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Our Shadow Selves
Lee writes with unfailing warmth and wisdom. Sarah Waters. A gripping psychological thriller about trauma, revenge and the price of reinvention. In the crumbling seaside town of Hawksbridge, Shona finds kinship with the eccentric Gifford family living illegally in a derelict building. Their stories of survival give her the courage to paint again-until she discovers a body wrapped in carpet, and everything starts to unravel. Richard knows her secrets. He's documented every shameful detail of her childhood, from the fire she set at fifteen to the deaths that followed. Now he's weaponising that knowledge, jeopardizing her relationships and her future. But Shona has learned something important from the misfits of sometimes the only way to break free is to embrace the darkness you've been running from. As New Year's Day dawns, Shona faces a choice that will define who she really is. Because some shadows can't be escaped-they can only be owned
334 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 26, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
Review of advance copy received from Author
"I have no idea what you intend to do, And then your shoulders slump, 'It's not worth it, is it, Shona? You're immune to slaps, cigarette burns, insults. It's affection you can't deal with.'"
Struggling artists, queer discoveries, stifling tension and dead bodies — the ingredients for something you just can’t put down.
Our Shadow Selves was a compelling, dark read that felt both gritty and polished all at once - simple but descriptive prose with excellent pacing through short, punchy chapters that clash brilliantly with the slow burn story and a deep sense of foreboding from the very start.
Our main character, Shona, is a starving artist, trying to escape the darkness of her past but running into a new terror - meeting a woman living illegally in a derelict block of flats that was slowly being reclaimed by the ocean. The building itself became a character, a representation of the need to destroy everything to move on, the crumbling of her own life around her, the fear of moving on. She was a beautiful contrast to Richard, an ex of hers offering her a home after a hospital stay - both artists on different sides of society. He was an easily hateable, loathsome creature — expertly written to drawn the venom of anyone reading him.
Pretentious, controlling, slimy, using people as playthings, keeping Shona around to maintain an image of a respectful straight man; the kind of man who you’d read about in the paper as being some kind of predator or killer and saying “yeah, actually, I can see that.”
Shona, and the residents of the Miller building, narrate the story - with unique writing, Shona specifically referring to he darker half, her shadow self in a third person, not part of her, but a being of its own and then narrating her thoughts about Richard directly with “you”. It was jarring at first, when mixed with the mixed perspective and timelines, but settled into a brilliantly windy style that really suited the story and created just exactly the right amount of confusion to make the nerves build.
It falls into a few things that sometimes frustrate me, like the character describing themselves in the mirror and a slightly less thriller content that id expected but overall the writing was wonderful - a skin-crawling, wicked thriller with a cast of suspicious characters.
Struggling artists, queer discoveries, stifling tension and dead bodies — the ingredients for something you just can’t put down.
Our Shadow Selves was a compelling, dark read that felt both gritty and polished all at once - simple but descriptive prose with excellent pacing through short, punchy chapters that clash brilliantly with the slow burn story and a deep sense of foreboding from the very start.
Our main character, Shona, is a starving artist, trying to escape the darkness of her past but running into a new terror - meeting a woman living illegally in a derelict block of flats that was slowly being reclaimed by the ocean. The building itself became a character, a representation of the need to destroy everything to move on, the crumbling of her own life around her, the fear of moving on. She was a beautiful contrast to Richard, an ex of hers offering her a home after a hospital stay - both artists on different sides of society. He was an easily hateable, loathsome creature — expertly written to drawn the venom of anyone reading him.
Pretentious, controlling, slimy, using people as playthings, keeping Shona around to maintain an image of a respectful straight man; the kind of man who you’d read about in the paper as being some kind of predator or killer and saying “yeah, actually, I can see that.”
Shona, and the residents of the Miller building, narrate the story - with unique writing, Shona specifically referring to he darker half, her shadow self in a third person, not part of her, but a being of its own and then narrating her thoughts about Richard directly with “you”. It was jarring at first, when mixed with the mixed perspective and timelines, but settled into a brilliantly windy style that really suited the story and created just exactly the right amount of confusion to make the nerves build.
It falls into a few things that sometimes frustrate me, like the character describing themselves in the mirror and a slightly less thriller content that id expected but overall the writing was wonderful - a skin-crawling, wicked thriller with a cast of suspicious characters.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Our Shadow Selves is a dark, quietly gripping psychological thriller that lingers in the spaces between trauma, reinvention, and the dangerous pull of the past. Shona Blake is a woman trying to rebuild herself after a childhood marked by violence and exploitation, but the moment she moves in with Richard — the man who once turned her pain into his own success — the fragile life she’s constructed begins to crack.
Hawksbridge, with its crumbling seaside edges and forgotten corners, becomes the perfect backdrop for Shona’s unraveling. The Gifford family, living illegally in a derelict building, bring a strange, tender warmth to the story. Their resilience, their oddness, their refusal to be anything but themselves give Shona a sense of belonging she’s never had. Through them, she begins to paint again, to breathe again — until the discovery of a body wrapped in carpet shifts the novel into darker, more dangerous territory.
Richard’s presence is a constant, suffocating threat. He knows every secret Shona has spent years trying to bury, and he wields that knowledge with a cruelty that feels both intimate and inevitable. The tension between them is electric — a battle of wills, histories, and the versions of Shona she’s desperate to escape.
What makes the novel so compelling is how it explores the idea of shadow selves: the parts of us shaped by trauma, the versions we fear, the ones we try to outrun. Shona’s journey isn’t about becoming someone new, but about deciding which parts of herself she’s willing to claim. As New Year’s Day approaches, the story tightens beautifully, leading her toward a choice that feels both terrifying and empowering.
A haunting, atmospheric thriller about survival, identity, and the darkness we carry — and what happens when we finally stop running from it.
With thanks to VG Lee, the publisher and netgalley for the ARC
Hawksbridge, with its crumbling seaside edges and forgotten corners, becomes the perfect backdrop for Shona’s unraveling. The Gifford family, living illegally in a derelict building, bring a strange, tender warmth to the story. Their resilience, their oddness, their refusal to be anything but themselves give Shona a sense of belonging she’s never had. Through them, she begins to paint again, to breathe again — until the discovery of a body wrapped in carpet shifts the novel into darker, more dangerous territory.
Richard’s presence is a constant, suffocating threat. He knows every secret Shona has spent years trying to bury, and he wields that knowledge with a cruelty that feels both intimate and inevitable. The tension between them is electric — a battle of wills, histories, and the versions of Shona she’s desperate to escape.
What makes the novel so compelling is how it explores the idea of shadow selves: the parts of us shaped by trauma, the versions we fear, the ones we try to outrun. Shona’s journey isn’t about becoming someone new, but about deciding which parts of herself she’s willing to claim. As New Year’s Day approaches, the story tightens beautifully, leading her toward a choice that feels both terrifying and empowering.
A haunting, atmospheric thriller about survival, identity, and the darkness we carry — and what happens when we finally stop running from it.
With thanks to VG Lee, the publisher and netgalley for the ARC
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
The book follows Shona, a woman who’s had a traumatic past which resulted in some accidental deaths. She’s been released and now trying to rebuild, run away from the past and live a better life. But with limited options, she has gone to live with Richard, a man who knows her past secrets and somewhat uses it to his advantage.
Then there is Sonny, a man who lives with his mother. For years, they’ve been living in this abandoned building which once was an apartment complex. They are faced with the hard truth when developers start coming around and they may be forced to leave. Problem is, Sonny is agoraphobic.
For Shona, she starts getting back into somewhat a life, she meets Sonny and his mother. Then bad things start happening, things that Shona doesn’t want to be involved with. And yet…
When I saw the dark and mysterious book cover and the thriller genre, I definitely wanted to read it. The book was slow to start but it definitely ended on a high note. Had me at the edge of my seat, the last 20% of the book, I read it all in one sitting because I needed to know what was going to happen. I will say I ended the book still scratching my head but in the best way, if that even makes sense.
Thank you Netgalley for allowing me to access this e-arc. These words and opinions are entirely my own.
Then there is Sonny, a man who lives with his mother. For years, they’ve been living in this abandoned building which once was an apartment complex. They are faced with the hard truth when developers start coming around and they may be forced to leave. Problem is, Sonny is agoraphobic.
For Shona, she starts getting back into somewhat a life, she meets Sonny and his mother. Then bad things start happening, things that Shona doesn’t want to be involved with. And yet…
When I saw the dark and mysterious book cover and the thriller genre, I definitely wanted to read it. The book was slow to start but it definitely ended on a high note. Had me at the edge of my seat, the last 20% of the book, I read it all in one sitting because I needed to know what was going to happen. I will say I ended the book still scratching my head but in the best way, if that even makes sense.
Thank you Netgalley for allowing me to access this e-arc. These words and opinions are entirely my own.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Shona is trying to escape her awful childhood and rebuild her life. She meets Mrs Gifford and her son who are squatting in a derelict building. Once shona finds a body wrapped in a carpet we see a fight for survival, secrets revealed and can we truly escape our past traumas.
I found this quite dark and the setting suited the story.
The first chapter had me hooked but after that I did find the story slow. I couldn't get on with the style of writing. The story wasn't a bad one it just didn't keep me engaged. The last part of the story reeled me back in, needing to know what will happen.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I found this quite dark and the setting suited the story.
The first chapter had me hooked but after that I did find the story slow. I couldn't get on with the style of writing. The story wasn't a bad one it just didn't keep me engaged. The last part of the story reeled me back in, needing to know what will happen.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
March 23, 2026
An interesting novel with a great creepy unusual building that features almost like a character in itself - interesting characters and plenty of odd events make for an intriguing read
March 29, 2026
Brilliant book full of twists and turns . Kept me on the edge of my seat . Believable characters . Shocking ending . Highly recommended !
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews