Melinda Salisbury

CW: gun violence, death of mother (suspect was father), brutal death

Well now that I have regained my composure I can write a review.

I don't think the following section is too much of a spoiler but I will hide it anyway because I went in blind and that served me well. I think it is best to resist if you have any intention of reading this YA mystery horror book. The movie 'The Descent' scared the living daylights out of me. Maybe I am a bit traumatised by that movie because it gave me show more nightmares. I screamed so many times as the dark underground and it's cave dwelling carnivores terrified me. Welcome to the book version of that particular nightmare. No it doesn't have big jump scares, but the atmosphere and pacing had the hairs on my arms standing up. The story starts out pretty calmly as we get to know about Alva and her difficult life. What a cracker opening line too, “Here are the rules of living with a murderer." As mentioned in the blurb, dark forces begin to stir in the township where Alva and her father are outcasts.

Sorry, I think I have to stop here. I want to type so much more but I can't because the story just unfolds in such a beautifully menacing way and I think it is better to go in blind. Argh! I should say that it isn't too scary. I was just so invested in Alva that everything felt much more frightening if you know what I mean. Probably an unhelpful review, but I gotta say I enjoyed every gorgeous horrific moment of this book, even when it broke me in two.

It also says this is the third in a series. From the blurb of the other 2 books I can't make any connection to this novel. It was completely readable as a stand alone. show less

7 years ago, Alva’s world was shattered by murder. Ever since, she has lived in fear. Now, Alva has a plan for escape. She’s ready to start a new life. But nothing about Alva’s life is quite as it seems…

Hold Back The Tide snared me with Melinda Salisbury’s clean, crisp prose and careful choice of imagery and kept me on edge with expertly controlled tension. It goes all-in on the question of whether the true monsters are men or gods, with self-interest and abuses of power just as show more large a threat as the hungry creatures in the night (content warning: there is a scene that does not end in sexual assault, but is likely to hit the button for anyone sensitive in this area).

A story of long held secrets and monsters as a group of misunderstood outsiders face the terrors of their neighbours and the past. Engrossing, spooky, beautifully written, tugging at the heart strings - one of my top ten reads of 2020.

Full review show less

What started as a truly inspired fantasy world-builder quickly deteriorated into a predictable and wholly unoriginal love triangle. It seems that novels starring a female protagonist are wholly incapable of doing without a love interest let alone a love triangle. It became stale and formulaic fairly quickly. I'm just extremely grateful that it didn't fall victim to the fantasy-sin of the obligatory trilogy.

This was a free download though the summer Sync program. I was happy to see it was labeled fantasy so it fit the PBT for June. I also wanted to check it out to see if it was appropriate for an 11 y/o granddaughter. The story is interesting to listen to, the reader did a fine job. The story included romance, the heroine being rescued, fairy tale type, but also included kissing, passionate kissing, lying in bed together--clothes off compromising situations. There is some violence but not with show more great detail (knowledge that people are being hunted by dogs). There is the premise that there are no god(s) and the idea is useful for people that need to believe and a way to control the people. So a parents should examine those issues before they have their children read the book. What I did like was the ending. It confronts the issue of females needing a shining knight to rescue them when they can do it themselves and that being alone is not the same as being lonely. A great thing for young ladies to learn. For that reason, teens might benefit from reading this book. show less