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Useless Bay

M.J. Beaufrand

3.52 · Rating details · 212 ratings · 60 reviews

A gritty, psychological thriller about a mythic set of sixteen-year-old quintuplets searching for a young boy.

On Whidbey Island, the Gray quintuplets are the stuff of legend. Pixie and her brothers have always been bigger and blonder than their neighbors, as if they were birthed from the island itself. Together, they serve as an unofficial search-and-rescue team for the ...more

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Published October 18th 2016 by Abrams Books

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· 212 ratings · 60 reviews

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Aug 09, 2016 Natalie Kate rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: read-but-do-not-own

Useless Bay was the type of book I couldn't put down. In fact, I almost completed the book in a matter of hours (but sleep got in the way, I did start it at midnight). And it was also the first thing I picked up when I woke up in the morning. It's the type of book that you don't expect to grip you in the magical way that it does, and I'm so happy I requested this on NetGalley because I absolutely adore it.

I adore everything from the characters - a set of quintruplets that will make you feel ...more

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Sep 04, 2016 June rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: arcs

A charming little mystery with a beautiful backdrop and an intriguing set of quintuplets. Almost felt southern gothic, but set in the Pacific Northwest, instead.

I was surprised to see this described as a 'gritty, psychological thriller' here on the goodreads page. This is neither gritty, psychological, nor thrilling. It's the type of mystery you would have read as a child on summer break, grabbing a book and climbing up a tree to read all afternoon in its branches. The narrator's friendly tone, ...more

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Sep 03, 2019 Nemo (The Moonlight Library) rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: source-library, format-audiobook, stand-alone, audience-young-adult, sts, publisher-amulet, 2017-published, genre-magical-realism, borrowed, 2019-read

This review was originally posted on The Moonlight Library

I was drawn to Useless Bay because I really liked the idea of a group of almost super-human quintuplets that acted as the local search and rescue on their small, isolated island.

What I found was most disappointing.

To start with, the quintuplets (all named after Rat Pack members, plus Marilyn Pixie, because their single mother is weird) were absolutely forced into this search and rescue by their obsessed mother, who yelled at them until This review was originally posted on The Moonlight Library

I was drawn to Useless Bay because I really liked the idea of a group of almost super-human quintuplets that acted as the local search and rescue on their small, isolated island.

What I found was most disappointing.

To start with, the quintuplets (all named after Rat Pack members, plus Marilyn ‘Pixie’, because their single mother is weird) were absolutely forced into this search and rescue by their obsessed mother, who yelled at them until they complied, and they were all well under eighteen years old when it started so they were all minors, and I wasn’t even sure they did it willingly. I don’t even know if that’s legal, and it’s certainly unethical to force your children, no matter how big and strong, into dangerous search and rescue missions.

Other weird things kept cropping up that made me wonder if this was set in some kind of weird alternate universe. For example, FedEx delivered a puppy to the house in a crate and left it on the front porch, despite the fact that FedEx does not transport live animals. Then, the girl of the group, our Pixie, was left to raise and train this dog, even though she’s not the one who purchased it. Everyone kept going on about how this dog was Pixie’s, but it was one of her brothers who secretly bought it. Like, what even is that? Did Pixie get lumped with the job just because she’s the girl? The brother should have taken responsibility for his own damn idea.

Back to the ethically questionable stuff: Pixie’s kind-of-love-interest Henry (I say ‘kind of’ because it’s definitely NOT a romance) is so very weirdly possessive about her, and they’re not even dating. He treats her not only like they ARE dating, when they are explicitly not (“She’s not my girlfriend!” he says repeatedly) but he also treats her like his possession, angry and jealous when other people talk about her, wanting to spend time with her and only her, and being weirdly possessive, like he was a controlling husband of the era of Hollywood stars the quints are named after. It’s just not on. Nothing about him was appealing and nothing in the book was romantic. View Spoiler » Also, Henry does something so awful as a child that even though he was manipulated, he can’t be forgiven.

But Pixie’s not innocent in this triumvirate of terrible, unethical characters. The inciting incident begins when Dean, the de facto ‘leader’ (like this was some kind of middle grade novel) takes the blame for something he did not do, because the quintuplets have a ‘roster of blame’. Dean was taken to the police station for questioning, and Pixie just let it happen! Even though both Pixie, and Henry, knew that it wasn’t Dean responsible for the terrible thing!

This was also billed as a gritty, psychological thriller, but I found it more suitable to a middle-grade audience. It’s neither gritty, nor psychological, nor a thriller. And no one even ‘figures out’ who the bad guy is, it’s revealed without any kind of realisation, outward or internal.

So the plot was also pretty useless. A kid goes missing at about 20%, and all through to 60%, literally nothing happens to move the plot forward. Then, when the bad guy is revealed and they’re responsible for just about every heartache, it turns out View Spoiler »

On the other hand, the magical realism was pretty cool, but the book read so strongly like a middle grade even though it explores more mature themes.

Also, don’t read this if you like dogs. ...more

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Oct 15, 2016 Bruce Gargoyle rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: arc-reviews, ya, review-copy, paranormal, contemporary, mystery, search-and-find, annoying-characters, murder, cosy-mystery

I received a copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley for review.

Ten Second Synopsis:
Henry and the Quints have known each other ever since Henry's famous, rich father moved to Useless Bay to set up house (or McMansion, as the case may be). When Henry's little brother Grant goes missing, Henry knows that the best people to find him will be Pixie and her brothers.

Although the cover of this edition puts me in mind of a middle grade targeted story, this is definitely one for the young I received a copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley for review.

Ten Second Synopsis:
Henry and the Quints have known each other ever since Henry's famous, rich father moved to Useless Bay to set up house (or McMansion, as the case may be). When Henry's little brother Grant goes missing, Henry knows that the best people to find him will be Pixie and her brothers.

Although the cover of this edition puts me in mind of a middle grade targeted story, this is definitely one for the young adults and older readers. The story is a strange combination of murder mystery, magical realism and family drama and at times I felt that the author couldn't quite decide which genre they wanted to focus on, so chose instead to flick between them and see what happened.

The Gray quintuplets have lived on the island all their lives and are constantly described in almost mythical terms, but when it boils down to it, it appears that they just happen to be above average height with a strong familial connection and a fiercely independent streak. Pixie, from whose point of view half of the story is told, comes to be responsible, almost by accident, for a bloodhound who turns out to be brilliant at finding lost people; and it seems like there are a lot of lost people to find on the island and a steady stream of work available for Pixie and her dog, unlikely as that may be. Henry, from whose point of view the other half of the story is told, is the son of a famous, rich man, and the family's connection with Useless Bay itself -and the mystical Gray quintuplets - is the result of some serendipitous real estate brokerage.

Overall, I did enjoy the mystery and drama of the story but much of the book felt a bit unwieldy, switching between the grim reality of searching for a lost child (presumed dead) and the odd levity of Pixie's foray into paranormal historical hallucinations. The overall atmosphere is quite despondent, but this is tempered with scenes of pacey action and the revelation of unexpected secrets.

I can certainly say I haven't come across such a hybrid of genres and interesting mix of characters and setting for quite some time in a YA novel, so for that reason alone it is worth picking up. I think this would appeal to those who enjoy a quirky mystery that blends reality with unexpected paranormal twists.
...more

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Nov 28, 2016 Kylie Sparks rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult

This book was odd and for me it just didn't work. The first thing that threw me off is that the artwork and title lead me to think it was going to be a mystery for middle school students. It's definitely for older readers. Although I don't know if it will appeal to teens. This is more like an extra long ghost story. I think it would have worked a lot better in that format, as part of a collection of chilling tales. There's not deep enough characterization or enough detail for this to be a novel. ...more

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Mar 13, 2017 James rated it it was ok

Okayish, Not really mu cup of tea 2.5* maybe 2.75 if i'm generous.

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Oct 29, 2017 Lisa Nocita rated it it was ok

Shelves: tag-contenders-2017

Meh. Magical realism feels a little out of place or not well enough developed to be anything other than a curiosity and there's unnecessary language that doesn't advance the story. Characters seemed flat. Mystery is not that mysterious and seemed superfluous. None of the characters seem to have any real emotions.

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Jan 22, 2017 Brenda rated it really liked it

Pixie lives on a small isolated bay with her four brothers who were born only minutes before her. As the youngest member of the Grey Quints, and the only girl, she is used to keeping up with her brothers in every way possible. Whether that is in competing to see who can do the most dangerous stunt to helping people who find themselves injured or lost among the trees and brush that line the area. The five Grey children are said to be an almost mystical group of children. Not only are they all Pixie lives on a small isolated bay with her four brothers who were born only minutes before her. As the youngest member of the Grey Quints, and the only girl, she is used to keeping up with her brothers in every way possible. Whether that is in competing to see who can do the most dangerous stunt to helping people who find themselves injured or lost among the trees and brush that line the area. The five Grey children are said to be an almost mystical group of children. Not only are they all tall and as tough as they can be (Pixie herself is over 6ft 2 inches), they have developed a reputation for being the first people to call whenever help is needed.

Henry knows all about the Grey family. He lives in the mansion right below their house during the summer months and they have all become fast friends. He knows about their skill as the unofficial bay search-and-rescue team so when his little brother Grant goes missing, he is sure Pixie and her brothers will be able to find him in no time. But that is not what happens.....

As the hours start piling up, Pixie makes a gruesome discovery. She finds a dead body in the destroyed canoe out in the bay........but it's not who they were looking for. Suddenly, finding Grant takes on a new urgency. When more tragedy strikes, Henry is left wondering if having the Grey family on his side will be enough to keep the evil at bay.

This is a very suspenseful book. Once you start to read it, you will quickly want to finish the entire story. The plot moved at a quick pace and the characters where fleshed out to a point where you felt you could pick them out of a crowd but not enough that you felt you knew them intimately. There was enough small gritty details involving life in the bay revolving around nature to appeal to reluctant readers. The ending offered up a solution that was not totally unexpected but a little unsuspecting (which all good mysterious need to do) and was a little bit too all wrapped up. I did have a slight problem with the mystical aspect of Pixie at times as I felt it slightly distracted from the story. Sometimes I felt it was a little too much while at other times, I felt it added just the right amount of spookiness or strangeness to the plot. It did make me yearn to know more about the Grey family. I am hoping there is another book with the same characters and plot because I have questions.....a lot of questions.....and I would love to have some answers. ...more

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Oct 07, 2016 Nicole rated it it was ok · review of another edition

This book was previously reviewed at http://missnicolethelibrarian.blogspo...

Ummmm....hmmm....

Hmmm....

I wanted to like this book, but the pitched summary above isn't really what you're getting. It's definitely not a psychological thriller. It's actually not even that thrilling, and the killer is painfully obvious. I want Pacific Northwest Gothic to totally be a thing, but this book just didn't do that for me.

In fact, I'm still trying to make heads and tails of it. It's definitely plot driven and ...more

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May 24, 2017 The Library Lady rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: ya-books, it-started-out-well-then-fell-apar

"A touch of magical realism," says the jacket flap.
More like touches of the supernatural added to boost a less than believable plot. To add insult to injury, I figured out the villain of the piece by halfway through the book, though I didn't guess at several silly twists, probably because they too were less than believable. There was a good story in here--I liked Pixie and her 4 brothers, quints named after members of the Rat Pack. But their story was drowned (sorry) in a silly mystery plot.

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Jun 27, 2017 Ravencrantz rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: disappointment, library, content-warning

2.5/5

There are a few scenes of child abuse in the second half of the book, so be aware of that when reading. Character death in the spoiler -> (view spoiler)

This book tried too hard to be too many things. Was it a murder mystery? Was it urban fantasy? Was it a coming of age story? Few books can pull off being multiple genres, and this was not one of them. It was a quick read and exciting enough, but ultimately it was disappointing. Obvious 2.5/5

There are a few scenes of child abuse in the second half of the book, so be aware of that when reading. Character death in the spoiler -> (view spoiler)

This book tried too hard to be too many things. Was it a murder mystery? Was it urban fantasy? Was it a coming of age story? Few books can pull off being multiple genres, and this was not one of them. It was a quick read and exciting enough, but ultimately it was disappointing. Obvious hints were dropped throughout the book as to who really did what, so when the reveal happened it wasn't surprising. (view spoiler) The fantasy element seemed so out of place, but maybe that's because I wasn't expecting it? I couldn't tell if Pixie was really seeing these things or if it was some sort of flowery language, a similar problem I had with We Were Liars, which coincidentally is also about a rich person's tragedy on an island.

This book had a lot of potential and that's why I'm so bummed about it. There are ways to integrate the fantasy elements so it's more realistic, and that could have really helped this book out. It almost had a mythical retelling feel to it, but it's not any myth that I recognize (which is fair, I'm sure there are plenty of myths I'm unaware of). There were also spies thrown in just for the heck of it? I still don't understand where that plot point was supposed to go. It was utterly useless (ha).

This wasn't a terrible novel, it just wasn't amazing either. It didn't blow me away, not with the plot, the characterization, or the writing. It's enjoyable enough, but not something I would read again or go out of my way to recommend. ...more

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Nov 20, 2016 Rebecca rated it really liked it

Shelves: mystery, young-adult, romance, adventure, family-story, drama, supernatural

On Whidbey Island, the Gray quintuplets are unusual in many ways. They have no father, they're all over six feet tall, and over the years they've developed a penchant for search and rescue--especially the only girl, Pix, with her badly-trained bloodhound Patience. The Shepherds come from a different world--the world of the uber-wealthy. Their compound sits right on Useless Bay, with the Grays' house on the bluff above. Despite the disparities, the Shepherds have come to trust the Grays, and On Whidbey Island, the Gray quintuplets are unusual in many ways. They have no father, they're all over six feet tall, and over the years they've developed a penchant for search and rescue--especially the only girl, Pix, with her badly-trained bloodhound Patience. The Shepherds come from a different world--the world of the uber-wealthy. Their compound sits right on Useless Bay, with the Grays' house on the bluff above. Despite the disparities, the Shepherds have come to trust the Grays, and Henry--the same age as the quints--especially has his eye on Pix. All of their lives become fraught, however, when Henry's young half-brother, Grant, goes missing. The quints immediately start looking for him, but the body they find isn't his. Now they have a lot more problems on their hands, and things get worse very quickly.

Disclaimer: the author has been a friend for more years than either of us care to count, but I really did love the book! I'll admit I skipped the gory bits (she loves the gory bits), but there was so much more to this book than that. I thought the mystery unfolded really well--great job of structuring it so clues and hints got dropped at the right time. Takes a lot of skill to do that. I also enjoyed the relationship between Pix and Henry, which was sweet and believable. The supernatural/magical realism elements I'll admit threw me off a bit because at times I wasn't sure if I should read them as magical realism or as just products of stress; I'm fine with either, but I like to know. Maybe the point was that you never really know? In any case, my favorite part was the relationship between the siblings--I'm a sucker for warm sibling relationships. And I totally think this should be turned into a series, or even a TV show--I can so picture the Grays having lots more mysteries to solve and adventures to have. Oh, and I also liked how much the island played a role in the book--I'm big on setting, and in this case it was crucial, which is probably obvious from the title. Anyway, a great fast read! (With gory bits, because those are MJ's favorites.) ...more

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Dec 24, 2018 Kari rated it liked it

Shelves: audiobook, 2018

2.75 stars Useless Bay is another recent random library pick. To be honest, I'm not sure what level of reader this is supposed to be marketed to. On one hand, it read like a middle grade book and on the other it had elements that would really only be suitable for older YA readers. The story involves quintuplets who are famous for being good at search and rescue on their little island The four brothers and one sister are rumored to have been born of the land. They are tasked with finding one of ...more

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Sep 18, 2017 Carolyn rated it liked it

This book started out really fast paced, and the author writes in a fun conversational-type style.

He said he wanted to order a dog because he had the wacky idea that he wanted to be involved in search-and-rescue . . . kind of a romantic, our Sammy. Not a big thinker-througher.

Sure the book has a few gimmicks: quintuplet boys named after the original Rat Pack, with a younger sister named Marilyn Monroe (nicknamed Pixie), the single mom with all these 5 kids and no father to speak of (view ...more

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Oct 29, 2017 Kain M. rated it really liked it

M.J. Beaufrand's "Useless Bay" is a mystery book about a girl nick named Pixie, a boy name Henry, and both their families. Pixie is a tough, tall girl who is a great search and rescue volunteer with her dog ,Patience. She belongs to the Gray Family, who are super tall and excellent members of the community. Henry is a boy who gets enraged easily and is in love with Pixie. Henry is part of the Shepard Family who are super rich, which attracts them a lot of attention. They both live by Useless ...more

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Jul 20, 2019 Darcy Roar rated it really liked it

Shelves: teen

Mysteries generally aren't my thing, but this one really pulled me in & kept me there for the wild & short, ride. This book has some romance & some search & rescue stuff, but at it's core it's a solid murder mystery with a bit of paranormal ghost-yness mixed in to keep it spicy. While I found a few points to be a bit silly (view spoiler) ...more

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Apr 22, 2018 Lauren Taylor rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: characters

I knew right away that I was going to enjoy this book regardless of where the story ended up. The characters, the setting, the writing--all had a certain magic to it that I love love love as a reader. However, I do feel as though this book leaned into so many different directions and never really pursued one fully. It didn't fully commit to the magical realism or to the mystery and suspense. If it had, I can't help feeling as though I would have loved it so much more. All in all, it was a fun ...more

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Mar 06, 2018 Christina rated it liked it

Shelves: stayed-up-too-late, ya, northwest, 2018

Fast read that I picked up because it's set on Whidbey Island. There were elements of magical realism/mythology, which were interesting but I didn't have a strong sense of why they were important. The main plot was a mystery. I'm not sure if it was the short timeframe of action, but I didn't feel like I got to know the main characters very well. It felt like this was a modern retelling of a myth, but not being familiar with the original myth a lot went over my head.

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Jan 01, 2018 Mark Richards rated it liked it

Well this one took me by surprise. The cover does not match the story... The bodies start to stack up in this murder mystery set on Whidbey Island. The narrative switches between two characters and that was confusing at first, but smoothed out as I went along. Plenty of action happening as the quintuplets race against time to find a missing boy. Strangulation, shooting, and drowning all work for and against them. A compelling read for seventh grade and above.

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Sep 25, 2017 Roberto Olvera rated it liked it

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Jul 27, 2018 Lisa rated it it was amazing

Think Pacific Northwest gothic. The Gray quintuplets are the stuff of legend, larger than life, stronger and more fearless than mere mortals. Heroes, all. Secrets, lies, murder and just a hint of supernatural, this is a YA mystery that adults will enjoy too. This has been lost in my TBR pile for quite sometime and I am so glad I found it!

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Jan 07, 2017 K.W. Colyard rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: reviews

Claire Hutchet Bishop's The Five Chinese Brothers moves to the Pacific Northwest in this YA mystery from M.J. Beaufrand. Useless Bay introduces readers to the Gray quints --- four brothers and sister Pixie --- and the Shepherds: an ultra-wealthy family who vacation near the Grays' home on Whidbey Island. When two members of the Shepherd clan go missing, the Grays are the first people suspected, and the supersized, superpowered teens must rush to solve the mystery and save themselves and their

...more

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Feb 19, 2018 Ashley B. rated it liked it

Shelves: 3-star-books

I thought the plot was good, but there were parts in the book that made absolutely no sense to me at all. I think the book would have made an awesome mystery without all the weird fantasy type elements added in.

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Aug 25, 2019 Jessica rated it liked it · review of another edition

I didn't love the paranormal aspect of this book. I feel like it was just thrown in there, but it wasn't really necessary.
This would have been a good series.. each sibling having a book from his/ her perspective.

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Jun 05, 2018 Suzette Kunz rated it liked it

Shelves: young-adult

Things I liked--pretty good mystery, interesting characters, excellent sense of place. Things I didn't like--weird paranormal stuff that didn't quite jive with the rest of the book, melodramatic villain.

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May 10, 2018 Nancy McConnell rated it it was ok

I thought this was a MG from the length and the cover art, which looks like it might have changed now. It was a good YA, bit too gritty for me. Also I kept getting confused as to who was narrating because the two narrators had very similar voices. If you like gritty YA you may enjoy this.

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Apr 25, 2018 Xavier Sullivan rated it really liked it

It was suspenseful at times, and had a tiny bit of romance that people can tolerate due to what is going on in the book. It isn't as big as the picture of the story.

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Sep 05, 2019 Janie rated it it was amazing

Best book Ive ever read
...more

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Jan 16, 2018 Josephine rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: keep-guessing, tugged-the-heartstrings, detective-werk-it, feeling-spontaneous, read-from-library, stand-alone-books

I finished this a few weeks ago but cant remember exactly when! I dont know why the reviews on this book arent as good as they should be, because I really enjoyed it! ...more

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Jan 17, 2018 Marta Ilieva rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: childrens

I received this copy from my school's librarian. While it's clearly written for younger audience (I'd say grades 7-10), I had a lot of fun reading it. Loved the mystery/murder plot

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