Because not everything is as it seems.
Song Vibe Check:
"Middle of the night" By : Elley Duhé
"Liar, Liar" By: Dylan & Bastille
"Evergreen" By: PVRIS
NOTE: Thank you to Netgalley for the early copy of this book.
In an attempt to explore new genres, I realized that horroromance is a thing in the literary genre world and after seeing the pretty cover and the summary, I thought I would give it a try. After all, while horror is not my usual genre, I do like my stories to have some romance present. Trigger warning though, this book includes the mention of a cult, sacrifices, etc. so be warned.
I WAS NOT PREPARED FOR THE EMOTIONAL WRECK IT WOULD CAUSE AFTER FINISHING IT.
Short summary: The local outsider must team with her ex-best friend/definitely not a crush to uncover the secrets of a cult that may be hiding many more monstrous secrets than they thought.
Long Summary:Wil Greene's mom has been missing for over a year, and the police are ready to call the case closed--they claim she skipped town and you can't find a woman who wants to disappear. But she knows her mom wouldn't just leave...and she knows the family of her former best friend, Elwood Clarke, has something to do with it.
Elwood has been counting down the days until his 18th birthday--in dread. It marks leaving school and joining his pastor father in dedicating his life to their congregation, the Garden of Adam. But when he comes home after one night of after a final goodbye with his friends, he discovers his path is not as virtuous as he thought. He's not his father's successor, but his sacrifice. For the woods he's grown up with are thirsty, and must be paid in blood.
Now on the run from a family that wants him dead, he turns to the only one who will believe him: Wil. Together, they form a reluctant partnership; she'll help him hide if he helps her find evidence that his family killed her mother. But in the end they dig up more secrets than they bargained for, unraveling decades of dark cult dealings in their town, led by the Clarke family.
And there's a reason they need Elwood's blood for their satanic rituals. Something inhuman is growing inside of him. Everywhere he goes, the plants come alive and the forest calls to him, and Wil isn't sure if she can save the boy she can't help but love.
I don't want to spoil anything but I just want to say that Elwood was my favorite perspective to follow even if he had the bigger burden to deal with and him and Wil were just everything to me that I devoured this book in record time and was left with tears by the end. I STILL NEED TO RECOVER BUT SKYLA ARNDT IS NOW ON MY LIST OF AUTHORS WHO I WILL BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR FUTURE WORKS.
But also because now I need more gothic/horroromance in my life. This book will be out August 29 so go preorder now!!
Overall: 5/5 stars
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