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We Run the Night
An elite, isolated Kenyan boarding school is terrorized by supernatural entities, grotesque maladies, and strange transformations in a chilling YA horror debut inspired by the urban legend of “night runners.”
Perfect for fans of She Is a Haunting and White Smoke
When Shani returns to her elite, isolated boarding school after her father’s mysterious death, she just wants to finish senior year with her scholarship intact—which means focusing on her work and staying out of trouble. Even with her best friend, Pendo, by her side, she’s never quite fit in at Taji Academy. But soon, strange things start happening at school—not only are students coming down with odd, grotesque skin maladies, someone is causing chaos on campus after curfew. Are they night runners, the supernatural entities that terrorize rural neighborhoods in the dark?
The strict administration insists it’s just students pulling pranks. Everyone knows that night runners are just an urban legend. But when one of the popular students, Adila, goes missing—and Shani wakes up one morning with mud on her feet, torn clothes, and a pounding headache—she knows it’s more than that. As she and others at Taji begin to transform with no way to contact the outside world, she must figure out what is happening—before it’s too late.
Perfect for fans of She Is a Haunting and White Smoke
When Shani returns to her elite, isolated boarding school after her father’s mysterious death, she just wants to finish senior year with her scholarship intact—which means focusing on her work and staying out of trouble. Even with her best friend, Pendo, by her side, she’s never quite fit in at Taji Academy. But soon, strange things start happening at school—not only are students coming down with odd, grotesque skin maladies, someone is causing chaos on campus after curfew. Are they night runners, the supernatural entities that terrorize rural neighborhoods in the dark?
The strict administration insists it’s just students pulling pranks. Everyone knows that night runners are just an urban legend. But when one of the popular students, Adila, goes missing—and Shani wakes up one morning with mud on her feet, torn clothes, and a pounding headache—she knows it’s more than that. As she and others at Taji begin to transform with no way to contact the outside world, she must figure out what is happening—before it’s too late.
336 pages, Hardcover
Published September 15, 2026
About the author
Peace Mbengei
1 book18 followersPeace Mbengei is a Kenyan author, medical doctor, and lifelong lover of unsettling stories.
Her debut novel, We Run the Night, is a YA supernatural horror rooted in Kenyan folklore and inspired by the urban legend of night runners. Her writing explores fear, grief, identity, survival, and the things that haunt us long after the lights go out.
Peace was longlisted for the 2019 Writivism Short Story Prize, and her short fiction has appeared in African Writer, Praxis Magazine, Kalahari Review, Ilanot Review, Kikwetu Journal, and Isele Magazine.
She caught the writing bug as a child. Fortunately, no cure has been found.
Her debut novel, We Run the Night, is a YA supernatural horror rooted in Kenyan folklore and inspired by the urban legend of night runners. Her writing explores fear, grief, identity, survival, and the things that haunt us long after the lights go out.
Peace was longlisted for the 2019 Writivism Short Story Prize, and her short fiction has appeared in African Writer, Praxis Magazine, Kalahari Review, Ilanot Review, Kikwetu Journal, and Isele Magazine.
She caught the writing bug as a child. Fortunately, no cure has been found.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 69 reviews
September 15, 2026
Thank you NetGalley and the author for the chance to listen to this audio book. I wasn't sure at first from how the first chapter started but I'm so glad I continued listening because the story got so interesting! Absolutely wild, good character work and development so very happy about that 🩷
Absolutely loved the setting in a boarding school, the bullies, the drama, the friendships 🌙 this was a spooky story but with a message and a lot of heart.
This is soo much more interesting than The Academy /The Thoroughbreds by Elin Hinderbrand which I started listening to at the same time. This book is perfection for this autumn spooky season! This is journey for sure to get to the truth, I audibly gasped at one of the reveals 😂 this was fun
Absolutely loved the setting in a boarding school, the bullies, the drama, the friendships 🌙 this was a spooky story but with a message and a lot of heart.
This is soo much more interesting than The Academy /The Thoroughbreds by Elin Hinderbrand which I started listening to at the same time. This book is perfection for this autumn spooky season! This is journey for sure to get to the truth, I audibly gasped at one of the reveals 😂 this was fun
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
~~Thank you to NetGalley and Soho Press for the ARC!~~
I'm sorry, but I just found this so tedious.
Despite the concept initionally drawing me in, the story didn't deliever, whatsoever. Not only was it extremely repetitive (Shani being bullied but never standing up for heraelf, her BFF swooping in to save her, the night runners causing havoc but the administration's doing nothing to stop them, Shani freaking out being a night runner, etc.), but the prose was extremely stale. Nothing in which the words were structured and used enthralled me. There's also a wrong usage of a break, where after a dramatic line is dropped, the break literally drops to the next moment. There was no passage of time at all. That part specifically frustrated me so much.
It also didn't help that Shani was barely an main character in her own story. Aside her getting pushed around by the most 80s coded bully I've ever seen outside a piece of 1980s media, she's letting her friends do all the work for her. Pendo, the aforementioned BFF, is a journalist who leads the investigation while Shani cowers behind for 60% of the story, and if it wasn't her it was some other random dude named Kobe (who I thought was gonna be the surprise love interest, but then there's a scene explicitly cementing their friendship. It felt very weird and unnatural despite the fact I would've welcomed it in any other circumstance). Shani finally takes the reins as a main character when she falls out with Pendo (for a justifiable reason, albeit), but even then she gets herself captured by the villain and had to get rescued by her friends. The lack of agency this girl had is probably amongst the worst I've read this year. And the side characters? Other than Elani, not much worth taking about. Even then, I still don't get why Elani had to be when it wasn't really necessary.
The theme? Uuhh,
All in all, I just didn't like this read all that much. I feel like so many other books have done similar things but executed them better. I don't think I'll be checking out any of Mbengei's work in the future, if there will be any.
I'm sorry, but I just found this so tedious.
Despite the concept initionally drawing me in, the story didn't deliever, whatsoever. Not only was it extremely repetitive (Shani being bullied but never standing up for heraelf, her BFF swooping in to save her, the night runners causing havoc but the administration's doing nothing to stop them, Shani freaking out being a night runner, etc.), but the prose was extremely stale. Nothing in which the words were structured and used enthralled me. There's also a wrong usage of a break, where after a dramatic line is dropped, the break literally drops to the next moment. There was no passage of time at all. That part specifically frustrated me so much.
It also didn't help that Shani was barely an main character in her own story. Aside her getting pushed around by the most 80s coded bully I've ever seen outside a piece of 1980s media, she's letting her friends do all the work for her. Pendo, the aforementioned BFF, is a journalist who leads the investigation while Shani cowers behind for 60% of the story, and if it wasn't her it was some other random dude named Kobe (who I thought was gonna be the surprise love interest, but then there's a scene explicitly cementing their friendship. It felt very weird and unnatural despite the fact I would've welcomed it in any other circumstance). Shani finally takes the reins as a main character when she falls out with Pendo (for a justifiable reason, albeit), but even then she gets herself captured by the villain and had to get rescued by her friends. The lack of agency this girl had is probably amongst the worst I've read this year. And the side characters? Other than Elani, not much worth taking about. Even then, I still don't get why Elani had to be when it wasn't really necessary.
The theme? Uuhh,
All in all, I just didn't like this read all that much. I feel like so many other books have done similar things but executed them better. I don't think I'll be checking out any of Mbengei's work in the future, if there will be any.
October 8, 2026
Thank you NetGalley and Soho Teen for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!
“We Run the Night” by Peace Mbengei is a spooky, atmospheric YA horror that brings Kenyan folklore into a modern boarding-school nightmare, and even if it occasionally tries to juggle too many storylines at once, there's a lot here to enjoy.
Shani returns to Taji Academy after the mysterious death of her father, hoping to survive her final year, keep her grades high enough to maintain her scholarship, and generally avoid dealing with everyone and everything. Unfortunately, Taji has other plans.
Because things at this school are getting weird.
Students are experiencing strange physical changes, unsettling things are happening after curfew, and there's a growing rumor about night runners, supernatural entities from Kenyan folklore. Then a student goes missing, Shani wakes up with muddy footprints and torn clothing, and suddenly the possibility that the night runners are real becomes a lot harder to dismiss.
And because this is a boarding school where the students are basically cut off from the outside world, everyone is left to panic together. No phones. No internet. Limited contact with family. Just a bunch of increasingly terrified teenagers trying to figure out whether they're dealing with supernatural monsters, some elaborate scheme, or something even worse.
Honestly, the Kenyan setting and folklore were my favorite parts of this book. I loved seeing traditional beliefs and local folklore brought into a modern YA story with teenage friendships, school drama, crushes, bullying, and academic pressure. The night runners are such a fascinating concept, and the way the supernatural elements slowly become more threatening worked really well.
The horror also gets surprisingly creepy. There are some body-horror elements, transformations, strange physical symptoms, and genuinely unsettling moments, but the book isn't just trying to scare you for the sake of scaring you. The supernatural stuff connects to bigger ideas about grief, justice, isolation, and what happens when people are ignored or denied justice.
Shani is dealing with a lot even before the monsters show up. She's grieving her father, struggling with her changing relationship with her family, dealing with guilt and anger, and trying to navigate a school environment where she doesn't exactly feel secure. Her grief is one of the stronger emotional elements of the story. There are complicated feelings surrounding her father's death, and Shani has to work through them while everything around her is falling apart.
However, there were times where Shani was frustratingly passive. There are definitely moments when her friends (like Pendo, who was my favorite character) are doing a lot of the investigating, protecting, and problem-solving while Shani is more along for the ride. Personally, I didn't find her completely without agency, especially considering everything she's dealing with, but I did occasionally wish she would take more control of the situation herself.
The biggest issue for me was that this book is trying to do a lot. And, somehow, it's all happening in a relatively short book. Some of these pieces worked better together than others. The supernatural mystery and grief storyline were definitely the standouts for me, while some of the bullying and school-drama subplots felt repetitive or disconnected from the main story. I could have happily traded some of that teenage drama for more time exploring the night runners and the bigger mystery.
I really enjoyed how the book explores what happens when justice is denied and people feel powerless. There's an interesting connection between the supernatural elements and the school's history, and the story touches on the lingering impact of colonialism without making it feel completely separate from the personal stories of the characters.
The twists were fun, too. I'm not going to say much because figuring out what's actually happening is a huge part of the experience, but the book definitely kept me questioning which explanation I was supposed to believe.
Overall, I really enjoyed “We Run the Night.” I think readers who love YA supernatural horror, folklore, boarding-school settings, and stories that mix scary elements with emotional themes will have a great time with it.
“We Run the Night” by Peace Mbengei is a spooky, atmospheric YA horror that brings Kenyan folklore into a modern boarding-school nightmare, and even if it occasionally tries to juggle too many storylines at once, there's a lot here to enjoy.
Shani returns to Taji Academy after the mysterious death of her father, hoping to survive her final year, keep her grades high enough to maintain her scholarship, and generally avoid dealing with everyone and everything. Unfortunately, Taji has other plans.
Because things at this school are getting weird.
Students are experiencing strange physical changes, unsettling things are happening after curfew, and there's a growing rumor about night runners, supernatural entities from Kenyan folklore. Then a student goes missing, Shani wakes up with muddy footprints and torn clothing, and suddenly the possibility that the night runners are real becomes a lot harder to dismiss.
And because this is a boarding school where the students are basically cut off from the outside world, everyone is left to panic together. No phones. No internet. Limited contact with family. Just a bunch of increasingly terrified teenagers trying to figure out whether they're dealing with supernatural monsters, some elaborate scheme, or something even worse.
Honestly, the Kenyan setting and folklore were my favorite parts of this book. I loved seeing traditional beliefs and local folklore brought into a modern YA story with teenage friendships, school drama, crushes, bullying, and academic pressure. The night runners are such a fascinating concept, and the way the supernatural elements slowly become more threatening worked really well.
The horror also gets surprisingly creepy. There are some body-horror elements, transformations, strange physical symptoms, and genuinely unsettling moments, but the book isn't just trying to scare you for the sake of scaring you. The supernatural stuff connects to bigger ideas about grief, justice, isolation, and what happens when people are ignored or denied justice.
Shani is dealing with a lot even before the monsters show up. She's grieving her father, struggling with her changing relationship with her family, dealing with guilt and anger, and trying to navigate a school environment where she doesn't exactly feel secure. Her grief is one of the stronger emotional elements of the story. There are complicated feelings surrounding her father's death, and Shani has to work through them while everything around her is falling apart.
However, there were times where Shani was frustratingly passive. There are definitely moments when her friends (like Pendo, who was my favorite character) are doing a lot of the investigating, protecting, and problem-solving while Shani is more along for the ride. Personally, I didn't find her completely without agency, especially considering everything she's dealing with, but I did occasionally wish she would take more control of the situation herself.
The biggest issue for me was that this book is trying to do a lot. And, somehow, it's all happening in a relatively short book. Some of these pieces worked better together than others. The supernatural mystery and grief storyline were definitely the standouts for me, while some of the bullying and school-drama subplots felt repetitive or disconnected from the main story. I could have happily traded some of that teenage drama for more time exploring the night runners and the bigger mystery.
I really enjoyed how the book explores what happens when justice is denied and people feel powerless. There's an interesting connection between the supernatural elements and the school's history, and the story touches on the lingering impact of colonialism without making it feel completely separate from the personal stories of the characters.
The twists were fun, too. I'm not going to say much because figuring out what's actually happening is a huge part of the experience, but the book definitely kept me questioning which explanation I was supposed to believe.
Overall, I really enjoyed “We Run the Night.” I think readers who love YA supernatural horror, folklore, boarding-school settings, and stories that mix scary elements with emotional themes will have a great time with it.
October 15, 2026
💬 “Just because it’s quiet doesn’t mean the night runner isn’t out there.....”👀
📖 We Run the Night by Peace Mbengei 🖤
📚 YA Horror | Debut Novel
🌙 Kenyan Folklore • 👻 Supernatural Horror • 🏫 Boarding School • 🔮 Urban Legends • 🖤 Mystery & Suspense • 🩸 Body Horror • 💔 Grief & Loss • 👀 Missing Students • 🤫 Dark Secrets • 👯♀️ Friendship • 😱 Creepy Atmosphere
🎧 Narrator: Simtandile Sityebi 🖤
⏳ Runtime: 8h 5m | Listened at 1.25-1.50× speed
👀 Shani's POV
🌶️ No Spice
Night runners, creepy boarding schools, missing students, & teenagers keeping secrets?! 👀😱
A solid 4-star YA horror debut from Peace Mbengei! I really enjoyed learning about the Kenyan night-runner folklore. Of course, that sent me down a late-night rabbit hole comparing it to what we Polish small-town Midwesterners grew up calling "nightwalkers." 🤣🌙
The boarding school setting, supernatural mystery, & strange transformations kept things interesting! It definitely had those YA/teen drama vibes, sometimes a little more than I'd prefer, but that's exactly the audience it's written for!
🎧 The narrator did a great job bringing the story to life! My only complaint was the number of pauses throughout the narration. I ended up listening between 1.25-1.50× speed to help eliminate some of those exaggerated pauses & keep the story flowing.
Overall, a fun, creepy listen with an interesting cultural twist on supernatural horror. I love when a book entertains me AND sends me researching folklore at ridiculous hours. 🤣🖤 Definitely one I'll consider passing along to my 12-year-old who loves horror! I think pub rec was 14+ don't quote me on that though. Double check it and ⚠️ Check trigger warnings.
Thank you to NetGalley, RBmedia/Recorded Books, & Peace Mbengei for providing this ALC in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.
📖 We Run the Night by Peace Mbengei 🖤
📚 YA Horror | Debut Novel
🌙 Kenyan Folklore • 👻 Supernatural Horror • 🏫 Boarding School • 🔮 Urban Legends • 🖤 Mystery & Suspense • 🩸 Body Horror • 💔 Grief & Loss • 👀 Missing Students • 🤫 Dark Secrets • 👯♀️ Friendship • 😱 Creepy Atmosphere
🎧 Narrator: Simtandile Sityebi 🖤
⏳ Runtime: 8h 5m | Listened at 1.25-1.50× speed
👀 Shani's POV
🌶️ No Spice
Night runners, creepy boarding schools, missing students, & teenagers keeping secrets?! 👀😱
A solid 4-star YA horror debut from Peace Mbengei! I really enjoyed learning about the Kenyan night-runner folklore. Of course, that sent me down a late-night rabbit hole comparing it to what we Polish small-town Midwesterners grew up calling "nightwalkers." 🤣🌙
The boarding school setting, supernatural mystery, & strange transformations kept things interesting! It definitely had those YA/teen drama vibes, sometimes a little more than I'd prefer, but that's exactly the audience it's written for!
🎧 The narrator did a great job bringing the story to life! My only complaint was the number of pauses throughout the narration. I ended up listening between 1.25-1.50× speed to help eliminate some of those exaggerated pauses & keep the story flowing.
Overall, a fun, creepy listen with an interesting cultural twist on supernatural horror. I love when a book entertains me AND sends me researching folklore at ridiculous hours. 🤣🖤 Definitely one I'll consider passing along to my 12-year-old who loves horror! I think pub rec was 14+ don't quote me on that though. Double check it and ⚠️ Check trigger warnings.
Thank you to NetGalley, RBmedia/Recorded Books, & Peace Mbengei for providing this ALC in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.
September 21, 2026
We Run the Night by Peace Mbengei has a lot to draw readers in. Boarding school, isolated setting (both rural and technological), supernatural entities of Kenyan lore. I wished it had lived up to its potential.
Shani had enough to deal with after her father unexpectedly dies.
Returning to school to be tormented by supernatural creatures is an unwelcome surprise. As Shani tries to get to the bottom of what’s happening, and the adults turn a blind eye, she’s going to learn some monsters that are all too human.
Most of Shani’s struggles are universal to teenagers. Money, bullies, grades, grief, loss, wanting parental care and approval. Mbengei created a main character that will resonate with any young girl. Shani was much more timid than would resonate with me but I know I’m the outlier there.
I liked that the mystery had layers but sone of the reveals didn’t work for me. When the big reveal relies on a twist, I need to look back and find the foreshadowing. If I can’t get there on my own with what’s already been revealed, it’s less of a twist and more of a deus ex machina.
I got this on audio and found the narrator a bit dry. Given the tension of the story, I was hoping for a more dramatic telling. I did appreciate most characters having distinct voices.
Both the book and audiobook get a low 3/5
Shani had enough to deal with after her father unexpectedly dies.
Returning to school to be tormented by supernatural creatures is an unwelcome surprise. As Shani tries to get to the bottom of what’s happening, and the adults turn a blind eye, she’s going to learn some monsters that are all too human.
Most of Shani’s struggles are universal to teenagers. Money, bullies, grades, grief, loss, wanting parental care and approval. Mbengei created a main character that will resonate with any young girl. Shani was much more timid than would resonate with me but I know I’m the outlier there.
I liked that the mystery had layers but sone of the reveals didn’t work for me. When the big reveal relies on a twist, I need to look back and find the foreshadowing. If I can’t get there on my own with what’s already been revealed, it’s less of a twist and more of a deus ex machina.
I got this on audio and found the narrator a bit dry. Given the tension of the story, I was hoping for a more dramatic telling. I did appreciate most characters having distinct voices.
Both the book and audiobook get a low 3/5
September 22, 2026
Wow, We Run the Night was a tragic read.
This young adult horror novel was just that: frightening and suspenseful. Shani returns back to school in the midst of her grief. She tragically lost her father and now she feels like a charity case at her school. As Shani begins to even try to find her place at this school - things start to shift. Shani and her bestie Pendo are dealing with horrific midnight visitors and hysteria is starting to spread through the school.
The suspense following this trio trying to find answers to what's taking place at this school. This book had my nerves on HIGH! MY GOODNESS.
I received a copy of the ALC from NetGalley.
This young adult horror novel was just that: frightening and suspenseful. Shani returns back to school in the midst of her grief. She tragically lost her father and now she feels like a charity case at her school. As Shani begins to even try to find her place at this school - things start to shift. Shani and her bestie Pendo are dealing with horrific midnight visitors and hysteria is starting to spread through the school.
The suspense following this trio trying to find answers to what's taking place at this school. This book had my nerves on HIGH! MY GOODNESS.
I received a copy of the ALC from NetGalley.
September 25, 2026
I was provided an audio ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I liked this one. It was quite a short read but it had a lot going on and I really enjoyed it. I liked the main character and I felt for her from the very start. I also found the magic system and the setting to be interesting. I thought it all just really worked from start to finish. The intrigue kept me on my toes from the start and I had no idea where any of it would go. It started high and kept me locked in the entire time. Basically, it was a great debut, a great story, and I can't wait to see what the author comes up with next.
I liked this one. It was quite a short read but it had a lot going on and I really enjoyed it. I liked the main character and I felt for her from the very start. I also found the magic system and the setting to be interesting. I thought it all just really worked from start to finish. The intrigue kept me on my toes from the start and I had no idea where any of it would go. It started high and kept me locked in the entire time. Basically, it was a great debut, a great story, and I can't wait to see what the author comes up with next.
September 21, 2026
I really enjoyed the mythological aspect of this book. I had never heard of night runners, and the little bit we learn about them was very interesting. I wish there had been more information on the myth overall and more of a focus on the night runners. I didn't care much for the MC, as she didn't have much agency, and things just sort of happened without any input from her. Overall, an easy read with an interesting theme.
Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for this audio arc!
Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for this audio arc!
September 15, 2026
Firstly, I just want to say happy pub day to the author today 🥳🥳.
I honestly couldn't get much into this book and this story line but I did manage to finish it. Initially, reading the description of this book pulled me in to want to read this book because I loved the whole concept of the plot. I just felt the plot of this book was really slow paced and the highschool drama in this book, just wasn't it for me. The audiobook also made reading/listening to it very hard because it just sounded so robotic to me and there were also numerous odd pauses during the narration. I honestly felt this story wasn't for me but may be for others. But one thing I will say, the book cover is absolutely amazing.
Thank you Netgalley and to the publisher for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I honestly couldn't get much into this book and this story line but I did manage to finish it. Initially, reading the description of this book pulled me in to want to read this book because I loved the whole concept of the plot. I just felt the plot of this book was really slow paced and the highschool drama in this book, just wasn't it for me. The audiobook also made reading/listening to it very hard because it just sounded so robotic to me and there were also numerous odd pauses during the narration. I honestly felt this story wasn't for me but may be for others. But one thing I will say, the book cover is absolutely amazing.
Thank you Netgalley and to the publisher for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Read
August 21, 2026Dear Reader,
There are stories that begin with a question. This one began with a sound.
Years ago, during a family trip, our vacation home was ambushed in the middle of the night.
Stones struck our roof relentlessly. When we looked out the window, we saw naked figures
moving in the dark, hurling rocks, then vanishing before we could make sense of what we
had witnessed.
Later, I would learn about night runners: a phenomenon whispered about across parts of
Western Kenya. These are people who run through the night, making noise, causing chaos,
and instilling fear. Some believe they are driven by something supernatural. Others insist they
are simply human.
This story does not ask you to decide which is true.
Instead, it asks a different question: What happens when fear takes root in a place that you
cannot escape?
At its core, this is not just a story about what lurks in the dark. It is about the fears that follow
you into the light—grief, isolation, bullying, and the devastating ways institutions can fail the
people who need them most.
Fear shapes every character in this book. It alters how they see themselves and how they
move through the world. It hollows some out, but it sharpens others, forcing them to confront
what they would rather avoid.
I wrote this book for those who have been afraid and kept going anyway. For those who have
felt unheard. For those who have been pushed to the edge of silence.
Because bravery is not always loud. Sometimes it is a quiet decision to speak, to resist, to
refuse to disappear.
Through this story, I wanted to explore what it means to stand up for yourself when it feels
impossible. When authority figures will not listen. When doing the right thing comes at a
cost. When it leads you somewhere dark.
Especially then.
And if you find yourself unsettled as you read, if you begin to question what is real, and what
is not, then the story is doing exactly what it was meant to do.
With thanks for reading,
Peace.
There are stories that begin with a question. This one began with a sound.
Years ago, during a family trip, our vacation home was ambushed in the middle of the night.
Stones struck our roof relentlessly. When we looked out the window, we saw naked figures
moving in the dark, hurling rocks, then vanishing before we could make sense of what we
had witnessed.
Later, I would learn about night runners: a phenomenon whispered about across parts of
Western Kenya. These are people who run through the night, making noise, causing chaos,
and instilling fear. Some believe they are driven by something supernatural. Others insist they
are simply human.
This story does not ask you to decide which is true.
Instead, it asks a different question: What happens when fear takes root in a place that you
cannot escape?
At its core, this is not just a story about what lurks in the dark. It is about the fears that follow
you into the light—grief, isolation, bullying, and the devastating ways institutions can fail the
people who need them most.
Fear shapes every character in this book. It alters how they see themselves and how they
move through the world. It hollows some out, but it sharpens others, forcing them to confront
what they would rather avoid.
I wrote this book for those who have been afraid and kept going anyway. For those who have
felt unheard. For those who have been pushed to the edge of silence.
Because bravery is not always loud. Sometimes it is a quiet decision to speak, to resist, to
refuse to disappear.
Through this story, I wanted to explore what it means to stand up for yourself when it feels
impossible. When authority figures will not listen. When doing the right thing comes at a
cost. When it leads you somewhere dark.
Especially then.
And if you find yourself unsettled as you read, if you begin to question what is real, and what
is not, then the story is doing exactly what it was meant to do.
With thanks for reading,
Peace.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you to Netgalley for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Night Runners might be running the night but you'd better be running to your nearest (ideally locally owned independent) bookstore in order to buy a copy of this book.
Shani is a teenager fighting to up her grades enough to remain in a prestigious boarding school after the mysterious death of her father. Complicating matters some is the fact that elite school has a new kind of parasite that IS NOT the PTA board. Rather a mysterious and increasingly hostile supernatural phenomenon that the students think are night runners and, as Shani will increasingly come to believe, something even more dangerous.
We Run the Night is a really, really fun read that hits the best blend of spooky and thriller with heaps of mystery that keeps the heart racing. Mbengei does a fantastic job of creating a world where old traditions and beliefs like strangler figs and night runners, feel completely at home among teenagers with phones and boy troubles.
The real masterpiece of WRTN is the Kenyan setting, the elements of dark folklore and the really spooky elements Mbengei leans into. The monsters infiltrating Taji academy are oddly a really well-done slow-burn (that is absolutely not the word). They start off as nuisances but slowly build into a genuinely terrifying monster that the cast have to deal with. The mystery about what and who they are, and all the red herrings around the truth are really, really well woven in.
The twist is... well its definitely a twist. I'll let you get there by yourself.
Our main character is Shani, a teenager dealing with the fallout of the death of her father. Mbengei mixes the genuine grief at the loss with... well the logistics of death in a really realistic way. Shani comes to resent her father and her relationship with her mother is brought into a new light. There are some amazing emotional beats around Shani and her family that work brilliantly, especially considering this is a fairly short and pacy book.
I loved several of Shani's relationships. While repetitive, I loved how her bullies are characterised. They're brats but they don't feel unbelievably cruel. Equally Shani's relationships with her teachers are done well, though towards the end they end up being a bit cartoonishly evil. However, in a book of this sort its to be expected.
Shani does end up being saved by her best friend quite a bit in WRTN. but she never ends up feeling passive because of it. As someone who's suffered from grief, there are days I wish I had a friend like Pendo to come save me.
I was gifted the ALC, and the narrator did a stunning job. She nailed the teenage tone without coming across as whiny, and I loved the amount of emotion she put into her work. However, and listen out for it - there's a bit where the end where she says "no" in a way that's meant to sound afraid or upset. Considering the quality of the rest of the narration is top tier - I pissed myself laughing. It sounded like she stood on lego while farting.
One blip in an eight hour, beautiful audiobook is acceptable... but please don't fix it. Or at least send me the clipped audio.
I will say it was really really packed, and this meant that there were plot beats I wanted to see have more page space. There's a dead-dad mystery, an annoying-boys subplot, lots of bullying (and kind of repetitive) under-plots all alongside the main missing child and scary monster subplot. I felt that Mbengei did a reasonable job of balancing it, but I do wonder if a younger reader could end up getting a bit lost under so many layers. For me its that the bullying suplots while written with great accuracy, could have been parred to leave more space for other things.
Also... this is one of those books where you're just going to accept the "adults are just stupid and/or oblivious."
The teenagers act like teenagers. The adults act like aliens who learned about earth yesterday.
It really worked in WRTN, especially it being from a cynical teenagers point of view and I think it'll ring very funny to the intended reading age. But there were lots of moments where I had to pause the audiobook and just giggle to myself.
Also, Shani is forgiving enough that she could be made a sin tomorrow.
While she becomes a saint, I'll become a bit poorer by going out and buying a copy. Because this is absolutely worthy of a place on my shelf. Also - how frigging gorgeous is that cover?
Night Runners might be running the night but you'd better be running to your nearest (ideally locally owned independent) bookstore in order to buy a copy of this book.
Shani is a teenager fighting to up her grades enough to remain in a prestigious boarding school after the mysterious death of her father. Complicating matters some is the fact that elite school has a new kind of parasite that IS NOT the PTA board. Rather a mysterious and increasingly hostile supernatural phenomenon that the students think are night runners and, as Shani will increasingly come to believe, something even more dangerous.
We Run the Night is a really, really fun read that hits the best blend of spooky and thriller with heaps of mystery that keeps the heart racing. Mbengei does a fantastic job of creating a world where old traditions and beliefs like strangler figs and night runners, feel completely at home among teenagers with phones and boy troubles.
The real masterpiece of WRTN is the Kenyan setting, the elements of dark folklore and the really spooky elements Mbengei leans into. The monsters infiltrating Taji academy are oddly a really well-done slow-burn (that is absolutely not the word). They start off as nuisances but slowly build into a genuinely terrifying monster that the cast have to deal with. The mystery about what and who they are, and all the red herrings around the truth are really, really well woven in.
The twist is... well its definitely a twist. I'll let you get there by yourself.
Our main character is Shani, a teenager dealing with the fallout of the death of her father. Mbengei mixes the genuine grief at the loss with... well the logistics of death in a really realistic way. Shani comes to resent her father and her relationship with her mother is brought into a new light. There are some amazing emotional beats around Shani and her family that work brilliantly, especially considering this is a fairly short and pacy book.
I loved several of Shani's relationships. While repetitive, I loved how her bullies are characterised. They're brats but they don't feel unbelievably cruel. Equally Shani's relationships with her teachers are done well, though towards the end they end up being a bit cartoonishly evil. However, in a book of this sort its to be expected.
Shani does end up being saved by her best friend quite a bit in WRTN. but she never ends up feeling passive because of it. As someone who's suffered from grief, there are days I wish I had a friend like Pendo to come save me.
I was gifted the ALC, and the narrator did a stunning job. She nailed the teenage tone without coming across as whiny, and I loved the amount of emotion she put into her work. However, and listen out for it - there's a bit where the end where she says "no" in a way that's meant to sound afraid or upset. Considering the quality of the rest of the narration is top tier - I pissed myself laughing. It sounded like she stood on lego while farting.
One blip in an eight hour, beautiful audiobook is acceptable... but please don't fix it. Or at least send me the clipped audio.
I will say it was really really packed, and this meant that there were plot beats I wanted to see have more page space. There's a dead-dad mystery, an annoying-boys subplot, lots of bullying (and kind of repetitive) under-plots all alongside the main missing child and scary monster subplot. I felt that Mbengei did a reasonable job of balancing it, but I do wonder if a younger reader could end up getting a bit lost under so many layers. For me its that the bullying suplots while written with great accuracy, could have been parred to leave more space for other things.
Also... this is one of those books where you're just going to accept the "adults are just stupid and/or oblivious."
The teenagers act like teenagers. The adults act like aliens who learned about earth yesterday.
It really worked in WRTN, especially it being from a cynical teenagers point of view and I think it'll ring very funny to the intended reading age. But there were lots of moments where I had to pause the audiobook and just giggle to myself.
Also, Shani is forgiving enough that she could be made a sin tomorrow.
While she becomes a saint, I'll become a bit poorer by going out and buying a copy. Because this is absolutely worthy of a place on my shelf. Also - how frigging gorgeous is that cover?
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
We Run the Night by Peace Mbengei is a riveting debut that masterfully weaves supernatural horror with the raw, emotional journey of grief. From the very first page, I was drawn into Shani’s world—a young girl haunted not only by the tragic loss of her father in a mysterious car accident but also by the sinister secrets lurking within her elite boarding school, Taji Academy.
The story begins with Shani’s return to the secluded, prestigious school after her father’s unsettling death. Struggling to cope with her grief, she’s determined to focus on her final year and maintain her scholarship. Alongside her loyal best friend Pendo, she navigates the social landscape of Taji—an environment that feels isolating, especially since the school enforces strict seclusion: no phones, no internet, and no contact with their families.
However, the atmosphere quickly shifts when strange, inexplicable events start to unfold. Students begin exhibiting grotesque skin maladies, and there are whispers of chaos happening after curfew. Despite dismissals from the administration claiming it’s just pranks, the eerie atmosphere intensifies. When one of the popular students, Adila, mysteriously goes missing, Shani wakes up one morning with muddy footprints on her feet, torn clothes, and a pounding headache—clear signs that something far more sinister is at play.
As the supernatural elements escalate, Shani and her friends find themselves caught in a terrifying game of secrets and lies. The myth of night runners—mysterious entities said to stalk rural neighborhoods—feels dangerously real in the context of the school’s strange happenings. With no way to contact the outside world, the students are left vulnerable, their paranoia mounting as they try to decipher who can be trusted. Is the principal hiding the truth? Are her friends part of the cover-up? Or are they all unwitting pawns in a much darker game?
Throughout the novel, the supernatural becomes a powerful metaphor for her internal struggles. Shani’s feelings of isolation, mistrust, and survivor’s guilt are palpable, and her journey is intertwined with the creeping horror that lurks in the shadows of Taji. Her emotional arc may be minimal in terms of psychological growth, but the portrayal of her feelings—loneliness, withdrawal, outbursts—is raw and authentic. The story builds relentlessly toward a crescendo of suspense, with each twist revealing more about the myth and the secrets the school desperately tries to hide.
What makes this book stand out is how it combines local urban legends—specifically the myth of night runners—with an engrossing mystery. The school’s strange silence, the seclusion from the outside world, and the cover-ups by the administration add layers of tension and paranoia. The grotesque skin maladies, chaos after curfew, and disappearances escalate the story into a wild, pulse-pounding ride. I loved how the myth was used not just as horror but as a mirror to the characters’ internal struggles—especially Shani’s—making the supernatural feel personal and threatening.
My only minor critique is that I wished the ending had been more explosive. While the climax was satisfying, I felt it could have been pushed further to match the intensity of the buildup. Nonetheless, the resolution wrapped up the story well, leaving enough room for the imagination to run wild.
Overall, We Run the Night is an exceptional debut that combines mystery, folklore, and emotional depth in a way that’s both entertaining and thought-provoking. Perfect for fans of horror with a mythological twist and those who enjoy stories about coming of age amidst chaos. It’s a wild, atmospheric ride that I highly recommend—peaceful nights might be a thing of the past after reading this!
The story begins with Shani’s return to the secluded, prestigious school after her father’s unsettling death. Struggling to cope with her grief, she’s determined to focus on her final year and maintain her scholarship. Alongside her loyal best friend Pendo, she navigates the social landscape of Taji—an environment that feels isolating, especially since the school enforces strict seclusion: no phones, no internet, and no contact with their families.
However, the atmosphere quickly shifts when strange, inexplicable events start to unfold. Students begin exhibiting grotesque skin maladies, and there are whispers of chaos happening after curfew. Despite dismissals from the administration claiming it’s just pranks, the eerie atmosphere intensifies. When one of the popular students, Adila, mysteriously goes missing, Shani wakes up one morning with muddy footprints on her feet, torn clothes, and a pounding headache—clear signs that something far more sinister is at play.
As the supernatural elements escalate, Shani and her friends find themselves caught in a terrifying game of secrets and lies. The myth of night runners—mysterious entities said to stalk rural neighborhoods—feels dangerously real in the context of the school’s strange happenings. With no way to contact the outside world, the students are left vulnerable, their paranoia mounting as they try to decipher who can be trusted. Is the principal hiding the truth? Are her friends part of the cover-up? Or are they all unwitting pawns in a much darker game?
Throughout the novel, the supernatural becomes a powerful metaphor for her internal struggles. Shani’s feelings of isolation, mistrust, and survivor’s guilt are palpable, and her journey is intertwined with the creeping horror that lurks in the shadows of Taji. Her emotional arc may be minimal in terms of psychological growth, but the portrayal of her feelings—loneliness, withdrawal, outbursts—is raw and authentic. The story builds relentlessly toward a crescendo of suspense, with each twist revealing more about the myth and the secrets the school desperately tries to hide.
What makes this book stand out is how it combines local urban legends—specifically the myth of night runners—with an engrossing mystery. The school’s strange silence, the seclusion from the outside world, and the cover-ups by the administration add layers of tension and paranoia. The grotesque skin maladies, chaos after curfew, and disappearances escalate the story into a wild, pulse-pounding ride. I loved how the myth was used not just as horror but as a mirror to the characters’ internal struggles—especially Shani’s—making the supernatural feel personal and threatening.
My only minor critique is that I wished the ending had been more explosive. While the climax was satisfying, I felt it could have been pushed further to match the intensity of the buildup. Nonetheless, the resolution wrapped up the story well, leaving enough room for the imagination to run wild.
Overall, We Run the Night is an exceptional debut that combines mystery, folklore, and emotional depth in a way that’s both entertaining and thought-provoking. Perfect for fans of horror with a mythological twist and those who enjoy stories about coming of age amidst chaos. It’s a wild, atmospheric ride that I highly recommend—peaceful nights might be a thing of the past after reading this!
September 17, 2026
Thank you to Net Galley and RBmedia for a Audio book of We Run the Night by Peace Mbengei
Shani's father has just died. She is still trying to come to terms with that fact when she returns to her boarding school. Taji Academy is an elite school, and so Shani is worried about losing her scholarship. She just needs to make it to the end of the year without getting into any trouble. Even with help from her BFF Pendo, that might be easier said than done. But how do the strange creators known as night runners have to do with Shani? And why are the adults not listening.
The adults refuse to believe the students, after all night runners are just a legend. Things seem to change when Adila the "it" girl goes missing. That is when Shani starts to feel different, and not in a good way. Whatever is wrong isn't going away and with her classmates disappearing it seems that the kids are going to have to fix everything themselves or die trying.
From the very start of the book was see that Shani represents the outsider, not just because she is poor and all the other students are rich but even socially, she tells us she doesn't feel like one of the other students. We explore the themes of poverty, status, popularity. The book mainly focuses on death, grief and expectations.
Throw the boys in the book we see the effect of expectations on young men. How they are expected to perform in sports and as young men. But also, how being liked and good at sport allows them leeway that girls and women are not privy to.
The story also shows us how cultural information and language can become lost over time. That within a generation or two, especially through colonisation, a family can struggle to communicate with each other. It is sad that the councillor cannot read the language her grandmother wrote.
Through Shani’s friendships we deal with betrayal and manipulation. When Shani discovers the real reason for Pendo’s help, she is devastated and so are we.
I enjoyed the plot, I was glad the story was not set in America. It was a bonus that the story was based on a real Kenyan Legend.
That the characters had Kenyan sounding names and that there were cultural references to food and surroundings. As I had the audio book (which I rarely request) I was glad the Narrator Simtandile Sityebi used her own accent. She did a great job of making each character sound different and showed their personality.
What I thought Mbengei created amazing atmosphere in this work. Whether it was Shani’s awkwardness around the popular girls or the woods, I was never in doubt of what I or the character was feeling.
Mbengei also had a way of making complicated scenes easy to follow. I only felt lost when the character was lost. That’s a difficult thing to pull of when you have multiple locations, flashbacks, nightmares and hallucinations in one work.
The only criticism I have it the overuse of metaphors, including mixed metaphors. I know I know, it is a small price to pay. But unfortunately, there were just so many. At times it felt like there was one every other sentence. Which meant there were 3 to 5 per paragraph.
Personally, I feel had I been reading the book physically (which is my usual prerace) I probably would have DNF’ed. I am glad I finished the book but again I feel like it was only because it was an audio book.
I also felt like the end was resolved quickly after a lot of build-up. Having said that I wouldn’t have wanted the illness part to drag out any further.
All in all a good book and I’m glad I got to listen to it.
Shani's father has just died. She is still trying to come to terms with that fact when she returns to her boarding school. Taji Academy is an elite school, and so Shani is worried about losing her scholarship. She just needs to make it to the end of the year without getting into any trouble. Even with help from her BFF Pendo, that might be easier said than done. But how do the strange creators known as night runners have to do with Shani? And why are the adults not listening.
The adults refuse to believe the students, after all night runners are just a legend. Things seem to change when Adila the "it" girl goes missing. That is when Shani starts to feel different, and not in a good way. Whatever is wrong isn't going away and with her classmates disappearing it seems that the kids are going to have to fix everything themselves or die trying.
From the very start of the book was see that Shani represents the outsider, not just because she is poor and all the other students are rich but even socially, she tells us she doesn't feel like one of the other students. We explore the themes of poverty, status, popularity. The book mainly focuses on death, grief and expectations.
Throw the boys in the book we see the effect of expectations on young men. How they are expected to perform in sports and as young men. But also, how being liked and good at sport allows them leeway that girls and women are not privy to.
The story also shows us how cultural information and language can become lost over time. That within a generation or two, especially through colonisation, a family can struggle to communicate with each other. It is sad that the councillor cannot read the language her grandmother wrote.
Through Shani’s friendships we deal with betrayal and manipulation. When Shani discovers the real reason for Pendo’s help, she is devastated and so are we.
I enjoyed the plot, I was glad the story was not set in America. It was a bonus that the story was based on a real Kenyan Legend.
That the characters had Kenyan sounding names and that there were cultural references to food and surroundings. As I had the audio book (which I rarely request) I was glad the Narrator Simtandile Sityebi used her own accent. She did a great job of making each character sound different and showed their personality.
What I thought Mbengei created amazing atmosphere in this work. Whether it was Shani’s awkwardness around the popular girls or the woods, I was never in doubt of what I or the character was feeling.
Mbengei also had a way of making complicated scenes easy to follow. I only felt lost when the character was lost. That’s a difficult thing to pull of when you have multiple locations, flashbacks, nightmares and hallucinations in one work.
The only criticism I have it the overuse of metaphors, including mixed metaphors. I know I know, it is a small price to pay. But unfortunately, there were just so many. At times it felt like there was one every other sentence. Which meant there were 3 to 5 per paragraph.
Personally, I feel had I been reading the book physically (which is my usual prerace) I probably would have DNF’ed. I am glad I finished the book but again I feel like it was only because it was an audio book.
I also felt like the end was resolved quickly after a lot of build-up. Having said that I wouldn’t have wanted the illness part to drag out any further.
All in all a good book and I’m glad I got to listen to it.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you to the author and Netgalley for providing a digital review copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review
I struggled a lot with this audiobook. The narration had these really awkward pauses between sentences that felt very jarring and kept breaking my immersion. I sped up the book to make the narration feel less slow, but it didn't really solve the issue. The sentences too fast and the pauses too long. Because of these pauses the narration had a certain robotic quality to it that I didn't like. Now, for an own voices debut novel this wasn't bad. I really enjoyed the supernatural and folklore horror elements, where the book kinda lost me was the teenage angst and high school drama. I feel like I'm just too old for the target audience of this book. The weird tonal shift in the story whenever the book switched from horror vibes to high school melodrama kept breaking me out of this story. I found it really difficult to remain interested because I did want answers, and I wanted to know what happened next, but I just couldn't care less about drama between these characters. I also found Shani an incredibly passive protagonist. She is being bullied and does nothing about it, and even in the investigation of this supernatural mystery her friend(s) do most of the heavy lifting, as well as protect her when Shani basically cowers behind them. For a protagonist, Shani had absolutely zero agency. I felt like Shani was just being pulled along with the plot like a ragdoll and it made the experience for me, the reader, also feel incredibly passive and I found it really hard to care for Shani as a result. Now, I don't think this is a bad book, and I genuinely think the folklore and supernatural horror elements are really fucking cool. I wish the book focused more on these parts of the plot, because the vibes truly go really hard. There were a lot of plotlines that felt kinda detached from the rest of the book, and I'm not really sure what their purpose was in the overarching story. All in all, this book feels like it's trying really hard to be multiple things, and as a result it does a decent job but never excels at any. It tries to be a YA coming of age story of someone bullied in high school. It tries to portray a message about death of a parent, grief and forgiveness, the way therapy was handled was kinda weird and jarring? (which really missed the mark for me) It tries to share a message about academic corruption and how the adults in this book are uncaring and indifferent. It tries to scare the reader with horror vibes, dark folklore and supernatural elements. The book kept trying and trying but it honestly missed the mark for me. I think if I had been a younger (and less critical) reader I would've enjoyed this more, because the vibes were really good, but these days I want more from my books than just vibes. It's a miss for me, but if you're a reader in your mid/late teens and early twenties who enjoys folklore and supernatural horror and doesn't mind high school drama and teenage angst, you might enjoy this a lot more than I did.
I struggled a lot with this audiobook. The narration had these really awkward pauses between sentences that felt very jarring and kept breaking my immersion. I sped up the book to make the narration feel less slow, but it didn't really solve the issue. The sentences too fast and the pauses too long. Because of these pauses the narration had a certain robotic quality to it that I didn't like. Now, for an own voices debut novel this wasn't bad. I really enjoyed the supernatural and folklore horror elements, where the book kinda lost me was the teenage angst and high school drama. I feel like I'm just too old for the target audience of this book. The weird tonal shift in the story whenever the book switched from horror vibes to high school melodrama kept breaking me out of this story. I found it really difficult to remain interested because I did want answers, and I wanted to know what happened next, but I just couldn't care less about drama between these characters. I also found Shani an incredibly passive protagonist. She is being bullied and does nothing about it, and even in the investigation of this supernatural mystery her friend(s) do most of the heavy lifting, as well as protect her when Shani basically cowers behind them. For a protagonist, Shani had absolutely zero agency. I felt like Shani was just being pulled along with the plot like a ragdoll and it made the experience for me, the reader, also feel incredibly passive and I found it really hard to care for Shani as a result. Now, I don't think this is a bad book, and I genuinely think the folklore and supernatural horror elements are really fucking cool. I wish the book focused more on these parts of the plot, because the vibes truly go really hard. There were a lot of plotlines that felt kinda detached from the rest of the book, and I'm not really sure what their purpose was in the overarching story. All in all, this book feels like it's trying really hard to be multiple things, and as a result it does a decent job but never excels at any. It tries to be a YA coming of age story of someone bullied in high school. It tries to portray a message about death of a parent, grief and forgiveness, the way therapy was handled was kinda weird and jarring? (which really missed the mark for me) It tries to share a message about academic corruption and how the adults in this book are uncaring and indifferent. It tries to scare the reader with horror vibes, dark folklore and supernatural elements. The book kept trying and trying but it honestly missed the mark for me. I think if I had been a younger (and less critical) reader I would've enjoyed this more, because the vibes were really good, but these days I want more from my books than just vibes. It's a miss for me, but if you're a reader in your mid/late teens and early twenties who enjoys folklore and supernatural horror and doesn't mind high school drama and teenage angst, you might enjoy this a lot more than I did.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you to NetGalley and RBmedia for this ALC!
Rating: 3.5 Stars rounded up.
“We Run the Night” by Peace Mbengi centres around Shani, who returns to her remote Kenyan boarding school after the recent tragic loss of her father. All she wants is to survive her senior year and be left alone, but as strange things start to happen around Taji Academy, and supposed supernatural entities – Night Runners – terrorise the students, Shani gets drawn into this dangerous chaos. When a student goes missing, and others begin to transform in ways no one can explain, Shani has to figure out what is happening.
I am admittedly a little old for YA, and wouldn’t normally reach for it, but I enjoy seeing books with non-European/N-American settings, and the premise interested me, so I went for it. And I did have a good time with it! While I would generally recommend this more to its intended audience, I do think anyone who looks back at their high school years not with fond nostalgia but a certain sense of dread will find quite a bit of this book relatable.
The plot is a little slow at the very beginning, but then ramps up quite a lot until you’re hit with event after event towards the end.
Now, this makes for a swift reading/listening experience, but it is also part of my issue with this book.
I don’t want to get too into it, as this would spoil the plot, but I think Mbengi might have been a bit too much of an overachiever here. While I did enjoy all the individual elements of the mystery she created here, put together they were just a bit overwhelming, and made the whole plot fit together less smoothly. I would have preferred there had been one direction rather than a connection of different directions.
The audiobook is narrated by Simatandile Sityebi, who perfectly embodied Shani to me, and who is either naturally blessed with a VERY teenaged-sounding voice, or who did some extra superb voice acting here. I really think the audiobook enhanced my experience.
I would recommend this book to teens, especially those struggling extra hard to fight their way through the social complexities of high school, and to anyone who wants to read horror in a non-Western setting.
Rating: 3.5 Stars rounded up.
“We Run the Night” by Peace Mbengi centres around Shani, who returns to her remote Kenyan boarding school after the recent tragic loss of her father. All she wants is to survive her senior year and be left alone, but as strange things start to happen around Taji Academy, and supposed supernatural entities – Night Runners – terrorise the students, Shani gets drawn into this dangerous chaos. When a student goes missing, and others begin to transform in ways no one can explain, Shani has to figure out what is happening.
I am admittedly a little old for YA, and wouldn’t normally reach for it, but I enjoy seeing books with non-European/N-American settings, and the premise interested me, so I went for it. And I did have a good time with it! While I would generally recommend this more to its intended audience, I do think anyone who looks back at their high school years not with fond nostalgia but a certain sense of dread will find quite a bit of this book relatable.
The plot is a little slow at the very beginning, but then ramps up quite a lot until you’re hit with event after event towards the end.
Now, this makes for a swift reading/listening experience, but it is also part of my issue with this book.
I don’t want to get too into it, as this would spoil the plot, but I think Mbengi might have been a bit too much of an overachiever here. While I did enjoy all the individual elements of the mystery she created here, put together they were just a bit overwhelming, and made the whole plot fit together less smoothly. I would have preferred there had been one direction rather than a connection of different directions.
The audiobook is narrated by Simatandile Sityebi, who perfectly embodied Shani to me, and who is either naturally blessed with a VERY teenaged-sounding voice, or who did some extra superb voice acting here. I really think the audiobook enhanced my experience.
I would recommend this book to teens, especially those struggling extra hard to fight their way through the social complexities of high school, and to anyone who wants to read horror in a non-Western setting.
September 20, 2026
Had the privilege of listening to this early on NetGalley. Life got in the way but as soon as I could I jumped right back in to find out what Shani’s next move was.
We Run the Night has a build up that really pays off. It starts slow and as we learn about Taji academy and what’s happening. The irony is there is a lot happening, but because Shani likes to keep to herself it feel like we’re watching life from the perspective of a wall flower. Of course until Shani finds herself right in the middle of everything.
Peace Mbengei absolutely nailed the tone and suspense. In real time with our main character we are fighting to decide if Shani is a reliable narrator. Having the character question herself added another layer of tension and I was obsessed.
I felt pulled into this book the way the students felt pulled to run through the night.
The folklore and mystery really caught my attention, as the puzzle unraveled I found myself asking more questions. DESPERATE for any answer, the pay off was perfect.
Adored Shani as a main character, she frustrated me at first but the more I learned about her the more I related to her. Her spirit remained unbreakable even when she felt her weakest. She’s a kind soul that cares too much. Her own worst enemy at first, constantly holding herself back in fear. Shani’s struggle with grief and anger also played out so beautifully. I felt pride when she found her voice.
Simtandile Sityebi did a phenomenal job narrating, pulling at all my emotions through her performance.
The anger I found myself feeling on behalf of everyone affected was baffling, I need justice for my babies.
I also need this turned into a limited series because the writing painted such vivid imagery in my mind that now I need to see it on screen!
If you like academic settings with more than one mystery to uncover…and one hell of a supernatural twist…why are you still here?? You should be running to read this before it’s too late!
We Run the Night has a build up that really pays off. It starts slow and as we learn about Taji academy and what’s happening. The irony is there is a lot happening, but because Shani likes to keep to herself it feel like we’re watching life from the perspective of a wall flower. Of course until Shani finds herself right in the middle of everything.
Peace Mbengei absolutely nailed the tone and suspense. In real time with our main character we are fighting to decide if Shani is a reliable narrator. Having the character question herself added another layer of tension and I was obsessed.
I felt pulled into this book the way the students felt pulled to run through the night.
The folklore and mystery really caught my attention, as the puzzle unraveled I found myself asking more questions. DESPERATE for any answer, the pay off was perfect.
Adored Shani as a main character, she frustrated me at first but the more I learned about her the more I related to her. Her spirit remained unbreakable even when she felt her weakest. She’s a kind soul that cares too much. Her own worst enemy at first, constantly holding herself back in fear. Shani’s struggle with grief and anger also played out so beautifully. I felt pride when she found her voice.
Simtandile Sityebi did a phenomenal job narrating, pulling at all my emotions through her performance.
The anger I found myself feeling on behalf of everyone affected was baffling, I need justice for my babies.
I also need this turned into a limited series because the writing painted such vivid imagery in my mind that now I need to see it on screen!
If you like academic settings with more than one mystery to uncover…and one hell of a supernatural twist…why are you still here?? You should be running to read this before it’s too late!
September 25, 2026
We Run the Night by Peace Mbengei is a gripping YA horror story set in an elite isolated Kenyan boarding school and incorporating the East African myth of the night runner, something I had never heard of before listening to this book, but which I found endlessly fascinating. The book follows a young student by the name of Shani as she returns to school following the death of her father in a car accident, a difficult time by any standard made even worse by the fact she has returned as a scholarship student since her father's death revealed that he was broke, and the the knowledge that the person who hit her father has still not been found. Before long things start to go awry in the school with someone causing on campus chaos after dark and several students including Shani coming down with a strange illness that manifests as changes to their skin. As the school goes into lockdown following the disappearance of a student Shani must figure out what is going on before the transformation becomes permanent.
This was a fast paced book with a lot going on, from the supernatural elements to Shani trying to figure out who killed her father, and at times it felt like the author was trying a little too hard to cram everything in in a way that would work for both plot lines, but overall I think she did a decent job and by the end was pretty successful in weaving all the story elements together. The author makes excellent use of the isolation of her setting, and really manages to build the tension very well while adding just enough of the paranormal elements to keep the reader on edge.
I listened to the audio version, narrated by Simtandile Sityebi, and I have to say the performance was excellent, really capitalising on the fact that Shani herself did not know what was happening or why, and making her sound like a real teenager.
I listened to an ALC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher, all opinions are my own.
This was a fast paced book with a lot going on, from the supernatural elements to Shani trying to figure out who killed her father, and at times it felt like the author was trying a little too hard to cram everything in in a way that would work for both plot lines, but overall I think she did a decent job and by the end was pretty successful in weaving all the story elements together. The author makes excellent use of the isolation of her setting, and really manages to build the tension very well while adding just enough of the paranormal elements to keep the reader on edge.
I listened to the audio version, narrated by Simtandile Sityebi, and I have to say the performance was excellent, really capitalising on the fact that Shani herself did not know what was happening or why, and making her sound like a real teenager.
I listened to an ALC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher, all opinions are my own.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This might be one of the most unique YA horror novels I've ever read. Granted I don't often read YA, but when I do I'm drawn to these coming of age tales. I love reading about young women finding their power and courage to be authentically themselves. This was that, and so much more.
Shani returns to boarding school shortly after the death of her father. Haunted by the grief that comes with this loss, she must also focus on her studies, but she's distracted. Not only is she devastated by her father's passing, the school is being terrorized by a supernatural force. The Night Runner. What seems to be students, transformed, their bodies grossly changed. The faculty insists that it's just students pulling an intricate prank. Parents are left uninformed, and the students must fight against this folk tale.
Shani, and her best friend Pendo, come together with other students to find out the truth behind this terrifying nightly event. What secrets are the faculty hiding? Will they find answers before it's too late, before the Night Runner takes over the campus?
This was a beautiful, and horrific tale of friendship, courage, and empowerment. I was hooked, this was so unique, and interesting. I loved learning about Kenyan folklore! Something I definitely want to do more research on, it's fascinating!
Peace Mbengei has a strong voice, and I hope it's heard by many. I can see her doing amazing things with her writing, I mean she wrote this masterpiece. I think many teens can find themselves in Shani, and as someone who has lost their father, I even saw some of myself there, as a 32 year old woman. I don't think you can age out of YA, a good story is a good story, and this was an AMAZING one. Do not sleep on this just because it's a YA novel. This should be read by the masses.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Soho Press for the opportunity to read and review!
Shani returns to boarding school shortly after the death of her father. Haunted by the grief that comes with this loss, she must also focus on her studies, but she's distracted. Not only is she devastated by her father's passing, the school is being terrorized by a supernatural force. The Night Runner. What seems to be students, transformed, their bodies grossly changed. The faculty insists that it's just students pulling an intricate prank. Parents are left uninformed, and the students must fight against this folk tale.
Shani, and her best friend Pendo, come together with other students to find out the truth behind this terrifying nightly event. What secrets are the faculty hiding? Will they find answers before it's too late, before the Night Runner takes over the campus?
This was a beautiful, and horrific tale of friendship, courage, and empowerment. I was hooked, this was so unique, and interesting. I loved learning about Kenyan folklore! Something I definitely want to do more research on, it's fascinating!
Peace Mbengei has a strong voice, and I hope it's heard by many. I can see her doing amazing things with her writing, I mean she wrote this masterpiece. I think many teens can find themselves in Shani, and as someone who has lost their father, I even saw some of myself there, as a 32 year old woman. I don't think you can age out of YA, a good story is a good story, and this was an AMAZING one. Do not sleep on this just because it's a YA novel. This should be read by the masses.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Soho Press for the opportunity to read and review!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
3.5 stars
So many details drew me in and kept me interested throughout this book: supernatural elements, horror, and a creative discussion of grief. What really got me? The mention that this was for fans of Tiffany D. Jackson's _White Smoke_, which I LOVE. This one has a lot to offer, too.
Prior to this book, I'd not heard of night runners, but I found the concept totally fascinating in a literal and symbolic way, and this is where the action is really centered for a good portion. When Shani returns to her boarding school life after unexpectedly losing her father, the whole place is in disarray. Is it the fault of the night runners? Is there a more logical explanation? Working through this and getting to know Shani through various stages of grief and processing are highlights of this reading experience. There are some very hard lessons here, but that's for Shani to worry about and for readers to benefit from vicariously.
There were times when this moved into feeling a bit repetitive for me, and that's hard to manage when it comes to this genre. I really enjoyed the urban legend and the palatable approach to grief and high school friendships.
I was fortunate to receive the alc from Libro.fm and thoroughly enjoyed (and recommend) the audiobook when and where accessible.
*Special thanks to NetGalley, Soho Teen, and Libro.fm for this arc and alc, which I received in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own.
So many details drew me in and kept me interested throughout this book: supernatural elements, horror, and a creative discussion of grief. What really got me? The mention that this was for fans of Tiffany D. Jackson's _White Smoke_, which I LOVE. This one has a lot to offer, too.
Prior to this book, I'd not heard of night runners, but I found the concept totally fascinating in a literal and symbolic way, and this is where the action is really centered for a good portion. When Shani returns to her boarding school life after unexpectedly losing her father, the whole place is in disarray. Is it the fault of the night runners? Is there a more logical explanation? Working through this and getting to know Shani through various stages of grief and processing are highlights of this reading experience. There are some very hard lessons here, but that's for Shani to worry about and for readers to benefit from vicariously.
There were times when this moved into feeling a bit repetitive for me, and that's hard to manage when it comes to this genre. I really enjoyed the urban legend and the palatable approach to grief and high school friendships.
I was fortunate to receive the alc from Libro.fm and thoroughly enjoyed (and recommend) the audiobook when and where accessible.
*Special thanks to NetGalley, Soho Teen, and Libro.fm for this arc and alc, which I received in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own.
September 15, 2026
Audiobook Single Narration with Simtandile Sityebi. Her voice was perfect for Shani's age and adolescence. I would have never guess that she wasn't a teenager herself.
This very interesting and complex. I really enjoyed the cultural elements as well as the familial toxicity. Although it had the supernatural element, it read more like a thriller than a horror to me. Wasn't super scary, but I was on the edge of my seat at times. Shani was a very relatable character. I really felt for her when she tried to reach out to her mother for support and was met with none. This story really highlighted the horrors of bullying and just how much that can affect anyone. While simultaneously also driving home the fact that the situational hierarchy within high school will not save you from being affected by the curse.
The middle was a little slow, but the ending was really good in that it was very hopeful and really tied everything together in a meaningful way. I was appalled by the administrations tactics and solution for handling things. I cannot believe the methods they used to strongarm the students into consenting to such things. I can only imagine the grief of losing one's father, but I am glad she was able to get the help she needed.
Thank you to NetGalley and RBMedia for this aARC.
I also won a gifted copy from Soho Press and am happy to get to display this shelf trophy!
This very interesting and complex. I really enjoyed the cultural elements as well as the familial toxicity. Although it had the supernatural element, it read more like a thriller than a horror to me. Wasn't super scary, but I was on the edge of my seat at times. Shani was a very relatable character. I really felt for her when she tried to reach out to her mother for support and was met with none. This story really highlighted the horrors of bullying and just how much that can affect anyone. While simultaneously also driving home the fact that the situational hierarchy within high school will not save you from being affected by the curse.
The middle was a little slow, but the ending was really good in that it was very hopeful and really tied everything together in a meaningful way. I was appalled by the administrations tactics and solution for handling things. I cannot believe the methods they used to strongarm the students into consenting to such things. I can only imagine the grief of losing one's father, but I am glad she was able to get the help she needed.
Thank you to NetGalley and RBMedia for this aARC.
I also won a gifted copy from Soho Press and am happy to get to display this shelf trophy!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
ＷＥ ＲＵＮ ＴＨＥ ＮＩＧＨＴ
by Peace Mbengei
👾 urban legend horror | 🏫 isolated boarding school | 😭 grief
vibes ----×---- plot
tension ----×-----
ＹＥＳ 𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘰:
• Crave stories with creepy lore
• Need fiercely loyal female friendships
ＮＯ 𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘢𝘯𝘯𝘰𝘺 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘪𝘧:
• You throw a fit when the mid-book slowdown hits
• You prefer to avoid younger mindsets + perspectives
ＴＨＥ ＰＬＯＴ:
Still raw from her father's death, Shani must survive a lockdown at her elite boarding school before a terrifying night runner entity tears campus apart.
ＴＨＲＩＬＬ－Ｏ－ＭＥＴＥＲ: 🩵🩵🩵🩵🤍
The concept of night runners pulled me in FAST, blending lore and grief in a way that feels totally fresh and completely vicious. They sounded SO freaking creepy!
Being trapped on a remote campus ramps up the claustrophobia and keeps the stakes very high from start to finish. That, along with Shani’s emotional spiral as she processes the loss of her dad had me on EDGE!
I LOVED that her best friend Pendo makes a huge mistake, owns up to it, and actually repairs the trust instead of pulling cheap teen drama.
While a few middle chapters felt slightly repetitive, the woven subplots land with a satisfying, brutal SNAP. This reads like a darker spiritual cousin to Tiffany D. Jackson's YA books. It was just a FUN ride with so much heart!
by Peace Mbengei
👾 urban legend horror | 🏫 isolated boarding school | 😭 grief
vibes ----×---- plot
tension ----×-----
ＹＥＳ 𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘰:
• Crave stories with creepy lore
• Need fiercely loyal female friendships
ＮＯ 𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘢𝘯𝘯𝘰𝘺 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘪𝘧:
• You throw a fit when the mid-book slowdown hits
• You prefer to avoid younger mindsets + perspectives
ＴＨＥ ＰＬＯＴ:
Still raw from her father's death, Shani must survive a lockdown at her elite boarding school before a terrifying night runner entity tears campus apart.
ＴＨＲＩＬＬ－Ｏ－ＭＥＴＥＲ: 🩵🩵🩵🩵🤍
The concept of night runners pulled me in FAST, blending lore and grief in a way that feels totally fresh and completely vicious. They sounded SO freaking creepy!
Being trapped on a remote campus ramps up the claustrophobia and keeps the stakes very high from start to finish. That, along with Shani’s emotional spiral as she processes the loss of her dad had me on EDGE!
I LOVED that her best friend Pendo makes a huge mistake, owns up to it, and actually repairs the trust instead of pulling cheap teen drama.
While a few middle chapters felt slightly repetitive, the woven subplots land with a satisfying, brutal SNAP. This reads like a darker spiritual cousin to Tiffany D. Jackson's YA books. It was just a FUN ride with so much heart!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I really enjoyed this read!
One of my favorite aspects of this book was the supernatural elements. The atmosphere at the school, specifically when strange, inexplicable things started happening, was eerie in such a compelling way. And the stakes certainly rose as the supernatural elements escalated, introducing a new level of danger at the school.
I also really liked the myth used in this novel, like the urban legend of the night runners. That presented an engrossing mystery at the school, and really kept me turning the page.
Shani was a great protagonist to follow. I appreciated that we got to witness her raw, emotional journey with grief after the tragic loss of her father. I also liked how the supernatural became a metaphor for her internal struggles, and how her emotions intertwined with the creeping horrors lurking at the school. Shani’s feelings always felt real and raw, in an intriguing way.
I wish the ending had been more compelling, as the buildup was really well done, and I’m not sure it lived up to said buildup. I still enjoyed my time reading this book though.
All in all, I liked this book a lot, and I think anyone looking to read a YA supernatural horror will too!
Thank you so much to NetGalley and RBmedia | Recorded Books for allowing me to listen to the audiobook!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This premise of the book was enthralling, especially the last 40%. I may slightly biased but I adore when books are set within a boarding school because the stakes are elevated by the forced proximity to the issue that is happening at the school. The writing was definitely on board with the ya thriller genre and I appreciated that all the sub plots directly connected to the main plot which made me have an "Ahah!" moment. I honestly think this book has the potential to be turned into a ya thriller film as it gave similar vibes to Level 16 (2018).
As for the characters:
In my opinion, I believe that Shani was depicted as a realistic high school student due to her dynamic emotional responses when she faced challenging dilemmas. I also liked Pendo's character because, although she was portrayed as the picture, perfect best friend, her ability to apologise sincerely after "betraying" Shani demonstrates the complexity of female friendships. Typically, you see a friend being cut off after making one mistake. However, in this case, I liked that Shani and Pendo remained friends throughout the entirety of the book.
Overall, 4 stars!
Thank you to NetGalley and the Soho Press for the ARC. This is my honest review
As for the characters:
In my opinion, I believe that Shani was depicted as a realistic high school student due to her dynamic emotional responses when she faced challenging dilemmas. I also liked Pendo's character because, although she was portrayed as the picture, perfect best friend, her ability to apologise sincerely after "betraying" Shani demonstrates the complexity of female friendships. Typically, you see a friend being cut off after making one mistake. However, in this case, I liked that Shani and Pendo remained friends throughout the entirety of the book.
Overall, 4 stars!
Thank you to NetGalley and the Soho Press for the ARC. This is my honest review
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 13, 2026
This is such a juicy, fascinating deep read that is perfect for its intended age group but with enough intrigue for an adult reader. Body horror, folk horror, and haunting give a fantastic driving force to an exploration of what happens when justice is denied and paranoia is high in an isolated school community. Shani, our narrator, has returned to a boarding school after the death of her father and has to face not only her lose but a dramatic change in status. The school is being haunted by night runners, possessed people with glowing eyes and a compulsion to run, who also seem to be targeting her. She trusts few people and is under intense scrutiny by everyone, including the people who run the school. When she starts to undergo the transformation to night runner herself, there is a ticking clock to find answers and set things right.
The resolution is has solid twists and makes an interesting statement. You can feel the impact of the colonial history interwove with the experience of individual people within the story. It offers some good scariness while remaining entirely age appropriate. As for the audiobook, the narrator is excellent, compelling, and emotive.
Thank you to NetGalley and RBmedia for the ARC of this audio book.
The resolution is has solid twists and makes an interesting statement. You can feel the impact of the colonial history interwove with the experience of individual people within the story. It offers some good scariness while remaining entirely age appropriate. As for the audiobook, the narrator is excellent, compelling, and emotive.
Thank you to NetGalley and RBmedia for the ARC of this audio book.
September 25, 2026
A big thank you to NetGalley and RBmedia for the early copy.
Medium: Audiobook
My thoughts: As seen by my star rating, I quite liked this book. It really reminded me of the things that I loved to read as a young horror lover. Even though it's marketed as YA, it reads more like a middle grade. My rating ignores the classification of the book as YA and simply speaks to the enjoyment I got out of the story as well as the fun I know my preteen self would have had with it.
That being said, I had so much fun with this. The concept was excellent, the setting was interesting, and the lore was original enough to keep me interested. I can't say that I found it to be perfect, as many things were too convenient and the protagonist jumped to conclusions that were (obviously for the narrative) always correct. However, it was easy to suspend my disbelief and simply enjoy the book. I could go into detail and be critical about the story but honestly, I had too much fun to care. The story was interesting throughout and the ending was explosive and satisfying.
While not the perfect book, it was definitely fun, engaging and an excellent book recommendation for the horror loving preteens in your life.
Medium: Audiobook
My thoughts: As seen by my star rating, I quite liked this book. It really reminded me of the things that I loved to read as a young horror lover. Even though it's marketed as YA, it reads more like a middle grade. My rating ignores the classification of the book as YA and simply speaks to the enjoyment I got out of the story as well as the fun I know my preteen self would have had with it.
That being said, I had so much fun with this. The concept was excellent, the setting was interesting, and the lore was original enough to keep me interested. I can't say that I found it to be perfect, as many things were too convenient and the protagonist jumped to conclusions that were (obviously for the narrative) always correct. However, it was easy to suspend my disbelief and simply enjoy the book. I could go into detail and be critical about the story but honestly, I had too much fun to care. The story was interesting throughout and the ending was explosive and satisfying.
While not the perfect book, it was definitely fun, engaging and an excellent book recommendation for the horror loving preteens in your life.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
As a supernatural Kenyan folklore story enjoyable and fast pace. A dark academia at Taji Academy, Shani, 16, returns after to school after the fathers death but now kids are going missing, she is waking up muddy, no memory of her night and now solving the mystery of her dads death.
Although it states horror it wasn’t as scary but the mystery and suspense makes up for it and made it enjoyable. It’s not a heavy read as I think the goal of the book with dealing with grief, Shani finding out her dad passed and the cause. Quite interesting on how the patient zero and her came in contact.
I did enjoy the Kenyan folklore inspired by the urban legend of night runners.
I wouldn’t call it YA but more of teen fiction. After reading I would have put it in the genre of children’s fiction but based off the ages being 16, exclusively just teen fiction.. So if you’re looking for a more mature YA story this may not be it.
This review is based off the ALC copy with narrator Simtandile Sityebi. I certainly enjoyed her voice and kept me in tune and interested in the story. Some of the moments when the words needed to pop off the stage she delivered.
Although it states horror it wasn’t as scary but the mystery and suspense makes up for it and made it enjoyable. It’s not a heavy read as I think the goal of the book with dealing with grief, Shani finding out her dad passed and the cause. Quite interesting on how the patient zero and her came in contact.
I did enjoy the Kenyan folklore inspired by the urban legend of night runners.
I wouldn’t call it YA but more of teen fiction. After reading I would have put it in the genre of children’s fiction but based off the ages being 16, exclusively just teen fiction.. So if you’re looking for a more mature YA story this may not be it.
This review is based off the ALC copy with narrator Simtandile Sityebi. I certainly enjoyed her voice and kept me in tune and interested in the story. Some of the moments when the words needed to pop off the stage she delivered.
September 20, 2026
A typical high school drama with an unusual setting and folklore.
I may have aged out of these stories. The high school parts, at least. Or maybe just archetypal takes. Our lead Shani is an outsider who returns to an elite school and finds herself facing horrors in and outside of her body. The plot is repetitive, and tired tropes raise their weary heads hither and thither. I really despised the choice to , especially without good cause. There's a cast of characters that all fade together. The boys do bad things and are forgiven. The parents and adults are careless in all senses of the word. It takes forever for Shani to actually do anything.
What I loved was the folklore and Simtandile Sityebi's riveting narration. And that cover! It's a shame that the storyline and characters fail to live up to expectation, at least for me. Younger readers closer to the high school years and searching for an alternative universe filled with supernatural frights alongside more everyday scares might enjoy this more than me.
Thank you to NetGalley and RBmedia | Recorded Books for the advance copy of the audiobook.
I may have aged out of these stories. The high school parts, at least. Or maybe just archetypal takes. Our lead Shani is an outsider who returns to an elite school and finds herself facing horrors in and outside of her body. The plot is repetitive, and tired tropes raise their weary heads hither and thither. I really despised the choice to , especially without good cause. There's a cast of characters that all fade together. The boys do bad things and are forgiven. The parents and adults are careless in all senses of the word. It takes forever for Shani to actually do anything.
What I loved was the folklore and Simtandile Sityebi's riveting narration. And that cover! It's a shame that the storyline and characters fail to live up to expectation, at least for me. Younger readers closer to the high school years and searching for an alternative universe filled with supernatural frights alongside more everyday scares might enjoy this more than me.
Thank you to NetGalley and RBmedia | Recorded Books for the advance copy of the audiobook.
September 23, 2026
Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an audiobook arc!
First of all, I'd like to say that I really enjoyed the audiobook production itself. I think the narrator Simtandile Sityebi was an amazing choice, she gave life to the characters and especially the main character in an excellent way. I really liked listening to her voice.
Overall, I think this is a good debut, and I really think this author can make it far with this as her first book. The book had unique worldbuilding and a big ensemble of different characters, and most of the gripes I have with the book come down to personal preferences rather than issues with the writing.
I think one thing I was a little confused by was the amount of plot lines we had going on at the same time. We had the mystery of Shani's dad's death, the nightrunners and the general weirdness of the adults at the boarding school. On paper, it doesn't sound like too much going on, but near the end of the book when everything came to a head, I was just in constant confusion of what was being revealed and how it was connected to the things we already knew. I also wish we had gotten a little bit more lore about the nightrunners.
First of all, I'd like to say that I really enjoyed the audiobook production itself. I think the narrator Simtandile Sityebi was an amazing choice, she gave life to the characters and especially the main character in an excellent way. I really liked listening to her voice.
Overall, I think this is a good debut, and I really think this author can make it far with this as her first book. The book had unique worldbuilding and a big ensemble of different characters, and most of the gripes I have with the book come down to personal preferences rather than issues with the writing.
I think one thing I was a little confused by was the amount of plot lines we had going on at the same time. We had the mystery of Shani's dad's death, the nightrunners and the general weirdness of the adults at the boarding school. On paper, it doesn't sound like too much going on, but near the end of the book when everything came to a head, I was just in constant confusion of what was being revealed and how it was connected to the things we already knew. I also wish we had gotten a little bit more lore about the nightrunners.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
3 stars!
Thank you NetGalley and RBmedia for the ALC of We Run the Night.
I rarely say this, but this book should have been 75-100 pages longer. It felt like everything was so rushed. We would learn about one aspect of something and then immediately have to dive into something else without really exploring that aspect. I think this has the potential to be a really fun and creepy book, but none of that creepiness was able to really land with how rushed this was. It didn't feel like the author tried to tackle too much and just didn't have enough time, rather it felt like the author didn't know how to make the suspense hold and land. My heart rate never really kicked up because I didn't know there would be a big reveal coming up and then when we had it, it was moved on from so quickly it took me pages to realize it was a reveal.
The narrator had a very lovely voice but she took some awkward pauses. However, if you listen to it at 1.5 speed or higher, you really don't notice them as much.
Thank you NetGalley and RBmedia for the ALC of We Run the Night.
I rarely say this, but this book should have been 75-100 pages longer. It felt like everything was so rushed. We would learn about one aspect of something and then immediately have to dive into something else without really exploring that aspect. I think this has the potential to be a really fun and creepy book, but none of that creepiness was able to really land with how rushed this was. It didn't feel like the author tried to tackle too much and just didn't have enough time, rather it felt like the author didn't know how to make the suspense hold and land. My heart rate never really kicked up because I didn't know there would be a big reveal coming up and then when we had it, it was moved on from so quickly it took me pages to realize it was a reveal.
The narrator had a very lovely voice but she took some awkward pauses. However, if you listen to it at 1.5 speed or higher, you really don't notice them as much.
September 15, 2026
This one was classified as YA horror, but for me, it leaned much more toward mystery/suspense with a creepy urban legend woven throughout. And honestly, I was HERE for the night walkers. There’s just something about an eerie legend + people mysteriously going missing that will have me invested immediately.
I really enjoyed the atmosphere and the mystery surrounding the night walkers, but there were a few moments where the pacing felt like it dragged a bit. Some details also felt repetitive, which took away from the momentum for me at times.
One thing I really appreciated, though, was how accurately the story explored grief and the complicated struggle that comes with navigating loss. Those emotional elements added a lot of depth to the story and made the characters’ experiences feel more impactful.
Overall, this was an enjoyable read with an intriguing premise, a creepy urban-legend feel, and some meaningful themes woven throughout. While it didn’t completely hit the mark as a horror for me, I still had a good time uncovering the mystery. 🌙🔍
I really enjoyed the atmosphere and the mystery surrounding the night walkers, but there were a few moments where the pacing felt like it dragged a bit. Some details also felt repetitive, which took away from the momentum for me at times.
One thing I really appreciated, though, was how accurately the story explored grief and the complicated struggle that comes with navigating loss. Those emotional elements added a lot of depth to the story and made the characters’ experiences feel more impactful.
Overall, this was an enjoyable read with an intriguing premise, a creepy urban-legend feel, and some meaningful themes woven throughout. While it didn’t completely hit the mark as a horror for me, I still had a good time uncovering the mystery. 🌙🔍
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