Welcome to Litsy!

Another airplane read. Although I liked the FMC, and I loved the setting, I don‘t typically read mysteries. This was a story of a young girl trying to solve the disappearance of her friend in a town of psychics and where powers are real. It felt a tad predictable and slow at points. ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3 stars.

The town of La Cachette Louisiana has long considered itself the “psychic capital of the world” & it‘s a place where you wouldn‘t think anyone could keep a secret. But then Grey‘s best friend Elora goes missing & while everyone has a theory about what happened, no one knows for sure. Someone is keeping secrets. I enjoyed this atmospheric YA debut about life, friendship, memory, & secrets in a small Louisiana town. A quick, fun read.

And it feels so good to talk to someone. Really talk to someone. About things that don‘t hurt. And about things that do.

It may not be what you were expecting, but that doesn‘t mean it isn‘t what you need.

“Knowing is hard,” he says, “but it‘s a thing you can survive. The not knowing will kill you in the end. It‘s the secrets that fester.”

Got this on a random run to B&N and found this YA as their monthly pick and I have no regrets. The setting is in Louisiana near New Orleans and I can feel and get the vibe and accents of the characters. It‘s spooky and I‘ve gotten a little creeped out like I did in Verity, lol. I think the cover is super beautiful too!!!

My Library is closed for move from Temporary Location to newly Remodeled Building. Because Opening Date is not set, sometime in December, there are no due dates. Patrons were encouraged to borrow as many as possible. More checked out, less to move.
Stopped in on Closing Day and did my part.
📖📚🤓

“Forget about La Cachette. Laisse tout ça pour les morts”
For those who don‘t speak french- Laisse tout ça pour les morts = leave it all for the dead

⭐️⭐️⭐️⚡️
This one was pretty slow going for me most of the way through, tbh. There were a lot of characters introduced from the get-go, all with relatively uncommon names (think Grey, Seraphina, Hart, Honey, Lysander, etc), so my skepticism was triggered. I almost bailed a few times... but ultimately, I'm glad I kept going. The last 1/3 made my reluctant tenacity worth it, and the ending was unexpected.

Oops, I did it again. Wandered into a big old shopping mall, came out with new headbands and books…

(The silver one was half off. Although to be fair, I would have bought it anyway)

4.25 stars

This is definitely an atmospheric thriller! The narrator was terrific. And I really didn't know who did it until the end. It was creepy and yet enjoyable. I thought some of the secondary characters could have used more fleshing out. Especially Elora and Evie. I didn't love the characters but i was at least invested in the story.

Ginny Myers Sain‘s debut YA paranormal thriller is an absorbing read with strong first person narration and a Southern gothic vibe. I believed in Grey and Elora‘s relationship, Grey‘s reaction to learning La Cachette‘s dark past and the psychic elements but the obligatory YA love triangle is unconvincing, I wanted to see more of all the Summer Children and the pace sags at times. That said it held my attention and I‘d read Sain‘s next book.

Dark and Shallow Lies is a page-turner of a novel that is sure to entertain. Grey is a wonderful character; I could really root for her as she worked to uncover the truth about what may have happened to her friend, as well as the truth about herself. I enjoyed the mixture of mystery and the supernatural that comprises this novel, and once things really got going it kept me on the edge of my seat. There are also some powerful themes and messages.

A group of friends born in the bayou are connected by the date of birth. Everyone in the community has some kind of extrasensorial “gift. Thirteen years ago 2 children were murdered and in the present one girl is missing. Grey wants to discover what happened to Elora and see if her disappearance is connected with what happened in the past. Interesting twists, a little too long, sometimes Grey is annoying but in general, I enjoyed it. 3/3.5⭐️

I finished this only today and I really enjoyed it. Set in Louisianna, 17 years ago Grey returns to the town she grew up in La Cachette. Her best friend Elora has been missing for months and she wants to help find her. There is also a murder from 13 years ago unsolved which somehow is connected. It was really gripping and the location also lends to the creepiness too. You just don't know who to believe.

This story was really good. Set in a bayou, missing girls, lies and suspense and yes a little romance to boot. Book really offers it all. I really found myself sucked in. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The last time I saw my best friend, she called me a pathetic liar and then she punched me in the mouth.

#FirstLineFridays @ShyBookOwl

I finished my diamond painting from @catiewithac and it's beautiful. I can't wait to start Dark and Shallow Lies in November. #TBR #Fall #LLFS #LitsyLove

I really enjoyed this one - the whole swampy bayou setting, the characters, the mystery - I could hardly put it down and read it in basically two sittings. #teamslaughter #scarathlon #scarathlon2021 @Clwojick

Just starting this read. Book number 21 for the year. I am so far behind where I thought I would be for the year. Ah well. :) Has anyone else read this one?

Dark and Shallow Lies is an excellent book. The story is unique, and the world building is executed superbly. The characters are complex, relatable, endearing, emotional and interesting.

I usually struggle with books written in first point of view but not with this book; it seems it is the only way it could be told. There were lulls and hiccups in pacing....

"...?? ??? ???, ??? ?????????? ?? ????????."⁣
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A surprisingly fantastic book. I was not expecting to like this much nearly as much as I did. I was completely absorbed in the lives of Grey & her friends in La Cachette. This is the first time in awhile where I did not want to put a book down, staying up way past my bedtime. This story kept me engaged, intrigued, and guessing all the way up until the very end.

5 stars:

🖤 Small Favors
🖤 Dark and Shallow Lies
🖤 In My Dreams I Hold a Knife
🖤 Cultish
🖤 Don‘t Forget Us Here

4 1/2 stars:

🖤 I Killed Zoe Spanos

4 stars:

🖤 Scream
🖤 A Vow So Bold and Deadly
🖤 Couple Found Slain
🖤 Dangerous Play
🖤 Frankie and Amelia

3 1/2 stars:

🖤 The Dead and the Dark

3 stars:

🖤 Before I Saw You

Reel with coordinating outfits: https://www.instagram.com/reel/CTS4hgeDR0L/?utm_medium=copy_link

This was all so much more than I was expecting! The author effortlessly pulled small town prejudices and willful ignorance, along with deep guilt and overwhelming loss, into a profoundly imagined, twisty tale with an ending I never saw coming!

Full review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4028413933

Dark and Shallow Lies by Ginny Myers Sain is an atmospheric, contemporary YA novel that blends fantasy with mystery. The story revolves around Grey, a 17 year-old girl whose best friend Elora went missing 6 months ago. Grey believes that something bad happened to her, and she wants to find out what. Then, a new boy arrives in town, and everything changes. The town of La Cachette, Louisiana is hiding secrets.

“Knowing is hard,” he says, “but it‘s a thing you can survive. The not knowing will kill you in the end. It‘s the secrets that fester.”

Thank you, Goodreads! I love getting emails from publishers that my package is on its way—that means I won a Goodreads Giveaway—in these cases from Penguin Teen and William Morrow ♥️
I cannot wait to read these. Dark and Shallow Lies is a debut novel by Ginny Myers Sain, and I have been reading and enjoying Laura Lippman for a while now. Summer reading fun❣️(The 🌹 and ☠️ are courtesy of my Betsey Johnson sheets. I am enraptured with them.)