Book Review: Looking Glass Sound

Mrs P

Jun 3

"No one told me that grief would feel so much like fear."

Catriona Ward ~ Looking Glass Sound

Synopsis

In a lonely cottage overlooking the windswept Maine coast, Wilder Harlow begins the last book he will ever write. It is the story of his childhood summer companions and the killer that stalked the small New England town. Of the body they found, and the horror of that discovery echoing down the decades. And of Sky, Wilder's one-time best friend, who stole his unfinished memoir and turned it into a lurid bestselling novel, Looking Glass Sound.

But as Wilder writes, the lines between memory and fiction blur. He fears he's losing his grip on reality when he finds notes hidden around the cottage written in Sky's signature green ink.

Review

Having heard a lot about Catriona Ward's books, I was suitably intrigued by this one that focuses on an author and his book. I definitely had high expectations and Looking Glass Sound didn't quite live up to them.

It's a fast-paced, quick read and it's definitely bizarre; in fact I'm still not entirely sure what actually happened! This is of course a deliberate ploy by Ward, who blurs the lines between fact and fiction, until readers are left bemused, confused and perhaps even consumed by what they have read.

Whilst I did enjoy it, there was something disappointing about its plot, which was lacking in horror. There are a few unsavoury moments that may make readers grimace, but overall it feels a bit tame. I can't quite put my finger on what was missing, but once I finished it I definitely felt a bit underwhelmed. I did think about it for a long time after finishing, but more because I was still a little puzzled by the book's point.

The characters are forgettable and whilst I don't think we are supposed to like them, it's difficult to relate or care about such despicable people. Did I enjoy the undertones of the serial killer, combined with the teenagers' little love triangles, conniving schemes and childish dares? Yes, but I still question how Ward wanted me to feel as a reader... and what on earth was in her head when she wrote it!

Looking Glass Sound is a good - albeit weird - read, but I probably won't rush to read Ward's other books.