I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Lucia Sorenson holds on hard to the things she loves. Her tiny hometown clings to the bluffs above the Mississippi River, threatened by weather and time. Unlike most people her age, Lucia plans to stay after graduation and help her grandfather run the Viking Museum of Black Point. Maybe then she can keep everything her ancestors built from washing away.

When the Black Point Hotel, a supposedly haunted local landmark, is bought by an outsider, the town is shaken—and for Lucia, fresh changes arrive in the form of the owner’s nephew, Max. As Lucia gets to know Max, she begins to question her role in the town’s rituals and to see the place, and herself, with new eyes.

But the town is flooding, and old secrets are rising to the surface. Soon Lucia will have to choose between the home she thought she knew and the hideous truths hidden underneath.

Short and Sweet Review

Black Point follows Lucia, a teenager who has always loved her small hometown and plans to stay after graduation to help her grandfather run the local Viking museum. When an outsider purchases the abandoned Black Point Hotel, Lucia reluctantly gets to know the owner’s nephew, Max, and together they begin uncovering the town’s unsettling history. As floodwaters rise and long-buried secrets come to light, Lucia is forced to question everything she’s believed about the place she’s always called home.

I really enjoyed the atmosphere of this book. The isolated small-town setting, Viking folklore, haunted hotel, and constant threat of flooding created an eerie feeling that lingered throughout the story. There was always a sense that something wasn’t quite right, and I liked how the paranormal elements added to the mystery without completely taking over the plot. The journal entries from the past were also a nice addition, slowly revealing clues and building suspense as the story unfolded. Lucia was an interesting main character because her entire identity was tied to Black Point. Watching her slowly question the traditions and beliefs she’d grown up with made for an engaging character arc. I also liked Max’s role as the outsider, since he challenged Lucia’s perspective and encouraged her to see her hometown in a different light. While I thought they worked well together, the romance felt a little underdeveloped, and I would’ve liked more time to see their relationship grow naturally. The biggest drawback for me was the pacing. The first half is very slow and spends a lot of time establishing the town, its history, and the atmosphere before the mystery really takes off. While I stayed invested because I enjoyed the setting, I can see it feeling too slow for readers looking for a faster-paced thriller. I also found some of the major reveals fairly predictable, so the ending didn’t have quite the impact I was hoping for.

Overall, Black Point is an enjoyable paranormal mystery with excellent atmosphere, creepy folklore, and an unsettling small-town setting. Even though the pacing dragged at times and the twists weren’t especially surprising, I still had a good time with it. If you enjoy slow-burn mysteries with haunted locations, cult-like traditions, and hidden secrets, this is worth checking out.