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The Dark We Know
From Gillian Flynn Books, a lyrical YA horror by debut author Wen-yi Lee that’s perfect for fans of She Is a Haunting, Stephen King’s IT, and The Haunting of Hill House.
Art student Isadora Chang swore never to return to Slater. Growing up, Isa never felt at ease in the repressive former mining town, even before she realized she was bisexual—but after the deaths of two of her childhood friends, Slater went from feeling claustrophobic to suffocating. Isa took off before the town could swallow her, too, even though it meant leaving behind everything she knew, including her last surviving friend Mason.
When Isa’s abusive father kicks the bucket, she agrees to come back just long enough to collect the inheritance. But then Mason, son of the local medium, turns up at the cemetery with a revelation and a plea: their friends were murdered by a supernatural entity, and he needs Isa to help stop the evil—before it takes anyone else.
When Isa begins to hear strange songs on the wind, and eerie artwork fills her sketchbook that she can’t recall drawing, she’s forced to stop running and confront her past. Because something is waiting in the shadows of Slater’s valleys, something that feeds on the pain and heartbreak of its children. Whatever it is, it knows Isa’s back… and it won’t let her escape twice.
Art student Isadora Chang swore never to return to Slater. Growing up, Isa never felt at ease in the repressive former mining town, even before she realized she was bisexual—but after the deaths of two of her childhood friends, Slater went from feeling claustrophobic to suffocating. Isa took off before the town could swallow her, too, even though it meant leaving behind everything she knew, including her last surviving friend Mason.
When Isa’s abusive father kicks the bucket, she agrees to come back just long enough to collect the inheritance. But then Mason, son of the local medium, turns up at the cemetery with a revelation and a plea: their friends were murdered by a supernatural entity, and he needs Isa to help stop the evil—before it takes anyone else.
When Isa begins to hear strange songs on the wind, and eerie artwork fills her sketchbook that she can’t recall drawing, she’s forced to stop running and confront her past. Because something is waiting in the shadows of Slater’s valleys, something that feeds on the pain and heartbreak of its children. Whatever it is, it knows Isa’s back… and it won’t let her escape twice.
336 pages, Hardcover
First published August 13, 2024
73 people are currently reading
22638 people want to read
About the author
Wen-yi Lee
16 books290 followersWen-yi Lee is the author of YA horror The Dark We Know and forthcoming adult historical fantasy When They Burned the Butterfly. Her writing has appeared in venues like Lightspeed, Uncanny, Reactor, and Strange Horizons, as well as various anthologies. She is based in Singapore and is a graduate of University College London, and likes writing about girls with bite, feral nature, and ghosts. Find her on socials @wenyilee_ and otherwise at wenyileewrites.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 229 reviews
October 20, 2025
Upon Isadora's return to her creepy hometown, what she doesn’t expect is a slow descent into something far more twisted than just small-town drama. People are dead. A lot of people. To the point I almost considered making a spreadsheet amount of death.
I get why Gillian Flynn has given The Dark We Know by Wen Yi-Lee her blessing. Because I can perceive creepy similarities to Sharp Objects and Dark Places with the small town suspense, dark secrets and thrills, just with more ghosts, grief, queerness, East Asian mother-daughter relationships and tenderness. Yet it’s one of the most unique horror stories I’ve read. It is scary, aching and weirdly hopeful in the way only a sad, tense book can be.
If you love horror, don’t ignore this just because it’s technically classified as a YA horror. I still think adults will also find this a compelling read despite its coming-of-age vibes. At its heart, this book is about more than just what creeps in the shadows. It’s about what creeps in you.
This is a story where you definitely should be mindful of trigger warnings given its filled with melancholy, anguish, grief and heavy themes of suicide, depression and trauma. But it’s also about friendship. About love. About not letting go of your dreams.
The ending is completely unhinged and wild, despite a slow start.
Read this book if you love horror with art and heart. Highly recommend!
﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏
When I see a book endorsed by Gillian Flynn and pitched as perfect for Stephen King and Shirley Jackson fans and Mai and Zana slap a 5/4 star rating on it, I don’t hesitate.
Thank you, friends, and also to NetGalley and Zando | Gillian Flynn Books for the digital copy in exchange for my honest review.
I get why Gillian Flynn has given The Dark We Know by Wen Yi-Lee her blessing. Because I can perceive creepy similarities to Sharp Objects and Dark Places with the small town suspense, dark secrets and thrills, just with more ghosts, grief, queerness, East Asian mother-daughter relationships and tenderness. Yet it’s one of the most unique horror stories I’ve read. It is scary, aching and weirdly hopeful in the way only a sad, tense book can be.
If you love horror, don’t ignore this just because it’s technically classified as a YA horror. I still think adults will also find this a compelling read despite its coming-of-age vibes. At its heart, this book is about more than just what creeps in the shadows. It’s about what creeps in you.
This is a story where you definitely should be mindful of trigger warnings given its filled with melancholy, anguish, grief and heavy themes of suicide, depression and trauma. But it’s also about friendship. About love. About not letting go of your dreams.
The ending is completely unhinged and wild, despite a slow start.
Read this book if you love horror with art and heart. Highly recommend!
﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏
When I see a book endorsed by Gillian Flynn and pitched as perfect for Stephen King and Shirley Jackson fans and Mai and Zana slap a 5/4 star rating on it, I don’t hesitate.
Thank you, friends, and also to NetGalley and Zando | Gillian Flynn Books for the digital copy in exchange for my honest review.
May 4, 2025
This is a haunting, lyrical debut in the same vein as THE DEAD AND THE DARK. I'm a baby, and anything slightly scary causes me to lose sleep, so in this instance, I find YA horror to be more palatable to my tastes. This book still caused me to lose a bit of sleep.
Artsy Isa Chang returns to Slater, the small town where she grew up, for her father's funeral. His isn't the first death. Several young people are mysteriously missing or dead. Slater is an old mining town run by a very rich family.
While Isa finds making connections difficult, she grew up with three other close friends, two of which are now dead. The one that is still alive, Mason, grew up an outcast in town. His mother is the town medium, in a very close-knit white evangelical society. There's tension.
Some hear songs on the wind. Some hear it in the stone. Some are shamed. The Church knows something. Isa's mom knows something. Are you scared?
📱 Thank you to NetGalley and Gillian Flynn Books
Artsy Isa Chang returns to Slater, the small town where she grew up, for her father's funeral. His isn't the first death. Several young people are mysteriously missing or dead. Slater is an old mining town run by a very rich family.
While Isa finds making connections difficult, she grew up with three other close friends, two of which are now dead. The one that is still alive, Mason, grew up an outcast in town. His mother is the town medium, in a very close-knit white evangelical society. There's tension.
Some hear songs on the wind. Some hear it in the stone. Some are shamed. The Church knows something. Isa's mom knows something. Are you scared?
📱 Thank you to NetGalley and Gillian Flynn Books
September 25, 2024
”For the longest time, I thought that nothing can hurt you if it can't get to you.
But the things that hurt leave their bruises. Healing is stopping the knife, but it's also tending to the wound. It's letting the disinfectant sting. It's wrapping it in gauze, even if it shows you're fragile. It's giving it time and care until it closes over itself.”
The Dark We Know is essentially a story about survival and overcoming grief. perhaps ‘overcoming’ isn’t the right word because we never truly grow out of something like that but rather, grow around it. to be honest, i wasn’t exactly sure where the book was going at first but i ended up appreciating it all the same.
THE PLOT
the story starts off on a slightly confusing note as i’m still figuring out who everyone is but eerie small town vibes were strong from the start. there are a lot of deaths happening to the teens through suicide which made this book feel less YA in my opinion because it deals with some heavy themes. be sure to check the trigger warnings guys!
the prose was deep and poetic but also rather dramatic and got more unhinged nearer to the end. i could really feel the main character’s emotions bleeding through the pages as she got more frustrated and desperate with her situation.
i think the main issue i had was with the audiobook narrator and if you know me you know i don’t read the ebook while listening to the audio so oftentimes i couldn’t tell if she was reading isa’s inner monolgue or if she was engaging in a conversation with another character. she also ‘whisper’ narrated a lot and in the next second she’d practically be shouting which was very annoying to me as a listener. it was jarring and i couldn’t be as immersed into the story as i wanted to. i might just avoid any audiobooks narrated by her in the future.
either way, i loved the bi and poc rep in this book. not to mention the deep talks between isa and mason about life, growing pains, self identity, mourning, and forgiving oneself. there were a lot of stuff that i resonated with on a personal level. where was this book when i needed it the most? so many of the quotes felt too close for comfort because they really hit home.
THE CHARACTERS
isa was quite the unreliable fmc due to her having gaps in her memory so we don’t really know at first what’s going on with her and how much of her experiences are real or imagined. there was a lot of anguish and pain within her that i could easily sympathise with, having lived through some of that trauma myself.
the Angel who is basically the villain of this story had POVs too which were sprinkled throughout the book which i found most fascinating. it is the perfect depiction of our innermost desires and unfulfilled dreams, our shame and fears, everything ugly about ourselves that we keep hidden away from the world. the Angel’s POV brilliantly highlights how one misplaced thought can spark a domino effect that leads us into a downward spiral into which we completely lose ourselves.
FINAL THOUGHTS
i’m glad the author decided to put this book out into the world. as someone who has been struggling with depression for the longest time, this book really hit a chord in me. i wasn’t expecting to be this moved by it but the more i read, the better i understood what the author was trying to convey. the message is profound and deeply melancholic. it serves as a reminder for those grappling with mental health issues such as grief, depression and suicidal ideation that the only way out is through. The Dark We Know gave me an extra boost to keep pushing forward despite what the circumstances may look like and i think that’s beautiful. hats off to Ms Lee for crafting such an inspiring tale!
December 11, 2024
2024 reads: 231/250
i received an advanced review copy from the publisher via netgalley in exchange for an honest review. this did not affect my rating.
isadora chang never planned on returning to slater. between her bisexuality and two of her childhood friends dying, the former mining town doesn’t feel very welcoming to her. but when isa’s abusive father dies, she comes back just to collect the inheritance. while there, though, she runs into mason, the local medium’s son, who says their friends were killed by a supernatural being, and the two need to put a stop to it before it claims more of the town’s children.
first, i want to highlight that this book was no light read (not that any horror book is). content warnings include suicide, violence, child abuse, child death, religious trauma, and transphobia. i think the author gave each of these topics respect. i also want to say that i appreciate that, while deadnaming is present in this book, the deadname isn’t found on page. rather, the part of the dialogue containing the deadname is replaced by an em dash. i thought this was a great way of showing the injustices that character faced while still respecting him.
the horror aspect was very unique. as i mentioned before, this book includes depictions of religious trauma, and the religion (more like cult) followed by many in the town is directly tied to the horror aspect. i loved seeing how this element unfolded.
i’d recommend this to ya horror readers, and i’d be interested in reading more from wen-yi lee!
i received an advanced review copy from the publisher via netgalley in exchange for an honest review. this did not affect my rating.
isadora chang never planned on returning to slater. between her bisexuality and two of her childhood friends dying, the former mining town doesn’t feel very welcoming to her. but when isa’s abusive father dies, she comes back just to collect the inheritance. while there, though, she runs into mason, the local medium’s son, who says their friends were killed by a supernatural being, and the two need to put a stop to it before it claims more of the town’s children.
first, i want to highlight that this book was no light read (not that any horror book is). content warnings include suicide, violence, child abuse, child death, religious trauma, and transphobia. i think the author gave each of these topics respect. i also want to say that i appreciate that, while deadnaming is present in this book, the deadname isn’t found on page. rather, the part of the dialogue containing the deadname is replaced by an em dash. i thought this was a great way of showing the injustices that character faced while still respecting him.
the horror aspect was very unique. as i mentioned before, this book includes depictions of religious trauma, and the religion (more like cult) followed by many in the town is directly tied to the horror aspect. i loved seeing how this element unfolded.
i’d recommend this to ya horror readers, and i’d be interested in reading more from wen-yi lee!
June 13, 2024
I received a complimentary copy from Zando – Gillian Flynn Books via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. This doesn’t affect my thoughts about the book in any way.
The Dark We Know will be out on August 13, 2024. This is a YA lyrical horror standalone perfect for fans of She is A Haunting & Nestlings. I am someone who doesn’t read the synopsis before going in, so the turn of events was unexpected. Small towns and thrillers are my thing, and yet I never expected how dark this would be.
This was a perfect read for Pride Month as TDWK has a bisexual Chinese FMC and is moreover a book that allowed the characters to explore their sexual identity. The journey into reading this book is similar to spiraling into a certain darkness, with its creepy atmosphere and deep writing that analyzes grief and specifically depicts religious trauma. Wen Yi-Lee was able to write a book about innocence and childhood with a deliciously sinister turn. I highly recommend for others to add this to their TBR and read it in the future!
Please check the CWs/TWs at the end of this review prior to reading this book!
- Suicide attempt & ideation, drug use/overdose, child abuse, mental illness, misgendering,
The Dark We Know will be out on August 13, 2024. This is a YA lyrical horror standalone perfect for fans of She is A Haunting & Nestlings. I am someone who doesn’t read the synopsis before going in, so the turn of events was unexpected. Small towns and thrillers are my thing, and yet I never expected how dark this would be.
This was a perfect read for Pride Month as TDWK has a bisexual Chinese FMC and is moreover a book that allowed the characters to explore their sexual identity. The journey into reading this book is similar to spiraling into a certain darkness, with its creepy atmosphere and deep writing that analyzes grief and specifically depicts religious trauma. Wen Yi-Lee was able to write a book about innocence and childhood with a deliciously sinister turn. I highly recommend for others to add this to their TBR and read it in the future!
Please check the CWs/TWs at the end of this review prior to reading this book!
- Suicide attempt & ideation, drug use/overdose, child abuse, mental illness, misgendering,
Want to read
March 1, 2023i will read anything wen-yi writes 😤 cannot wait to meet this bisexual chinese american lead isa!
in the meantime, imma revisit her story “hundred-handed one” on uncanny magazine and essay “lady macbeth, the pontianak, and the compulsive power of the monstrous feminine” on tor.com
in the meantime, imma revisit her story “hundred-handed one” on uncanny magazine and essay “lady macbeth, the pontianak, and the compulsive power of the monstrous feminine” on tor.com
June 28, 2024
✰ 3 stars ✰
“The things that keep us living are so fragile & so small, but they can be everywhere. You find what you can, give what you can.
“They deserve to know it’s okay if all you are for now is alive,” I say.
We deserve to dream of beautiful things again.”
It's written really well; the words kinda wash over you as Wen-yi Lee's debut novel introduces us to this atmospheric Gothic vibe that is alluring as the very temptation that seems to be lurking in the Dark - calling to those unwilling yet wavering souls that find themselves lost and with no one to turn to - no will to live. It's an achingly haunting look with a touch of the macabre and mystique at how grief and guilt overshadow each other in a tragic, but piercing way, which ultimately compels us to look at ourselves and see how far we are willing to allow heartbreak to control us, before it consumes us entirely. 😟
Right from the start, Isa's personality hits you head-on; you immediately get pulled into that push and pull of longing and dread over returning home after leaving as a self-imposed exile or simply a chance to escape the confinements from those who repressed her need to be herself - or to find a way to express herself. And by doing so, she left behind the friends that mattered to her most - three best friends that were her memories and childhood - and of those three, only one survives. 😟 'A creeping invasion, twining comfortably between what was already there until it’s impossible to actually separate. Then one day you’re just made of it and you’re lost before you even realize you’re losing.' And when that sole surviving friend, Mason, hints that their deaths weren't merely accidents or suicide, but that a supernatural evil may have been behind it, it is up to to the two of them to track down what or who and where the root of evil is coming from before it strikes again and claims another life for its own. 😰
“It doesn’t seem fair, that grief is so everlasting, while the happiness seems to fade as the moment does.”
If I were to praise anything - it would be the writing - so descriptive, so very immersive - almost lyrical as it envelopes you in making me feel everything. 🤌🏻🤌🏻 Isa was a very strong and capable protagonist whose actions evoked a sense of foreboding with the hint of a horror that was more powerful and sinister than what they were prepared for. I really enjoyed her and Mason's dynamic - how it captured friendships that were once the center of your universe, now it's so hard to be a part of their universe. 😥 I really liked Mason - 'the rebel, the smart mouth, the unbeliever, so pretty his unknown dad must be the devil' - but who had such a good head on his shoulders - who didn't shy away from expressing himself honestly or throwing himself into the fire to help someone out.
They both are carrying their own individual weight of guilt and grief over what happened to their friends - the shame of the ones who are still alive. There is also a really beautiful heart-to-heart that they shared that was so tenderly depicted - such a kindness and understanding that Isa gave Mason at one of his most vulnerable moments - I really liked how it didn't feel forced at any minute. 🫂❤️🩹 'We’ve been bound together by those we’ve known and those we’ve loved. We exist in each other’s gravity. For now, that’s good enough.' That as their friendship was rekindled, so too was the trust and affection that had been lost to them was touched upon again. Those prevailing emotions made it even more interesting to see how they would work as a team to figure out what of their small town's mysterious past could be responsible for what happened to their friends and what still hasn't abandoned its sights on more prey to conquer next. 😢
“Instead there’s only Mason and me, and we hold on to each other like the ship is going down again. Maybe we don’t deserve to be saviors. But we deserve to be saved.”
The shared and treasured memories of a childhood friendship that had defined them and the emptiness that followed when it was lost - it was nicely offset with their own capabilities of searching for clues that would lead them to better figure out what could be behind their mysterious deaths. I love mysteries and this one proved to be a challenging one - one that kept me going and wanting to know what was the truth. I enjoyed the twists and the reveals with well-mapped out details that were palpable - the violence and the hollowness was believable. It felt like the story was moving with you. 👍🏻 You were following Isa as she tried to clue in how the past was tied to the present to prevent any further senseless deaths from occurring. The horror itself was such a tragic one - one that really showed how if one never has enough time to mourn - that helpless ache in the heart won't go away - it'll only eat away at you till it'll be the only thing you'll be recognized by. 'The sheer force of his yearning punches the breath out of me.' ❤️🩹❤️🩹 As death prevails and looms like a dark shadow, the cryptic and eerie vibes are enhanced by the strange but unique cast of characters they both encounter. It casts a hint of a doubt over all their decisions and makes for a really intense and rather disturbing ending that could have given me chills, but was rather a very bittersweet and morose one. 🥺
Yet, as much as I did feel that it rounded off nicely, I didn't expect it to have the religious undertones that it did. It didn't make it any less impactful, but I think it sorta diminished the horror element in that regard. 😕 I was also left wanting a little more closure. It was a little too abrupt to my liking, not enough for everything to be processed. It's not about believing what happened, it was more about being able to accept the loss of friendship and be able to move on from it. Just a little more time for Isa and Mason to have a chance to reflect and say what they couldn't while their friends were alive. 😞 'This simple thing, this core requirement of being alive, is like a miracle.' Maybe that is the thing about life and death - it doesn't wait for anyone. And while it is a rather morose thought, it still ends on a hopeful note with a promise of change and a brighter future for the both of them. I also have this strange feeling that the cover was something else, before it became this striking cover that immediately lured me in even more so. 🤷🏻♀️ It certainly was an impressive debut and I would be curious to see what other creative ideas Wen-yi Lee will write about next. ✨
*Thank you to Edelweiss for a DRC in exchange for an honest review.
“The things that keep us living are so fragile & so small, but they can be everywhere. You find what you can, give what you can.
“They deserve to know it’s okay if all you are for now is alive,” I say.
We deserve to dream of beautiful things again.”
It's written really well; the words kinda wash over you as Wen-yi Lee's debut novel introduces us to this atmospheric Gothic vibe that is alluring as the very temptation that seems to be lurking in the Dark - calling to those unwilling yet wavering souls that find themselves lost and with no one to turn to - no will to live. It's an achingly haunting look with a touch of the macabre and mystique at how grief and guilt overshadow each other in a tragic, but piercing way, which ultimately compels us to look at ourselves and see how far we are willing to allow heartbreak to control us, before it consumes us entirely. 😟
Right from the start, Isa's personality hits you head-on; you immediately get pulled into that push and pull of longing and dread over returning home after leaving as a self-imposed exile or simply a chance to escape the confinements from those who repressed her need to be herself - or to find a way to express herself. And by doing so, she left behind the friends that mattered to her most - three best friends that were her memories and childhood - and of those three, only one survives. 😟 'A creeping invasion, twining comfortably between what was already there until it’s impossible to actually separate. Then one day you’re just made of it and you’re lost before you even realize you’re losing.' And when that sole surviving friend, Mason, hints that their deaths weren't merely accidents or suicide, but that a supernatural evil may have been behind it, it is up to to the two of them to track down what or who and where the root of evil is coming from before it strikes again and claims another life for its own. 😰
“It doesn’t seem fair, that grief is so everlasting, while the happiness seems to fade as the moment does.”
If I were to praise anything - it would be the writing - so descriptive, so very immersive - almost lyrical as it envelopes you in making me feel everything. 🤌🏻🤌🏻 Isa was a very strong and capable protagonist whose actions evoked a sense of foreboding with the hint of a horror that was more powerful and sinister than what they were prepared for. I really enjoyed her and Mason's dynamic - how it captured friendships that were once the center of your universe, now it's so hard to be a part of their universe. 😥 I really liked Mason - 'the rebel, the smart mouth, the unbeliever, so pretty his unknown dad must be the devil' - but who had such a good head on his shoulders - who didn't shy away from expressing himself honestly or throwing himself into the fire to help someone out.
They both are carrying their own individual weight of guilt and grief over what happened to their friends - the shame of the ones who are still alive. There is also a really beautiful heart-to-heart that they shared that was so tenderly depicted - such a kindness and understanding that Isa gave Mason at one of his most vulnerable moments - I really liked how it didn't feel forced at any minute. 🫂❤️🩹 'We’ve been bound together by those we’ve known and those we’ve loved. We exist in each other’s gravity. For now, that’s good enough.' That as their friendship was rekindled, so too was the trust and affection that had been lost to them was touched upon again. Those prevailing emotions made it even more interesting to see how they would work as a team to figure out what of their small town's mysterious past could be responsible for what happened to their friends and what still hasn't abandoned its sights on more prey to conquer next. 😢
“Instead there’s only Mason and me, and we hold on to each other like the ship is going down again. Maybe we don’t deserve to be saviors. But we deserve to be saved.”
The shared and treasured memories of a childhood friendship that had defined them and the emptiness that followed when it was lost - it was nicely offset with their own capabilities of searching for clues that would lead them to better figure out what could be behind their mysterious deaths. I love mysteries and this one proved to be a challenging one - one that kept me going and wanting to know what was the truth. I enjoyed the twists and the reveals with well-mapped out details that were palpable - the violence and the hollowness was believable. It felt like the story was moving with you. 👍🏻 You were following Isa as she tried to clue in how the past was tied to the present to prevent any further senseless deaths from occurring. The horror itself was such a tragic one - one that really showed how if one never has enough time to mourn - that helpless ache in the heart won't go away - it'll only eat away at you till it'll be the only thing you'll be recognized by. 'The sheer force of his yearning punches the breath out of me.' ❤️🩹❤️🩹 As death prevails and looms like a dark shadow, the cryptic and eerie vibes are enhanced by the strange but unique cast of characters they both encounter. It casts a hint of a doubt over all their decisions and makes for a really intense and rather disturbing ending that could have given me chills, but was rather a very bittersweet and morose one. 🥺
Yet, as much as I did feel that it rounded off nicely, I didn't expect it to have the religious undertones that it did. It didn't make it any less impactful, but I think it sorta diminished the horror element in that regard. 😕 I was also left wanting a little more closure. It was a little too abrupt to my liking, not enough for everything to be processed. It's not about believing what happened, it was more about being able to accept the loss of friendship and be able to move on from it. Just a little more time for Isa and Mason to have a chance to reflect and say what they couldn't while their friends were alive. 😞 'This simple thing, this core requirement of being alive, is like a miracle.' Maybe that is the thing about life and death - it doesn't wait for anyone. And while it is a rather morose thought, it still ends on a hopeful note with a promise of change and a brighter future for the both of them. I also have this strange feeling that the cover was something else, before it became this striking cover that immediately lured me in even more so. 🤷🏻♀️ It certainly was an impressive debut and I would be curious to see what other creative ideas Wen-yi Lee will write about next. ✨
*Thank you to Edelweiss for a DRC in exchange for an honest review.
February 25, 2024
Am I supposed to find words after reading a book that carved lines down the back of skin, that whispered to the oozing walls of my heart, that shattered my brain into ten million fragments only to put them back together in an infinitely more beautiful configuration? Am I supposed to describe a masterpiece?
The Dark We Know is a book of pain, of the scars and inheritance of generational trauma, of abuse and hate and fear. It is a book of how those twisted realities can morph and gnaw into themselves until the horror becomes a tangible, wicked thing. But, in the face of that, because of that, it about the deep-seated, sometimes messy and gut wrenching love that exists alongside it. That is so, so necessary. This book is speculative, yes, but it is because of that it is undoubtably human.
I like to think of it as a mix of Borrasca and Oxen Free, with fucked up rocks, lyrical writing that feeds into the powerful undercurrent of emotion driving every decision, and characters that are trying their best in the face of unimaginable terrors. Its fucked up. It is absolutely horrifying and weird and completely, utterly entrancing. I cannot say enough good things about this book. I know I said it before, but it bears repeating: this is a masterpiece. I am in awe.
The Dark We Know is a book of pain, of the scars and inheritance of generational trauma, of abuse and hate and fear. It is a book of how those twisted realities can morph and gnaw into themselves until the horror becomes a tangible, wicked thing. But, in the face of that, because of that, it about the deep-seated, sometimes messy and gut wrenching love that exists alongside it. That is so, so necessary. This book is speculative, yes, but it is because of that it is undoubtably human.
I like to think of it as a mix of Borrasca and Oxen Free, with fucked up rocks, lyrical writing that feeds into the powerful undercurrent of emotion driving every decision, and characters that are trying their best in the face of unimaginable terrors. Its fucked up. It is absolutely horrifying and weird and completely, utterly entrancing. I cannot say enough good things about this book. I know I said it before, but it bears repeating: this is a masterpiece. I am in awe.
March 22, 2024
3 ★ The Dark We Know is a solid read. I loved the atmosphere of the story and Wen-yi Lee's ability to capture specific moments in such a strong way. I find that nowadays young adult books usually have this specific type of first-person point-of-view writing style that I'm just not a fan of, but I really enjoyed how this book was written. It was written in a distinct voice, and Lee's talent for writing shined from the first page to the very last. There were interludes sprinkled throughout the story written with a collective "We" which I loved and found creative.
I'm not the biggest horror reader, but the premise and comps seemed intriguing enough to try. With horror or thriller books, I love it when the narrative is full of emotion, and my favorite books in the genre combine both emotion and speculative elements. Fortunately, The Dark We Know deals with emotional themes alongside the main plot, which made the book feel more authentic to me. I found the characters well-written, though I preferred the side characters (who are dead) to the main characters and wished there were more scenes with them.
I saw that the author compared her book to the song "seven" by Taylor Swift, and I definitely see the comparison. In fact, there is a scene that I feel is directly inspired by the lyrics, though I'm not sure if that was intentional.
The reason why I am only leaving three stars is because I have mixed opinions. While I loved the writing style, the atmosphere, and the themes explored, I didn't like this book as much as I had hoped. For a horror book, I felt it lacked suspense and tension. There were some intense scenes, but I never felt on the edge of my seat. The book also felt pretty confusing, like important information was left out, and could have benefitted from being a bit longer, as it was a relatively short read. Also, I don't typically enjoy books with religious elements, so those moments did not stick out.
Trigger warnings (provided by the author): Suicidal ideation & suicide, grief and depression, references to self-harm, pregnancy scare anxiety (side character/not main plot), domestic abuse, body horror, religious trauma and general trauma
I'm not the biggest horror reader, but the premise and comps seemed intriguing enough to try. With horror or thriller books, I love it when the narrative is full of emotion, and my favorite books in the genre combine both emotion and speculative elements. Fortunately, The Dark We Know deals with emotional themes alongside the main plot, which made the book feel more authentic to me. I found the characters well-written, though I preferred the side characters (who are dead) to the main characters and wished there were more scenes with them.
I saw that the author compared her book to the song "seven" by Taylor Swift, and I definitely see the comparison. In fact, there is a scene that I feel is directly inspired by the lyrics, though I'm not sure if that was intentional.
The reason why I am only leaving three stars is because I have mixed opinions. While I loved the writing style, the atmosphere, and the themes explored, I didn't like this book as much as I had hoped. For a horror book, I felt it lacked suspense and tension. There were some intense scenes, but I never felt on the edge of my seat. The book also felt pretty confusing, like important information was left out, and could have benefitted from being a bit longer, as it was a relatively short read. Also, I don't typically enjoy books with religious elements, so those moments did not stick out.
Trigger warnings (provided by the author): Suicidal ideation & suicide, grief and depression, references to self-harm, pregnancy scare anxiety (side character/not main plot), domestic abuse, body horror, religious trauma and general trauma
September 16, 2024
28/5/24: my first 5-star read of the year is here???
Healing is stopping the knife, but it’s also tending to the wound. It’s letting the disinfectant sting.
The Dark We Know by Wen-yi Lee is a hauntingly lyrical, beautifully grotesque YA horror about the fragile threads we weave together through trauma and pain about grief and anger, around love and belonging, with prose that buries itself deep inside you and consumes your every thought well after it is over.
Art student Isadora Chang returns home to Slater, a dying mining town, after the death of her abusive father, and finds unearthed secrets and a dark supernatural creature in the small mountain town she left behind who has only grown stronger since she left. With the help of her childhood friend and medium, Mason, Isa has to finally solve the mystery that has haunted her all her life before it threatens to bury her with it.
All in all, Wen-yi Lee crafts a masterful story about generational and religious trauma and loss and longing through the intertwining of art, ghosts, and an emotionally driven prose that ultimately explores the different ways we heal and grow as human beings that will sit with me for a long time.
Thank you to Netgalley and Gillian Flynn Books for providing this e-arc in exchange for a honest review. All opinions in this review are my own. Quotes used in this review are from the arc and might change upon publication.
Healing is stopping the knife, but it’s also tending to the wound. It’s letting the disinfectant sting.
The Dark We Know by Wen-yi Lee is a hauntingly lyrical, beautifully grotesque YA horror about the fragile threads we weave together through trauma and pain about grief and anger, around love and belonging, with prose that buries itself deep inside you and consumes your every thought well after it is over.
Art student Isadora Chang returns home to Slater, a dying mining town, after the death of her abusive father, and finds unearthed secrets and a dark supernatural creature in the small mountain town she left behind who has only grown stronger since she left. With the help of her childhood friend and medium, Mason, Isa has to finally solve the mystery that has haunted her all her life before it threatens to bury her with it.
All in all, Wen-yi Lee crafts a masterful story about generational and religious trauma and loss and longing through the intertwining of art, ghosts, and an emotionally driven prose that ultimately explores the different ways we heal and grow as human beings that will sit with me for a long time.
Thank you to Netgalley and Gillian Flynn Books for providing this e-arc in exchange for a honest review. All opinions in this review are my own. Quotes used in this review are from the arc and might change upon publication.
December 13, 2024
Edit, Dec. 13: rating has been raised to 4.0 instead of 3.5 rounded up! I can’t stop thinking of this book. Also I’m literally making unironic fanart for it right now, so
A claustrophobic and personal gothic horror/mystery combination that, while emotional, I was conflicted about the execution of. A lot of characters felt archetypal, even in different flashbacks or dream sequences that tried to add another dimension to the roles they were relegated to by Isa’s POV. I did enjoy all the layers to the mystery, though, and how most of the threads connected in a way that made sense (at least, in the bizarre context of a story like this). (I feel like the only parts that “didn’t connect” were just re: the Angel itself: it was a strange mix of eldritch, human, and possible metaphor. Is that just a me thing, though?)
I know I’m certainly not the first reader to have said this, but the beginning was kind of irritating to me too, due to the melodrama (and partly the slow pacing). Mason and Isa’s interactions were very bizarre??? I get the initial desperation of trying to figure out and piece together the summoning rituals but, yeah, still really strange to me.
The poetic prose was vulnerable, though. This is also not an original thought (hello Zana), but Wen-Yi Lee has such a strong grip on emotions that, despite a lot of this novel not being what I usually seek out, still kept me reading. I definitely teared up with that one scene of Mason and Isa at the cliff, and them laying together in the forest. The nostalgia, grief, and guilt was dealt with so well. I think this also has to do with the purposefully rambly nature of some of Isa’s thoughts. (And maybe me currently watching my brother play “In Stars And Time”— Isa’s spirals remind me a bit of how Siffrin’s spirals are shown by the text boxes! Goodreads reviewers, don’t leave comments with spoilers under my review, I’m still on Act 3.)
I was pleasantly surprised by how this book handled suicide as a horror device. In the context of supernatural horror particularly, it’s one of my least favorite tropes. But by making it clear the kinds of shame and abuse the kids were subjected to beforehand, and that the Angel isn’t planting harmful thoughts into their heads but merely amplifying the kinds of depression they are already experiencing, I felt that trope was adequately subverted. It’s not their tendencies and their depression that is demonized, but the Angel’s predatory tactics. The importance of grief and ghosts—metaphorical and literal— made Otto, Mason, Trish and Isa’s struggles with this throughout the story deeply meaningful.
Audiobook slowed down my pacing a significant amount, I think that’s also why I absorbed the emotional scenes despite me listening to around an hour of the audiobook on 1.2 or 1.5x speed. (No slight against the narration or the writing, I was just trying to see if I could finish the audiobook before midnight, haha.) As always, Natalie Naudus’s narration (say that quickly three times) is a treat. It’s so interesting getting to hear her voice on a story like this one, knowing some of the personal stuff that went into her debut novel (which is also focused heavily on being repressed by a religious small community! And had a bi FMC!). I think that alone makes the selection of her for the audiobook memorable, but she also had great pacing and expressiveness. But I was not expecting her to sing in that one part with [spoiler redacted] losing it a little!! That was unintentionally funny, if only because of the voice she had to maintain for that character.
Also, I’d like to say that the moment that the inclusion of Taylor Swift’s “are there still beautiful things” lyric gave me HEAVY songfic vibes. But when I figured out that lyric was from “seven”, I realized it wasn’t just that part that felt that way, but literally the entire book?? Mason and Isa were structured so heavily around that song. The nostalgia, the childhood trauma, the ongoing compassion and love oh god. That might actually wreck me.
Dec. 13 edits, cont: While this story isn’t entirely to my personal tastes, the atmosphere, and the surprisingly compassionate way mental health and suicide is handled in a horror story make this a memorable read. And damn, I’m still thinking of these traumatized kids that really just needed a hug but got scorn instead.
pre-review:
3.5 I’m rounding up because the ending made me tear up and I liked how some of this had the kind of rawness that could only be matched by a journal entry. RTC
A claustrophobic and personal gothic horror/mystery combination that, while emotional, I was conflicted about the execution of. A lot of characters felt archetypal, even in different flashbacks or dream sequences that tried to add another dimension to the roles they were relegated to by Isa’s POV. I did enjoy all the layers to the mystery, though, and how most of the threads connected in a way that made sense (at least, in the bizarre context of a story like this). (I feel like the only parts that “didn’t connect” were just re: the Angel itself: it was a strange mix of eldritch, human, and possible metaphor. Is that just a me thing, though?)
I know I’m certainly not the first reader to have said this, but the beginning was kind of irritating to me too, due to the melodrama (and partly the slow pacing). Mason and Isa’s interactions were very bizarre??? I get the initial desperation of trying to figure out and piece together the summoning rituals but, yeah, still really strange to me.
The poetic prose was vulnerable, though. This is also not an original thought (hello Zana), but Wen-Yi Lee has such a strong grip on emotions that, despite a lot of this novel not being what I usually seek out, still kept me reading. I definitely teared up with that one scene of Mason and Isa at the cliff, and them laying together in the forest. The nostalgia, grief, and guilt was dealt with so well. I think this also has to do with the purposefully rambly nature of some of Isa’s thoughts. (And maybe me currently watching my brother play “In Stars And Time”— Isa’s spirals remind me a bit of how Siffrin’s spirals are shown by the text boxes! Goodreads reviewers, don’t leave comments with spoilers under my review, I’m still on Act 3.)
I was pleasantly surprised by how this book handled suicide as a horror device. In the context of supernatural horror particularly, it’s one of my least favorite tropes. But by making it clear the kinds of shame and abuse the kids were subjected to beforehand, and that the Angel isn’t planting harmful thoughts into their heads but merely amplifying the kinds of depression they are already experiencing, I felt that trope was adequately subverted. It’s not their tendencies and their depression that is demonized, but the Angel’s predatory tactics. The importance of grief and ghosts—metaphorical and literal— made Otto, Mason, Trish and Isa’s struggles with this throughout the story deeply meaningful.
Audiobook slowed down my pacing a significant amount, I think that’s also why I absorbed the emotional scenes despite me listening to around an hour of the audiobook on 1.2 or 1.5x speed. (No slight against the narration or the writing, I was just trying to see if I could finish the audiobook before midnight, haha.) As always, Natalie Naudus’s narration (say that quickly three times) is a treat. It’s so interesting getting to hear her voice on a story like this one, knowing some of the personal stuff that went into her debut novel (which is also focused heavily on being repressed by a religious small community! And had a bi FMC!). I think that alone makes the selection of her for the audiobook memorable, but she also had great pacing and expressiveness. But I was not expecting her to sing in that one part with [spoiler redacted] losing it a little!! That was unintentionally funny, if only because of the voice she had to maintain for that character.
Also, I’d like to say that the moment that the inclusion of Taylor Swift’s “are there still beautiful things” lyric gave me HEAVY songfic vibes. But when I figured out that lyric was from “seven”, I realized it wasn’t just that part that felt that way, but literally the entire book?? Mason and Isa were structured so heavily around that song. The nostalgia, the childhood trauma, the ongoing compassion and love oh god. That might actually wreck me.
Dec. 13 edits, cont: While this story isn’t entirely to my personal tastes, the atmosphere, and the surprisingly compassionate way mental health and suicide is handled in a horror story make this a memorable read. And damn, I’m still thinking of these traumatized kids that really just needed a hug but got scorn instead.
pre-review:
3.5 I’m rounding up because the ending made me tear up and I liked how some of this had the kind of rawness that could only be matched by a journal entry. RTC
May 25, 2025
devastatingly beautiful
March 1, 2023
achingly beautiful and intimate, the dark we know is a story about angry, stormy children and the past that haunts them. it’s also about survival; about living and the things we do to hope.
November 19, 2024
Maybe this is a case where I would have enjoyed it more without the audiobook. I just felt like I was 5 steps behind the entire time. Like watching storytime from outside of the library window. Maybe I would like it more if I reread it at another time, but I'm not going to waste my time. The writing was beautiful, so I might check out the authors work in the future.
April 1, 2025
This book had a great premise, but unfortunately fell flat for me. I couldn't connect with the characters and I found the story to be disjointed and confusing. The writing and descriptions were excellent, though! I may try the authors work again in the future.
My appreciation to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for gifting me a digital copy of this book. My opinions are my own.
My appreciation to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for gifting me a digital copy of this book. My opinions are my own.
dnf
October 20, 2024dnf at 18%
reading this was like listening to a guy from hinge trauma dump to you on the first date
reading this was like listening to a guy from hinge trauma dump to you on the first date
May 8, 2024
This is the first horror novel I’ve ever encountered with a Chinese female mc! Love seeing some Chinese representation in this genre! Returning to your hometown to find that all your childhood friends have been murdered by a supernatural entity the local medium begs for your help to stop the evil? I mean come on. That sounds like a peak fun horror reading experience.
“There’s a tangible shift in the world between Slater and everywhere else, something you don’t feel until you’ve been out and back again. A degree darker, a degree colder, the air a fraction thicker.”
I love small town horror settings but something about Slater just makes me even more uncomfortable. It’s a mining town and just the way it’s presented and described makes me feel like the whole place is off. The town has a lot of local history involving plague experiments and more recently, lots of disappearances. The setting is great. The creepy vibe is there from the start. But for some reason, I just couldn’t really get into this book and I don’t know why. For some reason, I just couldn’t get myself interested and invested and usually with horror that isn’t the case. There was nothing wrong with the book….I just couldn’t get into it. Nonetheless, this was very well written. Mason was SO unlikable, though I don’t think he was intended to be written as an unlikeable character. Nonetheless, could not stand him. Horrible attitude and super snarky and aggravating.
Also, I personally didn’t find this scary enough. But I’m also a pretty seasoned horror reader, and I’ve read a lot of haunted house and small town horror in my day. It does take more for a book to scare me, so this may not be the case for someone else who gives this a try. This just didn’t have the urgency I was seeking, at least not for me. This was just a little too….weird for me. And not scary enough. But, this wasn’t at all a bad read, and just because it wasn’t for me, doesn’t mean that others might not enjoy this more than I did!
Thank you to Netgalley and Gillian Flynn Books for sending me an advanced copy in return for my honest review.
“There’s a tangible shift in the world between Slater and everywhere else, something you don’t feel until you’ve been out and back again. A degree darker, a degree colder, the air a fraction thicker.”
I love small town horror settings but something about Slater just makes me even more uncomfortable. It’s a mining town and just the way it’s presented and described makes me feel like the whole place is off. The town has a lot of local history involving plague experiments and more recently, lots of disappearances. The setting is great. The creepy vibe is there from the start. But for some reason, I just couldn’t really get into this book and I don’t know why. For some reason, I just couldn’t get myself interested and invested and usually with horror that isn’t the case. There was nothing wrong with the book….I just couldn’t get into it. Nonetheless, this was very well written. Mason was SO unlikable, though I don’t think he was intended to be written as an unlikeable character. Nonetheless, could not stand him. Horrible attitude and super snarky and aggravating.
Also, I personally didn’t find this scary enough. But I’m also a pretty seasoned horror reader, and I’ve read a lot of haunted house and small town horror in my day. It does take more for a book to scare me, so this may not be the case for someone else who gives this a try. This just didn’t have the urgency I was seeking, at least not for me. This was just a little too….weird for me. And not scary enough. But, this wasn’t at all a bad read, and just because it wasn’t for me, doesn’t mean that others might not enjoy this more than I did!
Thank you to Netgalley and Gillian Flynn Books for sending me an advanced copy in return for my honest review.
February 6, 2025
Such a lovely cover and a dark story.
This one has some heavy themes. Definitely visit the trigger warnings and take care before reading.
I think this is one of the first books in a while that actually suffered from me doing it as an audiobook and I had to flip this one back to my e-reader.
The plot is heavy and the characters are pretty angsty. I felt like I didn't get a lot of build up of the tension or the horror - it's pretty quickly the old friend in town just drops the bomb that she has to help him and then story was off from there. I liked a few twists but somehow always felt outside of the story and never found my groove with the writing. I liked it, found it interesting, but never loved it.
A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.
This one has some heavy themes. Definitely visit the trigger warnings and take care before reading.
I think this is one of the first books in a while that actually suffered from me doing it as an audiobook and I had to flip this one back to my e-reader.
The plot is heavy and the characters are pretty angsty. I felt like I didn't get a lot of build up of the tension or the horror - it's pretty quickly the old friend in town just drops the bomb that she has to help him and then story was off from there. I liked a few twists but somehow always felt outside of the story and never found my groove with the writing. I liked it, found it interesting, but never loved it.
A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.
Want to read
April 8, 2023I've been stalking this book waiting for the moment I could add it on GoodReads for what feels like a year. I'm so so so excited to read this book and support Wen-yi Lee!!!!
Chinese MC and bisexual male and female MCs fdjsakldfj YES PLEASE
Chinese MC and bisexual male and female MCs fdjsakldfj YES PLEASE
September 20, 2024
you can read more of my reviews here https://teatimelit.com/
The Dark We Know has been on my radar for so long, I don’t even remember when I first heard about it. Once I heard that it was inspired by Spring Awakening, I knew I had to read it; add in that it was a horror novel and getting compared to The Haunting of Hill House? Honestly, say less, I’m absolutely hooked. It’s been a little bit of a struggle to get my hands on a copy, but recently I saw the audiobook available on Hoopla and I jumped at the chance to borrow it, then I devoured this book in about 3.5 hours (yes, on 2x speed).
While this isn’t a Spring Awakening retelling, when it comes to a book that is inspired by a specific piece of media, I want to either clearly see the inspiration from the source material or want it to evoke the same feelings in me that the source material does. The Dark We Know accomplished both absolutely stunningly. The Spring Awakening inspiration was there and clear for anyone who knows it, but not so specific that you would be lost without reading the original play or knowing the musical; The Dark We Know very clearly stands on its own but is a beautiful tribute to the story that Frank Wedekind wrote in 1891 and the musical that Steven Sater and Duncan Sheik premiered in 2006.
The atmosphere in this book was stunning and definitely eerie! I often read horror novels late at night (as late at night tends to be the only time I can really read without any interruptions) and they don’t typically bother me, but something about this one really got under my skin from the beginning. Lee’s writing is so haunting and lyrical — I was immediately transported into this world and could vividly picture what was happening. The writing in this book is phenomenal and I can’t wait to reread and annotate, because there were so many lines that had me saying “Oh, that’s stunning”.
Based on the synopsis and story inspiration, I knew that The Dark We Know would make me emotional and most likely make me cry. What I didn’t expect was how hard this book would hit me emotionally. I can’t even pinpoint one moment that made me really emotional because the whole story did. There were moments where I had silent tears streaming down my face and others where I was really crying and that was happening on and off probably from the 40-50% mark until the end. This one affected me emotionally in ways that not many books have, and that was really special for me.
I felt so connected to Isa and Mason, and their pain and fear was palpable — thinking about it now brings tears to my eyes. The trauma and tragedy that they’d experienced by the time they were 18 was so heartbreaking, but what I absolutely loved was that even though there were times when they wanted to, they never truly gave up and they fought against all the people and circumstances that tried to break them. I found the two of them to be such wonderful characters to follow.
If I had to pick a song from Spring Awakening that, to me, really encompasses The Dark We Know (and of course I do), I would have to go with Whispering (one of my favorite musical theatre songs ever). Whispering is a song that fills me with so many emotions; longing, heartbreak, grief, anger, and fear, but most importantly, hope. The last stanza of Whispering is,
“Listening, for the hope / for the new life / something beautiful / a new chance / hear it’s whispering there again”
And by the end of The Dark We Know, I think that’s where these characters are. They can’t erase the pain and suffering that they’ve experienced, but they can hope for better in the future. They’ve survived the unimaginable and there’s possibility for something better moving forward. There’s also super strong Those You’ve Known vibes (and some lines that play on the lyrics very well). Just as Melchior has to learn that while he can’t bring Wendla and Moritz back, their spirits and the impact that they had on him will always be with him, Isa and Mason learn the same. You can relate any song from Spring Awakening to The Dark We Know, but Whispering and Those You’ve Known were definitely tracks that I had in my head the most throughout my reading experience.
Honestly, I feel like I could gush about this book for hours and the impact that it had on me, but I will stop here so this post doesn’t become too long. This is a perfect read for this time of year and I can’t recommend it more. If you’re a fan of Spring Awakening, or horror novels with some fantasy elements, or just a story with beautiful writing and characters that will burrow themselves into your heart, you must read The Dark We Know.
---
i need to read this again to fully process everything, but this book moved me emotionally in a way that few books ever have. i cried through so much of this book and it filled me with such a sense of longing and heartbreak but there was also something very hopeful about it -- it made me feel very similarly to how spring awakening makes me feel, which is fitting as it was inspired by spring awakening. i absolutely loved this
The Dark We Know has been on my radar for so long, I don’t even remember when I first heard about it. Once I heard that it was inspired by Spring Awakening, I knew I had to read it; add in that it was a horror novel and getting compared to The Haunting of Hill House? Honestly, say less, I’m absolutely hooked. It’s been a little bit of a struggle to get my hands on a copy, but recently I saw the audiobook available on Hoopla and I jumped at the chance to borrow it, then I devoured this book in about 3.5 hours (yes, on 2x speed).
While this isn’t a Spring Awakening retelling, when it comes to a book that is inspired by a specific piece of media, I want to either clearly see the inspiration from the source material or want it to evoke the same feelings in me that the source material does. The Dark We Know accomplished both absolutely stunningly. The Spring Awakening inspiration was there and clear for anyone who knows it, but not so specific that you would be lost without reading the original play or knowing the musical; The Dark We Know very clearly stands on its own but is a beautiful tribute to the story that Frank Wedekind wrote in 1891 and the musical that Steven Sater and Duncan Sheik premiered in 2006.
The atmosphere in this book was stunning and definitely eerie! I often read horror novels late at night (as late at night tends to be the only time I can really read without any interruptions) and they don’t typically bother me, but something about this one really got under my skin from the beginning. Lee’s writing is so haunting and lyrical — I was immediately transported into this world and could vividly picture what was happening. The writing in this book is phenomenal and I can’t wait to reread and annotate, because there were so many lines that had me saying “Oh, that’s stunning”.
Based on the synopsis and story inspiration, I knew that The Dark We Know would make me emotional and most likely make me cry. What I didn’t expect was how hard this book would hit me emotionally. I can’t even pinpoint one moment that made me really emotional because the whole story did. There were moments where I had silent tears streaming down my face and others where I was really crying and that was happening on and off probably from the 40-50% mark until the end. This one affected me emotionally in ways that not many books have, and that was really special for me.
I felt so connected to Isa and Mason, and their pain and fear was palpable — thinking about it now brings tears to my eyes. The trauma and tragedy that they’d experienced by the time they were 18 was so heartbreaking, but what I absolutely loved was that even though there were times when they wanted to, they never truly gave up and they fought against all the people and circumstances that tried to break them. I found the two of them to be such wonderful characters to follow.
If I had to pick a song from Spring Awakening that, to me, really encompasses The Dark We Know (and of course I do), I would have to go with Whispering (one of my favorite musical theatre songs ever). Whispering is a song that fills me with so many emotions; longing, heartbreak, grief, anger, and fear, but most importantly, hope. The last stanza of Whispering is,
“Listening, for the hope / for the new life / something beautiful / a new chance / hear it’s whispering there again”
And by the end of The Dark We Know, I think that’s where these characters are. They can’t erase the pain and suffering that they’ve experienced, but they can hope for better in the future. They’ve survived the unimaginable and there’s possibility for something better moving forward. There’s also super strong Those You’ve Known vibes (and some lines that play on the lyrics very well). Just as Melchior has to learn that while he can’t bring Wendla and Moritz back, their spirits and the impact that they had on him will always be with him, Isa and Mason learn the same. You can relate any song from Spring Awakening to The Dark We Know, but Whispering and Those You’ve Known were definitely tracks that I had in my head the most throughout my reading experience.
Honestly, I feel like I could gush about this book for hours and the impact that it had on me, but I will stop here so this post doesn’t become too long. This is a perfect read for this time of year and I can’t recommend it more. If you’re a fan of Spring Awakening, or horror novels with some fantasy elements, or just a story with beautiful writing and characters that will burrow themselves into your heart, you must read The Dark We Know.
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i need to read this again to fully process everything, but this book moved me emotionally in a way that few books ever have. i cried through so much of this book and it filled me with such a sense of longing and heartbreak but there was also something very hopeful about it -- it made me feel very similarly to how spring awakening makes me feel, which is fitting as it was inspired by spring awakening. i absolutely loved this
December 16, 2024
I really liked the writing style. I've been trying to be more open-minded when reading first person point of view because I do not prefer it, but I still struggled with it here. The pacing was inconsistent making the story hard to follow, the story had promise, however.
October 9, 2024
messiest love-square ever. long live the ratking.
What I liked about this book was its gothic setting—spooky secluded mining town, mountains that sing, pale twins, illegitimate children, mass deaths, supernatural sightings, cemeteries, evil pastors, visions, occult practices, characters being metaphorically and literally haunted by their past, oppressive parents, unreliable memories, fainting, flashbacks to repressed traumatic events, being stalked by a slenderman-like character, etc, the list goes on and on. It’s atmospheric and tense and the protagonist is really going THROUGH it. By it I mean alienation so thorough that she has no place to call home.
I was especially fascinated by the figure of the so-called biblically accurate angel. The angel is not a manifestation of Christian beliefs, which the blindly religious want to believe, but an angel of vengeance here to seek redress for the wrongs wrought upon innocent children in the name of capitalist greed. There is a dark generational secret at the heart of this town to uncover/ exhume, an evil to excise before it’s too late. This narrative runs parallel with the protagonist’s own internal journey towards self-forgiveness and moving on from grief.
What I liked about this book was its gothic setting—spooky secluded mining town, mountains that sing, pale twins, illegitimate children, mass deaths, supernatural sightings, cemeteries, evil pastors, visions, occult practices, characters being metaphorically and literally haunted by their past, oppressive parents, unreliable memories, fainting, flashbacks to repressed traumatic events, being stalked by a slenderman-like character, etc, the list goes on and on. It’s atmospheric and tense and the protagonist is really going THROUGH it. By it I mean alienation so thorough that she has no place to call home.
I was especially fascinated by the figure of the so-called biblically accurate angel. The angel is not a manifestation of Christian beliefs, which the blindly religious want to believe, but an angel of vengeance here to seek redress for the wrongs wrought upon innocent children in the name of capitalist greed. There is a dark generational secret at the heart of this town to uncover/ exhume, an evil to excise before it’s too late. This narrative runs parallel with the protagonist’s own internal journey towards self-forgiveness and moving on from grief.
September 30, 2024
DNF at half way point
I was so looking forward to this, but it seemed....disjointed. So I went from 'meh' to 'huh?' and back again before giving up.
I was so looking forward to this, but it seemed....disjointed. So I went from 'meh' to 'huh?' and back again before giving up.
July 6, 2024
4.5 rounded up!
Thank you to the author for sending over a physical ARC!
Read this if you enjoy:
- Psychological Thrillers/Horror
- Supernatural (vengeful spirits)
- Chilling, horrific descriptions
- Queer representation
- Singaporean Literature (singlit)
*Please check the TWs for this book before you get started!*
I thought this was a beautifully written novel. Admittedly, I am not the most well-versed in this genre. No, I really am not because this is perhaps one of my first few thriller/horror reads. Yet, this book showed me why there are so many fans of these genres. The Dark We Know is a gripping tale about navigating grief, loss, and other past traumas set in a small mining town infused with mystical elements. This is a tale of generational trauma and abuse, topics that I felt were intimately portrayed and explored by the characters. It is a tale that closely deals with the macabre and the intricate examination of the religious and the supernatural.
Isadora Chang makes for an interesting female MC. From the start, Wenyi's mastery of her craft allowed me to experience and sympathise with Isa's dread and reluctance to return to her childhood town. I felt all the emotions Isa felt, especially her desperation to escape, to run away from Slater, a town that very literally haunts her. Her dread and reluctance is in part guilt and grief over the death of her best friends as well as her decision to leave (read: escape) the town as what I suppose was her form of coping mechanism.
And as we know, running away from our problems is never the solution and this is precisely what the novel explores-the importance of facing and overcoming one's fears. Fundamentally, it always seems easier to give up and succumb to our desires but is this really the answer? TDWK thus convincing declares that "I think we can choose not to become what hurt us because that's how you know the world is chooseable and if it is chooseable then it is makeable and if its makeable then we can make something better of it".
I thought the resolution/conclusion was something rather profound and beautiful. I especially appreciated the contrast between the dread and reluctance, the deep desire to escape that was so strongly felt at the start of the novel, to the sense of hope and the innate belief that the world can be beautiful. I found this quite comforting.
Lastly, as alluded, the writing here is phenomenal. It is truly intimate and vivid, a perfect example of what it means to "show, don't tell". I love the portrayal of the characters, especially the dynamics between Isa and Mason as they navigate awkwardness of a rekindling friendship marred by loss and misunderstandings. I loved the unique layout(?) structure (?) where the black pages that viscerally detailed the inner struggles and deepest fears of the characters as they were hunted/haunted by the Angel sent chills down my spine.
With all mysteries, I think it is normal to be in a state of utter confusion as you wonder "wait what is going on" until everything clicks and you're like "oh, I know what's happening now". Fortunately or unfortunately, this moment of realisation only occured when I was about 80% into the read. The mystery and the suspense kept me going but it also left me somewhat frustrated as I tried to figure out what on earth was happening.
Nonetheless, this is hands down a fantastic debut. And yes, we all deserve to dream of beautiful things again.
Thank you to the author for sending over a physical ARC!
Read this if you enjoy:
- Psychological Thrillers/Horror
- Supernatural (vengeful spirits)
- Chilling, horrific descriptions
- Queer representation
- Singaporean Literature (singlit)
*Please check the TWs for this book before you get started!*
I thought this was a beautifully written novel. Admittedly, I am not the most well-versed in this genre. No, I really am not because this is perhaps one of my first few thriller/horror reads. Yet, this book showed me why there are so many fans of these genres. The Dark We Know is a gripping tale about navigating grief, loss, and other past traumas set in a small mining town infused with mystical elements. This is a tale of generational trauma and abuse, topics that I felt were intimately portrayed and explored by the characters. It is a tale that closely deals with the macabre and the intricate examination of the religious and the supernatural.
Isadora Chang makes for an interesting female MC. From the start, Wenyi's mastery of her craft allowed me to experience and sympathise with Isa's dread and reluctance to return to her childhood town. I felt all the emotions Isa felt, especially her desperation to escape, to run away from Slater, a town that very literally haunts her. Her dread and reluctance is in part guilt and grief over the death of her best friends as well as her decision to leave (read: escape) the town as what I suppose was her form of coping mechanism.
And as we know, running away from our problems is never the solution and this is precisely what the novel explores-the importance of facing and overcoming one's fears. Fundamentally, it always seems easier to give up and succumb to our desires but is this really the answer? TDWK thus convincing declares that "I think we can choose not to become what hurt us because that's how you know the world is chooseable and if it is chooseable then it is makeable and if its makeable then we can make something better of it".
I thought the resolution/conclusion was something rather profound and beautiful. I especially appreciated the contrast between the dread and reluctance, the deep desire to escape that was so strongly felt at the start of the novel, to the sense of hope and the innate belief that the world can be beautiful. I found this quite comforting.
Lastly, as alluded, the writing here is phenomenal. It is truly intimate and vivid, a perfect example of what it means to "show, don't tell". I love the portrayal of the characters, especially the dynamics between Isa and Mason as they navigate awkwardness of a rekindling friendship marred by loss and misunderstandings. I loved the unique layout(?) structure (?) where the black pages that viscerally detailed the inner struggles and deepest fears of the characters as they were hunted/haunted by the Angel sent chills down my spine.
With all mysteries, I think it is normal to be in a state of utter confusion as you wonder "wait what is going on" until everything clicks and you're like "oh, I know what's happening now". Fortunately or unfortunately, this moment of realisation only occured when I was about 80% into the read. The mystery and the suspense kept me going but it also left me somewhat frustrated as I tried to figure out what on earth was happening.
Nonetheless, this is hands down a fantastic debut. And yes, we all deserve to dream of beautiful things again.
September 15, 2025
TW: suicide, death of a parent, child abuse, self-harm, body horror, animal cruelty, transphobia
Wen-yi Lee’s debut novel, The Dark We Know, is a unique horror that explores childhood trauma, the harm of religious dogma, and unbreakable bonds. Isadora Chang never expected to return to her hometown of Slater after she all but ran from it two years ago. But with the passing of her father, she is forced to return in hopes of receiving an inheritance that will keep her afloat a little while longer as she attends art school. Slater is not the most welcoming place. She would rather not return to the home where her father abused her and where the community made anyone who didn’t conform to their beliefs an outsider. There’s also the presence of her former friend, Mason, who she left behind after tragedy claimed the lives of the other half of their friend group. When a young member of the founding family of Slater goes missing, Mason asks Isa for help discovering the truth behind the town’s missing youth and the series of suicides that has plagued Slater for generations.
Read my full review on my blog here.
Wen-yi Lee’s debut novel, The Dark We Know, is a unique horror that explores childhood trauma, the harm of religious dogma, and unbreakable bonds. Isadora Chang never expected to return to her hometown of Slater after she all but ran from it two years ago. But with the passing of her father, she is forced to return in hopes of receiving an inheritance that will keep her afloat a little while longer as she attends art school. Slater is not the most welcoming place. She would rather not return to the home where her father abused her and where the community made anyone who didn’t conform to their beliefs an outsider. There’s also the presence of her former friend, Mason, who she left behind after tragedy claimed the lives of the other half of their friend group. When a young member of the founding family of Slater goes missing, Mason asks Isa for help discovering the truth behind the town’s missing youth and the series of suicides that has plagued Slater for generations.
Read my full review on my blog here.
May 18, 2024
The story here was interesting, mysterious, and emotional. It took the concept of angels and turned it sideways.
Every character was damaged, traumatized even, in some way. While understanding these folks are bound together by something they don't understand, it still fell odd.
I did enjoy the characters and their complicated relationships. I felt like darkness was certainly present here just not in the way you might anticipate.
The author is talented and wrote something richly textured that I hope you'll enjoy.
Every character was damaged, traumatized even, in some way. While understanding these folks are bound together by something they don't understand, it still fell odd.
I did enjoy the characters and their complicated relationships. I felt like darkness was certainly present here just not in the way you might anticipate.
The author is talented and wrote something richly textured that I hope you'll enjoy.
October 6, 2024
stunning novel that truly lives up to the spring awakening comparisons. not much of a horror reader, but this one was just the right amount of spooky for me. beautiful exploration of familial trauma, conflicting identity, and societal expectations. the second half of the novel felt noticeably weaker than the first half in terms of plot and world building, but overall still a really phenomenal book.
October 23, 2024
3.5 (but maybe it's 3.75, or 4, just let me reflect a little bit)
August 28, 2024
I loved the writing style of this, so lyrical and flowy, contrasted by the creepy tone and events. The plot goes pretty dark sometimes and it was an interesting balance with the sometimes poetic language.
The main character Isa is compelling, having to return home after her abusive father's death and trying to survive long enough to get back out. I liked how strong she was for getting out and being herself and also thought her guilt for those left behind was relatable and real.
I didn't quite follow the plot regarding how/why the evil came about, but appreciated the atmosphere anyway.
I voluntarily read and reviewed this book. All opinions are my own. Thank you to Gillian Flynn Books and NetGalley for the copy.
The main character Isa is compelling, having to return home after her abusive father's death and trying to survive long enough to get back out. I liked how strong she was for getting out and being herself and also thought her guilt for those left behind was relatable and real.
I didn't quite follow the plot regarding how/why the evil came about, but appreciated the atmosphere anyway.
I voluntarily read and reviewed this book. All opinions are my own. Thank you to Gillian Flynn Books and NetGalley for the copy.
May 11, 2024
I'd like to thank Edelweiss and the publisher for allowing me to give a read.
A friend of mine was like, I'd see you DNFing it or having issues with it. GUILTY. I am the guilty one. I DNF'ed at 50% in.
I think I had an issue with the tone / plot. I had no issues with the character, or the racial issues. I think for me the writing didn't work me, and in turn, I didn't respond to the book as I wanted to.
Truly, the book has a lot of the things I like - but for me, it just wasn't working. :(
A friend of mine was like, I'd see you DNFing it or having issues with it. GUILTY. I am the guilty one. I DNF'ed at 50% in.
I think I had an issue with the tone / plot. I had no issues with the character, or the racial issues. I think for me the writing didn't work me, and in turn, I didn't respond to the book as I wanted to.
Truly, the book has a lot of the things I like - but for me, it just wasn't working. :(
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