This was fine 🤷🏻‍♀️ I loved the concept and the tone made the mystery so much more intriguing but I still don’t completely understand what was going on in this town and I had a hard time differentiating between Bronwyn & Anais’ POV. I think overall it just left me feeling very underwhelmed 🤷🏻‍♀️

Bronwyn Sawyer moves to the mysterious town of Hillwoods with her family so her father can make arrangements for her dying grandmother. She isn’t thrilled but it’s only supposed to be for a year. So it can’t be that bad. Right?

What she soon learns is that this town has secrets. Sinister secrets. And unwritten rules that everyone in town abides by. The rule she struggles with the most is “we don’t swim here.” She makes it a mission to find out why. But at what expense?

The beginning of this book was a little slow for me, but it soon picked up and grabbed my attention. It was spooky and intense. It is definitely written for a younger audience but still an intriguing read. Like a ghost story told around a campfire.

4.25 stars

The narrator was amazing. They did different voices for the two MCs which always improves the audio experience in multiple POV books.

I really enjoyed this and how the mystery element dealt with race. As well as the horror mixed with mystery/thriller elements. For horror, it wasn't too gorey which I appreciated.

The characters were well-fleshed out but not always likable. Though my biggest, and really only complaint with the book was that the cause/why of the older mystery wasn't really explained.

Overall a very good book!

Thank you NetGalley and Tantor Audio for the ARC audio of We Don’t Swim Here for an honest review! Initially the cover caught my eye and when I read the description I knew I was hooked. I’m a big fan of any horror and a town with secret rituals and their seemingly aqua-phobia intrigued me. The story follows both Bronwyn and Anais and though it starts slow it does pick up rather quickly about halfway through when we’re finally introduced to a character named Sweetie. After she’s introduced the story picks up a lot more and kept me hooked until the end which is super satisfying considering Sweetie’s backstory. My only issues with the book was how slow it starts and how flat the rituals and rules felt. Other than that if you like horror this is a good ghost story with an equally good ending.

This was a superbly narrated story, written with such eerie detail and I loved it.

I am NOT a fan of the “keeping secrets from you to protect you” trope in mysteries or thrillers, and I will admit that the beginning of this book was making me so mad. BUT… it was warranted and ultimately justified.

Bronwyn moves with her parents into her grandmother’s house when her health begins to fail and is out in hospice care. While she cares deeply for her grandmother, she dislikes being displaced from her school and her life. She was on the fast track to swimming championships but that all changes when the town they move to is incredibly weird about water, toting the same line all the time, “we don’t swim here.”

It doesn’t take long for Bronwyn to realize that something is really off in this town and her cousin Anais isn’t helping her understand or acclimate. Instead, everyone is very watchful of her as the new girl, keeping hushed about the fact that the lake is CLOSED and the swimming pools are dried up and locked.

Instead, Bronwyn finds herself wrapped up in a very dangerous revenge game that is decades old.

I loved this book! I thought the writing was fantastic. The message was clear by the end, and while it was devastating, it was eye opening at the same time. This book deals with racism and sacrifices and I found it riveting! I will absolutely be reading more form this author.

Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest rating and review.

I really wanted to love this book but I found it to be just alright. It was kind of interesting and kind of spooky and kind of exhilarating. But only kind of. This book didn’t fully draw me in and have me hooked like I so wanted it to. I didn’t find it to be a waste of a read, as there were some redeeming factors. It just wasn’t great for me.

The beginning was a bit of a slow burn. I thought it was going speed up, but it never really did. I did enjoying watching the family dynamics evolve throughout the story. I also was trying to guess the mysterious elements throughout.

We Don’t Swim Here was a fast and chilling ride. I got intrigued early on by the story and the hook stayed in me and got me to the finish on this one very quickly.

The story follows Bronwyn who is forced to move to the town of Hillwoods because her grandmother is in hospice. Her cousin Anais lives in Hillwoods and immediately there seemed to be a problem between her and Bronwyn.

The town had a creepy feel to it and so did all of the people who live there. There were secretive rituals and of course, the notion that in the town of Hillwoods, “we don’t swim here”. The pools are all empty and no one is allowed in the lake. The mystery surrounding why no one swims was fascinating to me. I didn’t fully like where it went but it was a lot of fun to get there.

This is a supernatural thriller that will uncover so many secrets of not only the town but of the families of everyone in the town. This is one I definitely recommend.

The story was really slow and I was so bored at times while listening to this audiobook. The narrator was really good and the only reason I was able to finish.

***** I have received and read an e - ARC from NetGalley in exchange for giving my honest feedback. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.*****

This feels more like an early draft than a finished and polished novel.

Some of the plot points felt unfinished, decisions that were made felt inauthentic, and the beginning was far too slow to really keep my attention.

Overall, it’s not the worst thing I’ve ever read, and it definitely had potential, but that potential goes unfulfilled. I think another draft could have made for an amazing novel, but as it currently stands, it’s not one that would make me talk to other people about it or want to read other novels by this author.

We Don’t Swim Here is a spooky, fast-paced young adult horror-mystery that was a blast to listen to.

Bronwyn is a teen girl who is training to be an Olympic-level swimmer when her parents move her to her dad’s hometown to take care of her dying grandmother.  Bronwyn homes to keep training, but the town’s pools are drained of water and other students simply tell her “we don’t swim here.”  Super ominous and creepy.

The story is split between Bronwyn’s perspective as the outsider, and that of her cousin Anais, a girl raised in town who wants to protect Bronwyn by keeping secrets.

I loved the dual narrators and the creepiness of the town’s weird little rituals.  The tension builds so nicely and I love a good revenge story.

I wanted a little more from Bronwyn’s Olympic swimming hopes; I think that’s a great character backstory but it’s odd that her parents didn’t see it as important to consider when moving.  But aside from that, I really enjoyed this book.

Thank you to Netgalley and Tantor Audio for my review copy of this audiobook.

This book definitely delivered on the creepy vibes! Vincent Tirado is quickly becoming an auto buy author for me. I didn’t love this quite as much as their previous book, Burn Down, Rise Up. However this kept me on the edge of my seat and guessing the truth behind everything until the very end.

I do wish that the audiobook had different narrators for each of the MC’s POVs.

I would still highly recommend this one to fans of YA horror, particularly ones that have some social commentary thrown in.

From the same author that wrote Burn Down, Rise Up.

I knew I’d love it.

I think Vincent Tirado is my new go to for YA Horror.
In this one Bronwyn Sawyer and her family move to the town where her father is from. Instantly the town is creepy as shit and has all these weird rules and rituals. No spoilies just know it gets wild. I enjoyed it.

4.5 rounded up and the .5 removed is mainly just the audiobook experience. I loooved the narrator I just wish there had been two. It was dual perspective but I got a little lost sometimes on who was talking.

Thanks to NetGalley and Tantor Audio for an advanced listening copy.

This YA horror novel was absolutely fantastic! In “We Don’t Swim Here” Bronwyn must return to her father’s hometown after her grandmother goes into hospice care. The town and residents have some weird rules, one being no swimming, even though there is a gorgeous lake. This rule is difficult for Bronwyn considering she is on a swim team and it is her stress relief. She discovers a way to swim in the abandoned rec center pool. After that swim, Bronwyn has strange blackout moments and creepy occurrences around her.

I highly recommend checking this audiobook out. I binge listened to it in less than 24 hours!

Thank you @tantoraudio and @netgalley for allowing me to listen to this audiobook ahead of publication in exchange for my honest review.

I don't typically read YA, but when I do, I always pick out the goodies.
I am so thankful to Tantor Audio, Sourcebooks Fire, Vincent Tirado, and NetGalley for granting me audiobook access to this fun and creepy horror book, before it's audiobook version is set to hit shelves on May 16, 2023. The physical copy of the book is out now, so sprint on over to your local bookstore to grab it.

Bronwyn was a born-swimmer, and loves to do it before professionally and recreationally. When her family moves to a new town to be closer to her dying grandmother, she soon learns that this town is the Footloose of all towns, for everyone is very against swimming. Why??? Oh, perhaps because there's an ages-old curse that lurks beneath the depths of the town's watering holes and lakes, waiting to take the lives of those who near it... very enticing lol.

We Don't Swim Here gave me notes of Cherish Farrah and Stranger Things, if the two were to have a love child. This fast-paced read will keep you on the edge of your seat, until the very dark ending.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire for providing an arc in exchange for an honest review. Unfortunately, I just couldn't get in to this. There was so much filler in it that it took away from the plot.