The Dark Beneath the Ice

by Amelinda Berube

[Quirky Cat]

3 1/2 Kitties

I received a copy of The Dark Beneath the Ice through NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

The Dark Beneath the Ice is a paranormal thriller that’ll keep you on the edge of your seat from start to finish. It’s described as being Black Swan meets Paranormal Activity. Admittedly I haven’t seen either of those, so I can’t really comment too much; but I will say that based on the trailers alone that’s a pretty decent description of the feeling and mode of this novel. It’s dark, eerie, and chaotic at times (as only a paranormal event can be), but it’s also full of raw emotion, determination, and perseverance. In short, it’s a wonderful blend and a fascinating story.


Warnings first: I’d say that this novel is pretty safe on the whole. There are a couple of characters that question their mental stability throughout the book (which will make sense when you start reading it, I promise) and they seek various levels of care.
I’ll be honest with you here, I went into this novel expecting one thing, and I ended up getting something completely different. I don’t know if I absolutely loved what I got, but I really did enjoy all the twists and surprises throughout.
I devoured this book. Once I got started the plot just grabbed me and I absolutely had to know what was happening and what the cause was behind everything. I just couldn’t get to the ending fast enough. I sincerely think I may have finished this book in one sitting. Actually, I know I did. And then once I finished I sat there staring at it for a good fifteen minutes, trying to process the emotional roller coaster this book just threw me aboard.
I’ll admit that I was a little disappointed with the revelation at the end. I think there’s more she could have done with it, some smoothing over or something to make it feel less…sudden. Still, getting us from point a to point b will extremely interesting, so I’m happy with having put aside the time to read this one.
This is Amelinda Berube’s first novel (that I can see listed on Goodreads at least) and I have to say that I’m exceptionally impressed. She came out of the gate swinging, so to speak. And she certainly made an impression on me. I do know that her next novel is titled Here There Are Monsters, which already sounds fantastic. I can’t wait to get my hands on it!


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