WOW was this a fantastic debut. I want to begin with the things I loved about this book, because although I have criticisms- I have not had this much fun reading in a long while. This book just felt like it was written for me and me alone, and for that it is just so special to me. Witches, queer obsessive friendships, dark and twisted monsters, lush prose? Sign me up. The writing of this book was everything I have ever needed, and I absolutely adored so many lines and scenes and sections. The personification of EVERYTHING was so beautiful, and I found myself rereading passages just because they were so well written. I cannot wait to pick up more from this author in the future, and I cannot wait to get a physical copy of this book when it comes out so I can do a reread and annotate every single page. The characters were real, they were messy, they were INFURIATING and still they were loveable. I could have done without some of the secret keeping tropes (ie. constantly being interrupted before you can say crucial information to another character) and some of the secrets festered for way too long, creating conflict I couldn't help but roll my eyes at (granted I'm a very 'nip it in the bud' kind of personality). The dynamics between the characters (living and dead) were phenomenal and brought up so much emotion in me because I understood these friendships so deeply. As an aromantic asexual person, I also loved the way friendship was prized and valued just as much (if not more) than romantic and sexual relationships. That's something I don't see very much, especially not in mainstream queer fiction. It was so nice seeing myself in characters who don't even have all that much in common with me except that love for those close to them. The characters were distinct and although it took me a minute to get grounded in all the points of view, I blame that mostly on the ebook format. If I had been able to physically flip back and forth to remember who was who in the beginning it would have been much easier. Now, as for one of the places I feel this book unfortunately fell flat for me; the ending third. The pacing was slow and melodic up to a very particular point where, without hinting towards spoilers, all hell breaks loose. I found that the storyline got extremely messy and difficult to follow in the final chapters, and the magic system started jumping the shark in a way. As much as not all magic needs to be explained, having NO explanation for the things that started to happening felt frustrating, because there was rather little build up and groundwork laid in the beginning to make the twists make sense and feel satisfying. There were all these fantastical things that began to happen that just felt like "okay these are cool and very creepy vibes happening but I don't actually know what this is, why this is, etc" and it resulted in, for me, a loss of tension. I felt like because magic was just popping up everywhere and a very SPECIFIC magic trope happened, I no longer felt grounded in the rules of the world. I didn't know if I should be worried about a character facing a near death experience because in several scenes prior, there was an absolutely new magic thing introduced that saved them super easily and out of the blue. I just felt the ending was incredibly rushed, and it was only clear because of how wonderful the pacing in the first two thirds was. I will also say, I am both excited and a little disappointed that this had an open ending and will (hopefully) be continued in a series. I felt like this would have been crafted so well if it was a standalone with say, 150 or so more pages to properly take the time to craft an ending that had a breadcrumb trail properly laid out. I wanted to understand the magic, the witchery, the curses! I wanted to know more characters and their history! When the "villain" character was sorta revealed, I felt a bit cheated, like I should have had more of an opportunity to respect and fear certain individuals. But then again, perhaps continuing this story in a series will make for the most marvelous second book of all time- one that answers all my questions, fills in some plot holes, and gives me more of the characters and writing I'm already so obsessed with. In the end, I am so grateful to have been given an early copy of this from the author and NetGalley, and I will be waiting anxiously for more stories from Mallory Pearson.

We Ate The Dark is a tale for anyone who has ever enjoyed reading about odd, undiscovered realms, haunting homes, and a group of pals who became connected when they were young – even after death.
Sofia had been lost for several years by the time she is located in a tree hollow. Those who loved her return to her, just as they did before. Yes, to mourn, but also to figure out what happened to her. The prose in this is superb. For the most part, the writing takes us right into the hearts of everyone concerned. We get to know everyone in the friend circle pretty well. The plot propels the novel forward only in the second half. A beautiful perspective on LGBT love and community (as well as a journey through their hauntings).
If I've recently celebrated anything, it's this: the sapphic gothic novel of my fantasies.

Thank you to Netgalley, 47North, and the author for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I never thought of using the words, “right book, wrong timing,” to describe a book until We Ate The Dark.

We Ate The Dark had one of the most intriguing premises I've come across in a long time. The combination of literary horror, sapphic representation, found family, and a haunted house seemed like a perfect recipe for a fascinating read. However, I found myself struggling to get into the story and ultimately had to DNF it halfway through.

That being said, I must give credit where it's due: Mallory Pearson is an exceptional writer. Her writing is flawless, and I found myself constantly pausing to savor it. In my opinion, an author's writing ability is essential when it comes to writing a true found family book, and Mallory does it well. In some ways, the writing in We Ate The Dark reminded me of the writing in my favorite book series, The Raven Cycle, which is high praise indeed.

However, I think the characters needed improvement. I often read books with multiple POVs, but here, I found it confusing and hard to differentiate between the large cast of characters. Of them all, only Frankie resonated with me. Frankie stood out to me because she is the twin sister of Sofia, the girl who is missing/presumed dead. As a twin myself, I could empathize with her struggles and her pain for her missing sibling. Pearson did an excellent job of conveying the emotional bond between the sisters, and I appreciate her for highlighting this bond because I can never get enough of sisterhood in fiction.

Unfortunately, I believe this book hit me at the wrong time, and I should have saved it for when I was not in a reading slump. We Ate The Dark is a slow-paced story, and being in a reading slump prevented me from truly immersing myself in the narrative. Nonetheless, I am confident that this book will find its audience when it releases, and I would recommend it to anyone looking for a spooky sapphic horror.

We Ate the Dark is an impressive debut from a new author to watch! The characters in this novel are written incredibly well. Each protagonist is palpable, nuanced, and impossible not to love. We Ate the Dark is a delightful blend of horror, fantasy, and mystery with so much heart. But this book is also much, much more. It's a celebration of witchiness. It's an ode to enduring friendships. It's an exploration of queer identity and romance in a rural setting. And most of all, We Ate The Dark is about the love between members of a chosen family.

To read We Ate the Dark is to gradually fall in love with Frankie, Poppy, Cass, Marya, and Finder. Pearson has created a world that I genuinely couldn't look away from. I can't wait to read whatever she writes next!

I was able to read this eARC thanks to the author directly and i immensely thank her for the opportunity to read it early and thusly my opinion is freely given.

sapphic? Southern Gothic?? folklore horror????

sign me the f up.

I absolutely loved this book. I got a bit confused sometimes trying to keep up with the multiple narratives and who was who but really, it wasn't that bad. I enjoyed the big bad of the book and the way it tapers off at the end I can definitely see a second book on the horizon and I will definitely be there first in line for that book as well.

the characters are believable and charming, but also aggravating in their flaws which just makes them more loveable imo.

Beautifully written literary horror that is both very sapphic and very southern, and a setting that’s immersive enough that you can nearly feel the heat and the mosquito bites of the smalltown weather (or maybe I was just reading it outside as a Miamian, I am not quite sure). Definitely something I would recommend for people who like poetic horror and a really good debut novel.
However, I am the type of person who likes their horror to be a bit faster-paced, and this book kind of felt too slow for me, and it was a bit hard to get into it because of that.

first of all, thanks mallory for giving me the opportunity to read your book!

second, it was AMAZING!!! we are the dark is about female friendship, southern gothic, love, and angst all wrapped up in beautiful proses and hauntingly eerily emotional words that stuck me to my core.

i enjoyed so much the aspect of female friendship and the spiritual and platonic love that they shared with each other. it made my heart swell and reminded me about the power of vulnerability! 🫀

thirdly, this book comes out 3/5/2023, put it on your calendar.

Absolutely phenomenal. I devoured this book. It is lyrical, flowing, dark, and frightening- but also beautiful and strengthening. The friendships in the book will ring true to anyone who has experienced the intense love of a female friendship- something you only understand when it’s happened to you. Brilliant, and I need a sequel ASAP. Thanks so much to Mallory for the ARC!