I, in the Shadows

by Tori Bovalino

Maybe this is possession; maybe this is truly what it is to be haunted.

There’s a ghost haunting Drew Tarpin’s new room. Liam Orville has been dead for ten months and has no idea how to move on. But the longer he stays, the more likely it is he’ll degrade into an energy consuming husk—which Drew is more concerned about than her grades or her inability to make meaningful connections with other students.

Drew is everything Liam never was when he was alive, but they do share some common ground: Drew finds herself hopelessly attracted to—and completely tongue-tied around—Hannah Sullivan, who happens to be Liam’s former best friend.

After a run-in with a ghost-eating monster leaves Drew and Liam desperate for answers, they strike up a deal: In return for Drew investigating why Liam is still around, he’ll help her talk to Hannah. But Liam’s time is running out, and if Drew doesn’t help him move on, he risks becoming a monster himself.

Genres: Horror, Young Adult, Queer, Paranormal, Ghosts, LGBT, Fantasy

336 pages, Hardcover

First published January 13, 2026

About the author

Tori Bovalino is a bestselling author of young adult horror and fantasy fiction. She loves obscure academic facts, folklore, and oversized sweaters. Find her on Twitter as @toribov and Instagram as @toribovalino.

Tori also writes adult fantasy as V.L. Bovalino.

Reviews

[Ricarda · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm sad to say that this was not the impactful and emotional ghost story that I was hoping for. I'm always intrigued by Tori Bovalino's books, but I think it's time for me to give up on her. I rarely rate her books higher than three stars and I didn't even like her adult lady knight novel which should have been perfect for me. And this story about a girl being casually haunted also wasn't my thing. I, in the Shadows is about Drew who just moved to a new town with her family. She's adjusting to the new location, but it's a bit difficult to ignore the ghost boy who is haunting her room. Drew isn't freaking out as she has been able to see ghosts for her entire life, but she isn't keen on communicating with him either. She wants to get rid of him, but the exorcism didn't work and now they have to team up to settle his unfinished business so that he can move on from life. But that's not easy either when Liam, the ghost boy, doesn't even remember how he died. All that sounded very promising to me when I started reading, but there was very little progress regarding this situation and everything was just resolved in the last 10 percent of the book. Up to that point there is a lot of filler, and by that I mean teen drama. Drew is new at school and has a crush on the most popular girl there and she is behaving very awkwardly. And not in a relatable way, but in a girl-get-a-grip kind of way. I was not enjoying that. The book is mainly about the complicated relationships between the main character and basically everyone else. There is this love triangle with the popular girl and the ghost boy, which was an interesting dynamic, and Drew is also struggling with her absent sibling and mother. In my opinion the plotline about the mother was a bit too much for this relatively short book. There wasn't enough time to build it up properly, which is strange, because on the other hand there was time for all that filler I was talking about. Weird pacing all around. The story is also interrupted by mixed media chapters about Liam and while some of them were very emotional, others were just kinda pointless to me. But these chapters showed that the potential for a super intense and emotional read was all there, and it was just not used. The covers, too, look more intense than this story was for me and neither the US nor the UK cover is representing it all too well in my opinion. Nothing even hints at the sapphic romance that plays a huge part in the book and neither cover looks like the basic YA story that I ultimately got here in the end.

Huge thanks to NetGalley and Page Street YA for providing a digital arc in exchange for an honest review.

[vxmpslibrary [mental health break] · Rating 3 out of 5]

.3 stars.

dnf @pg56
honestly I love the atmosphere, I like the way the plot building is and our character is just an awkward girl. but I'm not enjoying it as I hoped.

Thank you Netgalley for the arc!

[milliereadsalot · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

Ahh I wanted to love this so much more than I did, because of how much I absolutely adore My Throat an Open Grave... but this just didn't hit the same for me. I liked the whole premise, I liked the messy characters, and I really liked the way it wrapped up - but it just felt underdeveloped for me. I could completely see what the author was trying to get at in terms of exploring death and grief, and maybe it's just because I'm grieving, but it didn't feel like it hit on the emotion of loss in a way that reached me. Maybe I just wasn't in the right place, because I do love this author so much, and I think she writes fantastically; this just wasn't a favourite for me.

[Julia · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is YA at its best for me, it’s realistic and doesn’t shy away from having messy characters. I mean like, you can see ghosts, you’re trying to help said ghost move on but also the ghost was best friends with the girl you like and now you’re kinda using him to get close to her, there’s no way that doesn’t end poorly.

I really loved that Bovalino wasn’t afraid to make her characters be problematic, it really endeared me to them and had me rooting for them to figure it out. Eventually they do and despite the huge amounts of grief and terrible happenings there is still joy and hope.

Thank you Page Street and NetGalley for the ARC.

[Raaven💖 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!!

Tori Bovalino got me again. I can officially say they are a favorite author now. This story is a lot of things. It’s messy. The characters fuck up and make mistakes. They do dumb stuff. They hurt each other and lie. But there is healing and there is forgiveness and second chances. There is also grief. Grieving the most important person in your life. Hearing Liam and Hannah that was the type of friendship I always wanted. Their entire friend group seemed so great. Rin was one of my favorite characters. Drew had a lot of people in her corner. Bee was amazing and I loved how she was Drew’s mother when her biological one wasn’t around. No, she was Drew’s mother period. When Drew was hurting the pain wasn’t worse with her around. It didn’t matter if her dad was absent because she had Bee and Reece. The familiar dynamics were just as strong as the friendships. Tori always has a plot twist and I was waiting for it and it still got me. I was sobbing. The whole last part of this had me sobbing. This is a tender story about moving on and grieving without hurting yourself or others in the process. This was an excellent book to pick for my first of the year.

One thing I’m confused on is why the synopsis says the creature is called The Beast when it’s The Watcher? Did that get changed after the summary was written?

[Hannah (The Book Snek) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great emotionally explorative YA work from Bovalino. I particularly enjoyed that this book’s main character is perfectly imperfect. Relatable character building is something of an author’s writing style for Bovalino, and even if my lived experience is not the same as Drew’s is on the page, I still felt so closely connected to her inner monologue. There’s a great balance of plot and character focus in this one. I kind of liked that the premise in the first few chapters teased a "what could possibly go wrong?!" (sarcasm) ride, but it was so well executed. I couldn't look away from each twist and turn, and it didn't feel predictable in any way. An excellent book for suspending reality and really delving into some feelings.

(NetGalley review.)

[stefana · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was super impressed with this book! previously, I was only familiar with the author's adult fantasy, but I was so excited to receive an arc for her new young adult novel! I'll admit, as someone who's the complete opposite of the main character, I initially had trouble connecting to Drew and her avoidant tendencies. by the end, though, I really feel like I understood her and empathized with her struggles, which I think is a testament to how well Tori wrote her character (not to mention that the character is a teenager, and actually acts like a teenager, flawed thinking and all). this book deals heavily with grief and acceptance and is messy, heartbreaking, bittersweet, and beautiful. I highly recommend giving this a read, especially to teenage/young adult audiences.

"But it's like treading water; sometimes we're flailing so hard to stay above water that we end up taking others down with us..."

[The Reading Rose (Hannah) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and Titan for an ARC copy of this book for my review!

I, In The Shadows was not what I expected at all - it was a really raw and beautiful exploration of death and grief. It also briefly touches on addiction.

This is a YA novel, and I think that when I was a teenager I would've really benefited from reading something like this. The characters all had scars (emotional and physical), and were struggling to overcome trauma. How the characters all came together to overcome this was lovely. The story made me quite emotional, and I felt for the characters - they were really believable, and even though they did make some mistakes, they were likeable.

I really enjoyed this story, and I loved the writing. I do own My Throat an Open Grave and The Second Death of Locke, so I'm excited to get to them.

[brennon lane · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is one hell of a balancing act, and Bovalino executed it perfectly. I didn't know if this book would read as a horror, a mystery, or a romance, but I found it was a beautiful blend of the 3! And those are a hard 3 to blend without overshadowing or undermining. The main character is extremely realistic and relatable, I love how much detail we get to experience her world and feelings in. I was pleasantly surprised by the gender-diverse cast as well as the ability to make each supporting character fleshed-out without overdoing their arcs!! The other reviews all do a great job of pointing to how the heart of the book lies in the messiness of the characters. I completely agree. The bad decisions that push the story forward are decisions that a teenager in those circumstances would be completely expected to make. These kids are all put through the ringer, and the way it comes out in the end is worth the turmoil it puts you through.

It is a consistently well-done, empathetic story with a cast that all comes together to bring you through a journey of complex feelings of yearning, grief, identity, and compassion. Bovalino is clearly a seasoned and talented author, and I'll be interested to read more of her works!

Thank you to NetGalley and Page Street for the eArc!

[☆millie☆ · Rating 4 out of 5]

~4 stars

This was my second Tori Bovalino book and I've so far found that I really enjoy the way she writes characters. Drew, Liam, and Hannah all felt very well fleshed-out and they each had their own flaws which at times even made them a bit unlikeable, but it also made them seem more like real teenagers so I think that was probably the intention. I also think the book handled the topic of grief with great care and struck a good balance between lightness and heaviness; and although grief was the main theme of the book I appreciated how the topic of pretending to be someone you're not was explored through the main character Drew. I really loved the dynamics Drew had with Liam, her stepmom, and to some extent her sibling, Reece (although I felt quite annoyed at them for much of the middle of the book even though they weren't even on page). However, I thought the romance between Drew and Hannah was a little odd to start with, although I now understand the author's intention, but in the moment it was kind of weird to read. Overall though, I really recommend the book if you're looking for a good YA contemporary with some horror elements and good queer representation.

Thank you to Page Street YA for providing me with an eARC via NetGalley.

[Jheelkamal Nayak (word_muse_) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I, the Shadows by Tori Bovalino felt raw and messy in the way all real grief is. Nothing about this story was neat or easy, and that’s what made it hurt so much. The characters weren’t perfect, and they weren’t meant to be, they were flawed, grieving, and trying to survive the weight of loss, which made them feel painfully human... This book genuinely made me cry, and for a while it felt like it was on track to be a five-star read, only issue was the way Liam’s death was framed as a mystery, almost hinting at murder, without the story ever fully aligning with that promise. The threads felt too tangled to come together in a way that made sense. Even so, the emotional impact stayed with me, and the rawness of the story outweighed its flaws..

[Starr ❇✌❇ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an ARC from the publisher
TW: fatal car accident, parental abandonment
3.8

I love the concept of this book! The idea of not just queer Cyrano- which is a weakness of mine- but being Cyrano'd by a ghost? Amazing. And it's helped along by such a good, flawed character as Liam.
Liam feels very realistic, and he obviously has his own feelings and goals, but it's not hard to see why he would put himself in this position. Bovalino also does a great job of seeing these different shadows of people without it turning into a story about betrayal and drama.

Along with this not being a story of betrayal, I really appreciate that this book handles confessions of love and one sided interest in the way it does. We get to see multiple perspectives and ways of handling things here, and while we do have someone who is clearly meant to be in the wrong (though I do wish we saw more of that than were simply told), but while these things do mess with the friendship, as they so often do not in fiction, it isn't framed as being one person's fault.

I also thought The Watcher was legitimately creepy! I wish there was more lore, but even without it, it's a great plot device and visual.

Another thing I wish had more depth was Drew's characterization. Conceptually, I love that the main character is not the person who has been learning and exploring ghostly situations their whole life, but the one who has vehemently refused to interact. However, Drew, beyond this choice, and a few other moments of looking within, reads as mainly flat. I wanted her to have bigger goals than helping Liam and dating a girl- I feel like she's given some potential in her backstory, and it never goes anywhere.

And, as a fan of Cyrano-inspired stories, I get why they wanted to make that aspect a conflict, but it was very forced. I think we would have done better with either less conflict, or more time put aside for it to be a genuine source of conflict.

Pre-review comments below
queer Cyrano is already my niche but paranormal too????? and the ghost design on the cover???? 👀

[el ✯ ࣪ ˖ · Rating 4 out of 5]

(4/5) thank you Titan Books for the ARC!

I, IN THE SHADOWS is a poignant novel tackling grief, love, and friendship with the gentle care of an embrace. With threads of genres: horror, coming-of-age, and classic wry YA narration, I, IN THE SHADOWS is perfect for fans of Oseman's RADIO SILENCE and Zappia's ELIZA AND HER MONSTERS.

Drew has learnt everything she knows about ghosts from her sibling, Reece, who in turn learnt from their now absent mother. Except now Reece has left for college, and Drew's new house has a ghost, Liam, in it, refusing to leave. Once ghosts are left long enough, they turn into dangerous husks, so she needs him gone so she can focus on making friends and getting passable grades (ok, maybe the last point is an excuse). There's also the problem of Hannah, the girl everyone, including Drew, is crushing on. And Liam was Hannah's best friend, which means that he can help her make Hannah fall in love with Drew. But there's also that dark shape from the forest, something Drew has never seen before. With Drew feeling more and more like a fraud around Hannah, Liam's incoming husk-dom, and the increasing hauntings from the forest, Drew must quickly figure things out — for others. Her own life can wait.

I loved I, IN THE SHADOWS for its emotional quality. It balanced all the aspects of teenage anxiety that resonated with my own life, while also having a strong sense of tension. The characters are clearly flawed, yet are still loveable, with the thread of second chances and forgiveness running throughout. I also loved the genre-bending twists on the classic YA genre, with the monsters and ghosts being particularly appealing.

With such a task at hand, it is understandable that the book falls short when depicting the minor characters. While there are certainly lovely moments with characters such as Drew's parents, the emphasis is placed on Drew's character growth. Bovalino is an author l've been meaning to read for a while, and this one certainly lived up to my hopes.

[Bookbenderwitch · Rating 5 out of 5]

ℑ, ℑ𝔫 𝔗𝔥𝔢 𝔖𝔥𝔞𝔡𝔬𝔴𝔰 👤
𝔟𝔶: @toribovalino
.
𝔅𝔩𝔲𝔯𝔟: Maybe this is possession; maybe this is truly what it is to be haunted.
.
There’s a ghost haunting Drew Tarpin’s new room. Liam Orville has been dead for ten months and has no idea how to move on. But the longer he stays, the more likely it is he’ll degrade into an energy consuming husk!
.
Drew finds herself hopelessly attracted to―and completely tongue-tied around―Hannah Sullivan, who happens to be Liam’s former best friend, and after a run-in with a ghost-eating monster, Drew and Liam strike up a deal: In return for Drew investigating why Liam is still around, he’ll help her talk to Hannah!
.
𝔔𝔲𝔬𝔱𝔢: "Every time I hear your name, I listen closer, hoping to know something more of you, something that you yourself haven't shown me. I just -even last week, at dinner. You wore your hair differently, in two braids, and I thought to myself that I would study you, every move and every breath, every parting of your hair. You're imprinted so deeply in my brain, when I look away from you, it's all darkness. Nothing more than an afterimage. Looking at you is like looking at the sun”
.
𝔉𝔞𝔳𝔬𝔯𝔦𝔱𝔢 ℭ𝔥𝔞𝔯𝔞𝔠𝔱𝔢𝔯: I think this may be the first time I pick a side character, and her name is Bee. Bee is such a selfless, wonderful human. PLUS she can bake a mean cinnamon roll! All jokes aside, she’s such an amazing leader and supporter for the adolescents in this book. When kids feel that they can open up without judgment, it can make a WORLD of difference, if not save a life! Thank you for writing this wonderful character 🥹🫶🏻
.
𝔚𝔥𝔞𝔱 ℑ 𝔏𝔦𝔨𝔢𝔡: This one left me with all the feels! The mix of problems we faced/face as teens, and the trauma that some have had to endure on top of those issues… really had me emotional! I went through some trauma at age 10, and this book really hit home for me! I think this book healed that 10 year old just a little, and I’m so grateful! Five ⭐️’s 🙌🏻
.

[Siobhan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I, in the Shadows is a young adult supernatural novel about a teenage girl who can see ghosts and what happens when there's one haunting her new room. Drew's the new girl in town, getting used to the fact that her sibling has gone to college, but there's also the complication that she (and her sibling) can see ghosts, and Drew's new bedroom is haunted by Liam, a teenage boy who needs to be helped to move on before he turns into an energy consuming husk. If that wasn't enough, Drew develops a crush on Hannah, who was Liam's best friend before he died, and soon it is a race to help Liam whilst he helps Drew to actually talk to Hannah.

This book is a multi-faceted story that blends a supernatural narrative about grief and moving on with a queer romance and the protagonist learning to not just push people away in the fear they might leave. It's the kind of young adult book that doesn't just feel one dimensional, but instead offers something that is both fun and bittersweet, with a protagonist who makes mistakes but also knows herself and what she wants, even if she can struggle to say it. One element of that which I found quite refreshing was Drew's certainty that she doesn't want to go to college and how a little detail like that made her feel like a more interesting character. The romance is basically a classic 'getting help from someone who knows the love interest better backfires when they find out' story and it sits nicely alongside the paranormal aspects.

When I chose to read this book I didn't realise it was young adult as it was just listed as horror, but it is definitely more of a supernatural mystery with a (non-supernatural) romance. I'm 15-20 years older than the target audience, but I had fun with the book and the characters are interesting (Drew's sibling Reece could definitely get their own spin-off sequel).

[Seema · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this a lot! This was emotionally heavy, and I 100% recommend it, especially if you love emotional books with a touch of horror and thriller elements.

What would you do if you have a ghost haunting your bedroom? Well, our fmc, Drew, decides to perform an exorcism, and when that fails, she realises that she needs to help the ghost, Liam, move on to the afterlife.

“The exorcism didn’t work,”

I, in the shadows, perfectly encapsulates what it’s like to be a teenager. It also explores the topic of grief and so much more.

One of the things I loved most is the writing. The prose is beautiful and it hooks you from the very first line. The characters feel real and well-developed, and each of them stands out. There is also a queer relationship and strong LGBTQ+ representation, which I really appreciated.

The book doesn’t shy away from messy characters. Everyone is dealing with their own problems and they mess up a lot, but they learn and grow in their own way, and it was honestly really nice to read.

What if everyone leaves you? What if you leave everyone else first? Maybe there’s a reason I’ve been ignoring Andie’s calls. Not returning her texts. Pushing Reece away. Packing away friendships and getting ready for my next adventure— alone. Maybe if I leave everyone else first, they don’t have the chance to leave me.

This book made me laugh and cry. The last 3 to 4 chapters were especially emotional and I had tears the whole time. Overall, it’s wholesome, messy, and bittersweet, and if you like books that make you feel a lot, you should absolutely read this.

Thank you, NetGalley and Page Street YA for the e-arc. All opinions are my own :)

[Blue · Rating 5 out of 5]

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Thank you Simon & Schuster for this book in exchange for an honest review

I, in the Shadows by Tori Bovalino is a hauntingly fun YA paranormal story that gives spooky vibes with heartfelt emotion, and I ate it up!

This story follows Liam, a teenage ghost who has been stuck haunting an old house, while trying to figure out why he can’t move on. Then Drew moves into his room and realizes she can actually see and talk to him, the two strike up an unlikely alliance. Drew agrees to help Liam figure out why he’s still tethered to the house and hopefully save him from a terrifying entity known as the Beast, which is hunting his soul and while Liam offers to help Drew get closer to her crush, Hannah, who also happens to be Liam’s former best friend.
This book perfectly balances creepy supernatural tension with humour, heart, and messy teenage feelings. Drew is witty, awkward, and determined, while Liam is equal parts sarcastic ghost guide and emotional chaos as he grapples with unfinished business and lingering feelings for Hannah. The banter between them is genuinely fun, but beneath the paranormal mystery is a touching story about grief, friendship, and learning how to let go.

Overall, the ghosts, monsters, teen romance, spooky and heartfelt vibes were brilliant and I, in the Shadows was the perfect weekend read for me!

[Rebecca Dee Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Drew has just moved into a new house with her family. She was expecting a lot of changes in her new town, but sharing her room with a ghost called Liam was not one of them.

Liam has been a ghost for 10 months now and if Drew cannot help him move on, he will become stuck and become a husk unable to move on.

Unfortunately, Drew and her brother Reese inherited this gift from their mother but without much guidance, they just need to do what they can to help the spirit move on, and one of the best ways is to find out what happened to them and resolve any issues.

Liam agrees to help Drew get in with his old friend group to see what they know, and see if they can unknowingly help Liam move on.

I really enjoyed this premise, cast full of relatable flawed characters and tugged on the heartstrings.

Out 13 Jan so time to get those preorders in. Thank you to NetGalley and Titan for the review copy. All opinions my own.

[bibi · Rating 4 out of 5]

★★★★☆ - 4 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Titan Books for providing me a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

The Second Death of Locke has been on my tbr for a while and when I saw that the author also wrote horror under a different name, I wanted to read her work.

The book has an amazing premise and it didn’t disappoint. Here we follow Drew who is trying to help Liam, a ghost, to find peace.

I really enjoyed how the author described Drew. She really is a different character, she has flaws and insecurities that make her so real and relatable. I loved that.

Liam was the opposite of Drew, when he was alive, perfect. I think this contrast between characters was well explored, the author did a great job here.

Reece and Hannah were also characters I really liked but I wanted more of them. We got a little of Drew and Reece’s relationship, but I wanted more of their sibling relationship and a bit more about their mom. Drew and Hannah were great too, but again, I wanted a little bit more development.

Other than that the book was great! I really enjoyed the plot and ghost helping, the addition of some other elements was really refreshing too.

[emsems22 · Rating 5 out of 5]

★ ★ ★ ★.75

somehow reading this felt like the biggest, warm hug while simultaneously ripping my entire heart out of my chest.

the central, heavy weight of this novel is exploring grief and loss. it isn’t treated as a single, explosive event but as something lingering.. shaping thoughts, relationships, and self-worth. the characters carry their individual experiences of loss, influencing their choices in subtle but devastating ways. the loss doesn’t fade neatly, it festers & isolates. I love how bovalino gave these characters their messy moments but that they owned their mistakes & worked through them.

this is not a story about perfect characters or clean, emotional arcs. it is people shaped and broken by loss, grief, abandonment and the quiet terror of mortality.

[Lauren Elizabeth · Rating 2 out of 5]

hmm, didn’t enjoy this as much as i thought i was going to!

[Sophie Leigh · Rating 4 out of 5]

cute little book about ghosts, friendships, and not lying👻

[Farzana · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 💫 That book you love but can't explain why. It's filled with irreversible loss 💔 and realistic hope 🫂

[Hannah Boyland · Rating 5 out of 5]

I, In the Shadows is a gorgeous YA horror novel about a girl who has just moved into a new town, and the ghost that’s haunting the house she has just moved into.

This had everything I love in a story - a sapphic romance, ghosts, and messy chaotic characters. It also has a lot of heartbreak and grief, and those things are what makes it such a wonderful read. It was an incredible blend of horror, mystery and romance, with well thought out and relatable characters.

I really appreciated how grief was discussed and presented throughout, the recognition that it can be fluid and dynamic, and that the way it impacts everyone, and how we deal with it, is in our own ways.

I also enjoyed how Bovalino wrote the characters. Often it feels as though teenagers in books are either aged up, or down, but to me, the teens in this felt just right. They made messy choices and some huge mistakes, but those seemed like the kind of decisions any teen would make.

Bovalino’s writing style was gorgeous. I really liked the bits from Liam in between Drew’s POV, they were heartbreaking, but also, so incredibly well done.

I, In The Shadows is one I recommend to anyone who either loves a horror, or that wants to start reading horror but is a bit nervous, and wants to start with something brilliant but maybe a little less scary!

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read an eARC of this book on NetGalley so thank you to the author and the publisher.

This is a supernatural, young adult story. We follow an older teenager who has recently moved to a new town. She, along with her older brother see ghosts and try to help them move along to the afterlife before they become husks. However her brother has gone to college leaving her to deal with the ghosts on her own for the first time, and she’s not experienced enough. She finds herself sharing a bedroom with the spectre of a boy who died the year before. She wants to find out what’s holding him back from moving on and in turn he agrees to help her with making friends with the girl she has a crush on, who happens to be his best friend.

The supernatural stuff in this book was pretty fascinating. I liked the darker turn it took with the husks and the threat that came from them. There was something quite unnerving about what happens to ghosts who don’t move on and the clock running down to their inevitable fate. Especially when it’s out of their control or they don’t really understand what’s happening to them.

There was a nice message through this as well about it being ok to ask for help. This comes up a few times and the book promotes the power of community and asking for help. This was pretty wholesome to see in a young adult book. There’s also a core narrative around grief and how all consuming it can be.

Overall an entertaining and heartfelt read with enough gritty darkness to keep the tension high throughout.

[Kera’s Always Reading · Rating 5 out of 5]

Books like this remind me of why I love YA books. There is so much grief and sadness in this book, but also so much hope and that is always easier to grasp witching the realm of youth. In this case, one of the main characters in this book is a ghost - a teenage boy. The juxtaposition of young life - and death is poignant.

Drew moves into a new house and finds herself sharing a bedroom with the ghost of the boy who lived there before. Liam has been dead for ten month and he is struggling with everything afterlife. This is all made so much worse by a terrifying entity he keeps seeing. Having been gifted with seeing abilities, Drew can see and speak to Liam. Drew can hopefully help him move on, but first, she must help Liam survive the demon who wants his soul.

Coincidentally, the girl at school that Drew is hopelessly crushing on is Hannah, Liam’s best friend (and unrequited love in life). In exchange for helping him with his soul-eating-beast problem, Liam agrees to help Drew get to know Hannah.

All together, this is a fabulous cast of characters. They all bring something so unique to the story. I was very into Drew’s backstory because I find the ability to see ghosts terrifying and incredible at the same time. We get a lot of drama in this book, and rightly so. Imagine being dead and just wanting to know if people think about you… if people miss you… if you matter at all.

I absolutely loved this book. It pulled at my heartstrings and made me cheesy smile. I recommend this for lovers of all things ghost and paranormal if you’re looking for some heart with your scaries!

[Kaylee ✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧ · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was not what I was expecting, but I think I loved it even more for that. I was expecting a light-hearted book about a stagnant ghost helping his guide get the girl she wants in exchange for him moving on. This was so much more than that, instead of light-hearted we got thought provoking and bittersweet.

I adored the fact the characters were all so messy in their own ways. Drew was complex, relatable, slightly annoying and a very interesting POV to read from. I loved her sarcastic demeanor as well.
There was so much inclusion throughout this book, I loved that the main romance was sapphic. Speaking of romance, I thought that all feelings and reactions felt so authentic and natural to who these characters were. Liam and Hannah had a very interesting dynamic in life, and an even more interesting one in death. I thought their relationship and the complex feelings surrounding it, were very well written.

I felt so connected to Liam. Tori Bovalino did an incredible job at showcasing not only the living characters grief, but Liam's grief regarding his own death. I think this is what had me interconnected with this story so much. The mixed media containing Liam's thoughts and such, that were included after the chapters, were some of my favourite parts of the book. They were devastatingly sad and so thought provoking, Death is scary, it is unpredictable and it is often unkind, the author didn't shy away from that. As someone who has always been afraid of death, I think the fear, the grief and the what-ifs were written so perfectly. I genuinely sobbed when I finished this book. The ending was for sure bittersweet, I think it was really well executed. The balance between plot and characters was perfect. The plot-line kept you interested, but the characters made it impossible to put down.

This is a gorgeous story so incredibly well written, that leaves you reeling after finishing. This book shows perfectly what YA can be. A story of change, fear and grief, but also a story of hope. I loved this book so much, even if it made me sob. I hope Tori Bovalino writes more books like this. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

[Blurb It Down Official · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are certain books that remind you exactly why you fell in love with young adult fiction in the first place—stories that balance genuine darkness with the kind of hope that feels both hard-won and absolutely necessary. I, in the Shadows by Tori Bovalino is exactly that kind of book, managing to be heartbreaking and uplifting often within the same chapter.

The premise immediately grabbed my attention: Drew moves into a new house and discovers she’s sharing her bedroom with Liam, the ghost of the teenage boy who died there ten months earlier. What could have been a quirky supernatural comedy instead becomes something much more emotionally complex, exploring grief, identity, and the desperate human need to know that we mattered.

Drew’s ability to see and communicate with ghosts is portrayed as both gift and burden in ways that felt genuinely thoughtful. Bovalino doesn’t romanticize this power—she shows how terrifying and isolating it would be to constantly perceive a layer of reality that most people can’t access. Drew’s backstory reveals the toll this ability has taken on her life, the way it’s shaped her relationships and sense of normalcy.

Liam exists in this heartbreaking liminal space between life and death, unable to move forward but painfully aware of everything he’s missing. The way Bovalino captures his desperation to know if people remember him, if his life mattered, if his absence has left any mark at all—it’s absolutely gutting. His struggle feels achingly real despite the supernatural premise.

The addition of a soul-devouring entity stalking Liam raises the stakes beyond simple ghost story territory. This isn’t just about helping a spirit move on peacefully—there’s genuine danger here, a threat that makes Drew’s assistance crucial rather than simply kind. The horror elements never overwhelm the emotional core but add urgency that keeps the plot moving.

What makes this book particularly interesting is how morally complicated it allows its characters to be. Drew agrees to help Liam with his demon problem, but she’s also motivated by the fact that he was best friends with Hannah, the girl Drew has been hopelessly crushing on. Using a dead boy to get closer to his former best friend is objectively terrible, and Bovalino doesn’t shy away from that reality.

This is where the book really won me over—Bovalino creates characters who make genuinely questionable choices without becoming unsympathetic. Drew isn’t a bad person, but she’s a teenager dealing with complicated feelings and making decisions that serve her own interests alongside her desire to help. It’s messy and realistic in ways that young adult fiction sometimes avoids.

Liam’s own complications add layers to what could have been a simple “help the ghost move on” narrative. His unrequited love for Hannah during his life creates this painful dynamic where death hasn’t resolved his feelings, only made them more complicated. He’s simultaneously trying to let go and desperate to maintain connection, wanting Hannah to move forward while also needing to know she hasn’t forgotten him.

Hannah herself emerges as more than just the object of various people’s affection. Bovalino gives her genuine interiority, showing her grief and confusion as she navigates life after losing her best friend. The way she’s processing Liam’s death while trying to move forward with her own life feels authentic rather than convenient to the plot.

The supporting cast enriches the story without cluttering it. Each character brings distinct energy and perspective, creating a world that feels populated by actual people rather than plot devices. Their interactions reveal character through dialogue and behavior rather than exposition.

What impressed me most was Bovalino’s handling of grief in all its complicated forms. Liam grieves his own life and all the experiences he’ll never have. Drew grieves the normal teenage existence her abilities have made impossible. Hannah grieves her best friend while feeling guilty about continuing to live and find happiness. Bovalino shows how grief isn’t linear or simple, how it coexists with joy and hope and everyday concerns.

The romantic elements develop naturally alongside the supernatural plot rather than overwhelming it. Drew’s feelings for Hannah create complications and motivations, but the story never loses sight of Liam’s urgent situation or the larger themes about mortality and meaning.

Bovalino’s prose style serves the emotional weight of the story beautifully. She writes with enough restraint that the sad moments hit hard without feeling manipulative, and enough warmth that the hopeful moments feel earned rather than artificially imposed. The balance between darkness and light feels carefully calibrated throughout.

The juxtaposition of teenage life and death creates constant poignancy. Liam is frozen at the age where you’re just beginning to understand who you might become, robbed of the opportunity to actually become that person. Drew is trying to have normal teenage experiences while dealing with decidedly abnormal circumstances. The contrast between youth’s possibilities and death’s finality generates much of the story’s emotional power.

I, in the Shadows succeeds most impressively in refusing easy answers or simple resolutions. Characters don’t magically overcome their flaws, grief doesn’t disappear when spirits move on, and doing the right thing doesn’t always feel good. It’s the kind of realistic messiness that makes young adult fiction at its best so powerful.

For readers who like:
Fans of Cemetery Boys or The Lovely Bones, anyone who appreciated They Both Die at the End for its emotional depth, readers seeking ghost stories with genuine heart, and those who enjoy YA that doesn’t shy away from moral complexity.

Final Verdict
Tori Bovalino has crafted a ghost story that’s as much about living as it is about dying, a romance that acknowledges its own ethical complications, and a meditation on grief that still manages to find hope. I, in the Shadows demonstrates exactly what young adult fiction can achieve when it trusts its readers to handle emotional complexity and moral ambiguity. This is a book that will make you cry and smile, often within the same chapter, and leave you thinking about what it means to matter, to be remembered, and to find connection across impossible divides. Essential reading for anyone who believes YA can be both deeply sad and ultimately hopeful.

Grateful to NetGalley, Page Street YA, and Tori Bovalino for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this story in exchange for an honest review.

[Lucía · Rating 4 out of 5]

First read of the year and a five star? I don't think I could ask for more.

Tori Bovalino has done it again. A favourite, auto-read author for me.

I didn't know what to expect going into this one. I didn't read the synopsis, just requested the arc because I knew I would read anything this author writes.
This book is absolutely incredible. So raw and emotional.

We follow Drew, a teenager that sees ghosts. When her family moves to a new town she discovers a ghost in her new house, a teenager named Liam that had a tragic death. From that point on she is tasked with the job of helping him move on. But things get a bit busy along the way, with a mysterious shadow roaming in the woods.

This book deals with grief in such a beautiful way. It made me emotional at times and even made me shed a few tears.

Absolutely stunning.

[LadyoftheBlade (Britt) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you so much to Netgalley and the publisher for an arc of I, in the Shadows. Tori Bovalino is a master class in writing realistically messy characters. I, in the Shadows was marketed as a mix between Beetlejuice and a queer Cyrano de Bergerac. Often, I find that comparisons to popular culture are off base and used solely for marketing and buzz rather than any true comparison. However, the marketing is spot on with I, in the Shadows.

Drew Tarpin has just moved to Pittsburgh, Pa. She is a normal teenage girl who left behind friends, sports, and a girlfriend (she actually didn't but probably would have). Oh and she and her sibling Reece can see ghosts. As long as Drew has remembered, Reece has handled the ghost stuff and she has stayed out of it. However, now that Reece is off at college, Drew is on her own to deal with the ghost of Liam Orville...alone.

Liam Orville died in a car crash almost a year before the story starts. He was driving and hit a tree in, essentially to a freak accident. Drew has moved into Liam's old bedroom and old house. Ghosts, when they stay "alive" too long, become husks or malevolent spirits. Neither Liam or Drew want that to happen so they make an arrangement. Liam will help Drew in stats and Drew will figure out what is keeping him here. Or. At least. That was the arrangement until Hannah Sullivan walks in and turns Drew's world upside down.

Hannah Sullivan was Liam's best friend before he died. At the open of the story, she has clearly not moved on from his death and has baggage of her own surrounding his early death. Drew is SO BAD at talking to Hannah. Literally cannot form a coherent sentence around her. Liam never got the chance to be with Hannah while he was alive because she did not return his feelings. So, in addition to stats, Liam offers to help try to get Drew and Hannah together. By telling Drew what to say. Of course this couldn't go wrong.

This is a story soaked in grief and the ways that people deal (or not deal) with death. Hannah and her friends all grieve Liam differently, but Drew has her own grieving as well. For friends she left behind, for a sibling she doesn't often see, and for the boy she only ever got to know as a ghost. Bovalino does an excellent job at making Drew, Hannah, and Liam sympathetic while also not excusing the shitty behaviors of all three. The novel never lets you forget that, at the end of the day, these are teenagers trying to navigate a really tricky situation of grief, survivor's guilt, and moving on from someone who shouldn't have left the world so young.

If you have ever lost someone young, it definitely hits a raw nerve because the book acknowledges how random and unfair Liam's circumstances are while also recognizing that he has to move on...for the good and safety of all involved. (Attracting other ghosts, not wanting to be a malevolent spirit, ect.ect.).

The ghost antics and creepy elements are present, but the heart of the story is untangling grief and how to grow around it and not let it consume you. Overall, it was wonderfully written and I adored reading it!