I, in the Shadows

Name: I, in the Shadows
Rating: 4.156 (8 reviews)
ISBN: 9798890033123

By Tori Bovalino

Publisher Description

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

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

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

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

Download the free Fable app

Stay organized

Keep track of what you’re reading, what you’ve finished, and what’s next.

Build a better TBR

Swipe, skip, and save with our smart list-building tool

Rate and review

Share your take with other readers with half stars, emojis, and tags

Curate your feed

Meet readers like you in the Fable For You feed, designed to build bookish communities

Stay organized

Keep track of what you’re reading, what you’ve finished, and what’s next.

Build a better TBR

Swipe, skip, and save with our smart list-building tool

Rate and review

Share your take with other readers with half stars, emojis, and tags

Curate your feed

Meet readers like you in the Fable For You feed, designed to build bookish communities

I, in the Shadows Reviews

4.0

Carrie

Created about 15 hours ago

“A huge thank you to Page Street Ya for gifting me an advance copy of this book! 🫶 I don’t read a lot of YA horror, but there are certain authors that I will pick up whatever they write. Bovalino has become one of those authors. Their writing is hauntingly beautiful, capturing the essence of adolescence as though they have some secret portal to revisit their own youth. I, In The Shadows is no exception, and might just be their best work yet. I loved this one! The main character, Drew, is kind and compassionate. She genuinely wants to help Liam, but finds herself being pulled towards her own teenage needs. She makes mistakes. She chooses things that are in her own best interest, without considering how they’ll affect those she cares about. In other words, she’s very human. I liked her quite a bit. I found myself relating to her struggles with abandonment issues, feeling like an outsider, making friends, and figuring out who she wants to be. The ghost element is more tragic and heartbreaking than it is scary, and mirrors the loss of innocence and certain friendships as teens transition into adulthood. There is a bit of a sapphic love story, but it’s focused more on the development of young relationships/friendships than it is on steamy moments. There’s also a mystery element threaded throughout as the characters search for answers as to what happened to Liam and why he hasn’t moved on yet. If you like character driven stories, filled with heart and heartbreak, definitely check this one out! 5/5 stars ✔️ highly recommend rated for ages 14+”

inbetweentheshelf | Seema ☁️✨🗡️

Created 1 day ago

Diverse representation Multilayered Beautifully-written Easy to read Death Grief Substance abuse

Rebecca Reads Too Much 💁‍♀️

Created 2 days ago

“Drew can see ghosts. In fact, she and her older sibling not only see them, but help them resolve unfinished business so they can move on to the other side. If they don’t, well, things get scary. Drew moves into a new house and finds the ghost of the boy who lived there before her is one of the stuck ones. What luck - he can join her at school, help her make friends with his friends, watch them mourn him, and maybe she can figure out what it is he needs to move on. Sounds great - what can go wrong? Wow ok this is how I love my YA. When the characters’ angst feels real to me. When they are dealing with real issues like belonging and grief. Ok I guess there can be non-real fantasy elements too - this was a great combination! And who can’t help but enjoy moments of giddy puppy love! 🥰 I was so caught up in this story! What a roller coaster. Honestly it got a bit scary 🫣 I was worried for the characters I had grown to love. And ugh, I loved the ending 🫶 Thank you to Page Street YA for the ARC!”

Thebalancedbookshelf

Created 4 days ago

“This book portrays how people deal with grief differently. It is messy and emotional and features flawed characters which I always enjoy. This is the perfect read for a YA audience as it portrays the struggles of being a high school teenager, trying to fit in and finding yourself. If you enjoy coming of age stories with a supernatural twist you’ll like this one! Thank you to Page Street YA for providing me an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Pub Date: January 13th, 2026”

hmmcknight

Created 6 days ago

“Thank you Page Street for the advanced copy - NetGalley review There’s a ghost haunting Drew Tarpin’s new room. Liam Orville has been dead for ten months and has no idea how to move on. But the longer he stays, the more likely it is he’ll degrade into an energy consuming husk—which Drew is more concerned about than her grades or her inability to make meaningful connections with other students. Drew is everything Liam never was when he was alive, but they do share some common ground: Drew finds herself hopelessly attracted to—and completely tongue-tied around—Hannah Sullivan, who happens to be Liam’s former best friend. After a run-in with a ghost-eating monster leaves Drew and Liam desperate for answers, they strike up a deal: In return for Drew investigating why Liam is still around, he’ll help her talk to Hannah. But Liam’s time is running out, and if Drew doesn’t help him move on, he risks becoming a monster himself. >> I loved how messy and vulnerable this was, sure it’s a story about a ghost, but it felt like so much more than that? A true exploration of grief and the way it manifests in different people, friendships, love and regrets. I honestly loved this so much and would recommend to any YA lovers.”

About Tori Bovalino

Tori Bovalino is the editor of the bestselling horror anthology The Gathering Dark and the author of Not Good for Maidens and My Throat an Open Grave. She lives in London.