Dark and Shallow Lies

by Ginny Myers Sain

Book Overview

A teen girl disappears from her small town deep in the bayou, where magic festers beneath the surface of the swamp like water rot, in this chilling debut supernatural thriller for fans of Natasha Preston, Karen McManus, and Rory Power.

La Cachette, Louisiana, is the worst place to be if you have something to hide.

This tiny town, where seventeen-year-old Grey spends her summers, is the self-proclaimed Psychic Capital of the World--and...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0593403967
• ISBN13: 9780593403969
• Release Date: September 2021
• Publisher: Razorbill
• Length: 432 Pages
• Weight: 1.25 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.6" x 5.8" x 8.4"
• Age Range: 14 to 17 years
• Grade Range: Grades 9 to 12

Customer Reviews

Amazing spooky and small town vibes

Dark and Shallow Lies by Ginny Myers Sain was a thriller tale of psychics, ghosts and secrets in a small town known to be the most pshycic in the country. 4/5 stars In La Chachete Louisiana, there is every type of psychic you can imagine. Along with 10 children all born within a few months of each other, known as the Summer Children. Grey is returning for the summer after her twin flame Eloras disappearance, and Grey wants to get to the bottom of it. Along with flashbacks, and secrets, she gets a lot more than she bargained for. This was thrilling! Immediately were pulled into the action, and it doesn’t let up. It wasn’t one basic secret that kept you going, it was a small town entwined with so many secrets, it seems like everyone is attached to some horrific event. I loved the plot. It seemed basic at first, but as it got going, it got spooky and it became so much more than it appears originally. The characters were so unique. They were honestly fascinating. I’m not going to go into too much detail. If you liked Here There Are Monster, Wilder Girls, or small towns with spooky undertones, I highly recommend.

Dark and Magic required

Just looking at the cover and title of this book made me excited and want to read it. Plus add in the magic since it does take place in La Cachette, a town full of psychics and other special powers and it really ramped up my excitement. Though all is not well. There are secrets that are rotting the town from the inside out and Grey has returned for the summer to try to find out what happened to her twin flame, Elora. Both were part of the "Summer Children" all born around the same time and special too. I could feel the humidity and heat of this swampy town as I read it (nicely descriptive!) and I could not figure out the mystery of what happened to Elora. I kept thinking it was one person but was totally side blinded by the truth. So many secrets and so little time, only one summer. There is sadness and heartbreak in this book but I enjoyed it. I think this was a good book to read.

Immersive, eerie, atmospheric thriller

Seventeen-year-old Grey is returning to her childhood home for the summer - the tiny, isolated, bayou town of La Cachette, Louisiana, "Psychic Capitol of the World". Everyone in the town has some kind of supernatural gift. Grey spends the summers with her grandmother and helps her out in her spiritualist store. Six months before, Grey's best friend, Elora, disappeared on a dark night. No body has been found despite an extensive search. Grey is traumatized by the loss of Elora and hopes to solve the mystery of her disappearance. At the same time, she discovers a psychic ability beginning to manifest in herself, and must come to terms with this new power. The swampy, hot, humid, coastal town of La Cachette is so lush, eerie and atmospheric, it is like another character. Darkness and rot fester under the surface. The town's people have been holding on to many secrets, which Grey uncovers in her search to find the truth about what happened to Elora. The first half of the novel was a bit of a slow burn, then the pace picked up in the second half, as the danger escalated and the secrets unraveled. There were misdirections and unpredictable twists. Dark and Shallow Lies was immersive, addictive and compelling. The creepy, unsettling atmosphere persisted throughout the story. This will be a popular fall/Halloween read, and deservedly so. #BookishFirst

A Mind-blowing Debut

When I say Dark and Shallow Lies is one of the most amazing debuts I've ever read, I'm not joking. Not even a little bit. Readers, get ready to sink into this entrancing and exciting novel. Full of lush description and intriguing premise, it is sure to engross you to such a degree that, if you are anything like me, you will struggle trying to put it down. The characters will entice you, the setting will grip you, and the slew of secrets building around La Cachette's small community may even haunt your dreams. Dark and Shallow Lies follows seventeen-year-old Grey as she returns to her birthplace and summer home, La Cachette, after the disappearance of her bestfriend Elora. Despite acting as the psychic capital of the world, the small tourist town is confounded by the young girl's disappearance and possible death, either chalking it up to legend, tragedy, or even that too sinister to say aloud. Despite it all, Grey vows to uncover the truth behind her twin flame's death, no matter how many secrets she has to unbury to do so. I think one of the most extraordinary parts of this novel is the setting. From the first page, you are surrounded by swamp, mud between your toes and thick heat flush against your skin. You can hear the water beside you, the crawl of insects around, and the thrum of magic as it drifts through the air. It's enough to make a girl want to plan a roadtrip to Louisiana herself, just to see if she can catch even the smallest glimpse in the real world of what this story showcases. The characters easily fit into the setting, almost as if they are inseparable from it. They are as much of the town and its legends as the buildings or its Cajun culture, creating a fascinating interdependence that I really enjoyed exploring. However, the setting was not the only high point of this novel though. The mystery at the heart of the story is absolutely gripping. While I did predict certain plot points early on, there were other plot twists that took me completely by surprise. You'll be thinking you've got it all figured out until you're proven wrong time and time again. Hey, even if you've deciphered all the plot twists before you ever really even sink your teeth into the story, you're still guaranteed a fun ride. Consider yourself a psychic and watch the journey all unfold. I promise it's a great one. Basically, buy the book.