Something is wrong in the town of Bailey, something lurks in the river that seems to take its toll on the town in a longstanding pattern. After Josh loses his older brother, Callum to the river, he finds Kate and Gabe. Kate and Gabe have also lost their fathers to the water. Since each of the deaths, the teens have seen strange things surface in the water, images of their loved ones, hallucinations and dreams that seem more like memories. With the help of the town historian, they try to solve and stop the plague that haunts Bailey.

Dark Wood Dark Water presented and intriguing mystery and a multi-layered horror story. It did take me a while to get into and to sort out all of the characters. There were quite a few characters introduced at the beginning and the chapters switched between their points of view. This made it difficult for me to place how everyone fit together. Once the three main characters were together,this was a bit easier. I enjoyed the connection to the past and the uniqueness of the curse, however I was left confused with some of the characters that played a part in the curse. I am still unsure as to what role Alma and Richard played and I'm not sure they were even necessary to the plot. Josh, Gabe and Kate were well thought out and were characters that I cared about. I would have loved a little more information as to how the curse began in the past, it seemed like the originator of the curse was dabbling in some dark arts that may have been rooted in Bailey even before the curse began. The horror elements kept me reading as they ranged from haunting to gruesome to psychological. Overall, a unique young adult horror that could use a bit more polishing up.

This book was received for free in return for an honest review. ( )

I really enjoyed Dark Wood Dark Water by Tina Callaghan. It's the first work I've read by her, but I look forward to reading more. Well written, nicely paced, and I cared about the characters, who seemed pretty well thought out, though I think Kate could have been a little more fleshed out than she was. A nice haunting ghost story without too much blood and guts. ( )

Disclaimer: I received this book for free from Library Thing in return for an hones review.

Josh's brother has just drowned in the local river in Bailey. But he isn't the only one in town that has lost family members to the river. Some say the town of Bailey is cursed. Josh has been having strange dreams about a ship's captain and a monk. When he meets Kate and Gabe they discover they are all contact somehow, to each other and the town's past. With the help of local historian Naylor can they put an end to the curse or will they become the curse's next victims.

Overall I enjoyed the overall plot of this book however I felt like there where a lot of questions left unanswered. At times I had to re-read sections because I felt like I missed something. That being said I found myself invested in the characters and their struggle. ( )

I really enjoyed Dark Wood Dark Water by Tina Callaghan. It's the first work I've read by her, but I look forward to reading more. Well written, nicely paced, and I cared about the characters, who seemed pretty well thought out, though I think Kate could have been a little more fleshed out than she was. A nice haunting ghost story without too much blood and guts. ( )

"Dark Wood Dark Water" by Tina Callaghan, is a story about a town with a violent past and a cursed river which comes to life to take the lives of local villagers. When Josh, Kate and Gabe lose relatives and friends to the evil river, they become embroiled in the history of the curse, and must work together to stop the evil before it takes their souls.

"Dark Wood Dark Water" is an entertaining and easy read, for those who like YA stories with elements of romance, combining the past and present, and with a bit of "spooky" thrown in. Great fun and a good Halloween read.

I received a free copy of this book as part of Library Thing’s Early Reviewer Program. ( )