Atmospheric and mysterious, Wild Dark Shore centers around the Salts, a family protecting a seed vault on a remote island that is slowly succumbing to rising sea levels. After reading it, I found myself completely fascinated by the concept of a seed vault.

I have loved Charlotte McConaghy's other novels but this is far and away my favorite. The slowly sinking island, with it's residential lighthouse...the animals that find refuge there, the family that's made it their home - the setting and set up is all so moody and wonderful. And then a woman washes ashore...gosh this one had everything! It will be one of my favorites of the year, for sure.

A quiet and surprising page-turner, a love story on multiple levels, a book where the fascinating setting is practically a character in its own right. I loved it.

Oh my gosh! This my first book by Charlote McConaghy and will definitely not be my last! I was a little hesitant of the climate change theme but I ditched that worry in just a few pages. This is the story of the Salt family who are caretakers of the island of Shearwater and are charged with packing up and protecting the seeds in the seed bank on the island from rising waters and have them ready when the ship arrives in several weeks. The story unfolds with each chapter told by each of those left on the island. The author does an awesome job of revealing the story little by little and the suspense will for sure grab you!

I will be recommending this to my friends and book club! Thanks to Flatiron books and NetGalley for the ARC.

Rowan washes up on shore after a shipwreck looking for her missing husband and meets the family who has been taking care of the island and seem full of their own secrets. Wild Dark Shore takes place during the final weeks of occupation of an isolated island off of Antarctica as the family who cares for the island and lighthouse prepare to permanently leave do to climate changes' erosion in the island.

I love Charlotte McConaghy's writing and I loved this book. It was creepy, deep, complicated, and romantic. There were so many mysteries and so many layers to the mysteries. Every time I thought I knew everything that was going on I was delightfully surprised with another reveal. The family dynamics were lovely and complicated and sad and healing.

All the point-of-views were strong and unique characterizations. There are 5 (or maybe 6) in total and I really enjoyed reading every single one. All McConaghy's characters are written beautifully but I hold an affinity for those with a special connection to the water (ex. Fen in Wild Dark Shore and Franny in Migrations).

I left the book with a new appreciation for our beautiful Earth and a desire for adventure. I can't wait to see what she writes next. I highly recommend this book and her other books.

i would give this book 1000 stars if @goodreads let me 🤎👏🏼🦭🐧🥹😩 WOWOWOW THIS WAS SO FREAKING GOOD AND I LOOOVED IT!!!!! if there’s one 2025 release you pre-order, make it this one 🫶🏼

⭐️ rating: 5 stars!!!
genre: litfic + suspense
#️⃣ pages: 320
✍🏼 same author of ONCE THERE WERE WOLVES & MIGRATIONS
🥳 pub day: 3/4/25
read if you like: isolated settings, lots of POVs, plot heavy books, shocking endings, books that will make you cry

my followers know that ONCE THERE WERE WOLVES is one of my favorite books of all time. i knew it would be nearly impossible for Charlotte to write a book that i love more than that… but, it’s possible she maybe did with WILD DARK SHORE 🥹🤯❤️‍🔥 high praise!!! while WILD DARK SHORE is extremely character driven, it’s also so plot heavy—i’m not kidding when i say that 100 things happened in this book and every chapter had some action. it will be so hard for you to put it down! 

WILD DARK SHORE is about a family that lives on a remote island in Anarctica.  all of a sudden a woman washes up on their shore. how did she get here? is she telling the truth? when she finds the radios and phones to the main island cut and buried, she starts to question her safety. who is this family and how does she get off this island? 

there were truly so many things i loved about this book, but here are the main things:
🦭 the setting. i learned soooo much from this one. her nature writing inspired by true events is truly so enjoyable to read
❤️ the characters. it’s very rare that a reader can say they loved nearly every single character. my heart is especially with Fen and Rowan but also sweet Orly 
🥹 the emotion and connection i felt to this book immediately. i was so invested i read this in two sittings and stayed up reading it until 1am SOBBING 😂
📚 the genre bending. you can expect mystery and suspense, a slow burn romance, nature writing/hist fiction—you get it all

i could go on for 300 paragraphs but i think you get it—this book is SPECIAL. its a 6 star. emotional, creative, unique, action packed and devastatingly beautiful.

thank you to Flatiron for the gifted copy. an even bigger thank you to Charlotte for writing this 🫶🏼

Wow, Wild Dark Shore completely swept me away. This book is so atmospheric—you can almost feel the salty ocean air and hear the cries of the seabirds as you turn the pages. The remote island setting was breathtakingly vivid, and the way the author brought nature and the animals into the story added so much depth.

Yes, it’s a bit of a slow burn, but trust me, the payoff is absolutely worth it. The ending hit me hard in the best way, and I’m still thinking about the characters long after finishing the book. They felt so real and lovable, each one carrying their own heartbreaks and hopes. The story’s exploration of finding love again after loss was deeply moving, tender, and full of quiet beauty.

There’s also a touch of mystery woven into the plot that keeps the tension simmering and the pages turning. If you enjoy books that are rich in setting, character-driven, and emotionally rewarding, you’ll love this!

I loved the first third or so of this novel, but I despised it by the end. Rarely have I felt this split about a book, and I will say the writing and evocative descriptions of nature are truly wonderful. As for the overall themes and genre-combining, though...I was clearly not a fan. The suspense/twist parts seemed ok at first, but they built up quickly and I felt like I was reading a bad version of True Detective season 4. (I will say, the ultimate implicit messaging behind those final twists didn't bother me, more the messaging about parenthood and purpose.) I don't think I'll be reading from this author again, unfortunately.

An absolutely brilliant book with the most vivid setting I've ever read. Wild Dark Shore is the story of a woman who washes up on the shores of a desolate Subantarctic island that is being flooded due to climate change. There's mystery and romance and isolation, all set against the backdrop of a world in flux. The writing is spectacular. I can't imagine this not being a favorite of 2025. Out 3/4.

Wild Dark Storm had enough intrigue and suspense to keep me turning the pages for 5.5 hours straight, but not so much that it gave me anxiety like other thrillers. A mystery is enmeshed in a character driven story about family, love, loss and the fragility of nature as we know it.

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.