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THE DEAD AND THE DARK

Courtney Gould

A debut supernatural thriller about two girls who fall in love when they team up to stop an evil demonic presence from terrorizing their small town.
Logan Ortiz-Woodley has never had a home. As the daughter of TV's most popular ghost hunters, she's traveled to every small town in the U.S. in need of saving, but she's always been alone. So when her dads's latest scouting trip takes them to Snakebite, Oregon, Logan expects this small town to be like all the others. Ashley Barton has always called Snakebite home. But lately, something has been wrong in her town: her boyfriend has disappeared and the police have no leads, the weather has been all over the place, and she's started seeing ghosts. With everything going wrong, surprisingly, the mysterious new girl, Logan, is the only one Ashley can trust. When more teenagers begin turning up dead, fingers start pointing at the Ortiz-Woodleys, so Ashley and Logan team up to figure out who -or what- is lurking within Snakebite. But 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. This emotional, thrilling debut is about the things that lurk in dark corners, the parts of you that can't remain hidden, and about finding a home in places - and people- you didn't expect. Courtney Gould graduated from Pacific Lutheran University in 2016 with a degree in Creative Writing and Publishing. She was born and raised in Salem, Oregon, but now lives and works in Tacoma, Washington. She continues to write love letters to the Pacific Northwest and all of its mysteries.
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Published 2021-08-03 by Wednesday Books/St. Martin’s Press

Comments

Imagine Riverdale crossing streams with Stephen King's The Outsider and you'll get a sense of this gripping supernatural mystery... Gould's debut begins as a snappy paranormal yarn and unspools into a profound story about the complex interplay between grief, guilt, and identity.

An absorbing mystery and wholly original ghost story. Gould's writing is mesmerizing, drawing you into Snakebite until it slips under your skin and lingers like the Dark itself. A haunting story I won't shake off anytime soon.

The Dead and the Dark has something for everyone: thrills, chills, a mystery that'll keep readers guessing and a romance they'll absolutely love rooting for. Snakebite is a setting as unforgettably alive as the characters who inhabit it and once it gets hold of you, it won't let go. A riveting, spooky and expertly-crafted debut from a talented new voice in YA fiction.

A complex and sophisticated thriller with haunting real-world connections.

French: Bragelonne

THE DEAD AND THE DARK gave me everything I want from a great supernatural murder mystery: a haunting small town, a fresh new romance, and the very best kind of monster - the kind we make ourselves.