I won this advanced readers copy (ARC) from Goodreads Giveaways and Wednesday Books. All opinions in this post are my own. This books is a YA thriller about a small town in Oregon where teens are going missing. I would give this 4 out of 5 stars. Keep reading below for my spoiler free review!

Synopsis:

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.

Spoiler Free Review

This debut book from Courtney Gould has it all. Ghosts, gays, and family crisis. I tried to come up with another g word, but I just couldn’t do it. The book starts out a little slow with Logan and her dad Alejo heading to Snakebite, Oregon to join her other dad Brandon. Logan’s dad host a semi-popular ghostbusting show. Already in Snakebite is Ashley, who’s boyfriend Tristan has been missing for months. When Logan and her dads are all together, it’s clear the Snakebite, doesn’t want them there. It’s not just homophobia, though there is that, it’s the fact that the town thinks Brandon has something to do with the missing Tristan.

Of course Logan and Ashley meet and aren’t really what you would call friendly. Slowly they agree to combine forces to discover what is really going on in Snakebite. Is there some chemistry there? Yes. Is it painfully awkward sometimes? Also yes. The thing I loved about this book is that the author never tries to make sexuality black and white, but instead just talks about the characters as loving each other. It doesn’t have to be 100% one thing, sexuality can be fluid. As the story progresses there is more spookiness and a higher body count. While I didn’t guess the ending at the beginning as the book progressed it was becoming clearer who the bad guy was.

I wish there would have been a little more explanation about the negative force in this book. It was a good explanation, but felt a little lackluster to me. This is definitely not a book that will give you nightmares, but it is a thrilling read. I would recommend this book!