The Underwood Tapes tells the story of Grace, a girl going back to her deceased mother's hometown, Hermitage, in search of memories of her mother. There, she spends summer transcribing cassette tapes for the Hermitage Historical Society. Not very interesting until she realise she can communicate with Jake, the guy who recorded those tapes back in 1992.
The mystery surrounding Jake and the Hurrican Club doesn't only go back to 1992 but also back to 1970s, and includes Grace's mum and member's of Hermitage who are trying very hard not to ever bring up what happened back then...
It's a pretty gripping story, full of intrigue and mystery, with some pretty loveable characters.
I appreciated that there was no romance and just focused on the mystery and Grace dealing with her grief.

content warnings: grief, death (including death of parent), car accident

since her mom died in a car crash, grace has been trying to escape the reminders of her loss. that’s how she finds herself in hermitage, florida—her mom’s hometown that she hadn’t stepped foot in for thirty years. she sets out to transcribe cassette tapes from 1992 for the hermitage historical society, which sounds boring enough, but quickly becomes interesting when the voice on the other end, belonging to jake underwood, begins speaking to her. grace realizes that no one in hermitage talks about jake, or his uncle, charley, who tragically died in a hurricane in the 1970s, and she takes interest in solving these mysteries.

what a beautiful exploration of grief. grace starts out with trying to run from her grief, winding up in the place her mom was born and raised. of course, you cannot outrun grief, and it found her in different ways. i thought the way she was impacted by and grew through her grief was handled well.

i also really liked the mystery in this book and how it was worked through. of course, it’s weird to grace that nobody in town talks about jake, and he doesn’t have an easily-googleable name, either. i thought communicating through the tapes was so unique and i liked how grace and jake played with that a bit.

overall, i thought this was a great book. i highly recommend this to anyone who resonates with stories dealing with grief and enjoys decades-long mysteries.

I absolutely cannot express just how much I have loved following the books that DeWitt writes. I love that the focus was on the stories of their lost loved ones. It gave me vibes of Frequency and the Lake House, but at the same time Ginny Meyers Sain vibes. I think that it was a slower read but that was largely due to a lot of the set up to get the plot lines across.

uch a cool story premise! I loved the retro feel of this setting and story, really unique execution! Felt a bit short at times and I think more could have been done at the end, but the connection between Grace and Jake was so well done and the concept cool as hell, I didn't mind too much.

I really enjoyed some things about this book. It’s such a unique idea. Conceptually, it reminded me a little bit of the movie The Lake House, in which people from two separate timelines communicate through letters in a mailbox.

The characters were nicely done, too. I felt an immediate connection with Grace, a girl still reeling from the unexpected loss of her mother. She seemed so adrift, and her connection with Jake helped her find a way to anchor herself. I loved Grace’s cousin Laura and her third cousin Griffin, too, though I didn’t expect to at first.

The story has this tidal feel to it. Grace’s grandparents’ generation contains a close-knit group of friends. Her mother’s generation has one, too. And then Grace joins Laura and Griffin. I loved the way that echoed the feel of a tide coming in and out. The friendships grew close, and then something broke them apart, until Grace’s generation, in which they began fragmented, but through her experience in the small town, she created strong bonds.

The only thing I wish was different about this book is that I wish the ending had been a little longer. It felt somewhat rushed, and there wasn’t really any resolution beyond knowing more about what happened. I wish there had been something more there.

On the whole, though, I really enjoyed the emotional journey and the descriptions of a small town in south Florida. I can see fans of You’ve Reached Sam really liking this one. It has some of the same themes about complex, incomplete grief and the work of healing and moving forward.

I cannot review this title without detailing the circumstances I went through to finish it. I thought it was great from the beginning, but I needed time to finish it because it is really sad. A part of me wished I’d pushed to finish it earlier then I did because it wouldn’t have been as painful as it was if I read it at a different day, but things happen for a reason I suppose.

I had about 24 hours left to read this title and it was only a few days after I was in the emergency room with my dad. I was struggling with the new knowledge that my dad has a large tumor in his stomach. I had about 60% of this book left to read. This book where both main characters connect due to the loss of a parent in their lives. The ending I will only say did little to make me feel better about everything.

The Underwood Tapes is a tragedy through time. Where by miraculous and special means Grace and Jake talk through time using tape recordings. It was a beautiful and incredibly difficult read for me. However, the closer to the end the more I owed it to myself to finish it.

This book is heavy. Sometimes life is that way. There’s so much hope that lived inside it and there’s a lot of suspense as Grace figures out who the hurricane club members were and what they were hiding and what actually happened. It isn’t all just about sadness. It is friendship and discovery. It is sleuthing and having enjoyment in discovering history. It is magical.

In the end, “The Underwood Tapes” was well worth reading. I truly do love it. The love is just intwined with pain.

The Underwood Tapes is an effortlessly engaging YA story, both refreshingly unique and deeply moving.

It’s part small-town mystery, part speculative fiction, with a highly original “time travel” concept that I found fascinating in its execution and ambiguity.

The themes of loss and grief were deftly explored, impacting me on an unexpectedly emotional level, making this quite the reading gem that I won’t soon forget.

This is only my second-time reading a story penned by Amanda DeWitt, but she’s impressed me (in different ways) on both counts, quickly making her one of my favourite, remarkably versatile voices in the YA genre this decade.

***A special thanks to the publishers (via Netgalley) for providing an ARC of this eBook in exchange for an honest review.

Since Grace's mother died six months ago, she's felt unmoored, so when her uncle offers her a place to stay for the summer and a job, in other words, a ticket out of her house for a bit, she accepts. And, it's in the town where her mother grew up, so it might provide a sense of closeness to her mother. Instead, it's a town full of people who want to talk about her mother, a cousin who can't seem to stand her, and a dusty room where she's transcribing cassette tapes. Well, the transcribing isn't so bad. The tapes were recorded 30 years ago by a kid about her age, who starts finding artifacts that seem to relate to his uncle's disappearance...and then he starts talking to Grace. The two must bridge time to solve a mystery that's now 3 generations old, and Grace also has to figure out why Jake also seems to have vanished and try to save him before the inevitable happens.
This was by no means a fast-paced thriller, but it was a good, suspenseful story. Even though it feels a little hopeless, the matter of trying to change history even though everyone already knows it won't work, I still kept reading, hoping against hope. And it was still satisfying, still cathartic to solve the mysteries at hand. I liked this book a lot.

Amanda DeWitt is now one of my auto-buy authors with this latest book, The Underwood Tapes. I read Aces Wild a couple years ago, skipped over her sophomore novel (which I obviously must go back and read!) and picked up The Underwood Tapes as an ARC a few weeks back.

The way DeWitt writes grief, particularly the way you compare what you don’t have to what others do, is very accurate. When people complain about their parents, well, at least they have parents to complain about. I love how Grace explores her grief through the lens of discovering more about Jake’s past than her own. Unfortunately for her, there are triggers everywhere, since Grace’s mom was Jake’s best friend. Every picture of them together, every mention of them, brings Grace’s emotions to the surface. I feel like she’s using the Underwood mysteries as a cover for her own grief and perhaps to connect with her mother.

Jake is really funny. And Grace, when she gets comfortable, gets pretty funny, as well. Their banter across the universe and the decades is quite a comfort. They’re both going through major losses and don’t really have anyone they can talk to. Both have friends, of a sort, but what’s happening with the tapes, and also the loss of a parent, is just too much to talk about face to face.

As close as Grace was with her mom, they didn’t talk about Hermitage at all. What happened to make Haley not talk about it? Why would she not speak about her clearly happy childhood and her best friends? What happened to Jake’s uncle, Charley? Why did the entire town blame Jake’s dad for what happened? Why does no one talk about anything real, ever? Not all of these questions are adequately answered, in my mind. The ending of the book felt incomplete. No explanation for how Jake and Grace were able to converse was provided. Grace settled into Hermitage very well but didn’t find as many answers regarding Jake as I would have liked. Certain things are swept under the rug that really shouldn’t be. One backhanded comment does not absolve you of a literal crime. Grace’s dad was all but forgotten, as were her future plans.

The quick and unsatisfying resolution brings my rating down a little. The Underwood Tapes was a quick and enjoyable read, dealing with heavy topics like injury recovery as well as parental loss, grief, depression, panic attacks, and dissociation. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who is a little more removed from their loss, if they’re using reading as a method for coping. Grace’s emotions are incredibly well described, as are the sensations of a panic attack, and I can imagine that they would trigger someone who isn’t on firmer footing with their grief. Thank you to NetGalley and Peachtree Teen for the opportunity to read this ARC!

The Underwood Tapes is a captivating novel that blends mystery, time-bending elements, and emotional depth, keeping you hooked from start to finish. The story follows Grace, a young woman struggling with grief after the tragic death of her mother. In an effort to heal, she spends the summer in her mother’s hometown, where she takes a job digitizing a series of cassette tapes from 1992. These tapes, recorded by Jake Underwood, alert Grace to the town’s long-buried secrets—and, in an unexpected twist, she can communicate with Jake across time through the tapes, forming a connection that transcends the years.

The unique premise of Grace and Jake communicating through the tapes is one of the book’s most intriguing aspects. This time-bending interaction creates a fascinating dynamic between the two characters and weaves the story together with a touch of mystery and supernatural intrigue.

While the dark undertones of the novel, rooted in Grace’s grief and anxiety over her mother’s death, can feel heavy at times, they provide essential depth to the character. Grace’s emotional struggles are integral to her journey, and they help explain why the relationship with Jake becomes so important to her.

The small-town setting was another highlight. The author captures the essence of a tight-knit community where everyone knows each other, everyone is related, and nobody ever leaves.

The development of Grace’s relationships, particularly with her colleagues at the historical society, was another great touch. It felt natural and meaningful, offering a contrast to the deeper, more personal journey she was undergoing.

The pacing of the novel was strong. The suspense and the slow reveal of hidden truths kept me engaged throughout.

Overall, The Underwood Tapes is a heartfelt and mysterious read that mixes supernatural intrigue with emotional depth. It’s a story of grief, connection, and uncovering the truth. I’d recommend it to anyone who enjoys books that combine historical elements with modern twists, and those who are looking for a story that isn’t afraid to dive deep into its characters' emotions.
Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for providing this ARC.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Peachtree Teen for providing this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

This book left me well and truly SHATTERED!!

The prose, the pacing, the characters - everything was spectacular!!

I cannot recommend this book enough!!

I read Wren Martin ruins it all and I love it and for weeks my mind kept going back to it. So I was excited when the author announced her newest book which comes out next month on February 15.

You can feel the work the author put in from one book to the other and how the story evolved.

This book is a mystery, thriller with some comedy in the middle.

It talks about Grace who recently lost her mother to a car accident. Wanting to be away from home she goes to the town where her mother grew up in and one summer left. She went to work at Hermitage Historical Society transcribing old tapes hoping to have the most normal summer possible. But that stops being possible when she discovers she can talk to Jake back 30 years in the past through the past. Uncovering secrets that were unspoken and never to be spoken aloud in that town where something was being hidden. And she was gonna find out what.

I love the evolving relationship between the coworkers she has at the Hermitage Historical Society and how you can see their relationship going from coworkers to actual friends and how at the end they’re there for each other.

It explores grief very beautifully and how if you don’t stop the bleeding from a wound, the blood will spill into the future generations. A delightful read with an amazing that had me hook from the start.

Baby steps. One foot in front of the other.

80/100 or 4.0 stars

I was not sure what to expect going into this, but I had such an emotional rollacoaster ride! There was comedy, there was tragedy, there was love, there was all of the feels. I enjoyed this story so much, despite the fact that the set up in the first third feels like a concept that has been done a few times before.
The writing was enjoyable and engaging. A lovely YA story that I would like to get my hands on a physical copy at some point!

this book is INSANE. i am an amanda dewitt stan first and a human being second, so there was no doubt going into this.
the plot was interesting, unique, and so fun. the characters were dynamic, well-written, and felt fully developed.
i was hooked from the very beginning, and when the end happened i felt like i was missing a part of me because i was so invested in this story.
cried, laughed, celebrated, and thrived.

This was fantastic and beautiful, and I liked it so much that I pre-ordered a finished copy before I even finished reading it.
There's just something about Amanda Dewitt's writing that speaks to me. It's funny and sarcastic and a little dark, and it always has so so much hope and love. While the characters in this one weren't as strong to me as in her first two books, I still really liked them and rooted for them. I liked seeing Grace and Lara connect, I liked watching Grace slowly open herself up again. This is my kind of fantasy story, where the magic is whimsical and the heart is truly there.
I mean personally, do I have any idea at all how any of this worked? No. Not even a little. But I don't think that's cause it wasn't explained well. I do not understand anything to do with time and the bending of it. But I was along for the ride anyway and I am so happy that I was.
I love the way Amanda's books explore the different kinds of love and friendship, and while none of the characters in here are explicitly asexual like in her past two books, this book still shows us such a unique and beautiful take on love. Grace and Jake have such an interesting and odd relationship- two people bound by the magic of what's happening and by the pain they've felt. It's crazy to me that Amanda did such a good job portraying love and kinship between two people who never actually meet.
Honestly my total thoughts on this are simply that I would like to read everything Amanda Dewitt ever writes forever and ever thank you

4.5 ⭐
AH! I enjoyed this book so much and know younger me would've loved it even more. Ate it up in one sitting! I don't even know how to summerize it without giving any spoilers; however I will say this:

*FMC solves mystery by communicating with a person 30 years in the past via cassette tapes*

If that sounds like something up your alley, PICK THIS UP!

This was my first Amanda DeWitt book, but definitely not my last.

Thank you Holiday House / Peachtree / Pixel+Ink | Peachtree Teen and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

This was such a haunting read, it dealt with so many dark and poignant topics but it handled them very well. Definitely a very emotional read overall.

Graphic: Loss of a Parent, Grief, Car Accident, Death, Panic Attack, Disassociation, Derealisation.
Moderate: Murder, Blood, Injury Detail, Medical Content

Thank you Netgalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Representations: https://trello.com/c/AFPp8tnh/132-the-underwood-tapes-by-amanda-dewitt

Read this in 2 settings, half of the book each time. I got absolutely HOOKED!

It's a little hard to keep track of who's who over 3 different generations but there's not too many characters over all. Mainly just a couple different "generation lines" and the rest of the characters were easy to keep track of. Trying to work out how each character was related though.. I gave up on that fast but I think that's the point 😂
They were pretty nice to read though, not too tropey and were different enough from each other. Grace being the POV was nice, she didn't read too young and had a good amount of wits about her. The emotions, the grief, the generational trauma running through the town was really well written imo and it ties together really nicely. The cover also not having Jakes face is just perfection ngl.

The story was one hell of a ride. I can't say I read the description of this - if I did I'd entirely forgotten by the time I got to reading the book lol - so I went in blind. When I got to the hook of this book, I legit just like, put down my e-reader for a second and just knew this book is gonna be fantastic. Did not disappoint at all! The pacing kept up, it does feel like things are slightly too convenient at times but I get it tbh. Things don't get explicitly explained though but personally I'd say it's a very satisfying ending anyway that works very well. I think an actual explanation of how things happened wouldn't be good as well and it's absolutely not neeeded.

I did just love this though. I loved the nerdy parts, I loved that there wasn't romance in it and instead the emotions is all about processing the grief, trying to find light in darkness and human connections through barriers - time or otherwise.

4.5 ⭐️ such a beautiful book about grief

Thank you netgalley for the earc

Who know me knows that Amanda DeWitt previous book Wren Martin is one of my favs ever, so i was kinda anxious to read this one because i didn't know what to expect.
This book is totally different from the previous ones but i loved it nevertheless. It was such an emotional read that sometimes hurt even if i wasn't it expected to.
The mistery part got me gripped to the book to see what would happen.
The ending left me so sad but also hopeful T.T I'm glad Grace became friend with Lara and Griffin.
I loved Jake character so much I wish I could have get to know him better <3

3.65 stars. This is one of those books that’s kind of a throw away read. It’s fairly interesting and not super good but not bad, but you’ll forget everything that happened in it after a while. I liked it, but the ending upset me. What was the point if it all ended the same anyways. I liked their characters and the tape plot, but that was quite annoying.