I found this author on Facebook. He's hilarious, and very engaging.
This is a good horror story, feels very realistic, and well worth reading. I may never look in corners again.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this ARC

On a Clear Day, You Can See Block Island, is a great, fast paced horror following the Keating Family. Four years previously, whilst playing a game akin to Chinese whispers but shouting through walls of their home. The eldest daughter, mysteriously disappears, according to the police anyway. What the Keating Family witnessed, will haunt them.

Now, the family are fractured and broken, they turn to what happened in their home at Block Island by returning. What they didn't expect, was the absolute horror they would have to face in order to return to the mainland.

I really enjoyed this fast paced horror and kept me glued to the pages until the very end. The narrative flowed very well and has a great pacing throughout the book with snippets of foreshadowing, gradually piecing together why the Keating family was subjected losing their oldest sister that fateful day. I must admit, I wasn't sure what way the book would take which kept me guessing. I loved the characters and even though they all had their issues, I found them all lovable in different ways. They felt human, flawed and I loved that.

Thank you Netgalley and Gage Greenwood for the arc of On A Clear Day, You Can See Block Island

This was a very fast paced, very fun; creepy and at times emotional read. It starts with a bang and then the eerie atmosphere never lets up.
If you like Stranger Things or Stephen King’s IT, then you might like this one.

Highly recommended!

Absolutely amazing. I have yet to read a book from rhis author that I don’t love. I have only ever heard good things about this book and it lived up to the hype.

This was interesting. What happens when a monster truly comes to life? The Keating family literally has PTSD from the death of their sibling. Each person from the Keating family deals with it in their own unhealthy way. It's sad to see, but it happens. What happened wasn't normal. There are nightmares, and their life is literally turned upside down. Nothing is what it seems. When the siblings head back to Block Island, they uncover far more than they expect, and what comes out in the fog doesn't want to go in. The story was creepy, and I wanted a deeper backstory into the creatures that inhibited Block Island. Overall, it's a decent read that makes you wonder what could be hidden beneath our noses. I can't give much away as the story hits off right from the beginning, and the pace keeps going.

I really, really wanted to love this book, and for the first half, I genuinely did!

It’s got a cool, creepy setup and fascinating storyline. An eerie setting, interesting characters and is surprisingly well written. Even beautifully written in some places.

Unfortunately it all sort of fell about in the back half. Greenwood is great at dialogue and setting, but his action scenes are so confusingly written I had to keep going back to make sure I hadn’t missed something.

Random characters are mentioned as being in a scene they weren’t in before and aren’t in after. Like the author’s notes got mixed up while they were writing and they just went with it.

And the choices some characters make are just irrational (I know some of that is needed in horror to keep the story moving forward) but genuinely insane. I’d go more into it but I don’t want to spoil anything.

So as much as I wanted to love this book, I’m going to have to settle for just kind of liking it.

I wanted so badly to love this, as I’ve seen positive reviews from other NetGalley ARC readers. Unfortunately, this fell flat for me. While the plot was captivating and the first chapter hooked me into the narrative, the dialogue was my primary gripe with this story as a whole. I simply didn’t find the characters’ interactions believable, and their purported ages were laughable in the context of their speech. I love a creature feature as much as the next girl, and a folklore-driven mystery is right up my alley, but I can’t say I’d recommend this to discerning adult readers.

OMG - seriously what did I just read? It was magnificent!
I like horror novels, but they are not typically my 1st choice, and I wasn’t sure how this would go … but OMG I am so clad I chose this book. Spooky, scary, mysterious, had me up reading WAY past my bedtime because I couldn’t look away. It wasn’t a gory horror, but a thriller horror, and it was fantastic. I do not want to give anything away, but if the author’s synopsis sounds interesting definitely give this book a read.

I struggled with this one. There were some clear strengths: it had an unexpectedly creepy start, and a great setup for grief horror. But I couldn't connect with the characters and found the dialogue a bit too awkward -- it felt like it needed another few drafts. I can see the book has lots of fans, so I think plot-driven horror fans will love it, but I decided to DNF, I needed more from the characters and writing.

On a Clear Day has quite the opening scene! Super unforgettable but I won’t spoil it for potential readers.
This book is a fairly quick read made even easier to get through because Gage is a true hidden gem of an author. The first half of the book is tame and informative but then it takes a bloody turn towards the middle. I have to say don’t get too comfortable with any characters because no one is safe in this book, or any of Gages books for that matter. Which is also another reason I love his writing as well as his witty humor thrown in here and there.
I had a nightmare of someone getting their face eaten off the night I finished this book so do with that what you will. Most horror lovers want that effect from a book. I wanted more of the historic background in this book. It would have bumped this bad boy to a 5 star read. Maybe a second book in the future??! It would definitely be something I’d love to read about.
Thank you Mr Gage Greenwood for an ARC in exchange for my honest review!

This was a great horror story based on old fashion folklore and revenge for generations. The Keating family, dad and five kids, have faced a horrific tragedy. After losing their mother and being paid off with millions of dollars by a big corporation, they move to Block Island and sanctuary with million dollar homes. What happens two months later, goes beyond gruesome when a monster takes the oldest daughter from a bedroom and eviscerates her in front of the rest of the family. While dealing with loss, everyone becomes a shell of who they are suffering from grief, PTSD and anxiety. What happens next is a revenge tale and payback that engulfs the rest of the family.
Greenwood spins a really good tale here that includes monsters and in between worlds. I really wanted everyone to be ok at the end, but I think that it ended just the way it should have.
I’m looking forward to more of Greenwoods work.
Thank you to #netgalley and #gagegreenwood for an opportunity to review this book.

My first by the author, and was grateful to receive an ARC of this title. As a New Englander and occasional honorary Rhode Islander I really loved this book. I loved the topsy turvy version of southern RI and Block Island. Felt very much in the vein of King’s “It”. Greenwood creates a great monster and I loved the action sequences! Also some great laugh out loud funny parts. My criticism of the narrative overall was that Charlie, who started as the mostly main character, ended up really falling by the wayside, literally so by the end. Otherwise I enjoyed the character development and background stories.

Four years after the Keating family endured the darkest experiences of their lives, the children are still fighting to move on.

This was an excellent horror novel. It had great atmosphere and a compelling story. Very well done!

“Please,” he yelled into the hollow night air, and then whispered. “I finally have friends.”

If you're looking for a feel-good happy ending... then look elsewhere you won't find it here. Prepare to have your heart absolutely shattered with this one.

I'm honestly blown away by how fucking painful and yet beautiful this story is. I'm not sure which is worse, to be haunted by a monster or to be haunted by grief. The way that Gage wrote this story and the layers of trauma and emotion within the characters are absolutely visceral.... I literally felt like I was being gut punched multiple times and cried more than I would like to admit.

It's no secret that his 2023 release of Bunker Dogs was a great book. In fact, I considered it one of my top reads of the year. BUT..this book...absolutely blows it out of the water. No question, hands down, this is the best thing I feel that he has ever written. In "Block island,"Gage perfectly blended horror, folklore, and family drama into one unforgettable story.

"Horror wasn’t a spotlight on evil, it was control. If a person could create beautiful sentences from horrific events, then any person could weave their way through life’s trauma. You just had to make the grime shine."

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

This book is action packed. I was reading faster and faster as I went on. I was scared for our protagonists. I think the horror and its origins were interesting, but I feel like there were questions that didn’t get answered. I wasn’t quite as satisfied as I wanted to be. Regardless, I still had a wild ride and loved it.

Wow….this story was achingly horrific on so many levels! Starts off slow, but once it hits -it’s a tsunami of action/kills/gore! Could not turn the pages fast enough to see what happens to this family! Loved all the characters, the highly descriptive setting, and the monsters so much! Can’t wait for another book from this genius!!

I feel awful about my 3 stars, i mean this is the man who wrote Bunker Dogs... But no matter how hard i tried, i could not love this book.
It had a strong though abrupt start, and continued as a strongly character driven plot. The characters are .... mainly young adults acting as brats. I guess understandably, as they had a traumatic experience when they were young, but I'm not sure this should be an overall "get-out-of-jail-free" card. This went at the expense of atmosphere for me.
The monsters were cool and gave me some shivers, i wish we had more on them, i could have spent more time focusing on them.
This would make a fine debut but it's not at the level of the author's other books. I kept waiting for something original to happen but it didn't. An average coming of age creature feature. If you love those, this will make a good read for you.
I guess it's just a book that didn't click with me, and I'm really happy seeing all the amazing reviews.

After the sudden death of his wife on account of corporate negligence, Jackson uses the compensation money from her company to move his children into a bigger house on Block Island. Wreath (17), Brian (15), Charlie (13), Chrissy (9) and Angela (8) are excited about the future even as they work through their complicated feelings of grief.
On their very first night in their new home, Wreath dies a horrible death, when she is literally eaten alive in her room by a monster.
Four years later, Jackson is an alcoholic mess. Brian lives out on the streets, addicted to drugs and opioids. Charlie, Chrissy and Angela are living with their aunt, Jackson’s sister, who isn’t much of a caregiver. But that’s not the worst of it. Charlie suffers from crippling anxiety. Chrissy has no memory of the monster that destroyed her family, while Angela has a terrible fear of being alone.
Chrissy questions her family’s insistence on clinging to the story. Then in a library book, she sees a picture of the monster and the blocked memories come rushing back at her.

The book is suffused with horror. Chrissy devours horror fiction. She has turned into ‘someone who would find peace in violent words.’ The author uses Chrissy’s interest in horror fiction to recommend some books. There’s also the horror of alcohol and drug addiction.
The book cover was interesting, with the island, seemingly ordinary, and the lives that it has claimed, visible in the spilling of blood below the surface of the water.
The writing was masterful in the first part of the book, especially the first chapter, inviting the reader to stop speed reading to lavish upon the words the attention the author had devoted to crafting them. Through the first half of the book, we see the pain born of grief and trauma.
We feel a sense of sadness for the plight of this this suffering family. The challenges that batter the kids relentlessly make us feel protective towards them.
The friendship that siblings Tiffany and Doug show to Charlie was sweet, and I felt bad that things didn’t turn out differently for them. Also why were they attacked?
But the second half of the book lost me. The first half definitely felt tighter than the second. And the action against the monsters took too long. Against it, the sibling dynamics was reduced to petty squabbles.
The chapters, alternating between Tiffany and Doug, Chrissy and Angela, and Detective Burns and Jackson, were essentially the same, with each pair facing off against the monster, and each pair coming to the same conclusion about their situation. My attention flagged at this point. It was almost like a sibling fight, with each pair hitting the monster, and being hit back in turn.

There was a hint about a weakness suffered by the monsters, but no explanation for why they have that weakness.
The character of Brian was explored briefly but not in a way that helped the plot along.
The action vis-à-vis the monsters takes far too long. We can’t imagine how this part of the book will end. What scenario could possibly result in the destruction of such horrible monsters?
The climax and the resolution left me feeling dissatisfied. There was no good explanation about why the nightmare ended when it did or even how, and whether it would ever recur.
Some elements in the story didn’t make sense. Why did Angela have the visions about the monsters in the past?
It was surprising that the detailed flashback of Jackson’s wife comes at the 76 percent mark, almost like an afterthought or a force-fit, making it appear like an unplanned addition. Before that, we are told almost nothing about her, which is odd considering that it is her death that sets the plot going.
The relationship between the siblings felt incomplete. Other than the fact that most of them don’t get along with each other, I saw very little of the dynamics between the siblings or the family. The aunt that is apparently caring for Charlie, Chrissy and Angela isn’t even seen in the book.
The chapter titles were intriguing. They made no sense out of context and, at first glance, seemed rather random. It was only when one read the chapter that one could make sense of them.
I don’t enjoy monster horror, but I expected better from this because of the themes of grief and trauma that were woven through. But ultimately, this book didn’t work for me.

This book was intense. When the Keating family go back to the island, things go really wild which is the last thing the family needs after all they've been through. The horrors that happened throughout the book really kept me reading that I finished it rather quickly. This was a lot of fun, but a heavy read :)

My first NetGalley read!

Reading a book that takes place somewhere you’re familiar with is a very particular and soul-warming experience. You end up feeling like you’re a part of the story. Rhode Island is a tiny place that I have called home now for two years. All the nods to RI that Greenwood includes - the all but mandatory scooters on Block Island, being able to see the Island on a clear day (you can), dunking on Cranston - feel like inside jokes with his local audience which, as an indie author, is a great move. There were several terrific bouts of prose that I’ll include at the end. The story itself was an interesting one that kept a steady and intriguing pace. It’s also very difficult to manage so many main characters, so many different perspectives, and guide them all to flourish into fleshed out people. Also, waaaaay higher death toll than I expected: kudos!

Now the critiques (I’m sorry!) I felt that dialogue wasn’t consistent. There were some terrific lines and pieces, but it usually felt like it was written by an outsider rather than natural spoken word from the characters themselves. That being said, many of these characters are related so that could explain why it all seemed like it was from the same source. But I think it could have used some more editing.

Overall, worth the read, especially if you’re from Rhode Island!

Thank you to NetGalley, Gage Greenwood, and Tanner’s Switch Publishing!

“If a person could create beautiful sentences from horrific events, then any person could weave their way through life’s trauma. You just had to make the grime shine.”

“Go read a book, bitch.”