Tidepool is a gothic horror debut from author Nicole Willson. It's reminiscent of a Lovecraftian tale with very dark atmosphere in a creepy seaside town. Wilson's writing is smooth and coherent, with a lot of promise for future reads. She clearly has an excellent imagination and she has a talent for creating a nice, creepy feel.

While the atmosphere won me over, the protagonist (Sorrow) was a problem for me. At times she seemed to have a good head on her shoulders, but then she would make the stupidest decisions. Dumb characters who behave like slasher film victims are not my fave. This made the plot run a bit circular, dragged down the pacing, and made the story less believable. (I realize that believable is an odd thing to mention when dealing with a speculative fiction read, but that's what we're going with.)

The storyline was fun and creepy, but admittedly fairly predictable. While I enjoyed this quick, gothic read, I just wanted something a bit more solid and shocking. The writing, however, shows great promise and with Willson's clever imagination I expect that she may have some good spooky stories to share in the future.

* Disclaimer: I received a copy of this novel from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. *