3.75 stars

**Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.**

Pros
+ genre: YA, magical realism, horror
+ setting: high school, party, lake town
+ plot: Jen tries to find her missing friend, a 10yo boy named Dale, as a string of gruesome murders sweeps the town
+ the friendship between Jen and Dale is so wholesome
+ perfect, dark ending
+ literal cucumbers 🥒
+ kapas (Japanese water creature-spirit)
+ "keep away from water and sex"
+ vibes: bloody, visceral, gross

Cons
- more focused on ass stuff than I ever bargained for (good lord make it stop)
- super graphic sex scenes paired with corny banter
- "hose me down with that man-batter" 🤢🤮
- listening to this on audio made the sex talk a truly cringey experiences

TW: bullying, gore, mutilation, EXTREME ass stuff, extremely explicit and vulgar, "r-word/simpleton" slurs, murder, attempted rape

This is definitely a book at least. I hated all the characters, vulgar for the sake of being vulgar and not even fun about it. At least it's a quick read and doesn't ask for much of your time.

While I enjoyed the folklore elements and learning about a new mythical creature (the kappa!), this one just wasn't for me. There was a lot to like about it, but the simplistic writing style just isn't my personal preference. I feel fairly confident that was an intentional stylistic choice of the author, so I can't fault her too much on that. Writing is subjective and sometimes tastes just don't align. I know that so many others will (and already do) love this one and will absolutely still recommend it to those who are into this style of horror. <3

All of my thanks to Netgalley & Blood Bound Books for the ARC!