The Dark Beneath the Ice

I received a copy of this book through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

I can't remember the last time I gave a book a 1 star review, but I feel so close to doing it for this book. And I actually got all the way through it, so I feel like that should count for something.

Let's start with the good first:
-> There are parts of this book that feel creepy, especially once we know there is something “possessing” Marianne. Ghost stories and possession just creep me out, but in a good way when I'm looking for them! So, there parts that really interested me.

-> We have some lesbian rep... kinda. It is there, but I have complicated feelings about it which I will bring up later.

-> It is a quick, easy read that I sped through in just a few hours.

-> Ron is AMAZING. She is the saving grace of this book. I disliked when Marianne referred to her as Emo Ron (just rubbed me wrong), but Ron totally puts people in their place when they deserve it. LOVE.

-> I will admit that I wanted to know what it was that was following Marianne around– it is seriously the reason why I continued the book to the end. So, I think it is decently suspenseful/mysterious.

Now, for the parts that disappointed me:
-> First up, there was a point when I almost dropped the book. It 8% in there is a part where Marianne is talking about how since she is invisible, people talk around her without worry– but there is a point where I can't tell anymore if she is repeating what people have said or sharing her own thoughts. It is about a gay classmate that this line comes up:
“And guys like that, what they were into? That was just gross. No offense or anything.”
??????????????
Not okay and then we find out later Marianne is a lesbian, so wtf? So, not cool.
Then comes the part when we are introduced fully to Ron who dresses emo, which I'm cool with, but Marianne judges her for. There is sooooo much judgement in the first 10%.

-> This one feels like a slow start. In the beginning Marianne doesn't know what is going on, therefore we don't know, so the beginning when she isn't sure if she is possessed or haunted or whatever isn't thrilling, just felt like waiting. Then again, I might have just been too eager.

-> I'm so disappointed with the ending. It is better than what I thought it was going to be, but still just shrug. I really really want to talk about my thoughts so I'll be putting it under the spoiler AND YES IT WILL SPOIL THE ENDING AND EXPLAIN WHAT WAS WRONG. I had guessed that the dark entity was a part of Marianne, but I was worried that it was her romantic feels only that she was locking up-- that is what it felt like was going on which irritated me. And this whole thing seems to have started because she was being over the top stupidly emotional and then reigned it back to appease her father, who then left her. I just don't see how your emotions could become a separate entity that could do all that it did. And Ron's mom didn't realize it wasn't technically a ghost??? So, weird... If I have misunderstood the ending please comment and let me know!!

->There is a slight romance angle to this book. I did say I liked the lesbian angle AND I STILL DO, but I really dislike how it got involved in the ending and helped push the ending. It felt like a cop out.


In the end, I think the book is worth 2 stars– perhaps 2.5 or 3 if that whole gay-bashing part wasn't included. Will I recommend this to people? Perhaps to friends so I can find out what they think about it and we can talk about it. Depending on what they say, then maybe???