I, in the Shadows

by Tori Bovalino

Liam has been dead for ten months, haunting the house he used to share with his family, and facing intermittent and terrifying encounters with an eldritch entity called The Beast, who seems determined to consume his soul. Besides that complication in Liam’s new existence, he’s actually adjusted well enough to boredom. But all of that changes when a new family moves in and Liam finds himself sharing a room with Drew Tarpin, who is all of the things Liam never was when he was athletic, queer, and effortlessly cool.

Except, Liam and Drew do have something in their hopeless attraction to Hannah Steward, the nerdy captain of the school mock trial team. After Drew stands in to protect Liam from the Beast, he agrees to help her win Hannah over if Drew keeps Liam from spending the entirety of his afterlife as demon food. It shouldn’t be hard, since Liam was in unrequited love with Hannah for his entire natural life, and her best friend until his untimely death. But the Beast will not be satisfied no matter how much Drew fights back on Liam’s behalf—and when Hannah catches on that Liam might not be totally gone, it puts all of their lives at risk.

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

336 pages, Hardcover

Expected publication 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

[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.

[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..."

[☆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.

[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!

[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.

[Kate V · Rating 5 out of 5]

I, in the Shadows follows Drew, who's new in town following her family's move and her sibling's departure for college. Drew is a complex, multilayered character who is so utterly, perfectly human. Oh... and she can see (and talk to) ghosts!

We come into the story at a point in Drew's life where she has sacrificed many of her own needs for her family, for example agreeing to move away from her friends and the only home she's known so that her parents can thrive in their careers. However, her new home comes with a ghost of a boy her age, and Drew's determination to help him move on on her own without relying on her sibling- who's busy in college- helps open Drew's world to (delightfully queer!) love, increased connection, and more authenticity broadly, even while it pushes her to explore long-buried grief in a way that connects her more to life.

I thoroughly, completely enjoyed this book. From the outset, I quickly felt connected to Drew and her world, and thanks to the way that Tori Bovalino's mastery of language perfectly presented a character that felt so human -- flaws and all-- I felt so submerged that I was sometimes surprised to remember sometimes that I was reading a book versus getting to know a real person. This book is everything I love about YA. It’s been a long time since a book made me cry like this, like I’m both devastated and soothed all at once. The layers of grief and coming-of-age and trauma and growth all woven together by messy characters that felt REAL were masterful. I feel it lingering within me like a perfect chocolate truffle, something to be savored. I’m in awe of Tori Bovalino's skill and know this is a book that I will reach for again, hoping forever that it'll make me feel like it did the first time.

Some pieces I particularly loved:
Drew and Liam's relationship, and how it opened the door for Drew to have other friendships and relationships.
What felt like a genuine YA crush, with all its attendant anxiety and mortification.
The magic system and its interconnections with trauma and grief.
It's also refreshing to see a healthy stepchild-stepparent relationship, and Bee was an unexpected gem, and I love her bakery and the uses that Drew made of her treats.
The twists that were simultaneously powerful, thematic, and healing.

Essentially, this was perfection, no notes.

Thank you to Tori Bovalino, Page Street YA, and NetGalley for this eARC! I'm delighted to be able to leave an advanced review for this gem of a book.

[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!

[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.

[Sleepy Book Lover · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to Netgalley for this eARC.

A lonely teenage girl tries to help the ghost living in her bedroom pass on from this world—but when she finds out he was best friends with the girl she’s crushing on, she strikes a deal to get his help in talking to her.

Drew is an intensely realistic teenage girl, flawed and insecure and emotional and lonely. Her desire to bond with the people around her—ghosts included—is kind of heartbreaking; the way this is mirrored by Liam, who literally can’t engage with anyone in the world (except Drew) is equal parts clever and poignant.

Though very readable and pretty fast-paced, this book goes deep into grief, trauma and attachment issues. The use of the Watchers as monstrous manifestations of intense grief/unwillingness to let go was powerful and sort of terrifying. On top of the main narrative from Drew’s POV, the interludes from Liam’s perspective were such cool yet heartbreaking additions.

A nice balance of plot and character, with a satisfying if bittersweet ending. This is a perfect YA horror novel which I’d recommend to anyone looking for a speculative exploration of grief and the loneliness of being a teenager

[Ethereal Amorist · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you Netgalley, Tori Bovalino, and Page Street YA for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A beautiful book about death, grief, sadness, and trauma — with a twist: ghosts.

The writing style was quite conversational, almost as if the character were speaking directly to the reader instead of simply narrating events. Normally, I’m not a fan of that style, but it really worked for this story. It made the emotions feel more intimate and immediate.

I especially enjoyed watching Drew stumble her way through the ghost world, trying to make sense of it all without her more experienced sibling. The relationships, the quiet pain, and the small moments of connection were written so tenderly.

And that plot twist — and the ending — had me in tears. It captured the unpredictability of life and the inevitability of death in such a hauntingly beautiful way.

[Camilla_Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This is simultaneously a book about growing up and starting to know yourself, while also being about grief and death and how sometimes there are no other deeper explanations for things. They just... are? And its about how you come to terms with that in the end. Sometimes you don't always do the right thing, and sometimes you do the utterly wrong thing while TRYING to do the right thing, and the flawed characters in this book exhibited this perfectly. I really enjoyed it! The horror aspects were there and they were creepy as hell, but mostly this was deeply sad and lovely, and I was tearful multiple times throughout. Recommend to anyone who enjoys a good mystery with really brilliant and realistic characters at the centre of it.

[Tory · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for the e-arc.

3.5/5⭐

I loved the writing style. It broke the 4th wall and the character talked ro the reader. This is very much a ya book, but in the good sense of the word. It brought me back to my high school days. The mystery was so interesting to follow, I really wanted to know what came next. All of the characters were so diverse with such amazing representation. That ending was satisfying, it tied everything in a very pretty bow. Was it a revolutionary read? not really, but I had so much fun with it.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley for this review copy. I really enjoyed this one. The premise that seeing ghosts is a family trait was fun and watching Drew and Liam navigate the friendship while one is dead was very thoughtful. The ending was sad but what can you expect when one of your main characters is a ghost. 4 stars.

[Starr ❇✌❇]

queer Cyrano is already my niche but paranormal too????? and the ghost design on the cover???? 👀

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book wrecked me.

[Julianna]

I can't wait for the world to read this one! The setting feels so nostalgic & classically YA, but the story also had so much depth.