Library of Shadows was the perfect book to start off my spooky season with. The dark academia atmosphere swept me away from the very start, and I might have a new book boyfriend…. 4.5 stars, I loved this book and will definitely be looking for more from Moore.

This ended up being underwhelming....the characters and their motivations were not well fleshed out....the plot was not engaging...and I was confused by what we could call the magic system in this book. The FMC is kind of horrible to her roommate and uses their friendship in a weird way and I shouldn't be surprised since these are 16 & 17 year old children but some communication would be nice. The blurb likened this title to Ninth House & Cemetery boys but that feels so far off base for me - this does not reach the depths a reader would expected from those comp titles.

This was fine and it was fast but it was ultimately forgettable.

I loved the cozy vibes in this book, It was so relaxing that the plot was not too complex and I could be invested without theorizing every little detail or getting myself confused with complexities. Everything was pretty much straightforward and simplistic, almost too much so, especially where the characters were concerned. The ending was quite predictable but I enjoyed it a lot. I would have appreciated a bit more elaboration. But overall, it was a fun read and a debut well done.

A cozy dark(ish) academia, if Fall was a book, it would be The Library Of Shadows. Library of Shadows takes you on a paranormal romantic trip through a haunted library with trapdoors, ghosts, and memories. As Este follows in her father's footsteps, she investigates the library with its secret passageways, hidden tunnels, and haunted halls, she learns that the student disappearances aren't just myth. And if she isn't careful, she'll be next.

Thank you to Netgalley and HarperCollins Children's Books, Katherine Tegen Books for providing me with a review copy.

The Library of Shadows is a paranormal mystery novel by Rachel Moore. Este is determined to follow in the footsteps of her late father by attending Radcliffe Prep. The school is supposedly haunted, not that Este believes. That is until she encounters Mateo who is most certainly a ghost. After he frames Este for stealing a rare book she is determined to find the ghost. But her search uncovers secrets of the library that may be too deadly for even the faint of heart.

I think this book was a perfect little spooky read! It's definitely a quick one with a straight forward yet complex enough plot to keep readers motivated. I really loved Mateo and his ghostly antics. As main characters go, Este annoyed me at times but I could see where she was coming from even if I didn't like some of her actions. I thought some of the story line was really tragic but it had great storytelling and relevance to the plot. And I didn't completely expect some of the twists in this!

I'd defiantly recommend the Library of Shadows as a great novel to start the spooky season or for anyone who wants to read a paranormal fantasy read!

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an eARC of this novel. All thoughts and opinions contained within this review are my own.

I really wanted to go into this book loving it especially with such a beautiful cover. I love the thought of a haunted library but it was hard as the character Este was hard to relate to and like. She was a bit annoying and her actions didn't make sense.

The pacing of the book was also a bit odd. The book gets right into things and events but then slows down again and then goes fast. I feel like I was getting a bit of whiplash with the pacing.

Matteo is the male main character. He was supposed to have died in the early 1900's but the way he acted was very modern. It made it a bit confusing to remember that he grew up over a 100 years before the events of the book.

THE LIBRARY OF SHADOWS was such a pleasant surprise to me.
Now, obviously, I won’t pick up a book I didn’t think I was going to like anyway, but I’ve either been a bad judge of my own taste or had a run of bad luck picking out dark academia. It’s an aesthetic I love, and I want to be the sort of person who enjoys the genre but I just… haven’t. But maybe the YA ‘dark academia’-lite provided in THE LIBRARY OF SHADOWS is what I need to look for, because I really enjoyed this one.
It's a bit pacier that other dark academia I’ve picked up, a bit more action-packed and less meandering. There’s a couple of mysteries for Este to work her way through over the course of the novel and while none of them are mind-bogglingly surprising, the journey there is really engaging.
Este and Matteo are both really likable characters, and the supporting cast– the other Radcliffe ghosts, Este’s roommate Posy, and Posy’s Paranormal Investigators – are all fun characters I’d have liked to see even more of.
Radcliffe itself, and the Lilith library itself, gave my all the dark academic vibes I was looking for – with forbidden turret rooms, hidden passageways, and dramatic statuary.
Mysterious and atmospheric, THE LIBRARY OF SHADOWS is a great, accessible YA read and would be perfect for autumn and winter reading. Or just for anyone who, like me, is looking for a really readable haunted school setting.

I really enjoyed this YA Fantasy! It was atmospheric and mysterious, and made a perfect fall read! I enjoyed the characters and the sweet romance aspect. I look forward to reading more books from this author!

Sadly this book didn't live up to its promise. The story dragged too long so I struggled to keep going or to DNF it. The plot didn't keep me interested and I didn't like the main characters. I really wanted to like the book but just couldn't get into it. Unfortunately, this book just didn't grip my attention.

Thank you to the publisher for an eARC via netgalley to read and review.

I enjoyed this one. It was exciting, romantic, and perfect for spooky season. I liked the idea of the ghosts being unable to touch anything alive, and I liked the way they interacted with their environment.
The characters were good, and I thought both Este and Mateo were interesting. I liked their relationship, and I liked how it progressed. I thought they worked well together, and the romance was sweet.
I had some struggles getting into the story, and I struggled a bit with the pacing throughout. At times it moved really quickly, and other times nothing felt like it was happening. I did like the little moments between the ghosts, but I felt that some of the “mysteries” and clues Este was trying to investigate were way too obvious for the amount that she struggled with them.
Overall I really enjoyed this one, and I thought it was a great YA read.

((This is TRUE YA do not expect ACOTAR level spice/romance here)

Book Name: The Library of Shadows
Author: Rachel Moore

ARC
Thank you to HarperCollins Children's Books, Katherine Tegen Books ****for an ARC of The Library of Shadows by Rachel Moore

Stars: 5
Spice: 0 (YA)

Standalone
Fast Paced
Plot Centric
FMC POV
Paranormal Mystery Romance

- Topics
- Family History
- Overcoming grief
- Transcendence of Love
-
- Tropes
- Secret Library
- Family Secrets
- “Forced Proximity Ish”
- Secret Passageways, Hidden Tunnels, Ancient Books
- Found family

- Thoughts.
- TrueYA
- Quick Read
- Great Story Concept
- Perfection
- This is the best Ghost Romance I have ever read

This was a fun little read. Definitely geared more towards the younger adult reader. I liked the mystery aspect and the determination of our MC to uncover the secret of her father and the school. I do like stories that incorporate ghosts that can participate in the pacing and unfolding of the plot.

This novel is like a love letter to everyone who’s enchanted by old libraries, secret passageways, hidden tunnels, ancient books – and ghosts. It’s delightfully atmospheric and made me want to be a student at Radcliffe Prep.

After the death of her father, Este and her mother rarely stay in one place for very long. She’s thrilled to receive a scholarship to Radcliffe Prep, a school her father attended, and believes it will help her feel closer to him. She’s even living in his old room with roommate Posy, a budding paranormal investigator who does everything she can to build a friendship with Este. But after losing her father, Este doesn’t let people get close.

Este is a clever MC and I enjoyed watching her follow her father’s clues and messages while meandering through hidden tunnels and secret passageways. But it was Mateo that stole my heart with his backstory, smirks, and sense of humor. There’s some insta-love between him and Este, but it’s a short novel so things move pretty quickly. His ghostly friends who are also trapped in the library with him are wonderful supporting characters – they’d be fun to hang out with. It’s not difficult to predict who the “bad guy” is, but I still enjoyed the journey with the characters as they figured it out. There’s a nice twist I didn’t immediately get, but it raises the stakes nicely.

I don’t often include quotes in my reviews, but this one was too beautiful to ignore.

“When you love someone, it’s like building a library and filling the shelves. It doesn’t matter how many years it’s been since Jane Austen wrote Emma or Fitzgerald wrote This Side of Paradise. We can still pull them from the bookcases and dive back into the words, the same as the day they were written. All the years and the memories are still right here, catalogued inside us.”

With a compelling mystery, charming ghosts, and a little romance, this is a wonderful debut, and I’ll be looking for future releases by this author.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

The Library of Shadows draws you into a world where the past and present merge seamlessly. Este Logano is a reluctant protagonist, fending off really dangerous ghosts seeking to change her from a living student to a ghost destined to haunt the halls of Radcliffe. This is a paranormal romance that offers a lot of danger, adventure, and maybe some romance, if they can get past her boyfriend being a ghost.

2.5 stars

Getting into this book was a challenge for me. The blurb promised a dark academia lover's dream: a prep school with a haunted past, an ancient library with a restricted section, a paranormal mystery to solve, and even a ghostly love interest. However, I found it difficult to fully engage with the story.
The plot was a bit predictable, and the romance felt rushed. I also found it jarring to be thrust into the middle of the story with the most important event (the book theft) happening in chapter one. We barely knew the main character's name, and the lack of background made it challenging to keep up with the story.
Although it was an easy read with some humor sprinkled throughout, I found it forgettable overall. However, I think it would be an enjoyable, light-hearted fall read for a younger audience (11-14).

I was so excited to read this book, but it sadly didn’t live up to expectations. I didn’t really care for any of the characters or the writing style. I think there were multiple plot holes that should’ve been found in editing. The idea was great; the execution fell flat.

Thank you for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!

TLoS was a wonderfully cozy, low stakes YA autumnal read. I was originally drawn in by the title and the "fresh take on an established vibe" synopsis (and the gorgeous cover of course). The writing was peppered with vivid, whimsical descriptions, which were juxtaposed quite well with strong characterizations & straightforward plot points. The characters were well sketched out regardless of page time, and some (i.e. Posy) were instantly loveable & retained their sparkle throughout. Though Este sometimes got on my nerves, Mateo was an adorable & extremely welcome counterbalance - though he did remain more surface-level for an MC than I'd like, and I would've loved a bit of a deeper dive. (That's more personal preference than critique, to be fair.)

I think the plot kicked off with a lot of potential, and had decent follow through - especially given the general uptick in aesthetic-rich, plot-poor writing in recent years. Even though the plot feels cohesive at the start, it does feel a bit like you're left holding a pile of loosely gathered threads by the end of the book. Some things just sped up and were tied off without enough elaboration, and others shifted in terms of what took precedence.

We started with a heavy lean on backstory and then transitioned to give relationships precedence without truly unearthing the essence of the background work. As for the relationship developments (both romantic & not), those were kind of the other way around, with a lack of exposition at the outset and just an end product we sort of have to invest in without ever seeing the groundwork that would make it believable.

Given that this is a debut novel however, I think it was very well done & I'm excited to see what this author does next!

This is a service announcement for anyone who is looking for a new ghost boyfriend - READ THIS BOOK 📣

The Library of Shadows is a YA paranormal romance / mystery that is going to make your dark academia heart beat faster. We follow our protagonist Este Logano, who just scored a full scholarship to Redcliffe Prep. Redcliffe Prep does not only house one of the most interesting libraries in the country - it is also the most haunted school in the country. When Este is framed (by a ghost) for stealing an ancient and powerful book, she is sucked into an evil scheme that is threatening not boy her life but also her friendships and her place at Redcliffe Prep.

This book is incredibly fast-paced, so you could definitely read this in one sitting. I also really enjoyed the overall vibes of this book:

🎃 cozy library setting
👻 dark academia mystery
🎃 curly-haired and lopsided grin love interest
👻 paranormal investigators who will melt your heart

The characters are all very loveable and I definitely wanted to be part of that friend group. I really enjoyed the dynamics between our ghost boy and Este which was only topped by how beautiful the overall writing is. There are definitely some quotes I would get tattooed on my body, not going to lie.

This book is perfect if you are looking for something spooky but not terrifying.

Thank you to Harper Collins for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

The Library of Shadows reminded me of the books I used to fall for, ten years ago or more. It has so many wonderful things to offer:

a haunted, very atmospheric boarding school setting,
questions about family’s past,
a mystery (with ghosts, obviously),
lots and lots of books (it’s not called the library of shadows for nothing!)
a sort-of forbidden romance with an adorable ghost
I was hooked from the very start, I loved the twists, the turns and the atmosphere of the book, as a whole. The characters were fantastically endearing and I know I’ll read more from this author. Definitely recommending this!

This book was just alright for me.

I was really excited for it because I enjoy ghost romances, but something about it just fell flat for me. I do think it's good for a debut novel, but it was severly underdeveloped in my opinion.

Everything about the plot felt rushed. I didn't feel any sort of connection to the main character or side characters because we barely had any interactions with them. In this same vein, the romance between the main character and the love interest had zero chemistry. So it was hard for me to feel for the motive of him.

Even the plot twist of who was the Heir was....underwhelming. I really wanted to like this book but it still felt like a draft rather than a finished novel.