Hold back the tide

Title:

Hold back the tide

Author:

Summary:

Here are the rules of living with a murderer.One: Do not draw attention to yourself.Of course, when you live with a murderer, this is impossible. Even the subtlest of spectres is bound to be noticed. Which leads to the next rule.Two: If you can't be invisible, be useful.Everyone in this quiet lakeside community knows that Alva's father killed her mother, all those years ago. There wasn't enough proof to arrest him, though, and with no other family, Alva's been forced to live with her mother's murderer, doing her best to survive until she can earn enough money to run away.One of her chores is to monitor water levels in the loch-a task her father takes very seriously. Their family has been the guardian of the loch for generations. It's a cold, lonely task, and a few times, Alva can swear she feels someone watching her.But the more Alva investigates, the more she realizes that the truth can be more monstrous than lies, and that you can never escape your past. . . -- Amazon.

Edition:

First edition.

Physical Description:

321 pages ; 22 cm

Genre:

Thrillers (Fiction)

Program Information:

Accelerated Reader UG 4.9 11.0.

Subject Term:

Fathers and daughters -- Fiction.

Motherless families -- Fiction.

Geographic Term:

Highlands (Scotland) -- Fiction.

Publisher:

Scholastic Press,

Publication Date:

2021

ISBN:

9781338681307

Publication Information:

New York : Scholastic Press, 2021.

Call Number:

YA SALISBURY

Holds: Copies:

Available:*

Item Barcode	Collection	Call Number	Status	Item Holds
33607003652917	Young Adult	SALISBURY	Searching... Unknown	Searching... Unavailable

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On Order

Summary

From internationally bestselling, acclaimed author Melinda Salisbury comes a darkly seductive story of murder, betrayal, love, and family secrets in a small town in the Scottish Highlands. Here are the rules of living with a murderer. One: Do not draw attention to yourself. Of course, when you live with a murderer, this is impossible. Even the subtlest of spectres is bound to be noticed. Which leads to the next rule. Two: If you can't be invisible, be useful. Everyone in this quiet lakeside community knows that Alva's father killed her mother, all those years ago. There wasn't enough proof to arrest him, though, and with no other family, Alva's been forced to live with her mother's murderer, doing her best to survive until she can earn enough money to run away.One of her chores is to monitor water levels in the loch-a task her father takes very seriously. Their family has been the guardian of the loch for generations. It's a cold, lonely task, and a few times, Alva can swear she feels someone watching her.But the more Alva investigates, the more she realizes that the truth can be more monstrous than lies, and that you can never escape your past . . .

Author Notes

Melinda Salisbury was born in the 1980s in a landlocked city, before escaping to live by the sea. As a child, she genuinely thought Roald Dahl's Matilda was her biography. When she's not trying to unlock the hidden avenues of her mind, she's reading, writing, or traveling. She lives in the UK and can be found on Twitter as @AHintofMystery, though be warned she tweets often.

Reviews (1)

Publisher's Weekly Review

For seven years, Alva Douglas has known what the residents of Ormscaula only suspect: that her father, Lachlan, killed her mother. Da claims that Mam abandoned them, but Alva heard the gunshots and has lived in fear ever since. When she turns 16, Alva secures a job in Thurso and arranges to stow away on the next mail cart. Before she can carry out her plan, though, terrifying creatures called òlanfhuil begin emerging from caves exposed by the loch's dropping water level--a consequence of the local mill's expansion. As the loch's caretaker, or Naomhfhuil, it's Lachlan's duty to warn the villagers and convince the mill's owner--his nemesis, Giles Stewart--to cease operations. Alva quickly realizes that her father has no intention of doing either, however, and she resolves to save the day with the aid of fellow outcast Murren Ross, who was born with a "twisted leg," and Giles' son, Gavan. After a setup-heavy start, Salisbury (the State of Sorrow duology) launches readers headlong into a harrowing Scottish Highlands--set historical horror rife with monsters both literal and metaphorical. Keenly rendered characters, high-stakes action, and tender romance keep the pages turning until the tale's heartrending close. Ages 12--up. (Jan.)