The Dead and the Dark by Courtney Gould
Book Summary: 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.
My Rating: 4.8/5
Read February 27- April 18
My Review: Personally, this book is in my top 10 reads of the year. From the first day I picked it up on February 27th, I knew I was in for an exciting adventure. The book is a perfect combination of paranormal, drama, and casual romance. Although I'm a big fan of romance novels, I was thrilled to read a book that was centered more on a paranormal plot than just the romance of the main characters.
Throughout the book, I was always engaged with what was going on and was simultaneously trying to piece together the information I was given to follow along with the investigation alongside the characters. It was a nice change of pace and I enjoyed how the story was well crafted and constructed in a way that made me feel like I was inside the book itself. I was able to get invested in the story in a way that I have not experienced with other strictly romance books.
Another aspect of the book that I enjoyed was the fact that all the main characters were relatable but also flawed. My biggest pet peeve when reading books is when characters are seemingly perfect and can do no wrong because it's unrealistic and creates a bland character. However, with this book, we got to see why each character acted the way they did and what led to them being like that. It made the characters more realistic, and I was able to connect with them on a deeper level.
My favorite example of it is with the main character Logan and her dad Brandon. Without spoiling too much, I will say the development of their strained relationship to an understanding one was very enjoyable. Both character's behaviors and relationship was well developed and wasn't quickly patched up. Even at the end of the book, their relationship isn't perfect but it has improved significantly since the beginning.
Overall, the book was a fantastic read, it kept me glued to my seat from the beginning to the end. I plan to read it again and recommend it to all my friends.
