Looking Glass Sound
Ratings45
Average rating3.5
This book was part mystery, horror, and magical realism. I like that it is a book within a book about the stories of these intertwined people who have something tragic happen to them. It made you question what the real story was because of the layers. There was a little part interwoven about trapping people. My favorite quote about that was, ‘You can make a trap out of anything: a painting or a word.'... ‘You can send a soul out into a star, imprison it on the head of a pin.' ... ‘Anything can be a prison.”
It was a little confusing at times, but not in a bad way. I do appreciate how you think you know what is going on and then nope that's not it, made it very mysterious. Didn't see what happened with Harper coming at all. Overall, it's a good book and I HIGHLY recommend it.
I knew reading a book within a book was a mistake.
There's only one word to describe the second half(ish?) of this book as everyone has already said: convoluted.
My brain, wow, i can't take this.
It's so beautiful.
This definitely isn't conventional horror, and it's not for everyone. This reminded me of Bunny by Mona Awad. This melted my brain in a similar way that that book did.
I love books like this, and although I am confused and i don't really know what exactly happened, I enjoyed this book. What an experience.
Taken from someone else's review on Amazon -
Imagine you're doing a 5,000-piece puzzle, and you think you're nearing the end, but then you realize you're missing a few pieces. Then you somehow find the missing pieces, put them in their places, and think, “I figured it out!” but then you look at the puzzle, and you're like, “what the heck is this supposed to be?” It's only then that you realize you've been putting the puzzle together upside down. That was what the journey of reading Looking Glass Sound was like.
Muggy, dark, dreamy, cryptic, longing, tangled
Adaptations of adaptations of memoirs written in journals left in backpacks
Like all of Ward's work, it's a Lot. But what lands, lands hard. Totally worth a look if almost overly metatextual queer psychodrama is something of interest.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Looking Glass Sound by Catriona Ward is a mind-bending and cleverly crafted tale that follows Wilder Harlow, who begins writing his final book in a lonely cottage overlooking the windswept Maine coast. The story revolves around his childhood summer companions and the killer that haunted their small New England town. Wilder's memoir is later stolen by his onetime best friend, Sky, who turns it into a sensational bestselling novel called Looking Glass Sound.
Wilder's memories and fiction begin to blend together, causing his grip on reality to waver. This uncertainty intensifies when he stumbles upon hidden notes in the cottage, written in Sky's distinct green ink. Catriona Ward adeptly delves into the protagonist's battle to confront the haunting memories of his past before it becomes too late.
I gotta say, Catriona Ward's writing is on another level. The pace is just right, and the entire atmosphere she creates is just so nostalgic and atmospheric. The plot is jam-packed with secrets, twists, and mysteries that'll keep you hooked. And let's not forget about the characters - they're as captivating as they come.
But let me be honest with you, book lovers. This book had me scratching my head for most of the time. It's like a book within a book within another book... or something like that. I mean, don't get me wrong, I loved every single minute of it, but I still have no clue what the heck actually happened. It's a real head-scratcher, you know?
I just finished Looking Glass Sound by Catriona Ward and here are my thoughts!!
Whistler bay has its dark past and when Wilder Harlow returns to write his last book, it brings back memories of the past.
As a youth, the place where he met his two friends, Nat and Harper. The summer was the best and worst of his life. A terrible evil that they discover in the coves off the bay.
Problem is Wilder is starting to lose his mind. He is finding things in the cabin, things that shouldn't be there and a woman who keeps calling out to him for help. Who's writing the chapters he keeps finding upon waking?
Was coming back a mistake? Will it be the last thing he ever does?
This book was so weird. You know that feeling you get where you can't trust what you are reading? I had this all the way through and when it finally got to the crux, I still felt that feeling. It's one heck of a complex book and the journey was stepping into a building that is so dark you cannot see a thing and not know which way is what!
The character development was the saving grace for me. Each character story wove itself back onto each other and it was so intricate but it worked for me. I have never read such a mindF of a book before. I don't know how I feel even now and I finished it a couple of days ago. I turned to my husband and said, what just happened! I even gave him the cliffnotes and he was like OMG!
I did really love the idea of the storyline but I was a little confused in places which I know was the point but it was hard to wrap my head around. I am not going to lie, I need more books like this. The kind of books that takes all the rules and throws them out the window. I'm sure others will hate it. It is not the kind of read that you can leisurely read, this is far from a beach read but if you like those complicated storylines that are beautifully written by an author with a gift for the unusual.... Grab this book right now.
Trying to rate it was a nightmare. This book had me second guessing myself!
4 stars. I couldn't read books like this all the time but it was worth the read for me.
Thank you @netgalley and @torbooks for my gifted copy!
Rating: 4.22 leaves out of 5-Characters: 4/5 -Cover: 4/5-Story: 4.75/5-Writing: 5/5Genre: Fantasy, Horror, Mystery, Thriller-Fantasy: 3/5-Horror: 3/5-Mystery: 5/5-Thriller: 5/5 Type: AudiobookWorth?: YESHated Disliked Meh It Was Okay Liked Loved FavoritedWant to thank Netgalley and publishers for giving me the chance to read this book.Wow wow wow wow... just wow. I love Cat. I need to get that out there. This is my second book by her and the second time I am just... blown away. She has a special gift. Cat's writing is like a careful planned maze that make you think you are going the right way until you hit that dead in. The twists and turns in this book is just spot on. Why you love it and only gave it 4 stars? There were times that seemed liked they dragged a bit. It wasn't high on the fantasy and horror as well, which is okay because she was very high in the mystery and thriller aspects. As for the characters... they are like Nesting Dolls, that is all I am freaking saying. YOU NEED TO COME INTO THIS WITH AS LITTLE AS POSSIBLE.