Review: The Dead and The Dark by Courtney Gould

 

I feel that I am just cranking out these ebooks left and right this year and also that I am reading more new releases than I normally do. Mostly my reading consists of backlist titles, but this year, I want to read what everyone else is because I feel that when I do read a book that is hyped, it usually falls flat. This time, I read a book that is not going to be released until August and I can be one of the people hyping up a book.

Going  into this, I did not know much except that it is a YA paranormal and it is LGBTQIA+. Also that it took place in a small town in Oregon called Snakebite. When I first started reading it, I was pleasantly surprised to find out that the main character's parents have their own paranormal investigator TV show. Something like Ghost Adventures but fake like Ghost Hunters. I am loyal to Ghost Adventures. Also I know that it mentions the tv show in the synopsis, but I try to stay away from synopsis if I can help it. Anyways, right off the bat where some of the dialogue was included when out MC Logan was watching her dads was VERY CRINGE! That is the only con I had with it. 

The small town vibes was cliche. Not all small towns are like the one described and there is a sentence in the book that states that all the other small towns that they stayed in were exactly like Snakebite where the citizens hated every outsider and they were very old school and brought the pitchforks to the people if they were gay. While reading I thought I knew who the bad guy was and BOY WAS I WRONG! It was plot twist after plot twist. It also spooked me a couple times and I read this at night when I had some peace and quiet and my husband was sleeping. There was a particular moment where I was reading about Logan, the MC, hearing thump thumping noises and then my husband moans the word no in his sleep. I was freaked and did not sleep good whatsoever. 

I ended up giving this a 5 out of 5 stars. I enjoyed the paranormal and spookiness. It was thrilling and mysterious and it did bring a tear to my eyes maybe once or twice.