Release Date: July 27th 2021
Publisher: HarperCollins
Pages: 400
Find it on: Goodreads. BookDepository. Waterstones.
Source: The publisher kindly sent me a copy of this book to review
Rating: 2.75/5 stars

Synopsis

Her car was found abandoned on the edge of a local nature preserve known as the Bend, but as the case goes cold, Natasha’s loss turns to burning anger.

She’ll do anything to find answers.

Della’s family has channeled magic from the Bend for generations, providing spells for the desperate. But when Natasha appears on her doorstep, Della knows it will take more than simple potions to help her.

But Della has her own secrets to hide.

Because Della thinks she knows the beast who’s responsible for the disappearance — her own mother, who was turned into a terrible monster by magic gone wrong.

Natasha is angry. Della has little to lose.

They are each other’s only hope.

Review

The River Has Teeth is a dark fantasy story that follows Natasha, a young girl whose sister is missing. Natasha will do anything to discover what has happened to her. Della lives near the place where her sister was last seen and her family have harnessed the magic of the area for generations, but the magic is acting strangely and Della has secrets of her own. Will the two girls be able to overcome their differences and discover what’s really happening on the bend?

This is one of those books that had so much potential but just didn’t really work for me. The story felt a bit messy at times and I wanted more of an explanation around the magic. I liked the alternating viewpoints of the two main characters because it was interesting seeing the story from different perspectives but I found Natasha to be a bit on the irritating side.

This is my first book from Erica Waters and I did like her writing style. The story had lots of atmosphere and an interesting setting, but the story just didn’t grab me the way I was expecting. There were a few twists and turns but the reveal at the end was a bit on the predictable side and I saw it coming quite early on. I would have loved to learn more about Della’s family and the magic they create rather than Natasha trying to find out what happened to her sister. I did think the romance was well done and fit well within the story. Overall this book just wasn’t a hit for me, but if you’re looking for an atmospheric mystery story with lots of atmosphere, this could be just the book for you.