Sadly this book just wasnt for me. I love the idea of modern spirituality in a horror/suspense setting, but i just couldnt get into the book because i disliked the main character so much. Maybe i'll give it another go sometimes in the future but for now im putting down the book a bit disappointed.

I was initially drawn to this because of the mystery element and the synopsis and I eagerly dove in but I kind of wish I’d DNF’d it instead of pushing on with it.

I swiftly found myself to be quite disappointed with this one, I wasn’t that connected to any of the characters and it was only really the mystery keeping me listening to this.

At least two or three times I thought the audiobook had glitched because I was sure I’d already listened to something similar and thought it was repeating chapters but there were just a couple of quite repetitive moments.

I really liked the atmosphere the author created and the setting, it’s just I wasn’t particularly enjoying the characters and I felt like it got a little drawn out not to mention the romance was just kind of eh for me.

A fantastic YA thriller which kept me guessing until the end with a smattering of fantasy thrown in. This is an amazing debut novel by Ginny Myers Sain. I loved all the characters and the world building and development of the characters. The MC Grey living in 2 world's of the bayou and modern society is drawn back to La Cachette each summer. Her best friend Elora has disappeared and Grey is determined to find out what happened and had no idea what she would uncover in her investigation. Grey was great although the odd time I was very uncomfortable with her interactions with Hart and his very masculine dominance of her, her relationships and her decisions. Red flags flying everywhere but overall a fantastic book.

3.5 stars

DARK AND SHALLOW LIES is not the sort of book I'd usually pick up - and I'm honestly not that sure how it ended up on my list in the first place. However, it did and it was interesting to read something so out of my usual way. I enjoyed it enough to read it to the end, but it just wasn't my think enough to be really dragged into it (or want to read another similar book.) And that, I am aware, is entirely a matter of personal taste.

This book is a thriller and it also isn't. It's a very hard book to classify, part thriller, part contemporary, with elements of psychic powers. It's not really any one of those option, but a little bit of each all rolled in together.

This means, for example, though there is a mystery (what happened to Elora?) it doesn't drive the book, isn't the primary thing pulling the narrative forward or driving up tension. Likewise, this is a contemporary about grief and falling apart, but it's not just about the characters trying to find peace with their own emotions.

There are so many secrets in the town, between the teens, between the adults. It is a small, close knit community who will defend their own and turn a blind eye to the things that might break them apart if they chose to acknowledge them. And into this mix comes a main character who only spends a few months a year there, both part of the community but also slightly on the outside.

It is very clear reading that the author is trying to convey one in her writing. Both in speech and narration they are phrases that are clearly region and there's a cadence to it that evokes a sense of speech patterns. (I am sure this would come across more clearly in an audiobook, but I was impressed by how much I could feel a rhythm in what was written on the page.)

Thank you to NetGalley for this audio ARC. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This book is a brilliant mix of magic and mystery that takes place in the Louisiana Bayou and I was here for it. It was an intriguing tale with elements of spookiness sprinkled throughout. I liked the idea of the gifts that the characters had, I thought that was a pretty cool touch and would liked to have had a bit more of a background on why/how they have them. The characters I thought were interesting, all very different but tied together because of the setting. There was one character I didn't particularly care for, they just gave me really bad vibes. If you're not one for reading about toxic men then I would advise against reading this book. I unintentionally guessed who the perpetrator was very early on. I was like wouldn't it be funny if it was said person and low and behold it was.

Overall I really enjoyed this. I liked the story, the mystery and the magic of this. 4 stars.

Many thanks to Netgalley, HarperCollins UK Audio and the author, for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book true to its name was dark and there was a lot of shallow and deep lies that built up the whole thread of the plot.

We follow the story of Grey coming back to the tiny town where her roots lie. The town made of mysterious powers, magic, bloody history and the pull of the bayou. Grey has come back home for the first time after her best friend, her twin flame and soul sister went missing and is presumed to be dead. Meting her people, her family, her loved ones after this loss has left her with a gaping hole in her chest. The story then goes on the much expected path of grey trying to find what happened to Elora. The investigation is all over the place and we as reader is always as much confused with what the hell is going on as Grey is. Grey feels attraction, falls in love and out of it as the mystery proceeds. The sense of doom always remains.

For me, I loved the vibe of the book. But having been a mystery buff, the twists were all too predictable, until it was not and then came back to exactly what I suspected. Did I enjoy the journey? YES. Could it have been better, also YES. I would have loved more of the Bayou's history and culture, a bit more of the magic system (which kind of almost felt pointless)

TW: Death, blood, murder, abuse, alienation, and mental health issues

Thank you to Netgalley, Ginny Myers Sain, Emma Aston, and HarperCollins UK Audio, Electric Monkey for providing me with a free copy for an honest review!

I was not expecting to like this dark, eerie, and tensive story that much! The characters are interesting from the start and I enjoyed learning more about their stories (in fact I would really like to read some more about the past of the characters). The setting of the small coastal Louisiana swamp town of La Cachette was very atmospheric and the combination with the psychic abilities of the characters was great. I couldn´t stop listening until the shocking conclusion. Emma Astons way of telling the story fitted well with the atmosphere, making it a very compelling experience.

Dark and Shallow Lies is a bewitching YA paranormal mystery that combines magic, murder, and psychics all in one small southern town. This book almost feels like a true crime documentary in some ways and it had me absolutely hooked from the first page! It was just so addictive and thrilling, every chapter ended and I had to read more. It was so incredibly difficult to put down and I loved every minute of it!

The setting for this story was so perfect and atmospheric! La Cachette was such a creepy and haunting town. I loved that it was set on this swampy Bayou that had dangers around every corner, from alligators and mud to winds and torrential downpours. This setting just added something extra to this story and really made it come alive!

All the Summer children were absolutely fascinating, both on their own with their individual powers, but also as a collective. I loved how connected and how close they were, how they protected one another, and how they felt more like a family, than a group of friends. Grey in particular was a really interesting character, as she was on this desperate mission to uncover the truth and it felt like she was unraveling so many generational secrets all at once. I loved going on that journey with her and getting to revel in the past and watch it all play out.

Dark and Shallow Lies was just an exceptional book and something really special. It combined the paranormal with murder mystery and made it exciting and a delight to listen to! The plot twists in this novel just kept coming and they were bigger and better every time! There were so many red herrings that had me second-guessing myself and questioning who was the real killer. I didn't see the ending coming at all and I just love when I'm surprised by a book! I couldn't recommend this one enough.

Wow what an atmospheric thriller!! This is a dark twisty tale of Gray returning home to their home town on the Bayou. Grays best friend has gone missing and she needs to find out what happened. The thriller part of the story is excellent and fast paced. There is some romance bubbling away as well but my favourite character? The Bayou. The author does an excellent job of creating this little town with all its quirks , fables and mysteries. Loved this book and will definitely recommend it and the audiobook

I had went into this book hoping for a mystery but it was more a light paranormal attempt at horror and it just didn't cut it for me as it wasn't what I was expecting or wanting from the book. It did have thrilling moments and I enjoyed the atmosphere so I'd be keen to see what the author does next but overall I wasn't interested in the plot so it was hard to keep motivated to read on.

I really enjoyed the ‘interlude’ parts of the story before each chapter and how these were adapted for audiobook - it added to the mystical and mysterious atmosphere of the book and always gave you a “rest” between chapters.

I found the love triangle and romance plot super unnecessary and boring. There was also far too many characters - I am sorry but LISTING 10 people in the first chapter is really not the way to introduce characters and a town of people.

It was enjoyable and fine, the logic was sometimes…not there. But a standard YA fare for smooth brain days.

**listened to the audiobook**

Firstly, I have to say that I was super intrigued and excited for this book. It had all the topics and tropes that I just love. However, I really hated this book!
I just found it so incredibly slow with its pacing, I found the characters annoying and a bit stupid at times too.

My main issue though, was the narrator. Wow was she whiney! I wonder if I would have enjoyed this book more if I had read it rather than listened to the audiobook, as I just couldn't get past the annoying narrator!

La Cachette is everything you want to be portrayed of the Bayou. It has foggy swamps, alligators (Willie Nelson sounds like a beast of a gator ), winds, and torrential downpours...and of course, it just wouldn't be complete without the town being full of psychics. This small town is home to the Summer Children, 12 children who were all born within days of each, making them incredibly close, and protective of each other. Each of them have their own set of special powers, just like generations down their line. This includes psychic foresight to empathic abilities.

Grey, although her family being gifted, she never feels connected to her gift not thinking that she even has one, that is until Elora, a girl who has been "lit from the same match" went missing a year ago, leaving Grey to struggle with her grief, and the thoughts swirling about her head. When Elora went missing a year before the story takes place, Grey was left feeling incomplete, trying to piece herself back together by spending time with the ones she loves the Summer Children.

One day Grey starts to hear Elora in the wind and have flashes of what happened, she ultimately knows there is more to the story than meets the eye. Could this disappearance be connected to the murders of two other Summer Children from the past? Grey can't stand to leave LaCachette without knowing the truth of her other half.

I enjoyed the story but wanted to love it, it had the potential to be a favorite. Initially what drew me in was the plot of the story. The mystery of Elora's disappearance is set up perfectly when the story starts, and with so many twists the ending is summed up quite nicely. When you think that the killer will be revealed it goes sike not it :) It is ABSOLUTELY worth the wait, and you won't see it coming!

I listened to this tale on audiobook, and the narrator was okay. The story was adequately paced. It was atmospheric, to hear the howling wind swirling in Grey's mind was wonderful, and just what I needed at the moment. There were a lot of things missing within the story mainly being between the characters. Pieces of the plot would be be hinted, and the conversations would have some great angst attached but they were a little too angsty, and not fully flushed out leaving whispers of what should have been. Most if not all the conversations they had should have been explored a little further, with some other unnecessary details being cut out.

Thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins Audio UK for the eARC in the form of an audiobook!

Dark and Shallow Lies is an atmospheric mystery thriller (with a hint of fantasy), set in the deep south of Louisiana; in a town known for its inhabitants with their psychic abilities, where tourists flock for palm readings and fortune telling amongst other things. We see the world from the point of view of Grey (or Gracie), the main character who splits her life between the mainland with her father, and the small town that used to be her permanent home before her mother passed, where she spends her summer.

It's the first summer since Elora, her best friend, vanished mysteriously, with no hint or whisper as to where she's disappeared to. One of the ten so-called 'summer children', all born around the same time to the close knit community, her loss is felt by all those that remain that summer; mostly by Grey, and by Elora's step-brother, Hart.

The setting was super compelling to me, especially as someone who knows very little about the deep south and New Orleans, but has always been fascinated by the culture. This was everything I wanted in that respect. The added fantasy touch with the psychic abilities that all the inhabitants of the small town seem to have was also really cool, but I didn't feel like it was developed as much as it could have been; the powers were touched on frequently enough, but the reasons behind them all having powers and all living in this one, tiny part of the world were lost on me, if mentioned at all.

The characters were interesting, and many of them complicated - the only slight issue was that there are a lot of characters to keep track off, which can definitely get confusing at times. Some are only mentioned a few times but are still technically important, and keeping track of all the names and relationships wasn't the easiest task. I liked the main character well enough, and most of those we got to know - though admittedly, I found Hart to be rather insufferable. His constant use of 'Jesus' and 'fuck' (amongst other curses) was almost funny, but too overdone (and I say this as someone who curses like a sailor).

The writing was good, and very atmospheric. A great, eerie read for this time of the year. It was sometimes a little too descriptive and floral; I find purple prose works best when used in small amounts Admittedly, the audiobook did lose my attention at times, and I found myself having to catch up with the story - in my opinion, there were a lot of repetitive theories/words/phrases, and the book was definitely longer than I honestly think it needed to be for the plot.

I struggled to get along with the narrator, too; the accents felt really put on in places, and though the narrator tried to adopt her voice and tone for different characters, the male voices just weren't great. But the background sounds for the inbetween chapters believed to be told from another perspective (sorry, I am being purposely vague due to spoilers) were a really nice touch.

The plot itself was somewhat convoluted at times, but it did keep me on my toes! I kept changing my mind about what had happened the night Elora disappeared, and though I did figure it out before it happened in the book, I did have a twisty turny time getting there! Exactly what you want from a mystery/thriller, in my opinion!

TW: Domestic Violence/Neglect (mentioned), Murder (mentioned), Violence, Mental Health Rep/Suicide Ideation, Scenes of a Sexual Nature.

"The water was a dark and shallow sea, and it swallowed down our lies."

This book was a really fun mix of mystery and mystics; perfect for fans of Truly Devious and The Grimrose Girls, a group of teenagers (the Summer Children) who are caught in the trauma of losing a close friend of theirs. Gray, a summer child who lives away most of the time, returns to the Bayou to find out what really happened to her best friend, her twin flame, and in a town of mediums and psychics, it's amazing any secrets were kept at all.

Keeping the narrative to first person meant the audience was there for every emotion, every clue reveal and plot twist, and this was one of the few YA mysteries I couldn't put down or pause. It's one of my favourite genres, which means I've read some great ones - which is why I can see that the fresh vibe of this one, caught in the rural marshes and small-town world of Louisianna, has such an appeal.

The setting and atmosphere felt everpresent, with open waters, mud and heat permeating the page. The insidious nature of the young characters felt authentic whilst ethereal - as human as possible, and monstrous. The ghost story element felt a bit forced, with the 'vision' scenes taking a while to pay off, slowing the pacing.

The constant 'back and forth' between two key suspects did get a little convoluted, especially as they were both love interests for the main character - one, decidedly more toxic than the other. This did make it a little obvious which one I expected the main character to root for, but the scenes of sex are brief and emotionally driven, rather than overdone or cringe.

If you enjoyed Horrid, Truly Devious, The Grimrose Girls or House of Hollow, I could see you enjoying this book very much.

I felt drawn deep into the superstitions and spiritualism of the New Orleans Bayou in this fantasy thriller. There is a haunting atmosphere right from the beginning of this story about the search for what happened to a teenager who disappeared one night six months ago. Grey, grew up in La Cachette with a group of close friends. Now living elsewhere she has returned for the summer looking for answers. But Grey soon finds herself deep in a search which is going to dredge up things about herself, her friends, her family and the community of La Cachette that are going to leave her struggling to decide who she can trust. In this audio version I loved the little interludes between chapters with sound effects that added to the tension. Thank you to Harper Collins UK Audio and NetGalley for the ARC. The views expressed are all mine, freely given.

A huge Thank You to The author, The publisher and NetGalley for providing the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.
Highly anticipated, haunting read!
Would definitely recommend, specifically this time of year!