“She isn’t frightened of the dead. It is only the living who have the power to harm.” 💯

“But here is the nature of life. That we must love things with our whole selves, knowing they will die.” 🥺

Whelp this may be the best book I’ve read so far this year. It is so atmospheric, placing you ON the island of Shearwater with this family and these animals. I’m talking fully immersed. Tasting the salt air. Feeling that frigid ocean breeze. There is a mystery woven in as well as a love story. It just ticks all of the boxes, man. All of them.

The audiobook has four narrators and is just superb. The accents are so calming to listen to and the emotion felt just adds even more enjoyment to an already fabulous story. I highly recommend the audio. Just close your eyes, listen, and allow yourself to be transported.

Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for the ALC.

Although the story has a solid background, I found I had a really hard time following along. Not sure if this was just me?? But, it made it much harder to enjoy…

Rowan has set out to find her husband. He’s been missing for some time now, and although she expected him home from his excursion, he never appeared…and now she’s worried. He ventured off to a remote island, in order to preserve and help his seeds/seedlings… and to do some research. But, he was expected home, and never returned. So, Rowan is now setting off to find Hank… on this remote island.

Although she does finally make it there, when her body washes up on shore, she’s presumed dead! 😵 The Salt Family, who are living on the island, work very hard to try to keep her alive. (Mind you, this is in the first few minutes of the book!) 😮

As I mentioned, this is a very remote island. There are no extra supplies. Or food. Or…anything! Very EYE OPENING to say the least!

The part that totally threw me off was that there are MULTIPLE timelines in the book… but, there’s no reference to the fact that you are 10, 15 or 20 years before. You are just there! Trying your best to figure out WHO, WHAT AND WHERE while you’re reading…

Because of that, I’m giving only 3 ⭐️⭐️⭐️. Still a good read, but confusing at times!!

#WildDarkShore by #CharlotteMcConaghy and narrated nicely by #Cooper Mortlock; #Katherine Littrell; #Saskia Maarleveld and #Steve West.

Thanks so much to #NetGalley and #MacmillanAudio for an ARC of the audiobook in exchange for an honest review. The release date is TODAY, 3/4/25, so look 👀 for it on shelves now!

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Thanks so much for reading! And if you ‘liked’ my review, please share with your friends, & click ‘LIKE’ below… And, let me know YOUR thoughts if you read it!! 📚⭐️

I think this book would probably be a good discussion for a psychology class. Themes include grief, family, self-discovery, trust, and loyalty. I kinda figured out part of the ending before I got there, I wish there was a bigger twist/“reveal”. The setting is really cool and unique, loved the wild animals incorporated into it.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and Netgalley for the complementary ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review. #gifted

A family living off a remote island off the coast of Antarctica. A woman washed ashore in the midst of a storm. Wild Dark Shore captivates from the beginning and delivers a tense, atmospheric story full of secrets, survival, and complicated relationships. Be prepared for deep themes such as love, grief, parenthood, isolation, family and nature (both the nature of humankind and the physical world).

“But here is the nature of life. That we must love things with our whole selves knowing they will die.”

This is my first book from this author (and my first book that could be classified as Climate Fiction) but it definitely will not be my last. Time to finally read that copy of Migrations on my shelf!

🎧 Love a full cast narration? Then don't miss this immersive read! Highly recommend the audio experience for this one.

I went back and forth on whether to give it 4 or 5 stars honestly. What kept this from being 5 stars for me? Elements of the ending, I didn't feel the romance/attraction part of this story, and some of the backstory weren't for me. But with all that being said, it still lands as a solid 4 (4.5?) star read for me.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Dominic Salt and his three children are in their final days as caretakes of a tiny island close to Antarctica. They’ve been tasked with closing the base down and ensuring that seeds from the World’s largest seed bank survive. But when Rowan washes up on shore, the Salt family find themselves confronted with their past and their futures. As the days dwindle down and the storms increase the Salt family and Rowan must figure out if they trust each other long enough to get off the island.

One of the things I love about Charlotte McConaghy’s books is the way she integrates nature into mysteries, emphasizing the impact humans have on the natural world. As always, I learned a ton from the story and enjoyed the way she tied in the Macquarie Island and the Svalbard Global Seed Vault in the Arctic Circle into the plot and location.

I’m not entirely sure when the story is supposed to take place. It briefly references the various climate devastations and the potential for humankind to disappear, but it’s never fully discussed if the story takes place in the present or if it’s supposed to be more of a dystopian setting. Regardless, while the writing is beautiful, you can feel the isolation and fear radiating off the pages and I loved our setting.

The story itself though is a slow burn and flips between each of the characters present and some jump back into memories. Orly’s POV was interesting as he primarily gave us science lessons; you could hear the youthfulness, optimism, and love of nature in his voice. The pure character development throughout the entire book was excellent.

I listened to the audiobook full cast version and enjoyed most of the narrators. Steve West’s voice for Dominic Salt was a bit difficult for me to decipher but ultimately the audiobook was a soothing listen.

If you want a slow-paced – character driven mystery, with a unique and atmospheric setting, look no further than Wild Dark Shore. I’m interested to see where McConaghy is going to take us next!

Wild Dark Shore is out now! Huge thank you to Macmillan Audio and Flatiron Books for my advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion. If you liked this review please let me know either by commenting below or by visiting:
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Website: SPEAKINGOF.ORG

this book was such a disappointment. i do realize i am in the minority here, but alas, here i am.

this book was the pinnacle of telling rather than showing. it was the equivalent of a six-episode season when it needed AT LEAST 13. the mix of first and third person was not justified in the least. at no point could i gain my footing in the shoes of any of the characters. where were the details, where was the feeling, where was anything i was supposed to believe? i went into this hoping for something similar to hawkins’ the blue hour and got a less fleshed out the god of the woods. AGAIN i do know i am in the minority here. but, alas, i stand firm.

the dom chapters were borderline unbearable; his inner monologue was hollow and unrealistic at best. being an unreliable narrator is no excuse for a lack of verisimilitude. in fact, i think you have to lay it on pretty thick to fool anyone (i.e. gone girl — flynn got it right.) but here, there is no flair, no panache, no creativity in the writing. the sentences were choppy and surface-level. do we really want to consume a plot so quickly that everything that adds depth and meaning has to be stripped away? please say it isn’t so.

but the thing is, i liked the setting, i liked the animal motifs, i liked the themes of loss and life and death and acceptance. i liked the kids! the whole book should have possibly stuck to following one of them or maybe should have doubled down on rowan; i think there could have been strength in that, if the book was determined to stay around the 300-page mark. or go full-allegory! dom is clearly the hopeful but aberrant father, and rowan is the pessimistic but interestingly feminine counterpoint to this could-have-been- meaningful story about climate change. something more artful could have been made with these pieces. but this story, as is, was all lost in the wash for me, personally, as i’ve said, by a mess of a mess of narrative choices. by the end, it became a strange, melodramatic version of the movie overboard (a plot that does not need revisiting.)

please let a scene breathe. make a reader understand a character’s feelings without stating that feeling explicitly. this book left me with nothing to behold and nothing to wonder. 1.5 stars overall.

i do want to thank netgalley and the publisher for advanced review copy. i appreciate the opportunity to share an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this ALC in exchange for my honest opinion!

As an audiobook junkie i will say that this is one book i think would be better to read physically. There is so much happening and so much emotional depth to this book, i think that it’s hard to appreciate listening to It via audiobook. I was looking for a book i can binge and i don’t think thats this. I would enjoy this so much more if i read a few chapters at a time, processed and went back.

With all that being said, i loved this more than When We Were Wolves! The setting, the characters, the mystery. It’s absolutely heartbreaking and inspiring. It made me push Migrations higher up on my TBR because i still haven’t read that yet. Fen, Orly, and Rowan have my heart ❤️ i could see this being a book students read in school and actually loving.

WILD DARK SHORE
Charlotte McConaghy

A woman’s body washes ashore. A family torn by grief happens upon her. They bring her home to help her recover. She is in bad shape and will need a lot of love and tender care to make it through.

Climate change is upon us and everything that is not ablaze will be soon. Everything alive now will be eradicated. Species are going extinct,

It has been years since I’ve seen a snail.

Two stories.



I am on outlier island, again.

The Good:
The atmosphere was palpable and reminded me of Jane Harper’s books.
The narration

The Bad:
This might be a case of missing it or it going over my head. However, I did not find a connection between the commentary and the mystery. It felt like two books in one.

WILD DARK SHORE in scope is as big as the world is. If this was a debut, I would say they were trying to squeeze too much into this one book. There is a mystery and a ribbon of commentary. The commentary could’ve been its own book. I was left wondering what its purpose was.

There is a difference between enjoying the audiobook and enjoying the material. As is with a few other duet and full-cast narrated audiobooks that got rave reviews recently, (THE FAVORITES (⭐⭐⭐) (LIGHTS OUT (DNF) (FOURTH WING SERIES (DNF) I have had to separate the audiobook presentation from the material.

Someone reading the physical or ebook copy is not going to have the same experience, and I think it has to do with the emotionality of the full cast experience.

You’re going to see five-star reviews everywhere so take this review with a grain of salt. It is lonely on outlier island.

Thanks to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for the advanced copy!

WILD DARK SHORE…⭐⭐⭐

Dominic and his three children chose to stay behind after a group of scientists left a deserted island trying to save humanity by managing a seed bank. This was a story that focused a lot on the crisis of climate change and its effects on people and the world. A woman is washed ashore, alive, and slowly her story is unraveled. The characters were amazingly developed and beautiful. The literary writing swept me along for the ride. The pacing was on the slower side, but I still enjoyed the storytelling. I listened to the audiobook and at times was confused as whose POV it was at that time. Other than that, the narrators were great. There were many themes of climate change, family, parenthood, love and loss that were laced together in a beautiful way.

4.5 stars.

Shearwater is a tiny island near Antarctica, and it is the home to the world’s largest seed bank. It was once an island full of researchers, but now, its sole caretakers are the Salt family. Sea levels are rising and Dominic and his three children, Raff, Fen, and Orly, are packing up the seeds before they will be transported to safer ground. During a terrible storm, a woman is washed ashore, leaving the Salts to nurse her back to health. No one is telling the whole truth, but will they each learn to trust each other before it’s too late?

WILD DARK SHORE is such an interesting read that spans several genres, literary fiction, romance, and mystery. It’s told in multiple POVs and the audiobook narration features multiple narrators as well.

I loved the setting of WILD DARK SHORE, set on an isolated island near Antarctica. It’s filled with nature’s wild beauty and an immense feeling of isolation from the rest of the world. The description and prose of this novel is beautiful, vivid, and immersive.

The plot is captivating, but its pacing is a bit on the slower side. It’s well worth the journey though. I loved the look at a possible future and the effects of climate change – such an interesting and timely concept. The characters are intricate, complex, and wholly relatable. I loved each of them. Their connections and relationships with one another were all so very well done. WILD DARK SHORE does touch on some heavier themes but each is done with such care.

A truly unique, beautiful, and devastating read.

I would like to thank Netgalley and the publisher, Macmillan Audio, of this advanced listener copy for the opportunity to read this novel in exchange for an honest review! All opinions expressed are my own.

Shearwater is home to the world’s largest seed bank and to Dominic Salt and his three children, the last known inhabitants of its rugged shores. The vault holds the last hope of life’s renewal should a disaster strike. When a woman named Rowan washes ashore, the Salt family’s isolated existence begins to unravel. With no way off the island until the next boat arrives, Rowan seeks to find the truth and begins to piece together some of the lies she’s being told.

Wild Dark Shore is a beautifully layered story that blends mystery, survival, and deep emotional connections. While it begins at a gentle pace, the unfolding mystery gradually reveals the island’s many secrets, drawing you further into its quiet, atmospheric world. The bond Rowan forms with the Salt family in such a short time is tender and heartfelt, making their journey together all the more captivating.

This novel is raw and deeply emotional, with moments that linger long after the final page. Though the ending felt a bit abrupt, leaving me wishing for more closure, the story as a whole was an engaging and moving read. Charlotte McConaghy’s storytelling never disappoints!

Read if you like:
- Atmospheric reads
- Slow burn mysteries
- Dual POVs

Thank you @netgalley and @macmillan.audio for an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

3.75 stars

'Wild Dark Shore' follows the story of the Salt family living on Shearwater, a fictional tiny island near Antarctica - home to the world’s largest seed bank. The story takes place in the recent past when the island was full of researchers and scientists, and today, when all but the Salt family remains. A woman suddenly shows up on shore, beaten from the ocean. Rowan then bonds with the family - a father and three children.

I ran hot and cold while listening. I enjoyed that multiple narrators brought the characters to life, but keeping track of who was who and what timeline was being presented was more challenging than usual. The story's tone shifts back and forth from grief manifestations to climate change to murder mystery quickly. Love and detail are also dedicated to wildlife and ecosystems, woven throughout the story.

Overall, I ended up enjoying the story and its resolution. I may suggest sticking to a print/e-book version to absorb the whole story.

Thank you Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for the advanced listening copy. All opinions are my own.

This reads more like lit fic than a mystery/suspense. It definitely is genre bending, because there are elements of both depending on what part of the book you're at. There is also a surprise romance in there towards the end that pops in out of nowhere. I really enjoyed the narration. The voices and multiple POVs were strong and worked well for the atmosphere of the book. It's a very easy listen. At times it was challenging to follow the different time periods.

Great book for lit fic readers who enjoy something extra from the plot. The combo was slightly tricky for me as I loved the mystery components but the family drama fell a bit flat.

Wild Dark Shores is an engaging and atmospheric mystery, that will sink into readers bones like it's cold isolated island setting.

This audiobook is simply a work of art. The nuanced narration and subtle choices the narrator made brought this world to life. Readers enter into a world of somber secrets, one where ever character is more than what they initially seem. It's hard not to stay engaged with so much unknown on the page. While the mystery unravels keeping the pace breakneck, the delightfully flawed characters really give the tale heart.

Wild Dark Shores is a sure bet for those who like dark, gritty mystery.

WILD DARK SHORE review

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

🔶Happy pub day to this super buzzy book!! This one has been getting raaaaave reviews and I knew I needed to prioritize it asap! While this wasn’t quite a 5⭐️ read for me, I did really enjoy it!

🔶Here’s a summary of the plot:👇
A family is living and working on a remote island off the coast of Antarctica trying to care for the world’s largest seed bank. When a woman washes ashore half drowned, everything is about to change. Why is this woman here? Is she someone they can trust? And what about the rising water threatening the last remaining seeds of thousands of plants??

🔶This one was so captivating and atmospheric! Truly unlike any other book I’ve read, and as someone who reads a looooot that’s saying something. It’s probably because I did this one on audio, but during the first half I had some trouble keeping the different POVs separated in my mind. I still enjoyed this one overall and the ending had me so emotional. 🥲 Definitely recommend, especially if you enjoyed her other books!

🔶Thanks to @macmillan.audio for my digital copy of this one!

WILD DARK SHORE is everything I love in a book—haunting, atmospheric, and deeply emotional. Charlotte McConaghy crafts a gripping story set on a remote, storm-lashed island, where a fractured family fights to protect the world’s last hope for biodiversity. When a mysterious woman washes ashore, secrets unravel, tensions rise, and the novel becomes a mesmerizing blend of survival, love, and betrayal.

The writing is stunning—wild and raw, like the landscape itself. The suspense builds beautifully, keeping me hooked until the very end. The audiobook narration by Cooper Mortlock, Katherine Littrell, Saskia Maarleveld, and Steve West is outstanding, bringing the characters and the island’s eerie isolation to life with depth and emotion. The full cast makes the multi-POV narrative easy to follow, enhancing the immersive experience.

This is a novel that lingers—thought-provoking, deeply moving, and absolutely unforgettable.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

I really enjoy Charlotte McConaghy's books even though I know they will be sad and fill me with some healthy amount of existential dread. Even so, there's such beauty to her writing, and I find her desire to look for hope and purpose during a bleak future oddly comforting.

In Wild Dark Shore, the story centers on a family living on a remote island near Australia, where one of the world's remaining seed banks resides. The island is slowly succumbing to the ocean, and now only the family remains in the weeks before they are forced to depart for good. It's during this time that a mysterious woman washes ashore.

I don't want to give away too much of the plot. There's a solid mystery at the center that drives the narrative forward, while we also get insights into the lives led by the different family members and the background of the rescued woman. Much of the story focuses on how people deal with grief and questions how humans can grapple with the burden of a failing planet. Just totally light stuff. Even with this being said, I really enjoyed this book and sped through the wonderful audiobook production. While I struggled with McConaghy's last book, this reminded me much more of what I loved about Migrations. I highly highly recommend this one even if it is a challenging read.

Wild Dark Shore
Charlotte McConaghy

I inhaled this book in just a few sittings!!!! a refreshing story, unlike anything I’ve read before.

an Australian family of a father and three kids live on a small island that holds one of the largest seed banks in the world. a woman’s body washes up on shore and they help nurse her back to health. these five are the only ones on this island but there are plenty of secrets among them…

🗣️ multi-POV, jumping timelines
📍 a remote island near Antarctica
🧍 distinct memorable characters with dynamic relationships that move the story along so seamlessly

if you’re looking to be immersed in a sweeping escape of story, THIS IS IT. highly recommend the audiobook paired with a cozy beverage and a mindless activity to really focus on the story!!

“It is really fucking sad that it should take loss to know the precise quality of love” 😩😩😩

Wild Dark Shore is filled with beautiful descriptions of nature, as well as jaw-dropping twists. Dominic Salt and his kids are living on a remote island near Antarctica and protecting the world's largest seed bank. But the island is disappearing as sea levels rise and they are about to evacuate when a huge storm washes up a woman who is barely alive. I can't remember the last time I read a literary fiction book that was also a thriller but Charlotte McConaghy does both beautifully, and also makes us think about some of the hard choices climate change will bring.

The full cast audiobook narrated by Cooper Mortlock, Katherine Littrell, Saskia Maarleveld, and Steve West was amazing, it has past and present timelines and even follows the POV of some of the seeds.

The audio for Wild Dark Shore was phenomenal by a full cast narration, that included Cooper Mortlock, Steve West, Katherine Littrell and Saskia Maarleveld. I listened at 1.75x speed.

This climate fiction story started off strong, fell flat for me in the middle and ended better than I expected! The author’s vivid nature descriptions are flawless and creates an emotional connection to the story. Wild Dark Shore had a perfect balance of a mystery elements mixed with beautiful literary writing. This novel would be a wonderful book club pick because it is thought provoking and impactful.