Quick Stats
Age Rating:
Overall: 5 stars (I rounded up because it’s so good.)
Characters: 4.5/5
Plot: 4/5
Setting: 5/5
Writing: 5/5
A special thanks to Penguin Teen and NetGalley for an eARC of this book! All thoughts and opinions reflected in this review are my own.
I loved this book! I’m not always the biggest fan of thrillers—I’m squeamish and when books dip into disturbed and graphic, my enjoyment level tends to dip—but I adored Dark and Shallow Lies. It was the perfect mix of creepy and atmospheric with such an incredible backdrop and characters. I felt fully immersed in the lush world of La Cachette. I could never decide if I liked the romance, and yet I was still swept up into every touch and flirtation and kiss.
I had a bit of a gut feeling about “whodunnit” but Grey’s theories and the things she kept uncovering distracted me from it so that when the person behind Elora’s disappearance was revealed, I felt like simultaneously screaming “I knew it!” and “What the hell?!?!?!?!” in the best way possible.
All of the characters were well written and interesting. I grew to care about each and every one, but Grey was by far the strongest character, with Hart also being a much more well rounded character than any of the other side characters. Most of the rest of the Summer Kids could have used a bit more time on page and characterization. What I saw of them was well done, but there were so many of them, that it was impossible to feel the full effect of them that I wanted to.
Zale was a bit hard for me to connect with. His back story was interesting, and his characterizations were all well and good, but I just couldn’t get behind him. I think he was simply too otherworldly. He didn’t feel real within the context of the story. He didn’t fit.
What made this book truly special, however, was the setting and atmosphere. Ginny Myers Sain is an incredible writer when it comes to creating a world that encapsulates the essence of the story so completely. The town was wonderfully dark and crooked and yet homely in many ways as well. The execution of that aspect of the story was masterful.
I’ve seen a lot of hype around the book from others who received ARCs, and I can honestly say, it was well deserved and I’d definitely recommend it.
Age Rating:
Overall: 5 stars (I rounded up because it’s so good.)
Characters: 4.5/5
Plot: 4/5
Setting: 5/5
Writing: 5/5
A special thanks to Penguin Teen and NetGalley for an eARC of this book! All thoughts and opinions reflected in this review are my own.
I loved this book! I’m not always the biggest fan of thrillers—I’m squeamish and when books dip into disturbed and graphic, my enjoyment level tends to dip—but I adored Dark and Shallow Lies. It was the perfect mix of creepy and atmospheric with such an incredible backdrop and characters. I felt fully immersed in the lush world of La Cachette. I could never decide if I liked the romance, and yet I was still swept up into every touch and flirtation and kiss.
I had a bit of a gut feeling about “whodunnit” but Grey’s theories and the things she kept uncovering distracted me from it so that when the person behind Elora’s disappearance was revealed, I felt like simultaneously screaming “I knew it!” and “What the hell?!?!?!?!” in the best way possible.
All of the characters were well written and interesting. I grew to care about each and every one, but Grey was by far the strongest character, with Hart also being a much more well rounded character than any of the other side characters. Most of the rest of the Summer Kids could have used a bit more time on page and characterization. What I saw of them was well done, but there were so many of them, that it was impossible to feel the full effect of them that I wanted to.
Zale was a bit hard for me to connect with. His back story was interesting, and his characterizations were all well and good, but I just couldn’t get behind him. I think he was simply too otherworldly. He didn’t feel real within the context of the story. He didn’t fit.
What made this book truly special, however, was the setting and atmosphere. Ginny Myers Sain is an incredible writer when it comes to creating a world that encapsulates the essence of the story so completely. The town was wonderfully dark and crooked and yet homely in many ways as well. The execution of that aspect of the story was masterful.
I’ve seen a lot of hype around the book from others who received ARCs, and I can honestly say, it was well deserved and I’d definitely recommend it.