loved the character of Wilder. The beginning of the book with his memoir of his time at the cottage at Whistlers Bay was the best part of the book imo.

Once the story progresses and the memoir is followed with a book, and another book with liberties and name changes etc. it started to lose me. I think the author was using this as a way to add depth and layers to the story but it just became muddled. I don't mind unreliable narrators but the whole book just felt unreliable and confusing.

Atmospherically it was great, the writing itself was well done, I highlighted several passages because they were so great. But overall the POVs/books within the book took away from the plot and writing for me.

3 Stars - I liked it but didn't love it.

This book was incredible. Slow moving and beautifully written, Catriona Ward created a story that I will think about for awhile. I want to say more, but it could be considered spoilery, so all I'm going to say is, if you like the author's writing and you love atmospheric reads, pick this up.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for a free copy in exchange for my honest review.

DNF'd at 69%

I came to the realization that this is just not my cup of tea; and I have far too many other teas to try that are waiting impatiently for me.

I really, really hoped this book would come around, but the convolution was suffocating. What a disappointment!

<i>Thanks to Tor Nightfire and NetGalley for this free ARC in exchange for an honest review.</i>

I was super excited to receive this ARC because I LOVED Sundial and The Last House on Needless Street. Well, add this book to that list! This author is a master of creating the most unexpected scenarios.

Catriona Ward offers up another mind-bending and twisty tale filled with psychological horror and metaphysical dread. This book was an insane read, and I'd expect nothing less from this author.

The story is told across several timelines through several POVs, and can be separated into three distinct parts:

Wilder is a strange boy who is bullied at his school. He and his family vacation at Whistler Bay for the summer in his recently deceased uncle's cottage. He befriends two other kids in the area and the three of them get into trouble all summer. Meanwhile, "The Dagger Man", the legend of the local murderer which has previously plagued the bay, resurfaces, and with it comes life-altering trauma.

We then follow Wilder into college, where he struggles to deal with the events of that fateful summer through writing with the intent of publishing a memoir one day. Wilder meets a boy, Sky, who encourages him to write everything down about his past to get the closure he needs. The two fall in love, but Wilder is ultimately betrayed when Sky steals the folder of all Wilder's writings to turn it into a book of his own.

This last part is where it gets trippy. Wilder returns to Whistler Bay as an adult. He is losing his sight, seeing things, hearing things, and he confuses these hallucinations with reality. Wilder is consumed by bitter rage toward Sky and decides to get revenge on him by writing a book about Sky's betrayal, to expose him, in similar style to Sky's own book.

This is the most basic summary I can provide of this book without revealing major plot points and twists. At its core, this is a coming of age novel. Withheld are details of murder, witchcraft, suicide, and ghosts; love, homosexuality, betrayal, alcoholism, friendship, and family. There are so many layers to this book. It was so fun to read and I never could have guessed where each of the twists and turns led.

Looking Glass Sound, ah, I’m still thinking about you 6 weeks later! First off, I love Cat Ward, make no mistake and one of the reasons I love her writing is for her sheer ability to pull one off on me. So, goes without saying, that LGS did just that.

I want to point out that it takes an open mind to read this, hang in there in the beginning and don’t give up because the journey is well worth it. Wards writing is descriptive, disturbing, and will get under your skin for a long time to come.

Highly recommend this one!

I made it 50% of the way through this book but sadly lost interest only 25% in. I enjoyed the atmospheric descriptions of the town near the water and all of the nautical themes, and the gruesome descriptions of what was found in the sea. However once Wilder went off to college it felt like a different book and it was difficult to maintain my attention in what was going on.

I think if the entire first part was a horror novella, that would have been perfect.

This book was genuinely brilliant. The plot was so intricate and bizarre in the best way. By the end, I had almost no idea what was fake and what wasn't, and I loved that. Catriona is an amazing writer and I feel like I love her style more and more with each book I pick up. This was such a unique story and I haven't stopped thinking about it.

Catriona Ward possesses an incredibly unique creative talent, and I absolutely love her books.

What sets her apart is her ability to instil fear without relying on excessive gore, monstrous creatures, or overly detailed descriptions. Instead, Ward delves into the recesses of your mind, provoking thought and discomfort. In “Looking Glass Sound,” the horror element is concentrated in a single, unforgettable scene that lingers in your thoughts long after reading. The remainder of the book grapples with the aftermath of that chilling moment, taking readers on an emotional journey alongside the characters as they grapple with lasting trauma.

The characters in this story are rich and evocative, with Wilder’s outcast persona drawing immediate empathy. The seaside backdrop during the summer, filled with stolen moments and fleeting friendships, adds a layer of immersion that is almost tangible, allowing readers to smell the sea and experience the joy of newfound connections.

The narrative style, featuring multiple perspectives and time shifts, mirrors fragmented thoughts, creating an unsettling and slightly disorienting atmosphere. However, it all comes together brilliantly in the end.

The book needs to be devoured in a single sitting, requiring your full attention. It’s a fantastic and immersive read that captivates from start to finish. All the stars for this book!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for sending a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I read a digital ARC of Looking Glass Soung and IMMEDIATELY left my house to pick up a physical copy when I finished. I had to get it in the hands of friends so that we could discuss, because this one is WILD.

What I loved:
-The story/mystery in the first part of the book immediately grabbed me and I loved the way the plot unfolded.
-Ward is a very descriptive writer and there are scenes that will vividly live in my head forever.
-I loved the “ah ha” moments when I realized the tie ins between the big reveals and earlier events.

Other thoughts:
-Ward books are never what they seem to be on the surface. As the story deepened, the layers sometimes became confusing. But I think that the questioning of “what’s real, what just happened?” is the point 😃
-I feel like the official blurbs and synopsis don’t really give a true picture of the story, so it’s best to go in blind.

This book will bend your brain and make you question every chapter. If you’re looking for a dark story full of murder, betrayal and obsession, this might be one for you. I definitely recommend reading the physical copy, it makes it easier to go back and double check your memory every time you think “wait, what?!?”

Thank you @netgalley and @tornightfire for the advanced copy!

I really enjoyed the first half of this book but then it went down hill from there. It’s really confusing & the supposed twist wasn’t that surprising. I am a big fan of this author but this one wasn’t it. I Probably won’t recommend to others to read.

In typical Ward fashion, I was confused throughout most of this book. The storyline seemed to jump all over the place and I felt super lost. However, everything tied together at the end and a lot of my questions were answered. I thought the atmosphere was spot on and the storyline was very unique. I'm afraid some readers may not finish due to the confusion, but true Ward fans will have a great time with this one!

Catriona Ward has a unique writing style. Her speculative brand of chilling storytelling is cerebral in the best way. Looking Glass Sound is edgy, twisty, and suspenseful. The novel is engaging and memorable.

Catriona Ward might have to be a pass for me. I have tried to read all of her other books after loving the last house on needless street and I cannot seem to find that feeling again. I'm sure I will continue to try, but this just could not hold my attention at all.

After the death of Wilder's Uncle Vernon, his family decides to use Vernon's cabin on the shore of Maine's Whistler Bay for a much needed summer vacation. Wilder decides that he will make friends and maybe even find a girlfriend this summer. He quickly finds friends in local teens, Nat and summer resident, Harper. The group quickly becomes enamored with the local lore of drownings and the Dagger Man of Whistler Bay. However, the fantasy soon becomes too real as Wilder, Nat and Harper find the victims and figure out that the perpetrator is someone close to them. Still dealing with the impacts from that summer, Wilder sets off to college in Pennsylvania. Suffering from panic attacks, Wilder finds a friend in Sky, who comforts Wilder and has a special interest in his trauma. Years later, after Wilder attempts to put together his summer at Whistler Bay into a memoir, Sky publishes Looking Glass Sound, a bestseller based on Wilder's memories. Wilder makes his way back to Whistler Bay in order to confront his memories and set the record straight.

Looking Glass Sound is a story within a story within a story that bends, stretches and tests the limits of what you believe is reality. The three stories told in succession create an underlying current of unknowing, unease and suspense. With each of the characters warping slightly in each of the story retellings, I wasn't quite sure of who everyone truly was and it seemed like everyone was an unreliable narrator. Everyone's story seemed like an atonement piece to try to rewrite their past with small bits of their true selves coming through. While it seemed like the main character should have been Wilder, I think the real focus of the story was the first victim of the Dagger Man, Rebecca. I thought it was really interesting that Wilder interacted with the Dagger Man after he was caught, it was insightful to see the thought process of a murderer and how the meeting affected Wilder. With many secrets, twists and unknowns, Looking Glass Sound is a unique horror experience.

This book was received for free in return for an honest review.

Honestly wow. Catriona Ward has things thing where she writes and I’m confused, but like a good confused and I wanna keep reading. As the book progressed I started not caring and disliking it but I felt like I spent enough time loving it to keep going.
I was drawn in with the spookiness and how the characters weaved around each other,
I don’t wanna say too much because the whole point of Ward’s books are being surprised at the twists and end,

Thank you to NetGalley, Catriona Ward and Tor Publishing Group for the free e-book in exchange for an honest review.

I gotta say, this is my first novel from this author and I was not impressed how there wasn’t really any chapters. As a mom, I need short chapters that I can leave off easily. The plot was pretty interesting and it kept me reading, but not one I’d recommend. But I have tons of Ward’s books on the shelves that I’m still excited to get to.

Somehow Catriona Ward manages to blow me away every time. This one has so many twists and turns and reveals, while staying entertaining and engaging the whole time.

I’ve had a very up and down relationship with this author and haven’t loved some of their work, so I was worried about this one.
However, I was pleasantly surprised by how much I liked it. This is definitely a weird one, which is pretty typical for this author, but I liked the direction it went in and I found it to be super unexpected and unique.
I did think the ending was a little much, I think it could’ve been dialed back a bit because it became a little too wild for me. In the end, I really liked it and it’s definitely my second favorite from this author!

Okay. Okayyy.
What?
This book was insane and I've come to expect no less from Catriona Ward. This is the third book of hers I've read and each has left my mind completely warped, a little confused, but totally satisfied.
She has this beautiful way of writing, each character and setting laid out perfectly for you. You become so engulfed in these stories that you forget THE BIG WEIRD is coming. Because it's coming.
The book takes place in Maine (which I love), it's a coming of age story (partially), there's heartbreak and betrayal and revenge, and more than one incredibly unreliable narrator. I don't want to go into the plot because it is a crazy trip and I recommend taking that journey and seeing for yourself 🤭 so good

Thank you NetGalley, Catriona Ward and Tor for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Looking Glass Sound
Catriona Ward
Aug 8;
Tor Nightfire
Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
Wards writing is solid and mostly captivating. I just had trouble following this one and understanding it. About 50 percent in I lost interest. Very haunting.
3 stars