Author: Catriona Ward
Reviewed by Chloe Fuksa
This reviewer is not at all one for horror stories, but in the spirit of Halloween this month, I reached for Catriona Ward’s latest release, Looking Glass Sound, to get outside of my comfort zone. What starts off as a seemingly coming-of-age tale soon melds into a sickening murder mystery, which melds into a mind-bending book about a book – about another book? I’m still not fully sure what I read. Looking Glass Sound certainly won’t be for everyone, but if you like books to envelop you in an absolute rollercoaster ride of an experience, hop aboard.
The book opens with three teenagers – Wilder, Nat, and Harper – on summer vacation on the Maine coast. They’re boating and swimming and thinking about young love – typical beach time activities. But also present in their town is a serial killer who has been going after women for years. When Wilder goes off to college afterwards, his panic attacks from the deadly cave are unending. He is befriended by a classmate, Sky, who helps him with his demons – but who has dark secrets of his own.
Aside from the gruesome killings, Looking Glass Sound really doesn’t seem like a true horror read. Instead, it’s an intricate, complex web of a psychological thriller. It certainly is impressive what the author has been able to accomplish, with the artistry and mastery of the different characters and plots. And I do imagine it would be quite interesting to re-read this book a second time through, with the knowledge of how the different puzzle pieces fit together. Looking Glass Sound really is a captivating page-turner that will have readers questioning everything they see and hear and believe.
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