The Dead and the Dark follows Logan and her dads as they travel to Snakebite. Famous for their hit paranormal TV show, her fathers are scouting their hometown as a possible new episode. There’s an odd feeling that creeps over everyone in Snakebite, but it’s only a feeling, right? Until the first teenager goes missing...

This book was amazing! I loved most of the small town vibes (see content warnings below) and what the Dark represents in Snakebite. We’re following Logan and Ashley throughout most of the book, but we also get Interludes from the Dark that helps us understand more of the paranormal elements. And that plot twist?! Yes.

As far as character development, I think the one person we don’t fully understand until the end of the book is Brandon. I do think this is purposely done for more of an element of mystery for his character. It helped to build up more of a suspense for the plot twist.

If you’re looking for a small town with a darkness falling over it, mixed with a female-female romance, look no further!

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC.

CW: homophobia, death of a child

Where do I start with The Dead and the Dark? It was one of my most highly anticipated releases of 2021 so I pretty much read the ARC of this as soon as I got it. And then I loved it and I’ve been thinking about rereading it since (and the only thing stopping me is the sheer number of other ARCs I’ve been slacking off getting to).

The story follows Logan, brought to the town of Snakebite, Oregon by her ghost-hunting dads, for reasons that they won’t explain, to find that their arrival has coincided with the disappearance of the town’s golden boy and everyone thinks they’re behind it. Determined to find the boy and prove them wrong, Logan enlists the help of Ashley and together they start investigating.

I think the first thing I have to mention is that Logan calls herself a lesbian. This may not seem like a whole lot, but when you’ve read countless books that go out of their way to avoid the word, having a clearly lesbian character claim the word on page? It’s a whole lot.

And what I also loved is that this isn’t THE lesbian experience in the book. There’s Ashley too. Ashley who so vividly experiences comphet, in a way I’ve never seen in YA lit before — as an experience that’s recognised as comphet, rather than, say, me thinking I’m reading comphet and it’s not (happens more often than you realise) — that I had to put the book down for a moment. (Also as a side note: she isn’t bi. You can check the author’s tweets if you don’t believe me.)

On top of that, the story is so deliciously creepy, with twists and turns you (mostly) won’t spot. (I only say mostly because I’ve read too many mysteries now. I know how these things go.) And at its centre is a family. That’s what I loved most here. That all these things can happen, and you would think maybe the mystery is enough, but it all comes back to Logan and Brandon and Alejo and the family they built together (and obviously Ashley later on). For all that it’s a horror story with murder and ghosts, it’s also a story full of love and heart.

All of which to say, you really really want to be picking this one up come August. If you trust me on nothing else, trust me on this.

★★★★☆ 3.5/5

this was spooky. i liked it alot! it really only kind of picked up at the 40-50% mark and even then was really slow at times, but it was so worth it. i felt like the characters could have been a little more developed, but the fantastic plot and overall creepiness was more than enough to satisfy me.

(arc provided by netgallery and Wednesday Books. all thoughts and opinions are my own)

Brandon and Alejo Ortiz-Woodley are reality TV ghost hunters. They travel the country for their show. On the premise that he is scouting a location to film, Brandon goes back to their tiny hometown of Snakebite, OR, which had basically chased them off about 13 years before. Alejo and their daughter, Logan, meet him in Snakebite after he has been there a few months.

Ashley's boyfriend Tristan went missing about a week after Brandon showed up in town. Naturally, the tiny town assumes the outsiders had something to do with the disappearance? ...the murder? Ashley is sure she can feel him around her still, even months after he has been gone.

The Dark just wants a host to do its evil bidding. It will use anyone it can to keep on thriving.

When another teenager goes missing,, Logan and Ashley reluctantly decide to work together to try to figure out what is happening. Logan wants to clear her dads' names; Ashley wants her boyfriend, her perfect life, and perfect town back.

This had a really Southern feel to it, even though it was set in the Northwest. I'm guessing it was the small town, the cattle ranch, the everyone knows everyone in town vibe.

I really enjoyed this book! It made me excited to read again for the first time in close to a year. I just HAD to know what was going on, who was doing it, and why. The ending was good, but I personally would have liked a little more of a comeuppance for some of the characters, or a little more time with the family to see how things worked out.

Overall 4/5 stars

I could not finish this book, at this time. It was not due to poor writing. It was actually quite well written and I would recommend it to other readers. It was just hitting too close to home for me on real-life issues.

Wow. The dead and the dark was so creepy. One of the creepiest books I’ve read in awhile. I wasn’t really sure where it was going. There were ghost hunters and a creepy weird town. Logan’s two dads are the parasoectors ghost hunting all over. Then they all go to snakebite where kids are disappearing. Insanely creepy. Amazing debut for Courtney Gould!

Snakebite, Oregon is a dark place full of a lot of hate.

Six months ago, Logan Ortiz-Woodley's father Brandon returned to his hometown to scout locations for his and his husband's hit show ParaSpectors (a ghost hunting tv show) but is being elusive as to why he's there and what he's looking for. Now Logan and her other father, Alejo, are joining Brandon in the hopes of making some progress. Alejo tells Logan they'll be fine as long as they're together as a family. But what are Brandon and Alejo afraid of?

Six months ago Ashley Barton's boyfriend Tristan disappeared without a trace. She's not willing to give up and accept that Tristan is most-likely dead unlike everyone else in town. To her, nothing bad ever happens in Snakebite. That is until Brandon Woodley returned to town. But is Brandon somehow responsible for Tristan's disappearance? Or is the town just against him and his family because they're different?

To figure out the mystery and get to the bottom of what's wrong with Snakebite Ashley and Logan will have to work together before someone else disappears.

This book started out kind of slow for me and I wasn't sure I was going to like it. It had lots of things I like in books - a dark 'paranormal' force, a mystery, and a touch of romance. Once I got into it, I did really enjoy the book as a whole. Like Logan, I seriously thought maybe Brandon did have something to do with the disappearances and I was dying to find out if I was right.

I got really annoyed with the people of Snakebite over the course of the book, which I guess is the author's intent. Overall, the book kept me reading and I like the hate-to-love trope between Ashley and Logan. But as the book is billed as horror, I could have done with a bit more of the chill factor. Everything was kind of expected along the way with little-to-no tension or build-up.

Logan is moving to Snakebite, Oregon with her ghosthunting dads who are investigating oddities in town: a disappearance, met with ominous weather changes and community suspicion. In Snakebite, Logan meets Ashley. Together, they are going to find out what is crouched down low in the bushes, the heaviness that sweeps across town, the darkness.

Content warning for: drowning, homophobia and instance of a hate crime, violence

This is so immersive and well written, I really enjoyed it! I think this is going to be an incredibly well loved book. I was so engaged in the fast pace, I LOVE a good haunting tale and was so delighted that this story doesn't waste time getting into the thick of it.

Loved the exploration of Logan's dads past and their love for her. Loved seeing Ashley and Logan's adoration for each other grow !!! Loved the way the mystery was set up and kept me very much in The Dark about what exactly was going on until the last few chapters. I think this would make for such a good television mini series.

Thank you so much to Wednesday Books and NetGalley for an e-arc!

Is darkness something that can touch your soul? Or do you touch darkness and command the power it holds?
Logan has grown up on the road, watching her two Dads film ParaSpectors. Eventually, Logan will go with her Dads to their hometown of Snakebite, Oregon. The paranormal threat the family faces uncovers past secrets that change their lives forever. This book will keep you guessing till the last chapter and leave you with a few shed tears.

This feels like if Supernatural and Riverdale had a baby in the best possible way!

I loved the sapphic slow burn between Logan and Ashley. They're both such strong, dynamic characters on their own and together the chemistry was *chefs kiss*. Their relationship was my favorite part of the book, with the father/daughter relationship coming in a close second.

This is such a great debut and I'm even more excited to read Echo Sunset.

It was just okay - I never was truly gripped by it, never binge read any of it. It wasn’t plotted to be a thriller in its pacing. The overall concept pulled me in & the representation of a lesbian main character with 2 dads was well done, but I just wasn’t invested.

For fans of: Sawkill Girls and Now Entering Addamsville
4.5 stars. It's been a long time since I've read a thriller with a satisfying ending. I'll try my best not to spoil anything, but it will be hard, because it was just that good.

For a long time now, Alejo Ortiz and Brandon Woodley have been known for their TV show, ParaSpectors, where they travel to many different locations across the country to look for ghosts. Now they've returned to their hometown of Snakebite, Oregon with their daughter, Logan, but it's clear that the people of Snakebite aren't going to make it easy for them. Brandon is being blamed for the disappearance of local teen Tristan Granger, and it's difficult for any of them to go anywhere without being harassed or threatened.
Ashley Barton was Tristan's girlfriend until right before he disappeared, and now she's seeing his ghost appear in various places. Logan Ortiz-Woodley is the only person who believes her, and Ashley starts an attempt to solve his disappearance with her even though she knows that her friends and her mom won't approve. While her only goal at first is to prove that Tristan isn't dead, she ends up finding out more about the town and the Ortiz-Woodleys than she could have imagined, while kids continue to die mysteriously.
There was a slight supernatural element (not a spoiler, it's mentioned as early as the first page) but not in the way that I thought. There aren't just ghosts walking around everywhere-- it's more of the general feeling that something's off about Snakebite. And I liked the use of the "Dark" as a metaphor for small-town homophobia and hate. I don't think I've ever seen this done before. Ashley's friends (mostly John and Paul) are quick to discriminate against the Ortiz-Woodleys, even defacing their motel room door, and Ashley feels that she has to keep her attraction to Logan a secret from them. Even though the deaths seem to be kind of random (I won't say who they are, but I don't think they really had anything in common).
As for romance, if you like a slow-burn love story, this is the book for you. The characters' first kiss doesn't happen until over halfway through, so things can only get better from there.
And the ENDING. Finally, a happy ending with no unanswered questions! The last mystery I read before this was The Lake, and that had one of the worst endings I've ever read. But there's none of that here. No main-character death, no finding out that the murderer is really who we thought it was all along, no ambiguous ending sentence implying that the evil hasn't really been defeated. Everything is wrapped up very nicely.

Thanks to St. Martins Press and Wednesday Books for the ARC of The Dead and The Dark for my review.

Let’s talk about the book shall we? Once I saw this cover and synopsis I knew I was hooked! Supernatural YA Thriller with f/f enemies to lovers? Yes please!

We find our two main characters Logan and Ashley on a edges blade when the book opens. Logan’s dads are ghost hunters traveling all over the country searching for answers, dragging Logan around to where she’s never felt she has what’s truly a home. She’s close with one dad Alejo, while the other , Brandon has been distant, an answer to a question she can never ask. All of her insecurities and lack of answers comes to a head when they up a relocate to Snakebite, her parents hometown, in the middle of nowhere, but the center of the mystery.

Ashley meanwhile is suffering from the devastation of her boyfriends sudden disappearance and the strange occurrences that start to happen when the Ortiz-Woodleys come to town.

Together they unexpectedly and reluctantly team up to solve the mystery of the disappearance and subsequent murders of teens. Because everyone thinks Logan’s dads have something to do with it, except her. And everyone believes it’s hopeless, except Ashley.

This book kept me up multiple nights! Either from reading a creepy scene and needing to put it down for sleep, or remaining up to blow through the climax up to the end. There were so many layers and mysteries to uncover and a constant question of “whodunnit and HOW?!”

There are some parts of this book that were confusing, purposely so from the viewpoint of an unknown narrator. Whenever I got to those point I often had to reread the passage to try to get some clarity or clue as to where this was. But that added to the mystery.

There is great LGTBQ rep with the dads, bi/gay, and their daughter Logan who is gay and not shamed even when they enter back to the small-town homophobic bubble. But that adds to the tension that cuts through the pages. How a towns past, can wrap around you again when you return and the darkness that grows from that.

It was great to see relationships grow and shatter on the page, with scenes written with such beauty that I could see it playing out in my mind like a movie.
Loved it, would definitely want more from the characters stories.

4/5

CW: Homophobia, Hate Crimes, Murder, Attempted Murder, Blood, Violence.

This is officially the best paranormal book I’ve read. I mean, to be fair, I haven’t read many paranormal books, but this book was literally amazing. Everything - the plot, characters, romance, gore, <i>darkness</i> - was so perfectly balanced, this book is so wonderfully well rounded.

The plot and flow of the story are amazing, with the right pacing at exactly the right times, I was on my toes throughout! We love the representation, we love the enemies-to-lovers, and we love the ghosts. What more could we ask?

I stayed up until 3 AM to read this book, which seriously has to count for something. This was a complete page-turner, I could not put this down! The story is absolutely atmospheric, putting a reader into their feels and straight into the eerie setting of Snakebite, Oregon.

This story is so beautifully layered, weaving through multiple perspectives in the third person tense (which I haven’t seen in forever! Most books of today always use first person, but third person here worked out so effectively and wonderfully for this book!) The book starts off with a bang, instantly introducing us to “The Dark” and all the messed up, concerning things to go along with it.

“The Dark” is a terrifying thing and I’d stay as far away from it as I could, but its backstory was told so beautifully with such rich flashbacks that I could completely understand why things happened the way they did. The author incorporates all of the different plots and elements in a perfect balance throughout this book, allowing “The Dark” to keep it weight as a fear factor for the entirety of this read.

The Dead and the Dark is told primarily though the perspectives of Logan, daughter of ghost hunters, and Ashley, “princess” of Snakebite.

I loved both of our main characters! Logan and Ashley were such unique and original characters in their individual ways, each having so much depth and hurt in their beings. I loved watching them grow on each other and get to the bottom of all the disappearances and supernatural elements. Their relationship is adorable!

Logan is such a strong character, and I love a girl MC who doesn’t let anyone push her down. Literally an icon- and then Ashley, she started off annoying and then grew into her own person making her own decisions, rather than letting the prejudices of her town bring her down (ooh the rhyme tho-)

Even the side characters were significant throughout, adding actual important factors to the story. I loved Logan’s dads and their relationship with each other and Logan. The finale outcome of this book just brought everything together so perfectly in reference to the dads, and it makes me so happy! Logan’s cousin was also a cool guy, but I’m currently blanking on his name- anyway the side characters were great (except for the one’s that aren’t supposed to be great, obviously) and I’m glad things worked out the way they did :)

And the ghosts! We can’t forget the ghosts! This whole story telling, paranormal stuff going on was just perfect. I was totally creeped out throughout, everything was absolutely unpredictable, and the twists threw me off track every step of the way. Even the supposedly nice ghosts scared me throughout- we seriously get an authentic feel of the MC’s emotions, terror, grief, pain throughout their adventure

That ending though! It’s literally the most satisfying thing I’ve ever read and I am so happy everything turned out exactly the way it did, I could not have written it any better! This book kept me guessing throughout, and even with my suspicions, the result was as surprising as ever. I did suspect the whodunit early on, but that’s only because I make wild predictions and expect none of them to be true- imagine my surprise when I figured out I was right for once!

When it was finally time for me to turn the last page and go to sleep, I could not close my eyes without worrying that something would pop up from somewhere. Absolutely terrifying, I could not sleep for a while. Was reading this in the middle of the night a mistake? Yes. Would I do it again? Also yes :)

And this cover though? Gorgeous~

I’ll definitely be waiting for more from this author!

Thank you to NetGalley, Wednesday Books, and Courtney Gould for a complementary copy of this incredible book!

The Dead and the Dark was a story I picked up after slugging 25% way through another book in my library. I needed something more alive, and exciting. The Dead and the Dark was that and more. It was effortless to finish this book in under 24 hours, each page was fresh and full of emotion. Each emotion that the characters felt, I felt as well. The character development was spectacular and the plot was unique. While The Dead and the Dark was not my usual genre of choice, I was left with no disappointment. I highly recommend this novel to anyone who picks it up off the shelf.

this is probably going to be one of those 2 star books that i read and enjoy but never really think about again. so not a bad book (i enjoyed my time reading it), but not something that is particularly memorable.

what I liked
- the vibes = the dark, small-town vibes were awesome
- the discussions = Gould tackles small-town homophobia in a genuine way

what I didn't like
- the romance = oof. I was super excited for the f-f romance, but this was super underwhelming. I didn't feel the connection between the characters.
- the resolution = the mystery ending is... just okay?
- the characters = they were okay, but I wasn't really connected to them. logan was more interesting than ashley tho (imo).

This book was not what I had expected. For some reason, looking at the cover and the title had make me conjure an entirely different story in my head than the one I ended up finding in the book. I was not necessarily disappointed, just a little jarred. I had envisioned a book with more fantasy elements that perhaps drew on myths from other cultures. This turned out to be a ghost mystery.

It took me a while to get into the story, but once I did, I was more or less intrigued. The main romance was not something I particularly cared for, mostly because I didn't really see what drew them together romantically other than that they were both interested in women. I appreciated the small-town setting and the backdrop of homophobic, conservative townspeople, yet I found myself wanting a little more from the general setting.

The characters were quite lacking. I was not interested in any of them, but it did not detract from the story too much because I did not despise any of them enough for me to stop reading.

I liked the general plot quite a bit. It was intriguing, slightly different, and had a nice flow. The inciting incident transitioned smoothly into some rising action. And I definitely liked the eventual reveal and resolution.

However, though the book was generally satisfying, it did not intrigue me all that much, and I probably will not remember a vast majority of this book in the future. Nonetheless, if this is a genre you like, the book is not that long and might be a read that you briefly enjoy.

Thank you to NetGalley for an eARC copy of this book!

This book is definitely a paranormal thriller, and it's super creepy at times and has you on the edge of your seat. However, unlike other books of this genre, it isn't so scary that it will legitimately scare you. I appreciated that -- and that it has more of the thriller aspect (and less of a horror). I'd definitely recommend this.

This was a fun book! Not usually what I read but it was a great thriller. Nothing scary but filled with enough drama to keep you interested

Social Justice Topics:
▪️LGBTQ+

Is the small town of Snakebite haunted? Or is a murderer on the lose? Two girls go out to find out what is going on. Ashley is a Snakebite native—her goal: find her dead(?) boyfriend. Logan is visiting Snakebite with her dads for their paranormal show—her goal: to clear her dad’s name so they can get the hell out of Snakebite.

Although cliche at times, I loved this hauntingly gay, horror, mystery novel. I already ordered by copy and I highly recommend you do the same.