Blog Tour & Review: Dark and Shallow Lies by Ginny Myers Sain

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 the place where Elora Pellerin, Grey’s best friend, disappeared six months earlier.

Grey can’t believe that Elora vanished into thin air any more than she can believe that nobody in a town full of psychics knows what happened. But as she digs into the night that Elora went missing, she begins to realize that everybody in town is hiding something – her grandmother Honey; her childhood crush Hart; and even her late mother, whose secrets continue to call to Grey from beyond the grave.

When a mysterious stranger emerges from the bayou – a stormy-eyed boy with links to Elora and the town’s bloody history – Grey realizes that La Cachette’s past is far more present and dangerous than she’d ever understood. Suddenly, she doesn’t know who she can trust. In a town where secrets lurk just below the surface, and where a murderer is on the loose, nobody can be presumed innocent–and La Cachette’s dark and shallow lies may just rip the town apart

• Title: Dark and Shallow Lies
• Author:  Ginny Myers Sain
• Publisher: Razorbill
• Publication Date: September 7th
• Genre: Thriller, YA, Mystery, Contemporary 
• Source: ARC provided through NetGalley
• Targeted Age Range: Young Adult
• Content Warnings: Violence, Gun Violence, Murder, Drowning, Fire, Mild Gore, Profanity, Vomiting, Alcohol and Tobacco Use/Abuse, Snakes/Alligators, Child Abuse (in the past – referenced, not depicted), Self-Harm (in the past – briefly referenced only once, not depicted), Suicide (in the past – referenced, not depicted), Loss of a Parent (in the past – referenced, not depicted), Violence Against Young Children (in the past – referenced, not depicted), Death of a Young Child (in the past – referenced, not depicted), Incest
• Rating: ★★★★

Thank you so much to TBR & Beyond Tours and Razorbill for this opportunity!

Set on a backdrop of magical Louisiana, Dark and Shallow Lies has every element of the perfect young adult thriller. Not only does it have magical intrigue, shifty characters you’re unsure of, and a plot that just keeps you turning page after page, but it also has the emotional satisfaction you look for in a thriller. I did not leave this book disappointed, and I know you won’t too. 

From page one, we know there is something off about the town of La Cachette. A teen girl, Elora, has gone missing, and there is no trace of her. She seems to have just vanished out of thin air. Grey, her best friend and “twin flame”, comes home for the summer determined to find out what happened to her. From there, layers upon layers upon layers of this mystery unfold, leaving the reader unsure of who to trust and unsure of what to believe. To add even more interest, the residents of La Cachette all have some form of magical abilities, all of which play into the murder mystery. 

Grey, however, does not appear to have one. However, she is soon shocked to realise she is seeing snippets of what happened to Elora the night she disappeared via visions. I loved the added element of magic. Those who know me know I love books with magic, whether it be high fantasy or low fantasy, it is always a win for me when it is included. Dark and Shallow Lies is no different. Filled to the brim with psychic abilities and other magical powers, it’s a refreshing element you don’t often see in thrillers. I especially liked that the magical abilities only enhanced the thriller aspect, rather than distracting from it. Myers Sain has successfully combined two beloved genres into one exciting book, and I know readers will not be disappointed by the combination.

I think the writing style is where this book excels. Myers Sain writes beautiful, descriptive prose that enchants the reader page after page. The way she describes the Louisiana bayou truly transports you, and I loved every moment of it. It honestly felt as if I was exploring the town of La Cachette alongside Grey, Hart and the other kids in La Cachette. From the alligator pond to the psychic bookstore, each of the locations Myers Sain wrote were memorable, and I won’t be forgetting them any time soon. Dark and Shallow Lies is perfectly paced and carefully plotted, leading the reader on a journey of ups, downs and a whole lot of mystery. Just when you think you know what’s happening, a spanner gets thrown in the works and you’re left guessing. As someone who never really guesses plot twists anyway, this was a fun book to read. 

Grey is a likeable heroine, but with flaws. You learn early on that she’s far too trusting, which makes for an interesting murder investigation. She’s determined to find her best friend, and come to terms with the psychic power that has manifested in her. I think a good word to describe her would be loyal. She never gave up on finding Elora, which I really appreciated. Despite their friends moving on around her, Grey never gave up on the chance that Elora might be out there, waiting to be found. Her courage, determination and willpower was very admirable. Despite this, she was oftentimes either making bad decisions or struggling to make decisions, which can lead to a frustrating reading experience. However, to me, this all made sense for her character. Her entire summer was shaken up in a way that she didn’t anticipate, and she was without her best friend. Her decisions (or lack thereof) felt reasonable and realistic, so I got over the frustration pretty quickly.

Honestly, I would’ve liked to have seen more of the friend group throughout the novel. Dubbed the Summer Children, they all grew up together and know each other like the back of their hands. However, we don’t really get to see their group dynamic. I understand fully that the dynamic was off due to one of their own having gone missing, but I would’ve liked to have seen at least a little bit more interaction within the group. It seemed that the only person who wanted to be around Grey was Hart, and it was never really explained why. Maybe it boils down to Elora being missing, and people wanting to remain to themselves, but a little bit more explanation would’ve been preferred. 

In my opinion, the plot twist was successful. There’s nothing worse in a thriller when you predict the ending halfway through the book, but Dark and Shallow Lies was the opposite. I was continuing to guess right up to the final three chapters as the plot twist was revealed, and I was happily surprised at the outcome. However, I will say without spoiling that there is one element to it that I think was unnecessary, and I could’ve done without it, but otherwise it was a successful ending to an exciting novel. 

All in all, Dark and Shallow Lies is an exciting debut that should be on the radar of every YA thriller fan out there. Filled to the brim with lush prose, interesting plots and just the perfect amount of magic, Dark and Shallow Lies is truly a triumph. I eagerly wait to see what this author writes next, especially if it’s in the same genre.

Be sure to let me know your thoughts below if you end up reading it! 

Links for Dark and Shallow Lies: Goodreads | Bookshop | IndieBound

Check out the rest of the stops on the tour here!