What do you think?
Clear Water
Not yet published
Expected 3 Nov 26Alma Figueroa, recently furloughed from her job as a paralegal and still trying to find her footing after a divorce, is driving home one night when a girl dressed in white appears out of nowhere. Afraid that the girl is injured, Alma takes her to the hospital. The girl is unharmed, but won’t speak and has no identification. Alma is determined to help her, but then the girl disappears without a trace. She is not the only girl in white to be seen. Reports come in of girls appearing in the snow, in the woods, and in the middle of roads. And while none of their faces match the photos on the missing persons posters scattered all over town, evidence of neglect echoes in their unwavering silence.
As Alma starts to investigate, she soon uncovers something larger, something the town has been actively ignoring, that just might connect back to her sister Kayla’s death when they were in high school. When another girl from town goes missing, Alma must figure out what the girls in white are trying to tell her before it is too late.
Clear Water unfolds over three timelines, moving between the present-day appearance of the girls in white, Alma’s return to the small town several years earlier, and the teenage years in which her sister Kayla gets pulled into addiction. With a haunting quality, a literary feel, and elements of mystery and noir, this lush and lyrical book is a poignant story about sisters, secrets, grief, and what it means when the people in authority continue to overlook the most vulnerable in their community.
As Alma starts to investigate, she soon uncovers something larger, something the town has been actively ignoring, that just might connect back to her sister Kayla’s death when they were in high school. When another girl from town goes missing, Alma must figure out what the girls in white are trying to tell her before it is too late.
Clear Water unfolds over three timelines, moving between the present-day appearance of the girls in white, Alma’s return to the small town several years earlier, and the teenage years in which her sister Kayla gets pulled into addiction. With a haunting quality, a literary feel, and elements of mystery and noir, this lush and lyrical book is a poignant story about sisters, secrets, grief, and what it means when the people in authority continue to overlook the most vulnerable in their community.
288 pages, Hardcover
Expected publication November 3, 2026
About the author
Gabrielle Lucille Fuentes
5 books63 followersGabrielle Lucille Fuentes is a writer and teacher. She is the author of Clear Water (Flatiron Books, 2026), Are We Ever Our Own (winner of the 2022 BOA Short Fiction Prize) and The Sleeping World (Touchstone-Simon & Schuster, 2016).
She has received fellowships and awards from Hedgebrook, Willapa Bay Artists in Residency, Yaddo, the Millay Colony, Blue Mountain Center, and Bread Loaf. Her work has appeared or is forthcoming in Strange Horizons, New England Review, The Georgia Review, The Common, One Story, and elsewhere.
Gabrielle holds a BA from Brown University, an MFA from the University of Colorado-Boulder, and a PHD from the University of Georgia. She is an Associate Professor of English at the University of Maryland. She grew up in Wisconsin and lives in Maryland with her family.
She has received fellowships and awards from Hedgebrook, Willapa Bay Artists in Residency, Yaddo, the Millay Colony, Blue Mountain Center, and Bread Loaf. Her work has appeared or is forthcoming in Strange Horizons, New England Review, The Georgia Review, The Common, One Story, and elsewhere.
Gabrielle holds a BA from Brown University, an MFA from the University of Colorado-Boulder, and a PHD from the University of Georgia. She is an Associate Professor of English at the University of Maryland. She grew up in Wisconsin and lives in Maryland with her family.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Reading for review in the October issue of Library Journal
Three Words That Describe This Book: missing girls, three timelines, grief horror
Dominant tone here is unease. It had a Gothic feel in terms of the tone but not the plot. Very Simone St James and Jennifer McMahon.
This is the story of Alma but it is also of the town-- a very rural community (where everyone but her family is white), somewhere in upper Wisconsin, closer to Minneapolis than Milwaukee. I have been to these places for work (training libraries) and I could fee the isolation that is not so far from a city, but feels too far.
Alma and her sister Kayla were 11 months apart and in the same grade. Until senior year when Klaya clearly gets addicted to drugs after her running career/ticket to college is thwarted because of a major injury and surgery.
Alma escaped to the big city but after halfway through her second year of law school she quits to stay home and do paralegal work for the legal clinic.
That is what you learn in the first few chapters of the story. It is told on 3 time frames though-- 2018 which is the present. Alma is driving in the winter. She is still grieving her sister who died in 2002, and she almost hits a girl popping out of the woods in a long white t-shirt. Alma takes her to the hospital to be checked out, even brings her home because no one knows who she is, but she dippers. Turns out that that night many girls were seen.
This is a town with a missing girl problem and a drug problem. These events are a reckoning for everyone.
Timeline 2013 is the year Alma goes home from her second year of law school winter break because he dad is having surgery and reconnects with Dale (from high school) and never returns to law school or her fiancé.
Timeline 2002 is Kayla and Alma's senior year and her eventual disappearance and death.
This town has MANY missing girls. Their ghosts haunt the town-- mostly figuratively, but then with the appearing girls in white, coming out of the snow and disappearing, maybe it is also literally. That part doesn't matter (it also is never really resolved in a way that is satisfying as a horror novel). This is Alma's story of intense grief over the loss of her sister (losing her in many ways, not just when she dies and also how she was lost to her going forward), it is grief over her decision to come home after "getting away," it is her grief over not being able to help more because this problem is all encompassing in their town, and more. It is the haunting of that grief that drives the story here.
Fuentes has a solid start here. She will find her voice and tighten up her writing-- too many details are not resolved and or end up not mattering, the narrative relies on dialog a little too much, most of the POV is Alma but as we get deeper into the novel it switches without warning. All of it is 3rd person omniscient but there are a few switches that come out of nowhere, after readers are very settled into Alma driving the story. Maybe a few more of those switches atelier in the book would have been less jarring.
I did really love how the time lines organically started bleeding together and overlapping. That part was excellent. They were distinct and labeled clearly but this choice was excellent. It increased the pacing, adding foreshadowing and kept the unease high for the duration of the book. Sometimes these multiple time frames are there for the wrong reasons (often to make easier on the author to not have to explain things as well or to make the story easer for readers to follow), but not here. This choice enhanced the story and reminded readers that this town and their problems are not new. It is a cycle and it much be broken. Maybe it takes the appearances of these ghost like women to shake things up enough for real action to take place.
The ideas and the ability to share them in a novel are here. A lot of Library patrons will really love this book and that will mean we should all buy her next one as well.
For fans of stories of epidemics of missing girls, supernatural mysteries especially in rural America as written by authors like Erica T. Wurth, Simone St. James, and Wendy Wagner's Girl in the Creek. Jackal by Erin Adams too. Fans of Jennifer McMahon will like this as well.
This is not a happy ending book but there is a resolution to the main conflict. The unease still lingers though, which is very realistic because this town is not going to magically get better. These missing girls and the drug problems are going to linger. There is hope things might improve but on promise here. And that may be the real horror.
Three Words That Describe This Book: missing girls, three timelines, grief horror
Dominant tone here is unease. It had a Gothic feel in terms of the tone but not the plot. Very Simone St James and Jennifer McMahon.
This is the story of Alma but it is also of the town-- a very rural community (where everyone but her family is white), somewhere in upper Wisconsin, closer to Minneapolis than Milwaukee. I have been to these places for work (training libraries) and I could fee the isolation that is not so far from a city, but feels too far.
Alma and her sister Kayla were 11 months apart and in the same grade. Until senior year when Klaya clearly gets addicted to drugs after her running career/ticket to college is thwarted because of a major injury and surgery.
Alma escaped to the big city but after halfway through her second year of law school she quits to stay home and do paralegal work for the legal clinic.
That is what you learn in the first few chapters of the story. It is told on 3 time frames though-- 2018 which is the present. Alma is driving in the winter. She is still grieving her sister who died in 2002, and she almost hits a girl popping out of the woods in a long white t-shirt. Alma takes her to the hospital to be checked out, even brings her home because no one knows who she is, but she dippers. Turns out that that night many girls were seen.
This is a town with a missing girl problem and a drug problem. These events are a reckoning for everyone.
Timeline 2013 is the year Alma goes home from her second year of law school winter break because he dad is having surgery and reconnects with Dale (from high school) and never returns to law school or her fiancé.
Timeline 2002 is Kayla and Alma's senior year and her eventual disappearance and death.
This town has MANY missing girls. Their ghosts haunt the town-- mostly figuratively, but then with the appearing girls in white, coming out of the snow and disappearing, maybe it is also literally. That part doesn't matter (it also is never really resolved in a way that is satisfying as a horror novel). This is Alma's story of intense grief over the loss of her sister (losing her in many ways, not just when she dies and also how she was lost to her going forward), it is grief over her decision to come home after "getting away," it is her grief over not being able to help more because this problem is all encompassing in their town, and more. It is the haunting of that grief that drives the story here.
Fuentes has a solid start here. She will find her voice and tighten up her writing-- too many details are not resolved and or end up not mattering, the narrative relies on dialog a little too much, most of the POV is Alma but as we get deeper into the novel it switches without warning. All of it is 3rd person omniscient but there are a few switches that come out of nowhere, after readers are very settled into Alma driving the story. Maybe a few more of those switches atelier in the book would have been less jarring.
I did really love how the time lines organically started bleeding together and overlapping. That part was excellent. They were distinct and labeled clearly but this choice was excellent. It increased the pacing, adding foreshadowing and kept the unease high for the duration of the book. Sometimes these multiple time frames are there for the wrong reasons (often to make easier on the author to not have to explain things as well or to make the story easer for readers to follow), but not here. This choice enhanced the story and reminded readers that this town and their problems are not new. It is a cycle and it much be broken. Maybe it takes the appearances of these ghost like women to shake things up enough for real action to take place.
The ideas and the ability to share them in a novel are here. A lot of Library patrons will really love this book and that will mean we should all buy her next one as well.
For fans of stories of epidemics of missing girls, supernatural mysteries especially in rural America as written by authors like Erica T. Wurth, Simone St. James, and Wendy Wagner's Girl in the Creek. Jackal by Erin Adams too. Fans of Jennifer McMahon will like this as well.
This is not a happy ending book but there is a resolution to the main conflict. The unease still lingers though, which is very realistic because this town is not going to magically get better. These missing girls and the drug problems are going to linger. There is hope things might improve but on promise here. And that may be the real horror.
September 10, 2026
Clear Water by Gabrielle Lucille Fuentes
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
3 stars
I struggled with this one. Like, really struggled. This book has so many things I normally love, such as a small town with a dark past, missing women, mysterious girls in white showing up in the woods and along snowy roads, secrets, grief and something possibly supernatural lurking around the edges. This should have been right up my alley. Somehow, it wasn’t. I finished it mostly because I apparently had decided we were seeing this thing through together whether either of us liked it or not.
Alma returns to Brewer carrying a whole lot of history with her, including the loss of her sister Kayla and a complicated past with her husband. Then she sees one of the mysterious girls in white and starts looking into the women who have disappeared from Brewer over the years. The atmosphere was probably my favorite part. Snowy woods, strange sightings and a town that clearly has some shit it would rather not discuss. Unfortunately, the pacing was so slow that even with all of that going on, I had a hard time staying interested. I kept thinking it was finally going to pull me in and then,it didn’t. (nope!) Back to struggling.
There’s a lot underneath the mystery involving grief, addiction, loss and all the things people would rather ignore than deal with. I understood Alma’s need for answers and what was driving her but I never really connected with her. Honestly, I didn’t get particularly attached to any of the characters. That made everything feel more distant than I think it was supposed to. When mysterious girls are appearing in the woods and people have been disappearing for years, I really shouldn’t be this easily distracted by literally anything else in the room.
I liked the atmosphere and the idea behind the girls in white but getting through Clear Water was a struggle. And honestly? Not much of it stuck with me once I finished, which probably says more than anything else I could put in this review. This may absolutely be someone else’s kind of strange. It just wasn’t mine. My brain and this book politely shook hands, agreed we had nothing in common and went our separate ways.
Thank you to NetGalley and Flatiron Books for the digital advance reader copy in exchange for my honest opinion.
Expected publication date: November 3, 2026
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
3 stars
I struggled with this one. Like, really struggled. This book has so many things I normally love, such as a small town with a dark past, missing women, mysterious girls in white showing up in the woods and along snowy roads, secrets, grief and something possibly supernatural lurking around the edges. This should have been right up my alley. Somehow, it wasn’t. I finished it mostly because I apparently had decided we were seeing this thing through together whether either of us liked it or not.
Alma returns to Brewer carrying a whole lot of history with her, including the loss of her sister Kayla and a complicated past with her husband. Then she sees one of the mysterious girls in white and starts looking into the women who have disappeared from Brewer over the years. The atmosphere was probably my favorite part. Snowy woods, strange sightings and a town that clearly has some shit it would rather not discuss. Unfortunately, the pacing was so slow that even with all of that going on, I had a hard time staying interested. I kept thinking it was finally going to pull me in and then,it didn’t. (nope!) Back to struggling.
There’s a lot underneath the mystery involving grief, addiction, loss and all the things people would rather ignore than deal with. I understood Alma’s need for answers and what was driving her but I never really connected with her. Honestly, I didn’t get particularly attached to any of the characters. That made everything feel more distant than I think it was supposed to. When mysterious girls are appearing in the woods and people have been disappearing for years, I really shouldn’t be this easily distracted by literally anything else in the room.
I liked the atmosphere and the idea behind the girls in white but getting through Clear Water was a struggle. And honestly? Not much of it stuck with me once I finished, which probably says more than anything else I could put in this review. This may absolutely be someone else’s kind of strange. It just wasn’t mine. My brain and this book politely shook hands, agreed we had nothing in common and went our separate ways.
Thank you to NetGalley and Flatiron Books for the digital advance reader copy in exchange for my honest opinion.
Expected publication date: November 3, 2026
July 26, 2026
I wish to thank NetGalley and Flatiron Books for allowing me to read this ARC of Clear Waters by Gabrielle Lucille Fuentes. This is my honest review and all opinions are my own.
The premise for this book was good, but for me the story just fell flat. The book kept flicking from the past to the present and to me it just didn’t serve any purpose other than to drag up more grief and angst in the main character, Alma, concerning the overdose death of her sister. I was confused by the past sequences because they would jump from like 2002 and leap up to 2013 and then you would be back in the present and wonder what was the point of that.
The characters were kind of one dimensional and I never really saw any changes in their growth over the course of the past and the present.
The mysterious girls that were popping up all over the area should have been a little more frightening, but they just weren’t.
The perpetrator of all the evil towards these girls was so predictable that I kind of knew the first time I saw him that he was the issue.
Overall for me this was just not a very good book and honestly I can’t recommend it. I believe it is due out early September or November.
The premise for this book was good, but for me the story just fell flat. The book kept flicking from the past to the present and to me it just didn’t serve any purpose other than to drag up more grief and angst in the main character, Alma, concerning the overdose death of her sister. I was confused by the past sequences because they would jump from like 2002 and leap up to 2013 and then you would be back in the present and wonder what was the point of that.
The characters were kind of one dimensional and I never really saw any changes in their growth over the course of the past and the present.
The mysterious girls that were popping up all over the area should have been a little more frightening, but they just weren’t.
The perpetrator of all the evil towards these girls was so predictable that I kind of knew the first time I saw him that he was the issue.
Overall for me this was just not a very good book and honestly I can’t recommend it. I believe it is due out early September or November.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Want to Read
July 23, 2026ARC received. Thank you so much, Flatiron Books! I'm absolutely obsessed with this cover and I'm really hope the vibes of the story match it. I can't wait to find out.
Review of advance copy received from Goodreads Giveaways
Unfortunately this book just wasn't for me. It moved kinda slow paced and couldn't keep my interest so it was a DNF for me.
August 26, 2026
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!
I’m so sad to be giving this a low rating. I feel like the premise was intriguing, but it fully fell flat for me. There was almost too much information for not a whole lot of story. The writing was good and told a good story, but it felt like it didn’t go anywhere? Unfortunately this book just wasn’t for me.
I’m so sad to be giving this a low rating. I feel like the premise was intriguing, but it fully fell flat for me. There was almost too much information for not a whole lot of story. The writing was good and told a good story, but it felt like it didn’t go anywhere? Unfortunately this book just wasn’t for me.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
An atmospheric mystery that examines grief and community secrets. This has great potential for anyone putting together their Halloween reads.
Divorced and furloughed from her job, Alma Figueroa is driving to her home, Brewster, Wisconsin, on a dusky February night when she is confronted by a young girl dressed in a long white gown in the snow. She stops and takes the girl to a hospital all the while reminded of her sister, Kayla, who died of an opioid overdose sixteen years ago. Shortly after she’s home, Wisconsin police departments are flooded with sightings of girls dressed in white gowns but there are no cases of missing girls that match the sightings or the girls. Determined to uncover what’s going on, Alma starts to investigate only to be shocked by what she learns and how Kayla’s death could be part of the mystery.
I don’t want to ruin the story or anyone’s read. This has a good plot line. There’s a lot of good moments and solid twists and turns. The author really knew how to capture that spooky whitish weather that comes in the midwinter months preceding spring (must be her Wisconsin roots - as a fellow former Wisconsinite, go Bucky!). I felt this was one of the best things about the book. The atmosphere really added to the mystery Alma was uncovering. I liked Alma’s persistence. She dug deep and grew from letting go of her grief. But I was thrown off a bit by the pacing like when we jump back in time when to me that felt awkward. Nonetheless this book offers a lot of spooky fun - I say that tongue-in-cheek in cheek as it’s a dark funny - the read.
Readers who enjoy a moody swirling atmospheric mystery with some elements of horror should enjoy this one.
My thanks to NetGalley and Flatiron Books for granting me access to this ARC.
Divorced and furloughed from her job, Alma Figueroa is driving to her home, Brewster, Wisconsin, on a dusky February night when she is confronted by a young girl dressed in a long white gown in the snow. She stops and takes the girl to a hospital all the while reminded of her sister, Kayla, who died of an opioid overdose sixteen years ago. Shortly after she’s home, Wisconsin police departments are flooded with sightings of girls dressed in white gowns but there are no cases of missing girls that match the sightings or the girls. Determined to uncover what’s going on, Alma starts to investigate only to be shocked by what she learns and how Kayla’s death could be part of the mystery.
I don’t want to ruin the story or anyone’s read. This has a good plot line. There’s a lot of good moments and solid twists and turns. The author really knew how to capture that spooky whitish weather that comes in the midwinter months preceding spring (must be her Wisconsin roots - as a fellow former Wisconsinite, go Bucky!). I felt this was one of the best things about the book. The atmosphere really added to the mystery Alma was uncovering. I liked Alma’s persistence. She dug deep and grew from letting go of her grief. But I was thrown off a bit by the pacing like when we jump back in time when to me that felt awkward. Nonetheless this book offers a lot of spooky fun - I say that tongue-in-cheek in cheek as it’s a dark funny - the read.
Readers who enjoy a moody swirling atmospheric mystery with some elements of horror should enjoy this one.
My thanks to NetGalley and Flatiron Books for granting me access to this ARC.
August 11, 2026
Thank you to NetGalley for choosing to give me an ARC of this book!
- My summary - Alma is back in her home town, barely surviving, when she is stopped in the middle of a snowy night by a terrifying sight - a gaunt girl standing in the snow without warmth. She tries to save her, to help her, but the girl acts strangely and absconds. There are other sightings of other girls and other members of the town contend with the aftereffects of their decisions, both past and present. Alma seeks what happened to the girl, while also investigating the disappearance of an odd number of other girls in the town throughout modern history.
- My review - I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I could feel the creepiness of the girls, the buzzing and otherworldliness about them; something not being right with one of the characters; the unknown but painful past. Though the mystery a teeny bit predictable, it didn’t take away from the overall horror - both realistic and supernatural - in the book.
- Why I read - I thought the cover was incredible and I was in the mood for a spooky. This did not disappoint.
- When to read - takes place in winter in Wisconsin and would definitely recommend reading there!
Thank you NetGalley for an ARC of this book! I’m thrilled to have received it and read it!
- My summary - Alma is back in her home town, barely surviving, when she is stopped in the middle of a snowy night by a terrifying sight - a gaunt girl standing in the snow without warmth. She tries to save her, to help her, but the girl acts strangely and absconds. There are other sightings of other girls and other members of the town contend with the aftereffects of their decisions, both past and present. Alma seeks what happened to the girl, while also investigating the disappearance of an odd number of other girls in the town throughout modern history.
- My review - I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I could feel the creepiness of the girls, the buzzing and otherworldliness about them; something not being right with one of the characters; the unknown but painful past. Though the mystery a teeny bit predictable, it didn’t take away from the overall horror - both realistic and supernatural - in the book.
- Why I read - I thought the cover was incredible and I was in the mood for a spooky. This did not disappoint.
- When to read - takes place in winter in Wisconsin and would definitely recommend reading there!
Thank you NetGalley for an ARC of this book! I’m thrilled to have received it and read it!
Did Not Finish
July 25, 2026Thank you to NetGalley for this E-ARC!
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I did unfortunately DNF this book. I wasn’t really interested in the story and felt the story moved to slow for my tastes
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I did unfortunately DNF this book. I wasn’t really interested in the story and felt the story moved to slow for my tastes
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Clear Water opens with an irresistible premise. It's winter in Brewer, Wisconsin, where barefoot teenage girls dressed in white begin appearing out of nowhere before disappearing back into the woods. At the same time, the community is struggling with an opioid epidemic, and a disproportionate number of young women are either missing or dying from overdoses. As Alma searches for answers, the story unfolds through multiple timelines that gradually reveal both her family's past and some of the town's secrets.
The premise immediately hooked me, and it was the mystery that kept me reading. I wanted to know who these girls were, why they appeared, and what connection they had to the missing girls and the opioid crisis. The novel creates an eerie atmosphere against the backdrop of a Wisconsin winter, and the opioid epidemic is portrayed as a heartbreaking reality. That emotional weight made the mystery feel important beyond simply solving a crime, especially since law enforcement didn't seem to be making the missing girls a priority.
While Alma serves as the lens through which the story unfolds, I never felt especially connected to her or most of the other characters. The standout for me was Inger, whose quirky personality and unwavering loyalty made her memorable whenever she appeared.
What ultimately kept this novel from earning a four- or five-star rating was its execution. Several plot threads felt underdeveloped or disconnected from the central mystery. Alma's cousin, for example, seemed to come and go without significantly affecting the overall story. Likewise, several themes—including racism and one character's sexuality—are introduced but never become meaningfully connected to the central mystery.
I also struggled with the internal consistency of the supernatural elements. I don't mind unexplained mysteries, but I do like the rules of a story's world to remain consistent. Some of the girls clearly seem to be spirits, while another is identified as a mythical creature. Yet at least one girl is physically examined at the hospital, raising practical questions about where she had been living, how she survived the Wisconsin winter, and why she refused to speak. Those questions were never answered, which was a letdown.
Overall, Clear Water has one of the more intriguing premises I've come across recently. While the execution didn't fully live up to that premise for me, the mystery itself was compelling enough to keep me turning the pages. In my opinion, too many unanswered questions and disconnected story threads prevented it from reaching its full potential.
Content warnings include the opioid epidemic, overdoses, addiction, missing girls, death, and grief.
In the end, this landed squarely in my 3-star category. The premise was fantastic, and the mystery kept me reading because I needed answers. I just wish the story had answered more of its own questions and stayed more focused on the mystery it promised. I'd recommend it to readers who enjoy slow-burning, atmospheric mysteries with supernatural elements.
Thank you to NetGalley and Flatiron Books for providing an advance review copy. All opinions are my own.
The premise immediately hooked me, and it was the mystery that kept me reading. I wanted to know who these girls were, why they appeared, and what connection they had to the missing girls and the opioid crisis. The novel creates an eerie atmosphere against the backdrop of a Wisconsin winter, and the opioid epidemic is portrayed as a heartbreaking reality. That emotional weight made the mystery feel important beyond simply solving a crime, especially since law enforcement didn't seem to be making the missing girls a priority.
While Alma serves as the lens through which the story unfolds, I never felt especially connected to her or most of the other characters. The standout for me was Inger, whose quirky personality and unwavering loyalty made her memorable whenever she appeared.
What ultimately kept this novel from earning a four- or five-star rating was its execution. Several plot threads felt underdeveloped or disconnected from the central mystery. Alma's cousin, for example, seemed to come and go without significantly affecting the overall story. Likewise, several themes—including racism and one character's sexuality—are introduced but never become meaningfully connected to the central mystery.
I also struggled with the internal consistency of the supernatural elements. I don't mind unexplained mysteries, but I do like the rules of a story's world to remain consistent. Some of the girls clearly seem to be spirits, while another is identified as a mythical creature. Yet at least one girl is physically examined at the hospital, raising practical questions about where she had been living, how she survived the Wisconsin winter, and why she refused to speak. Those questions were never answered, which was a letdown.
Overall, Clear Water has one of the more intriguing premises I've come across recently. While the execution didn't fully live up to that premise for me, the mystery itself was compelling enough to keep me turning the pages. In my opinion, too many unanswered questions and disconnected story threads prevented it from reaching its full potential.
Content warnings include the opioid epidemic, overdoses, addiction, missing girls, death, and grief.
In the end, this landed squarely in my 3-star category. The premise was fantastic, and the mystery kept me reading because I needed answers. I just wish the story had answered more of its own questions and stayed more focused on the mystery it promised. I'd recommend it to readers who enjoy slow-burning, atmospheric mysteries with supernatural elements.
Thank you to NetGalley and Flatiron Books for providing an advance review copy. All opinions are my own.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
A semi-supernatural take on missing women, rural drug use, and corrupt cops. Told through three timelines following the same characters, it's an interesting story, even though I think a lot of the twists are pretty clear miles ahead. I also wish we saw more of the aftermath of the end and where these characters go from here. More thriller than horror, but it's a pretty slow-paced thriller. The timelines switch off every few chapters, so while you know in chapter one that Alma is divorced from Dale, you later on see them falling in love and getting married, and even later see what happened the night Kayla died. In this way, as reader, you piece together much without the characters having the same knowledge.
Alma Figueroa was always close with her sister Kayla, until an injury that pulled Kayla into addiction in high school. Kayla went missing one night and was found in the woods, dead from an overdose. Alma got out of their small town, Brewer, Wisconsin, for college and swore she would never go back. In the second timeline shown in the book, Alma is finishing law school and engaged to a classmate when she returns home to help out amid her father's health issues. She reunites with Dale, the boy who had helped her find Kayla on the night she died, now a man in his own right. The two begin a relationship and before long Alma breaks off her engagement, moves in with and marries Dale, and leaves her law degree unfinished while working at the Legal Aid center in town.
In the third timeline we see Alma living in the house she bought with Dale, but she now lives there with her friend Therese, who is looking for a farm to buy to return to her roots. She's also spending more time with her childhood friend Inger. She's driving home one night when she sees a teenage girl in a white dress on the side of the road. She stops, brings her into the hospital, and when no one can identify her, takes her home for the night while everything gets sorted out. But in the morning the girl is gone, and more people have had sightings of girls in white, in the snow, in the woods, and in the middle of roads. The girls don't speak, and they don't match any of the many files of young women missing from Brewer. Rumors circulate that it's a prank of some sort, or a mass hallucination, but Alma knows it is more than that, and she is determined to get to the truth of the matter. The closer she gets however, the more long buried secrets she digs up, ones that may explain Kayla's death, if Alma can put the pieces together in time. As situations become more dire, another girl goes missing, the daughter of Kayla's best friend, and Alma becomes determined to save her from her sister's fate.
Thank you to NetGalley for an eARC of this novel.
Alma Figueroa was always close with her sister Kayla, until an injury that pulled Kayla into addiction in high school. Kayla went missing one night and was found in the woods, dead from an overdose. Alma got out of their small town, Brewer, Wisconsin, for college and swore she would never go back. In the second timeline shown in the book, Alma is finishing law school and engaged to a classmate when she returns home to help out amid her father's health issues. She reunites with Dale, the boy who had helped her find Kayla on the night she died, now a man in his own right. The two begin a relationship and before long Alma breaks off her engagement, moves in with and marries Dale, and leaves her law degree unfinished while working at the Legal Aid center in town.
In the third timeline we see Alma living in the house she bought with Dale, but she now lives there with her friend Therese, who is looking for a farm to buy to return to her roots. She's also spending more time with her childhood friend Inger. She's driving home one night when she sees a teenage girl in a white dress on the side of the road. She stops, brings her into the hospital, and when no one can identify her, takes her home for the night while everything gets sorted out. But in the morning the girl is gone, and more people have had sightings of girls in white, in the snow, in the woods, and in the middle of roads. The girls don't speak, and they don't match any of the many files of young women missing from Brewer. Rumors circulate that it's a prank of some sort, or a mass hallucination, but Alma knows it is more than that, and she is determined to get to the truth of the matter. The closer she gets however, the more long buried secrets she digs up, ones that may explain Kayla's death, if Alma can put the pieces together in time. As situations become more dire, another girl goes missing, the daughter of Kayla's best friend, and Alma becomes determined to save her from her sister's fate.
Thank you to NetGalley for an eARC of this novel.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC of this book. The following is my honest review.
Alma Figueroa saw the girl at night, in the snow. Wearing just a thin nightgown, she seemed disoriented, possibly injured. So Alma stopped her truck, took the girl in, and made sure she got medical attention.
Then the girl vanished into thin air.
Alma’s not the only person in or near the fictional town of Brewer to have an experience like this. Nor is this the only strange experience people in Brewer have been dealing with. As the weird incidents mount, Alma and her friends have to ask themselves: Are the people of Brewer just inventing supernatural phenomena as a way of coping with a job market devastated by offshoring, environmental degradation from a nearby salt mine, and far too many opioid overdoses? Or is there truly something numinous going on?
It would be easy to describe this book as a ghost story, but that would be an oversimplification. While there may be traditional ghosts in Clear Water, there’s also a more nebulous haunting at play. Shadows of choices made years or decades ago fall over the characters’ current lives. And far from the ghost being confined to one building or following a single person around, nature itself feels haunted.
Stephen King is famous for books that are just as much about small insular New England towns as they are about vampires and evil sewer clowns. Clear Water is just as much about a small insular Upper Midwest town as it is about apparitions in the snow and odd behavior from wildlife. Everyone in town hangs out at the same bar. All the kids go to the same school. Everyone knows everybody else’s business, and when someone who’s been away for years returns, they’re instantly recognized because all the people living in town now are the same people who were living there when they left. The web of relationships between the characters makes the town of Brewer come alive.
The one difficulty I had with this book is the way it jumps between not just two, but three time periods. As a regular reader of fantasy and science fiction, I’m used to dual-timeline books, but somehow three just felt more confusing. There were a couple of times where I was momentarily baffled by the characters’ reactions and then remembered, “Oh, right! [Pivotal event] hasn’t happened yet!”
You can read more of my musings about books I’m reading, and also tea and birds, at Outside of a Dog.
Alma Figueroa saw the girl at night, in the snow. Wearing just a thin nightgown, she seemed disoriented, possibly injured. So Alma stopped her truck, took the girl in, and made sure she got medical attention.
Then the girl vanished into thin air.
Alma’s not the only person in or near the fictional town of Brewer to have an experience like this. Nor is this the only strange experience people in Brewer have been dealing with. As the weird incidents mount, Alma and her friends have to ask themselves: Are the people of Brewer just inventing supernatural phenomena as a way of coping with a job market devastated by offshoring, environmental degradation from a nearby salt mine, and far too many opioid overdoses? Or is there truly something numinous going on?
It would be easy to describe this book as a ghost story, but that would be an oversimplification. While there may be traditional ghosts in Clear Water, there’s also a more nebulous haunting at play. Shadows of choices made years or decades ago fall over the characters’ current lives. And far from the ghost being confined to one building or following a single person around, nature itself feels haunted.
Stephen King is famous for books that are just as much about small insular New England towns as they are about vampires and evil sewer clowns. Clear Water is just as much about a small insular Upper Midwest town as it is about apparitions in the snow and odd behavior from wildlife. Everyone in town hangs out at the same bar. All the kids go to the same school. Everyone knows everybody else’s business, and when someone who’s been away for years returns, they’re instantly recognized because all the people living in town now are the same people who were living there when they left. The web of relationships between the characters makes the town of Brewer come alive.
The one difficulty I had with this book is the way it jumps between not just two, but three time periods. As a regular reader of fantasy and science fiction, I’m used to dual-timeline books, but somehow three just felt more confusing. There were a couple of times where I was momentarily baffled by the characters’ reactions and then remembered, “Oh, right! [Pivotal event] hasn’t happened yet!”
You can read more of my musings about books I’m reading, and also tea and birds, at Outside of a Dog.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I've been sitting on this book for days now, trying to figure out how to write this review. Clear Water is one of those books that felt like it was sitting in my chest the whole time I was reading it, like it hollowed out a cozy spot to curl up in. Grief horror always hits me that way, and that's one classification I would give this book- a grief horror coating with a mystery center. There are supernatural elements tied to the folkloric aspects of the book, but it's not a supernatural book necessarily, so don't go in expecting that.
Grief has a way of building on itself, and much like Alma we don't always realize that we are grieving. When we initially meet her she's shaken, having narrowly avoided colliding with a silent girl in white by the side of the road. Alma feels very disjointed in the beginning, which connected me to her character more because it made her relatable. I can't imagine how scattered I'd be in her shoes, rushing a nameless girl to the hospital while simultaneously feeling a connection between that girl and the sister you lost. As Alma investigates this girl, the others who have been seen around town, those who are missing, and the horrific ties binding them, she also uncovers the wounds related to her sister's death and realizes they may not have healed quite as well as she thought. Maybe they never healed at all.
Alma's story is shared through multiple timelines, painting a picture of pain growing pain, a town corrupted, and lives discarded as collateral damage. She's struggling but she's growing, even if it hurts and even if healing means opening old wounds first. Outside of Alma, Clear Water also brings to light conversation around addiction, loss, racial/class bias, and the familial strain connected to these things. The writing is lyrical and haunting, and while I know that's not a preference for everyone it really added to the story for me. The pacing isn't necessarily a slow burn, but it may not be for those who prefer stories that move quickly.
Clear Water deserves a place on your TBR, pre-order list, and request sheet at your local library. It's fiction, yes, but it speaks volumes about the destruction left in communities when those in positions of power cast aside those who are more vulnerable and at risk. And those are conversations worth having.
((While the viewpoints shared are my own, I want to thank NetGalley, Flatiron Books, & Gabrielle Lucille Fuentes this complimentary copy.))
Grief has a way of building on itself, and much like Alma we don't always realize that we are grieving. When we initially meet her she's shaken, having narrowly avoided colliding with a silent girl in white by the side of the road. Alma feels very disjointed in the beginning, which connected me to her character more because it made her relatable. I can't imagine how scattered I'd be in her shoes, rushing a nameless girl to the hospital while simultaneously feeling a connection between that girl and the sister you lost. As Alma investigates this girl, the others who have been seen around town, those who are missing, and the horrific ties binding them, she also uncovers the wounds related to her sister's death and realizes they may not have healed quite as well as she thought. Maybe they never healed at all.
Alma's story is shared through multiple timelines, painting a picture of pain growing pain, a town corrupted, and lives discarded as collateral damage. She's struggling but she's growing, even if it hurts and even if healing means opening old wounds first. Outside of Alma, Clear Water also brings to light conversation around addiction, loss, racial/class bias, and the familial strain connected to these things. The writing is lyrical and haunting, and while I know that's not a preference for everyone it really added to the story for me. The pacing isn't necessarily a slow burn, but it may not be for those who prefer stories that move quickly.
Clear Water deserves a place on your TBR, pre-order list, and request sheet at your local library. It's fiction, yes, but it speaks volumes about the destruction left in communities when those in positions of power cast aside those who are more vulnerable and at risk. And those are conversations worth having.
((While the viewpoints shared are my own, I want to thank NetGalley, Flatiron Books, & Gabrielle Lucille Fuentes this complimentary copy.))
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Clear Water by Gabrielle Lucille Fuentes is a mystery that blends suspense with a touch of the supernatural.
The main storyline takes place in the present day. After ending her marriage, Alma is driving home through a snowstorm when she spots a young girl lying in the road, covered in blood. Believing she may have struck the child, Alma rushes her to the hospital, only to discover that the girl has no injuries. The child refuses to speak or even reveal her name. Alma takes her home to care for her, but before long, the mysterious girl disappears into the snow. Soon, reports of other girls in white dresses begin flooding the sheriff's office. Each sighting is different, raising the question: Who are these girls, where are they coming from, and what are they trying to say?
Interwoven throughout the novel are flashbacks to Alma's high school prom night, when her sister, Kayla, was found dead. As Alma revisits the memories surrounding Kayla's addiction and the people who exploited her, long-buried anger resurfaces. Gradually, the novel reveals the greed and brutality of the drug trafficking world and the truth behind the disappearances and deaths of several teenagers.
I enjoyed the premise, especially the eerie atmosphere created by the girls in white dresses. Their appearances added an intriguing supernatural element that kept me turning the pages. While the mystery itself kept me curious, I never formed the emotional connection with Alma I had hoped for. I found myself more invested in discovering the truth behind the missing girls than in the protagonist's personal journey. The ending, however, was fast-paced, suspenseful, and satisfying. The author did a good job tying together the various storylines and resolving the lingering questions.
Overall, I gave Clear Water 3.5 stars.
The main storyline takes place in the present day. After ending her marriage, Alma is driving home through a snowstorm when she spots a young girl lying in the road, covered in blood. Believing she may have struck the child, Alma rushes her to the hospital, only to discover that the girl has no injuries. The child refuses to speak or even reveal her name. Alma takes her home to care for her, but before long, the mysterious girl disappears into the snow. Soon, reports of other girls in white dresses begin flooding the sheriff's office. Each sighting is different, raising the question: Who are these girls, where are they coming from, and what are they trying to say?
Interwoven throughout the novel are flashbacks to Alma's high school prom night, when her sister, Kayla, was found dead. As Alma revisits the memories surrounding Kayla's addiction and the people who exploited her, long-buried anger resurfaces. Gradually, the novel reveals the greed and brutality of the drug trafficking world and the truth behind the disappearances and deaths of several teenagers.
I enjoyed the premise, especially the eerie atmosphere created by the girls in white dresses. Their appearances added an intriguing supernatural element that kept me turning the pages. While the mystery itself kept me curious, I never formed the emotional connection with Alma I had hoped for. I found myself more invested in discovering the truth behind the missing girls than in the protagonist's personal journey. The ending, however, was fast-paced, suspenseful, and satisfying. The author did a good job tying together the various storylines and resolving the lingering questions.
Overall, I gave Clear Water 3.5 stars.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Clear Water is a small town horror where dark secrets lead to supernatural consequences. It follows Alma and other Brewer residents as they investigate the appearance of mysterious girls who vanish just as quickly.
This book was one of those books that felt like it was made for me, almost to the point where it is hard to review. The supernatural consequences for real world atrocities is one of my favorite tropes of all time, and small town horror is one of my favorite genres. Additionally, discussions of topics of racism, misogyny, and systemic drug abuse are things that have come up in my own life as well as my own fiction. A tailor made treat of a book.
Outside of that I really loved how this book was written. It flowed really well, and it handled the three separate timelines rather gracefully. Also, I really liked the characters. I did feel a bit overwhelmed at the beginning but I managed to get caught up fairly quickly. There was never a moment where I felt particularly annoyed with a character or the decisions they made. Every decision felt true to the characters, so even the unwise decisions still felt right.
I do have a few minor gripes with the story. Spoilers past this point.
I felt like Vinnie’s decision to leave law enforcement wasn’t really explored. While it was obvious that that was the direction his character was going to go, I wish it had been given more than just a blink and you miss it line at the end of the book.
Also, I wish that the book had given us just a bit more of the aftermath of the events of the novel and Platt’s death. I don’t need to be told everything but a general town reaction would have been nice.
Overall, Clear Water is a solid supernatural thriller that accurately depicts the horror of a small town.
Thanks to NetGalley and Flatiron Books for the advanced copy.
This book was one of those books that felt like it was made for me, almost to the point where it is hard to review. The supernatural consequences for real world atrocities is one of my favorite tropes of all time, and small town horror is one of my favorite genres. Additionally, discussions of topics of racism, misogyny, and systemic drug abuse are things that have come up in my own life as well as my own fiction. A tailor made treat of a book.
Outside of that I really loved how this book was written. It flowed really well, and it handled the three separate timelines rather gracefully. Also, I really liked the characters. I did feel a bit overwhelmed at the beginning but I managed to get caught up fairly quickly. There was never a moment where I felt particularly annoyed with a character or the decisions they made. Every decision felt true to the characters, so even the unwise decisions still felt right.
I do have a few minor gripes with the story. Spoilers past this point.
I felt like Vinnie’s decision to leave law enforcement wasn’t really explored. While it was obvious that that was the direction his character was going to go, I wish it had been given more than just a blink and you miss it line at the end of the book.
Also, I wish that the book had given us just a bit more of the aftermath of the events of the novel and Platt’s death. I don’t need to be told everything but a general town reaction would have been nice.
Overall, Clear Water is a solid supernatural thriller that accurately depicts the horror of a small town.
Thanks to NetGalley and Flatiron Books for the advanced copy.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
On a snowy, cold night, Alma spots a girl in white standing deep in the snow on the side of an isolated county road. Afraid for the girl's safety, she takes her to the local hospital. After doctors clear her for any injuries, Alma takes the mysterious girl home, only to have the girl disappear again as quickly as she appeared. Soon more reports of girls in white start coming in from all over town, but none of them are the same girl that Alma picked up. As she investigates these sightings, Alma starts to see connections to them and her sister Kayla who died of an overdose as a teenager. Her home town has always had it's share of secrets, but now it seems those secrets are coming forward and the sightings of the girls in white is only the beginning.
Clear Water by Gabrielle Lucille Fuentes, tells Alma's story in multiple timelines starting from her childhood leading up to the events of Kayla's death, her marriage and divorce, and finally present day with the sightings. This is small town horror with supernatural elements that keep you guessing if the girls are ghosts or just some kids playing a prank. Ultimately I did end of up guessing the ending pretty early on, but I did enjoy the slow unraveling of Alma's past with her sister and the present day story. While I enjoyed the writing, it did feel like it slogged along in spots. I wanted a more climactic ending where the "big bad" really gets what's coming to them, but we sort of got a closed door version that left me wanting just a bit more. Overall a decent book though and I'd recommend it to anyone who likes stories that unfold piece by piece.
Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read and review an ARC of this book.
Clear Water by Gabrielle Lucille Fuentes, tells Alma's story in multiple timelines starting from her childhood leading up to the events of Kayla's death, her marriage and divorce, and finally present day with the sightings. This is small town horror with supernatural elements that keep you guessing if the girls are ghosts or just some kids playing a prank. Ultimately I did end of up guessing the ending pretty early on, but I did enjoy the slow unraveling of Alma's past with her sister and the present day story. While I enjoyed the writing, it did feel like it slogged along in spots. I wanted a more climactic ending where the "big bad" really gets what's coming to them, but we sort of got a closed door version that left me wanting just a bit more. Overall a decent book though and I'd recommend it to anyone who likes stories that unfold piece by piece.
Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read and review an ARC of this book.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you NetGalley and Flat Iron for books for the opportunity to read and review Clear Water by Gabrielle Lucille Fuentes.
Part thriller, part atmospheric horror, Clear Water takes place in a small Wisconsin town named Brewer. Young women disappear in Brewer, either lost to addiction or runaways lost to the night. Sometimes girls come back, feral and silent, haunting the snow covered woods.
Alma Figueroa rescues one of the feral girls and is determined to find out who she is and where she came from. Haunted by the loss of her older sister so many years ago, Alma is desperate to help, but there's a darkness to Brewer that hides secrets and Alama will have to discover what this secret is hiding and where the lost girls of Brewer actually go.
Not a bad story, creepy and atmospheric, Gabrielle pulls you into the chilling scenes and makes you really feel the cold air of Wisconsin. I did find the story to drag in parts and the flashbacks were too drawn out and did not contribute much to the story over. The ending did pick up a bit and was a satisfying conclusion.
What worked:
Beautiful writing that pulls you in.
The atmosphere, Gabrielle Lucille Fuentes really knows how to set the scene.
What didn't work:
Slow build up that dragged in parts.
Convoluted characters; there were so many characters with different backstories it became difficult to keep track of them.
Messy timelines: Some of the memory flashbacks were overly drawn out and did not contribute to the story.
4 out of stars.
Part thriller, part atmospheric horror, Clear Water takes place in a small Wisconsin town named Brewer. Young women disappear in Brewer, either lost to addiction or runaways lost to the night. Sometimes girls come back, feral and silent, haunting the snow covered woods.
Alma Figueroa rescues one of the feral girls and is determined to find out who she is and where she came from. Haunted by the loss of her older sister so many years ago, Alma is desperate to help, but there's a darkness to Brewer that hides secrets and Alama will have to discover what this secret is hiding and where the lost girls of Brewer actually go.
Not a bad story, creepy and atmospheric, Gabrielle pulls you into the chilling scenes and makes you really feel the cold air of Wisconsin. I did find the story to drag in parts and the flashbacks were too drawn out and did not contribute much to the story over. The ending did pick up a bit and was a satisfying conclusion.
What worked:
Beautiful writing that pulls you in.
The atmosphere, Gabrielle Lucille Fuentes really knows how to set the scene.
What didn't work:
Slow build up that dragged in parts.
Convoluted characters; there were so many characters with different backstories it became difficult to keep track of them.
Messy timelines: Some of the memory flashbacks were overly drawn out and did not contribute to the story.
4 out of stars.
September 13, 2026
4.5 stars rounded down
Thank you to Goodreads for this giveaway win!
Alma Figueroa’s life is not going as planned. She’s divorced from Dale, recently furloughed from her job at Legal Aid, and still grieving the death of her sister from years ago. She is also the first person in town to see a girl in white. Then others start seeing them: girls in white nightgowns, barefoot in the snow, feral almost. Alma can’t get the girl out of her head, feels a connection to her. She begins investigating, but finds herself pulled back into a past she doesn’t want to think about, reminded of her sister. Can she figure out what these girls are trying to communicate to her?
This book was beautifully written! An atmospheric mystery with supernatural elements. The grief was heavy and you can’t help but to feel for Alma and her family. While there weren’t any shocking twists in this book, I still was drawn into the story, wanting to find out about these girls and what exactly was happening in town. This book really highlights the impact addiction can have, not only on the person struggling with it, but their families, friends, and surrounding community. I’d definitely recommend this one!
Thank you to Goodreads for this giveaway win!
Alma Figueroa’s life is not going as planned. She’s divorced from Dale, recently furloughed from her job at Legal Aid, and still grieving the death of her sister from years ago. She is also the first person in town to see a girl in white. Then others start seeing them: girls in white nightgowns, barefoot in the snow, feral almost. Alma can’t get the girl out of her head, feels a connection to her. She begins investigating, but finds herself pulled back into a past she doesn’t want to think about, reminded of her sister. Can she figure out what these girls are trying to communicate to her?
This book was beautifully written! An atmospheric mystery with supernatural elements. The grief was heavy and you can’t help but to feel for Alma and her family. While there weren’t any shocking twists in this book, I still was drawn into the story, wanting to find out about these girls and what exactly was happening in town. This book really highlights the impact addiction can have, not only on the person struggling with it, but their families, friends, and surrounding community. I’d definitely recommend this one!
Review of advance copy received from Goodreads Giveaways
This story felt calm, quiet, and emotional. The main character spends a lot of time near the water, and I really enjoyed those scenes. When she goes back to the water after feeling stressed, you can feel how much she needs that peace.
The writing is very soft and easy to picture. I remember the way the author described the light on the water and the quiet mornings - it made the whole book feel gentle. There’s a part where the character finally faces something she’s been avoiding, and even though it’s not loud or dramatic, it feels real.
The story shows healing in small steps. You see her slowly open up and trust herself again. By the end, I felt like I went through that slow, quiet journey with her.
It’s a simple, thoughtful book with beautiful writing. It stays in your mind because of how calm and honest it feels.
The writing is very soft and easy to picture. I remember the way the author described the light on the water and the quiet mornings - it made the whole book feel gentle. There’s a part where the character finally faces something she’s been avoiding, and even though it’s not loud or dramatic, it feels real.
The story shows healing in small steps. You see her slowly open up and trust herself again. By the end, I felt like I went through that slow, quiet journey with her.
It’s a simple, thoughtful book with beautiful writing. It stays in your mind because of how calm and honest it feels.
August 16, 2026
Thank you, Net Galley, for the ARC!
***
The premise? Hauntingly beautiful. The execution? Lackluster.
However, this opinion could be based on the fact that I went into the book thinking it would be a true horror/thriller as it states in the blurb.
***
Without spoiling the story, that promised plotline feels like it takes a backseat to what I feel the book's true premise is. I think if you were to go into the book knowing what it really is about - grief, drugs, and the endless cycles of being stuck in small town USA- then the book would have ranked higher for me. The writing own its own is poetic and well down. However, to me there is very little substance to the actual story. It's the type of heavy writing that I truly have to be in the right headspace for and should be marketed as such...not a thriller, not a horror book in my humble opinion.
***
The premise? Hauntingly beautiful. The execution? Lackluster.
However, this opinion could be based on the fact that I went into the book thinking it would be a true horror/thriller as it states in the blurb.
***
Without spoiling the story, that promised plotline feels like it takes a backseat to what I feel the book's true premise is. I think if you were to go into the book knowing what it really is about - grief, drugs, and the endless cycles of being stuck in small town USA- then the book would have ranked higher for me. The writing own its own is poetic and well down. However, to me there is very little substance to the actual story. It's the type of heavy writing that I truly have to be in the right headspace for and should be marketed as such...not a thriller, not a horror book in my humble opinion.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I was hoping with the cover and the blurb this would of had me wanting to stay up late to read. It fell flat for me. The characters just seemed very blah and didn't have any growth as time went on. It seemed that Alma just stayed stagnant. I understand she was still dealing with grief but some growth would have been nice. We have missing girls and drugs. It does jump into 3 different timelines and some of the information did seem a little pointless for me. I was hoping that there was going to be some kind of mind blowing twist and I was disappointed. I had it figured out pretty early on because it was pretty obvious.
Thank you to Netgalley and publisher for an earc for my honest review.
Thank you to Netgalley and publisher for an earc for my honest review.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Clear Water is told over three timelines which worked well for the story. It is definitely a slower paced novel. The prose is beautiful and I highlighted half the book. The story could have used some work and there are parts that needed resolution. The ending isn’t a surprise and is pretty obvious from the beginning. The cover is absolutely beautiful. The prose and the cover are 5 star and the story is more of a 2.75. Perfect for readers who enjoy prose work and aren’t looking for a fast paced thriller.
Thank you, Netgalley and Flatiron Books, for an E-Arc of Clear Water in exchange for an honest review!
Pub Date: Nov 3 2026
⭐⭐⭐
Thank you, Netgalley and Flatiron Books, for an E-Arc of Clear Water in exchange for an honest review!
Pub Date: Nov 3 2026
⭐⭐⭐
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you to Flatiron and NetGalley for the ARC.
A quiet horror novel centering around the opiod crisis in a small Wisconsin town. Was it a bit predictable in regards to who the villain of the piece was? Yes, definitely; there were no surprises there. But I thought the atmosphere was impeccable: the small town, dying both literally and economically; the mystery of the girls in white appearing all around; the long-lingering tensions between the characters; the looming presence of winter. There are very light paranormal elements here, but the true horror of it is in what people can do to each other.
A quiet horror novel centering around the opiod crisis in a small Wisconsin town. Was it a bit predictable in regards to who the villain of the piece was? Yes, definitely; there were no surprises there. But I thought the atmosphere was impeccable: the small town, dying both literally and economically; the mystery of the girls in white appearing all around; the long-lingering tensions between the characters; the looming presence of winter. There are very light paranormal elements here, but the true horror of it is in what people can do to each other.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Gabrielle Lucille Fuentes’ Clear Water would be the perfect book club pick. There was much to digest and think about as I read. There’s the struggle with addiction and poverty, the loss of a family member, not to mention the mystical aspect underlying the appearance and disappearance of girls at odd times and places. Alma and her friends are every woman, the kind that all of us are going to recognize ourselves in. I fell into this story, lulled by the writing and the need to know. Clear Water is definitely one I will be recommending to all my book-loving friends.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Overall, I enjoyed this book. The pacing is a bit slow & there were some bits of the past timeline that I didn’t really think were all that necessary. I would’ve liked if it mainly focused on present day & Alma’s high school experience. The inclusion of Native American lore & history was well done & the author’s prose throughout was beautiful, almost read like poetry in many spots. I don’t know if I would consider this horror though. There were definitely some mysterious/suspenseful elements but I think this is better suited to be classified as folklore, suspense, and literary fiction.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Provided as an ARC via Netgalley on exchange for an honest review.
Good premise that unfortunately falls very flat for me. Very, very slow burn. Felt like Sharp Objects type set up which is one of my favorites, but ultimately didn’t meet my expectations. Didn’t enjoy the timeline jumping around either, and doesn’t feel like it served a purpose in the story other than dragging things out.
Wish it had leaned into horror or anything to intensify the plot that ends up being very predictable and unrewarding
Good premise that unfortunately falls very flat for me. Very, very slow burn. Felt like Sharp Objects type set up which is one of my favorites, but ultimately didn’t meet my expectations. Didn’t enjoy the timeline jumping around either, and doesn’t feel like it served a purpose in the story other than dragging things out.
Wish it had leaned into horror or anything to intensify the plot that ends up being very predictable and unrewarding
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Clear Water had such an interesting, haunting premise, and the mysterious girls appearing around town were what kept me wanting to know more. I also appreciated that underneath the mystery is a much heavier story about grief, addiction, missing women, and a community that has ignored certain things for far too long. At times, though, I felt like there were a lot of ideas competing for my attention, and I was left wanting a little more from some of them. I liked the atmosphere and what the story was trying to do, but overall it didn't completely come together for me.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
As a 38 year old mom who lives to read… pacing was definitely on the slower side, but I actually think that worked well with the mystery. I was really curious about the girls in white and how everything was connected, so I kept reading to see where it was all going. The small-town secrets, grief, and eerie setting added so much to the story. Definitely a slow burn, but the mystery kept me hooked but I still had lingering questions. I think this is a great book for spooky season!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Cool concept but this book like many other horror books build this distance from the immediate action of the narrator and reader. I would rather feel like I am witnessing the story not being given the details after events have already passed. Alma is written as if someone is telling us a story about her life instead of experiencing it through her eyes.
Missing girl lore is interesting enough to pull readers to the book.
Missing girl lore is interesting enough to pull readers to the book.
Review of advance copy received from Storygraph
I wasn't sure what I was getting into with this read. Is it a thriller? is it horror? is it suspense? It was a bit of all three. The story itself is well-written and the words flow beautifully. I thought I knew where the plot must be going and I did, to a certain extent, however the actual ending was a bit disappointing and out there, if not still somewhat satisfying. It is worth the read but not the best.
Received as an ARC from Storygraph.
3.75 stars
Received as an ARC from Storygraph.
3.75 stars
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