Media and reviewer roundup for UNDERLAKE

Written By Erin L. McCoy

My debut novel Underlake has received some incredible buzz ahead of publication in the media as well as from independent booksellers, and I’d love to share some of the highlights here.

Media coverage and reviews

Independent booksellers

These incredible independent booksellers have shared their enthusiasm for Underlake too. What an honor that someone who has literally thousands of books to choose from would read and enjoy mine.

“I am BLOWN away by Erin McCoy’s Underlake. The story, in combination with her language (so clearly a poet, I love it!), is exquisite. I've enjoyed reading it … and telling everyone about it!”

—Ryan, Ravenna Third Place Books, Seattle, WA

“This spellbinding tale is woven together ever so carefully, pulling you in and never letting go. It's beautiful with an undercurrent of danger, yet quietly hopeful in the end. I was completely mesmerized by the unforgettable premise of a town living underwater, a woman searching for her daughter and the stranger battling grief who helps her.”

—Katrina, Books and Company, Oconomowoc, WI

“Absolutely fascinating. I find myself somewhat desperate to discuss Underlake with another reader — or, better yet, the author. What starts as a startling story of magical realism develops into something that feels quite mysterious and profound.”

—Christie, Gallery Bookshop, Mendocino, CA

“Underlake is an incredible query into identity, memory, and grief — but also a beautiful story about mothers, daughters, and the intricate web of family secrets. These characters will stay with you; the three distinct narrative voices, and the ways those voices ebb and flow with the novel, are wholly believable and deeply affecting. This novel is an indelible journey into some of our deepest human questions, and the costs those questions can have. Absolutely extraordinary.”

—Rafe, Third Place Books, Seattle, WA

“Hundreds of towns across the U.S. were drowned in the first half of the 20th century, displacing entire communities. But what if those people never left their flooded home? That's the wild premise that allows for this novel to unfold. We follow Otta, an experienced diver who lives on land, and May, a resident from an underwater community, as they search for May's missing daughter. McCoy uses beautiful language to tell a story that addresses grief, belonging, family, compassion, adaptation, extremism, and isolation. Once we got to the climax of the story and their mission, I could not put the book down. A surreal read that stands alone and stays with you.”

—Beth, Carmichael's Bookstore, Louisville, KY

“The lyrical prose and haunting imagery in this book make it clear that the author was a poet before publishing this debut novel. Two women scuba-dive into a man-made lake to solve the mystery of a daughter's disappearance, and the deeper we descend into the water, the more the pressure grows — my heart was pounding during the final chapters of the book! Family secrets are stirred up from the bottom of the lake like layers of silt by the characters' exploration. Atmospheric, claustrophobic and wonderfully inventive.”

—Laura, Content Bookstore, Northfield, MN

“When their town is slated to be flooded for the creation a dam, some residents of Paintsville refuse to leave. They're all presumed drowned ... until a woman appears from a submerged chimney, claiming her daughter has gone missing from their community under the surface. This mesmerizing novel plumbs the depths of grief and hope and reminds us how important it is to question even our most strongly held beliefs and perceptions.”

—Jessy, Carmichael's Bookstore, Louisville, KY

“I have long been fascinated — and horrified — by the history of burying/drowning communities to address water needs and this book has totally scratched that itch. What if? How could? Haunting and ethereal, painful and beautiful.”

—Andrea, Galaxy Bookshop, Hardwick, VT

Erin L. McCoy https://erinlmccoy.com
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UNDERLAKE receives starred review from Booklist