Hold Back the Tide

by Melinda Salisbury Narrated by Elle Newlands

Overview

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 . . .

Editorial Reviews

JANUARY 2021 - AudioFile

This eerily beautiful tale draws on Scottish folklore, creating a unique listening experience. Narrator Elle Newlands’s Scottish brogue is the perfect voice for young Alva, who is planning to escape her isolated, fearful life on the loch with her father, who is suspected of having murdered her mother seven years earlier. Newlands will have listeners on the edge of their seats as Alva tells the story of the water disappearing and monsters appearing from caves no longer buried under the loch. The harshness of her father, the arrogant bullying of Jiles, the judgmental voices of the residents of Ormscaula, and the doubting, then believing, voices of her only friends, Grant and Renn, add to the atmosphere of this well-constructed horror story. N.E.M. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine

Publishers Weekly

12/07/2020

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.)

School Library Journal

02/26/2021

Gr 7 Up—Alva Douglas, 16, lives by a set of rules she created for protection after her father, Lachlan, murdered her mother seven years ago. She has a job waiting for her in another town, and as she prepares to leave home, Alva counts down the minutes until she will no longer live in fear of being her father's next victim. However, due to the greed of the local mill's owner, the levels in the loch have been dropping exponentially, resulting in the release of horrific creatures. It is the job of Lachlan, the loch's caretaker, to ensure the mill slows down operation. Though when Lachlan is exposed as a murderer and taken away, Alva steps up to take matters into her own hands and save the village. This novel, set against the picturesque Scottish Highlands, begins with a slow build that breaks way to a bloodcurdling thriller that offers fast-paced suspense and surprising twists on every page. Readers will root for Alva. She is a strong, resourceful go-getter who perseveres, even when faced with an incessant stream of exposed truths. Salisbury delivers a harrowing and pulse-pounding novel that, once it takes hold, will carry readers all the way to the heart-wrenching end. VERDICT Fans of horror and fantasy novels will devour this.—Amanda Harding, Elmwood Elem. Sch., Wauconda, IL

JANUARY 2021 - AudioFile

This eerily beautiful tale draws on Scottish folklore, creating a unique listening experience. Narrator Elle Newlands’s Scottish brogue is the perfect voice for young Alva, who is planning to escape her isolated, fearful life on the loch with her father, who is suspected of having murdered her mother seven years earlier. Newlands will have listeners on the edge of their seats as Alva tells the story of the water disappearing and monsters appearing from caves no longer buried under the loch. The harshness of her father, the arrogant bullying of Jiles, the judgmental voices of the residents of Ormscaula, and the doubting, then believing, voices of her only friends, Grant and Renn, add to the atmosphere of this well-constructed horror story. N.E.M. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine

Kirkus Reviews

2020-10-12
All Alva Douglas wants is to survive long enough to escape her Scottish Highland home.

Seven years ago, Da killed Mam. Since that time Alva has lived by a set of rules she created to protect herself. Now, the day when she can secretly escape her small village draws closer; soon she’ll be safely away from her father and the scornful locals. Unfortunately, fate has other plans for the 16-year-old. Human greed is causing the loch levels to lower at an astonishing rate, setting free the òlanfhuil, terrifying, ancient creatures who have been hidden away for centuries. Alva has always known that her father is the Naomhfhuil, or caretaker of the loch. When his crime is finally exposed and Da is at last arrested for Mam’s murder, Alva reluctantly steps into his role, fulfilling the Naomhfhuil’s true purpose: to protect the village from the bloodthirsty òlanfhuil. Narrator Alva is a hero readers will get behind: She is a decisive, take-charge fighter who presses on when she discovers that everything she believed is a lie. The book takes place in an unnamed bygone era, and rich descriptions imbue both the setting and action with cinematic intensity. The characters, especially the almost impossible-to-kill òlanfhuil, who are described in nightmarish detail, come alive on the page. The only thing missing is a Highland bagpipes soundtrack. Assume Whiteness for all characters.

Skin-tingling, blood-curdling horror perfect for reading by firelight. (Horror. 14-17)

Product Details

BN ID:	2940177418063
Publisher:	Scholastic, Inc.
Publication date:	01/05/2021
Edition description:	Unabridged
Age Range:	12 - 17 Years

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