
Member Reviews

This was a fun read, and one that i’d get for my classroom. The characters were fun- I loved Kay and Frankie. Violet was a well-conceived character, but sometimes being in her head got extremely negative, which would get frustrating. I just didn’t want her to be so down on herself all the time. It bothered me that when Mags would be outright nasty to her face, no one around (including Kay or Frankie) really stood up for her. Also, and I may have missed something, but did the mystery of the missing campers storyline just disappear halfway through the story? I feel like there was never closure there. Overall though, I think this is a great read for upper middle school/high schoolers, and is a story they will be able to relate to.

⭐⭐⭐⭐
THE DARK COVE THEATRE SOCIETY by Sierra Marilyn Riley (Oct 7)
Thank you Netgalley and Annick Press for the earc
Violet is on scholarship, and it has been cut down due to academic probation---she had a panic attack on stage and ran out. This year, she plans to keep her head down, but after auditioning for the Halloween play, she is cast as love interest to Frankie Lin and her ex-crush Hunter Kinsey. Violet is drawn to the Dark Cove Theatre, but the Society curse is lurking in the shadows---ready to strike.
THE DARK COVE THEATRE SOCIETY is a YA dark academia riddled with eerieness from the school's location---which sets the scene nicely--drama, and a society of theater students. I don't know how to describe this book. The first thing that stood out to be, besides the creepy cover, were the footnotes. I love that inclusion because it was nice having phrases and such I was unsure about explained to me. I mean, this book is really good, but that was one of my favorite things about it. Also, loved the shorter chapters.
If you know me, you know I love dark academia,especially at the hands of societies, so I was excited to see what this society was going to do...I do wish it was more, but as the conspiracy unraveled---and more about the curse was revealed---I realized everything wasn't as it seems.
THE DARK COVE THEATRE SOCIETY is a beautifully written book. From the descriptions that paint a picture, the way the scene is set, and everything in between. This is definitely a must-read for those wanting to immerse themselves in an eerie location that is drama-filled, mysterious with a would-be curse, and a book that is just all out interesting.

this was a cozy read with an unique storyline, but it didn’t really love it. there were definitely moments where i was sitting at the edge of my seat, but the constant footnotes pulled me out of the story (and they got kind of annoying after a while). the pacing also dragged in places and then the ending felt rushed, like everything that happened throughout the novel was fixed with a snap of your fingers.

Out October 7th, 2025
The Dark Cove Theatre Society is a deliciously moody masterpiece that blends gothic atmosphere, small-town secrets, and theatrical flair into one unforgettable performance. Sierra Marilyn Riley writes with the elegance of a playwright and the bite of a mystery novelist, crafting a story that feels like velvet curtains parting on a stage where every shadow has a story. The characters are eccentric, layered, and utterly magnetic—each one hiding something behind their masks, both literal and emotional. It’s witty, eerie, and emotionally resonant, like Only Murders in the Building met The Haunting of Hill House and decided to put on a play.
The pacing is pitch-perfect, the dialogue sparkles, and the setting—oh, the setting! Dark Cove is the kind of place you want to visit and escape from at the same time. Riley balances humor and heartbreak with theatrical finesse, making this debut feel like a standing ovation in book form. If you love stories that celebrate the strange, the dramatic, and the deeply human, this one deserves a spotlight on your shelf.
Many spooky thanks to NetGalley and Annick Press for this ARC!

This is a 3.5 rounded up to 4.0. I was able to read this book on NetGalley and picked it for the vibes!
Pros:
- dark academia
- arts academy (Hello, If We Were Villains and Truly Devious)
- theatre 🎭 woohoo!
- mystery
- gothic
- the foot notes and Appendix elements were so fun
Cons:
- too short
- the twist at the end wasn’t quite big enough
Overall I think this book would be a great introduction to dark academia for Young Adults, but I think it needed to be a little longer to afford room for more gothic moments, tension, and a bigger twist and climax at the end. It resolved itself very quickly and somewhat conveniently.

I will probably change my rating once this book is released. I had a hard time getting my Kindle to cooperate with the PDF file I was given.
As of now, I DNF'D this book due to my technology frustrations. Though everything I read up until now is surely worthy of 3 stars. I thoroughly enjoyed the atmosphere and tone of this book. I love Dark Academia as a whole and I love the characters in this story.
I appreciate the opportunity to read this ARC.

This was really well done. Woven into a web for the reader to navigate and figure out as things go, it was really fun to follow.

The kindle formatting on this was so bad for me it was unreadable, I tried on both my kindle and the kindle reading app on the PC and there was no difference. Footnotes were randomly placed in the middle of pages chapter headers were messed up and I assume that paragraph formatting was off as well and I just had entire full page blocks of text. I notified Netgalley but received no follow up and have checked back multiple times to see if formatting changes have been made but unfortunately they have not.

This is one that I’m really excited for and I will definitely be picking up on release, I just had to stop reading the eARC because the formatting was so weird that I just kept getting jarred out of the story.

The writing of this was very fun and flowery, it really adds to the atmosphere of the book. I think there were certain aspects that seemed underdeveloped, but overall it is a fun book.

ARC Review: The Dark Cove Theatre Society by Sierra Marilyn Riley 🎭📚
📅 Publishes October 7, 2025
Thank you to NetGalley and Annick Press for the digital ARC in exchange for an honest review!
I loved this book—and if you’re a theatre kid (past or present), or just love a dark academia story with a twist, this one’s for you.
We follow Violet and her best friend Kay as they return for their second year at the prestigious (and slightly cursed 👀) Dark Cove Arts Academy. After a rough first year, Violet is unexpectedly cast as a lead in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and now she’s navigating intense anxiety, high stakes, and… possibly a curse?
✨ What to expect:
🎭 Secret societies
🏳️🌈 LGBTQ rep
📚 Boarding school + dark academia
🧙♀️ Curses & mystery
📎 Pop culture footnotes (yes, there’s a Twilight reference and yes, I laughed)
This is a love letter to anxious overachievers, theatre nerds, and anyone who’s ever doubted they belonged in the spotlight.
Would I have devoured this in high school? Absolutely. Did I still devour it now? Also yes. I think the YA audience especially will love this!

3/5
From the first creak of the stageboards, The Dark Cove Theater Society pulls you into a world thick with shadows and whispered secrets. Set in a crumbling coastal theater haunted by the “Covie curse,” this novel blends eerie atmosphere with a slow-burning mystery that kept me guessing.
Riley masterfully explores identity and ambition beneath the surface drama, showing how the roles we play can both define and trap us. The clever footnotes and appendix inserts add an immersive, almost conspiratorial feel, making the reading experience uniquely engaging.
Though some characters could use more depth and the ending felt a touch understated, the book’s mood and tension lingered long after the final page. Thank you to NetGalley and Publisher for the ARC!

As someone who once longed to attend a private arts high school, The Dark Cove Theatre Society by Sierra Marilyn Riley immediately caught my attention. A mysterious island steeped in lore, a cursed theatre troupe, and strong LGBTQIA themes? I was more than intrigued.
The novel follows Violet, a returning second-year student at Dark Cove, a prestigious fine arts academy. After a humiliating performance that nearly cost her scholarship, Violet considers pivoting from acting to writing, hoping for a low-key year with her best friend Kay. But plans quickly unravel when a new director arrives on campus to helm the school’s infamous Halloween Shakespeare production—an event that mysteriously loses one student each year before opening night. Forced to audition, Violet finds herself once again in the spotlight, drawn into the enigmatic world of the Dark Cove Theatre Society, where the line between performance and reality blurs.
Riley’s setting—a cloistered, elite school where queer students thrive at the top of the social ladder—is a refreshing take on the traditional YA boarding school narrative. Violet, with her quiet insecurity and self-doubt, is a particularly relatable figure for anyone who’s ever questioned their place in a creative space. Surrounding her is a cast of initially archetypal characters who slowly reveal deeper, more complex layers as the story unfolds.
That said, the novel’s pacing occasionally falters. The early chapters rush through the opening weeks of the school year, a period ripe for richer world-building and character development. It sometimes feels as though Riley is racing toward the climactic twist—a reveal that, while thematically resonant, becomes increasingly predictable by the halfway point. I found myself wishing for more room to sit with the characters and their relationships before the narrative pushed forward.
Still, there’s a lot to admire in Riley’s prose, particularly for readers with a love of theatre. The Shakespearean scenes are engaging and layered, offering thoughtful commentary on performance and identity. And while clearly rooted in the YA genre, The Dark Cove Theatre Society delivers a moody, heartfelt exploration of artistic ambition, queer identity, and the ghostly weight of legacy.
Riley has crafted a compelling, spooky campus novel that’s sure to resonate with theatre kids—past and present alike.

This one wasn’t quite for me but I still enjoyed it overall. It brings me back to my own youth in theatre. While it wasn’t for me at this point in my life I found it to be a great story and phenomenal writing.

Very, very soft-DNF
I’m so sorry! I was really excited for this book. It’s a gothic/thriller YA debut set in a cutthroat boarding school for the arts, where our female main character (FMC) is an aspiring actress trying to find her place. However, she faces rumors about the Society's curse — every year, when the opening night is just one day away, one cast member mysteriously drops out. This year, she is cast as one of the leads in the annual Halloween play, alongside two other girls, including her ex. Who will be the curse's victim this time? Is it really a curse, or are more sinister forces at work?
This debut explores the “insidious nature of success and the price we pay for it” and is described as perfect for fans of "Ace of Spades" and "We Were Villains." It also includes queer representation, and it’s only about 280 pages long!
What I was most excited about was the format of the book. It features an academia-style mixed-media format that uses footnotes, along with newspaper clippings, photos, and more, to create an immersive experience for the reader. Unfortunately, since I was reading an e-ARC, the cool formatting, especially the footnotes, became jumbled, which left me feeling overwhelmed. This disorganization ultimately led me to decide to soft-DNF this story for the time being.
I’ve heard nothing but amazing things about this book, but my ADHD made it really tough to process the chaotic format. Despite this, I encourage you to preorder this series because others are raving about this debut novel. Mine is already preordered, and you can bet I will read it the moment it comes out!
~ I will update my review once the book comes out so that it can receive the proper review it was promised and deserved.
Thank you NetGalley, Annick Press, and Sierra Marilyn Riley for giving me this e-ARC in return of an honest review.

The themes of the book were a great idea. However, the translation into the novel was messy which made the books difficult to determine the direction of the book.
The current state of editing and footnotes in the book made it extremely difficult to read.

As a former theater kid and a lover of dark novels, I got really into this book. It was very enjoyable but I'm giving it 4/5 stars for some glaring plot holes. I don't want to put spoilers out there so I won't elaborate on the plot holes. If you enjoy a book that makes you think of rainy autumn days and old cemeteries, this book hits that mark.

Definitely a YA book. Theatre kids will eat this up, especially in the fall months. Writing describes scenery beautifully. Footnotes are a little heavy handed. Fun, nevertheless and a book I’d definitely have in my classroom library. I rate a 3 but I’m not the target audience. I imagine this scoring higher amongst my students.

This book was a fun read. The use of footnotes and documents were a nice change from the prose, and I think it really added to the read. I do think it was definitely written for an older Gen-Z/Younger Millenial audience with the pop-culture references permeating as widely as you’d see in a fanfiction. I could’ve done with fewer references — by the end I was sort of cringing with them.
I loved the diversity, and especially having a twospirit they/them pronoun using character.
I wish the pacing in this book had been better. The middle seemed to drag on and the end felt rushed. I didn’t feel like I got a lot of time to see Violet’s change of feeling for certain characters clearly. I also wish the big reveal at the end had more build up and planning from the girls.

The Dark Cove Theatre Society is a young adult dark academia vibed novel with academic rivalry, although minimal. Our main character, violet, and her best friend are two lower income students navigating an extremely rich exclusive boarding school for high school and get sucked into the high school drama of rich exclusive societies.
There is an underlying mystery to be solved but once you finally get information on the mystery, it felt a bit rushed and ended abruptly,
This book contains a lot of modern feminism, activist culture, diverse characters and use of Inclusive language. There are many modern, trendy, alt, artsy references. It also has many articles,footnotes, and drawings which I mostly found fun but did find a few of the foot notes unnecessary.
Overall I enjoyed but felt its more of a book for young modern day readers and would recommend to a younger demographic.