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Useless Bay
Everything dead eventually washes up in Useless Bay…
The Gray quintuplets are the stuff of legend on Whidbey Island. Pixie and her brothers have always been bigger and stronger than their neighbors, as if they had been birthed from the island itself. Together, they serve as an unofficial search-and-rescue team, saving tourists and locals alike from the sometimes brutal forces of wind and sea. But when a young boy goes missing, Pixie instead finds the dead body of someone else in Useless Bay—and realizes that something sinister is rising from the water.
The Gray quintuplets are the stuff of legend on Whidbey Island. Pixie and her brothers have always been bigger and stronger than their neighbors, as if they had been birthed from the island itself. Together, they serve as an unofficial search-and-rescue team, saving tourists and locals alike from the sometimes brutal forces of wind and sea. But when a young boy goes missing, Pixie instead finds the dead body of someone else in Useless Bay—and realizes that something sinister is rising from the water.
240 pages, Hardcover
First published October 18, 2016
10 people are currently reading
690 people want to read
About the author
M.J. Beaufrand
2 books15 followersM.J. Beaufrand is the author of The River, which was nominated for an Edgar Award, and Primavera. She has an MFA in creative writing from Bennington College. She lives in Seattle with her husband, two kids, and strange dogs.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 67 reviews
August 12, 2016
Useless Bay was the type of book I couldn't put down. In fact, I almost completed the book in a matter of hours (but sleep got in the way, I did start it at midnight). And it was also the first thing I picked up when I woke up in the morning. It's the type of book that you don't expect to grip you in the magical way that it does, and I'm so happy I requested this on NetGalley because I absolutely adore it.
I adore everything from the characters - a set of quintruplets that will make you feel awful for the lack of missing children you've found, an adorable little boy who sets the entire book into motion, and a brother and a sister who both have their own secrets to keep - to the island which is whimsical in it's own creepy, everything-dead-washes-up-here kind of way and then there's the mystery which had me hooked from the very first chapter. It's the kind of mystery that you almost find yourself chanting along with, urging the characters to realise something that you just did. That's another thing I love about this particular mystery - you're never too far behind the characters, which is something that often drives me crazy in books of this genre.
The writing was beautiful and absolutely terrifying and I loved every moment of this book. I was gasping for breath, searching the shadows of my room, my heart beating 100 miles a minute. This book is less a book and more of an experience and I cannot encourage you enough to read it.
I adore everything from the characters - a set of quintruplets that will make you feel awful for the lack of missing children you've found, an adorable little boy who sets the entire book into motion, and a brother and a sister who both have their own secrets to keep - to the island which is whimsical in it's own creepy, everything-dead-washes-up-here kind of way and then there's the mystery which had me hooked from the very first chapter. It's the kind of mystery that you almost find yourself chanting along with, urging the characters to realise something that you just did. That's another thing I love about this particular mystery - you're never too far behind the characters, which is something that often drives me crazy in books of this genre.
The writing was beautiful and absolutely terrifying and I loved every moment of this book. I was gasping for breath, searching the shadows of my room, my heart beating 100 miles a minute. This book is less a book and more of an experience and I cannot encourage you enough to read it.
September 8, 2016
A charming little mystery with a beautiful backdrop and an intriguing set of quintuplets. Almost felt southern gothic, but set in the Pacific Northwest, instead.
I was surprised to see this described as a 'gritty, psychological thriller' here on the goodreads page. This is neither gritty, psychological, nor thrilling. It's the type of mystery you would have read as a child on summer break, grabbing a book and climbing up a tree to read all afternoon in its branches. The narrator's friendly tone, their awe and respect for the rugged coast they call home, and the quaint strangeness of the Gray quintuplets feels nostalgic and welcoming.
A warning for animal lovers - some bad things do happen. But its handled in a way that feels respectful, and the protagonist deals with it in a healthy and responsive manner. I usually cannot tolerate any hint of bad things happening to animals, and was surprised at my reaction to it in this book. Somehow, maybe the way the character reacts, or maybe just the respectful manner of the book towards nature overall, softened the blow and made it easier to move on.
A quaint, charming and nostalgic little mystery that takes you away to a misty coast studded with trees.
I was surprised to see this described as a 'gritty, psychological thriller' here on the goodreads page. This is neither gritty, psychological, nor thrilling. It's the type of mystery you would have read as a child on summer break, grabbing a book and climbing up a tree to read all afternoon in its branches. The narrator's friendly tone, their awe and respect for the rugged coast they call home, and the quaint strangeness of the Gray quintuplets feels nostalgic and welcoming.
A warning for animal lovers - some bad things do happen. But its handled in a way that feels respectful, and the protagonist deals with it in a healthy and responsive manner. I usually cannot tolerate any hint of bad things happening to animals, and was surprised at my reaction to it in this book. Somehow, maybe the way the character reacts, or maybe just the respectful manner of the book towards nature overall, softened the blow and made it easier to move on.
A quaint, charming and nostalgic little mystery that takes you away to a misty coast studded with trees.
October 15, 2019
This review was originally posted on The Moonlight Library
I was drawn to Useless Bay because I really liked the idea of a group of almost super-human quintuplets that acted as the local search and rescue on their small, isolated island.
What I found was most disappointing.
To start with, the quintuplets (all named after Rat Pack members, plus Marilyn ‘Pixie’, because their single mother is weird) were absolutely forced into this search and rescue by their obsessed mother, who yelled at them until they complied, and they were all well under eighteen years old when it started so they were all minors, and I wasn’t even sure they did it willingly. I don’t even know if that’s legal, and it’s certainly unethical to force your children, no matter how big and strong, into dangerous search and rescue missions.
Other weird things kept cropping up that made me wonder if this was set in some kind of weird alternate universe. For example, FedEx delivered a puppy to the house in a crate and left it on the front porch, despite the fact that FedEx does not transport live animals. Then, the girl of the group, our Pixie, was left to raise and train this dog, even though she’s not the one who purchased it. Everyone kept going on about how this dog was Pixie’s, but it was one of her brothers who secretly bought it. Like, what even is that? Did Pixie get lumped with the job just because she’s the girl? The brother should have taken responsibility for his own damn idea.
Back to the ethically questionable stuff: Pixie’s kind-of-love-interest Henry (I say ‘kind of’ because it’s definitely NOT a romance) is so very weirdly possessive about her, and they’re not even dating. He treats her not only like they ARE dating, when they are explicitly not (“She’s not my girlfriend!” he says repeatedly) but he also treats her like his possession, angry and jealous when other people talk about her, wanting to spend time with her and only her, and being weirdly possessive, like he was a controlling husband of the era of Hollywood stars the quints are named after. It’s just not on. Nothing about him was appealing and nothing in the book was romantic. View Spoiler » Also, Henry does something so awful as a child that even though he was manipulated, he can’t be forgiven.
But Pixie’s not innocent in this triumvirate of terrible, unethical characters. The inciting incident begins when Dean, the de facto ‘leader’ (like this was some kind of middle grade novel) takes the blame for something he did not do, because the quintuplets have a ‘roster of blame’. Dean was taken to the police station for questioning, and Pixie just let it happen! Even though both Pixie, and Henry, knew that it wasn’t Dean responsible for the terrible thing!
This was also billed as a gritty, psychological thriller, but I found it more suitable to a middle-grade audience. It’s neither gritty, nor psychological, nor a thriller. And no one even ‘figures out’ who the bad guy is, it’s revealed without any kind of realisation, outward or internal.
So the plot was also pretty useless. A kid goes missing at about 20%, and all through to 60%, literally nothing happens to move the plot forward. Then, when the bad guy is revealed and they’re responsible for just about every heartache, it turns out View Spoiler »
On the other hand, the magical realism was pretty cool, but the book read so strongly like a middle grade even though it explores more mature themes.
Also, don’t read this if you like dogs.
I was drawn to Useless Bay because I really liked the idea of a group of almost super-human quintuplets that acted as the local search and rescue on their small, isolated island.
What I found was most disappointing.
To start with, the quintuplets (all named after Rat Pack members, plus Marilyn ‘Pixie’, because their single mother is weird) were absolutely forced into this search and rescue by their obsessed mother, who yelled at them until they complied, and they were all well under eighteen years old when it started so they were all minors, and I wasn’t even sure they did it willingly. I don’t even know if that’s legal, and it’s certainly unethical to force your children, no matter how big and strong, into dangerous search and rescue missions.
Other weird things kept cropping up that made me wonder if this was set in some kind of weird alternate universe. For example, FedEx delivered a puppy to the house in a crate and left it on the front porch, despite the fact that FedEx does not transport live animals. Then, the girl of the group, our Pixie, was left to raise and train this dog, even though she’s not the one who purchased it. Everyone kept going on about how this dog was Pixie’s, but it was one of her brothers who secretly bought it. Like, what even is that? Did Pixie get lumped with the job just because she’s the girl? The brother should have taken responsibility for his own damn idea.
Back to the ethically questionable stuff: Pixie’s kind-of-love-interest Henry (I say ‘kind of’ because it’s definitely NOT a romance) is so very weirdly possessive about her, and they’re not even dating. He treats her not only like they ARE dating, when they are explicitly not (“She’s not my girlfriend!” he says repeatedly) but he also treats her like his possession, angry and jealous when other people talk about her, wanting to spend time with her and only her, and being weirdly possessive, like he was a controlling husband of the era of Hollywood stars the quints are named after. It’s just not on. Nothing about him was appealing and nothing in the book was romantic. View Spoiler » Also, Henry does something so awful as a child that even though he was manipulated, he can’t be forgiven.
But Pixie’s not innocent in this triumvirate of terrible, unethical characters. The inciting incident begins when Dean, the de facto ‘leader’ (like this was some kind of middle grade novel) takes the blame for something he did not do, because the quintuplets have a ‘roster of blame’. Dean was taken to the police station for questioning, and Pixie just let it happen! Even though both Pixie, and Henry, knew that it wasn’t Dean responsible for the terrible thing!
This was also billed as a gritty, psychological thriller, but I found it more suitable to a middle-grade audience. It’s neither gritty, nor psychological, nor a thriller. And no one even ‘figures out’ who the bad guy is, it’s revealed without any kind of realisation, outward or internal.
So the plot was also pretty useless. A kid goes missing at about 20%, and all through to 60%, literally nothing happens to move the plot forward. Then, when the bad guy is revealed and they’re responsible for just about every heartache, it turns out View Spoiler »
On the other hand, the magical realism was pretty cool, but the book read so strongly like a middle grade even though it explores more mature themes.
Also, don’t read this if you like dogs.
October 18, 2016
I received a copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley for review.
Ten Second Synopsis:
Henry and the Quints have known each other ever since Henry's famous, rich father moved to Useless Bay to set up house (or McMansion, as the case may be). When Henry's little brother Grant goes missing, Henry knows that the best people to find him will be Pixie and her brothers.
Although the cover of this edition puts me in mind of a middle grade targeted story, this is definitely one for the young adults and older readers. The story is a strange combination of murder mystery, magical realism and family drama and at times I felt that the author couldn't quite decide which genre they wanted to focus on, so chose instead to flick between them and see what happened.
The Gray quintuplets have lived on the island all their lives and are constantly described in almost mythical terms, but when it boils down to it, it appears that they just happen to be above average height with a strong familial connection and a fiercely independent streak. Pixie, from whose point of view half of the story is told, comes to be responsible, almost by accident, for a bloodhound who turns out to be brilliant at finding lost people; and it seems like there are a lot of lost people to find on the island and a steady stream of work available for Pixie and her dog, unlikely as that may be. Henry, from whose point of view the other half of the story is told, is the son of a famous, rich man, and the family's connection with Useless Bay itself -and the mystical Gray quintuplets - is the result of some serendipitous real estate brokerage.
Overall, I did enjoy the mystery and drama of the story but much of the book felt a bit unwieldy, switching between the grim reality of searching for a lost child (presumed dead) and the odd levity of Pixie's foray into paranormal historical hallucinations. The overall atmosphere is quite despondent, but this is tempered with scenes of pacey action and the revelation of unexpected secrets.
I can certainly say I haven't come across such a hybrid of genres and interesting mix of characters and setting for quite some time in a YA novel, so for that reason alone it is worth picking up. I think this would appeal to those who enjoy a quirky mystery that blends reality with unexpected paranormal twists.
Ten Second Synopsis:
Henry and the Quints have known each other ever since Henry's famous, rich father moved to Useless Bay to set up house (or McMansion, as the case may be). When Henry's little brother Grant goes missing, Henry knows that the best people to find him will be Pixie and her brothers.
Although the cover of this edition puts me in mind of a middle grade targeted story, this is definitely one for the young adults and older readers. The story is a strange combination of murder mystery, magical realism and family drama and at times I felt that the author couldn't quite decide which genre they wanted to focus on, so chose instead to flick between them and see what happened.
The Gray quintuplets have lived on the island all their lives and are constantly described in almost mythical terms, but when it boils down to it, it appears that they just happen to be above average height with a strong familial connection and a fiercely independent streak. Pixie, from whose point of view half of the story is told, comes to be responsible, almost by accident, for a bloodhound who turns out to be brilliant at finding lost people; and it seems like there are a lot of lost people to find on the island and a steady stream of work available for Pixie and her dog, unlikely as that may be. Henry, from whose point of view the other half of the story is told, is the son of a famous, rich man, and the family's connection with Useless Bay itself -and the mystical Gray quintuplets - is the result of some serendipitous real estate brokerage.
Overall, I did enjoy the mystery and drama of the story but much of the book felt a bit unwieldy, switching between the grim reality of searching for a lost child (presumed dead) and the odd levity of Pixie's foray into paranormal historical hallucinations. The overall atmosphere is quite despondent, but this is tempered with scenes of pacey action and the revelation of unexpected secrets.
I can certainly say I haven't come across such a hybrid of genres and interesting mix of characters and setting for quite some time in a YA novel, so for that reason alone it is worth picking up. I think this would appeal to those who enjoy a quirky mystery that blends reality with unexpected paranormal twists.
August 16, 2018
#bookbingonw2018 #takesplaceintheareawhereyouwereborn
July 15, 2020
A captivating mystery told in chapters alternating between the perspectives of Pixie, part of a set of 16-yr-old quintuplets, and Henry, son of a millionaire who lives on Whidbey Island in Washington state. The novel weaves in magical realist elements that generally work with the narrative. A fresh, original mystery with haunting descriptions of Whidbey Island.
March 13, 2017
Okayish, Not really mu cup of tea 2.5* maybe 2.75 if i'm generous.
October 30, 2017
Meh. Magical realism feels a little out of place or not well enough developed to be anything other than a curiosity and there's unnecessary language that doesn't advance the story. Characters seemed flat. Mystery is not that mysterious and seemed superfluous. None of the characters seem to have any real emotions.
October 7, 2016
This book was previously reviewed at http://missnicolethelibrarian.blogspo...
Ummmm....hmmm....
Hmmm....
I wanted to like this book, but the pitched summary above isn't really what you're getting. It's definitely not a psychological thriller. It's actually not even that thrilling, and the killer is painfully obvious. I want Pacific Northwest Gothic to totally be a thing, but this book just didn't do that for me.
In fact, I'm still trying to make heads and tails of it. It's definitely plot driven and fast paced (I finished this in just under four hours), but don't even try to understand the characters, least of all the two POVs: Pixie and Henry (the older brother of the missing boy).
I feel like the plot jumped around too much, and the twists were more confusing than big "AHA!" or "Whoa! Didn't see that coming!" moments. The big "show down" with confronting and bringing the killer to justice was a combination of poor/weird/silly decisions on the character's part and extremely anti-climatic.
The "magic" of the island and the way Pixie and her four brothers worked and connected with each other was odd. It felt like all of these random things were being thrown out to the reader without any explanation. I love magic in a story, especially one where magic helps catch a killer, but explain the magic. Make me see & understand it or it's not believable and takes away any awe and wonder of "Are there people who really can do that?"
Sigh. I'd skip this one all together guys. If you like true crime, try Barry Lyga's I Hunt Killers series. If you're into a murder mystery with some magic, grab Libba Bray's The Diviners series or William Ritter's Jackaby series. All are way better than this!
Ummmm....hmmm....
Hmmm....
I wanted to like this book, but the pitched summary above isn't really what you're getting. It's definitely not a psychological thriller. It's actually not even that thrilling, and the killer is painfully obvious. I want Pacific Northwest Gothic to totally be a thing, but this book just didn't do that for me.
In fact, I'm still trying to make heads and tails of it. It's definitely plot driven and fast paced (I finished this in just under four hours), but don't even try to understand the characters, least of all the two POVs: Pixie and Henry (the older brother of the missing boy).
I feel like the plot jumped around too much, and the twists were more confusing than big "AHA!" or "Whoa! Didn't see that coming!" moments. The big "show down" with confronting and bringing the killer to justice was a combination of poor/weird/silly decisions on the character's part and extremely anti-climatic.
The "magic" of the island and the way Pixie and her four brothers worked and connected with each other was odd. It felt like all of these random things were being thrown out to the reader without any explanation. I love magic in a story, especially one where magic helps catch a killer, but explain the magic. Make me see & understand it or it's not believable and takes away any awe and wonder of "Are there people who really can do that?"
Sigh. I'd skip this one all together guys. If you like true crime, try Barry Lyga's I Hunt Killers series. If you're into a murder mystery with some magic, grab Libba Bray's The Diviners series or William Ritter's Jackaby series. All are way better than this!
May 24, 2017
"A touch of magical realism," says the jacket flap.
More like touches of the supernatural added to boost a less than believable plot. To add insult to injury, I figured out the villain of the piece by halfway through the book, though I didn't guess at several silly twists, probably because they too were less than believable. There was a good story in here--I liked Pixie and her 4 brothers, quints named after members of the Rat Pack. But their story was drowned (sorry) in a silly mystery plot.
More like touches of the supernatural added to boost a less than believable plot. To add insult to injury, I figured out the villain of the piece by halfway through the book, though I didn't guess at several silly twists, probably because they too were less than believable. There was a good story in here--I liked Pixie and her 4 brothers, quints named after members of the Rat Pack. But their story was drowned (sorry) in a silly mystery plot.
November 21, 2016
On Whidbey Island, the Gray quintuplets are unusual in many ways. They have no father, they're all over six feet tall, and over the years they've developed a penchant for search and rescue--especially the only girl, Pix, with her badly-trained bloodhound Patience. The Shepherds come from a different world--the world of the uber-wealthy. Their compound sits right on Useless Bay, with the Grays' house on the bluff above. Despite the disparities, the Shepherds have come to trust the Grays, and Henry--the same age as the quints--especially has his eye on Pix. All of their lives become fraught, however, when Henry's young half-brother, Grant, goes missing. The quints immediately start looking for him, but the body they find isn't his. Now they have a lot more problems on their hands, and things get worse very quickly.
Disclaimer: the author has been a friend for more years than either of us care to count, but I really did love the book! I'll admit I skipped the gory bits (she loves the gory bits), but there was so much more to this book than that. I thought the mystery unfolded really well--great job of structuring it so clues and hints got dropped at the right time. Takes a lot of skill to do that. I also enjoyed the relationship between Pix and Henry, which was sweet and believable. The supernatural/magical realism elements I'll admit threw me off a bit because at times I wasn't sure if I should read them as magical realism or as just products of stress; I'm fine with either, but I like to know. Maybe the point was that you never really know? In any case, my favorite part was the relationship between the siblings--I'm a sucker for warm sibling relationships. And I totally think this should be turned into a series, or even a TV show--I can so picture the Grays having lots more mysteries to solve and adventures to have. Oh, and I also liked how much the island played a role in the book--I'm big on setting, and in this case it was crucial, which is probably obvious from the title. Anyway, a great fast read! (With gory bits, because those are MJ's favorites.)
Disclaimer: the author has been a friend for more years than either of us care to count, but I really did love the book! I'll admit I skipped the gory bits (she loves the gory bits), but there was so much more to this book than that. I thought the mystery unfolded really well--great job of structuring it so clues and hints got dropped at the right time. Takes a lot of skill to do that. I also enjoyed the relationship between Pix and Henry, which was sweet and believable. The supernatural/magical realism elements I'll admit threw me off a bit because at times I wasn't sure if I should read them as magical realism or as just products of stress; I'm fine with either, but I like to know. Maybe the point was that you never really know? In any case, my favorite part was the relationship between the siblings--I'm a sucker for warm sibling relationships. And I totally think this should be turned into a series, or even a TV show--I can so picture the Grays having lots more mysteries to solve and adventures to have. Oh, and I also liked how much the island played a role in the book--I'm big on setting, and in this case it was crucial, which is probably obvious from the title. Anyway, a great fast read! (With gory bits, because those are MJ's favorites.)
June 28, 2017
2.5/5
There are a few scenes of child abuse in the second half of the book, so be aware of that when reading. Character death in the spoiler ->
This book tried too hard to be too many things. Was it a murder mystery? Was it urban fantasy? Was it a coming of age story? Few books can pull off being multiple genres, and this was not one of them. It was a quick read and exciting enough, but ultimately it was disappointing. Obvious hints were dropped throughout the book as to who really did what, so when the reveal happened it wasn't surprising. The fantasy element seemed so out of place, but maybe that's because I wasn't expecting it? I couldn't tell if Pixie was really seeing these things or if it was some sort of flowery language, a similar problem I had with We Were Liars, which coincidentally is also about a rich person's tragedy on an island.
This book had a lot of potential and that's why I'm so bummed about it. There are ways to integrate the fantasy elements so it's more realistic, and that could have really helped this book out. It almost had a mythical retelling feel to it, but it's not any myth that I recognize (which is fair, I'm sure there are plenty of myths I'm unaware of). There were also spies thrown in just for the heck of it? I still don't understand where that plot point was supposed to go. It was utterly useless (ha).
This wasn't a terrible novel, it just wasn't amazing either. It didn't blow me away, not with the plot, the characterization, or the writing. It's enjoyable enough, but not something I would read again or go out of my way to recommend.
There are a few scenes of child abuse in the second half of the book, so be aware of that when reading. Character death in the spoiler ->
This book tried too hard to be too many things. Was it a murder mystery? Was it urban fantasy? Was it a coming of age story? Few books can pull off being multiple genres, and this was not one of them. It was a quick read and exciting enough, but ultimately it was disappointing. Obvious hints were dropped throughout the book as to who really did what, so when the reveal happened it wasn't surprising. The fantasy element seemed so out of place, but maybe that's because I wasn't expecting it? I couldn't tell if Pixie was really seeing these things or if it was some sort of flowery language, a similar problem I had with We Were Liars, which coincidentally is also about a rich person's tragedy on an island.
This book had a lot of potential and that's why I'm so bummed about it. There are ways to integrate the fantasy elements so it's more realistic, and that could have really helped this book out. It almost had a mythical retelling feel to it, but it's not any myth that I recognize (which is fair, I'm sure there are plenty of myths I'm unaware of). There were also spies thrown in just for the heck of it? I still don't understand where that plot point was supposed to go. It was utterly useless (ha).
This wasn't a terrible novel, it just wasn't amazing either. It didn't blow me away, not with the plot, the characterization, or the writing. It's enjoyable enough, but not something I would read again or go out of my way to recommend.
September 19, 2017
This book started out really fast paced, and the author writes in a fun conversational-type style.
He said he wanted to order a dog because he had the wacky idea that he wanted to be involved in search-and-rescue . . . kind of a romantic, our Sammy. Not a big thinker-througher.
Sure the book has a few gimmicks: quintuplet boys named after the original Rat Pack, with a younger sister named Marilyn Monroe (nicknamed Pixie), the single mom with all these 5 kids and no father to speak of , all kids have a sixth-sense and are good at search and rescue, even down to Pixie getting stung by a man-of-war, which of course, she is allergic to. Even with all that, I still was hooked.
But then while Pixie is searching for a lost neighbor boy she discovers deep secrets. Things started to get really crazy, and then unbelievable , at which point I was just glad the book was short and easy to read!
Too bad. I did like the story at first. But the author created what she wanted to get the story she wanted.
He said he wanted to order a dog because he had the wacky idea that he wanted to be involved in search-and-rescue . . . kind of a romantic, our Sammy. Not a big thinker-througher.
Sure the book has a few gimmicks: quintuplet boys named after the original Rat Pack, with a younger sister named Marilyn Monroe (nicknamed Pixie), the single mom with all these 5 kids and no father to speak of , all kids have a sixth-sense and are good at search and rescue, even down to Pixie getting stung by a man-of-war, which of course, she is allergic to. Even with all that, I still was hooked.
But then while Pixie is searching for a lost neighbor boy she discovers deep secrets. Things started to get really crazy, and then unbelievable , at which point I was just glad the book was short and easy to read!
Too bad. I did like the story at first. But the author created what she wanted to get the story she wanted.
December 24, 2018
2.75 stars Useless Bay is another recent random library pick. To be honest, I'm not sure what level of reader this is supposed to be marketed to. On one hand, it read like a middle grade book and on the other it had elements that would really only be suitable for older YA readers. The story involves quintuplets who are famous for being good at search and rescue on their little island The four brothers and one sister are rumored to have been born of the land. They are tasked with finding one of their friend's little brother who has gone missing on the island, however, they end up finding another body instead.
This ended up being an OK read for me. It's really short, so I read it in one sitting. My biggest issue with it was the lack of supernatural development. There are some elements that, had they been further developed, could have lead the book to be a good supernatural thriller. But they weren't. For instance, Pixie's visions about the troll and creatures in the sea. I would have loved to have more. I also thought the book could have been longer to make the mystery more exciting. It wasn't hard to figure out the reveal about halfway through the book. So, it was more a matter of waiting for the characters to catch up to the reader.
Having said all of that, I did like the characters. They are ones I would love to read about again. The Quints were fun and interesting. No one knows who their father was although there it a hint toward the end of book. That would have been fun to explore further. As I said earlier, I think this probably should be kept to the older YA crowd. There are elements of animal and child abuse that could be disturbing to younger readers.
This ended up being an OK read for me. It's really short, so I read it in one sitting. My biggest issue with it was the lack of supernatural development. There are some elements that, had they been further developed, could have lead the book to be a good supernatural thriller. But they weren't. For instance, Pixie's visions about the troll and creatures in the sea. I would have loved to have more. I also thought the book could have been longer to make the mystery more exciting. It wasn't hard to figure out the reveal about halfway through the book. So, it was more a matter of waiting for the characters to catch up to the reader.
Having said all of that, I did like the characters. They are ones I would love to read about again. The Quints were fun and interesting. No one knows who their father was although there it a hint toward the end of book. That would have been fun to explore further. As I said earlier, I think this probably should be kept to the older YA crowd. There are elements of animal and child abuse that could be disturbing to younger readers.
October 29, 2017
M.J. Beaufrand's "Useless Bay" is a mystery book about a girl nick named Pixie, a boy name Henry, and both their families. Pixie is a tough, tall girl who is a great search and rescue volunteer with her dog ,Patience. She belongs to the Gray Family, who are super tall and excellent members of the community. Henry is a boy who gets enraged easily and is in love with Pixie. Henry is part of the Shepard Family who are super rich, which attracts them a lot of attention. They both live by Useless Bay on Whidbey Island where "everything washes up". It is the end of summer, when Grant and Lyudmila Shepard go missing, along with the Shepard's security guard, and everybody goes searching.
Overall the book is great, besides when Pixie has weird visions when she sees ghosts. I found whenever these scenes were involved the book became difficult to understand, either by intention or not, it was a little confusing. With that exception the book was wonderful it always made you wonder, "What would wash up next?".
Overall the book is great, besides when Pixie has weird visions when she sees ghosts. I found whenever these scenes were involved the book became difficult to understand, either by intention or not, it was a little confusing. With that exception the book was wonderful it always made you wonder, "What would wash up next?".
July 29, 2023
More like a 3.5
⭐ What I Liked
*Excellent prose
*Believable details about characters
*Very descriptive. Balanced showing and telling. Especially when it comes to the nature stuff.
*Believable supernatural elements
📝 What Could Be Done Better
*I wish all of the characters' voices were more distinct. They're also a little too polished to be teens' voices. The exception is the sad Russian and the bad dog trainer. They had distinct character voices.
*Maybe instead of going between two first-person perspectives, it could have been written in the third-person? It would allow for a more complete view of the community. Would add suspense.
*I wanted the author to dig a bit deeper into the themes of the book. Faith, blind faith, family, etc.
⭐ What I Liked
*Excellent prose
*Believable details about characters
*Very descriptive. Balanced showing and telling. Especially when it comes to the nature stuff.
*Believable supernatural elements
📝 What Could Be Done Better
*I wish all of the characters' voices were more distinct. They're also a little too polished to be teens' voices. The exception is the sad Russian and the bad dog trainer. They had distinct character voices.
*Maybe instead of going between two first-person perspectives, it could have been written in the third-person? It would allow for a more complete view of the community. Would add suspense.
*I wanted the author to dig a bit deeper into the themes of the book. Faith, blind faith, family, etc.
July 20, 2019
Mysteries generally aren't my thing, but this one really pulled me in & kept me there for the wild & short, ride. This book has some romance & some search & rescue stuff, but at it's core it's a solid murder mystery with a bit of paranormal ghost-yness mixed in to keep it spicy. While I found a few points to be a bit silly , it was very engaging over all.
Dog related spoiler ->
Dog related spoiler ->
April 23, 2018
I knew right away that I was going to enjoy this book regardless of where the story ended up. The characters, the setting, the writing--all had a certain magic to it that I love love love as a reader. However, I do feel as though this book leaned into so many different directions and never really pursued one fully. It didn't fully commit to the magical realism or to the mystery and suspense. If it had, I can't help feeling as though I would have loved it so much more. All in all, it was a fun quick read and not a world I will be soon forgetting.
Read
January 1, 2021Wow. I just could not get into this book. I'm not even going to rate it because I'm wondering if the problem was with me, but just in case it wasn't, I need to throw my experience into the pot. Something about this just did not work for me. I rarely have trouble focusing on a book even if I'm not enjoying it, but for whatever reason, I just could not hold this one in long enough to get passed the first few chapters.
I really didn't like the main character, though? So that may have a lot to do with it.
This one has truly perplexed me.
I really didn't like the main character, though? So that may have a lot to do with it.
This one has truly perplexed me.
March 8, 2022
I thought this book was well written because the author gives it a creative spin because the book is told mainly by two perspectives, Pixie's and Henry's. While the ending is left unclear and vague to the reader the overall unravel of the mystery and how it is shown to the reader was very well done. I enjoyed seeing the story through two perspectives because I got to see the reality through Henry and the imaginative story through Pixie. Overall I would highly recommend it to someone. Truly it was one of my favorites.
January 2, 2018
Well this one took me by surprise. The cover does not match the story... The bodies start to stack up in this murder mystery set on Whidbey Island. The narrative switches between two characters and that was confusing at first, but smoothed out as I went along. Plenty of action happening as the quintuplets race against time to find a missing boy. Strangulation, shooting, and drowning all work for and against them. A compelling read for seventh grade and above.
March 6, 2018
Fast read that I picked up because it's set on Whidbey Island. There were elements of magical realism/mythology, which were interesting but I didn't have a strong sense of why they were important. The main plot was a mystery. I'm not sure if it was the short timeframe of action, but I didn't feel like I got to know the main characters very well. It felt like this was a modern retelling of a myth, but not being familiar with the original myth a lot went over my head.
January 23, 2017
Claire Hutchet Bishop's The Five Chinese Brothers moves to the Pacific Northwest in this YA mystery from M.J. Beaufrand. Useless Bay introduces readers to the Gray quints --- four brothers and sister Pixie --- and the Shepherds: an ultra-wealthy family who vacation near the Grays' home on Whidbey Island. When two members of the Shepherd clan go missing, the Grays are the first people suspected, and the supersized, superpowered teens must rush to solve the mystery and save themselves and their friends.
Useless Bay alternates chapters between Pixie Gray and Henry Shepherd, the budding romantic partners at the heart of the novel. Henry refuses to believe that Pixie had anything to do with his brother's disappearance, but she was the last person seen with little Grant --- and they were rowing a boat out onto the water. Although the constantly swapping point of view doesn't lend the kind of tautness to the narrative that you'd expect, it does prevent the characters from spilling all of their secrets in one go.
Beaufrand's novel isn't without its problems. The atmosphere is less "gritty," more Scooby-Doo, and the Gray quints' mysterious origins are left largely unexplained, in spite of the fact that the novel appears to be planned as a standalone. That's not to mention the convenient --- and sometimes frenetic --- storyline, which passes by much more quickly than one expects. Ultimately, however, the issues here are minor. Useless Bay is an enjoyable read, in spite of its flaws.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for this review.
September 26, 2017
The book was a mystery that begins on a peninsula between two families the grays and the neighbors the grays were extremely talented at finding people who where lost on the island because of their dog (patience)but the book takes a turn and the dog is found dead and a boy went missing, the grays find a dead body in the bay but it wasn't the boy so a manhunt begins and they try to find the killer and it turns out it was the grays grandma who abused the neighbors child who went missing.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 27, 2018
Think Pacific Northwest gothic. The Gray quintuplets are the stuff of legend, larger than life, stronger and more fearless than mere mortals. Heroes, all. Secrets, lies, murder and just a hint of supernatural, this is a YA mystery that adults will enjoy too. This has been lost in my TBR pile for quite sometime and I am so glad I found it!
February 19, 2018
I thought the plot was good, but there were parts in the book that made absolutely no sense to me at all. I think the book would have made an awesome mystery without all the weird fantasy type elements added in.
June 5, 2018
Things I liked--pretty good mystery, interesting characters, excellent sense of place. Things I didn't like--weird paranormal stuff that didn't quite jive with the rest of the book, melodramatic villain.
August 25, 2019
I didn't love the paranormal aspect of this book. I feel like it was just thrown in there, but it wasn't really necessary.
This would have been a good series.. each sibling having a book from his/ her perspective.
This would have been a good series.. each sibling having a book from his/ her perspective.
February 8, 2021
This book was quite good although a bit hard to follow at times. The mystery was intriguing and the characters where charming. The setting was also great and really amplified the atmosphere of the story. However, the development of magical powers was quite jarring and seemed out of place.
August 19, 2022
This was extremely addictive, I finished it in less than 2 days. But and this is a big but this didn’t feel like “ya” it felt more like something a middle/elementary age child would enjoy that being said I liked the story the writing style felt almost like a fanfic? Do not recommend
2.5/5⭐️
2.5/5⭐️
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