I really wanted to love Cicadas sing of summer graves: the premise was really promising, the book cover is stunning, the magical realism is definitely there, but it didn’t live up to the expectation. The pace was really slow for the first half of the book and then suddenly picks up speed for the second half, so much so that the last chapters feel very rushed. The writing is elaborate and poetic, beautiful yet difficult for a non native English speaker like me. The multiple POVs were really hard to follow, if it wasn’t for the names of the characters appearing during the narration it would have been impossible to tell them apart.
The fact that the magical realism is in a contemporary setting makes the book more interesting, creating imagery out of a fever dream and an eerie and mysterious atmosphere that looms over the inhabitants of Prosper.
Thank you Netgalley for providing me an ARC in exchange of an honest review.

Cicadas Sing of Summer Graves is a book that, for me, had promise but didn’t live up to it. It’s a book that didn’t seem able to land on what genre it wanted to be — contemporary, fabulism, outright fantasy, or paranormal — so became a mishmash of them all, and not in a good way.

It’s hard to say what exactly drives the plot, since for much of it, there doesn’t seem to be anything of one. Let’s say, for now, a haunting does. A haunting and a trauma. Related, perhaps, but not in a way that’s clear. You would think that this book might play into that confusion, to make you wonder what exactly is real. Is this character really haunted? Or is there something else going on that we don’t know about, because of an unreliable narrator aspect? However, the confusion here simply seems a product of the writing and story in general. It doesn’t know what genre it wants to be, so neither do we have any sense of the framework by which to read this by.

It doesn’t help, though, the random flower magic that’s inexplicably thrown in for? Reasons unknown! Until, lo and behold, it proves useful right at the end. This is partly why I ask exactly the genre it’s supposed to be, because no one in the town bats an eyelid at this sudden magical power showing up. But we’re also told that no one believes Cassie when she talks about the lake being haunted. It’s this kind of pick-and-choose when it comes to the fabulist aspects that, in part, makes it such a frustrating book.

The other aspect of that comes to the lack of feeling I had around it. Perhaps this relates too to the flowery prose it uses, such that you’re held at a distance from the actual narrative and you don’t feel what you need to. It doesn’t evoke the heat of a Southern summer, there’s no creeping sense of unease as the haunting slips into view (in fact, I’m not even sure the haunting even registers until the final third of the book. Perhaps, but only in some minor aspects). You don’t feel at all like you’re being haunted yourself. The idea of the ghost town beneath the dam could, I think, have played a bigger role as well.

On top of this, the three (occasionally four) POVs barely felt distinct from one another. At times, I couldn’t tell whose it was, and was only saved by the fact that it was in third person so the name of the POV character popped up every so often. Other than that, it basically wasn’t possible to tell them apart. They all bled into one, in a way that was much smoother than the book’s attempt to merge four separate genres. Unfortunately.

So, while this book had a lot of promise, it ultimately fell short. Perhaps this is a me problem, though (as ever). I have no doubt it’ll find its readership, but that just didn’t include me.

I’m really sad to be giving this such a low rating. The premise was so good. I love the magical realism/Gothic atmosphere but, unfortunately, there wasn’t really anything else to engage me personally. I found it to be really slow. The multiple POV’s were also kind of confusing because they weren’t labelled and the voices blurred into the same voice. I think a lot of people would love this, though, if you like slow, atmospheric books then this one is definitely for you. I’m open to giving more from this author a try, I’d be interested to see if their other books work for me.

"Cicadas Sing of Summer Graves" is a story about love, family and generational trauma but also trying to find one‘s place in this world and handling grief - of the loss of a loved one, a past that cannot be changed or a chance you never took. It is packed with lots of supernatural elements and I did not know where the story was going. It sure starts out slow but it has such a dreamy and mysterious atmosphere which is underlined by some of the most beautiful prose I have ever read! I liked the different P.O.V and how every character is characterised by a certain kindness even while they are fighting their own battles. If Lana del Rey's Summertime Sadness were a book, it would be this one!✨

This was a slow read for me. I struggled to finish it. I really couldn’t get into the story or the characters. I felt like there was just so much going on. Thank you Quinn, Sourcebooks Landmark, and Netgalley for the ARC!

Somewhere, I read a writer talking about writing scary scenes. They said that the fear comes from what you don't say, what isn't written on the page. And that really sums up this book. Cicadas is a ghost story that isn't over done. It is horror without being gruesome (except in one scene.) It is psychological and physical. I really enjoyed it and have already told everyone I know about it.

This was a slow but intense read. I loved the pacing of the story, where tension crept in slowly but steady and was a constant background noise, but not all over the place. Therefore, the balanced creepy scenes had enough space to make an impression. Also, the author took his time to build strong and recognizable characters and get readers connected to and care for them.
I was especially curious about the tragic history the books is based on: a whole town and lots of its people were drowned by a flood. While this is not a new starting point for a book, the author built a very original and haunting plot around it. Instead of making this just another ghost story, the focus was on the living characters, the impact events have on their lives and how they grow stronger because of it.

Three young women. One sees ghosts. One has visions. One has flowers growing out of her head. These young women bear testament to a disaster decades before their births when Yellow Fever and torrential rains caused the dam to break destroying all in its path, leaving the town and its inhabitants underneath a watery grave.
The messages being heard or seen from Cassie, Lark, and June play heavily into the summer by the lake. The ghosts of the town have been awakened. Is history bound to be repeated in the town of Prosper?
I had a hard time trying to decide if this was a historical fiction with a message, a fantasy, or magical realism. It was a mixed message for me and a little too magical to pick up the message of displacement of the poor and disenfranchised; another bad chapter in American History of forcing people out of their homes in the name of progress. I felt like it needed a sharper focus as there was a lot going on to distract the reader.

Thank you to Sourcebooks for an early copy. Opinions are my own.

This was probably 2.5 rounded up. While I was really intrigued by the premise of this one, and really wanted to like it, the execution didn't quite live up to my hopes. There were multiple narrators whose voices didn't feel sufficiently well-differentiated, it didn't really hold my attention, and some of it just felt like it needed more polish – almost like it was a solid first draft which needed some editing.

The atmosphere was good, though, and the plot was intriguing; the whole concept of the drowned town was fascinating, and I liked the sort of magical realism/horror vibes that the book had going on – it just didn't *quite* get there for me, unfortunately.

Thanks to Netgalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for the ARC!

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

The past comes back to visit a town that was plagued by Yellow Fever. A decision made decades earlier caused a ripple effect of consequences that the current townspeople have to resolve.

Interesting novel with believable characters.

An interesting read following three women , however I didn’t feel connected to any of the protagonists or story .

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this eArc .

Cicadas Sing of Summer Graves by Quinn Connor was very interesting story. The plot follows four young women, Cassie, Lark, June, returning to their small lakeside town of Prosper, Arkansas for the summer. Due to yellow fever, an unexpected storm that causes the damn to break flooding the town leaving hundreds in a watery grave, makes for the perfect eerie story. Each girl is traveling back for different reasons, but end up reconnecting over the events of the river. A bit of terror, tragedy, bizarre and unexplainable things happening all around them. I enjoyed reading this book, but sometimes I was a little lost. I had to reread some spots to figure out what the point was. Even with that, it was a great read.

Thank you NetGalley, Sourcebooks Landmark, and Quinn Connor for the ARC for my Review.

Cicadas Sing of Summer Graves by first time authors Quinn Connor was a fantastic and compelling read. The plot follows four young protagonists, Cassie, Lark, June and Bolt one summer in their small lakeside town of Prosper, Arkansas and their connection to a tragedy that has overshadowed the lake and the town for decades, and the reckoning they must have with the complex history of the place. The authors use elements of magic realism and an atmospheric writing style to explore the idea of belonging and the complicated nature of loving a place and its people.

The novel is well-paced, and I enjoyed the slow simmer of dread and uncanniness that the authors build up in their writing. The plot builds to a point where the dread turns into spine-chilling, deranged terror, teetering inexorably into potential tragedy. And just when all seems lost, I loved the way the threads of narrative surrounding the different main characters connected to offer a resolution that was emotionally rich and fulfilling.

The characters' individual back stories made them stand to me out as fresh and fascinating. The character that was perhaps the most interesting, however, was not one that came with a perspective or narrative voice, but loomed large over the entirety of the novel, i.e., the setting. The lake, the town, the churchyard, the local bar, the boat graveyard, Lark's father's houseboat, her aunt's diner, Cassie's antique shop - all came alive as distinct personalities with a powerful and important presence in the story. Their prominence makes the central questions around belonging and loving that much more effective and satisfying to consider.

I greatly enjoyed the authors' writing style and found myself immersed in their storytelling. I look forward to reading their future works.

There was a lot to like about Cicadas Sing of Summer Graves. I loved our three main characters and their similar but very different complicated relationships with their parents. The writing is gorgeous and managed to convey the beauty as well as the horror of Lake Prosper, although some metaphors felt a little wonky at times (how does a place have "the scrubbed, rebellious look of a little boy in church clothes"?).
While I liked Lake Prosper's history and the inevitable hauntings the characters and their families faced because of it, the actual plot was very slow and sometimes confusing. As much as I loved June, I was utterly confused by the flowers springing up in her hair and how this manifested later on. Some parts were kinda hard to follow and disorienting, though I can't tell if this was intentional or not. Even though the book was pretty slow-paced, I felt like it had too many elements that weren't properly explored. The man with the fireworks, the five fishermen, and Catfish all came up multiple times but they still felt underdeveloped. I get that they added to the air of mystery and I like ambiguity in my novels; I think the slow pace just made me want to learn more about them instead of having scenes that felt inconsequential at times.
Also, I think the book needs another round of editing. I found quite some typos and one or two grammatical errors, which of course didn't make or break my enjoyment but since I received an ARC of Cicadas Sing of Summer Graves, I feel I should mention it.

The beautiful prose and interesting family relationships ultimately couldn't fully make up for the slow pace. I did like it and wanted to explore the characters and the setting further, at times spinning wild ideas about where the story would take me. Cicadas Sing of Summer Graves didn't go where I hoped and while I definitely want to acknowledge it as a beautiful and haunting piece of literature, I couldn't enjoy its quietness as much as I would've liked.

Magical realism (more so than fantasy) with a touch of horror involved.

The story is actually based off true events in a town in Arkansas during the 1950s. It touches on a lot of topics through out but none really in depth.

This story had multiple POVs which was distracting at first. I’m not a fan of books with multiple characters as narrators.

She did a good job of building the scene and story setting. I wish there was more magic involved though.

I really enjoyed the author's writing style and beautiful descriptions of the lanscape and characters. I felt completely immersed. A lovely story of the past, secrets and family. I can't wait to reccomend this one to my customers. I will be re-reading this one for sure and suggesting for book group.

I really wanted to like this book, but the beginning was so slow and I could not get invested in the characters enough to continue. I stopped reading at about 38% through the book, and I'm still not quite sure what the plot of the book is. I feel like I am still learning the characters and about the town when I should have a bit more idea of the direction. I have an idea of the conflict with the hints about the tension between Charlene and Prosper, the sleepwalking, and the various visions, but everything just moved too slowly. Overall, I actually think there is too much going on. If the book followed Cassie or Lark or June or Bolt or Mitch it might be faster paced and more intriguing, but everything is still too up in the air for almost halfway.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for an advanced copy. I might return to this at a later point and finish the book because I really did love the premise and the promise, but right now I just can't.

I wish that I could give this book at 10/5 stars.

Quinn Connor completely transported me to Prosper Lake with their beautiful descriptive language. If I closed my eyes I found myself sitting on the back of a houseboat, the water glittering around me, cool lake water tickling my toes, bees humming overhead and a warm breeze tousling my hair.
I often choose books that are light and shallow to wedge into the cracks of my day and keep me entertained as a meander through daily mundane tasks, but this haunting story of love, heartbreak, grief and impossible choices demanded my full attention - that I was happy to give.

Cicadas Sing of Summer Graves deserves the love and affection that so many have given books like Where the Crawdads Sing - I can only hope that when it's brought to film (because it certainly deserves to be) that the directors can do it justice.

Thank you NetGalley and Sourcebooks-Landmark for the opportunity to read and review this book.

This book had so much going on! This definitely wasn’t what I expected going into the story, and it covered a lot of genres. Suspense, fantasy, and horror were the main ones I think. There was just a bit too much going on for me and it didn’t quite live up to the potential. You definitely need to go into this one with an open mind! I did really love the writing and the atmospheric descriptions!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC

Intriguing, haunting, compelling, unusual… Cicadas Sing of Summer Graves drew me in and wouldn’t let go until I finished this intense, mysterious story.

Thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for the opportunity to read this ARC.