Charlotte McConaghy has quickly become one of my auto-buy authors. Such incredible story-telling while touching on important, almost alternate universe, environmental themes.

I’ve loved all the books I’ve by Charlotte McConaghy - she weaves the themes of climate change and the precarious nature of our future so well. I think the wild Dark Shore is my favorite of her novels, the bittersweet ending, the unique characters, and the storyline were incredible. I loved the setting of this novel and the descriptions of the wildlife- the penguins, seals and whales were magical. You could feel the sea spray and the strong winds on your face. The family dynamics and descriptions of parenting and also loss of a family member were right on. I did not guess the mystery and was riveted by the possibilities. I think this will be a favorite book of 2025. Thank you NetGalley for an advanced reader copy.

If there is one book that you need to add to your 2025 TBR list, it’s this one 🤩
Thank you, Flatiron Books, for the gifted copy of Wild Dark Shore {partner}

Genre: Fiction
Format: 🎧📖
Pub Date:  3.4.2025
Pages: 320
Star Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆

“Maybe we will drown or burn or starve one day, but until then, we get to choose if we’ll add to that destruction or if we will care for each other.”

It’s impossible to say just how impactful Charlotte McConaghy’s books have become to me. I always know they will transport me to places I’d only dreamed of seeing through her vivid details and incredible storylines. And just as I know I will love her books, I also know there will be a piece of my heart that the story takes with me when it ends. 

Wild Dark Shore is arguably her best book yet. It’s going on my top reads of the year, and I will recommend it to everyone who could use a reminder about what beautiful, thought-provoking, and impactful books can look like. Once I finished the last page, I just had to sit back and contemplate what I’d read, cry, and then try to formulate something to adequately portray just how incredible this book is.

I’ve always been fascinated by the Svalbard Global Seed Vault, so reading a book based on something similar completely captivated my mind. There was reference after reference to the precious seeds stored away in case there is ever a need for them for the future of food supply. I learned so much, but at the same time, I felt the growing ache in my chest at what the seed vault means about our world and just how critical protecting our planet is. From the food crops to the plants and the trees - it’s all connected; without one, there is no other. 

It’s very rare for me to love all of the characters in a book, but I can promise you that Dominic, Fen, Rowan, Orly, and Raff have a very special place in my heart. 

Read if you enjoy:
🌲 Nature writing
🥹 Unforgettable characters
📖 Vivid descriptions
🕵🏽‍♀️ Mystery
🌎 Climate change themes

I highly recommend Wild Dark Shore and can’t wait to see it in the world. I promise this one will stay with me for a long time, and I will be reading it again. I recommend reading Wild Dark Shore if you enjoyed reading The Light Pirate by Lily Brooks-Dalton or Drowning by TJ Newman

Wow! It will be tough to put into words how much I loved this book and how much it impacted me. In its short 320 pages I learned more about plants, whales and nature than I could have imagined, connected and adored each of the five main characters, and was fully invested in the mystery. McConaghy completely transported to the atmospheric and vivid setting, feeling the emotions that each character felt every step of the way. Her writing only gets better with each book she writes and this is one not to miss!

Read if you like:
-Learning about climate change
-Genre blends: mystery, lit fiction, romance
-Family dynamics
-Atmospheric and vivid settings
-Penguins, whales and nature

I was mesmerized by the remote setting and harsh landscape of Shearwater Island and fascinated by the seed bank. I am team McConaghy all the way and have read/will read anything by her! I appreciate the author's attention to detail with regards to setting and the focus on ecological issues, which are woven into the plot of the novel.

Probably the most gentle of McConaghy’s climate fiction so far - and going softer is really working for her here. As is having a larger cast of characters and viewpoints than before, this time mostly kids. A great read for those like me who loved “Girl in Ice” by Erica Ferencik - not a plot match but the tone of both books are harmonious. Thank you for the ARC, I truly loved this book.

I devoured this book in half a day. It was atmospheric and mysterious- Charlotte McConaghy is truly a master of her craft.

Charlotte McConaghy has done it again- this novel is absolutely stunning! She has quickly made her way to the top of my favorite authors list and I will most certainly be reading anything else she publishes. She does a masterful job of creating a character out of the natural environment in all her books and this is one is no exception. She writes her characters in such realistic and nuanced ways that you will be thinking of them well after you have finished the book.

I have read books that span genres like this and they tend to be doing so much that at least one aspect of the book suffers; but Wild Dark Shore somehow intertwines literary, mystery, and romance so well, and even throws in looming climate change issues without it feeling overly heavy handed.

I was completely gutted by this novel in the best way. 5/5

Thank you to NetGalley for the digital ARC!

This is the third book I've read by Charlotte McConaghy, and just like with "Migrations" and "Once There Were Wolves", upon finishing "Wild Dark Shore", I had to just sit, and be, and breathe. I could not immediately put my thoughts and feelings into words.
A family of four living on a remote outpost, trying desperately to save various flora and fauna in a 'seed vault', while befriending the local birds, sea lions, and penguins is at the heart of the story. When a mysterious woman washes up on the shore–this book takes off–with you in its grip–and does not let go, EVER! Not even days after finishing.
This novel touched me deeply on so many levels. Her reflections on, and incorporation of things like climate change, birds, the sea, fatherhood, isolation, and grief, in a book that can be described as part mystery, part psychological suspense and mostly climate/eco thriller is amazing. Emotions such as desperation and anger were the rule in this haunting and atmospheric, painful and gorgeous latest from an author who has quickly become a favorite of mine. Charlotte McConaghy has outdone herself with her latest!
Many thanks to NetGalley and Flatiron Books for the digital advance copy!

Beautiful, heart-wrenching, anxiety inducing. A book that pummels you with waves of emotion. McConaghy can confront the reality of eco-anxiety and climate change while also capturing the enduring fight to survive in all humans. She has such a tender view of her characters and leaves breadcrumbs or whispers of mystery along the way that keep you frantic to know more. Genius, a truly powerful read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Flatiron Books for the advanced copy. I've been anxiously awaiting a new book from Charlotte McConaghy as her previous two books are among my favorites. Wild Dark Shore was well worth the wait. A haunting story of the need for connection set in an imminent future in which the planet is overcome by climate change and trust is hard to come by. The deep desire and longing for trust — between nature and humans, as well as trust between humans themselves — is present within each character in this novel. The author's vivid descriptions of the sea, the island, and the various species affected by our decisions to destroy the world in which we live, set the scene for a heartbreaking story with a glimmer of hope for the future. I found this book difficult to put down and I cannot wait to give it a second read.

Thanks to NetGalley for an advanced readers copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Wild Dark Shore is haunting and atmospheric, and will stay with you long after you’ve finished it. I loved reading about Shearwater Island and the creatures that made their home there. The mystery element of the plot was very intriguing to me and kept me hooked throughout. I think my one criticism is that I felt there were a lot of excess plot lines that perhaps could have been whittled down. But all in all a lovely book that I would recommend to others.

Charlotte McConaghy is one of my favorite writers. Her novels are a special blend of unique settings and eerie atmospheres while also raising questions about the survival of our planet. As the title suggests the story takes place on a research island between Tasmania and Antarctica where the Salt family must survive. A real page turner!

Run, don’t walk. This is the first book I’ve read by Charlotte McConaghy, but I know I’m going to read her backlist after this one. First, I haven’t felt so grounded in a setting in a long time. The landscape of the island felt so vivid to me, and the intricate ways the living creatures (animal and human) were tied to it brought the whole thing to life. Second, this was an excellent literary mystery. Solid balance between plot reveals and reflections on everything from grief to parenthood to the climate crisis. I struggled to put it down, but I also really tried to read it slowly because I didn’t want it to be over too quickly. Cannot recommend enough!

Set on an island between Antarctica and Australia, Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy is intensely atmospheric and character driven. We meet a man and his children who are frantically trying to complete the task of rescuing precious seeds from a sinking seed vault as the permafrost melts and waters rise on their island. A woman is found unconscious and injured on the rocky shore. This story is hauntingly beautiful and full of secrets. It left me emotionally gutted by the grief and tragedy these characters face, but somehow hopeful. Absolutely stunning.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of Wild Dark Shore, the forthcoming novel from Charlotte McConaghy, who is possibly my favorite novelist working today. I'm so grateful to have had the chance to read this early.

Once again, McConaghy has crafted a wholly original piece of near future climate fiction, this time set on a remote subantarctic island, home to the world's largest seed vault. One small family, the Salts, has been tasked with caring for the vault and the island -- but the island is sinking, and their time before evacuation is limited. Then, a woman washes up on shore. This is where our story begins.

I adored all members of the Salt family, especially Fen and Orly, and I'm so glad we got to hear their voices in alternating POV chapters. It's hard to imagine what a childhood on a wild, remote island would do to a person, but McConaghy writes it beautifully, plausibly, hopefully, and heartbreakingly.

This book is a love letter to our natural world and to family (human & animal & earth), a mystery, and a love story. I read it straight through in one day, and I know I'll be back to revisit Shearwater again.

This is absolutely gorgeous and heartbreaking. I cried multiple times. McConaghy writes with so much vivid detail that you can almost see the ocean and feel the pain of the Salt family.