Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
When Shapes Take Hold by Avery Wilde was a unique read and not a book I typically read. I really enjoyed the author's writing style. The storytelling was immersive, the characters were well-developed, and the level of detail helped bring them to life. I especially enjoyed getting to know the characters and watching their stories unfold throughout the book.
The premise was interesting and kept me invested for much of the novel. However, while I enjoyed the journey overall, I found that the pacing slowed considerably toward the end. The final portion of the book felt stretched out, making it harder for me to stay fully connected and engaged through the last twenty pages or so.
Overall, this was a solid read with strong writing, memorable characters, and an engaging story.

Thank you Netgalley and Cascadia books for the advanced copy! I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was immersive, descriptive, great imagery throughout the story and knowledgeable and informative. It's fascinating to see from Coles architecture standpoint and what we perceives through his eyes. The structures, body of water and sound and how people interact within that structure and how it contributes to a bigger picture. Michael who is the owner of the Lodge who has taken the time over the past 30 years to enstill trust with the people of the community, staff and local fisherman as they both now navigate through a crisis of illegal crab traps being found by the two dogs. This turned into a huge concern for the community as the Lodge was to be blamed as the investigation unfolds. The worrysome about public opinion and rumors could change how everything is looked at and those opinions that surfaced could lead to wrong info getting out. The great fear of about the fish, the Fjord, mammals and the community shift brought greater tensions. With everything caving in around Cole and Michael the tensions are rising as they try to seek answers of what has occurred. Sometimes silence shows the bigger picture when words are not spoken.

"You can't fix foundation rot with an optimistic news letter."

"I've been building this place for thirty years. And someone with a camera and a rumor can tear down what we took decades to earn."

"Purpose isn't something you find in the big moments. It's why you can between them."