… the characters, the powerful ocean setting, the descriptions of surfing, the exposure of a particular masculinity, the exploration of the creative impulse, and Abbie’s journey from uncertainty to acceptance, produce some fine writing indeed.

There are images in this novel that take my breath away, dialogue that I envy and one of the most achingly real protagonists I’ve come across for a long while.

Dark and seductive, Night Beach will leave you breathless. A thrilling and suspenseful combination of the real and the supernatural, this is not a novel to read alone at night! Kirsty Eagar paints a detailed picture of the claustrophobic surfing town, full of complex and intriguing characters. Highly imaginative and lushly described, it’s an enthralling world that will captivate readers just as it possesses Abbie. Eagar’s novel takes ideas with a usually positive portrayal, such as the ocean, art and love, and subverts them, capturing their darker underside and the dangers of obsession.

This beautifully written young adult novel combines realism with a dark underside that isn’t being done in other young adult fiction. It reminds me of Stephen King’s writing in the way that the story works its way into your gut and then, when you least expect it, twists the knife and takes you somewhere else entirely.

Eagar will have you second guessing everything you’ve ever thought about love, loss, imagination and hope.

1. Read at night
2. Read at night while it’s raining
3. Read at night while it’s raining and you’re home alone
4. Let yourself go.

Night Beach is a novel that got under my skin, complex, breathtaking and compelling, I can only insist you experience it for yourself. This is a story that stays with you, haunts you and despite its young adult label deserves an adult audience. Just as with Raw Blue, Night Beach has found a place amongst my favourite reads.