A confusing and twisting tale surrounding a group of friends. Murder, secrets, and lies run wild in this book.

I enjoyed this, but felt it fell down a bit in the last act - like Ward's previous works there's a moment where the book gets flipped over on its head ("twist" isn't a strong enough word for these books!) but this time the resolution and reveal just were not satisfying for me. I enjoyed but did not love it.

Since the first time I read one of Catriona Ward’s books back in 2021, I’ve been completely enthralled by the stories she creates and the twists she includes within them. I can still vividly imagine the settings of any of her books that I’ve read, and that’s saying something for my ADHD brain 😅

I absolutely loved this one until about 75% of the way in. The characters, setting, twists- everything was great, but unfortunately the ending just wasn’t for me.

If you love twisty psychological thrillers and books within a book, you should definitely this one to your list! It kept me on my toes the entire time, and I genuinely could not put it down until I knew how it ended.

Thank you to the author and netgalley for my e-ARC to read and honestly review!

At this point, if Catriona Ward wrote in lipstick on a napkin I'd buy it. Genre notwithstanding, she is a towering talent with an infallible sense of literary timing. Writers across the spectrum could take a lesson from her deft hand with structure and revelation in the text. As a writer, I was thrilled that she decided to examine the power and the danger of writing itself. Her trademark labyrinthine plots - complete with horrors both objective and interpersonal around every corner - lent itself so well to the book-within-a-book (within-a-book) structure. As always, Ms. Ward seeded her worlds-within-worlds with the painful inevitability of generational trauma. And as always, I'm in awe. One could aspire to write half as well and still be considered brilliant.

Looking Glass Sound is another one of Ward’s twisty, surprise-filled novels that manages to piece together its central mystery little by little. The story’s pace slows some in the middle, but it is necessary to ease the reader into the quick changes in point of view. The writing is lyrical, and the story is almost dream-like due to these changes in POV that can happen with no warning. This may confuse, at first, but once you catch on, it is a pleasure to follow the characters’ trains of thought. There are touches of witchcraft throughout that adds to its mystery, because the reader doesn’t know what is based in reality or what could be chalked up to magic. Reading Looking Glass Sound is a pleasure to puzzle through.

Looking Glass Sound by Catriona Ward is a haunting and gripping story of a writer's attempt to revisit his past and tell the story of a sun-drenched summer of his youth, and the tragedy that forever bonded him with his friends Nat and Harper. Wilder Harlow, a bestselling author, returns to the small New England town decades later to write his memoirs, but as he writes, he realizes that events in the manuscript are starting to chime eerily with the present.

The novel is a masterful exploration of memory, truth, and the blurred lines between reality and fiction. The author skillfully weaves together Wilder's present-day experiences and his memories of the summer that changed everything. The characters are richly drawn and complex, and their relationships are intricately woven into the fabric of the story.

What sets Looking Glass Sound apart is Ward's ability to create an eerie and unsettling atmosphere that permeates the entire book. The cottage overlooking the windswept Maine coast and the dark-haired woman Wilder sees in the icy waters below add to the sense of foreboding that pervades the story.

The book's pace is perfect, with tension building slowly but surely as Wilder's grip on reality begins to slip. The ending is shocking and unexpected, a fitting conclusion to a story that keeps the reader guessing until the very last page.

Overall, Looking Glass Sound is a haunting and thought-provoking novel that explores the nature of memory and the power of storytelling. It's a must-read for fans of psychological thrillers and anyone who enjoys a good, unsettling read.

Like a lot of Ward's novels, I really like the first half or so, but the last half usually goes steeply downhill for me. Although the first half has a lot of really common horror tropes, I thought they were done really well, and the reveal of the killer and what he had done were bone-chilling. However, things did get a little convoluted towards the end. The effect was there; I was incredibly creeped out, but I thought that the lack of clear delineation between time periods was a little jarring, on top of having to decipher what was real and what was written. Some of that could be due to the poor formatting of the ebook, thought. Regardless, I did enjoy this one, even if I was confused for some of it. Ward's books are really ones you need to concentrate on when reading.

Catriona, my queen, what ever you do, DON’T. STOP. WRITING. You are my auto-buy. You are my “ohhh I'm so excited to see how she is going to mess up with my mind again”. You are my “this is the new type of horror I’m in”. Now that I’m done fangirling, let’s talk about this story within story, book within book.

I thought being stuck in a story might be fun; because it is like living forever. But I understand when people warm you be careful what you wish for. Sometimes being capturing in a photograph or a story can be worse than any curse. Not every image worth remembering, not every story is meant to be retold. Wilder should have known about it. Nathaniel should have known about it. They should have listened more intently when Harper spoke.

I didn’t expect the layers after layers thrown at me when I flipped these pages. I was wondering where those few words that were exchanged as a part of the game were going to lead. I don’t know how to describe my amazement without giving away more than I should, but “in Catriona we trust”

This was an ok read for me. Without spoilers, there is a storytelling device used that I am not a fan of. That being said, I definitely got all the things that I have come to expect from Catriona Ward: atmospheric, creepy, what the hell is going on? All of that is there, and this story definitely keeps you guessing until the end. While I didn't love it as much as some of her others, it was still a solid choice.

Leave it to Catriona Ward to send you on a wild ride. It all starts the summer Wilder goes to Whistler Bay for vacation at his late uncle’s cottage. He befriends Nat and Harper over the summer and they get into some pretty creepy adventures. They tell stories of The Dagger Man, a local serial killer in the area, and get trapped in the chaos. Wilder is also writing a memoir about his experiences in Whistler Bay. The POVs and time periods change throughout the book, and you begin to wonder what’s real and “just a story”. Wilder goes on to college and meets Sky, who picks Wilder’s brain for his own benefit.

In typical Ward fashion, at times you’re wondering if you’re the one hallucinating while reading. I love her twists throughout the story and the fact I’m kept wondering what’s next. First half was a little slow, but still had me hooked. Fantastic thriller!

Catriona Ward is the queen of weird, unsettling horror and Looking Glass Sound is no exception. I was creeped out the whole time and had no idea where the story was going. Highly recommended!

Utterly fantastic, just so creepy and powerful. This author never fails to amaze me. One of my recent favorites and I'll be recommending it to everyone upon release.

The basic premise of this novel is that three teenagers - Wilder, Nat and Harper - meet at a seaside cottage destination during summer break and start a tense, awkward friendship. While beautiful on the surface, Whistler Bay has a sinister history of women going missing, often for some plausible cause such as swimming in the ocean. Moreover there is a rumour of a "dagger man" who creeps into the bedrooms of young children and takes photos of them sleeping, while holding a knife close to them. The novel follows the teens' relationships with each other and exposes the various ways they use and betray each other. As the novel progresses, Wilder becomes increasingly unhinged, while reality and fantasy blend together.

This was a strange and opaque book which was a struggle for me to finish. In a way, it is a book about writing a book - a novel embedded within a novel within a novel. I felt I was following reasonably well until the midway point in the book. After this I could no longer discern what was hallucination, dreams or actually happening. Neither could I be sure which characters really existed, with the jumping around in perspective from Nat/Sky/Skye/Pearl to Harper to Wilder/Wiley. I enjoy a good plot twist, but this was too much for me, with one reveal after another that had me going in circles. By the end I will admit to feeling quite exasperated. I know that there are many Catriona Ward die-hard fans who loved it, but this was definitely not for me. Thanks to NetGalley for the copy to read.

Over the past few years, I've become a big fan of Catriona Ward's work. All of her books are beautifully written and packed with twists and turns I never see coming. Of course, as a horror lover, I adore this, and I was hyped to read Looking Glass Sound.

The novel starts a bit slow, and I wasn't sure if it was for me. But then, in Ward's fashion, the book picked up, and I truly enjoyed it... for a while. I have to add that the writing was beautiful as usual, but I do think that it felt chaotic as well. The book wasn't flowing for me, and the transitions often didn't work. Toward the end, there were way too many twists to keep track of, and I felt lost. I also lost interest, to be honest, since I knew nothing would be as it seemed anymore. It's hard to care for characters if you don't know what's going on in a book. A book within a book usually works quite well, but it has to be done within reason.

Overall, it would have been a decent read but overdone in the twist department.

***NetGalley Review***

Did I enjoy this book? In the end, yes. In the beginning I had some concerns.

What did I like about this book?

The moment you start to think you know what is going on - just stop. How the author was able to keep me on my toes is awe inspiring. I pride myself in figuring out the twist before 50% - I was shocked on the last page. I don't say this often but this book is truly written in such a thoughtful way because there are so many twists and turns and drops, I don't know how the author kept them all straight.

What did I NOT like about this book?

Once I finished it and appreciated how everything fit together a lot of my complaints faded. The only one that remains is the jerking between thoughts, dialogues, times, etc...left me feeling a bit confused. I found myself stopping my reading 'flow' to go back and reread to make sure I was tracking.

Overall this is a fantastic read and I am so grateful to read this early copy.

"Monsters, aren't we all, writers", she thinks. "We eat everything we see."

I don't know why, after reading Last House on Needless Street, I was consistently surprised by the layer after layer of shock and confusion I felt as this book unfolded. I should've known Ward would keep my head spinning.

My primary con was that the pacing didn't keep me invested, and this kind of story demands to be finished within a day or two so you can keep everything straight. I THINK I know what happened, but if I'd been more focused and given it total attention through the first 1/3 of the book, I think I would've kept up a bit better when all of it began to open up.

I recommend this to anyone who enjoys that King-esque coming of age story (though it quickly changes pace and tone), and anyone who enjoys being bamboozled... over, and over, and over.

The first half of the novel was brilliant, but then the confusion set in. I was unsure of the timeline, of what was going on, of what had happened. It made it really hard to enjoy the story. I'm still unsure of when certain events happened and whether they actually did. 3 stars because the first half was excellent.

Layered novel that combines horror, psychological horror, magical realism, and speculative fiction. The entire novel is haphazardly layered pieces of the story where the reader is left to guess what is “real” and what is “fiction”. Although confusing at times, the unsettling and tragic feeling you get while reading helps carry you through the mire. I would have liked some parts to be omitted or shortened as the parts from about 60-90% through were incredibly repetitive especially when held against a slightly rushed ending. This book is certainly a puzzle but if you are a fan of intricate upmarket horror, I would recommend.

This book was a quick read for me & I found the twists unexpected. A few happenings were predictable, in my opinion, but I didn't mind too much. The characters are pretty well fleshed out & it was painful to read what they went through, & their mistakes. I could empathize with them but I'm not sure I would consider any of the main ones to be likeable. Wilder was probably the most likeable but I pitied him often & well... you'll see. The ending felt rushed, but it was sort of satisfying in a strange way. I read Ward's Needless Street book & enjoyed it quite a bit but I would say I prefer this one. I've been wanting to read Little Eve & Sundial, & this book makes me more excited about them

Ward once again provides reliable horror wrapped in a coming-of-age tale that slowly descends into more fragmented and nightmarish terrain as the story progresses. Ward is excellent at depicting the slow breakdown of reality, allowing the reader to question the stability of the border between the rational and the irrational. The author also does an excellent job of creating a sense of unease in the reader, keeping you wrong-footed at every turn. I feel Ward keeps improving with each new entry to her body of work.