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Staff Pick
There’s something dark in Snakebite. In this supernatural thriller debut, Logan’s ghost-hunter dads drag her to their rural Oregon hometown just as a local teen disappears. As Logan starts to fall for Ashley, the missing boy’s girlfriend, she also circles closer to the terrible truth of why her family left in the first place. Recommended By Madeline S., Powells.com
Synopses & Reviews
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. —Oprah Daily
Courtney Gould's thrilling YA debut The Dead and the Dark is about the things that lurk in dark corners, the parts of you that can't remain hidden, and about finding home in places — and people — you didn't expect.
The Dark has been waiting — 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 point to TV's most popular ghost hunters who have just come 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 than ghosts plaguing this small town. Ashley Barton's boyfriend was the first teen to go missing, and she's felt his ghost following her ever since. Although everyone shuns the Ortiz-Woodleys, the mysterious Logan may be the only person who can help Ashley get some answers.
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
Review
“A complex and sophisticated thriller with haunting real-world connections.” Kirkus (Starred Review)
Review
“Gould's supernaturally spooky debut is filled with all manner of creepy inventiveness...an intriguing read.” Publishers Weekly
Review
“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.” Courtney Summers, New York Times bestselling author of Sadie
Review
“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.” Emma Berquist, author of Devils Unto Dust and Missing, Presumed Dead
Review
“Gould's debut is an utterly dreamy romance in the midst of a living nightmare, and a true testament to the power of love in a world of hate. It's exactly the book we need right now.” Dahlia Adler, author of Cool for the Summer and editor of His Hideous Heart
About the Author
Courtney Gould writes books about queer girls, ghosts, and things that go bump in the night. She graduated from Pacific Lutheran University in 2016 with a Bachelor's degree in Creative Writing and Publishing. Born and raised in Salem, OR, she now lives and writes in Tacoma, WA where she continues to write love letters to the haunted girls and rural, empty spaces. The Dead and the Dark is her debut novel.
Courtney Gould on PowellsBooks.Blog
Since I was in middle school, I’ve wanted to be a published author. What person doesn’t, as a child, dream of creating something that changes lives?...
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