"Looking Glass Sound" by Catriona Ward

I'm incredibly grateful to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for providing an advanced copy of Catriona Ward's latest novel, "Looking Glass Sound". This deeply engrossing book not only showcases Ward's strength in crafting strong narratives but also proves that she's an adept world-builder, capable of transporting readers to vividly described locations.

From the onset, the narrative's three protagonists captivated my attention. Ward artfully develops each of these characters, investing time in their individual stories, intricacies, and growth. The author skillfully drew me into the life of each character, painting them as not only fascinating, but also relatable and empathetic figures.

Ward’s detailed, evocative prose particularly shines when bringing the setting to life. The novel's locale, with its expansive sea, mysterious sea caves, and rugged terrain, becomes a character in its own right. I found myself not merely reading about these places, but rather feeling as if I were present there, hearing the crash of the waves and feeling the gritty rocks beneath my feet.

“Looking Glass Sound” is a mystery at heart, and it is a testament to Ward's storytelling that the solution remained elusive until the climax. The plot unfurls at a pace that kept me utterly engaged, my curiosity piqued as I sought to piece together the clues seeded throughout the narrative. While the ending may veer slightly into the realm of the incredible for some, I appreciate how it further emphasized the narrative's overarching theme of challenging our perception of reality.

Despite my personal reservations about the ending's plausibility, it does not take away from the fact that "Looking Glass Sound" is an engrossing read. Catriona Ward's skillful character development and her ability to breathe life into the story's setting make this a highly recommended book.

In conclusion, "Looking Glass Sound" was an absolute pleasure to read. It's a novel that remains engaging from beginning to end, that surprises and challenges its readers, and ultimately leaves a lasting impression. So if you're seeking a well-written, atmospheric mystery with compelling characters, "Looking Glass Sound" should undoubtedly be on your to-read list.

I enjoyed the in -depth characters in the book.the descriptions of Maine and the water were beautiful. The story was original and gave a look into a writer’s life of creating a manuscript and writers’ block.
I was quite confused when the story was told and it began again with slight changes. This happened several times. I guess it was a story within a story and possible scenarios of the same story.
I felt like I really got to. know the characters it just was marred for me of the retelling of the same story. .
Thank you to the publisher and author to allow me to listen and review the book.

Thank you Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for this audio ARC.

The narrators did a great job.

The story was not for me.

Please listen/ read and decide for yourself.

At first, I wasn’t sure if this was a story I’d enjoy. The first 25% was character dev and relationship building and I really didn’t care about the 3 main characters. It was more “coming of age” than horror. I was expecting a basic story about teens witnessing a horrible event and then growing from it. But, it is DEFINITELY not that. This one is layered, and a bit hard to follow at times. I listened to the audio (thank you NetGalley & Macmillan Audio), and hit pause a few times to let the narrative sink in. By 50% I was fully invested in the story. There were quite a few turns with each layer of the story, within a story, within a story… The last half really has your head spinning with all the reveals. I will probably buy a physical copy and give this a reread in the future, as I have a feeling there are many little things to pick up on.

This was everything I expected from Catriona Ward honestly! I think I paid more attention to this book than to any of my college classes and I think I was able to comprehend everything. While the audio was great, this book has a lot of small details that can be missed if you are a person that idly thinks about other things while listening to audio. I had the e-ARC as well for this and I was definitely following along there! I only recommend this on audio if you feel you would be able to focus on it!

Thank you so much to Macmillan Audio for the ALC of this one!

Thank you Netgalley for this audio edition of Looking Glass Sound by Catriona Ward.

This book was SOMETHING! I felt like I just sat through a literary Inception, where with every turn, there's five more turns!

After experiencing a deeply traumatic event as a child, Wilder has a story to tell, and as an author, he is the right guy to do it. It also helps that his experience is a well known high profile crime that happened at Looking Glass Sound. But it turns out that a "friend" Sky, has beaten him to it and stolen his story. But now that the story has been released, the years go by and we get to find out what really happened at Looking Glass Sound all those years ago.

SUCH a rich and incredibly well thought out novel. It's got spook factor, romance, friendship, betrayal, and mind bends that you never see coming. I was hooked from beginning to end!

I don't even know where to begin! I understand why Ward receives the praise she does, because this book really blew me away. This is how you layer a plot, people. I was intrigued, I was confused, and ultimately I was so satisfied. I'm not even sure how to properly review this one, but if you've been a fan of Catriona Ward, pick up Looking Glass Sound as soon as you can.

Big thank you to NetGalley and MacMillian audio for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

Rating : 4.5/5

I loved this one so much. There’s something so unique and fascinating about Catriona Ward’s writing and her way of telling her stories. Each time i get sucked in with ease and i’m always so happy with the ride. This one is particular was so great. The atmosphere was incredibly immersive. It felt like such a experience to read this book because it mixed fiction and reality to a point where you don’t even know if whatever you are reading is happening or not. You don’t know who to trust, what to trust, and all you can do is accept the uncertainty. The twists were effectives, the horror elements creepy, and the characters interesting. I do think it got abit slow toward the middle which is stopping me from giving it a full 5 ⭐️ but this is for sure a book i’ll be thinking about for a while.

I recently had the pleasure of diving into Catriona Ward's thrilling novel, "Looking Glass Sound," and let me tell you, it was a rollercoaster ride that kept me hooked from beginning to end. Ward's ability to create a twisted and captivating story is truly commendable, and I found myself unable to stop listening. Thank you publishers.

"Looking Glass Sound" delves into a labyrinth of shocking turns and unexpected surprises, keeping readers on the edge of their seats. The plot is masterfully crafted, seamlessly blending suspense, mystery, and psychological elements that leave you constantly guessing and questioning everything you thought you knew. Each revelation adds another layer to the narrative, intensifying the intrigue and making the reading experience all the more thrilling.

One aspect that truly stood out to me was the complex web of family and friends connections that the author skillfully weaves throughout the story. These relationships are put to the ultimate test, challenging the characters in ways that kept me emotionally invested and deeply engaged. Ward excels at capturing the intricacies of human dynamics, showcasing the complexities and hidden depths of her characters.

As I delved deeper into the story, I encountered numerous moments where the translation of certain twists became a bit challenging. However, this added to the overall allure of the book, keeping me on my toes and forcing me to pay close attention to every detail. I can imagine that having buddyreaders to discuss and unravel these intricacies with would have made the experience even more enjoyable.

Catriona Ward's writing style is both evocative and immersive, creating vivid imagery that brought the setting and characters to life. Her prose is elegant and engrossing, capturing the atmosphere of the story and intensifying the sense of unease that permeates throughout.

In conclusion, "Looking Glass Sound" is a standout novel that showcases Catriona Ward's storytelling prowess. With its twisted plot, shocking turns, and intricate character relationships, it's a book that will captivate and challenge readers in equal measure. If you're a fan of psychological thrillers with a touch of mystery, I highly recommend giving this book a read. Trust me, you won't be able to put it down.

Disclaimer: It's worth noting that individual preferences may vary when it comes to books, so what I found enjoyable may not necessarily be the same for everyone. Nonetheless, I believe "Looking Glass Sound" has all the elements that make for a thrilling and satisfying read.

I understood the beginning of this book fairly well. A coming of age story for a teen who doesn't look like others. A must have vacation to a deceased uncle's seaside home for the parents who aren't as close as they once were and are seeing their son quickly reaching the age when he no longer will be theirs. Then a barrel is found and a woman's body is found inside. The once idealic coming of age story becomes wrapped up in a mystery with some supernatural elements. At this point is where I got lost. Characters come and go all interconnected by the murders but hard to remember the connections and who was who. A part of the story is a novel being written by the older man who once was the young teen and I got lost at what was truth and fiction. Others write novels as well and I continued to find truth and fiction unclear. Twists were abundant and satisfying, however. I'm more a lover of mysteries that aren't so choppy and more linear so I struggled to get to the end of this one. The narrator does a good job of adding atmosphere without too much overemphasis and has a calm and easily to listen to voice. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced copy for an honest review.

4.5 stars

If you loved “The Last House on Needless Street,” this book is perfect for you! It also has the same narrator who I loved for that book.

It’s hard to say much about this book without giving too much away, but it’s a chilling murder mystery and you are not sure what is true and what is maybe a hallucination. This is definitely a twisted psychological horror book with an interesting cast of characters. I did have a few moments where it took me a bit to process the twists, but they were very well done.

Thanks NetGalley and publisher for the digital copy in exchange for my honest review!

I often have a nightmare in which I fall into a massive mound of snow or plunge into the ocean, it's so abysmal and I'm dropping deeper and deeper, farther down, away from the surface, and I'm losing my breath, but I'm convinced I'll make it back to the top. What I don't understand in my dream is that I don't know which way is up or which way is down; I'm lost and unsure of which way to swim, desperately wanting to find my way out. THIS is how I felt after reading this book. The perfect horror atmosphere was created by Looking Glass Sound, a hazy beach summer vacation where the dagger man lurks in the shadows.

I have only read one other book by Catriona Ward, The Last House on Needless Street, and I really enjoyed that one too. Looking Glass Sound featured the same style, suspense, and mystery as LHONS, and it kept you hooked till the end. I know I've said it before, but lately I’m not a fan of thrillers and mysteries, so when I saw the captivating cover and description for this one, I knew I had to give it a shot, and I'm so glad I did. Looking Glass Sound is a dreamy, hazy fever-nightmare that grabs you and doesn't let go (at least not without throwing you around a little). Thanks very much to the publisher for this advanced reading copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to MacMillan Audio & NetGalley for providing an audio ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I read Little Eve last year and liked it well enough (though it was weird). I guess I knew to expect a supernatural element in this story but the circuitous route of the plot is confusing, overwhelming, and, at times, tedious.

Three friends meet on the wild shores of Maine as older teens. The descriptions skewed quite young, so I was surprised to discover they were meant to be 16-17 years old. Harper and Nat have been friends for years; Wilder is new to their circle but they accept him readily, if awkwardly. The friendship grows throughout the summer, as the boys admit their attraction to Harper and the three go on boat adventures near and in the titular sound (always with warnings about the strong undertow, which has been known to pull people to their deaths, specifically female swimmers, never to be seen again). There are times when it feels like Harper and Nat are not very nice to Wilder; they have an established friendship and he's a bit nerdy. Underpinning all of this is the lore of the Dagger Man, a person who breaks into summer houses and takes polaroids of sleeping children, each with his handcrafted knife near their unprotected throats.

In the second summer of their friendship, things start getting good. No spoilers, but we learn rather more about the Dagger Man. A lot happens very quickly, and then the next thing we know, Wilder is in college, where he meets and falls in love with Sky.

After this section, things get extremely convoluted. There's a novel within a novel, and then a novel within that. I found myself very unclear on what had actually happened, and what was reimagined by the NWAN etc. One of the NWAN features the same characters as the original novel. The other NWAN has similarly-named characters, as those characters are a fictionalized version of what happens in that second summer at the sound. If this sounds confusing, it's because it is.

Thank god this was an audiobook, because I would have given up otherwise. But there were some drawbacks to the audio as well (Christopher Ragland's version of a Maine accent sounded a lot like Aussiespeak at first several blushes). I can see where Ward wanted to create a layered multiverse of possible outcomes for her characters, but the result is such a mishmosh . It's a shame, really, because the sections that deal with the central crime are very enjoyable. She has great writing talent (aside from lacking an editor to make American teens speak like American teens, rather than Brits trying to sound American or whatever was going on there; I blame MacMillan on that one), but there's just too much weighing the story down, IMO.

welp, if this wasn't an ARC, I would have DNFd in the first 1/4.
If you want a book that is all over the place, time line jumping, and no likeable characters, then this is for you.
Nothing happened. Absolutely nothing happened. It had some promise when the polaroid was discovered, but that ended quickly. I was so disappointed by this book. I feel like I wasted my time.
The female narrator was good, but that male one almost made me DNF the book. I absolutely hate when narrators read in multiple accents as if we're too dumb to understand. I realize that's a me problem but still.
I would not recommend this book.

This book was confusing at times and hard for me to keep up with. I was not really interested in the storyline. I was not a fan of the narration. Some of the voices that are intended to be young sounded like the elderly.

Wow, I want to first say I thought the voice acting for this audiobook was excellent, it helped create a moody immersive mood while listening. Thank you MacMillan for the review copy and also to Tor publishing for so kindly giving me a ebook copy to review (both via NetGalley). I am torn which format was best, I listened to some and read other parts, particularly the later parts as I wanted to be reading Ward's work. I personally loved the story starting off in adolescence and using that time of awkward self discovery and change, and the theme of a summer that changes you, to move into a bigger story that involved really grasping what had happened and how magic and secrets and revenge and the messiness of adolescent friendships and hopes/dreams all became entangled in a search for The Dagger Man.

You likely have to be a literary horror fan to really like this one or a reader open to a meta horror, book within a book plot, that is I think what Chasing the Boogeyman wanted to be (side note, disliked that book a lot). This is perfect for Ward fans of course and readers who like Sarah Gailey (just like home), Chuck Wendig, Stephen Graham Jones, and other similar dark slow paced horror that unsettles the reader and unfolds slowly and eerily until a climax.

I really didn't know what to expect going into this book, and the number of times my jaw dropped was crazy! There were SO many twists, that you better be paying attention! I really enjoyed the characters and trying to figure out exactly what was going on, but good luck because it is never what you think.

4.5 rounded up to 5. Nearly a perfect experience for me. I couldn't stop listening to this book. I found the mystery and characters so compelling and didn't want to stop until I figured everything out. The mystery isn't so much one where clues are laid out for you to solve, but it's full of non-stop twists and turns. The rest of this is a little spoiler-y, but the main reason it's not a perfect 5 star for me is that I didn't love the ultimate twist at the end. I felt the story held up well enough on it's own and didn't need to be revealed to be as meta as it was, though I do know that that was a major point of it all. Catriona Ward masterfully weaves a great mystery and instantly is added to the list of authors whose books will be a day one purchase from me from now on.

I’ve heard so much great reviews about this author and her previous novel. The novel just grabbed me and I knew I had to read/listen to it. The plot sounded great but however I did not enjoy the book as much as I really wanted to. It started off real great and then it went stale (for me). it just went haywire from there and unfortunately not in a great way. Struggled to finish it and contemplated if I should DNF it. Not my type of novel.

This book gave me whiplash. Although the narrators did a fabulous job with the audio, I don’t think this was the best book to listen too. I was confused often and not following along with what was happening. This book requires 100% attention which I find hard to do with an audiobook