Creepy and haunting book, I love books set in Ireland and think this has the potential to gain significant popularity

I absolutely loved this book, it kept me guessing all the way through and I could barely put it down. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book.

This was the perfect dark, twisty, spooky season read. It's slower paced than I would usually read but Deirdre's writing is so brilliant and atmospheric that I didn't mind.

I loved Daisy and Nina and how Wise Creatures explored their different traumas. I loved the idea of Daisy recovering from being a child psychic and the physical haunting she experiences in the book whilst trying to protect Nina from her own personal haunting.

This was a brilliant read

I really enjoyed this gothic horror read, absolutely perfect for this time of year.
It’s so creepy in places, the descriptions are just so good!
It’s also a great exploration on the effects of trauma and the impact it has.
It’s dark and gritty and I loved it. Will definitely read more by this author.

DNF at 30%

This is a really well-written book, but it's just not for me. I'm not sure how I got it into my head that this was a historial-set horror book (the cover, maybe?), but you can imagine my surprise when I realised it's a contemporary setting!

A haunting read!

I enjoyed the Irish setting and the more poetic style of writing. I liked that the story slowly unravels itself, letting you piece together what happened in Daisy's past, and how events might repeat in the future.

However while this was a really interesting paranormal mystery, I felt like I was missing some pieces towards the end and felt that this really needs a sequel to wrap the story up better. I really liked the bond between Daisy and Nina, so the ending was a little disappointing for me. Overall, an interesting read!

This book was a little different to what I expected, I expected all the haunting-esque vibes with the eerie setting and the mystery setting the tone, but what I didn't expect was the trauma. That said it was very YA, and not your 'should have been slotted back into the adult section'.

I found it to be paced well and I actually really enjoyed the writing style, I found it very quick to read and I'd be interested in exploring more by the author.

Wise Creatures is the first book by Deirdre Sullivan that I've had the pleasure to read, and I can't wait to go through her back list of books after reading this one!
We follow Daisy, who lives with her aunt and cousin Nina, and refers to herself as her cousins sister. We get snippets of Daisy's life before she went to live with them as a young child, and these cleverly woven snippets keep you hooked. Daisy had a unique ability as a child, which she shut off within herself but seems to be clawing its way to the surface again after Nina begins acting strangely and claims the house is haunted. There were a few twists in this book I didn't see coming, and when they happened, it opened my eyes to a different viewpoint and understanding of both Daisy and Nina.
This is such a creepy read that had me slinking deeper under the covers and jumping at any noise. The way the book is written is very unique, and I've never read one set out like this before. This is the perfect read for spooky season, and I highly recommend it to anyone who loves spooky, creepy, or dark haunting reads.

I don't know if this adult or YA, I know this is an excellent horror with hearbreaking moments and a gripping plot
Well written, great character development and storytelling.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

This was the best possible book to kick off my October horror-thon; a genuinely bone-chilling haunted house story from Ireland's queen of creepy stories, the criminally underrated Deirdre Sullivan. Wise Creatures is a Young Adult novel, but it's so compelling and well-written that many adults will find plenty to love here, including myself.

Daisy is 15, coping with the ghosts - both literal and metaphorical - of her traumatic past. A former child psychic, Daisy lives with her aunt after her mother was killed & her father severely injured in a car accident. When Daisy's best friend/cousin/almost-sister Nina begins to exhibit symptoms of being haunted, and strange things begin to happen around the house, Daisy takes matters into her own hands - with life-altering consequences. Daisy is a heartbreaking protagonist, vulnerable and brave and so desperately open to love, wherever she can find it. Her relationship with Nina is lovely to read, with their love for one another bright and strong across the page.

This is a lushly written novel; Sullivan is just a fantastic writer, and her skill is on full show here. Daisy's first-person narrative veers into stream-of-conciousness at times; a canny way of illustrating that this young woman's thoughts aren't always her own. The vibes - as always with Sullivan's writing - are immaculate; I was deeply unnerved by her descriptions of a strange mould appearing in this house, and things going bump in the night. But, as is the case with the best horror stories, the real horror here is the lasting trauma affflicted on the characters. Sullivan explores some really tricky topics in this story; it's skilfully done, and reminds us that, too often, the real horror is people.

I felt deeply on edge reading this one - the mark of a fantastic horror story. A slow burn and a deeply satisfying one.

Unfortunately this was not for me. I feel quite down and grumpy upon finishing. Maybe I should have more thoroughly took note of the content warnings, that’s probably on me.

I did enjoy the creepy vibes and mystery to start with. But, after a while it started to drag. Also once I realised what was going on for Nina I was like…yeah I really shouldn’t have picked this up.

Can definitely see the value in it and I’m sure it’ll work for a lot of people. Was an interesting exploration of the effects of trauma and how it can alter perspectives and behaviours. Sadly, the way it all played out just made me feel depressed and not in a cathartic moving way.

I was gifted an E-book of this from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Wise Creatures is a perfect read for the spooky season as it is a chilling supernatural story with gothic vibes.

I really enjoyed the story in this, I felt that it kept you on edge throughout the entire book.

I felt at times the writing style didn't flow as well as it could which took me out of the book a bit, however this didn't stop me from enjoying it.

The characters are incredible, I loved Daisy and Nina and their interactions together. I really felt for Daisy's character and everything she had been through.

I would definitely read more from this author.

Thanks to NetGalley and Bonnier Books UK for providing me with this ARC.

Wise Creatures is the latest supernatural chiller from Deirdre Sullivan, but one that I feel has taken a darker turn than her previous YA novels.
This time around, our protoganist is Daisy, a teenager girl, who is being Haunted. She is hearing voices and visions but cannot tell anyone, especially not after what happened to her mum. She is worried for her friend Nina, as she knows that Nina is keeping secrets from her, but is she reveals what she knows to Nina, then everyone will know that she has been lying and the haunting are getting worse.
Daisy faces a lot of trauma in the novel, particularly around the topic of death of a loved one which may prove to be a trigger for some readers.
I was delighted to note the representation of LGBTQIA+ relationships in the novel, and for this is to treated as normal- not an exception.
A dark and chilling read, not for the faint hearted but a worth my addition to the YA world.

I wasn’t able to finish this book. The formatting seemed weird (don’t know if this is a netgalley issue) and I pushed through with that. Unfortunately I just couldn’t get into the story. I WILL try again next week but I don’t know that I’ll get any further

Wise Creatures is a wonderfully chilling story packed with eerie and gothic vibes, which makes it perfect for the ‘spooky season’ autumn months.

If anyone knows what it is to be haunted, it's Daisy. The ghosts of her troubled past are never far from her thoughts, but she has always done her best to shut these horrors away. To shut out the so-called wise creatures who used to whisper to her from the walls of the house, or did they? Was she a child psychic, or was this ‘gift’ foisted on her by her abusive mam? To live a normal life and not bring her beloved cousin Nina into the affray.

But now, something is happening in the house. Something dark. And it seems to be targeting Nina. But why would these wise creatures, locked away for so long, be back? What could they want?

Daisy is a powerful but fiercely sad girl, and her character is written exceptionally well. I was hooked from page one and inhaled this book in one day.

Covering themes of family trauma and family relationships, this YA read is rather dark at times. If you're buying the story for your child, you might want to have a sconce at it yourself first. 4⭐

Many thanks to the publisher for the opportunity to read this advance copy; as always, this is an honest review.

A spooky yet magical read, leaning on the younger side of YA, that will cast a spell on you from the very first page.

I've loved everything I read so far by this author so there is no surprise that I thoroughly enjoyed Wise Creatures. It was on the younger side of YA but I loved it at the age of 38 :) dark, humourus and mysterious. It kept me invested and interested all the way.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this eARC of 'Wise Creatures' by Deirdre Sullivan.

I'll be honest, this book confused me to the extent I felt a headache coming on. Millions of people will adore this book because Deirdre Sullivan is a talented author but this book just didn't work for me at all. I was just overwhelmed. Maybe if I try again in the future it may be different but for now, it's a no from me.

A creepy psychological horror tale that gradually builds to a climactic end with twisting revelations. Skilful characterisation of Daisy and her cousin Nina carry the plot very well and the whole cleverly blends real-world trauma with the supernatural consequences. A slow-burner rather than action packed but still very absorbing and with a striking cover

This was not what I expected getting into it, but I nonetheless thoroughly enjoyed it and found it hard to put down.

I kind of find it hard to put into words what it was that I liked about this book. I think a lot of it was down to the voice of our narrator, Daisy, a traumatised girl who has to navigate her best friend's and close family's trauma when it is so reminiscent of her own. Her perspective is both incredibly sad and very interesting. The prose itself is very impactful yet not obtuse. The way the book navigates the adoptive family dynamic is also very interesting and more realistic than most portrayals would be; it doesn't stray from the fact that Daisy is aware that she is different and that she will never quite be on the same level.

There is also some great casual enby and sapphic representation within this book. Though it isn't a main point of the plot, queernormative settings are always a bonus.