Review: ‘Dark and Shallow Lies’ by Ginny Myers Sain (haunting, secretive and sultry YA)

*Received from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

I mean, wow, what a book. But I feel like it sells itself short. And I’ll tell you why.

First, let’s get the admin out of the way:

Set for publication on 02/09/21 by Electric Monkey, the summary is as follows:

“An [sic] intensely romantic and atmospheric thriller for young adults, full of twists and turns with a simmering supernatural undercurrent. Perfect for fans of Holly Jackson, Karen McManus and Delia Owens’ Where the Crawdads Sing.

When seventeen-year-old Grey makes her annual visit to La Cachette, Louisiana – the tiny bayou town that proclaims to be the “Psychic Capital of the World” – she knows it will be different from past years: her childhood best friend Elora went missing several months earlier and no one is telling the truth about the night she disappears.

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. 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.”

Right, so let me start by saying that even though I haven’t read ‘Where the Crawdads Sing’ by Delia Owens, I can see why it might have that kind of comparison and it does provide some crossover appeal. However, you ask me? Here’s a list of books that I think capture its flavour and its beautiful writing with even more clarity.

It would be in good company with the likes of:

‘The Graces’ by Laure Eve - A multifaceted and dynamic cast of characters.

‘The Spellbook of the Lost and Found’ by Moira Fowley-Doyle - Breathtaking writing, twisty supernatural elements to the mystery of the plot.

‘All Our Hidden Gifts’ by Caroline O’Donoghue - A strong magical thread, contemporary but also nods at heritage and history.

‘Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Seas’ by April Genevieve Tucholke - ugh, this book stole my heart. Haunting and sexy.

Are you feeling the vibe? Good.

I need to also stress this point: The writing is stunning.

To say I fell hard for this book would be an understatement. Not only is there a solid cast of characters, the way the author has stitched them into each other’s lives is really clever. You couldn’t undo that kind of bond if you tried. Each character felt like they had their own destiny, too. No one had a bit part, they were the main character in their own story. We just happened to be seeing it from Grey’s perspective.

Setting and mood and character and plot, all so expertly detailed. It wasn’t a chore to read this book, at all, I couldn’t wait for the day to be done so I could sink right back into the story without any other distractions.

I rarely give rave reviews, I feel like that must be said. So when you see me over here waving my pom-poms around, you must know that I truly mean it.

Every aspect was fully realised, and I would seriously struggle to find a hole in the plot, or a lack of character development, I didn’t even have any whimsy or wish for the story to have turned out any differently.

As smooth and as silently deadly as the Mississippi river, this book is all at once sultry, secretive and sizzling with mystery and intrigue. It also doesn’t hold back on the feels either; the loss Grey feels for Elora comes in waves, but she isn’t defined nor is she held hostage by that singular emotion. There are a whole plethora of emotions Grey experiences (and we too experience alongside her). An honourable mention to *that scene* with Hart. Heck. *fans self*

My only issue, and really I think it’s a me problem, is that the title of the book keeps completely slipping from my mind! In the same way that I think it has so much more to gain by being brought shoulder to shoulder with those other titles I mentioned, I’m not enamoured by its title either apparently. That, or my short term memory has finally given up the ghost.

I won’t keep waxing lyrical about it (I mean, I will if you ask me to) but ‘Dark and Shallow Lies’ is up there with my top reads of 2021 so far, and I gave it 5 gleaming stars on Goodreads.

Written by Sarah