Atmospheric, contemporary YA novel that blends fantasy with mystery
Thank you to Razorbill and BookishFirst for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!
Dark and Shallow Lies by Ginny Myers Sain is an atmospheric, contemporary YA novel that blends fantasy with mystery. The story revolves around Grey, a 17 year-old girl whose best friend Elora went missing 6 months ago. Grey believes that something bad happened to her, and she wants to find out what. Then, a new boy arrives in town, and everything changes. The town of La Cachette, Louisiana is hiding secrets, a dark past filled with murders. Will Grey be able to wade her way through the lies to uncover what happened to Elora? Or will she be swept out in the tide?
Here is a chilling excerpt from the first page of the book:
"He’s tearing through the brush behind me.
Breathing hard and calling my name. Even with
the wind and the driving rain, he’s all I hear.
So I push myself faster. We break out onto the
wide-open flats, and I feel him closing in on me.
There’s nowhere left to hide except inside the dark.
So I turn off my flashlight and
let the blackness eat me alive."
After I read that excerpt, I knew that I had to keep reading to find out what happens next. I love fantasy books and thrillers. They're my two favorite genres, so I was so happy to find a book that combines the two. Just like the excerpt above, there are also interspersed pages between the regular chapters that reveal the chase scene and what happens after, which definitely heightened the tension of the book. One highlight of this book is the setting. I felt like I had been transported to a rural, mystical town in Louisiana.
Overall, Dark and Shallow Lies is an amazing, atmospheric book that blends fantasy with mystery. There were also twists at the end that I did not see coming. This book will appeal to fans of creepy contemporary fantasy books like The Dead and the Dark or House of Hollow. If you're intrigued by the excerpt above, or if you're a fan of YA mysteries with a supernatural twist, I highly recommend that you check out this book when it comes out in September!
Dark and Shallow Lies by Ginny Myers Sain is an atmospheric, contemporary YA novel that blends fantasy with mystery. The story revolves around Grey, a 17 year-old girl whose best friend Elora went missing 6 months ago. Grey believes that something bad happened to her, and she wants to find out what. Then, a new boy arrives in town, and everything changes. The town of La Cachette, Louisiana is hiding secrets, a dark past filled with murders. Will Grey be able to wade her way through the lies to uncover what happened to Elora? Or will she be swept out in the tide?
Here is a chilling excerpt from the first page of the book:
"He’s tearing through the brush behind me.
Breathing hard and calling my name. Even with
the wind and the driving rain, he’s all I hear.
So I push myself faster. We break out onto the
wide-open flats, and I feel him closing in on me.
There’s nowhere left to hide except inside the dark.
So I turn off my flashlight and
let the blackness eat me alive."
After I read that excerpt, I knew that I had to keep reading to find out what happens next. I love fantasy books and thrillers. They're my two favorite genres, so I was so happy to find a book that combines the two. Just like the excerpt above, there are also interspersed pages between the regular chapters that reveal the chase scene and what happens after, which definitely heightened the tension of the book. One highlight of this book is the setting. I felt like I had been transported to a rural, mystical town in Louisiana.
Overall, Dark and Shallow Lies is an amazing, atmospheric book that blends fantasy with mystery. There were also twists at the end that I did not see coming. This book will appeal to fans of creepy contemporary fantasy books like The Dead and the Dark or House of Hollow. If you're intrigued by the excerpt above, or if you're a fan of YA mysteries with a supernatural twist, I highly recommend that you check out this book when it comes out in September!