Birds in the Black Water
Kodie Van Dusen
Psychic Thriller
“That was the second time in my life death lied to me. I wanted it to lie to me just once more.”
Neviah has seen the Other Side since she was a child, a dark world trapped somewhere between past and present where shadowy creatures ominously keep watch. Though she uses her connection with the supernatural to build a thriving counseling practice, she is racked with guilt over a professional decision that landed a former client, Martha, into protective custody almost ten years ago. When a little boy arrives alone at her clinic with a letter identifying himself as Martha’s son, Neviah has a chance to redeem herself. Having suffered enough loss for one lifetime, Neviah must locate the boy’s mother before time runs out and she loses the chance to right her wrongs once and for all—and before the shadowy creatures that have plagued her since childhood do more damage to her loved ones than they already have.
Birds in the Black Water is dark, paranormal drama at its best. Van Dusen isn’t afraid to cross genre lines as she explores the intersection of mental health, maternal instinct, and grief.
Uncaged Review: First of all, this isn’t a traditional paranormal book in the sense of what is flooding the market these days. This is more of a psychological thriller with paranormal elements. The writing is superb and keeps the story going at a solid pace. People need to be warned that there are triggers for mental health, suicide, nightmares and loss within the pages. There are only a handful of characters in the book, and that’s all it needs. Each character is well developed, and you get a feel for them easily. Neviah has had a lot of traumas in her life, so are the Koels something of a different dimension or is it something in her own mind? That was never crystal clear to me.
When a small boy goes missing, and Neviah feels like she had a hand in the boy’s mother’s problems as a teenager, Neviah feels like she has to make things right because of the guilt she has carried with her. This is a darker book, and full of emotions and the ending was underwhelming for me. I didn’t feel like I got the closure I was looking for. This thriller is a good book to pick up if you are looking for fantastic writing and a very original story. Reviewed by Cyrene
4 Stars
