Review of "Dark and Shallow Lies"
Dark and Shallow Lies gives readers a mystery in the south, with excellent rising tension and masterful use of misdirection, keeping the reader guessing and on edge until the end.
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.
Review
Dark and Shallow Lies lures readers into this mystery with a compelling plot, supernatural elements, and a revelation that will make the readers’ jaw drop.
Excellent Storytelling
You know those books that you pick up because you think they sound cool, but you are unsure if you will love them or hate them?
For me, that is what happened when I first received the ARC from the publisher. I thought it was cool, I was drawn in by the premise, but I was unsure if I would love this book and find it memorable.
I did.
Dark and Shallow Lies moves at such an excellent pace, and the elements that Sain uses to construct the story lure the reader in. The story follows Grey returning home to La Cachette, Louisiana, the “self-proclaimed Psychic Capital of the World,” where her best friend Elora has been missing for three months. Grey is determined to solve the mystery behind Elora, retracing her last moments through visions. However, Grey, who has never had any psychic abilities until now, is a daunting task for her. Moreover, with a category five hurricane looming closer and closer, Grey is racing against the clock.
However, nothing is as it seems. Grey soon discovers that there are so many secrets in this place she calls home. Her friends have secrets, her grandmother, her dead mother, all of which connect to the bloody history of La Cachette.
It is a mystery that is slowly unraveling, raising the tension incredibly. Furthermore, it works so well towards making the ending of the story captivating and imaginative. The rising tension, with the looming storm and revelation after revelation, leads the story to be incredibly unpredictable. That ending is jaw-dropping, and the fact that Sain was able to pull that off by giving nothing away, using red herrings and misdirection, keeps the reader on their toes.
Final Thoughts
Dark and Shallow Lies is an incredibly compelling novel. Sain’s execution of the mystery, the way she delved deeper and deeper into the past of this town, was excellent. Additionally, those inserts, Grey’s visions of Elora, break up the story without ruining the tension.
Those segments are small but impactful. Concise and full of tension. Sain, again, gives nothing away as she tells this story, pointing the finger in every direction, making Dark and Shallow Lies a memorable YA thriller.
- Writing Quality: 9 out of 10.
- Character Development: 8 out of 10.
- "Couldn't Put It Down"-ness: 10 out of 10.
- Intellectual Depth: 9 out of 10.
- Originality: 10 out of 10.
- Overall Rating: 4.75 out of 5.
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About the Author
Cynthia Bujnicki graduated from Emerson College with a BA in Writing, Literature and Publishing. She has always loved to read since she was a child. A contributing writer for YA Fantasy Addicts, she is also the Editor-in-Chief for Cyn's Workshop. She lives in sunny South Florida with her husband and son and their two cats, Mr. J the Kitten and Nyx.
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