e-Audio, 10:21:24
Narrated by: Katie Koster
Release Date: September 7, 2021
Published by: Penguin Random House Audio Publishing Group
Read from: October 4-8, 2021
Stand-alone
Source: Library’s Overdrive
TW: Drowning
For Readers Interested In: Horror, Paranormal (Ghosts), LGBTQ+ Diversity (Bi MC), Chronic Illness Diversity (Type 1 Diabetes), Mystery, Podcasts, YADare Chase doesn’t believe in ghosts.
Privately, she’s a supernatural skeptic. But publicly, she’s keeping her doubts to herself—because she’s the voice of Attachments, her brand-new paranormal investigation podcast, and she needs her ghost-loving listeners to tune in.
That’s what brings her to Arrington Estate. Thirty years ago, teenager Atheleen Bell drowned in Arrington’s lake, and legend says her spirit haunts the estate. Dare’s more interested in the suspicious circumstances surrounding her death—circumstances that she believes point to a living culprit, not the supernatural. Still, she’s vowed to keep an open mind as she investigates, even if she’s pretty sure what she’ll find.
But Arrington is full of surprises. Good ones like Quinn, the cute daughter of the house’s new owner. And baffling ones like the threatening messages left scrawled in paint on Quinn’s walls, the ghastly face that appears behind Dare’s own in the mirror, and the unnatural current that nearly drowns their friend Holly in the lake. As Dare is drawn deeper into the mysteries of Arrington, she’ll have to rethink the boundaries of what is possible. Because if something is lurking in the lake…it might not be willing to let her go.
*MY THOUGHTS*
I’m not normally one who likes ghostie books, but this one seemed too good. I saw Sadie meets The Conjuring when I was ordering this for my library system, and I couldn’t get it out of my head. And to make this better, I was looking at all the ways this book was inclusive, and it was right up my alley!
Dare doesn’t believe in ghosts. She’s actually a skeptic who runs a paranormal podcast. She’s just taken an internship where she investigate a years old case that one of her listeners hipped her to. Apparently a girl drowned in the lake and legend has it she still haunts the estate. But as it turns out, things are not what Dare expected. Just when she thought there was no such thing as ghosts, she she’s finding more and more evidence that there is……
I accidentally chose the exact right TBR for October without even knowing it. I got this hold in FINALLY and I was kind of skeptical at first. Normally I hear about books months in advance. But I hadn’t heard anything about this. So this made me feel a little sus. Like why weren’t people talking about this? Was it not good? But I decided to give it a try anyway because I have read one of the author’s other books, and I really enjoyed it. I figured I’d really enjoy this one as well. So basically, my point to this rambling paragraph, is the don’t judge a book just because it hasn’t had much buzz.
So anyways, like I said I chose this for my Oct TBR on accident. But it was the most perfect accident I could have made because this book was actually creepy. And y’all know I make no secret about the fact that I don’t like ghost books because they’re not always creepy. But this one right here?! LISTEN. It hit all my scare boxes: woman in the mirror, old houses, creepy ass legends that span decades and hardly make much sense? Check, check, and check. To be honest, it kind of reminded me of a Supernatural episode from way back in the day with the water and things.
And the inclusivity in this?! I was here for it! I was of course glad to see the bi representation, but I was HELLA glad to see Diabetes type 1 portrayed. The last book I read that had diabetes representation I think was in 2014! And I loved that it was in a paranormal book and not realistic fiction. I’m always glad to see that diverse characters exist outside the real world. And this may be a spoiler, but I was also happy to see that the main character was bi and didn’t end up dead. And neither did her love interest. Seeing that this book included death, it was refreshing to see them make it out alive.
The reason I took off some of this rating was the plot. It wasn’t always as good as the ending. It was hella slow in the beginning. I wanted so much more of the spooky. At the very least some hints here and there of something that was creepy. And for her to question herself. There was a lot of time that I was asking out loud, “Well why the hell did you even go there? Just leave that terrible ghost alone if all you’re going to do is sit there and discredit it.” Which I realize doesn’t make a lick of sense lol
I’m not good at these things, but those of you that can make aesthetic videos, please make one for this book. I am usually not one who rereads, so letting me go back and look at one might help me get the feeling of this creepiness back. But for now, I’m going back to the near perfect I made for October. I’ll share with you all as I read them!
Overall, I give this
