Until the Last Light Goes Out

By Courtney Gould
** Publication Date 13 October 2026 **
4 stars



I remember the first horror movie I ever saw. It was Carrie. My friend’s mom took us to see it, even though we were eleven years old. That began a lifetime of being drawn to the scary, supernatural, unbelievable things that might actually be, if you let yourself believe. 


Paige and KJ have grown up together. Their moms were best friends they grew up in Miami, and Paige and KJ have done the same. Casey, Paige’s mom, and Tess, KJ’s mom, have secrets. When they were about to graduate high school, they were part of a massacre at a resort off the shores of Florida. Casey and Tess were two of five to survive the night at the resort that took the rest of the lives of their classmates and chaperones, and everyone else who was in the resort that night.


Now in college, Paige returns to her hometown for the memorial to be held in honor of those seniors. Paige hopes to run into KJ and mend fences, but she only runs into Tess, who is still angry. Casey went back to the resort, closed since that night and falling into ruin, to try to pay a debt. Casey never returned. 


Tess lets Paige know that KJ has been missing for about a month. Paige is fairly sure that she knows where KJ is, but does she really want to confront the Kaleidoscope after everything it took from her? With two other survivors children in tow, the three go to the resort to try to solve the mystery once and for all.


Reminiscent of The Staircase in the Woods by Chuck Wendig, this is a heart-stopping novel. While the first chapter may be mild in many ways, once the Kaleidoscope Resort gets its teeth into the story, it takes off. It’s hard to imagine a run-down resort being the main character of a novel, but in this case, the resort is a living, breathing entity that wants what it wants and takes what it wants. 


Incredibly written with heart and terror, Gould does an incredible job of keeping the threads of this madly winding story together. She gives us a firm grasp of the unknown, the supernatural, and the darkness that this island and resort have become. This novel does not have a happy ending, but the ending is fitting for the tale. 


If you love horror and the unseen, but still malevolent, this novel is for you. Definitely recommend.