Cadie Kessler is an etymologist studying beetles that are destroying trees as they increase the risk of forest fires. She is called back to her hometown when her childhood friend Daniela reports that a body has been found buried in the woods. The book alternates between the present and the summer when the teen-aged girls became friends and shared a secret that changed their lives.

It is likely that there will be many people who will love Waiting for the Night Song, just as there were many readers who loved Where the Crawdads Sing. But I’m not one of those readers. Like Delia Owens’ best-selling novel, this debut by Julie Carrick Dalton is a coming-of-age story intertwined with a murder mystery. Waiting for the Night Song shifts between the present and “That Summer,” but the writing is pedestrian at best, at times overly reliant on clichés, and I was never able to feel anything for any of the characters.

A wonderful story about the secrets we keep and how they shape our past and our future. Cadie and Daniela had grand adventures as young girls in the woods but it wasn’t always fun and games either. There are things that should be in the past but those things always come to light.

Ultimately this book is about friendship, forgiveness, love and learning to control what you can.

I found Waiting for the Night Song a fascinating read. The story line of the forestry researcher working against politics was so true. Then there is the story line of illegal immigrants; how they are perceived and how the “dreamers” are affected by things their parents did for them. The author wrote very descriptively about the friendship between Cadie and Daniela and how it ebbs and flows during different times and why that happens. The story goes back and forth between present day and that summer is very easy to follow. The characters are so vividly portrayed that one really gets to know them. While I did figure out what was going to happen late in the book I couldn’t figure out how it was going to happen. Great writing by this debut author.

The oddball Cadie and the popular Daniela becomes friends one childhood summer. They form a close bond that is later threatened by an awful secret they must keep. Years later, circumstances force Cadie to come back home, see Daniela again, and face those secrets.

This is a well written mystery/thriller that also touches on the environment, forestry, race, and immigration. Despite this many topics, it is not overwhelming. The characters are well developed and the mystery is intriguing. We also learn something about forest fires and their causes. The information about beetles was fascinating.

I received a free copy of this book from the publishers via Netgalley. My review is voluntary.

An urgent message from her long-estranged best friend Daniela Garcia brings Cadie, now a forestry researcher, back to her childhood home. There, Cadie and Daniela are forced to face a dark secret that ended both their idyllic childhood bond and the magical summer that takes up more space in Cadie’s memory then all her other years combined.

Having spent decades trying to cover up one truth, Cadie must decide what she is willing to sacrifice to protect the people and the forest she loves.

The first thing that attracts you to this book is its cover. It’s just so beautiful! But once you start reading the book, you will love it even more.

This book was so well structured and narrated alternating between the events that occurred in the past and present-day events. How a magical summer somehow turns into a tragedy and becomes a dark secret hidden for decades and if revealed can potentially destroy all their lives.

The bond of friendship between Cadie and Daniela is so strong, that despite being estranged for so many years, they both are always there for each other and willing to protect the other at all costs.

In terms of the main characters, one of my favorites was Sal, her attitude and approach was quite amazing to read. I felt bad for Cadie for having to go through all that trauma and bearing the burden of such a secret all by herself especially since she was just a child when it happened. I really felt that Dolores should have reached out and ensured that Cadie was alright and given her the emotional support that she really needed.

Apart from the story surrounding the truth hidden for so many decades, I was fascinated and extremely interested in Cadie’s research of how a beetle is affecting and causing forest fires. Also, the inclusion of how racism is prevalent even in small communities and towns is well dealt and highlighted in this book.

The ending was good though not unpredictable, it was quite surprisingly dramatic! But this was excellent book which apart from being a slow burn mystery also dealt with some important issues.

Thank You NetGalley and Macmillan-Tor/Forge for this ARC!

QUICK TAKE: I saw a lot of comparisons of this book to WHERE THE CRAWDADS SING, but ultimately this one fell a little flat for me. I had trouble investing in the central mystery and the relationship dynamics between the characters just wasn't strong enough to keep me motivated to turn pages. The author also tries to include some social justice issues (climate control) that also fell flat for me and ended up taking me out of the story.

Waiting for the Night Song is a debut worth reading and remembering. This book packed a punch with its combo of mystery, memory, friendship and loyalty.

This is one of those books that covers a lot of hot topics without ruining the heart of the story. The present storyline covers climate change, forest fires, race and romance, while unhinging the truth of what happened during the summer that Cadie, Daniela and “summer boy” were kids.

Cadie, an odd and adventurous child, and Daniela, a popular and undocumented child, become besties due to circumstance. They form a bond that is tested by immigration issues and a boy whose mysterious situation becomes a fascination and obsession for them. Some awful things happen that summer but even besties have secrets.

Dalton uses pacing to her advantage while letting this story unfold. Her writing is lyrical which makes the understanding of beetles and their effect on forest fires easy to grasp. I loved all the references to Blueberries for Sal, one of my fave childhood books, as well as the titles of all the books the girls shared with one another. It brought back a lot of my own summer memories. The setting was revealed with lush description and was so well portrayed that it could be its own character.

Overall, this was a fine debut. Its comparison to Where the Crawdads Sing are understandable but not advised. Read this for its own uniqueness.

With so many storylines within this book, it has been hard to gather my thoughts to know where to start.

At first, I wasn’t initially drawn to this story. It travels back and forth each chapter between two timeframes; “Present Day” and “That Summer.” I love multiple timelines, so I kept reading knowing it would hook me at some point.

Around 25% I was into it. And even though I was into it, readers should know there is A LOT happening in this book. Content warnings as well:
- Environmental science: climate change, evolution, global warming, forest fires
- Racism: small towns politics, law-abiding illegal immigrants and their rights “build the wall” thinking
- Relationships: romantic, family ties, and strained friendships

Because there is so much happening, I did feel lost at times, but that could also speak to Dalton’s writing. She immersed me into the woods that holds mystery, secrets, and ultimately reveals the truth. It’s worth applauding her ability to tell this story, but you might need to find a way to take notes. I was highlighting items on my kindle to remember certain aspects of the story.

It gave me Where The Crawdads Sing vibes in the beginning, but definitely took on its on path throughout the story. Read this if you like a little bit ecological warning, or a little bit thriller, or a little bit human rights, or a little bit relationships.

Thank you so much NetGalley and Macmillan-Tor/Forge for this ARC. You can pick up a copy today!

"That Summer" and "Present Day". Two threads of narrative timeline that we the reader follow as the dark events of That Summer threaten to expose themselves, with potentially devastating consequences for two estranged childhood friends, Cadie and Daniela.

A dark secret from childhood emerging is a trope that I've read several times and was curious to see how uniquely it would play out in Waiting For The Night Song. The story also plays on the classic trope of a small community where tensions are running high; in this case due to rising unemployment and racism.

Alongside this is a strong b-plot about environmental science, and how the battle between science vs politics can play out. Parts of this felt a little forced and took me away slightly from the momentum of the overall plot, however the story told within felt important and poignant. These plots come together in a fairly predictable way, but still made for an interesting read.

I loved the first half of the book. The "That Summer" chapters captured the element of childish whimsy perfectly, and the early twists were surprising and well-written. The descriptive writing about the forest settings in particular were beautiful, and showed Cadie's affinity with the woodlands perfectly.

Unfortunately the second half fell slightly flat for me. The major reveal was very predictable, and as mentioned before, as was the way that the b-plot came into play in the story. The tensions between characters that were established throughout the story were also mostly all resolved in what felt like too neat of a fashion towards the end.

A point I did note down too was that the friendship between Cadie and Daniela was written in a way with such chemistry and intimacy that the male romantic interest fell incredibly flat comparatively, for me.

It was an engaging read though, and certain aspects of the writing are likely to remain a part of me. Just a bit of a shame that the second half of the book didn't quite live up to the potential of the first half.

3.5 stars, rounded up.

I totally forgot about requesting this book and went in with little to no idea of what it was about and to be honest i think that was the way to go with it. This book could fall under so many different genres in my opinion.

So this book follows multiple timelines of the life of Cadie Kessler. As a child Caddie was a dreamer and a bit of a loner until she finds a boat, a bestfriend, a mystery boy, and trouble.

I feel like normally I wouldn't be captured by this book because its not the norm of what i would read but i was happily surprised. The writing in it was beautiful and atmospheric. I could see, smell and taste the lake that Cadie describes.

I enjoyed the intricate relationships between all the characters, and how often peoples judgements of others are wrong even in the case of those close to you. The setting was stunning. I loved reading about Caddies career and passion for her career. I love how flawed she was... well that they all were really. All round it was a great book. I picked the first plot twist but didn't pick the ending.

This book is about life long secrets, friendship, community, misjudgement and hope.

If you’re a nature fan, or just enjoy fabulous lyrical writing with scenery descriptions so vivid you can feel yourself right there in the forest, you don’t want to miss this one!

Cadie Kesller, the main character, works as a forestry researcher, and her (and the author’s) passion for mother nature lights up the page. Cadie has spent decades trying to leave behind a traumatic incident from her childhood , subsequently shrouded in secrets, but at the start of the book, that secret is about to be exposed - and it’s colliding with a crucial career moment where she needs to fight for the future of her beloved forest.

What can I say? This is an example where the book is even better than the (gorgeous) cover. I savored every page because I was in awe of the skilled writing. Add a dose of mystery, along with climate intrigue and I loved every page.

The descriptions of the New Hampshire forests are startlingly good. You can feel the earth between your fingertips, the hard granite, the decay inside a tree. And pine for the forests and nature we are losing due to climate change.

I’m normally a fast reader, but this was a novel I read slowly, because I relished it so much. Not surprising that this book is on so many 2021 best of lists- it's well deserved!

In WAITING FOR THE NUGHT SONG, Julie Carrick Dalton has skillfully layered an intriguing murder mystery, a testament to the bonds of female friendship, and a timely examination of the innate horrors of climate change. As the compelling story reaches its fiery climax, Dalton’s complex and intelligent protagonist is forced to consider what pieces of the past are worth salvaging … and what she should let go.

I liked the dual timelines but the last 1/4 of the book dragged a little for me. I'm not sure I'm satisfied with what happened to all the characters but oh well you can't always get what you want.

I enjoyed this dual timeline story of secrets and friendship with a murder mystery.

Something happened in the past to best friends Cadie and Daniela. They are now estranged, though for one summer in their childhood, they were inseparable. And if their secret gets out, the consequences would be far reaching.

This is a complex story that broaches on many subjects – does one mistake define you? Can you make up for it with your actions later in life? Refugees. Prejudice. Friendship. Family. Climate change.

The story did not grip me so that I couldn’t put it down, but I did want to finish to see the outcome.

I liked Cadie at times, but at other times found her frustrating. Maybe she didn’t outgrow her childhood self as much as I would have liked? I’m finding it hard to pinpoint.

Overall, this is a different kind of mystery that will get you thinking.

Thanks so #netgalley and the publisher for the review copy.

I was intrigued by this book, as others had compared it to Where the Crawdads Sing, which I loved. I can see where the comparisons came from, the description of the woods and lake and the children running around on there own were similar. It didn't quite grab me in the same way though. It took me a few chapters to get into it. However the story was interesting, kept my attention and kept me guessing. There is a strong focus on environmental issues and immigration, which mostly complemented the main story line.

Environmental Aspects, Murder, Friendship, Rekindled Love, Family Secrets- What more should you want in a book!

Waiting for the Night Song is a great book for a book club to read. There are so many aspects to this book that it will have good conversations for a book club. The slow burn of it is so worth the slower beginning.


Cadie is a environmentalist, working on federal lands to help identify certain inspects that could contribute to wild fires. During her research, she found the answers she needed. But, researching on federal land could have consequences since they are restricted.

Cadie and Daniela are long term best friends. They grew up in a small quaint town. They stumble on a "job" opportunity that lead them to picking blackberries in the forest and selling them to a local store. However, sometimes what you see in the woods will live with you for years. Why didn't they just go to the police? Because, Family secrets sometimes lies with presidential consequences that could tear not only one family apart but a community.

Waiting for the Night song is definitely a book to savor. This book is not only a entertaining read, but I actually learned something with it as well.

I rate this book 5 stars and if I could rate it more, I would! Fantastic book and one that will follow me for a long time.

Cadie and Daniela were best friends as kids. Something happened that changed their lives forever. The story starts when they are adults and Daniela calls Cadie and says that she has to come home now because the evidence of what happened when they were kids has been found.

I thought I was going to love this book, but it was just ok for me. There were definitely really good parts and I loved the descriptions of nature and friendships. Immigration issues were also discussed. But in the end, I just didn’t really connect to the characters and I just kind of didn’t care what happened to them. It definitely was a page turner and new things kept popping up to make the story interesting, so I think others will enjoy this book.

Thank you #netgalley and Tor/Forge for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was a fantastic debut novel by Julie Carrick Dalton

Actually it’s quite hard to believe it’s a debut it was so beautifully done. Not only does it have a gorgeous cover but a really great story, with equal parts focus on relationships and mystery, it even had a little twist I didn’t pick.

It’s a story of childhood friendships and secrets and how those friendships and secrets can impact the rest of your life.

I loved main character Cadie’s love of nature, it made for some really beautiful descriptive imagery.

Thanks to NetGalley and Forge Books for the ARC copy to read. This book is out in just a few days on the 12/1/2. I’m sure this one’s going to be a big hit!

3.5 stars
It was a decent book I think a lot of people will like it but I'm hard to impress these days. The writing was solid although there were a few times I spaced out due to over-writing. The story was pretty good but I did realize early on what the "secret" or "twist" was. It also felt a tad bit stuffed with social issues. Okay I'm really not making much of a case for 3.5 stars here but like I said I'm being nitpicky. Overall it was a decent book with good pacing characters I cared about and a vivid setting. I think if you liked crawdads you will like Night song

Waiting for the Night Song is a riveting book that transcends genres. This compelling novel is a coming of age novel for its main character, which takes place when Cadie is only 11; the present -day timeline takes place 27 years later—and she is still haunted by events from her childhood. The characters in this book are complex, harboring secrets and living with the consequences of decisions made years ago, There are many mysteries that unfold in this story, with shocking revelations, and all of them with far-reaching repercussions, decades later. Many timely issues are discussed, including global warming and immigration. This is a very powerful debut novel, and I look forward to more books from the author.