Paranormal mystery with romancy diversions make this YA novel difficult to put down.
When Logan and her fathers move to yet another new town, Logan is ambivalent. They've done this so many times throughout her life that it's just another day. She's not happy to leave LA where, sometimes, she feels like she fits in.
Upon arriving in Snakebite, she senses something is wrong. A teen boy has disappeared without a trace. To make matters worse, some of the town folk are trying to pin the disappearance on her father.
Can Logan clear her father, negotiate troubles with the "cool" kids, and survive the ominous vibe of this place?
You'll have to read it to find out.

Logan has found that she’s returned to her dad’s old town under the pretence of filming a season about their ghost hunting show. However, as always, that isn’t the case.

I read this book in near about one sitting and I can easily comment that it was a gripping adventure right from the start. The writing style aided the plot in such a lovely manner, encapsulating all senses of mystery and wonder, yet placing you within the tale and easily twisting your nerves continuously. My heart was shaking, yearning and merely grasping at every little clue in order to figure out the inner depths of The Dark. Though a few of my guesses had turned out correct, I personally did not find this book predictable in any sense and rather just felt like you, yourself, were placed within a mystery.

Even though it had been written through alternating POV’s, I found that I was pining after every coming chapter and sought connections towards both Ashley and Logan, enticed to figure out their individual tales. The relationships that grew within this tale both in matters of romance, family and friendship was terribly touching and extremely sincere.

I’m truly certain that I’ll be plagued by the eerie atmosphere and the phenomenal world building for quite some time. Ultimately, this book was an addictive rollercoaster I don’t believe I could ever get sick of.

This book gave me Riverdale and Supernatural vibes with mystery and a dash of romance. Because of the different POVs and the way the author writes the character, you feel like you are constantly on the edge of your seat figuring out what’s going to happen next.

A slow burn romance and mystery...what more can you want? This was an easy read and highly entertaining.

This was such a treat to read from start to finish, wow! I fell in love with Logan, her dads, and Ashley all - the characters in this were incredible, thoroughly written and very well developed. I loved the "voice" of our main character - her kind but sarcastic inner monologue had me giggling to myself a few times; I would've really loved this as a teen, too! Part horror/thriller, part romance, this has a little bit of something for everyone - especially those seeking queer, diverse reads. So, so good - can't recommend highly enough!

This was not a book for me or for my students, though probably some of them would like it more than I did. I didn't know it would be more of a horror novel than a mystery. And one character deciding out of nowhere she was gay was not realistically presented

This book was so much better than I was expecting. I randomly decided to read it and I don't regret it.
It is about a gay couple who moves into a town called snakebite with their daughter Logan. The town has a lot of dark secrets and they is a boy who recently disappeared.
It was a very enjoyable read but it was kind of dark at times. It is a paranormal thriller btw so there are ghosts and stuff.

TW: blood, violence, murder, drowning, homophobia, hate crimes.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/53141419-the-dead-and-the-dark

THE DEAD AND THE DARK caught my heart after about 0.3 seconds of reading. It has one of the most chilling, atmospheric opening chapters I've ever encountered, and Courtney Gould does not. let. up.

This is the eerie, rural American gothic of my fondest nightmares. We've got a murder mystery brimming with paranormal elements, a beautifully complex father-daughter relationship, a sloooowburn sapphic romance to die for, and a lonely small down dripping with dark secrets. Add in Gould's GOREGEOUS prose, and if you aren't already sold, there is absolutely nothing I can do for you.

I mean ... just look at the cover. LOOK AT IT. Now whisper "gay ghost hunter horrormance" to yourself slowly and tell me you don't need THE DEAD AND THE DARK yesterday.

Overall an easy 5/5 recommend.

Lesbian ghost hunters!

This book was all I ever wanted. The characters are so loveable (especially Alejo) and the romance is really cute.

The paranormal mystery kept me hooked from start to finish. I could not put the book down as I was nearing the ending.

I can’t express my feelings towards this book properly. It was just SO GOOD. But paranormal stuff and lesbians - why wouldn’t I love it?

The book comes out august 3rd and I highly recommend it! I really need this book to have a fandom so I can see fanart of the characters. please.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

cw: murder, slurs, homophobia, child death, violence, death, blood, drowning, hate crimes

"The dead and the dark" is by far one of the best books I've read this year. It had me hooked from start to finish and I simply could not stop thinking about it.

The plot worked really well with the small town setting. It was really interesting to see how Ashley figures out how many secrets are buried in so little space, in a town where everyone knows everyone. I especially enjoyed the bits we got about the past and the unexpected ties between some characters.

I adored the characters A LOT. Logan and Ashley made an interesting duo and I loved the "enemies to lovers" elements (but don't expect knife to the throat enemies to lovers please). I appreciated the fact that the romance doesn't happen right away and that it's not that big of a plot. I expected a lot more romance and I'm glad the author chose to focus on the other aspects of the story as well. Besides the two girls, the dads were my favourite characters. The author made a phenomenal job with the way they were written!

Among the things this book does well, the writing is the shining star. It's so so good. I flew through the book because it was so easy and fun to read. The added jokes and the sarcasm made everything even better.

The blend of paranormal, thriller and the romance part of the book made this book very well balanced, which will probably keep the reader interested to the very end. I loved the subtle horror undertones and the slow romance.

One thing I wished the book focused more on were Ashley's friends. I feel like they weren't that well fleshed out in comparison to the other characters. They had potential to do more than what happened to them in the book.

thank you to netgalley for providing me with an arc in exchange for an honest review!

This book was so spooky and eerie and I loved the gay elements. Gay dad ghost hunters and their teen daughter all move to a small town to try and help with a missing person case. The switching POVs do a really good job of establishing the characters and the town. I would recommend this to readers who like horror and diverse LGBTQ storylines.

I feel that “The Dead and the Dark” is a warning about what happens when you let hate and/or pain completely block the light from your life. Once it does you can only get it back by getting the parasite out of you.

It is one of those books that completely engulfs you. It was hard to put down and once I did it was all I could think about.

There is also LGBTQIA+ representation. Logan is the lesbian daughter of two gay dads, and Ashley is the heteronormative small town girl that falls for her.

I can see this book becoming a mini series or a movie and I am keeping my fingers crossed. I suggest purchasing this book when it is released to anyone who enjoys thrillers.

This is it! This is the content the gays want! While a little slow in the beginning, The Dead and the Dark winds up becoming a delightfully spooky, poignant read. I've always wanted a f/f frenemies horror novel, and alas, here one is before me. I'm extremely grateful to have been approved for a galley of this because it's what I would've loved to have had available to me when I was mid-late teens like Logan and Ashley. Even now at almost 30, I'm thrilled to see its presence, so I can't imagine how it will make LGBT+ teen girls feel when they can relate to it so much more presently than I can.

Some of the twists were predictable (mainly the big one), but I don't necessarily consider that worth knocking the novel over. I would've liked to be surprised, but I also read/watch a lot of horror, so I could just be too tuned into little clues to look for. I really found myself rooting for Ashley and cheering whenever she did something gay or to break away from her mom. I liked Logan, but Ashley was a standout character for me. Overall, I'd recommend this book, especially for LGBT+ girls who love horror like me!

The Dead and the Dark is a fast-paced mystery centered around a small town named Snakebite. When Logan and her dads (a paranormal investigation duo) find themselves in the middle of a series of murders, Logan joins forces with one of the affected teens to find out what's haunting Snakebite.

I liked this book! It doesn't take long to get into the action of the story, and the characters are great. I enjoyed the fact that we get to know more about Logan's dads (who both grew up in Snakebite and left) as the story progresses, and their relationship was one of my favorite aspects of the book. I also think Gould did a great job in creating a heavy, dark atmosphere over Snakebite. There was such tension as the story progressed, especially in terms of Snakebite residents vs Logan and her family. I do wish this had been explored a little more––it's fair and obviously true that LGBTQIA+ folks have a harder time living in small cities, but I also think that can be a bit too surface level, especially once we get the reveal. I almost think that takes away some of the seriousness of the issue.

Overall, I would definitely recommend this book to my students if they want to read more contemporary gothic-esque stories and 10/10 would love to see more adventures from Logan and her family.

Wow! This book was so cool. I thoroughly enjoyed it and will be recommending it, and it will be in time for pre-spooky season! :)

Thank you to the publisher, Wednesday Books, for providing me with an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I flew through this book in two sittings in just over 24 hours (and during a work week, so that's really something!). This story in GENUINLY CREEPY and will be the perfect Fall read for Fall 2021 (it releases 8/3/2021). I also really appreciated the Eastern Oregon setting, as it's somewhat similar to Western Idaho where I live! I have to say, the insular, small town community portrayed in this story is all too real out here...as a East Coast transplant to Idaho, I can relate.

THIS BOOK IS SO ATMOSPHERIC! You can tell the author did a lot of travelling and research around Eastern Oregon, and it really shows in the level of detail of the setting of the novel, Snakebite OR (not an actual town, but it definitely feels like one). There is also a paranormal show aspect of this, which also drew me in to the story. I don't even like ghost hunting shows because they're so cheesy, but this book acknowledges the cheesiness of these shows while also making you interested in them. Just trust me on this. :)

Let's talk representation! The book is sapphic and there is a really great female-female relationship. The parents of the main character are a bisexual man and a gay man. I adore them with all of my heart, but the story really sends you on a rollercoaster with one of them. I can't say much else without spoiling the story!

If you ever watched Riverdale but gave up because it just got way too ridiculous, this book is for you. It will give you all of the small town, creepy vibes but without the plot soup/ridiculousness of that show.

I recommend this book for fans of The Devouring Gray, Sadie, The Accident Season, The Broken Girls, and The Sun Down Motel. This book will appeal to teenagers and adults, as there are themes that transcend age and the writing is SO COMPELLING.

There are some trigger warnings here that readers should be aware of. Many of these triggers come up often throughout the book, and some are main plot points/themes of the novel. TW include but are likely not limited to: homophobia, homophobic slurs, hate crimes against LGBTQIA characters (specifically attempted murder and graffiti), murder of teenagers, microaggressions against LGBTQIA characters, intense loneliness, loss of friends, childhood death, childhood terminal illness, and coming to terms with ones sexuality/coming out to family who are homophobic.

I will provide a "Why You Should Read This Book" review on my bookstagram closer to release date. (IG is @monstrouslybookish).

I had an enjoyable time reading this and it held my attention the entire way through that I finished it within the day! I enjoyed every page and thought that the plot/story was very unique. Would recommend to anyone!

I am unable to rate this book because it would not download on my phone - wish I could have had a chance to read it.

This is dark. This is disturbing. This is ominous and haunting and eerie. This is amazing. That's it. That's the review. I loved this so much.

There are books that I read that absolutely hit all of the right buttons for me. The Dead and the Dark is definitely that kind of book.

Logan Ortiz-Woodley is a recent high school graduate living with her dads; waiting patiently to turn eighteen so she can set out into the world to discover herself and where she belongs. At the start of the story, Logan, along with her dad Alejo Ortiz are packing up for a short-term move to Snakebite, Oregon — where her dads grew up — to meet up with Logan’s other dad, Brandon Woodley. Adding a little twist to the mix, Alejo and Brandon are TV’s ParaSpectors, ghost hunters with a pretty opinionated following.

Things in Snakebite are weird. While Alejo and Brandon grew up there, and eventually left (under semi-weird circumstances that is poked at through the entire novel), not much else has changed over the years. Of note, though, is a malevolent shadowy evil called the Dark that seems to be involved in the disappearance of at least one local teen. There is definitely something going on in Snakebite that involves the history of Alejo and Brandon, and Logan is going to get to the bottom of it.

Supernatural YA mysteries are my absolute bread and butter, and The Dead and The Dark does not disappoint. Yes, there are a couple of plot points that are a touch clichéd, but, for me, that is what locks it right into the genre. You have to have these signposts in order to say “Welcome to this familiar ride. Just wait until you reach the twists.” And boy howdy, there are some twists.

Ms. Gould really nailed this one in regards to little town attitude, teen angst and a whole lot of institutional hate and mistrust. Most of the way through the book I found myself questioning why the Ortiz-Woodleys would ever put up with what they are going through, and why they wouldn’t, rather, just find another location to scout. It is painfully obvious that Snakebite is not a place anyone should be. It seems to be an absolutely awful place, but it sure makes for some compelling reading.

Bottom line: if you like spooky queer YA, then do not sleep on this one. The Dead and the Dark is Ms. Gould’s debut, and I could not be more excited about what she puts out next.