When the publishers reached out to me with a copy of this book I hadn't heard much about it. This is one of the most intriguing YA thrillers I've ever read.

This is a very emotional read and I enjoyed the way the author dealt with trauma and the different obstacles that had to be crossed in this book. The world building was amazing. A small eerie town where young girls are vanishing, lgbtq ghosts (there's some homophobic issues in this book that the author tackles well), The Dark and the whole concept of it was interesting and and I felt like the reveal was satisfying an not very predictable.

My review can also be found on my goodreads which is linked, as well as my tumblr blog Prettygalsread, closer to publication date.

THE DEAD AND THE DARK was a quirky combination of horror, dark thriller with a twist of teen romance thrown into the mix. The action takes place in the small Oregon town of Snakebite, where several teenagers have disappeared. Now attracting media attention, a team of ghosthunters from a popular TV show hit the town looking for answers, much of the novel revolves around Logan, who is the daughter of the presenter of ParaSpectors. Quite early in the action we realise that this is one of those towns where weird things happen, the weather is unpredictable, ghosts are real and that the town in buried in a layer of secrets. Beyond the secrets, there is something in the darkness and the town is the target. Although the book had plenty of engaging characters I found myself feeling I had been here before, on many occasions, and found THE DEAD AND THE DARK to be nothing particularly new. But a solid debut nevertheless.

Something is wrong in Snakebite, Oregon. Teenagers are disappearing, some turning up dead, the weather isn’t normal, and all fingers seem to point to TV’s most popular ghost hunters who have just returned to town. Logan Ortiz-Woodley, daughter of TV's ParaSpectors, has never been to Snakebite before, but the moment she and her dads arrive, she starts to get the feeling that there's more secrets buried here than they originally let on. Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read this amazing book. I highly recommend reading this book.

This book was INCREDIBLE. It’s YA horror at its finest (with a satisfying f/f romance - YES!) My trip to the fictional town of Snakebite was an eerie, edge-of-my-seat, and wildly entertaining ride.

The suspense in THE DEAD AND THE DARK was phenomenal - I love books that make my mind whir, trying to get to the answer before something awful happens. I was so invested, and when all the pieces finally fell into place I was truly stunned (can’t say more because of spoilers!).

And the quietly surging exploration of homophobia in a small town starts low then swells as Gould spins her way to the book’s finale, elevating this book from pure horror to something much meatier and more important.

This was one of the best books I’ve read this year, and I’ll be anxiously awaiting future novels by Courtney Gould!

If you’re a fan of Buzzfeed Unsolved and The Haunting of Bly Manor then buckle up because you’re in for a wild ride!

There’s something bad happening in Snakebite and the arrival of Ghosthunters don’t make things easier especially when the two have a personal connection to the town and a teenage daughter Logan digging into the past as she forms an unlikely alliance with local Ashley to find out what happened to the missing boy and solve the case before the bodies start adding up.

I enjoyed every second of this book!

The atmosphere is perfect as we enter a small town with questionable values as their distaste for Logan and her fathers are evident from day 1 and it only goes downhill from there. Trigger warning there is homophobia and mention of slurs facing our trio as they try to do their job and it may be hard to read for some. I think it’s a difficult conversation to have especially in today’s climate if you’re calling a place like this home as the risk of going from the golden boy to the outcast for simply loving your truth is the most heartbreaking thing imaginable but to see those moments where these two men were happy as a family make up for that.

Each characters was perfect and I loved everything about Logan as she carried herself with the kind of attitude I wish I had while also wanting the most basic thing which was to be loved and I wanted to hug her the entire time! Ashley too is one who from the first page is going through it and while dealing with the fact that her boyfriend is missing, she has to deal with the new feeling that grips her when around Logan and what that could mean for her future.

The concept behind the Dark was very cool and I liked the little insights into its mind as it lingered in the shadows over the course of the book and I felt that the explanation was pretty sound as well as the reveal behind it all which is always a good thing!

I can’t recommend this book enough my only regret is that I finished it so soon!

**special thanks to the publishers and netgalley for providing an arc in exchange for a fair and honest review!*

This is a deeply emotional, atmospheric, stunning debut.

Gould has developed two wholly relatable girls weighted with grief and strength. Logan and Ashley were such a joy to read; for me, they were the showstoppers. It was so easy to fall into the heat of their uncertainty and vulnerability. Even in a story fraught with ghosts and heartache, their moments of light and humor still shine. (I seriously adore Logan; her arc is just WOW.)

Gould's depiction of small-town Snakebite is both familiar and totally fresh. Coming from a small, at times problematic, town myself, I was so enthralled to see the nuanced depiction of the love that lives there—and, of course, the dark. And the paranormal plot seamlessly weaved with Logan and Ashley's emotional journey so well. This book is so much all at once. A tender exploration of grief and longing, and a tightly-paced suspense with a fantastic and satisfying finale. I devoured this book in one day. And I'm so excited to see what Gould does next.

Very good YA horror selection. I loved the strong female protagonists, I loved that the “villain” ended up being hatred. I loved, loved loved this book, and I don’t love horror typically. My teens do, though, so I’m always looking for new selections for my library. I will definitely be purchasing for my teen library horror section!