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A Song in the Dark
From the author of
Hearts Still Beating
comes a chilling and romantic supernatural novel set in a small town with dark secrets, about a teen girl who falls in love with a ghost.
Every summer for the past twenty years, a kid from Blackridge has disappeared, snatched away and never seen again.
It’s not the ideal town to relocate to, but after a tragic accident kills Jo’s best friend, her mom drags Jo and her siblings to the small, haunted town to start fresh. They move into an old house, and quickly, Jo learns they are not alone. Flickering lights. Radio stations that inexplicably change. A cold, faint breath across her ear....
Then she meets Finn. Finn is mysterious and sweet, and he shares Jo’s passion for music and songwriting. There's just one problem—he's a ghost. And he’s not the only one in the house. There are two others, and more that came before them.
As Jo and Finn grow closer, Jo believes that he and the other spirits are connected to the missing kids whose disappearances have devastated Blackridge. Desperate to hold on to the one bright spot in her dark world, she must unravel the mystery of what happened to them all before she loses Finn forever.
Every summer for the past twenty years, a kid from Blackridge has disappeared, snatched away and never seen again.
It’s not the ideal town to relocate to, but after a tragic accident kills Jo’s best friend, her mom drags Jo and her siblings to the small, haunted town to start fresh. They move into an old house, and quickly, Jo learns they are not alone. Flickering lights. Radio stations that inexplicably change. A cold, faint breath across her ear....
Then she meets Finn. Finn is mysterious and sweet, and he shares Jo’s passion for music and songwriting. There's just one problem—he's a ghost. And he’s not the only one in the house. There are two others, and more that came before them.
As Jo and Finn grow closer, Jo believes that he and the other spirits are connected to the missing kids whose disappearances have devastated Blackridge. Desperate to hold on to the one bright spot in her dark world, she must unravel the mystery of what happened to them all before she loses Finn forever.
336 pages, Hardcover
Published April 14, 2026
13 people are currently reading
6555 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 60 reviews
April 8, 2026
Gifted 💌Thank you Penguin Teen for the free arc !
This was such a good read 🎵👻
It starts off on a heavy note..the fmc and her family move back to her mom’s hometown after she loses someone close, and you can feel that grief in everything.
This isn’t just any small town… there’s been kids going missing for years, and the whole place has this eerie, unsettling vibe that never lets you relax 🕯️
I thought the story telling played out well with a lot of different aspects that blend together well. You can feel this is a family that is trying to get a fresh start.
The paranormal aspect was so interesting 👻but i won’t lie, i wish we got a bit more development there, especially with the ghostly side + relationships….and the sister?? she knew way too much for me to not want more from her storyline in the relationships.
I did suspect someone right from the start and it turned out I was right however what I did not expect was WHY behind everything ! That was eerie…. Loved it !
AND THE EPILOGUE???
…yeah that changed everything!!! Actually had me sitting there staring at the wall after finishing it because WHAT??? Did not see that coming at all 🤯!!
✧ final thoughts ✧
If you like YA mysteries with paranormal elements, eerie small towns, and twists that hit you at the very end… this one’s definitely worth picking up
——————
ARC Pre-read : so excited to read this ! Love a paranormal story 💙
This was such a good read 🎵👻
It starts off on a heavy note..the fmc and her family move back to her mom’s hometown after she loses someone close, and you can feel that grief in everything.
This isn’t just any small town… there’s been kids going missing for years, and the whole place has this eerie, unsettling vibe that never lets you relax 🕯️
I thought the story telling played out well with a lot of different aspects that blend together well. You can feel this is a family that is trying to get a fresh start.
The paranormal aspect was so interesting 👻but i won’t lie, i wish we got a bit more development there, especially with the ghostly side + relationships….and the sister?? she knew way too much for me to not want more from her storyline in the relationships.
I did suspect someone right from the start and it turned out I was right however what I did not expect was WHY behind everything ! That was eerie…. Loved it !
AND THE EPILOGUE???
…yeah that changed everything!!! Actually had me sitting there staring at the wall after finishing it because WHAT??? Did not see that coming at all 🤯!!
✧ final thoughts ✧
If you like YA mysteries with paranormal elements, eerie small towns, and twists that hit you at the very end… this one’s definitely worth picking up
——————
ARC Pre-read : so excited to read this ! Love a paranormal story 💙
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
A Song in the Dark is a perfect blend of hope, impending dread, & shock—wrapped together with a swoony romance, strong female friendships, and a top tier exploration of grief.
Definitely worth a read!
The reveal had me frozen in shock for a solid minute and the subsequent chapters had be screaming at my book!
My biggest regret with reading this book? I didn’t have anyone to shout about all the twists and reveals with! This is a book that will have you wanting to corner the nearest human to gush over.
Also... that epilogue?! omfg. I don't know what I'm supposed to do with that but man I am intrigued!
Whats to love…
- romantic subplot
- strong female friendships
- familial bonds
- perfectly dread inducing while still feeling hopeful
- SHOCKING reveals
- an absolutely gorgeous exploration of grief + survivors guilt
A note for adult readers…
- I think this is a perfect YA thriller, but if you’re an adult reading this you might find a portion of the plot a bit predictable. I did guess a number of the reveals—but the big one still caught me VERY off guard.
- this is a great book for the intended age group and for adult readers who enjoy ya. I do not always connect with ya books in a contemporary setting, but this one was easy to connect with because of the strong exploration of grief and themes that, while apply well to younger readers, are also applicable for adult readers!
4.75⭐️| IG | TikTok |
Thank you Putnam/Penguin Teen for the gifted book. All opinions are my own.
Definitely worth a read!
The reveal had me frozen in shock for a solid minute and the subsequent chapters had be screaming at my book!
My biggest regret with reading this book? I didn’t have anyone to shout about all the twists and reveals with! This is a book that will have you wanting to corner the nearest human to gush over.
Also... that epilogue?! omfg. I don't know what I'm supposed to do with that but man I am intrigued!
Whats to love…
- romantic subplot
- strong female friendships
- familial bonds
- perfectly dread inducing while still feeling hopeful
- SHOCKING reveals
- an absolutely gorgeous exploration of grief + survivors guilt
A note for adult readers…
- I think this is a perfect YA thriller, but if you’re an adult reading this you might find a portion of the plot a bit predictable. I did guess a number of the reveals—but the big one still caught me VERY off guard.
- this is a great book for the intended age group and for adult readers who enjoy ya. I do not always connect with ya books in a contemporary setting, but this one was easy to connect with because of the strong exploration of grief and themes that, while apply well to younger readers, are also applicable for adult readers!
4.75⭐️| IG | TikTok |
Thank you Putnam/Penguin Teen for the gifted book. All opinions are my own.
November 24, 2025
3.5
i love writing about grief. i love reading about it. i'm happy to report that this book portrayed it wonderfully. it checked all the boxes of what i wanted to read. jo's narration felt realistic, characteristic of a teenage girl who has lost more people than someone so young should have (she's just lost her best friend in a car accident, her dad is barely in the picture, her sister is distant, and she has lost herself). she's jaded, cynical, and understandably so. every metaphor hit me in the feels. it's one of those books that makes you wish you'd written them.
it's the paranormal part that fell a bit behind my expectations. another review highlighted this in a much better way than i can articulate, but there were some inconsistencies with the way the ghosts were portrayed and their nature + behavior. i won't get into it now because of spoilers, but there were some headscratchers that kind of took me out from what could have been a really cool concept.
the villain plot and the reveal weren't too impactful. they were just.... eh. at least their reasoning to do what they did was well explained and it fit well with the themes of the book, but villain monologues bore me, and i would've rather seen it be hinted throughout the book instead of having the villain info dump it at the end. the epilogue also felt a bit disjointed? but it can serve as an interesting sequel hook.
overall, i really enjoyed this. the portrayal of grief is the real superstar here.
thank you to netgalley and the publisher for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review!
i love writing about grief. i love reading about it. i'm happy to report that this book portrayed it wonderfully. it checked all the boxes of what i wanted to read. jo's narration felt realistic, characteristic of a teenage girl who has lost more people than someone so young should have (she's just lost her best friend in a car accident, her dad is barely in the picture, her sister is distant, and she has lost herself). she's jaded, cynical, and understandably so. every metaphor hit me in the feels. it's one of those books that makes you wish you'd written them.
it's the paranormal part that fell a bit behind my expectations. another review highlighted this in a much better way than i can articulate, but there were some inconsistencies with the way the ghosts were portrayed and their nature + behavior. i won't get into it now because of spoilers, but there were some headscratchers that kind of took me out from what could have been a really cool concept.
the villain plot and the reveal weren't too impactful. they were just.... eh. at least their reasoning to do what they did was well explained and it fit well with the themes of the book, but villain monologues bore me, and i would've rather seen it be hinted throughout the book instead of having the villain info dump it at the end. the epilogue also felt a bit disjointed? but it can serve as an interesting sequel hook.
overall, i really enjoyed this. the portrayal of grief is the real superstar here.
thank you to netgalley and the publisher for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Rating: 2.5 Stars
Now Playing: Wings by Birdy
My Thoughts:
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!
I’m struggling to decide how I feel about this book. I didn’t hate it, but I didn’t love it either—it ultimately falls into that middle ground of being just okay.
There were a few elements that didn’t quite work for me. First, the mystery aspect fell a bit flat. I was able to identify the villain almost immediately upon their introduction. I’m not sure if that was intentional, but it removed much of the tension from the “whodunit” angle. While some details remained unclear—like how the children were being kidnapped without leaving any evidence and, initially, where they were being taken—knowing the culprit so early on dampened the overall suspense. Ideally, I shouldn’t have been able to figure it out until much later, closer to the halfway point or beyond.
The romance was another area where I felt disconnected. I didn’t sense much chemistry between Finn and Jo, and their relationship lacked the development needed to feel convincing. More shared scenes and deeper conversations could have helped, but instead, their connection felt surface-level. Finn’s feelings, in particular, seemed to stem largely from Jo’s piano playing, which made the romance feel rushed and underdeveloped. Given their ages—Finn having gone missing at 14 and Jo being around 16 or 17—it makes sense that their emotions might be intense, but I still wanted more substance. As it stands, I didn’t fully understand why Jo was willing to let her walls down for him.
Another element that didn’t work for me was the epilogue. It felt unnecessary and has continued to linger in my mind for the wrong reasons. From what I can tell, it connects to the author’s first book, but as someone who hasn’t read it—and doesn’t plan to—it felt completely out of place. It didn’t even feel like it belonged to this story. If certain characters hadn’t been mentioned, I honestly might have thought it was a misprint. I would have much preferred an epilogue that focused on Jo—perhaps showing her beginning to process her grief more fully, or even just a lighter, more satisfying moment with the group celebrating the summer. Instead, we get an isolated lab and a strange virus, which felt jarringly disconnected from everything that came before.
I also noticed some continuity issues in the writing itself—though this may be specific to the ARC and could be corrected in the final version. There’s a scene where Jo and Nora (Finn’s sister) are at the bookstore when Cecily (Jo’s neighbor) comes in. Nora and Cecily interact in a way that clearly suggests they already know each other. However, a few chapters later, when Cecily drives Jo to Nora’s birthday party, Jo asks Cecily if she knows Nora. This felt inconsistent and confusing because it contradicted what was previously established. If the intention was for Jo to ask how they knew each other, that would have made more sense, but as written, it comes across like an oversight.
That said, there were aspects I did enjoy. One of the stronger elements was the exploration of grief and survivor’s guilt. While I never fully connected with Jo as a character, I appreciated how her grief over her best friend’s death was portrayed. The author did a good job showing how trauma can lead someone to shut others out as a form of self-protection. It’s not the healthiest coping mechanism—and realistically, Jo should have still been seeing a therapist—but it felt like an honest and grounded reaction, which I don’t often see explored in this way. Considering everything Jo has been through, her isolation felt understandable.
I also really enjoyed several of the side characters. The ghosts in the house—including Finn—added a lot of charm, and I particularly liked Jo’s sister and Nora. Even though we didn’t get as much depth with all of them as I would have liked, they brought energy to the story and helped keep it engaging through their interactions and contributions to the plot.
Overall, while the book had some interesting ideas and a few standout characters, the issues unfortunately made it difficult for me to fully enjoy the book.
Now Playing: Wings by Birdy
My Thoughts:
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!
I’m struggling to decide how I feel about this book. I didn’t hate it, but I didn’t love it either—it ultimately falls into that middle ground of being just okay.
There were a few elements that didn’t quite work for me. First, the mystery aspect fell a bit flat. I was able to identify the villain almost immediately upon their introduction. I’m not sure if that was intentional, but it removed much of the tension from the “whodunit” angle. While some details remained unclear—like how the children were being kidnapped without leaving any evidence and, initially, where they were being taken—knowing the culprit so early on dampened the overall suspense. Ideally, I shouldn’t have been able to figure it out until much later, closer to the halfway point or beyond.
The romance was another area where I felt disconnected. I didn’t sense much chemistry between Finn and Jo, and their relationship lacked the development needed to feel convincing. More shared scenes and deeper conversations could have helped, but instead, their connection felt surface-level. Finn’s feelings, in particular, seemed to stem largely from Jo’s piano playing, which made the romance feel rushed and underdeveloped. Given their ages—Finn having gone missing at 14 and Jo being around 16 or 17—it makes sense that their emotions might be intense, but I still wanted more substance. As it stands, I didn’t fully understand why Jo was willing to let her walls down for him.
Another element that didn’t work for me was the epilogue. It felt unnecessary and has continued to linger in my mind for the wrong reasons. From what I can tell, it connects to the author’s first book, but as someone who hasn’t read it—and doesn’t plan to—it felt completely out of place. It didn’t even feel like it belonged to this story. If certain characters hadn’t been mentioned, I honestly might have thought it was a misprint. I would have much preferred an epilogue that focused on Jo—perhaps showing her beginning to process her grief more fully, or even just a lighter, more satisfying moment with the group celebrating the summer. Instead, we get an isolated lab and a strange virus, which felt jarringly disconnected from everything that came before.
I also noticed some continuity issues in the writing itself—though this may be specific to the ARC and could be corrected in the final version. There’s a scene where Jo and Nora (Finn’s sister) are at the bookstore when Cecily (Jo’s neighbor) comes in. Nora and Cecily interact in a way that clearly suggests they already know each other. However, a few chapters later, when Cecily drives Jo to Nora’s birthday party, Jo asks Cecily if she knows Nora. This felt inconsistent and confusing because it contradicted what was previously established. If the intention was for Jo to ask how they knew each other, that would have made more sense, but as written, it comes across like an oversight.
That said, there were aspects I did enjoy. One of the stronger elements was the exploration of grief and survivor’s guilt. While I never fully connected with Jo as a character, I appreciated how her grief over her best friend’s death was portrayed. The author did a good job showing how trauma can lead someone to shut others out as a form of self-protection. It’s not the healthiest coping mechanism—and realistically, Jo should have still been seeing a therapist—but it felt like an honest and grounded reaction, which I don’t often see explored in this way. Considering everything Jo has been through, her isolation felt understandable.
I also really enjoyed several of the side characters. The ghosts in the house—including Finn—added a lot of charm, and I particularly liked Jo’s sister and Nora. Even though we didn’t get as much depth with all of them as I would have liked, they brought energy to the story and helped keep it engaging through their interactions and contributions to the plot.
Overall, while the book had some interesting ideas and a few standout characters, the issues unfortunately made it difficult for me to fully enjoy the book.
April 17, 2026
✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧
Sᴏɴɢ ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ Dᴀʀᴋ
ʙʏ Bʀᴏᴏᴋᴇ Aʀᴄʜᴇʀ
☆☆✩✩✩ → 2★
✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Song in the Dark was a compelling concept and, at times, an engaging read. The story had moments that pulled me in, and I can see the intention behind the atmosphere and emotional beats. There were flashes of intrigue that made me want to keep going and see how things would unfold.
However, I struggled to fully connect with it overall. I’m not typically a YA reader, and that heavily influenced my experience. The writing style, pacing, and character dynamics leaned strongly into YA conventions, which didn’t fully align with my personal preferences. Because of that, even the stronger moments didn’t quite land for me the way I think they might for other readers.
While I appreciated what the book was aiming for and can understand why it would resonate with its intended audience, it ultimately wasn’t the right fit for me. I found my engagement fading as the story progressed, and I never fully settled into it the way I had hoped.
✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧
Sᴏɴɢ ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ Dᴀʀᴋ
ʙʏ Bʀᴏᴏᴋᴇ Aʀᴄʜᴇʀ
☆☆✩✩✩ → 2★
✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Song in the Dark was a compelling concept and, at times, an engaging read. The story had moments that pulled me in, and I can see the intention behind the atmosphere and emotional beats. There were flashes of intrigue that made me want to keep going and see how things would unfold.
However, I struggled to fully connect with it overall. I’m not typically a YA reader, and that heavily influenced my experience. The writing style, pacing, and character dynamics leaned strongly into YA conventions, which didn’t fully align with my personal preferences. Because of that, even the stronger moments didn’t quite land for me the way I think they might for other readers.
While I appreciated what the book was aiming for and can understand why it would resonate with its intended audience, it ultimately wasn’t the right fit for me. I found my engagement fading as the story progressed, and I never fully settled into it the way I had hoped.
✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧
April 16, 2026
3.5 star
A captivating story about a girl who goes through the worst thing that could ever happen in life, and she learns to let others in and trust herself again through the mystery of missing children in the new town she moves to.
Jo is lost and has stopped living, but the ghosts that lurk around her home force her to open her eyes to what’s around her and she begins to chip away at the wall she had built around herself. I was truly invested in the story, unsure where it was going but sort of felt a little let down by the ending. It felt too unnatural, the way the truth was being spilled (like in kids movies) and that Epilogue left me a little uncertain about what I had just read.
A captivating story about a girl who goes through the worst thing that could ever happen in life, and she learns to let others in and trust herself again through the mystery of missing children in the new town she moves to.
Jo is lost and has stopped living, but the ghosts that lurk around her home force her to open her eyes to what’s around her and she begins to chip away at the wall she had built around herself. I was truly invested in the story, unsure where it was going but sort of felt a little let down by the ending. It felt too unnatural, the way the truth was being spilled (like in kids movies) and that Epilogue left me a little uncertain about what I had just read.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thank you to NetGalley, Penguin Young Readers Group, and Brooke Archer for the opportunity to read and review an Advance Reader Copy of this book!
If you enjoy A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder mixed with paranormal elements, this book is absolutely for you.
I was fully engrossed from the very beginning. The first ~30% of the book focuses heavily on grief as we follow our FMC and get grounded in the world, the town, and its atmosphere. The worldbuilding was strong, and once the paranormal elements were introduced, everything started clicking into place. We slowly begin to understand why this town is so strange and why so many things feel “off.”
I really loved the paranormal and mystery aspects of this story. One thing I appreciated was how the book gives you enough information to figure out who did it without ever outright stating it too early. As someone who reads a fair amount of mystery, I will say the answer felt fairly straightforward, but I was never 100% certain. It was more of a “this person seems most likely” feeling rather than a guaranteed conclusion, which kept me engaged.
The friendships and romance were another highlight. I did cry a little while reading, and I thought the themes, especially grief, were handled with a lot of care. Seeing how different characters processed loss in their own ways felt very real and meaningful. The romance was especially well done; it truly felt like a friends-to-lovers story, with a lot of tenderness, patience, and natural connection between the characters.
My only very tiny gripe is the epilogue. What was that?! I typically enjoy ghost-focused paranormal stories, and other paranormal elements don’t always work for me—so for my own peace, I’m choosing to pretend the epilogue doesn’t exist haha.
4.75 ☆
Thank you again to NetGalley, Penguin Young Readers Group, and Brooke Archer for the opportunity to read and review this Advance Reader Copy!
If you enjoy A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder mixed with paranormal elements, this book is absolutely for you.
I was fully engrossed from the very beginning. The first ~30% of the book focuses heavily on grief as we follow our FMC and get grounded in the world, the town, and its atmosphere. The worldbuilding was strong, and once the paranormal elements were introduced, everything started clicking into place. We slowly begin to understand why this town is so strange and why so many things feel “off.”
I really loved the paranormal and mystery aspects of this story. One thing I appreciated was how the book gives you enough information to figure out who did it without ever outright stating it too early. As someone who reads a fair amount of mystery, I will say the answer felt fairly straightforward, but I was never 100% certain. It was more of a “this person seems most likely” feeling rather than a guaranteed conclusion, which kept me engaged.
The friendships and romance were another highlight. I did cry a little while reading, and I thought the themes, especially grief, were handled with a lot of care. Seeing how different characters processed loss in their own ways felt very real and meaningful. The romance was especially well done; it truly felt like a friends-to-lovers story, with a lot of tenderness, patience, and natural connection between the characters.
My only very tiny gripe is the epilogue. What was that?! I typically enjoy ghost-focused paranormal stories, and other paranormal elements don’t always work for me—so for my own peace, I’m choosing to pretend the epilogue doesn’t exist haha.
4.75 ☆
Thank you again to NetGalley, Penguin Young Readers Group, and Brooke Archer for the opportunity to read and review this Advance Reader Copy!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Fair disclosure I haven't read a million paranormal romances, but it's a category on my radar.
I didn't know what to expect upon diving into this book outside of that it would be a love story between the dead and the living. Without spoiling the full truth of that its so much more.
I was captivated by Brooke's writing. She wove the story so beautifully that it was enchanting. I didn't suspect the truth behind what was happening and that is a really hard job to accomplish.
I'm an amateur slueth (definitely not Sherlock) and with most mysteries or love stories, be it a book or TV show, I've received enough hints throughout to have that birds eye view of the story behind the story. This one pleasantly had me guessing until it was revealed in real time.
The journey this takes and its outlook on grief and how we move and learn to live with it is worth every word. I believe this book can reach even the toughest skeptics.
I didn't know what to expect upon diving into this book outside of that it would be a love story between the dead and the living. Without spoiling the full truth of that its so much more.
I was captivated by Brooke's writing. She wove the story so beautifully that it was enchanting. I didn't suspect the truth behind what was happening and that is a really hard job to accomplish.
I'm an amateur slueth (definitely not Sherlock) and with most mysteries or love stories, be it a book or TV show, I've received enough hints throughout to have that birds eye view of the story behind the story. This one pleasantly had me guessing until it was revealed in real time.
The journey this takes and its outlook on grief and how we move and learn to live with it is worth every word. I believe this book can reach even the toughest skeptics.
November 28, 2025
Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Young Readers Group for providing this book, with my honest review below.
A Song in the Dark is a book I eagerly looked forward to having been a massive fan of Brooke Archer’s Hearts Still Beating. While it’s very different in focus from that book it does further prove that Brooke Archer’s name is going to be well known in the YA space.
Jo is our main character, having moved to a small town, Blackridge, with her family that is on edge all summer waiting for the other shoe to drop. See Blackridge has experienced a kidnapping of a child every summer for the past few years and as a result it acts the opposite of most small towns, early curfews and a careful eye out on kids running around enjoying themselves. Jo doesn’t seem to mind it much given she’s grappling with the searing grief and guilt of losing her best friend in a crash they were both in, feelings that were beautifully written. The paranormal parts of this book were really refreshing as (despite being based on tragic mysteries) they brought some humor and light heartedness to the heavy shroud Jo has around her.
The book goes so much deeper and wider than all this but its marriage of the dark and light was so well done, as was the journey to self realization and growth.
But this is what really excited me - completely out of nowhere - THAT EPILOGUE! I didn’t believe this was at all related to Hearts Still Beating until the very last sentences. My goodness, so unexpected but such an amazing moment. It may be a little unexpected for those who didn’t read that book (and you don’t have to) but for Brooke’s fans this is everything!
A Song in the Dark is a book I eagerly looked forward to having been a massive fan of Brooke Archer’s Hearts Still Beating. While it’s very different in focus from that book it does further prove that Brooke Archer’s name is going to be well known in the YA space.
Jo is our main character, having moved to a small town, Blackridge, with her family that is on edge all summer waiting for the other shoe to drop. See Blackridge has experienced a kidnapping of a child every summer for the past few years and as a result it acts the opposite of most small towns, early curfews and a careful eye out on kids running around enjoying themselves. Jo doesn’t seem to mind it much given she’s grappling with the searing grief and guilt of losing her best friend in a crash they were both in, feelings that were beautifully written. The paranormal parts of this book were really refreshing as (despite being based on tragic mysteries) they brought some humor and light heartedness to the heavy shroud Jo has around her.
The book goes so much deeper and wider than all this but its marriage of the dark and light was so well done, as was the journey to self realization and growth.
But this is what really excited me - completely out of nowhere - THAT EPILOGUE! I didn’t believe this was at all related to Hearts Still Beating until the very last sentences. My goodness, so unexpected but such an amazing moment. It may be a little unexpected for those who didn’t read that book (and you don’t have to) but for Brooke’s fans this is everything!
January 17, 2026
I really, REALLY wanted to like this. But my god it was just so…boring. It was definitely more of a contemporary ghost story as opposed to the thriller I thought it would be and maybe that’s on me, but I just really wanted more from this.
Finn was a great character and what ended up being The Thing was intriguing enough I guess, but I clocked who was doing it literally the second they were introduced and the epilogue completely ruined any two stars I might’ve given this.
As I said, it was just simply a boring story that was super drawn out for no reason and honestly I truly hated that everything the ghosts said was italicized. It was annoying AF. Again, a me problem potentially, but don’t go into this thinking it’s creepy or thrilling. It’s just about grief and solving a town mystery, which is fine, but not what it’s marketed as.
Finn was a great character and what ended up being The Thing was intriguing enough I guess, but I clocked who was doing it literally the second they were introduced and the epilogue completely ruined any two stars I might’ve given this.
As I said, it was just simply a boring story that was super drawn out for no reason and honestly I truly hated that everything the ghosts said was italicized. It was annoying AF. Again, a me problem potentially, but don’t go into this thinking it’s creepy or thrilling. It’s just about grief and solving a town mystery, which is fine, but not what it’s marketed as.
October 26, 2025
I received a copy of this book for free in a Goodreads giveaway.
Spooky mystery story about kids going missing and a ghostly romance that sets up an interesting premise with the missing kids in town and the main character's paranormal experiences, but then the ghost stuff often doesn't really make that much sense, and the ending is disappointing both in the reveal of the villain and the larger story it hints at.
The main character, Jo, has lost her best friend Harper in a car accident, and so her mother decides to take Jo and her younger sister and brother and move to Blackridge, where Jo's aunt Paige lives in an old house, and children disappear every summer from the town. The book sets up an effectively spooky atmosphere with the disappearing kids in town and the old house, along with Jo's past trauma from the accident and the loss of her friend. Jo then comes to realize that there are three ghosts in the house, and she's able to see them and talk to them, while everyone else cannot. She grows closer to Finn, the teenage ghost who's friendly and shares an interest in music with her, and his twin sister happens to be Jo's coworker at the bookstore. But she might eventually lose Finn, which makes her determined to figure out what happened to these ghosts and what's happening to the disappearing kids.
The ghost stuff of course requires some suspension of disbelief, but it also just doesn't really make sense under even a bit of scrutiny. Much is made of how the ghosts have trouble interacting with things in the real world unless they really concentrate, so they can sometimes turn the dial on the radio or move silverware, but can't really reliably interact with every object. But then how are they able to walk everywhere without falling through the floor? How do they sit on couches and beds without worrying about falling through them? They also cannot seem to leave a certain area around Jo's house, but the reason why is never adequately explained, and it seems to be just for plot convenience, so that they can't be present or helpful in certain scenes. I understand that it's all fantastical and made-up, but it still needs to be consistent to some degree.
The ending is also kind of a letdown. The reveal of the villain is not all that surprising, since there's only so many suspects that are introduced in the story, and the villain turns out to be a cartoonishly villainous figure, in complete contrast to how they are presented before then. There's even a secret facility involved, straight out of the crazy villain handbook. The book then goes on in an epilogue to hint at some much larger, international conspiracy, which feels completely out of place after this small-town, intimate story with teenagers. Is the intention that it's a setup for further books? The tone and setting of the epilogue are so completely different from the book that precedes it that it was jarring to read.
I found the setting well done and the premise interesting, but I was let down by some of the nonsensical ghost rules and the ending that is both cartoonishly stereotypical in the villain reveal and also completely jarring in its change in tone in the implications of a much larger plot.
Spooky mystery story about kids going missing and a ghostly romance that sets up an interesting premise with the missing kids in town and the main character's paranormal experiences, but then the ghost stuff often doesn't really make that much sense, and the ending is disappointing both in the reveal of the villain and the larger story it hints at.
The main character, Jo, has lost her best friend Harper in a car accident, and so her mother decides to take Jo and her younger sister and brother and move to Blackridge, where Jo's aunt Paige lives in an old house, and children disappear every summer from the town. The book sets up an effectively spooky atmosphere with the disappearing kids in town and the old house, along with Jo's past trauma from the accident and the loss of her friend. Jo then comes to realize that there are three ghosts in the house, and she's able to see them and talk to them, while everyone else cannot. She grows closer to Finn, the teenage ghost who's friendly and shares an interest in music with her, and his twin sister happens to be Jo's coworker at the bookstore. But she might eventually lose Finn, which makes her determined to figure out what happened to these ghosts and what's happening to the disappearing kids.
The ghost stuff of course requires some suspension of disbelief, but it also just doesn't really make sense under even a bit of scrutiny. Much is made of how the ghosts have trouble interacting with things in the real world unless they really concentrate, so they can sometimes turn the dial on the radio or move silverware, but can't really reliably interact with every object. But then how are they able to walk everywhere without falling through the floor? How do they sit on couches and beds without worrying about falling through them? They also cannot seem to leave a certain area around Jo's house, but the reason why is never adequately explained, and it seems to be just for plot convenience, so that they can't be present or helpful in certain scenes. I understand that it's all fantastical and made-up, but it still needs to be consistent to some degree.
The ending is also kind of a letdown. The reveal of the villain is not all that surprising, since there's only so many suspects that are introduced in the story, and the villain turns out to be a cartoonishly villainous figure, in complete contrast to how they are presented before then. There's even a secret facility involved, straight out of the crazy villain handbook. The book then goes on in an epilogue to hint at some much larger, international conspiracy, which feels completely out of place after this small-town, intimate story with teenagers. Is the intention that it's a setup for further books? The tone and setting of the epilogue are so completely different from the book that precedes it that it was jarring to read.
I found the setting well done and the premise interesting, but I was let down by some of the nonsensical ghost rules and the ending that is both cartoonishly stereotypical in the villain reveal and also completely jarring in its change in tone in the implications of a much larger plot.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the gifted e-arc all opinions are my own.
I'm going to start this one off with mentioning that in the end I did enjoy the book. The first half of the book though was slow. I had a hard time keeping my interest to the pages as it was such a large lead up to what was eventually to happen.
The FMC Jo is hit with tragedy when she loses her best friend, and her mom moves her family back to her hometown to live with their aunt. Jo is a character I could relate to in grief at a young age, separating yourself from others and putting up walls and not wanting to get close to anyone else. If no one is close to you then you can't get hurt right? I liked watching Jo's shift through the story as she slowly opens up and her walls come down.
The cover hints at the paranormal which it does. We have our ghosts living within the Griffin home and one of them is Finn. One of the many kids to go missing in town and Finn was a character I enjoyed. Their friendship blossoms while darkness closes in around not only him but Jo and the others. I love the love he has for music and the connection he makes with the resident musician Jo. I can't touch to much on this area though as it would contain spoilers.
Halfway through is probably when the plot actually picked up for me and then later is when it really picked up for me and became gripping. For a book that falls on a thriller aspect there was nothing that kept me on the edge. The mystery behind the town was simple for me. I actually had the twist and plot end guessed VERY early in the book so once the mystery was revealed and wrapped up I was not shocked. I was actually very underwhelmed. Some aspect didn't make sense to me either as to why it was part of the story that will be hidden behind spoilers for those that want to read about it.
The ending for the book leaves it open to another one planned possibly. I'm not sure what to make of it at this point without reading the next book if there is one. The storyline is left open, questions still exist. Outside of this though the author touched on grief well and really depicted the aspects of true feelings from multiple teenagers who have experienced grief and are expressing it in their own ways. The story itself was enjoyable once it picked up for me.
I'm going to start this one off with mentioning that in the end I did enjoy the book. The first half of the book though was slow. I had a hard time keeping my interest to the pages as it was such a large lead up to what was eventually to happen.
The FMC Jo is hit with tragedy when she loses her best friend, and her mom moves her family back to her hometown to live with their aunt. Jo is a character I could relate to in grief at a young age, separating yourself from others and putting up walls and not wanting to get close to anyone else. If no one is close to you then you can't get hurt right? I liked watching Jo's shift through the story as she slowly opens up and her walls come down.
The cover hints at the paranormal which it does. We have our ghosts living within the Griffin home and one of them is Finn. One of the many kids to go missing in town and Finn was a character I enjoyed. Their friendship blossoms while darkness closes in around not only him but Jo and the others. I love the love he has for music and the connection he makes with the resident musician Jo. I can't touch to much on this area though as it would contain spoilers.
Halfway through is probably when the plot actually picked up for me and then later is when it really picked up for me and became gripping. For a book that falls on a thriller aspect there was nothing that kept me on the edge. The mystery behind the town was simple for me. I actually had the twist and plot end guessed VERY early in the book so once the mystery was revealed and wrapped up I was not shocked. I was actually very underwhelmed. Some aspect didn't make sense to me either as to why it was part of the story that will be hidden behind spoilers for those that want to read about it.
The ending for the book leaves it open to another one planned possibly. I'm not sure what to make of it at this point without reading the next book if there is one. The storyline is left open, questions still exist. Outside of this though the author touched on grief well and really depicted the aspects of true feelings from multiple teenagers who have experienced grief and are expressing it in their own ways. The story itself was enjoyable once it picked up for me.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
A Song in the Dark is a YA paranormal mystery thriller with a touch of romance.
After a tragic accident kills Jo's best friend, her mom moves her and her siblings to the small town of Blackridge. But Blackridge is not an ordinary town. Every summer for the past twenty years, a child goes missing and is never seen again. In addition, Jo's starting to think that the house they moved into is haunted. Lights flicker. The radio stations inexplicably change. Spoons go missing. A chill running up her spine.
Jo's suspicions are confirmed when she meets Finn, the ghost of a teenage boy living in her house. And he's not alone. There are two other ghosts there as well, and more that have come before them. As Jo and Finn spend time together, she begins to suspect he and the other ghosts are connected to the missing kids who have gone missing from Blackridge. Jo must scramble to find the connection and figure out who kidnapped Blackridge's children, before it's too late.
I enjoyed this book overall. The combination of the mystery of the disappearing children and paranormal thriller elements worked well together. The small-town setting coupled with the old Victorian house Jo's family lives in, sets a creepy tone for the story and gives great paranormal vibes.
Aside from the murder mystery and ghost aspects, Jo is dealing with the loss of her best friend and trying to learn how to let someone in again. Brooke Archer does a good job of exploring this theme of grief and grieving. We see Jo try different ways to process the tragedy she is dealing with because it affects her in many ways.
While I did enjoy the book overall, I was a little disappointed with the mystery aspect. Halfway through the book I had figured out who had kidnapped the children, why they did it, and where they were keeping them. I feel like there weren't enough red herrings to point readers in a different direction, and it became obvious who the culprit was way before Jo and Finn figure it out. In addition, this book is partially being marketed as a romance, but since Finn is a ghost the romance isn't a very strong one. They do develop feelings for each other, but it has a different feel to it than a normal romance, because Finn is a ghost so they can't truly be together. Lastly, the epilogue felt completely out of left field. I have read other reviewers say it creates a connection to Archer's previous book. However, as someone who has not read that book, it just felt like it didn't fit.
Not a bad book, but it could have been stronger. I will say though that before the epilogue, it does wrap up nicely.
After a tragic accident kills Jo's best friend, her mom moves her and her siblings to the small town of Blackridge. But Blackridge is not an ordinary town. Every summer for the past twenty years, a child goes missing and is never seen again. In addition, Jo's starting to think that the house they moved into is haunted. Lights flicker. The radio stations inexplicably change. Spoons go missing. A chill running up her spine.
Jo's suspicions are confirmed when she meets Finn, the ghost of a teenage boy living in her house. And he's not alone. There are two other ghosts there as well, and more that have come before them. As Jo and Finn spend time together, she begins to suspect he and the other ghosts are connected to the missing kids who have gone missing from Blackridge. Jo must scramble to find the connection and figure out who kidnapped Blackridge's children, before it's too late.
I enjoyed this book overall. The combination of the mystery of the disappearing children and paranormal thriller elements worked well together. The small-town setting coupled with the old Victorian house Jo's family lives in, sets a creepy tone for the story and gives great paranormal vibes.
Aside from the murder mystery and ghost aspects, Jo is dealing with the loss of her best friend and trying to learn how to let someone in again. Brooke Archer does a good job of exploring this theme of grief and grieving. We see Jo try different ways to process the tragedy she is dealing with because it affects her in many ways.
While I did enjoy the book overall, I was a little disappointed with the mystery aspect. Halfway through the book I had figured out who had kidnapped the children, why they did it, and where they were keeping them. I feel like there weren't enough red herrings to point readers in a different direction, and it became obvious who the culprit was way before Jo and Finn figure it out. In addition, this book is partially being marketed as a romance, but since Finn is a ghost the romance isn't a very strong one. They do develop feelings for each other, but it has a different feel to it than a normal romance, because Finn is a ghost so they can't truly be together. Lastly, the epilogue felt completely out of left field. I have read other reviewers say it creates a connection to Archer's previous book. However, as someone who has not read that book, it just felt like it didn't fit.
Not a bad book, but it could have been stronger. I will say though that before the epilogue, it does wrap up nicely.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
My rating: ★★★★☆ (4–4.25 stars)
grief 🤝 ghost boyfriend 🤝 small town secrets
. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁.. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁.. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁.
this book??? felt like being haunted emotionally and literally at the same time.
i went in thinking this would be a spooky paranormal romance…
and yes, it is that, girl moves to a creepy town where kids disappear every summer and falls in love with a ghost but it’s also way more about grief than i expected.
like… this is not just a “haha ghost bf” book. this is a survivor’s guilt learning how to live after loss
and holding onto people you literally cannot keep type of book. and it HURTS.
. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁.. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁.. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁.
what i absolutely loved about this book was the atmosphere?? insane. the whole small town feels wrong in that quiet unsettling way like something is always watching. the haunted house the flickering lights the radio glitches… it’s all giving subtle horror without being over the top. and Finn…
STOP. he’s soft. he’s tragic. he’s literally doomed from the start.
the romance is very much almost touches quiet conversations “we both know this can’t last” kinda feels and i ate that up. it’s more yearning than romance but honestly that made it hit harder.
also the friendships and family dynamics?? surprisingly strong. everyone feels messy and real in how they deal with grief.
. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁.. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁.. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁.
what didn’t fully hit for me was that the pacing is a little uneven. the first half is slower and very focused on emotions and then the mystery kinda speeds up later. and speaking of the mystery…
it’s not super hard to figure out. like i definitely had my suspicions early on and wasn’t shocked by the reveal. also… the epilogue??
i’m sorry but WHAT was that 😭 (if you know, you know)
. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁.. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁.. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁.
overall this isn’t a super plot heavy thriller it’s more of a grief story wrapped in a ghost mystery with a soft doomed romance.
and honestly? that worked for me. it made me sad a little unsettled and weirdly comforted all at once.
I would say that if you like a soft paranormal romance (not spicy, more emotional) a small town mysteries with a creepy vibe and books that explore grief in a real way…then you’ll probably love this.
. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁.. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁.. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁.
My final thoughts are;
i came for the ghost romance…
i left emotionally haunted and slightly unwell 🫠
I want to Thank NetGalley for providing me an ARC and i cannot wait to see what else Brooke Archer comes up with next!
grief 🤝 ghost boyfriend 🤝 small town secrets
. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁.. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁.. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁.
this book??? felt like being haunted emotionally and literally at the same time.
i went in thinking this would be a spooky paranormal romance…
and yes, it is that, girl moves to a creepy town where kids disappear every summer and falls in love with a ghost but it’s also way more about grief than i expected.
like… this is not just a “haha ghost bf” book. this is a survivor’s guilt learning how to live after loss
and holding onto people you literally cannot keep type of book. and it HURTS.
. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁.. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁.. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁.
what i absolutely loved about this book was the atmosphere?? insane. the whole small town feels wrong in that quiet unsettling way like something is always watching. the haunted house the flickering lights the radio glitches… it’s all giving subtle horror without being over the top. and Finn…
STOP. he’s soft. he’s tragic. he’s literally doomed from the start.
the romance is very much almost touches quiet conversations “we both know this can’t last” kinda feels and i ate that up. it’s more yearning than romance but honestly that made it hit harder.
also the friendships and family dynamics?? surprisingly strong. everyone feels messy and real in how they deal with grief.
. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁.. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁.. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁.
what didn’t fully hit for me was that the pacing is a little uneven. the first half is slower and very focused on emotions and then the mystery kinda speeds up later. and speaking of the mystery…
it’s not super hard to figure out. like i definitely had my suspicions early on and wasn’t shocked by the reveal. also… the epilogue??
i’m sorry but WHAT was that 😭 (if you know, you know)
. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁.. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁.. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁.
overall this isn’t a super plot heavy thriller it’s more of a grief story wrapped in a ghost mystery with a soft doomed romance.
and honestly? that worked for me. it made me sad a little unsettled and weirdly comforted all at once.
I would say that if you like a soft paranormal romance (not spicy, more emotional) a small town mysteries with a creepy vibe and books that explore grief in a real way…then you’ll probably love this.
. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁.. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁.. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁.
My final thoughts are;
i came for the ghost romance…
i left emotionally haunted and slightly unwell 🫠
I want to Thank NetGalley for providing me an ARC and i cannot wait to see what else Brooke Archer comes up with next!
April 15, 2026
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
🎧📖𝒜𝐿𝒞 𝒜𝓊𝒹𝒾𝑜𝒷𝑜𝑜𝓀 𝑅𝑒𝓋𝒾𝑒𝓌📖🎧
𝒜 𝒮𝑜𝓃𝑔 𝒾𝓃 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝒟𝒶𝓇𝓀 ʙʏ ʙʀᴏᴏᴋᴇ ᴀʀᴄʜᴇʀ
𝑅𝒶𝓉𝒾𝓃𝑔: 🥀🥀🥀🥀 ᴏᴜᴛ ᴏғ 𝟻 ᴇɴᴄʜᴀɴᴛᴇᴅ ʀᴏsᴇs
✨ 𝐻𝑜𝑜𝓀✨
𝒥𝑜 𝓂𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓈 𝓉𝑜 𝒶 𝒽𝒶𝓊𝓃𝓉𝑒𝒹 𝓉𝑜𝓌𝓃 𝒶𝒻𝓉𝑒𝓇 𝓉𝓇𝒶𝑔𝑒𝒹𝓎 𝓈𝓉𝓇𝒾𝓀𝑒𝓈, 𝑜𝓃𝓁𝓎 𝓉𝑜 𝓂𝑒𝑒𝓉 𝐹𝒾𝓃𝓃, 𝒶 𝓈𝓌𝑒𝑒𝓉 𝑔𝒽𝑜𝓈𝓉. 𝒜𝓈 𝓉𝒽𝑒𝓎 𝑔𝓇𝑜𝓌 𝒸𝓁𝑜𝓈𝑒𝓇, 𝒥𝑜 𝓂𝓊𝓈𝓉 𝓊𝓃𝒸𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓇 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝓉𝑜𝓌𝓃’𝓈 𝒹𝒶𝓇𝓀 𝓈𝑒𝒸𝓇𝑒𝓉𝓈 𝒷𝑒𝒻𝑜𝓇𝑒 𝓁𝑜𝓈𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝑜𝓃𝑒 𝓉𝒽𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝓀𝑒𝑒𝓅𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝒽𝑒𝓇 𝓉𝑒𝓉𝒽𝑒𝓇𝑒𝒹 𝓉𝑜 𝒽𝑜𝓅𝑒.
𝑅𝑒𝓋𝒾𝑒𝓌:
ʜᴜɢᴇ ᴛʜᴀɴᴋ ʏᴏᴜ ᴛᴏ ᴘʀʜᴀᴜᴅɪᴏ ғᴏʀ ɢɪғᴛɪɴɢ ᴍᴇ ᴛʜɪs ᴀʟᴄ!
𝒮𝑜𝓂𝑒 𝓁𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓈 𝒶𝓇𝑒 𝒹𝑒𝒶𝒹𝓁𝓎… 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝓈𝑜𝓂𝑒 𝒶𝓇𝑒 𝑔𝒽𝑜𝓈𝓉𝓈.
ᴊᴏ’s ɢʀɪᴇғ sɪᴛs ᴀᴛ ᴛʜᴇ ᴄᴇɴᴛᴇʀ ᴏғ ᴛʜᴇ sᴛᴏʀʏ, ᴀɴᴅ ɪᴛ’s ʜᴀɴᴅʟᴇᴅ ᴡɪᴛʜ sᴏ ᴍᴜᴄʜ ᴄᴀʀᴇ—ʏᴏᴜ ғᴇᴇʟ ʜᴇʀ ʟᴏɴᴇʟɪɴᴇss, ʜᴇʀ ɴᴜᴍʙɴᴇss, ᴀɴᴅ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴅᴇsᴘᴇʀᴀᴛᴇ ɴᴇᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ ʜᴏʟᴅ ᴏɴᴛᴏ sᴏᴍᴇᴛʜɪɴɢ… ᴀɴʏᴛʜɪɴɢ. ᴛʜᴀᴛ “sᴏᴍᴇᴛʜɪɴɢ” ʙᴇᴄᴏᴍᴇs ғɪɴɴ, ᴀɴᴅ ᴛʜᴇɪʀ ʀᴇʟᴀᴛɪᴏɴsʜɪᴘ ɪs sᴏғᴛ, ᴛᴇɴᴅᴇʀ, ᴀɴᴅ ғɪʟʟᴇᴅ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴛʜɪs ᴀᴄʜɪɴɢ ɪɴᴇᴠɪᴛᴀʙɪʟɪᴛʏ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴍᴀᴋᴇs ᴇᴠᴇʀʏ ᴍᴏᴍᴇɴᴛ ʜɪᴛ ʜᴀʀᴅᴇʀ.
ᴛʜᴇ ᴀᴛᴍᴏsᴘʜᴇʀᴇ ɪs ᴡʜᴇʀᴇ ᴛʜɪs sᴛᴏʀʏ ʀᴇᴀʟʟʏ sʜɪɴᴇs. ʙʟᴀᴄᴋʀɪᴅɢᴇ ғᴇᴇʟs ᴡʀᴏɴɢ ɪɴ ᴛʜᴀᴛ sᴜʙᴛʟᴇ, ᴄʀᴇᴇᴘɪɴɢ ᴡᴀʏ—ғʟɪᴄᴋᴇʀɪɴɢ ʟɪɢʜᴛs, sʜɪғᴛɪɴɢ ʀᴀᴅɪᴏs, ᴄᴏʟᴅ ʙʀᴇᴀᴛʜs ɪɴ ᴇᴍᴘᴛʏ ʀᴏᴏᴍs. ɪᴛ’s ɴᴏᴛ ᴊᴜsᴛ sᴘᴏᴏᴋʏ—ɪᴛ’s ᴜɴsᴇᴛᴛʟɪɴɢ, ʟɪᴋᴇ sᴏᴍᴇᴛʜɪɴɢ ɪs ᴀʟᴡᴀʏs ᴊᴜsᴛ ᴏᴜᴛ ᴏғ ʀᴇᴀᴄʜ.
ᴛʜᴇ ᴍʏsᴛᴇʀʏ ᴜɴғᴏʟᴅs sʟᴏᴡʟʏ, ʟᴀʏᴇʀɪɴɢ ɢʀɪᴇғ ᴡɪᴛʜ sᴜsᴘᴇɴsᴇ. ʏᴏᴜ’ʀᴇ ɢɪᴠᴇɴ ᴊᴜsᴛ ᴇɴᴏᴜɢʜ ᴄʟᴜᴇs ᴛᴏ sᴛᴀʏ ʜᴏᴏᴋᴇᴅ ᴡɪᴛʜᴏᴜᴛ ғᴜʟʟʏ ᴋɴᴏᴡɪɴɢ ᴛʜᴇ ᴛʀᴜᴛʜ, ᴀɴᴅ ᴛʜᴇ ᴄᴏɴɴᴇᴄᴛɪᴏɴ ʙᴇᴛᴡᴇᴇɴ ᴛʜᴇ ɢʜᴏsᴛs ᴀɴᴅ ᴛʜᴇ ᴍɪssɪɴɢ ᴄʜɪʟᴅʀᴇɴ ᴀᴅᴅs ᴀ ᴅᴇᴇᴘᴇʀ, ᴅᴀʀᴋᴇʀ ᴇᴅɢᴇ ᴛᴏ ᴛʜᴇ sᴛᴏʀʏ.
ᴀɴᴅ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ʀᴏᴍᴀɴᴄᴇ? ɪᴛ’s ɴᴏᴛ ᴊᴜsᴛ ᴀʙᴏᴜᴛ ғᴀʟʟɪɴɢ ɪɴ ʟᴏᴠᴇ—ɪᴛ’s ᴀʙᴏᴜᴛ ʜᴏʟᴅɪɴɢ ᴏɴᴛᴏ sᴏᴍᴇᴏɴᴇ ʏᴏᴜ ᴍɪɢʜᴛ ɴᴏᴛ ʙᴇ ᴀʙʟᴇ ᴛᴏ ᴋᴇᴇᴘ.
🎙️𝒩𝒶𝓇𝓇𝒶𝓉𝒾𝑜𝓃:
ᴛʜᴇ ɴᴀʀʀᴀᴛᴏʀ ᴅᴇʟɪᴠᴇʀs ᴄʜɪʟʟs ᴀɴᴅ ᴛᴇɴᴅᴇʀɴᴇss ɪɴ ᴇǫᴜᴀʟ ᴍᴇᴀsᴜʀᴇ. ɢʜᴏsᴛʟʏ sᴜsᴘᴇɴsᴇ, ʀᴏᴍᴀɴᴄᴇ, ᴀɴᴅ sᴍᴀʟʟ-ᴛᴏᴡɴ ᴍʏsᴛᴇʀʏ ғᴇᴇʟ ɪᴍᴍᴇʀsɪᴠᴇ, ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴇᴠᴇʀʏ ᴇᴇʀɪᴇ ᴍᴏᴍᴇɴᴛ ʙᴜɪʟᴅɪɴɢ ᴛᴇɴsɪᴏɴ ᴘᴇʀғᴇᴄᴛʟʏ.
𝒯𝓇𝑜𝓅𝑒𝓈 & 𝒱𝒾𝒷𝑒𝓈:
👻ʏᴀ sᴜᴘᴇʀɴᴀᴛᴜʀᴀʟ ʀᴏᴍᴀɴᴄᴇ
✨ ɢʜᴏsᴛs
👻ʜᴀᴜɴᴛᴇᴅ sᴍᴀʟʟ-ᴛᴏᴡɴ ᴍʏsᴛᴇʀʏ
✨ sʟᴏᴡ-ʙᴜʀɴ ʀᴏᴍᴀɴᴄᴇ
👻sᴜsᴘᴇɴsᴇғᴜʟ & ᴀᴛᴍᴏsᴘʜᴇʀɪᴄ
✨ ᴛᴇᴇɴ ᴘᴀʀᴀɴᴏʀᴍᴀʟ
𝐹𝒾𝓃𝒶𝓁 𝓋𝑒𝓇𝒹𝒾𝒸𝓉:
ʜᴀᴜɴᴛᴇᴅ, sᴡᴇᴇᴛ, ᴀɴᴅ ᴛʜʀɪʟʟɪɴɢ. ᴊᴏ & ғɪɴɴ’s ʀᴏᴍᴀɴᴄᴇ ɢʟᴏᴡs ᴀᴍɪᴅ sᴍᴀʟʟ-ᴛᴏᴡɴ ᴍʏsᴛᴇʀʏ ᴀɴᴅ ɢʜᴏsᴛʟʏ sᴇᴄʀᴇᴛs. ᴀᴛᴍᴏsᴘʜᴇʀɪᴄ ᴀɴᴅ ʜᴀᴜɴᴛɪɴɢ, ʙʟᴇɴᴅɪɴɢ ᴛᴇᴇɴ ʀᴏᴍᴀɴᴄᴇ ᴡɪᴛʜ sᴜᴘᴇʀɴᴀᴛᴜʀᴀʟ sᴜsᴘᴇɴsᴇ. ᴇɴɢᴀɢɪɴɢ ᴀɴᴅ sᴘᴏᴏᴋʏ, ɪᴅᴇᴀʟ ғᴏʀ ʏᴀ ᴘᴀʀᴀɴᴏʀᴍᴀʟ ғᴀɴs.
ʜᴀᴘᴘʏ ʀᴇᴀᴅɪɴɢ!
𝒜𝓈𝒽𝓁𝑒𝓎
ʙᴏᴏᴋsᴛᴀɢʀᴀᴍ: @ᴛʜᴇᴛᴀᴛᴛᴇʀᴇᴅᴘᴀɢᴇ
🎧📖𝒜𝐿𝒞 𝒜𝓊𝒹𝒾𝑜𝒷𝑜𝑜𝓀 𝑅𝑒𝓋𝒾𝑒𝓌📖🎧
𝒜 𝒮𝑜𝓃𝑔 𝒾𝓃 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝒟𝒶𝓇𝓀 ʙʏ ʙʀᴏᴏᴋᴇ ᴀʀᴄʜᴇʀ
𝑅𝒶𝓉𝒾𝓃𝑔: 🥀🥀🥀🥀 ᴏᴜᴛ ᴏғ 𝟻 ᴇɴᴄʜᴀɴᴛᴇᴅ ʀᴏsᴇs
✨ 𝐻𝑜𝑜𝓀✨
𝒥𝑜 𝓂𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓈 𝓉𝑜 𝒶 𝒽𝒶𝓊𝓃𝓉𝑒𝒹 𝓉𝑜𝓌𝓃 𝒶𝒻𝓉𝑒𝓇 𝓉𝓇𝒶𝑔𝑒𝒹𝓎 𝓈𝓉𝓇𝒾𝓀𝑒𝓈, 𝑜𝓃𝓁𝓎 𝓉𝑜 𝓂𝑒𝑒𝓉 𝐹𝒾𝓃𝓃, 𝒶 𝓈𝓌𝑒𝑒𝓉 𝑔𝒽𝑜𝓈𝓉. 𝒜𝓈 𝓉𝒽𝑒𝓎 𝑔𝓇𝑜𝓌 𝒸𝓁𝑜𝓈𝑒𝓇, 𝒥𝑜 𝓂𝓊𝓈𝓉 𝓊𝓃𝒸𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓇 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝓉𝑜𝓌𝓃’𝓈 𝒹𝒶𝓇𝓀 𝓈𝑒𝒸𝓇𝑒𝓉𝓈 𝒷𝑒𝒻𝑜𝓇𝑒 𝓁𝑜𝓈𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝑜𝓃𝑒 𝓉𝒽𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝓀𝑒𝑒𝓅𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝒽𝑒𝓇 𝓉𝑒𝓉𝒽𝑒𝓇𝑒𝒹 𝓉𝑜 𝒽𝑜𝓅𝑒.
𝑅𝑒𝓋𝒾𝑒𝓌:
ʜᴜɢᴇ ᴛʜᴀɴᴋ ʏᴏᴜ ᴛᴏ ᴘʀʜᴀᴜᴅɪᴏ ғᴏʀ ɢɪғᴛɪɴɢ ᴍᴇ ᴛʜɪs ᴀʟᴄ!
𝒮𝑜𝓂𝑒 𝓁𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓈 𝒶𝓇𝑒 𝒹𝑒𝒶𝒹𝓁𝓎… 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝓈𝑜𝓂𝑒 𝒶𝓇𝑒 𝑔𝒽𝑜𝓈𝓉𝓈.
ᴊᴏ’s ɢʀɪᴇғ sɪᴛs ᴀᴛ ᴛʜᴇ ᴄᴇɴᴛᴇʀ ᴏғ ᴛʜᴇ sᴛᴏʀʏ, ᴀɴᴅ ɪᴛ’s ʜᴀɴᴅʟᴇᴅ ᴡɪᴛʜ sᴏ ᴍᴜᴄʜ ᴄᴀʀᴇ—ʏᴏᴜ ғᴇᴇʟ ʜᴇʀ ʟᴏɴᴇʟɪɴᴇss, ʜᴇʀ ɴᴜᴍʙɴᴇss, ᴀɴᴅ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴅᴇsᴘᴇʀᴀᴛᴇ ɴᴇᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ ʜᴏʟᴅ ᴏɴᴛᴏ sᴏᴍᴇᴛʜɪɴɢ… ᴀɴʏᴛʜɪɴɢ. ᴛʜᴀᴛ “sᴏᴍᴇᴛʜɪɴɢ” ʙᴇᴄᴏᴍᴇs ғɪɴɴ, ᴀɴᴅ ᴛʜᴇɪʀ ʀᴇʟᴀᴛɪᴏɴsʜɪᴘ ɪs sᴏғᴛ, ᴛᴇɴᴅᴇʀ, ᴀɴᴅ ғɪʟʟᴇᴅ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴛʜɪs ᴀᴄʜɪɴɢ ɪɴᴇᴠɪᴛᴀʙɪʟɪᴛʏ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴍᴀᴋᴇs ᴇᴠᴇʀʏ ᴍᴏᴍᴇɴᴛ ʜɪᴛ ʜᴀʀᴅᴇʀ.
ᴛʜᴇ ᴀᴛᴍᴏsᴘʜᴇʀᴇ ɪs ᴡʜᴇʀᴇ ᴛʜɪs sᴛᴏʀʏ ʀᴇᴀʟʟʏ sʜɪɴᴇs. ʙʟᴀᴄᴋʀɪᴅɢᴇ ғᴇᴇʟs ᴡʀᴏɴɢ ɪɴ ᴛʜᴀᴛ sᴜʙᴛʟᴇ, ᴄʀᴇᴇᴘɪɴɢ ᴡᴀʏ—ғʟɪᴄᴋᴇʀɪɴɢ ʟɪɢʜᴛs, sʜɪғᴛɪɴɢ ʀᴀᴅɪᴏs, ᴄᴏʟᴅ ʙʀᴇᴀᴛʜs ɪɴ ᴇᴍᴘᴛʏ ʀᴏᴏᴍs. ɪᴛ’s ɴᴏᴛ ᴊᴜsᴛ sᴘᴏᴏᴋʏ—ɪᴛ’s ᴜɴsᴇᴛᴛʟɪɴɢ, ʟɪᴋᴇ sᴏᴍᴇᴛʜɪɴɢ ɪs ᴀʟᴡᴀʏs ᴊᴜsᴛ ᴏᴜᴛ ᴏғ ʀᴇᴀᴄʜ.
ᴛʜᴇ ᴍʏsᴛᴇʀʏ ᴜɴғᴏʟᴅs sʟᴏᴡʟʏ, ʟᴀʏᴇʀɪɴɢ ɢʀɪᴇғ ᴡɪᴛʜ sᴜsᴘᴇɴsᴇ. ʏᴏᴜ’ʀᴇ ɢɪᴠᴇɴ ᴊᴜsᴛ ᴇɴᴏᴜɢʜ ᴄʟᴜᴇs ᴛᴏ sᴛᴀʏ ʜᴏᴏᴋᴇᴅ ᴡɪᴛʜᴏᴜᴛ ғᴜʟʟʏ ᴋɴᴏᴡɪɴɢ ᴛʜᴇ ᴛʀᴜᴛʜ, ᴀɴᴅ ᴛʜᴇ ᴄᴏɴɴᴇᴄᴛɪᴏɴ ʙᴇᴛᴡᴇᴇɴ ᴛʜᴇ ɢʜᴏsᴛs ᴀɴᴅ ᴛʜᴇ ᴍɪssɪɴɢ ᴄʜɪʟᴅʀᴇɴ ᴀᴅᴅs ᴀ ᴅᴇᴇᴘᴇʀ, ᴅᴀʀᴋᴇʀ ᴇᴅɢᴇ ᴛᴏ ᴛʜᴇ sᴛᴏʀʏ.
ᴀɴᴅ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ʀᴏᴍᴀɴᴄᴇ? ɪᴛ’s ɴᴏᴛ ᴊᴜsᴛ ᴀʙᴏᴜᴛ ғᴀʟʟɪɴɢ ɪɴ ʟᴏᴠᴇ—ɪᴛ’s ᴀʙᴏᴜᴛ ʜᴏʟᴅɪɴɢ ᴏɴᴛᴏ sᴏᴍᴇᴏɴᴇ ʏᴏᴜ ᴍɪɢʜᴛ ɴᴏᴛ ʙᴇ ᴀʙʟᴇ ᴛᴏ ᴋᴇᴇᴘ.
🎙️𝒩𝒶𝓇𝓇𝒶𝓉𝒾𝑜𝓃:
ᴛʜᴇ ɴᴀʀʀᴀᴛᴏʀ ᴅᴇʟɪᴠᴇʀs ᴄʜɪʟʟs ᴀɴᴅ ᴛᴇɴᴅᴇʀɴᴇss ɪɴ ᴇǫᴜᴀʟ ᴍᴇᴀsᴜʀᴇ. ɢʜᴏsᴛʟʏ sᴜsᴘᴇɴsᴇ, ʀᴏᴍᴀɴᴄᴇ, ᴀɴᴅ sᴍᴀʟʟ-ᴛᴏᴡɴ ᴍʏsᴛᴇʀʏ ғᴇᴇʟ ɪᴍᴍᴇʀsɪᴠᴇ, ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴇᴠᴇʀʏ ᴇᴇʀɪᴇ ᴍᴏᴍᴇɴᴛ ʙᴜɪʟᴅɪɴɢ ᴛᴇɴsɪᴏɴ ᴘᴇʀғᴇᴄᴛʟʏ.
𝒯𝓇𝑜𝓅𝑒𝓈 & 𝒱𝒾𝒷𝑒𝓈:
👻ʏᴀ sᴜᴘᴇʀɴᴀᴛᴜʀᴀʟ ʀᴏᴍᴀɴᴄᴇ
✨ ɢʜᴏsᴛs
👻ʜᴀᴜɴᴛᴇᴅ sᴍᴀʟʟ-ᴛᴏᴡɴ ᴍʏsᴛᴇʀʏ
✨ sʟᴏᴡ-ʙᴜʀɴ ʀᴏᴍᴀɴᴄᴇ
👻sᴜsᴘᴇɴsᴇғᴜʟ & ᴀᴛᴍᴏsᴘʜᴇʀɪᴄ
✨ ᴛᴇᴇɴ ᴘᴀʀᴀɴᴏʀᴍᴀʟ
𝐹𝒾𝓃𝒶𝓁 𝓋𝑒𝓇𝒹𝒾𝒸𝓉:
ʜᴀᴜɴᴛᴇᴅ, sᴡᴇᴇᴛ, ᴀɴᴅ ᴛʜʀɪʟʟɪɴɢ. ᴊᴏ & ғɪɴɴ’s ʀᴏᴍᴀɴᴄᴇ ɢʟᴏᴡs ᴀᴍɪᴅ sᴍᴀʟʟ-ᴛᴏᴡɴ ᴍʏsᴛᴇʀʏ ᴀɴᴅ ɢʜᴏsᴛʟʏ sᴇᴄʀᴇᴛs. ᴀᴛᴍᴏsᴘʜᴇʀɪᴄ ᴀɴᴅ ʜᴀᴜɴᴛɪɴɢ, ʙʟᴇɴᴅɪɴɢ ᴛᴇᴇɴ ʀᴏᴍᴀɴᴄᴇ ᴡɪᴛʜ sᴜᴘᴇʀɴᴀᴛᴜʀᴀʟ sᴜsᴘᴇɴsᴇ. ᴇɴɢᴀɢɪɴɢ ᴀɴᴅ sᴘᴏᴏᴋʏ, ɪᴅᴇᴀʟ ғᴏʀ ʏᴀ ᴘᴀʀᴀɴᴏʀᴍᴀʟ ғᴀɴs.
ʜᴀᴘᴘʏ ʀᴇᴀᴅɪɴɢ!
𝒜𝓈𝒽𝓁𝑒𝓎
ʙᴏᴏᴋsᴛᴀɢʀᴀᴍ: @ᴛʜᴇᴛᴀᴛᴛᴇʀᴇᴅᴘᴀɢᴇ
October 28, 2025
I won a free copy of this in a Goodreads giveaway. Here is my honest review:
'A Song In the Dark' is an interesting mix of supernatural/paranormal YA and 'murder' mystery with an obvious conclusion.
Jo is back in the small town her mother grew up in after having moved there from the city. They're looking for a new start after Jo and her best friend Harper got into a car accident that only she survived. The new town and living with their aunt are supposed to help her out of the shell she's been in since that day. Maybe, she'll even start making music again.
This isn't just any small town, though. Every summer for years, a kid has gone missing - just vanished, poof! - as if they never existed. And their house isn't normal either. It's haunted! Not by your average ghosts, but by the spirits of some of those missing kids.
As I mentioned, there's a bit of a 'mystery' here, but it's extremely obvious what was behind it all. It was heavily foreshadowed. There were so many hints. There was really only one plot twist that got me to raise an eyebrow - everything else was predictable.
As a ghost or mystery story, this book is just ok. Where this truly shines is in its depiction of grief, blame, survivor's guilt, and learning to move on and live life again after tragedy. There were many realistic examples of love destroying people - even the villain of this story fits well into this theme.
3.5 because, even though I'd never reread it, I'm glad I gave it a chance this time. Also, kudos for a YA novel with a cute and healthy romantic relationship - even if that wasn't the focus. Also, supportive family dynamics that are also believable for the win.
'A Song In the Dark' is an interesting mix of supernatural/paranormal YA and 'murder' mystery with an obvious conclusion.
Jo is back in the small town her mother grew up in after having moved there from the city. They're looking for a new start after Jo and her best friend Harper got into a car accident that only she survived. The new town and living with their aunt are supposed to help her out of the shell she's been in since that day. Maybe, she'll even start making music again.
This isn't just any small town, though. Every summer for years, a kid has gone missing - just vanished, poof! - as if they never existed. And their house isn't normal either. It's haunted! Not by your average ghosts, but by the spirits of some of those missing kids.
As I mentioned, there's a bit of a 'mystery' here, but it's extremely obvious what was behind it all. It was heavily foreshadowed. There were so many hints. There was really only one plot twist that got me to raise an eyebrow - everything else was predictable.
As a ghost or mystery story, this book is just ok. Where this truly shines is in its depiction of grief, blame, survivor's guilt, and learning to move on and live life again after tragedy. There were many realistic examples of love destroying people - even the villain of this story fits well into this theme.
3.5 because, even though I'd never reread it, I'm glad I gave it a chance this time. Also, kudos for a YA novel with a cute and healthy romantic relationship - even if that wasn't the focus. Also, supportive family dynamics that are also believable for the win.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This was incredible. I feel like I want to cry and also go for a run (which is unusual for me). Brooke, your words absolutely touched me - you have definitely succeeded.
PLEASE NOTE - As a reminder to you, and context for everyone else, in the author's note for this book you say "If even one of you (readers) has been touched by my words, I've succeeded." Please do not think I'm a condescending asshole.
Now, on to the story - this was so incredibly touching and beautiful, raw and deep and real. Navigating a break-up with someone I was with for over a decade, your words on grief were so enlightening and the hug I didn't know I was waiting for. And even with all of the heaviness of some of what happens - the grief, the loss, the xyz, there is also so much levity. I snorted and laughed more in this book than I have in awhile. One of my favorite things about your books (I know this is your second, but I know you have more coming and I can't wait!!) is we're gently dropped into the story. You show us your characters in a way where I feel like I know them so well, without really being told specific details. I don't even want to actually talk about the plot here because I need y'all to experience this story fully, and I need someone to read it immediately so I can talk about it with someone.
THANK YOU NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC; thank you to Jo, Finn, Margot, Sloane, Paige, and Aisha for being yourselves; and thank you Brooke for sharing their story with us.
PLEASE NOTE - As a reminder to you, and context for everyone else, in the author's note for this book you say "If even one of you (readers) has been touched by my words, I've succeeded." Please do not think I'm a condescending asshole.
Now, on to the story - this was so incredibly touching and beautiful, raw and deep and real. Navigating a break-up with someone I was with for over a decade, your words on grief were so enlightening and the hug I didn't know I was waiting for. And even with all of the heaviness of some of what happens - the grief, the loss, the xyz, there is also so much levity. I snorted and laughed more in this book than I have in awhile. One of my favorite things about your books (I know this is your second, but I know you have more coming and I can't wait!!) is we're gently dropped into the story. You show us your characters in a way where I feel like I know them so well, without really being told specific details. I don't even want to actually talk about the plot here because I need y'all to experience this story fully, and I need someone to read it immediately so I can talk about it with someone.
THANK YOU NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC; thank you to Jo, Finn, Margot, Sloane, Paige, and Aisha for being yourselves; and thank you Brooke for sharing their story with us.
April 23, 2026
Every summer for the past twenty years, a kid from Blackridge has disappeared and never seen again. Jo is haunted by the death of her best friend. Her mother is hoping for. Fresh start. They move into an old house, and quickly Jo learns they are not alone. Flickering lights, radio stations that just change. A cold, faint breath across her ear . Then she meets Finn. Finn is mysterious and sweet. He shares Jo’s passion for music and songwriting. There's just one problem -- he's a ghost. And he’s not the only one in the house. There are two others, and more that came before them. As Jo and Finn grow closer, Jo believes that he and the other spirits are connected to the missing kids whose disappearances have devastated Desperate to hold on to the one bright spot in her dark world, she must unravel the mystery of what happened to them all before she loses Finn forever.
The author has written a chilling and romantic supernatural novel set in a small town with dark secrets annd about a teen girl who falls in love with a ghost. She has written an appealing cast of complex and realistic characters making me care about finding answers to the mystery. It is atmospheric and moving, The story explores grief.
Disclaimer: I received an arc of this book from the author/publisher from Netgalley. I wasn’t obligated to write a favorable review. The opinions expressed are strictly my own.
The author has written a chilling and romantic supernatural novel set in a small town with dark secrets annd about a teen girl who falls in love with a ghost. She has written an appealing cast of complex and realistic characters making me care about finding answers to the mystery. It is atmospheric and moving, The story explores grief.
Disclaimer: I received an arc of this book from the author/publisher from Netgalley. I wasn’t obligated to write a favorable review. The opinions expressed are strictly my own.
Review of advance copy received from Edelweiss+
I loved this book. This is the book I wanted to tell everyone about and get people to read. It is well-written and atmospheric and a great exploration of grief.
And then we had the epilogue. The epilogue is so jarring. It kind of insults the rest of the book. I highly encourage the editor and author to nix it before publication. As far as I can tell (not having read her other work), I think it is supposed to link this book to the author's previous work. However, there is nothing in the promotion of this book that says it is related to the previous work so for those of us who haven't read it, it is not a great addition. It did not make me want to read the previous work. I feel like those who have read the previous book could make the connections the author wanted them to make without it and the book would be better for it. Also, I would be more interested in reading the previous work if I read people talking about how excited they were about that connection without it being an incongruous addition to this otherwise amazing book.
Or I could be wrong and it could be a set-up for a sequel which still doesn't make me happy.
UGH. I talked myself into rating this three stars instead but because of this new verification system Goodreads is not letting me change my rating. UGH.
And then we had the epilogue. The epilogue is so jarring. It kind of insults the rest of the book. I highly encourage the editor and author to nix it before publication. As far as I can tell (not having read her other work), I think it is supposed to link this book to the author's previous work. However, there is nothing in the promotion of this book that says it is related to the previous work so for those of us who haven't read it, it is not a great addition. It did not make me want to read the previous work. I feel like those who have read the previous book could make the connections the author wanted them to make without it and the book would be better for it. Also, I would be more interested in reading the previous work if I read people talking about how excited they were about that connection without it being an incongruous addition to this otherwise amazing book.
Or I could be wrong and it could be a set-up for a sequel which still doesn't make me happy.
UGH. I talked myself into rating this three stars instead but because of this new verification system Goodreads is not letting me change my rating. UGH.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thank you to Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book for an honest review.
First of all, the only thing I can think of is "Wow!" I was literally standing in the middle of my living room screaming "No! "No way!" This book is hands down one of my favorites. I started this book yesterday and finished it in a day.
I was crying, screaming and then telling my boyfriend everything that was happening and he was just along for the ride haha! Oops!!
Anyway, I couldn't put this book down.
I honestly didn't know what to expect when diving into this book, except that it would be a love story between the dead and the living. The way Brooke Archer wrote about grief was so beautiful yet haunting that I couldn't put this book down. I am going to say that a lot but it was just that good! The progression of Finn and Jo's relationship was so sweet and adorable! I was rooting for them! Margot reminded me of me from my childhood when I was fifteen. And the banter between Margot and Jo was so sweet yet funny that I could relate with them pretty well.
I didn't expect the ending, That Epilogue? WOW!!
Brooke Archer created such a masterpiece that makes me want to read more of her books.
Overall, I enjoyed this book a lot! If you love paranormal, mystery, subtle romance, and talks of grief, this book is for you!
First of all, the only thing I can think of is "Wow!" I was literally standing in the middle of my living room screaming "No! "No way!" This book is hands down one of my favorites. I started this book yesterday and finished it in a day.
I was crying, screaming and then telling my boyfriend everything that was happening and he was just along for the ride haha! Oops!!
Anyway, I couldn't put this book down.
I honestly didn't know what to expect when diving into this book, except that it would be a love story between the dead and the living. The way Brooke Archer wrote about grief was so beautiful yet haunting that I couldn't put this book down. I am going to say that a lot but it was just that good! The progression of Finn and Jo's relationship was so sweet and adorable! I was rooting for them! Margot reminded me of me from my childhood when I was fifteen. And the banter between Margot and Jo was so sweet yet funny that I could relate with them pretty well.
I didn't expect the ending, That Epilogue? WOW!!
Brooke Archer created such a masterpiece that makes me want to read more of her books.
Overall, I enjoyed this book a lot! If you love paranormal, mystery, subtle romance, and talks of grief, this book is for you!
April 15, 2026
I wasn't sure what I was expecting when I started this, but it wasn't what I read. It did, however, exceed all of my expectations. It was really good and I was pleasantly surprised. This is a mystery/suspense/romance/paranormal conglomerate and it was done so well. I ate up every single moment of it.
Jo is living in a depression fog after an accident that caused the death of her best friend. After moving to a new town where kids have been going missing every year for the last 20 years, she doesn't see a light at the end of the tunnel. But then she meets Finn: the ghost of a boy her age who went missing three years ago. The absolute devastation Jo experiences throughout this book is real and heartbreaking, despite the paranormal aspects. The way her grief is described is really resonant with anyone who has experienced a tragic and unexpected loss.
The way the plot unfolded was also very interesting. All of the moving parts wound together to create a beautiful tale that worked cohesively to keep me both engaged and guessing. I highly recommend this title to everyone.
**Special thanks to NetGalley and G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for an advanced copy of this title. All thoughts and opinions are my own.**
Jo is living in a depression fog after an accident that caused the death of her best friend. After moving to a new town where kids have been going missing every year for the last 20 years, she doesn't see a light at the end of the tunnel. But then she meets Finn: the ghost of a boy her age who went missing three years ago. The absolute devastation Jo experiences throughout this book is real and heartbreaking, despite the paranormal aspects. The way her grief is described is really resonant with anyone who has experienced a tragic and unexpected loss.
The way the plot unfolded was also very interesting. All of the moving parts wound together to create a beautiful tale that worked cohesively to keep me both engaged and guessing. I highly recommend this title to everyone.
**Special thanks to NetGalley and G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for an advanced copy of this title. All thoughts and opinions are my own.**
April 22, 2026
This was such a good story. I loved how grief was dealt with. While this is a heavy subject, it was a great journey to experience with our character nonetheless.
Jo was such a closed off character at the start, and it was understandable with everything that happened to her. The surrounding ghosts made it impossible to shut everyone off and I loved that for her. She truly cared for this little found family of ghosts and the mystery going on was truly gripping.
There was also this healing progress with her sister and how they finally talked and got to a better place. They helped each other through this, and it made me happy.
The romantic subplot was so sweet and I really enjoyed it. It was there enough to keep me delighted and Finn was such a great character to discover more about through this adventure.
While I wasn't surprised by the whodunit aspect of this one, the epilogue really caught me off guard and I still ended this story with my mouth opened and in shock, haha, so well done!
If you like young adult mysteries with paranormal elements, a charming love story and a heartwarming journey through grief, you'll love this one!
Thanks to PenguinTeenCA for the ARC. All opinions are my own.
Jo was such a closed off character at the start, and it was understandable with everything that happened to her. The surrounding ghosts made it impossible to shut everyone off and I loved that for her. She truly cared for this little found family of ghosts and the mystery going on was truly gripping.
There was also this healing progress with her sister and how they finally talked and got to a better place. They helped each other through this, and it made me happy.
The romantic subplot was so sweet and I really enjoyed it. It was there enough to keep me delighted and Finn was such a great character to discover more about through this adventure.
While I wasn't surprised by the whodunit aspect of this one, the epilogue really caught me off guard and I still ended this story with my mouth opened and in shock, haha, so well done!
If you like young adult mysteries with paranormal elements, a charming love story and a heartwarming journey through grief, you'll love this one!
Thanks to PenguinTeenCA for the ARC. All opinions are my own.
April 7, 2026
A Song in the Dark was an easy 4.5/5 stars.
So often grief is written in a way that frustrates me, or is magically cured and made better by some swoon-worth guy with great eyes. That's not the case with Jo, and I love that so much. We get to know Jo and the town of Blackridge *through* her grief, and that of those who have lost loved ones to the mysterious Shadow Man.
As Jo begins forming halfhearted relationships - albeit begrudgingly to try to convince those around her that she's fine, to keep them from drowning in her grief with her - we get to see flashes of who she was before the accident. Nora. Finn. Her own sister. We form these relationships, begin to care about these characters WITH Jo, which I just absolutely adore.
By the time I hit 70%, I had planned to just read another couple of chapters before bed but ended up finishing the whole last chunk in one sitting, I just couldn't stop until I knew how it ended.
But also... Finn. Just give me more Finn, please.
The epilogue left with me questions, unsure where things were headed, but I would pick up a second book with absolutely zero hesitation to dive back into this world.
**ARC provided by NetGalley and the Penguin Young Readers Group in exchange for an honest review**
So often grief is written in a way that frustrates me, or is magically cured and made better by some swoon-worth guy with great eyes. That's not the case with Jo, and I love that so much. We get to know Jo and the town of Blackridge *through* her grief, and that of those who have lost loved ones to the mysterious Shadow Man.
As Jo begins forming halfhearted relationships - albeit begrudgingly to try to convince those around her that she's fine, to keep them from drowning in her grief with her - we get to see flashes of who she was before the accident. Nora. Finn. Her own sister. We form these relationships, begin to care about these characters WITH Jo, which I just absolutely adore.
By the time I hit 70%, I had planned to just read another couple of chapters before bed but ended up finishing the whole last chunk in one sitting, I just couldn't stop until I knew how it ended.
But also... Finn. Just give me more Finn, please.
The epilogue left with me questions, unsure where things were headed, but I would pick up a second book with absolutely zero hesitation to dive back into this world.
**ARC provided by NetGalley and the Penguin Young Readers Group in exchange for an honest review**
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
**Thank you so much Penguin Teen Canada for sending me an early copy of this book!! All thoughts and opinions are my own**
I think this is officially the fastest I’ve ever read a book. I literally read this in one sitting and completely forgot to eat and drink the whole time 😅 I genuinely can’t remember the last time that I got this engrossed in a book.
These characters really tugged at my heartstrings. They are all just kids going through things that no one their age should ever have to face. First watching Jo cope with the loss of her best friend, and then seeing the ghosts just being kids trying make the best of their situation. The author did such an amazing job at getting me to feel for every one of these characters.
I also didn’t expect to tear up as much as I did. I’m not usually someone who cries easily while reading, but this book had me emotional multiple times. The way Brooke Archer handled grief was very thoughtful and done with lots of care.
Brooke Archer has officially made her way onto my auto buy/read list, and I look forward to reading what she has previously published and will publish in the future!
I think this is officially the fastest I’ve ever read a book. I literally read this in one sitting and completely forgot to eat and drink the whole time 😅 I genuinely can’t remember the last time that I got this engrossed in a book.
These characters really tugged at my heartstrings. They are all just kids going through things that no one their age should ever have to face. First watching Jo cope with the loss of her best friend, and then seeing the ghosts just being kids trying make the best of their situation. The author did such an amazing job at getting me to feel for every one of these characters.
I also didn’t expect to tear up as much as I did. I’m not usually someone who cries easily while reading, but this book had me emotional multiple times. The way Brooke Archer handled grief was very thoughtful and done with lots of care.
Brooke Archer has officially made her way onto my auto buy/read list, and I look forward to reading what she has previously published and will publish in the future!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I don't know what I was expecting from this book, but I can tell you I was surprised by what I got. I really enjoyed this book!
The characters were developed well, and I loved the themes of forgiveness of others and yourself. The plot was interesting, although I found the supernatural elements to be lacking in terms of proper worldbuilding and description. I still am not quite sure how some of the plot connects, and some other plot points felt like they existed purely out of necessity or convenience rather than springing up naturally. Plus, some of the characters just... stop showing up in the book kind of abruptly. I think there could have been some better wrap-up.
However, I was pleasantly surprised by how clean this book is! There were some curse words, but not too many, and there was almost no sexual content outside of a brief kiss.
Overall, I had a really good time reading this book, and I did not want to put it down.
Thank you to G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers for giving me an ARC of this book via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review!
The characters were developed well, and I loved the themes of forgiveness of others and yourself. The plot was interesting, although I found the supernatural elements to be lacking in terms of proper worldbuilding and description. I still am not quite sure how some of the plot connects, and some other plot points felt like they existed purely out of necessity or convenience rather than springing up naturally. Plus, some of the characters just... stop showing up in the book kind of abruptly. I think there could have been some better wrap-up.
However, I was pleasantly surprised by how clean this book is! There were some curse words, but not too many, and there was almost no sexual content outside of a brief kiss.
Overall, I had a really good time reading this book, and I did not want to put it down.
Thank you to G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers for giving me an ARC of this book via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review!
April 16, 2026
"We can't kiss death and expect it not to sting."
Following the tragic accident that took the life of Jo's best friend, her family moves to the town of Blackridge for a fresh start. But their new town holds haunting secrets of it's own: every summer in Blackridge a kid goes missing. Not to mention, their new house? Yeah... it's haunted.
So while Jo just wants to be left along and grieve in piece, between the mystery of the missing kids and the ghosts vying for her attention, it looks like this fresh start has other plans for her.
"All I wanted when we moved here was to be left alone. Apparently, the universe has a taste for irony."
I love when a YA novel doesn't shy away from deeper themes, and A Song in the Dark definitely checks that box with its explorations of grief from multiple angles! Add in a paranormal romance and the mysteries of a haunted town, and A Song in the Dark makes for a beautiful, stirring, supernatural read!
*Disclaimer: Thank you to Penguin Teen Canada for the advanced reviewer copy. All thoughts expressed above are my own!
Following the tragic accident that took the life of Jo's best friend, her family moves to the town of Blackridge for a fresh start. But their new town holds haunting secrets of it's own: every summer in Blackridge a kid goes missing. Not to mention, their new house? Yeah... it's haunted.
So while Jo just wants to be left along and grieve in piece, between the mystery of the missing kids and the ghosts vying for her attention, it looks like this fresh start has other plans for her.
"All I wanted when we moved here was to be left alone. Apparently, the universe has a taste for irony."
I love when a YA novel doesn't shy away from deeper themes, and A Song in the Dark definitely checks that box with its explorations of grief from multiple angles! Add in a paranormal romance and the mysteries of a haunted town, and A Song in the Dark makes for a beautiful, stirring, supernatural read!
*Disclaimer: Thank you to Penguin Teen Canada for the advanced reviewer copy. All thoughts expressed above are my own!
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
[arc review]
Thank you to Penguin Teen Canada for providing an arc in exchange for an honest review.
A Song in the Dark releases April 14, 2026
“Hope is more dangerous than any grief. Grief may never go away, but it softens. Hope digs its claws in, down to the bone, and never lets go.”
In the midst of moving to Blackridge and grieving the loss of her best friend, Joanna is doing her best to survive, even if that means isolating herself from her family and the things she once loved.
But then shortly after settling into their new home, with all of its oddities and creaky floors, Joanna stumbles across the ghosts of three Blackridge kids who’ve been missing for years.
This paranormal romance was written well. I loved the bond Joanna formed with the other characters, and how she overcame the fear of opening her heart again to love. For the most part, I was satisfied with the outcome, but would’ve loved just a bit more of Joanna and Finn together after the whole Blackridge mystery was solved.
Thank you to Penguin Teen Canada for providing an arc in exchange for an honest review.
A Song in the Dark releases April 14, 2026
“Hope is more dangerous than any grief. Grief may never go away, but it softens. Hope digs its claws in, down to the bone, and never lets go.”
In the midst of moving to Blackridge and grieving the loss of her best friend, Joanna is doing her best to survive, even if that means isolating herself from her family and the things she once loved.
But then shortly after settling into their new home, with all of its oddities and creaky floors, Joanna stumbles across the ghosts of three Blackridge kids who’ve been missing for years.
This paranormal romance was written well. I loved the bond Joanna formed with the other characters, and how she overcame the fear of opening her heart again to love. For the most part, I was satisfied with the outcome, but would’ve loved just a bit more of Joanna and Finn together after the whole Blackridge mystery was solved.
April 11, 2026
ARC review
This was a fast paced young adult read - part thriller, part horror, part mystery with a hefty dash of supernatural and a minor romance subplot - that will have readers of all ages on the edge of their seats. It’s also a masterful depiction of survivor’s guilt.
I really empathized with the FMC, Jo. She lost her best friend, the sister of her soul, in a car wreck that she herself survived. The author does such a fantastic job of depicting how much Harper was entwined in the lives of the Griffin family and how her loss has affected them all. And they didn’t just lose Harper, they lost the Jo that they knew before.
The villain and their reasoning were easy for me to guess from the beginning, but that didn’t detract from my enjoyment at all.
That ending though? It was wild and I’m not sure how I feel about it.
Thanks so much to Penguin Young Readers for the review copy. All opinions are my own.
This was a fast paced young adult read - part thriller, part horror, part mystery with a hefty dash of supernatural and a minor romance subplot - that will have readers of all ages on the edge of their seats. It’s also a masterful depiction of survivor’s guilt.
I really empathized with the FMC, Jo. She lost her best friend, the sister of her soul, in a car wreck that she herself survived. The author does such a fantastic job of depicting how much Harper was entwined in the lives of the Griffin family and how her loss has affected them all. And they didn’t just lose Harper, they lost the Jo that they knew before.
The villain and their reasoning were easy for me to guess from the beginning, but that didn’t detract from my enjoyment at all.
That ending though? It was wild and I’m not sure how I feel about it.
Thanks so much to Penguin Young Readers for the review copy. All opinions are my own.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Following a tragic accident, Jo and her family move in with their aunt in Blackridge. But Blackridge is haunted by mysterious children's disappearances, and Jo's new house seems to be the epicenter. As Jo becomes closer to Finn, a (very cute) ghost in her house, her desire for answers grows, especially when stakes get even higher.
If I had a nickel for every time I ended up falling in love with a cute ghost in a book, I would have... NOT ENOUGH NICKELS. This is one of my favorite tropes!! I really, really liked this book and the mystery within it, but I wish we had gotten to see more of the relationship between Jo and Finn unfold. It seems almost like there are time jumps and that we're told they really like each other, but we don't have the evidence to back it up.
For anyone who wants to avoid pain™, I'll tell you this has a ending
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this e-arc in exchange for my honest review!:)
If I had a nickel for every time I ended up falling in love with a cute ghost in a book, I would have... NOT ENOUGH NICKELS. This is one of my favorite tropes!! I really, really liked this book and the mystery within it, but I wish we had gotten to see more of the relationship between Jo and Finn unfold. It seems almost like there are time jumps and that we're told they really like each other, but we don't have the evidence to back it up.
For anyone who wants to avoid pain™, I'll tell you this has a ending
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this e-arc in exchange for my honest review!:)
April 14, 2026
This starts with a really eerie premise…missing children, no clues, and a possible paranormal or serial killer lurking in the background. That creepiness hooked me early, but it quickly shifted focus. Instead of a true horror or thriller, it leans more into paranormal YA romance, centering on the ghosts in the MC’s house and her growing connection with one of them.
The mystery never fully disappears, but it definitely takes a backseat to themes of grief, healing, and learning to let people back in after trauma. I still enjoyed it for what it was, just not what I initially expected. Some of the dialogue and emotions felt a bit over-the-top for teens at times, but overall it was a solid, emotional read. Just don’t go in expecting something truly scary.
3.5 stars rounded up to 4⭐️
As always I would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an advanced ebook copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
The mystery never fully disappears, but it definitely takes a backseat to themes of grief, healing, and learning to let people back in after trauma. I still enjoyed it for what it was, just not what I initially expected. Some of the dialogue and emotions felt a bit over-the-top for teens at times, but overall it was a solid, emotional read. Just don’t go in expecting something truly scary.
3.5 stars rounded up to 4⭐️
As always I would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an advanced ebook copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
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