I really enjoyed this book! The sapphic romance was a nice slow burn, enemies to lovers, and so sweet. The paranormal aspects were really interesting-I especially enjoyed the scenes from the perspective of"The Dark"-that was so chilling to read!

This was a really excellent and atmospheric book with complex (and often unlikeable) characters, a unique voice, and a macabre look into small town American life. I will definitely be interested in future works by this author!

This book is so dark and twisty, and I absolutely love it. It was a bit creepy, but not so much that I needed to put it down at any point. I love the way that ghosts guided Ashley through her parts of her story. The twist in the end about Logan was shocking! I never had any idea that it was coming.

This is a great book, and I’m looking forward to reading more from this author.

"The Dead and the Dark" is a deliciously dark tale about two girls - one born of darkness and grief and one surrounded by hatred and. paranoia. When Logan comes to Snakebite, the town seems to hate her family for more than just homophobic reasons - their children have started to disappear and blame is being shifted to her dads. Ashley is the golden child of Snakebite, girlfriend and friend to the vanished teenagers - she just wants her friends back and is curious about the mysterious new girl. Together they work together in this haunting story about love, grief, and the lurking darkness in all of us.

Wow did I not enjoy this. Logan and her dads were the only things that kept me reading. everybody else sucked. Snakebite is such a weird combination and the entire plot hinges on how unaccepting the whole town is. The ending saved it from being a one star read, but that's about all I enjoyed. Also the author lists Riverdale as an influence/inspiration for this book--enough said.

Okay, but this book is a must read for everyone. Queer, spooky, small town vibes. Ghostly elements. And everything in between. I’ve been excited for this book for longer than I can think of. And it did not disappoint. It gave me everything it was meant to. I feel like the more I enjoy a book, the harder it is for me to find the words to describe it. And I’m lacking words majorly right now. I would recommend this to everyone. It’s so worth it.

This was a slow, creeping mystery that isn't quite your typical love story. I didn't really know exactly what to expect going into this book, but I was instantly hooked on the mystery of a missing teen and some mysterious presence that seemed to be haunting this small town. As it dragged on I lost some of that interest, but stayed for the compelling characters and the intensity of the few dramatic scenes that cropped up from time to time. I really liked our two main characters and loved seeing their development, but I would have liked to see a bit more action building up to the dramatic conclusion

The Dead and the Dark is a deliciously creepy and quietly grieving story that makes for a perfect autumn read. Come for the queer rep and the chills, stay for the well-written relationships. Highly recommend giving it a read!

I had no idea that the relationship between Logan and her dads would be my absolute favorite thing about the book, and yet it was. Brandon especially was so interesting and heartbreaking.

This book is quite literally about queer girls and ghosts, and how the shadows we carry can hurt as well as save us. The mystery is engrossing, the setting compelling and tangibly alive, and the characters a delight. I will admit that the only thing that didn’t quite land for me was the romance between Logan and Ashley just because it didn’t seem that they interacted all that much to form such a profound relationship, but I still enjoyed it. Honestly it was just so nice to read a story about queer girls, being one myself. This book hit so many of my favorite things that it was easy to enjoy it and have fun.

I was lucky enough to end up getting an ARC of this book (in audio and ebook format) However, I was busy at the time and thought I would start the audiobook as I love to multitask. Unfortunately, I feel like I would have enjoyed the ebook more. Because weeks after listening to it, I have already forgotten most of it. The Dead and the Dark had a captivating ambiance and as teenagers disappear our main character is trying to figure out what is really going on in this creepy town. Again, it might have been my fault for choosing the audio instead of the ebook. Perhaps I'll take the time to re-read it in another format but I don't think I will considering my never-ending TBR.

(Thank you for letting me read and review an ARC via Netgalley)

The dead and the dark is a story about a small town and family secrets.

I was expecting this to be a bit more of a horror and mystery theme. I do like how it flips points of views between the darkness, Ashley and Logan. I think this added to the story. However I think there was a bit of unneeded filler and I found myself getting bored during it and losing interest. This is where I enjoyed the print over the audiobook. When you can skim it quicker than having to listen to every single word read. I think one of the things that helped redeem this story for me in that area was I didn’t see the end coming. I was sure I knew who the killer was and it was a nice suprise finding out there were surprises I didn’t see coming.

I also believe the author did a good job of putting a spot light on how people in some small towns treat members of lgbt+ community. It shows it both in the past when Alejandro and Brandon were growing up in snake bite but also in the present when they return.

Overall I wish I had enjoyed this story more because it’s not a bad story. Just too slow for me at times which is never a good sign for me when it comes to mystery novels. I feel like it pulls me from the story.



I received a copy through netgalley in exchange for an honest and unbiased review

Although I was a bit disappointed overall by this book, I did enjoy a lot of this book. I especially enjoyed the family relationship. I didn't really get the eerie, haunting vibe that was supposed to peppered around the prose. Overall, a solid thriller.

I started this story and quickly found out some terrible news. I'm sharing this because my mind was totally consumed by sadness and grief. Yet, this story was something that I was able to focus on for short periods of time and kind of escape. So, I have to give credit to a story interesting enough to do that.

Aside from that, the story was pretty unique. Personally, I haven't read anything quite like it. If I was a Young Adults Librarian (Systems Librarian), I would absolutely add this to the collection. And my recommendations would be going out regularly especially for the horror fans that love a good Halloween read.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the read. My apologies for the late review. That terrible news has kind of taken over my life.

Was I expecting a horror novel when I bought this? Yes.
Is that what I got? Not at all.

What I got instead was an incredibly unique ghost story with a mostly queer cast.

The story begins with Logan and her dads moving to Snakebite, Oregon. It's been 13 years since Alejo and Brandon have set foot in the dark and gloomy town they grew up in, but their paranormal TV show has them scouting locations in the area. So they packed up and moved home.

In typical small town horror story fashion, teenagers start going missing and turning up dead pretty much as soon as the Ortiz-Woodley family shows back up. Of course, secrets never stay hidden for long and when there are teenagers involved. You know they're bound to do their own sleuthing. Logan and Ashley quickly strike up an investigative friendship. If her dads can hunt ghosts, so can she. She steals a few ghost hunting devices from their bags and sets off to a cabin in the woods.

The ending is what really made me love this book.
Everything was tied up so nicely.

I thought I was crazy when I told my friend it felt like Murder House meets Riverdale. As I was reading the Acknowledgments, I realized I wasn't alone in that description. But, like I said earlier, it was missing the horror aspect that I was craving. Still a great story but definitely could have used a few more scares.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The somber atmosphere captured by Gould in TDaTD is palpable. The town of Snakebite is like a character all its own, one that I would like to see more of. There's so much opportunity for lore in this story that it was one of the few aspects leaving me disappointed.

It reads more like a folktale than a mystery novel, which works for the weight of the story itself. That being said, there were some things left vague and unanswered. I won't go into them too much to avoid spoiler territory, but there was just a lot of loose ends not tied up by the end.

The characters themselves were compelling, I just wish it hadn't been as cloak and dagger with back stories. I was expecting huge revelations, or for things to be a twisted version of the truth, but no, sometimes it's as simple as "small town doesn't like gay people" and it can be left as that. There isn't a need to make it feel like a conspiracy, I actually felt slightly tricked and cheated when it really was just "small town ran out gays". I don't know if the author meant to do a bait and switch, or if this is just how some people act in homophobic towns? But then a lot of the people there seemed fine with two men being together? So was the town really homophobic or was the author scared to truly dive into that?

In the end, a lot of the mystery ended up being exposited instead of revealed which was a bit of a let down when Gould had crafted SUCH a compelling mystery! I couldn't put this book down once it all got going, which is hard for me with mysteries because I'm super picky with them.

Basically there are just a lot of questions the reader is left with when they finish. However, the prose was lovely, the characters engaging, and the pacing very well done. I know I kind of went off on this book, but I enjoyed every second of reading it. That being said, I got an ARC so the final product might tie up some of the loose ends.

If you're an old school fan of Carol Plum-Ucci then this book is right up your alley, with just enough supernatural stuff going on to keep you on your toes.

I absolutely fell into this book and couldn't put it down. There was a slow build to the creepy, which I absolutely loved and Gould is amazing at writing family and relationship dynamics.

5/5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press, Wednesday Books for providing me with an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

In the small town of Snakebite, OR, teens are going missing and oppressive darkness has encompassed the townspeople. When Logan and her dads arrive to Snakebite, many folks are suspicious as the first teen who disappeared coincided with their arrival. They are snubbed by the townspeople, but Logan and local darling, Ashley Barton, team up to figure out what's going on. The darkness is in Snakebite, but is it the town or the people it wants?

Such a good, creepy, and suspenseful book! Logan is such an angsty teen, which is understandable when you have two dads who are famous paranormal investigators. Nevertheless, she was easy to root for as a protagonist. This book mixes paranormal fiction akin to magical realism as Ashley and Logan figure out why teens are disappearing. As they delve deeper into the mystery of the Darkness, they uncover things about the town's collective past, Logan's dads, Ashley's mom, and what possessed the killer (or killers?). I was definitely thrown through a loop in this novel and was surprised with the ending. There are some points where communication could have solved a lot of problems and I had instances of "where are their parents? Where are the adults?" that tends to happen in teen-led YA novels. Overall, the plot and premise were interesting and required a suspension of disbelief. A great read for fans of TV show Supernatural.

They would have more nights under the stars.
They had skies left to see.
I was immediately captivated by the cover of The Dead and the Dark by Courtney Gould and once I read the blurb it was a done deal, I needed to read this book! I am fairly new to the mystery genre, but The LitBuzz has given me the opportunity to discover books that otherwise would have missed my radar.

Our first main character Logan Ortiz leaves L.A. to move to Snakebite, Oregon, the hometown of her two dads. Since leaving the small town they’ve become ghost-hunting TV personalities who return to the to conduct an investigation inconveniently around the same time that a teenage boy has gone missing and the town people have not missed the coincidence.



Our co-star Ashley’s boyfriend has gone missing, and even 6 months later she refuses to believe that he isn’t somewhere waiting to be found. When a new family comes arrives their intentions and involvement in his disappearance are uncertain and she, along with the rest of her town are understandably weary.

Ashley and Logan may not trust each other, but they have the same goal, to find Ashley’s missing boyfriend and clear Logan’s dad of any wrongdoing. As they get deeper into the investigation dark secrets are revealed while danger grows by the minute… but so does their connection.

The first thing I have to mention is how successful Coutney Gould was in creating a setting that you could literally feel as you read. Maybe it was divine intervention that I was reading this during a record-breaking heatwave in my state but I could feel the suffocating dryness as the dark force that covered Snakebite grew. Creating a story that is creepy in broad daylight is an impressive feat that Courtney Gould was able to achieve effortlessly.

Each different relationship within the Dead and the Dark worked to amplify the tension during an already dangerous and unknown situation. Logan’s relationship with each of her fathers was unique as she clings to one while she struggles to remain close with the other. They know things she shouldn’t be exposed to, but without it, she has no way of understanding why there is a distance between her and one of her dads that didn’t used to be there, leaving her feeling rejected by someone that is supposed to put her above all else.

Logan and Ashley’s relationship began out of desperation as they try to move on from the loss of love from someone they cared deeply for. The progression of their feelings towards each other felt natural as they went from strangers, to enemies, to teammates and finally to love interests. The thing about their relationship that moved me the most was the mutual respect that grew from a dangerous situation and the tentative affection that slowly developed as time passed. The dramatics were left to the paranormal, and the love story was kept subtle, but powerful.

This was an amazing debut by Courtney Gould and I am convinced that even those who do not gravitate towards the mystery/suspense drama would find it enjoyable. I will anxiously wait for her future releases and encourage everyone to pick up The Dead and The Dark!

How could I turn down an opportunity to read Riverdale crossed with Stephen King? I absolutely could not. Logan and Ashley team up to solve the mysterious disappearances of teens in Snakebite, Oregon. Logan is the daughter of two paranormal investigators, and Ashley is the girlfriend of the first boy who disappeared. A dark and twisty thirller, it's a young adult novel that lives up to it's promise.

The Dead and the Dark follows the perspectives of two girls in Snakebite, Oregon: Ashley, a girl whose boyfriend has gone missing and Logan, the daughter of two television ghost hunters who have decided to return to Snakebite with her to research the area for their next season. As you read, the town's history and players become puzzle pieces for the question everyone is asking: why are kids going missing and what does it have to do with Logan's family?

This is a pretty standard book for me - I didn't fall in love with anything but it kept my interest, flowed well, and delivered on everything it promised it would. If I was rating based on enjoyment alone, I think I'd settle more on three stars because I was hoping for more of a Courtney Summers punch in the throat at the climax, but I've bumped this up purely because this is Courtney Gould's first book. The fact that it's a debut makes a lot of the book's strengths stand out, and it gives me hopes that I'll like books from this author even more in the future.

YA mysteries that don't center around high school students are surprisingly rare, and I appreciated that the POV characters in this are freshly graduated and on that precipice of going forward into "the real world" but halted by what's happening in Snakebite. It adds to the tension for me, and if all the seriousness of the plot was interrupted by homecoming details I think it would have ruined the book for me.

I liked Logan a lot - she's blunt and a bit crass but she clearly cares about everyone around her and she has a reason for everything she says. She wants answers for herself at first, something to explain away the fear in her that everyone in the town is right about her dad. But as the book goes on you see her care about the entire picture, even as the answers swirl ever closer to coming from her home. Ashley needed time to grow on me - the sympathy I felt for her initially was easily erased by her mindset when Logan's family comes to town and how complicit she was with her shitty friends being awful. I tend to get just as angry at characters who excuse bigotry as I would for the bigots themselves, so I would have liked a bit more growth there, or a scene where she rises against it (other than the obvious scene we have towards the end).

This is a queer book, like I mentioned above, and it plays out with some expected homophobia. There is a mention of a slur but the author chose to not have the word on the page, which I really appreciated. I'm not one to get too upset by word choice, but I respect the choice to keep people safe from that word even in a scene where it's clear it was used.

The dads and their show didn't work for me, and I don't really know why. It felt off the whole time, and I don't know if that's because of the intentional direction of the plot or because I just didn't buy the characterization of them, particularly Brandon. I liked Garcia a lot, and I would have taken more time with her over the transcripts from the show.

Spoilers below.

Onto the mystery. I figured it out pretty early on, but that's not a demerit against the book - I do think the book tries to be leading with a pronoun usage when "the host" is mentioned, attempting to have the reader think of the likelihood of one outcome more than others, but it might have been more effective to avoid pronouns, since it just had me look for named characters other than the red herring character, and then it was obvious. Credit should be given for how the mystery played out, though, especially for a debut. The added aspects of Logan's past and the real reasons for leaving Snakebite were great additions and well thought out (even if they require further suspension of disbelief than I thought I needed for this book).

All in all, I don't know how memorable this book will be for me, but it was worth my time and I had no real complaints that aren't easily written off by knowing this is Gould's first book. I'm looking forward to reading whatever she comes up with next.