If you pick up any Ward book you are guaranteed to read the unexpected. I have never read an author that consistently provides numerous shocking twists to the very climax of the story. Her ability to write a sense of place allows you to feel and smell the ocean or the coziness of beach house. She has definitely become one of my go to authors. Looking Glass Sound is lonely, dark, mysterious, and gruesome. At one point (no spoilers) I was taken back by a relationship with two of the characters and wasn’t sure why it was needed for the story, and almost stopped reading, but later saw how it was necessary and wouldn’t have worked otherwise. Highly recommended!

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

Always enjoy reading something from Catriona Ward, this had what I was looking for in this type of book.It had the same great style that I enjoyed from both the author and the genre. I enjoyed getting to know the characters and their world, the plot worked well overall and I'm glad I read this.

"Gradually, as the list goes on, my breathing steadies, my hands stop shaking. This is the only way to keep the dream from taking me: I nail myself down with facts. I make them warm people once more. My mother hated it, my habit of clipping all the stories about each victim from the paper and keeping it. I hoard them, treasure each one like a priceless jewel. I have to; each fact about the oil-drum women is a delicate thread that tethers me to sanity."

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.

If there is one thing I can say about this author, it's that she has such a unique ability to create a story in ways that no one else can. Taking random bits and pieces that seemingly come out of nowhere and making it all make sense in the end, adding surprises and "what the hell" moments. I'm not going to lie, I loved the first half of this and then the second half came and I started to speed read and skip parts, losing interest. Then I get to the last fifty or so pages and had an "oh my God" moment where I went back and read what I skimmed through. I don't know how she does it but this author is a genius. She is so ahead of the current game and in a league of her own. I highly, highly recommend this one. Five Stars.

Thank you Netgalley and Tor Publishing Group for this ARC.

Multiple perspectives; an incredibly unique & brilliant format & structure to a book, & that's an understatement; this book was an enthralling adventure w/a whirlwind of emotions as twist after twist just get constantly chucked at you; definitely challenging to follow at times, but in the best way possible; one of those books that you finish & then just stare into the abyss for awhile as you digest it all

Special thank you to Tor Nightfire, Catriona Ward, and NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

This is one of those books that sounded like I would really enjoy it, but once I got into it – I really didn’t. I kept trying to like it, I’d stop, read a bunch of reviews, the try again. But at about the half way mark I gave up and did DNF this book.

I really enjoy the characters, they were well developed and thought out. My problem is that nothing really happened. It just kept dragging on and I didn’t like that.

This might be a case of the right book at the wrong time scenario as this one does have so many positive reviews.

I do want to extend my thanks to Tor Nightfire and Netgalley for this e-arc in exchange for an honest review. I will not be reviewing outside of netgalley.

Catriona Ward is one of my favorite authors in the horror genre. When I received this ARC from NetGalley I couldn’t wait to begin reading. Looking Glass Sound is a novel about a young man named Wilder Harlow who struggles in life, friendless and bullied by his peers. Until one summer, when he and his parents travel to his late uncle’s cottage in New England. Wilder meets Nat and Harper and has the best time of his life.. that is until the three stumble upon a gruesome discovery which changes things for everyone. Fast forward to college where Wilder, haunted by that past summer, befriends Sky and confides in his friend about what transpired. He begins writing a memoir, with Sky’s help, only to discover his new friend has disappeared with his tale, eventually publishing the work as his own. This was a very complex and twisted story. There were many layers to the novel that woven together bring madness, horror and betrayal along the way. I gave this novel 4.5 stars.

Every time I think back on what I just read I shriek…

It’s Catriona Ward.

We will never be able to predict this wildly talented author. I can still remember the feelings I had after concluding The Last House on Needless Street.

I also remember how Bookstagram took an unspoken oath to one another that we would never review the book in fear of spoiling it for the next reader. Everyone needed to feel that sudden shock and spine tingles . (Still one of the best books EVER)

Then I read Sundial and Little Eve and I was equally as impressed . After reading both of these books I knew I bit the bug . I was obsessed with Catriona Ward and needed to feverishly stalk the internet for signs of the next book…

Well it came

Looking Glass Sound

I can not believe I am saying this, I never ever thought a book would blow my mind like The Last House on Needless Street BUT, it just happened… Looking Glass Sound just slipped right on in to my most favored books .

I am in udder shock and I am at a loss for words .

Five Stars will never do this book justice . This one right here just broke our rating scale.

I’ll never spoil a Catriona Ward book so all I will tell you is that you need to drop what you are doing and immediately run to pre-order this book.

Teaser :

In a cottage overlooking the windswept Maine coast, Wilder Harlow begins the last book he will ever write. It is the story of a sun-drenched summer of his youth and of the killer that stalked the small New England town. Of the terrible tragedy that forever bonded him with his friends Nat and Harper in unknowable ways. Of a horror that has followed them over the years.

Wilder has returned to the town decades later in an attempt to recount that summer's events in his memoirs. But as he writes, Wilder begins to fear his grip on the truth is fading, and events in the manuscript start to chime eerily with the present. He’s even started seeing a dark-haired woman down in the icy waters below the cottage, but nobody else can.

No longer able to trust his own eyes, Wilder begins to fear that this will not only be his last book, but the last thing he ever does…

Thank you to the publishers at Tor Nightfire and Netgalley for my e-ARC of Looking Glass Sound!

𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐃 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐈𝐅 𝐘𝐎𝐔
🌊 are afraid of the ocean
👻 see ghosts
👥 like multiple POVs
🔮 wish you could be inside of a book

• 𝐐𝐔𝐈𝐂𝐊 𝐓𝐀𝐊𝐄

After Wilder and his family come to Whistler Bay, his life will never be the same again.

• 𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐈𝐓’𝐒 𝐀𝐁𝐎𝐔𝐓

Wilder has never fit in - he’s always being pushed around by the kids at school. After his uncle Vernon passes, his dad inherits his cottage on Whistler Bay. That summer, when Wilder is 16, they go to the cottage where he meets Nat and Harper and the three form a strange friendship. Now, at 19, Wilder is in college and writing his memoirs from that summer not so long ago where hidden things came to light and nothing was ever the same.

• 𝐌𝐘 𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐆𝐇𝐓𝐒

This book was top tier wild! Ward never fails to impress me with her wild twists and turns. While this one did leave me feeling more confused than her past books, I still enjoyed the ride. I was surprised by the turn of events near the end of the story. Since this story is told from multiple POVs, I wasn’t sure which was reality and which was fiction! If I read this over again, I think I would have a much richer understanding, but it’s a fun thriller either way!

TW: bullying, family death, underage drinking, language, fighting, alcoholism, teenage drama, death of sibling, stalking, toxic parent relationship, cheating, murder, smoking, divorce, anxiety, depression, self harm, suicide, abortion, adoption

*****SPOILERS*****
About the book:In a lonely cottage overlooking the windswept Maine coast, Wilder Harlow begins the last book he will ever write. It is the story of his childhood summer companions and the killer that stalked the small New England town. Of the body they found, and the horror of that discovery echoing down the decades. And of Sky, Wilder’s one-time best friend, who stole his unfinished memoir and turned it into a lurid bestselling novel, Looking Glass Sound.But as Wilder writes, the lines between memory and fiction blur. He fears he’s losing his grip on reality when he finds notes hidden around the cottage written in Sky’s signature green ink.
Release Date: August 8th, 2023
Genre: Horror/thriller
Pages: 348
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (3.75)

What I Liked:
1. The writing style
2. How the chapters continue on
3. The characters are so beautiful

What I Didn't Like:
1. Too much happening at the end
2. Book slows down a lot once you get halfway through book
3. Didn’t like ending

Overall Thoughts:
I want to say that I write my reviews as I read along with the book. So yes, something might get explained as you read on but in the moment that’s what I was thinking about at the time.

Fucked up will save you. Fucked up will set you free.’

“I like talking about him,’ Harper says. ‘But it’s kind of a bummer to keep talking about your dead brother. It’s a way of talking about him and not talking about it, both at the same time.”
Harper talking about how she pretends that her brother's death was a dog is so sad but interesting. She is so emotional and cares enough about people's feelings to not want it bum them out when she talks about him. So sad.

Seriously can I just live inside the words that Catriona Ward makes? I took my time with this book. I feel like I need to when it comes to her writing. I never want it to end. I savor every word, sentence, and page. I embrace the characters. I live along with them. I suffer when they suffer and I cry when their tears appear. I hug the book when they are in need of love. I let them be real to me. I spent the summer with Nat, Wilder, and Harper. I watched them grow the summers they returned.

The story is told so well that you go along with the characters. The author does a wonderful job at building them up that you feel so much for them. You feel for each person and everything feels believable from the beginning. I wanted to hug Harper.

Omgosh finding out that Nat's dad is the one that was killing women and taking photos of the children made me gasp out loud. Poor Nat...and then losing his hand. Now he's dead and they think he was working with his dad only to find out that it wasn't really his dad.... What are you doing to us Catriona??? 🤯

A part I didn't really care for was when Wilder finally decides he is going to write the story down of what's happened. This takes place 30 years after Sky has written "his" book. Now Wilder is writing from the perspective of Skye - a girl version of Sky - and we pretty much just get a retelling of what we already read but with some fictional elements added it. That part felt very weighed down to me and like a filler to this book. I wanted something new - not something recycled. Honestly this book kind of confused me a bit. He plans on using the same story but this Sky is a female. People know that Sky was a male as he was pretty famous from the book so wouldn't they know he's writing about him? How is this protecting what he had with him?

I just felt like once we got to when Sky stole the story the book felt sluggish and weighed down. We were still reading to a countdown for Wilder to kill himself but we knew he was going to get stopped. Around that time the book just felt like it lost its focus. We are just rereading parts of the book that was already there....

Okay so Sky is really Skye and Skye is really Pearl. Wilder really lived and he died in 1993. He killed himself with hemlock. Pearl really met Wilder in college. Harper met Pearl when she went to a new school. Nat really died. Harper lied about having an abortion and really had the child; Gracie. Nat and Wilder are really brothers because of Wilder’s dad. Pearl had Harper kicked out of school when she hid a bottle of wine under her pillow. Nat was the one that took the photos of the children. Harper kills Nat. Harper killed Wilder when he accidentally got cut with her knife she was going to use to kill herself.

Honestly the ending not a big fan of. Yeah there were twists but were they good? They were okay. Witchcraft is real in this world. Harper was able to put Wilder into the book so he can live forever and now she’s damning Pearl to the same fate. I just didn’t understand how this is a bad thing when Harper wanted the same thing and that was okay.

Final Thoughts:
I wouldn’t say that I hated or loved this book because I definitely feel like I had a beautiful journey as I read it. My problem with this book is that it’s like one of those troupes where it was ”It was all just a dream”. You’re reading a book inside a book and then another book about that book. I can get on board with that Sky wrote a book based on the town and what happened to her mother. What I cannot love is that she is rewriting the book now from her pov. I felt like I was reading Twilight when you get Edwards pov. It felt like too much for this book. Too much packed into a book that already had so much going on.

I will say that Catriona can write the shit out of a book. She writes such beautiful sentence’s that at times it was like poetry. She made me relieve how hard it was being a teen and just trying to make friends. There were moments reading when I felt as though I was on the beach with friends.

Recommend For:
• Fantasy elements
• Summer vibes
• Friendships
• Stories about writers

Thanks to Netgalley and Tor night fire for this advanced copy. All thoughts are my own.

Ward does psychological horror so well, and always had amazing, genuinely surprising twists, that leave me aww struck. Looking Glass Sound, unsurprisingly, has all this, woven in a beautiful multilayered story within story within story. Frankly, I didn't connect with the characters here, as I did in her other works, but that might just be me. A love of the characters usually pulls me along through all the tension and horror, and makes it worth it, and I was missing that in this book. But it is a beautifully told and well crafted story.