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Dark and Shallow Lies
A teen girl disappears from her small town deep in the bayou, where magic festers beneath the surface of the swamp like water rot, in this chilling debut supernatural thriller for fans of Natasha Preston, Karen McManus, and Rory Power.
La Cachette, Louisiana, is the worst place to be if you have something to hide.
This tiny town, where seventeen-year-old Grey spends her summers, is the self-proclaimed Psychic Capital of the World--and the place where Elora Pellerin, Grey's best friend, disappeared six months earlier.
Grey can't believe that Elora vanished into thin air any more than she can believe that nobody in a town full of psychics knows what happened. But as she digs into the night that Elora went missing, she begins to realize that everybody in town is hiding something - her grandmother Honey; her childhood crush Hart; and even her late mother, whose secrets continue to call to Grey from beyond the grave.
When a mysterious stranger emerges from the bayou - a stormy-eyed boy with links to Elora and the town's bloody history - Grey realizes that La Cachette's past is far more present and dangerous than she'd ever understood. Suddenly, she doesn't know who she can trust. In a town where secrets lurk just below the surface, and where a murderer is on the loose, nobody can be presumed innocent--and La Cachette's dark and shallow lies may just rip the town apart.
La Cachette, Louisiana, is the worst place to be if you have something to hide.
This tiny town, where seventeen-year-old Grey spends her summers, is the self-proclaimed Psychic Capital of the World--and the place where Elora Pellerin, Grey's best friend, disappeared six months earlier.
Grey can't believe that Elora vanished into thin air any more than she can believe that nobody in a town full of psychics knows what happened. But as she digs into the night that Elora went missing, she begins to realize that everybody in town is hiding something - her grandmother Honey; her childhood crush Hart; and even her late mother, whose secrets continue to call to Grey from beyond the grave.
When a mysterious stranger emerges from the bayou - a stormy-eyed boy with links to Elora and the town's bloody history - Grey realizes that La Cachette's past is far more present and dangerous than she'd ever understood. Suddenly, she doesn't know who she can trust. In a town where secrets lurk just below the surface, and where a murderer is on the loose, nobody can be presumed innocent--and La Cachette's dark and shallow lies may just rip the town apart.
421 pages, Hardcover
First published September 7, 2021
About the author
Ginny Myers Sain
4 books781 followersGinny Myers Sain lives in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and has spent the past twenty years working closely with teens as a director and acting instructor in a program designed for high school students seriously intent on pursuing a career in the professional theatre. Having grown up in deeply rural America, she is interested in telling stories about resilient kids who come of age in remote settings. Dark and Shallow Lies is her debut novel.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 3,195 reviews
October 4, 2021
I like it, but I wanted to love it. From the beginning it seemed so magical and intriguing, but then it kind of got weird and uncomfortable. There was a very unlikable character (I don't want to spoil things)...this person just all around creeped me out and it was justified throughout the book. That left a bad taste in my mouth. I did like the gifts the characters had. I thought that was neat. I think a lot of people would really enjoy it who may not be as easily triggered by toxic males as me.
November 2, 2021
"You know what's so awful, Grey?" Evie wipes at her face. then she wraps her skinny arms around her chest and shivers hard. "The dead? They lie. Just like the rest of us."
Magic and mystery collide in this spooky tale, set deep in the heart of the Louisiana bayou...and I was swept into the eye of the hurricane!
La Cachette is replete with everything you'd expect from a bayou: foggy swamps, alligators, a heavy humidity hanging in the air...and of course, a plethora of psychics. This small town is home to the Summer Children, sets of twin flames, many of whom have been blessed with special powers, from psychic foresight to empathic abilities. Grey "Greycie" feels she does not have such a gift, but ever since her twin flame and soul sister Elora went missing a year ago, life has not been the same. Elora's disappearance has left Grey adrift, relying on grandmother Honey, longtime crush Hart, and other friends from town to help her pick up the pieces.
Grey knows there is more to the story than meets the eye, and she can't help but wonder if Elora might be trying to reach her through the wind, through the trees...or through her mind. Could this disappearance be connected to the murders of two other Summer Children from the past? What secrets did Grey's mother take to her untimely grave? Does she possess gifts she might not even fully understand? And who is that stranger with the ice blue eyes that she cannot get out of her mind? Has Elora's fate become one more secret the bayou will hold forever...no matter the cost?
I was lucky enough to read an excerpt from this book several months back, and ever since, it stuck with me. Myers Sain drew me in so quickly and deeply that I was transported to the Louisiana south in a way no other book has...and I was desperate to find out more! The mystery of Elora's disappearance is set up neatly at the beginning of the story, but Myers Sain makes you wait and wait for resolution...and it is ABSOLUTELY worth the wait! Sure, there are red herrings aplenty...but all of Grey's theories seem plausible at one point or another, and as a reader, I was never completely settled on what seemed most likely...and it was wonderful. I love that the mystical elements of the narrative kept me guessing and wondering and I love that even in its resolution, nothing was cut and dried. There is room for backstory and expansion aplenty here, and perhaps if this someday gets a screen adaptation (which would be fabulous!) all of that potential could be explored.
Myers Sain is a newcomer to the YA scene, but you'd never know it: her prose is lovely, short but never too choppy, and full of haunting and foreboding atmosphere that took me out of rural IL (which is always welcomed) and set me firmly in the swampy South. Myers Sain comes from the theatre world but mentions in her acknowledgements a couple of poets she admires, and poetic certainly describes her prose here. When certain descriptors stick with you days after reading them (particularly one sentence where she captures the exact sound of flip-flops on the boardwalk) you KNOW the author has done their job.
While La Cachette might be a terrifying place, it felt incredibly REAL, and I wouldn't be surprised if readers who aren't familiar with Louisiana actually went looking for it. Her characters also spring off the page, full of vim, vigor, and of course, an aura of mystery. I did not anticipate that this would be such a spooky and satisfying read to round out the Halloween season, but color me an absolutely satisfied reader! Already looking forward to Myers Sain's next book (and I'd be happy with that film adaptation in the meantime!) 😉
4 ⭐
Magic and mystery collide in this spooky tale, set deep in the heart of the Louisiana bayou...and I was swept into the eye of the hurricane!
La Cachette is replete with everything you'd expect from a bayou: foggy swamps, alligators, a heavy humidity hanging in the air...and of course, a plethora of psychics. This small town is home to the Summer Children, sets of twin flames, many of whom have been blessed with special powers, from psychic foresight to empathic abilities. Grey "Greycie" feels she does not have such a gift, but ever since her twin flame and soul sister Elora went missing a year ago, life has not been the same. Elora's disappearance has left Grey adrift, relying on grandmother Honey, longtime crush Hart, and other friends from town to help her pick up the pieces.
Grey knows there is more to the story than meets the eye, and she can't help but wonder if Elora might be trying to reach her through the wind, through the trees...or through her mind. Could this disappearance be connected to the murders of two other Summer Children from the past? What secrets did Grey's mother take to her untimely grave? Does she possess gifts she might not even fully understand? And who is that stranger with the ice blue eyes that she cannot get out of her mind? Has Elora's fate become one more secret the bayou will hold forever...no matter the cost?
I was lucky enough to read an excerpt from this book several months back, and ever since, it stuck with me. Myers Sain drew me in so quickly and deeply that I was transported to the Louisiana south in a way no other book has...and I was desperate to find out more! The mystery of Elora's disappearance is set up neatly at the beginning of the story, but Myers Sain makes you wait and wait for resolution...and it is ABSOLUTELY worth the wait! Sure, there are red herrings aplenty...but all of Grey's theories seem plausible at one point or another, and as a reader, I was never completely settled on what seemed most likely...and it was wonderful. I love that the mystical elements of the narrative kept me guessing and wondering and I love that even in its resolution, nothing was cut and dried. There is room for backstory and expansion aplenty here, and perhaps if this someday gets a screen adaptation (which would be fabulous!) all of that potential could be explored.
Myers Sain is a newcomer to the YA scene, but you'd never know it: her prose is lovely, short but never too choppy, and full of haunting and foreboding atmosphere that took me out of rural IL (which is always welcomed) and set me firmly in the swampy South. Myers Sain comes from the theatre world but mentions in her acknowledgements a couple of poets she admires, and poetic certainly describes her prose here. When certain descriptors stick with you days after reading them (particularly one sentence where she captures the exact sound of flip-flops on the boardwalk) you KNOW the author has done their job.
While La Cachette might be a terrifying place, it felt incredibly REAL, and I wouldn't be surprised if readers who aren't familiar with Louisiana actually went looking for it. Her characters also spring off the page, full of vim, vigor, and of course, an aura of mystery. I did not anticipate that this would be such a spooky and satisfying read to round out the Halloween season, but color me an absolutely satisfied reader! Already looking forward to Myers Sain's next book (and I'd be happy with that film adaptation in the meantime!) 😉
4 ⭐
May 28, 2022
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DNF @ 28%
I bought this book a while ago when it went on sale, started it, and forgot about it, which is why I was delighted when Heather offered to buddy-read it with me. You can check out her review here when the time comes, but as you can see, I called it quitsies just over a quarter of the way through, because I suck like that lol.
There were a couple reasons this didn't work for me. Psychic-themed books usually put me off from the get-go unless there's something really special about them. And I thought the intro for this book was good, as was the Louisiana setting, and the way the author wrote out the patois of the region. What I didn't like was how precious the writing got, how ridiculous some of the names of the characters were (Wrynn? Zale? Hart?), and how... well, over-wrought it all was.
Points for atmosphere and a good setting and not condescending to the YA audience but minus points for literally almost everything else.
1.5 stars
February 14, 2024
Właśnie skończyłam reread i 50 OSTATNICH STRON ROZWALA MÓZG, nawet jak się już wie ☠️
Jeśli lubicie thrillery ya, zaginięcia, poszukiwanie prawdy przez główną bohaterkę to jest to totalnie coś dla Was
Jeśli lubicie thrillery ya, zaginięcia, poszukiwanie prawdy przez główną bohaterkę to jest to totalnie coś dla Was
September 22, 2022
4.75
Czułam kto to zrobił.
Prawdopodobnie nie zaczyna się tak recenzji książki, której już prawie wystawiło się 5 gwiazdek, ale wiecie co? Trudno. Bo zależało mi tylko na tym, żeby przyciągnąć Waszą uwagę, żeby powiedzieć:
TA HISTORIA WCIĄGNĘŁA MNIE JAK BAGNO.
(doceńcie fakt, że nie kłamię i daję Wam możliwość przekonania się o wartości tej książki na własnej skórze)
Mogłabym pisać o bohaterach, relacjach, plot twistach i domysłach, ale po co? Pierwszy raz od dawna podczas czytania wcale o tym nie myślałam. Nie musiałam myśleć, musiałam wiedzieć, a żeby wiedzieć musiałam czytać dalej.
TW s4m0bójstwo, m0rderstwo, prz3moc
Czułam kto to zrobił.
Prawdopodobnie nie zaczyna się tak recenzji książki, której już prawie wystawiło się 5 gwiazdek, ale wiecie co? Trudno. Bo zależało mi tylko na tym, żeby przyciągnąć Waszą uwagę, żeby powiedzieć:
TA HISTORIA WCIĄGNĘŁA MNIE JAK BAGNO.
(doceńcie fakt, że nie kłamię i daję Wam możliwość przekonania się o wartości tej książki na własnej skórze)
Mogłabym pisać o bohaterach, relacjach, plot twistach i domysłach, ale po co? Pierwszy raz od dawna podczas czytania wcale o tym nie myślałam. Nie musiałam myśleć, musiałam wiedzieć, a żeby wiedzieć musiałam czytać dalej.
TW s4m0bójstwo, m0rderstwo, prz3moc
March 14, 2022
This is a wonderfully atmospheric novel in which pretty much nothing happens. The characters are so interesting but they languished in what was essentially a story filled with angsty conversations between our characters where things are hinted at but not discussed. This felt like such a missed opportunity as the set-up was right there with great writing, a riveting mystery, a dark history, and intriguing characters. It just never seemed to really get off the ground and then suddenly it ended. An author to watch out for though. A case of not enough for me.
CW:
CW:
September 22, 2022
książka must have dla każdej jesieniary!
mroczny klimat, zaginiona dziewczyna, tajemnice, to jest to!
nie domyśliłam się ani jednego zwrotu akcji - duży plus, byłam dzięki temu stale zaangażowana w jej dalszy rozwój 🔮🍂
mroczny klimat, zaginiona dziewczyna, tajemnice, to jest to!
nie domyśliłam się ani jednego zwrotu akcji - duży plus, byłam dzięki temu stale zaangażowana w jej dalszy rozwój 🔮🍂
August 29, 2021
Trigger Warnings: arson (death by fire), domestic violence, death of children, death of a parent, drowning, emotional and physical abuse/violence, grief, incest (step-siblings), murder (graphic, multiple), self-harm (mentioned, briefly described), suicide/suicidal ideation
Ginny Myers Sain debut novel Dark and Shallow Lies is a dark, atmospheric and creepy novel with a supernatural twist that had me on the edge of my seat and looking over my shoulder to make sure no one was staring at me from the shadows . . .
Dark and Shallow Lies follows soon-to-be 17 year old Grey returning home to La Cachette, where she attempts to unravel the mystery of what happened to her best friend/twin flame Elora, and the 13 year old mystery of what happened to two of the other Summer Children Ember and Orli. Because as she soon begins to suspect, the murder and tragic loss of those two girls may have something to do with the disappearance of Elora. Grey is also seeing these weird visions, what she thinks is Elora's last moments, but she doesn't know how to control them . . . then there is also the mystery of what else she can do, as she knew her mother had power and was haunted by it . . .
And what a mystery this all was! Why was Elora so mean to Grey last Summer? What was she trying to protect her from, what - who - was she hiding? And what about Case, Elora's boyfriend. Hart, Elora's step-brother, is utterly convinced he had something to do with it, and so is Grey after she finds evidence that points towards him.
I found Case to be an interesting character, and I kept wanting to see more of him in the novel. This is the same for the remainder of the Summer children. While we did have some scenes with them, I wish we got to see them more, and had them more involved in the story. Apart from giving Grey hints and clues, I think they were largely under utilised, which is a shame because the snippets we got of them they had a precious and wonderful friendship (i.e., Mackey and Grey going running together, etc). It just felt disappointing that a lot of the book mentioned the Summer children, the significant of the number, yet we barely got to see any of them & for me those characters & their abilities were compelling.
There was a lot put on the relationships to make this story feel emotional, tense. Specifically with Grey and Elora. We know that they are twin flames. That they think of each other as being their other half. But I didn't feel it. Apart from Grey mentioning how they'd accidentally buy the same dresses, or that they provided comfort to each other, the grief being felt by Grey didn't really come through. Sure, it was sad and you can read on the page that she was grieving, but it wasn't emotive because the chemistry, that bond, wasn't really ever evident on page apart from the reader explicitly being told. This happened with Grey's relationship with Hart, too. Although that was a bit better as we got to see some of their interactions, but ultimately, no. (This also could be because I didn't like Hart much . . . at all). One other example is Hart and Elora. I will not give spoilers on this, but the *reveal* about them was just . . . ugh no thanks I hate it, but also like ???? .
This is the same for the mystery, really. A lot of it came out in the last 5% and I accurately guessed who it was. My jaw did drop at some of the plot twists / reveals - like the truth about Grey's visions!! I honestly did not expect that and I was like OH MY GOD!! That's not what she thought it was, but that!! It was brilliant, and worked so well. Also the other plot twist about one of the other Summer children and the fire, oh it was so tragic and sad, I wanted to cry. And finding out the truth about that, and how that incident festered and turned the town and it's people ugly, was just . . . wow.
So the ending was a hit and miss for me, really. I enjoyed the reveal about Grey's visions, I thought that was good and well done. But as for the rest of it, it just felt very rushed after the first 95% moved slowly. There's a few other things I am mulling over, but ultimately the ending didn't satisfy me as it did not live up to the potential it could've.
3 stars.
(Also I loved Zale. But in the words of Edward Cullen, doesn't he own a shirt?)
Thank you to Netgalley & Farshore/Electric Monkey for this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review
Ginny Myers Sain debut novel Dark and Shallow Lies is a dark, atmospheric and creepy novel with a supernatural twist that had me on the edge of my seat and looking over my shoulder to make sure no one was staring at me from the shadows . . .
Dark and Shallow Lies follows soon-to-be 17 year old Grey returning home to La Cachette, where she attempts to unravel the mystery of what happened to her best friend/twin flame Elora, and the 13 year old mystery of what happened to two of the other Summer Children Ember and Orli. Because as she soon begins to suspect, the murder and tragic loss of those two girls may have something to do with the disappearance of Elora. Grey is also seeing these weird visions, what she thinks is Elora's last moments, but she doesn't know how to control them . . . then there is also the mystery of what else she can do, as she knew her mother had power and was haunted by it . . .
And what a mystery this all was! Why was Elora so mean to Grey last Summer? What was she trying to protect her from, what - who - was she hiding? And what about Case, Elora's boyfriend. Hart, Elora's step-brother, is utterly convinced he had something to do with it, and so is Grey after she finds evidence that points towards him.
I found Case to be an interesting character, and I kept wanting to see more of him in the novel. This is the same for the remainder of the Summer children. While we did have some scenes with them, I wish we got to see them more, and had them more involved in the story. Apart from giving Grey hints and clues, I think they were largely under utilised, which is a shame because the snippets we got of them they had a precious and wonderful friendship (i.e., Mackey and Grey going running together, etc). It just felt disappointing that a lot of the book mentioned the Summer children, the significant of the number, yet we barely got to see any of them & for me those characters & their abilities were compelling.
There was a lot put on the relationships to make this story feel emotional, tense. Specifically with Grey and Elora. We know that they are twin flames. That they think of each other as being their other half. But I didn't feel it. Apart from Grey mentioning how they'd accidentally buy the same dresses, or that they provided comfort to each other, the grief being felt by Grey didn't really come through. Sure, it was sad and you can read on the page that she was grieving, but it wasn't emotive because the chemistry, that bond, wasn't really ever evident on page apart from the reader explicitly being told. This happened with Grey's relationship with Hart, too. Although that was a bit better as we got to see some of their interactions, but ultimately, no. (This also could be because I didn't like Hart much . . . at all). One other example is Hart and Elora. I will not give spoilers on this, but the *reveal* about them was just . . . ugh no thanks I hate it, but also like ???? .
This is the same for the mystery, really. A lot of it came out in the last 5% and I accurately guessed who it was. My jaw did drop at some of the plot twists / reveals - like the truth about Grey's visions!! I honestly did not expect that and I was like OH MY GOD!! That's not what she thought it was, but that!! It was brilliant, and worked so well. Also the other plot twist about one of the other Summer children and the fire, oh it was so tragic and sad, I wanted to cry. And finding out the truth about that, and how that incident festered and turned the town and it's people ugly, was just . . . wow.
So the ending was a hit and miss for me, really. I enjoyed the reveal about Grey's visions, I thought that was good and well done. But as for the rest of it, it just felt very rushed after the first 95% moved slowly. There's a few other things I am mulling over, but ultimately the ending didn't satisfy me as it did not live up to the potential it could've.
3 stars.
(Also I loved Zale. But in the words of Edward Cullen, doesn't he own a shirt?)
Thank you to Netgalley & Farshore/Electric Monkey for this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 5, 2021
Thank you to Penguin Teen for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Dark and Shallow Lies is one of my favorite reads of 2021. If this isn’t on your radar it really should be. It was dark, atmospheric, eerie, and full of amazing characters. This is the perfect book for fall and you can’t convince me otherwise. I can’t believe that this is a debut because from the very first page I was intrigued and couldn’t stop reading. The setting is what really had me hooked, the author wrote such vivid descriptions of La Cachette, Louisiana that it felt like I was there and could picture exactly what this town of 106 living souls looked like. A town that is forgotten about when it isn’t tourist season, a town full of secrets, a town where murders go unnoticed.
Grey, the main character spends every summer in La Cachette with her grandmother and her best friend Elora. This summer is different though, Elora has been missing for six months and no one knows what happened. She disappeared into thin air and was never seen again. La Cachette is home to a lot of psychics, but not a single one has a clue what happened to Elora. Grey is spending the summer figuring out where her best friend; her twin flame went, but it seems like everyone knows a secret or two in La Cachette and they don’t want to be uncovered. Not to mention the boy in the storm with the icy blue eyes that Grey has never seen before this summer. Does he have something to do with Elora missing?
I fell head over heels in love with Dark and Shallow lies. The small town vibes, the mysterious characters full of secrets, and the hint of something supernatural. I was guessing until the end what was going on and even when I thought I had solved the mystery, I realized I was so far off. I loved how atmospheric this entire book was, the writing was perfection and had me captivated from the start. Dark and Shallow lies is full of secrets, betrayal, and lies.
I can’t recommend this book enough!
Dark and Shallow Lies is one of my favorite reads of 2021. If this isn’t on your radar it really should be. It was dark, atmospheric, eerie, and full of amazing characters. This is the perfect book for fall and you can’t convince me otherwise. I can’t believe that this is a debut because from the very first page I was intrigued and couldn’t stop reading. The setting is what really had me hooked, the author wrote such vivid descriptions of La Cachette, Louisiana that it felt like I was there and could picture exactly what this town of 106 living souls looked like. A town that is forgotten about when it isn’t tourist season, a town full of secrets, a town where murders go unnoticed.
Grey, the main character spends every summer in La Cachette with her grandmother and her best friend Elora. This summer is different though, Elora has been missing for six months and no one knows what happened. She disappeared into thin air and was never seen again. La Cachette is home to a lot of psychics, but not a single one has a clue what happened to Elora. Grey is spending the summer figuring out where her best friend; her twin flame went, but it seems like everyone knows a secret or two in La Cachette and they don’t want to be uncovered. Not to mention the boy in the storm with the icy blue eyes that Grey has never seen before this summer. Does he have something to do with Elora missing?
I fell head over heels in love with Dark and Shallow lies. The small town vibes, the mysterious characters full of secrets, and the hint of something supernatural. I was guessing until the end what was going on and even when I thought I had solved the mystery, I realized I was so far off. I loved how atmospheric this entire book was, the writing was perfection and had me captivated from the start. Dark and Shallow lies is full of secrets, betrayal, and lies.
I can’t recommend this book enough!
July 18, 2021
★★☆☆☆ 1.5/5
the meat of the book was a snoozefest. unfortunate because the synopsis was banger. new orleans?! psychics?! missing girl?! hell yeah! in actuality, nothing happened for 400 pages and the last 20 made me want to throw my phone across a room and voluntarily take a yoga class to get myself to calm down because that ending was... something (derogatory)
the meat of the book was a snoozefest. unfortunate because the synopsis was banger. new orleans?! psychics?! missing girl?! hell yeah! in actuality, nothing happened for 400 pages and the last 20 made me want to throw my phone across a room and voluntarily take a yoga class to get myself to calm down because that ending was... something (derogatory)
October 10, 2021
This book has a fantastic establishment of atmosphere that is completely ruined by how fucking stupid the characters are and how little sense the plot makes in the end.
September 15, 2021
I don't think I've ever given a 1-star review in my life, and I didn't think I'd start here. Dark and Shallow Lies was easily one of my most anticipated reads of 2021, but not only did it not deliver, it fell totally flat.
The setting is perfect—the murky waters of the Mississippi, home to a little Louisiana town on stilts, which just so happens to be the psychic capital of America. AKA somewhere that I'd go on vacation.
The characters killed it for me (haha, get it), and not in a good way. I got the sense that I was supposed to feel sorry for Hart and Evie, but they're both toxic beyond belief. Hart actually gets physically violent with Grey (our MC) numerous times throughout the book, and it's never addressed or really made to seem like an issue (even though Hart apparently intervenes for Evie, who's physically abused by her uncle...hmmm). And the falling in love with
Evie was just plain annoying, and I honestly didn't believe that I had no pity at all for Grey's BFF (whose name I honestly don't remember, even though her death was the premise for the entire book). She was intensely unlikeable, and the only thing that connected she and Grey was their birthday.
Don't get me started on Zale. What kind of love interest/triangle was this?! Literally nothing happens with this dude, except that he just so happens to save Grey and make her feel "zips and zaps."
And last but not least, Grey. The most wishy-washy, superficial MC I've ever come across. She can't make up her mind about the killer's identity for the entire book, and she's so easily swayed in her decisions. She doesn't have any defining qualities, apart from wanting to stay in the bayou her whole life, being a "Summer Child," and having a "twin flame."
Nothing happens for the first 65% of the book, aside from a bunch of false leads that are revealed really early on. Grey actually tells us that she spends WEEKS not doing anything.
Across the board, the melodrama was SO real with this book. Stuff was added to the story for the sake of drama, and most of it didn't make any sense. How the heck did no one intervene when Hart was beating the living daylight out of the red-haired kid (can't remember his name...)? How the HECK did Grey's grandma agree to let her stay and look for Evie when there was a freaking huge hurricane bearing down?
How THE HECK did the magic work?? I still can't tell you where the source of the magic came from, the history of the characters' powers, key stuff like that. There's history sprinkled here and there, but no real explanations.
I realize I've probably sounded mean this entire review, but I'm just so frustrated that this book sank like a shipwreck.
The setting is perfect—the murky waters of the Mississippi, home to a little Louisiana town on stilts, which just so happens to be the psychic capital of America. AKA somewhere that I'd go on vacation.
The characters killed it for me (haha, get it), and not in a good way. I got the sense that I was supposed to feel sorry for Hart and Evie, but they're both toxic beyond belief. Hart actually gets physically violent with Grey (our MC) numerous times throughout the book, and it's never addressed or really made to seem like an issue (even though Hart apparently intervenes for Evie, who's physically abused by her uncle...hmmm). And the falling in love with
Evie was just plain annoying, and I honestly didn't believe that I had no pity at all for Grey's BFF (whose name I honestly don't remember, even though her death was the premise for the entire book). She was intensely unlikeable, and the only thing that connected she and Grey was their birthday.
Don't get me started on Zale. What kind of love interest/triangle was this?! Literally nothing happens with this dude, except that he just so happens to save Grey and make her feel "zips and zaps."
And last but not least, Grey. The most wishy-washy, superficial MC I've ever come across. She can't make up her mind about the killer's identity for the entire book, and she's so easily swayed in her decisions. She doesn't have any defining qualities, apart from wanting to stay in the bayou her whole life, being a "Summer Child," and having a "twin flame."
Nothing happens for the first 65% of the book, aside from a bunch of false leads that are revealed really early on. Grey actually tells us that she spends WEEKS not doing anything.
Across the board, the melodrama was SO real with this book. Stuff was added to the story for the sake of drama, and most of it didn't make any sense. How the heck did no one intervene when Hart was beating the living daylight out of the red-haired kid (can't remember his name...)? How the HECK did Grey's grandma agree to let her stay and look for Evie when there was a freaking huge hurricane bearing down?
How THE HECK did the magic work?? I still can't tell you where the source of the magic came from, the history of the characters' powers, key stuff like that. There's history sprinkled here and there, but no real explanations.
I realize I've probably sounded mean this entire review, but I'm just so frustrated that this book sank like a shipwreck.
November 24, 2021
I generally don't gravitate toward YA books or books that are supernatural-heavy in theme, but I absolutely loved everything about this book!
17-year-old Elora disappeared six months previously from La Cachette, Louisiana, the psychic capital of the country, and her best friend and "twin flame," Grey, is determined to find her. Grey doesn't believe that Elora vanished into thin air any more than she believes that in a town full of psychics, no one knows what happened to Elora. But as she digs into the night that Elora went missing, she begins to realize that everybody in town is hiding something and no one is to be trusted. To further complicate matters, Elora keeps making brief appearances in Grey's mind that are dark and disturbing. When a mysterious stranger emerges from the bayou with links to Elora and the town's dark history, Grey realizes that La Cachette's past is far more present and dangerous than she'd ever understood.
To be honest, this didn't really seem very YA, except for the fact that the main characters are all teens. It is dark, creepy, and just as steamy as its setting in the bayou of Louisiana. I suspected so many different characters at different times, and even when I eventually settled on the right one, I wavered again - my favorite type of read! So many surprises and twists that left my head spinning and the reveal and aftermath were fantastically chilling. I also thought the supernatural elements were very fitting.
Overall, Sain is a master at misdirection - this book kept me guessing until the very end - and for that I can't help but give it all the stars!
17-year-old Elora disappeared six months previously from La Cachette, Louisiana, the psychic capital of the country, and her best friend and "twin flame," Grey, is determined to find her. Grey doesn't believe that Elora vanished into thin air any more than she believes that in a town full of psychics, no one knows what happened to Elora. But as she digs into the night that Elora went missing, she begins to realize that everybody in town is hiding something and no one is to be trusted. To further complicate matters, Elora keeps making brief appearances in Grey's mind that are dark and disturbing. When a mysterious stranger emerges from the bayou with links to Elora and the town's dark history, Grey realizes that La Cachette's past is far more present and dangerous than she'd ever understood.
To be honest, this didn't really seem very YA, except for the fact that the main characters are all teens. It is dark, creepy, and just as steamy as its setting in the bayou of Louisiana. I suspected so many different characters at different times, and even when I eventually settled on the right one, I wavered again - my favorite type of read! So many surprises and twists that left my head spinning and the reveal and aftermath were fantastically chilling. I also thought the supernatural elements were very fitting.
Overall, Sain is a master at misdirection - this book kept me guessing until the very end - and for that I can't help but give it all the stars!
March 3, 2024
This book took me to a place I didn’t even know existed. Dark and Shallow Lies by Ginny Myers Sain is a must read for people who enjoy magical thrillers! Deep in the Louisiana bayou there lives a girl names Grey. grey and her friends were raised by family members that were deep into Louisiana Bayou magic. I really enjoyed this bayou based story about a group of kids all born durning the same year and all from families with spiritual powers. Slowly over time the children start dying or go missing all under different circumstances, but all somehow connected. Since they all grew up together they are all very close friends that spend a lot of time together. Ginny Myers Sain kept me seriously enthralled with the plot and it’s well written characters. It was dark and twisty and the plot kept me coming back to the book to turn more pages. I never saw the ending coming - completely unpredictable!
September 11, 2022
oficjalnie potwierdzam, że jest to naprawdę książka IDEALNA NA JESIEŃ!
ten klimat, mrok, tajemnice, plot twisty i sam fakt ciągłego trzymania czytelnika w napięciu>>>>
ten klimat, mrok, tajemnice, plot twisty i sam fakt ciągłego trzymania czytelnika w napięciu>>>>
September 28, 2022
Totalnie się nie spodziewałam, że ta książka okaże się takim cudem
April 3, 2024
La Cochette, Louisiana, a place that those with different perceptions live. One can controll sky and water. One can feel what others feel. You get the idea. Yet, despite this a girl goes missing and everyone says they don't know where, why or who.
Main target, I think is YA and I'm sure they will love it. Full of dramatics and teenage angst, but it worked for me. It was interesting seeing how these talents were used. Loved the characters names and love the cover.
Main target, I think is YA and I'm sure they will love it. Full of dramatics and teenage angst, but it worked for me. It was interesting seeing how these talents were used. Loved the characters names and love the cover.
July 31, 2021
If you've started making your Fall TBR and are on the lookout for an eerie and atmospheric story to read on a cool September evening, Dark and Shallow Lies by Ginny Myers Sain might just be the perfect book. Set in a small coastal Louisiana swamp town of La Cachette, laced with magic, mystery and the supernatural, and peppered with some Cajun culture, Dark and Shallow Lies will pull the readers in with its uncanny beginning and keep them turning pages up until the absolutely shocking conclusion.
"The dead? They lie. Just like the rest of us."
Seventeen year old Grey spends summers with her grandmother in La Cachette, but this summer is brutal. Elora, Grey's best friend and twin flame, has been missing for six months, and no one knows how she could possibly disappear into thin air with no trace. What's worse is that every other person in La Cachette is supposedly psychic, and yet no one can say for certain what happened to Elora. Another thing bothering Grey is the mysterious unpredictable flashes she's started experiencing right after entering La Cachette. What she can't seem to figure out is- is Elora trying to contact her, is she trying to tell her something, is she still alive? As Grey tries to untangle the mysteries, she feels like they keep getting more entangled and convoluted. Everyone seems to be hiding secrets that they're not ready to let be uncovered. And then there's that icy-blue eyed stranger she spotted in the storm one night. What's the deal with him?
"Knowing is hard, but it's a thing you can survive. The not knowing will kill you in the end. It's the secrets that fester."
Dark and Shallow Lies is an expertly crafted mystery that had me guessing until the very end and twice I thought I had it all figured out but I was totally wrong. The ending was an absolute shocker. Smartly placed twists and turns throughout the story both strengthen the plot and confuse the readers and it all makes up for an engaging reading experience. But, what I loved most about this book was the atmosphere and creepiness that tags along from page one, the swamp setting adding another layer to the overall eeriness. This is a story full of secrets, lies and betrayals and it also gets awfully dark at times, so be forewarned.
Recommended if you're looking for an unsettling atmospheric mystery braided with secrets and sprinkled with a hint of the supernatural.
Dark and Shallow Lies comes out next month on 8/31 and is currently available to pre-order.
The quotes are from an uncorrected proof and might change in the finished copy.
**A free paperback ARC was provided by Penguin Teen in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own**
"The dead? They lie. Just like the rest of us."
Seventeen year old Grey spends summers with her grandmother in La Cachette, but this summer is brutal. Elora, Grey's best friend and twin flame, has been missing for six months, and no one knows how she could possibly disappear into thin air with no trace. What's worse is that every other person in La Cachette is supposedly psychic, and yet no one can say for certain what happened to Elora. Another thing bothering Grey is the mysterious unpredictable flashes she's started experiencing right after entering La Cachette. What she can't seem to figure out is- is Elora trying to contact her, is she trying to tell her something, is she still alive? As Grey tries to untangle the mysteries, she feels like they keep getting more entangled and convoluted. Everyone seems to be hiding secrets that they're not ready to let be uncovered. And then there's that icy-blue eyed stranger she spotted in the storm one night. What's the deal with him?
"Knowing is hard, but it's a thing you can survive. The not knowing will kill you in the end. It's the secrets that fester."
Dark and Shallow Lies is an expertly crafted mystery that had me guessing until the very end and twice I thought I had it all figured out but I was totally wrong. The ending was an absolute shocker. Smartly placed twists and turns throughout the story both strengthen the plot and confuse the readers and it all makes up for an engaging reading experience. But, what I loved most about this book was the atmosphere and creepiness that tags along from page one, the swamp setting adding another layer to the overall eeriness. This is a story full of secrets, lies and betrayals and it also gets awfully dark at times, so be forewarned.
Recommended if you're looking for an unsettling atmospheric mystery braided with secrets and sprinkled with a hint of the supernatural.
Dark and Shallow Lies comes out next month on 8/31 and is currently available to pre-order.
The quotes are from an uncorrected proof and might change in the finished copy.
**A free paperback ARC was provided by Penguin Teen in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own**
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February 26, 2022
the atmosphere in this book is literally god-tier - truly exceptionally executed. HOWEVER, i didn't like any of the characters (they were all deeply stupid and stereotypical). there were wayyyy too many plot twists and turns that made the final reveal seem very sloppy. the worst thing though was how hard this book tried to be very deep and profound with its writing (which i feel like a LOT of YA books tend to do nowadays...), but it is done so poorly and only manages to be reminiscent of tumblr poetry c. 2013. specifically when the author writes about how tortured and wise and mature the "bad boy" is, when he is like, only 17.
instead of reading this book as the ~serious~ one it intended to be, i walked away cringing.
also, i guessed the "major" plot twist which i found to be painfully obvious like, before the halfway point of the book. like i said, stupid characters.
instead of reading this book as the ~serious~ one it intended to be, i walked away cringing.
also, i guessed the "major" plot twist which i found to be painfully obvious like, before the halfway point of the book. like i said, stupid characters.
October 4, 2021
the way my jaw just dropped
December 4, 2022
Trochę muszę pozbierać myśli. To była bardzo statyczna książka, krążąca w całości wokół jednej sytuacji. Momentami byłem tym trochę zmęczony, ale z drugiej strony nie widzę innego rozwiązania fabularnego. Nie do końca podobało mi się podejście głównej bohaterki i momenty, w których była chorągiewką zupełnie zmieniająca swoje stanowisko tylko po to, żeby za pare sekund o nim zapomnieć.
Przyznam, że w pewnych momentach czułem pewnego rodzaju niepokój.
Ocena: 3,5.
Przyznam, że w pewnych momentach czułem pewnego rodzaju niepokój.
Ocena: 3,5.
April 20, 2022
This was a total letdown. Nenia and I decided to BR it on a whim, but she DNFed, and she was right to do so. I powered on because I was able to read it so quickly, and I was having fun texting her updates as the story progressed.
The setting was truly outstanding (although why a town situated in a muddy Louisiana swamp would paint its boardwalks white is beyond me, because that would get ruined immediately, even if they do refresh the paint every year). However, I found the characters boring, and the whole psychic angle felt completely unnecessary. This could have been almost the same exact story without the psychic stuff. It seemed like the author had an interest in tarot and numerology, so she decided to include those subjects in her book.
What mainly annoyed me about this book was the writing. It wasn't particularly descriptive aside from the setting, but it had one precious little quirk that drove me up the wall.
It was this.
Where every semi-meaningful thing gets its own line.
Because that's how poetry works, people.
Here's one example that was hilarious to me:
And that's how you get from vegetables to dark secrets.
Another thing that drove me up the wall was the way all the Summer Children (another thing that seemed completely unnecessary to the story. Why the hell did we need twelve kids, some of whom are dead, others who are barely in the story?) treated Evie as a baby or referred to her as a kid because she was the youngest. All these twelve teens were born in the same summer. But when
Oh, and the rougarou thing. What? Why?
Anyway, I very much didn't like this. I'd give it one star but it gets two for the setting.
The setting was truly outstanding (although why a town situated in a muddy Louisiana swamp would paint its boardwalks white is beyond me, because that would get ruined immediately, even if they do refresh the paint every year). However, I found the characters boring, and the whole psychic angle felt completely unnecessary. This could have been almost the same exact story without the psychic stuff. It seemed like the author had an interest in tarot and numerology, so she decided to include those subjects in her book.
What mainly annoyed me about this book was the writing. It wasn't particularly descriptive aside from the setting, but it had one precious little quirk that drove me up the wall.
It was this.
Where every semi-meaningful thing gets its own line.
Because that's how poetry works, people.
Here's one example that was hilarious to me:
Then, when we get home, she goes straight into the kitchen and starts chopping up the holy trinity.
Onions.
Green peppers.
Celery.
A time-honored Louisiana recipe for ignoring hard questions.
The evening heat is unbearable. But the weather isn't as oppressive as the silence.
Or the secrets.
And that's how you get from vegetables to dark secrets.
Another thing that drove me up the wall was the way all the Summer Children (another thing that seemed completely unnecessary to the story. Why the hell did we need twelve kids, some of whom are dead, others who are barely in the story?) treated Evie as a baby or referred to her as a kid because she was the youngest. All these twelve teens were born in the same summer. But when
Oh, and the rougarou thing. What? Why?
Anyway, I very much didn't like this. I'd give it one star but it gets two for the setting.
September 16, 2021
Thank you, Penguin Teen, for sending me a Net Galley ARC!
The cover, the title, and the blurb all caught my attention, and I was very excited to read this book.
The first sentence really pulled me in and I loved the first couple chapters as well. The small town vibe, the group of friends, the magic. I loved it! I loved the writing too. It was vivid and atmospheric.
I loved the beginning and I loved the ending, but there was just a lot of muddle in the middle. Because of that, I couldn't enjoy the book as much as I could have.
I hated Hart from the first time we see him in the book. I found him to be a very toxic and abusive character. But it was apparently okay because he and Grey grew up together and loved Elora? There was a scene in which he was dragging Grey around. His handprint ended up bruised into her skin, and she kept telling him that he was hurting her. But it was just never addressed again? Grey just continued romanticizing him and feeling sorry for him. It didn't sit right with me that his abusive actions were kind of explained away because he had a terrible childhood. And also,
I really liked Zale and I have nothing bad to say about him. He was my favourite character. But the way Grey started to suspect him after one conversation with Hart really frustrated me. It seemed like things were just happening to Grey. She wasn't proactive at all, and didn't seem to take any actions on her own. The only think she really figured out (accidentally) was Zale's identity. Everything else was told to her, or she didn't figure out until it was literally happening in front of her eyes.
I really liked Case as well. I would have loved to see the other Summer Children in the story more.
Evie really annoyed me and I don't like how that whole story wrapped up. I don't understand how
Overall, it was okay. I enjoyed it, but it's not one of my favourite reads.
The cover, the title, and the blurb all caught my attention, and I was very excited to read this book.
The first sentence really pulled me in and I loved the first couple chapters as well. The small town vibe, the group of friends, the magic. I loved it! I loved the writing too. It was vivid and atmospheric.
I loved the beginning and I loved the ending, but there was just a lot of muddle in the middle. Because of that, I couldn't enjoy the book as much as I could have.
I hated Hart from the first time we see him in the book. I found him to be a very toxic and abusive character. But it was apparently okay because he and Grey grew up together and loved Elora? There was a scene in which he was dragging Grey around. His handprint ended up bruised into her skin, and she kept telling him that he was hurting her. But it was just never addressed again? Grey just continued romanticizing him and feeling sorry for him. It didn't sit right with me that his abusive actions were kind of explained away because he had a terrible childhood. And also,
I really liked Zale and I have nothing bad to say about him. He was my favourite character. But the way Grey started to suspect him after one conversation with Hart really frustrated me. It seemed like things were just happening to Grey. She wasn't proactive at all, and didn't seem to take any actions on her own. The only think she really figured out (accidentally) was Zale's identity. Everything else was told to her, or she didn't figure out until it was literally happening in front of her eyes.
I really liked Case as well. I would have loved to see the other Summer Children in the story more.
Evie really annoyed me and I don't like how that whole story wrapped up. I don't understand how
Overall, it was okay. I enjoyed it, but it's not one of my favourite reads.
August 31, 2021
Dark and Shallow Lies is an enchanting and profoundly spine-chilling Southern Gothic debut young adult thriller simply oozing atmosphere and the supernatural; it is undoubtedly one of my favourite books of the year so far. It tells the story of a teen girl who disappears from her small town deep in the bayou, “where magic festers beneath the surface of the swamp-like water rot”. Seventeen-year-old Grey’s annual visit to La Cachette, Louisiana is different this year. This tiny town, where she spends her summers helping to run her grandmother’s spiritualist bookstore, is the self-proclaimed Psychic Capital of the World—and the place where Elora Pellerin, Grey's best friend, disappeared six months earlier. Elora and Grey had been nicknamed twin flames as they had both been born in the same hour on the same day. Together they were birthed as part of 10 youngsters throughout a single summer and became known as the Summer Children. It's a town of only 106 inhabitants, every one of them bears magical powers and strange abilities such as prophetic insight and bilocation. As Grey digs into what happened to Elora that night, it becomes clear to her that everyone is hiding something: her grandmother; her childhood crush, Heart.
Even her late mother, whose secrets continue to reverberate through Grey’s life from beyond the grave. And when she unearths a connection between Elora’s disappearance and a pair of grisly murders from 13 years ago, Grey realizes La Cachette’s past is far more present and dangerous than she’d ever understood. The town’s watery secrets don’t lie as deep as some of its inhabitants may think... and although everyone seems to have something sinister to hide it begs the question: how do you keep a secret in a town full of psychics? This is a compelling, wickedly twisty and darkly atmospheric thrill ride set in the bayous of Louisiana in a tiny little town modelled on the real-life Floridian town of Cassadaga. It's an enthralling and spooky small-town supernatural mystery thriller that will leave readers stunned as La Cachette’s secrets reveal themselves. An intensely romantic and richly atmospheric read full of twists and turns with a simmering undercurrent of magic and mystery that will keep you guessing, while it also explores the shifting nature of family and community in a small town where grief, secrets and traumas have been passed down through the generations.
Myers Sain has woven an astonishingly brilliant debut that I simply couldn't put down so much so that it took me rather by surprise. The masterful and descriptive sense of time and place is spellbinding and you can almost taste the crawfish, hear the live Zydeco and marvel at the alligators that creep across the road in the bleak of the night; instilled with Cajun and Creole myth and legend as well as language and culture, the taut and suspenseful narrative moves at quite a clip. The swampland is at the heart of the landscape in the book and the magical La Cachette has a town square lined with fortune tellers, astrologists, palm readers and all sorts of interesting little shops. I couldn’t put it down after reading the first page and it kept me awake all night. Its intensity, atmospheric setting and expertly woven supernatural backdrop make this the perfect crossover novel for both the YA and adult audience and the beautifully developed cast of characters is vivid with each coming alive on the page. It's a book that is bound to get readers talking. Simply stunning; I can't recommend this highly enough.
Even her late mother, whose secrets continue to reverberate through Grey’s life from beyond the grave. And when she unearths a connection between Elora’s disappearance and a pair of grisly murders from 13 years ago, Grey realizes La Cachette’s past is far more present and dangerous than she’d ever understood. The town’s watery secrets don’t lie as deep as some of its inhabitants may think... and although everyone seems to have something sinister to hide it begs the question: how do you keep a secret in a town full of psychics? This is a compelling, wickedly twisty and darkly atmospheric thrill ride set in the bayous of Louisiana in a tiny little town modelled on the real-life Floridian town of Cassadaga. It's an enthralling and spooky small-town supernatural mystery thriller that will leave readers stunned as La Cachette’s secrets reveal themselves. An intensely romantic and richly atmospheric read full of twists and turns with a simmering undercurrent of magic and mystery that will keep you guessing, while it also explores the shifting nature of family and community in a small town where grief, secrets and traumas have been passed down through the generations.
Myers Sain has woven an astonishingly brilliant debut that I simply couldn't put down so much so that it took me rather by surprise. The masterful and descriptive sense of time and place is spellbinding and you can almost taste the crawfish, hear the live Zydeco and marvel at the alligators that creep across the road in the bleak of the night; instilled with Cajun and Creole myth and legend as well as language and culture, the taut and suspenseful narrative moves at quite a clip. The swampland is at the heart of the landscape in the book and the magical La Cachette has a town square lined with fortune tellers, astrologists, palm readers and all sorts of interesting little shops. I couldn’t put it down after reading the first page and it kept me awake all night. Its intensity, atmospheric setting and expertly woven supernatural backdrop make this the perfect crossover novel for both the YA and adult audience and the beautifully developed cast of characters is vivid with each coming alive on the page. It's a book that is bound to get readers talking. Simply stunning; I can't recommend this highly enough.
June 15, 2022
☆ YA Paranormal Mystery ☆
I started reading DARK AND SHALLOW LIES late last fall, but decided to stop to read some Christmas books. Six months later, I re-checked out the library eBook to finish, and the app actually remembered where I'd stopped reading. I thought returning it deleted bookmarks? Anyway!
The thing I loved most about this book was the setting. La Cachette, Louisiana, was a dark and complex character on its own. This is bayou country, surrounded by water, with its oppressive heat and eerie atmosphere. Psychic powers abound. Storms are threatening. And a teen girl is searching for her friend who went missing in the swamp months earlier.
The beginning grabbed my attention, and the ending was a wild, unexpected ride, but the middle part moved slowly. There was a big group of characters, none of whom I was all that invested in. I would've liked to have seen more character development and more action to move the plot ahead.
I started reading DARK AND SHALLOW LIES late last fall, but decided to stop to read some Christmas books. Six months later, I re-checked out the library eBook to finish, and the app actually remembered where I'd stopped reading. I thought returning it deleted bookmarks? Anyway!
The thing I loved most about this book was the setting. La Cachette, Louisiana, was a dark and complex character on its own. This is bayou country, surrounded by water, with its oppressive heat and eerie atmosphere. Psychic powers abound. Storms are threatening. And a teen girl is searching for her friend who went missing in the swamp months earlier.
The beginning grabbed my attention, and the ending was a wild, unexpected ride, but the middle part moved slowly. There was a big group of characters, none of whom I was all that invested in. I would've liked to have seen more character development and more action to move the plot ahead.
October 1, 2022
Świetny, oryginalny pomysł na książkę z nieco mrocznym i tajemniczym klimatem. Wciągająca i angażująca fabuła. Kiedy już myślałam, że zgadłam kto stoi za morderstwem okazało się, że byłam w błędzie, więc ogromny plus na plot twist.
August 8, 2021
Dark and Shallow Lies is an excellent book. The story is unique, and the world building is executed superbly. The characters are complex, relatable, endearing, emotional and interesting.
I usually struggle with books written in first point of view but not with this book; it seems it is the only way it could be told. There were lulls and hiccups in pacing, and the writing style became too plain at times (more tell than show) but I wasn't bothered much by it.
As much as I loved almost all of the book, the ending was kind of a let down. It would have been better if more information was provided to make the culprit feel plausible. It felt rushed, impassionate, not powerful. It's hard to put my finger on exactly why the ending left me deeply unsatisfied, and my rating was 5 stars until then.
Regardless of the uncompelling and disappointing conclusion, Dark and Shallow Lies has earned a spot on my 2021 Favorites shelf on Goodreads (where it joins only 4 other books-- I'm very critical and picky). I will be on the lookout for more work by this author. Thank you to BookishFirst for offering this book to review.
**Check me out on Bookstagram/Instagram! I'm @Iheartya311
**Looking to make new book friends? Join LiterALLy BOOKiSh on Facebook to read reviews, play games, join discussions and more!
I usually struggle with books written in first point of view but not with this book; it seems it is the only way it could be told. There were lulls and hiccups in pacing, and the writing style became too plain at times (more tell than show) but I wasn't bothered much by it.
As much as I loved almost all of the book, the ending was kind of a let down. It would have been better if more information was provided to make the culprit feel plausible. It felt rushed, impassionate, not powerful. It's hard to put my finger on exactly why the ending left me deeply unsatisfied, and my rating was 5 stars until then.
Regardless of the uncompelling and disappointing conclusion, Dark and Shallow Lies has earned a spot on my 2021 Favorites shelf on Goodreads (where it joins only 4 other books-- I'm very critical and picky). I will be on the lookout for more work by this author. Thank you to BookishFirst for offering this book to review.
**Check me out on Bookstagram/Instagram! I'm @Iheartya311
**Looking to make new book friends? Join LiterALLy BOOKiSh on Facebook to read reviews, play games, join discussions and more!
April 8, 2022
OMG, YESSS!
This is the book I have been waiting for. I bought this book a few months ago only knowing it was set in the Louisiana Bayou. I mean do you need more than that? Not me.
I loved everything about this book. It met all my expectations.
Grey is coming back to La Cachette for the Summer. Her best friend, Elora, went missing a few months before and she is determined to find the truth. It shouldn't be hard in a town full of psychics, but unfortunately in this town, the psychics love to keep their secrets.
Omg! I loved this book. The atmosphere was so on point. Eerie, unsettling, and creepy at times. This was Southern Gothic at it's finest.
I loved how fast paced the book was and just when I thought I had it all figured out, boom the author got me. I did not see it coming.
Oh I needed this read so bad. I enjoyed every single page.
This is the book I have been waiting for. I bought this book a few months ago only knowing it was set in the Louisiana Bayou. I mean do you need more than that? Not me.
I loved everything about this book. It met all my expectations.
Grey is coming back to La Cachette for the Summer. Her best friend, Elora, went missing a few months before and she is determined to find the truth. It shouldn't be hard in a town full of psychics, but unfortunately in this town, the psychics love to keep their secrets.
Omg! I loved this book. The atmosphere was so on point. Eerie, unsettling, and creepy at times. This was Southern Gothic at it's finest.
I loved how fast paced the book was and just when I thought I had it all figured out, boom the author got me. I did not see it coming.
Oh I needed this read so bad. I enjoyed every single page.
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