Rating - ⭐⭐⭐
"The Dark has been waiting for far too long, and it won't stay hidden any longer.
Something is wrong in Snakebite, Oregon. Teenagers are disappearing, some turning up dead, the weather isn’t normal, and all fingers seem to point to TV’s most popular ghost hunters who have just returned to town. Logan Ortiz-Woodley, daughter of TV's ParaSpectors, has never been to Snakebite before, but the moment she and her dads arrive, she starts to get the feeling that there's more secrets buried here than they originally let on.
Ashley Barton’s boyfriend was the first teen to go missing, and she’s felt his presence ever since. But now that the Ortiz-Woodleys are in town, his ghost is following her and the only person Ashley can trust is the mysterious Logan. When Ashley and Logan team up to figure out who—or what—is haunting Snakebite, their investigation reveals truths about the town, their families, and themselves that neither of them are ready for. As the danger intensifies, they realize that their growing feelings for each other could be a light in the darkness."
The Dead and the Dark is Courtney Gould's YA horror debut.
First and foremost I would like to thank NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for providing me with a copy for review. Please note that this in no way affects my opinions. Also note that what I read was an ARC, so things may be subject to change for the final copy.
I thought that it was an okay book with a decent story but it wasn't able to fully grasp my attention. I had one issue with the writing and it was that things moved a bit too quickly in terms of plot and character development. The two storylines converged too quickly and I wish a bit more time was spent developing their individual stories.
I thought that the plot went in an interesting direction but I would have liked to know more about the dark. It does play a central part in the story from the beginning, but we don't really know much about it. For me, the logistics of these kinds of things are something that is a need to know for me, otherwise, it will bother me. There were other elements in this that I don't particularly like to read about but may not bother you.
In terms of characters, I didn't really feel much of a connection to Ashley or Logan and I thought that their connection developed way too quickly. They, and several other characters, made several questionable decisions that baffled me and pulled me out of the story.
If you like stories about small towns with a bit of a Strangers Thing vibe, then this might work for you as well.