Looking Glass Sound by Catriona Ward

Goodness, this is a hard review to write. I'm not new to Catriona Ward's writing, having read The Last House on Needless Street and Sundial, so I was excited to receive an advance copy of her latest book Looking Glass Sound which will be published in April.

I think Looking Glass is a very apt description of this book. Once you drop into this world, you keep falling deeper and deeper. This is a book within a book within a book, and each version feels familiar and yet skewed in some way. You sort of know where you are and yet not and at times it can be challenging to keep up as it's easy to lose your footing.

How can I tell you more? It's complicated. It starts like a coming-of-age story, with what I thought were the most beautifully written characters. I totally fell in love with Wilder, Nat and Harper. They find themselves in a gorgeous, yet somewhat eerie setting. After an event occurs which I won't spoil for you, forget everything you know because the author is going to mess you up big time. This is a book about dark obsession, about not being able to let go of the past, and what it means to write a book about something you can't forget, even if the story is not yours to tell. There's horror, death, betrayal, hauntings, magic and friendship and love. Add plenty of twists and turns and also moments that make you go oh!

The writing is wonderfully dark. Catriona Ward is an inspiration to me as a writer. I'll read whatever she writes.