This book is so beautifully written! I love the author's prose, and the complex characters and themes present in the novel. Such an atmospheric book and immersive read.

This is an interesting book in that it’s a literary novel with some suspenseful sections. It’s a story about immigrants and anti-immigrant sentiment and about folks who care about the environment and those who benefit by pretending no climate change is happening.

Cadie Kessler is an entomologist trying to get her research showing that a beetle is wreaking havoc on the forests of New England, causing the trees to dry up and die and thus become perfect fuel for devastating forest fires. When her childhood friend Daniela calls her up saying she has to come home because their long-held childhood secrets are threatening to surface with severe consequences for several people at risk.

Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to review this novel, which RELEASES JANUARY 12, 2021.

A marvellous, compelling novel by debut author Julie Carrick Dalton, explores the magical moments of childhood friendships, new adventures and secrets, and the pressing issues of climate change and racism.

This epic, coming of age tale circles the lives of Cadie Kessler and Daniella Garcia, whose friendship kindles in the murky woods of Maple Crest, New Hampshire. The book goes on to build a picturesque setting, wherein the two girls spend their summer exploring the woods, sailing a boat, picking blueberries and revelling in their new found friendship. Soon the ethereal adventures come to an end after they meet a mysterious boy on their way. An unfortunate event takes place that binds them all to that summer in the woods of Maple Crest and haunts them for decades. Some thirty years later, Cadie is a forest researcher dealing with wide scale forest infestation causing forest fires. An urgent call from her friend Daniella brings her back to her hometown where she finds the forests of her childhood, the ones that hid her secret, in no better condition. Apart from this, there is apparent social injustice towards immigrants and an uproar against them in the town.Will Cadie be able to stop the fire set during that summer or like the forest fire, it will wreck the lives of herself and the ones she loves? Will the truth remain buried or explode through the layers of time?

Well, to start with I would like to talk about the page where the author dedicates this book to her grandmother. Reading it made me teary eyed as I myself have a special bond with my granny. I knew since then whatever is inside, I am going to love it.
This book is a gripping tale mostly for the portrayal of nature as an intimate part of the lives of the characters which made it an enthralling read for me. It took me back to the summer days and reminded me of the new experiences, adventures and friendships making me nostalgic. This book also reminded me of the naive perspectives of a child shadowed by innocence. I loved Cadie as a character who connected herself to nature and who treasured every new discovery as a new chapter in the book of her imagination. The brewing of friendship between Cadie and Daniella seemed genuine and raw, and the bitter sweet moments of parting and meeting again is beautifully described. It has the right amount of mystery brewing up towards the middle of the book and the alternate narration between two timelines keeps you absorbed into the story. The most urgent issues of the moment which are climate change and forest fire are deeply addressed in this book apart from the lyrical descriptions of nature which is a celebration for all those who love nature related fiction. It also addressed racism and social injustice towards immigrants. On top of this, I was swooning over the flawless style of writing the entire time. The author very well knows her way with words. I am in awe. This book is indeed a love song to nature.

Thank you Netgalley and Forge Books for this copy.

This debut novel has so much promise to be great, but it misses the mark. The stories it tells - those of friendship, secrets, death, friendship, courage, poor judgment, immigration, fear - set in another series of stories about climate change, restrictions on research scientists, forest creatures, and forest fires - while each interesting, add up to less than the sum of the whole. Dalton’s writing is strongest when it focuses on the setting and weakest in character development. . The latter makes the main story line not as believable as it should. In the end I was left with indelible impressions of the damage climate change is accelerating but less interest in caring about Cadie, Daniela, or any of the other characters that inhabit this novel. 3.5 stars

Thank you to Macmillan and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book to review! It sounded intriguing, so I decided to pick it up. And I wasn't disappointed! This is a slow-burn mystery centered around forestry and power struggles that will keep you interested until the end.

The way this book is structured is its strongest feature. Dalton switches back and forth between past and present, much like Where the Crawdads Sing. This helps to build the suspense of what happened that summer and why its so dangerous that information is coming to light. Dalton does a great job building this tension throughout the book, not just in the plot but also between the main characters. You can feel it in almost every aspect of the book.

However at times, there are a lot of descriptions about forests and forest research that can take away from the main plot. These were sections I tended to skim. I also wish there was a bit more development in the characters. Outside of Cadie, many of the characters felt flat to me. Adding more character development would have made the story even stronger.

Despite that, if you're looking for a slow-burn mystery set in a lush forest setting, Waiting for the Night Song is for you! I'd definitely recommend it if you like reading books like Where the Crawdads Sing.

Waiting for the Night Song by Julie Carrick Dalton is a novel full of nature and mystery. Cadie is a twelve year old living I. Rural New Hampshire when she meets Daniela, another full time resident. It is summer vacation and the two girls spend their days unsupervised. Unknown to their parents they explore the river on a boat and make some interesting discoveries. One day they witness a horrific event that changes their lives forever. Twenty five years later Casie returns to her childhood home. She works as an entomologist and her love of nature has never abated. She longs to reunite with Daniela and solve the mystery that has constantly plagued her. This is a well written and suspenseful novel.

The premise for this debut sounded right up my alley - a slow-burn murder mystery that alternates with a coming-of-age story. Unfortunately, I found the story to be very repetitive and the characters felt two-dimensional. I did love the descriptions of the New Hampshire wilderness.

Waiting for the Night Song started out really strong for me. It had it all (if you are me). I am all about the mountains. the forest, and mystery. Throw in some ecology and I am a happy woman. Truly. I'm no Cadie, though. Cadie takes it to a whole 'nother level. This communing with nature is so over the top it feels forces. Is she trying to convince herself or others? She even tastes everything in the forest, apparently. People, don't drink the lake water. Just don't.

There are a lot of characters and a lot of relationships, but not too many to keep straight. It is actually pretty simplistic for most of the story. There is an us vs them that is clearly defined until the very end. Then there is some "we're all a part of this community even though I've been a bigot until now" stuff. OK. That seems unbelievable.

On top of that there is the bark beetle and the fire danger they present, especially with a drought. Having been evacuated from my mountain home because bark beetles decimated our forest and fires swept through, I am on board with her fight. She constantly argues this point with people throughout the book. Even those who agree with her. She does a little trespassing (even though these things are so prevalent that there was no need.) While I appreciate the dilemma scientists face, it was forced here.

That would be enough without a twenty year old murder mystery. It's a lot going on. And then there is a killing that everyone lies to everyone about. With so much going on it didn't seem like it would get repetitive. It did though. Even I got bark beetle and fire fatigue. And I visit two of the three fire watches near my house and watch the websites.

The characters all stay pretty much the same throughout the 20 year span. So the same characters' lives are followed over 2 decades. Yet, we don't see them develop or change much. For the adults, that is slightly more understandable. For those who started out as kids? Finally, the ending just turned a bunch of stuff on end. Everything for the first 80% was people lying and now we will tell you the truth.

I started this book with a lot of distractions so I put it down and then finished in one sitting when I picked it back out. For a book that I read with so much hunger I was left feeling empty. I was just not satisfied with the ending. It was mostly due to the complete switch at the end but also, in part, because of the sadness I was left with, too. The entire thing left me emotionally confused and conflicted. I wanted to like it more than I did.

The truth very rarely remains buried forever, no matter how deep a grave is dug, and its gradual unearthing and the consequences of its disinterment form the basis of this debut novel by Julie Carrick Dalton.

In Waiting for the Night Song the layers of lies embedded in Cadie's distant past are stripped away in much the same way the forests she is devoted to preserve are denuded by hordes of voracious insects. As impenetrable thickets of branches, leaves, and bushes are cleared away by an overwhelming tide of bark beetles, the swarm leaves in its wake once well-hidden secrets, which Cadie and her estranged childhood friends must now confront and attempt to resolve.

Although the writing is absolutely beautiful and kept me reading to the end, the path to the book’s climactic moments felt like a tedious trek and unfortunately I was unable to connect to the story and characters in a meaningful way. In the last analysis I may have fared better with a bit more human drama, which at times felt traded away for a more in depth entomological education.

I became bored with this book very quickly. Too much info on beetles and trees. I skipped a lot because of it.

I believe this was categorized in the genre of thriller or suspense, but at least 50% of the time I felt that I was reading an article published by a college professor on beetles/fires/birds. Then others, a women’s lit heartfelt story about growing up, keeping secrets, young love, friendship and the tough life of immigration from El Salvador. It was a bit much and I wasn’t sure where everything was headed.

Waiting For The Night Song is a fascinating story which pulled me in for its concern about climate change as well as for the characters and their complicated relationships. The author flips between the past and present with ease, showing us how secrets in the past as we remember them influence our future thoughts and actions. Highly recommend.

This book is able to create a mystery about childhood and about land expansion and the takeover of natural resources.

Powerful writing from Julie Carrick Dalton.

Thanks to netGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

This book was highly engaging with it's contagious prose. The writing of Julie Carrick Dalton is mesmerizing to where I can't believe this is a debut story. The investment into these well developed characters was great and I found myself on the edge of my seat for most of the story. It's important to note that A LOT goes on in regards to plot within the pages of this book. There are off shoots of story and twists where there should have been turns, etc. In terms of the tightness of the plot there were spots where I got a bit jammed up. However, it didn't detract from my overall investment into these characters and the lovely writing. The setting was so well written and the descriptive elements of the action and the memories so on point. I loved the fondness and care this author wrote with when illuminating the adventurous and precarious nature of childhood and how it shapes our futures whether with intent or not. And the full circle moments of those childhood memories hitting you with full force in the present. There was an intimacy of self discovery in the writing that was subtle but always a thread. It's thrilling and mysterious while delicate and personal. And there's not enough that can be said about the richness of this author's writing. A great read.

Told in two time lines, this novel tells of an event that happened to two young girls enjoying their summer in the New Hampshire woods and the ripples it caused down the years for those involved.

Eleven year old Cadie is the girl at the heart of the book. An unusual girl without many friends, she loves nature and the roaming the woods so her summer friendship with Danielle spent exploring the creek in a boat and picking blueberries to sell is idyllic. On their excursions, they meet a boy they call the Summer Boy staying with his uncle, and secretly start leaving books on his pier for him to read. That is until something happens which ends their summer and haunts them all for years.

Twenty six years later, Cadie receives an urgent call from Danielle to return to the town where she used to live to help her. Cadie is now an ecologist, studying the connection between insects that infest trees and their connection to wildfires as the climate changes and more and more species are threatened. On top of the drought and farm foreclosures in Cadie's old hometown, tempers are also running hot over the influx of illegal immigrants working as cheap labour. Like the tinder box dry forest, Cadie and Danielle's secret, Cadie's career and the town's resentment are set to explode.

This is an enjoyable mystery embedded in a background of climate change and illegal immigration. Cadie's childhood running free in the woods is one that few experience these days but will remind readers of endless, lazy summer days spent with friends outdoors enjoying the simple pleasures of nature. The writing is rich in the sounds and smells of the forest and of the special bond between childhood friends. A very assured debut novel.

Julie Carrick Dalton's debut novel, Waiting for the Night Song, is a shockingly powerful and intense read, one that will pull you in right from the first page.

Cadie Kessler is obsessed with woods and nature – an irony, giving how one set of woods still haunts her to this day. No matter how much time has passed, the events of her childhood never feel all that far behind.

Especially not after getting a phone call from her old friend, Daniela. She's needed back at home, as the one thing they feared more than anything has finally come to the surface. Now, Cadie's career as a forestry researcher may be in jeopardy.

“Exactly my point. People are already dying in these fires. If we can prove they're linked to the beetles, we can get the resources to get ahead of them”

Wow. Can I just say that Waiting for the Night Song seriously blew me away? I ended up staying up way too late last night in order to finish it. And let me tell you – it was worth it! Add this to the list of amazing debut novels available!

Waiting for the Night Song is an intriguing blend of genres, being one part contemporary fiction, one part mystery, and one part drama. Together they make for a complete – and totally thrilling – read. One that I'm very glad to not have missed out on.

Cadie's story is revealed over the course of the novel, which bounces back and forth between two timelines. Her past – the events that haunt her so – and the present. This allowed for a building of tension, while also having plenty of time to get to know all of the important characters. It was wonderfully done. Then again, I tend to enjoy this format of storytelling, so I'm not at all surprised.

Dalton's writing is lush and descriptive, laying out a world that is easy to imagine and get lost in. The inclusion of real world concerns helped to set the tone, but it didn't take away anything from the fictional side of things. If anything, it further enhanced those plots.

On that note, I do love that Dalton didn't shy away from talking about the environment, global warming, the current political climate, and more. She was careful with how everything was portrayed, and yet there's little doubt about the moral core of Waiting for the Night Song.

If you're looking for a genre-defying novel that dives into the world of love, racism, friendships, and secrets, then Waiting for the Night Song is the perfect novel for you.

Cadie Kessler is a scientist studying how an invasive beetle is causing forest fires. She is summoned back to her childhood home by a long lost childhood friend who has frightening news. The terrifying secret they have kept hidden for more than 20 years is about to be exposed. Cadie must return home to help protect the innocent. But returning home has multiple dangers- both the secrets of the past and her scientific work can put her in legal and physical trouble. And if that wasn't enough cause for concern, her youthful crush is still living in her hometown. This story is an intriguing murder mystery set within the backdrop of climate change and immigration. The beauty and wonder of nature is made evident with descriptive imagery in this novel.

I was given an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
#netgalley#waitingforthenightsong#immigration#climatechange

Unfortunately, this was a book I put down and did not finish. I had a hard time connecting with the story and the characters. I felt like I had to reread the pages because I couldn’t follow along.

I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

A pair of childhood friends reunite to support each other when a secret from their past is revealed.

First off? What an amazing cover this book has!!! Really sets the scenery for the book! Cadie and Daniella were best friends when they were younger. One night in the past defined their future. Now grown up and a forestry researcher, Cadie returns home when Daniella sends her an urgent message. The message? A body has been found. This is a story of friendship, secrets, and racism. This was a wonderful book and I am looking forward to reading more books from the author in the future. I received an advanced readers copy and all opinions are my own.