Your Shadow Half Remains is an interesting short novel showcasing an unreliable narrator in the midst of a global pandemic. The prose is gorgeous and the story, while a bit slow paced for a short book, builds to an interesting climax. This book is great for fans of Eric LaRocca.
Thanks to Tor NIghtfire and the author for the ARC!

"Try not to dwell uselessly on the self-evident truth that while civilization didn't collapse totally and immediately the way one might have expected, everything is slowly, inexorably falling apart."
- Your Shadow Half Remains

This book is an intriguing take on the dystopian concept of a global pandemic wiping out humanity as we know it. It's uncomfortably reminiscent of the beginning of the COVID pandemic, which gives readers an immersive experience from the very beginning by addressing the familiarity of loneliness, confusion, fear, and the unknown. It gives a glimpse into the chaos of a world where nothing is certain, including your ability to trust your own psyche. It brings you to the brink of insanity in an eerily intimate way and makes the building discomfort and fear palpable.

Told from the point of view of an unreliable narrator, who you don't immediately recognize as such, this story follows her life alone, a chance encounter with the first person she's interacted with in years, and her descent into madness as she becomes increasingly paranoid. There is a considerable amount of internal monologue as the main character, Riley, argues with herself throughout the book, especially in regards to Ellis. We never learn the gender of Ellis, but there is an apparent chemistry between the two, despite Riley's unwillingness to trust a new person. At the point of this story, Riley has been left to her own devices, completely isolated on her own, for years. It leaves her a bit unhinged, which plays out in interesting ways, especially at the end. I don't want to give anything away, so I'll just say the end of this book leaves room for speculation and ends with a twist you felt coming, but didn't dare to entertain. I was at a loss for words, and I'm still trying to wrap my head around it.

I was completely enraptured with this story from the very beginning and it certainly held my attention throughout. I found myself rooting for Riley right up until the end, despite all the things she'd done. I felt pity for Ellis and was shocked at every turn. It was truly a thrilling read and it made me think. My concern for the characters, enjoyment of the plot, and the jaw-dropping ending all contribute to my 5 star rating. I will be checking out other works by this author. I received both the e-book and the audiobook, and I found the narrator, which in this case is the author, to be very easy to listen to. I actually fell asleep listening the last couple of nights. I would listen to something else narrated by them.

Be warned: this is a pretty dark book. There are detailed accounts of violence/gore, animal death, murder, death of a parent, mental illness and suicidal thoughts, sexual content, and mention of child death. If any of these things bother you, it would be wise to steer clear of this book. You'll just have to miss out on a brilliant piece of speculative horror fiction.

This was a post-apocalyptic suspense horror where the world is thrown into utter chaos when a disease from having eye contact with another human incites violent rage within people. There's plenty of violence and body horror but what was more terrifying to me was how closely the isolation and desperation portrayed in this book closely mimicked the world during the COVID pandemic. The importance of love and connection and larger questions surrounding what it means to be human are at the forefront of this novella.

*Special thanks to NetGalley and Tor Publishing Group for this e-arc.*

Your Shadow Half Remains has been on my Kobo Wishlist for MONTHS and I couldn’t wait any longer to read it. I decided to shoot my shot and request it on @netgalley

This novella from @sunnymoraine is compared to The Last of Us and Bird Box in the synopsis. These comparisons give the reader a good starting point in understanding what to expect but it’s important to note that this novella is so much more and easily stands on its own. I know that over the coming years there will inevitability be novels that are compared to Your Shadow Half Remains. This in itself speaks to how well crafted and executed every aspect of this novella is.

We follow Riley who is navigating life in the “After” of this dystopian world where looking into the eyes of an infected person results in extreme violence and death. I thoroughly enjoyed the dynamic between Riley and Ellis (the tempting new neighbour who moves in) and I was really intrigued by the time Riley spent alone. In a world where being around others can kill you, our main character spends much of her time alone and I was here for the spiral. There were several audible gasps while I was reading in the wee hours of the morning, trying not to wake up my family.

Your Shadow Half Remains comes out on February 6th so get your preorder in and come back here so we can discuss!

Massive thanks to @tornightfire @sunnymoraine and @netgalley for an advanced digital copy in exchange for an honest review.

4⭐️

This book definitely has a slow start. I almost DNFed a few times, but in the end I'm happy I stuck with it because the last third really picked up. The writing felt very casual, which can absolutely work for some readers but really took me out of the story. Also, it took me a long time to care about the characters, and in a book this short, time isn't something the author has a lot of. I did enjoy the descent into madness aspect of the story, but overall I don't think it was for me.

While this book didn't work for me personally, I think it could be a good choice for people more interested in an introspective story where a lot of the plot comes from the main character's internal monologue/thoughts about the things happening around her. There is a bit of blood and gore, so be warned if that's something you'd prefer to avoid.

I feel so torn with this book, the writing was well done but the unreliable narrator theme left me feeling confused and uncertain which I feel is definitely purposeful but it just didn’t hit quite right.

Riley hasn’t seen another person for a long time and she most definitely hasn’t looked one in the eyes for even longer. The world is chaos and people are dying, a look in the eye is all it takes to set off a person into a murderous chaotic being that will take itself and anyone else down with it. Locked away in cabin, phone thrown in a lake, Riley meets another person, but people are weird now, and this new connection sets off forgotten about feelings and worries.

This is a chilling novella about a slow descent into madness. The idea that “something” causes a type of madness that makes people violently crazy is not necessarily new but the situation of the protagonist who perhaps goes slowly mad due to the violence she has seen and isolation which she has imposed on herself feels fresh. It’s a take on the eternal question of which came first. Am I crazy because of the “illness” and/or aftermath of what occurred or was I always crazy and it was brought out, intensified or excused by the apocalypse? Did this pandemic cause my madness or was it a result of having to survive after the pandemic with the constant fear and paranoia? Am I crazy at all…?

First of all, I love the concept of this story. It follows one woman living in a dystopian,
zombieqse-riddled world BUT society somehow hasn't completely broken down.

In spite of humans no longer being able to look into each other’s eyes without becoming completely overtaken with a murderous rage- food and supplies can still be delivered. People are pressing forward like it’s COVID days, just replace face masks with “blinders.”

Unfortunately, I had a really hard time with the syntax. I was unsure if it was just me, so I passed a few pages around to a friend and my husband, and they both agreed that it was unusual to the point of not being easy to digest.

Because I was cognitively fatiqued from attempting to parse the text I think I missed out on the power of the storytelling.

I would recommend this book with the caveat of obtaining and reading a sample first to unsure you enjoy the unique prose.

I also believe an audio version may be helpful as the narrator will likely use inflection, pauses, etc that clarify structural intent.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Tor Nightfire for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

What a book. A dark fever dream with a pandemic backdrop and chilling prose, this book is going to remain in my head for quite some time.

Along the same ton of Ian Reid’s ‘I’m Thinking of Ending Things’ and the style of Josh Malerman, Sunny Moraine created a fresh and terrifying novella.

There’s a virus out there and Riley has holed herself up in her house for longer than she can even remember. She hasn’t even seen her family.

Then, a neighbor appears and she’s trying to figure out if she can handle being alone anymore.

There are so many questions still spinning in my head, but the author really nailed the dread and panic of what it was like going through the 2020 COVID pandemic. In a way, this is more gruesomely terrifying because I lived through isolation.

Truly, a gem of a novella. One I won’t soon forget. Thanks to the publishers who gave me this e-copy in exchange for my honest review. All the opinions are my own.

This brief novel gives you the disturbing experience of being plunked down in the midst of a global pandemic where to make eye contact means certain death. A tense, unsettling read - I wasn't sure what was going on all the time, but I definitely won't forget this one.

Combine elements of the Covid pandemic, Bird Box, and a touch of early Walking Dead.
Here you have Your Shadow Half Remains by Sunny Moraine.
Thank you to Tor Nightfire and Netgalley for my eARC.
This slim volume is deceptively packed. It's insane. And I mean that in the best way.
I adored the author's writing style, which is lovely, lonely, and dark. It's so matter-of-fact in describing a horrific world where a virus of sorts turns humans to flesh-eating madness.
The best anyone knows is it's caused by looking at faces, eyes. Perhaps even one's own, the "rules" aren't clear. Hiding away from all human contact (or worse) has become the norm for survival.
But then Riley meets Ellis, a new neighbour to her area. Boundaries are tested in the overwhelming need for connection.
And with that, we have my first five-star read of 2024. There's so much food for thought here, though be aware of the bleak, violent imagery and body horror within.
Very much recommended!
For release on Feb. 6.

I loved Your Shadow Half Remains! Both the ebook and audiobook were excellent. Sunny Moraine's writing style is almost lyrical, and they have such a mastery of mood and ambiance. I thoroughly enjoyed Riley as an unreliable narrator. The ambiguity was so well done that from the mid-point on, I started to question if I was misremembering what I had read (yes, this book will gaslight you). I wish there was a bit more clarity at the end, and we knew what version of Riley's reality was real. Despite being set in the aftermath of a pandemic, it didn't feel preachy or like a Covid-fic. This is one of those books that will have you staring at your wall after finishing it, and certain scenes stayed with me in the ensuing days. Overall, I highly recommend this novel. I got the audiobook, and it was phenomenal as well.

This book is beautifully written and I stopped a few times to go back over a section because of the way something was described or conveyed. Definitely one of the more beautiful apocalypse stories around. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the copy.

This was just okay. I really enjoyed the idea behind the book and felt like it could be a good post-apocalyptic horror story, but the writing itself was all over the place and I felt very disconnected to the M.C. I was also a bit confused about the tone of language used, the M.C. (We are unsure of her age) seems to be an adult age but she talks and acts like a pre-teen? There were so many weird f-bombs throughout the book that I felt like I was reading a 13-year old’s diary. The chapters were pretty short so I felt like I flew through this book, but I couldn’t really tell you what it was about or how it even ended.

Thank you NetGalley and Tor Publishing Group for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed the majority of the time I spent reading this book. I was immediately hooked by Sunny Moraine's perfectly crafted portrait of a mind eroded by years of isolation.
/The world is in chaos, has been for some time, have the rules changed? We just have to go to the Winchester, have a nice cold pint, and wait for all of this to blow over, right?/

Riley's found a way to survive after the world was turned upside down and people can no longer meet each other's eyes without risk of being thrown into a feral, murderous rage. It's the end of civilization as we know it and after years of seclusion everything changes when someone moves into one the houses down the street.

While I thoroughly enjoyed getting to listen in on how Riley sees the world and copes with this new variable, I had a difficult time with the pace NEVER changing--not when quiet things are happening like looking out at a lake and contemplating life, not when more intense things are happening like the sundry depictions of violent body mutilation.

There's so much more I want to say about this book but giving away any more will take away from your own experience.

If you're looking to relive the shocking unknown of a worldwide pandemic and you don't mind an ending that leaves you hanging off the cliff edge, this is the novella is for you.

/Thank you to NetGalley for providing me an ARC of this book./

A short and strange novel about the end of the world as we know it, Your Shadow Half Remains is ready to provoke your thoughts.

The mechanism for the apocalypse is not fully explored and that adds to the mystery and surrealism of the story.

Riley has settled in an isolated cabin, far from any other people, and she likes it that way. Mostly. When Ellis moves in nearby, Riley starts to want things that are dangerous to both herself and Ellis, and struggles with her grip on reality.

This is a concise and well plotted story, but I wouldn't have minded some clarity on the horrors of the end-times and a little backstory. Thank you to Netgalley and Tor Nightfire for the chance to review this advance copy. Your Shadow Half Remains publishes 2/6/24.

This was PHENOMENAL. I'm still in shock honestly, I keep reading the last couple of lines over and over and OVER again.

I'm a big fan of these more weird and obscure apocalypse-type stories. Zombie stories are great but they all get very samey, ya know? This is definitely in a similar vein to Bird Box but I adored that too so that's not a bad thing.

I can't even begin to describe how incredibly Moraine builds tension, builds fear. I read a lot of horror and I don't think a single book has ever made me scared before, but this? My heart was pounding, shivers up my spine. GOD, I'm going to scream it from the rooftops, this was so, so good.

Normally I'm not a big fan of romance in these kinds of scenarios, but I feel like it was such an important part to the plot and works so, so well with the trope of not being able to look at each other. You really feel how hard it is for Riley and Ellis to want to be so close, and yet knowing if they go too far they'll not only kill themselves, but likely each other. That constant battle of will-they-won't-they was so anxiety inducing in the best of ways.

The climax to the story is what really made this for me, the unreliable narrator, the final conclusion to Ellis and Riley's relationship. Just perfect.

I'm so massively in love and amazed by this and I don't think it'll ever leave my head.

ARC courtesy of NetGalley.

I liked this piece. I was really interested in Riley and Ellis but I wanted more from their relationship. I wanted more from their story that I didn’t really get. I wanted more emotions telegraphed through Ellis’ actions. If there was more of that, I think it would have been a solid 4 stars.

The author does a great job at creating doubt with the narrator, keeping us wondering if she is crazy or not. This was tense and parts were definitely creepy. I feel like a novella was a good length for this in lieu of a full novel. The writing was easily digestible. This does remind me a lot of Bird Box but only to the extent of “don’t look at it..” In this case, people turn violent if they look someone in the eyes. I would recommend this to anyone looking for a short, creepy and unique read.

This was intense. And weird. It felt a bit repetitive, and the ending was expected, but nevertheless, I'm happy I received this ARC through Net Galley in exchange for my honest review.

So, this book is a sort of COVID-era book, but with a virus (presumably) that's released if you look at somebody. And all our heroine wants to do is look at the face of her neighbor. Moraine's writing is fast-paced and nail-biting. Even if the cleft sentences and the very clipped prose can tire the reader, it still gives a certain vibe to their work, a clingy effect to it, enough to make you return.

The middle of the book dragged a bit. This one could be even shorter if you're asking me. The action crescendos into the reversal of what's real and not real--I appreciated this--but I won't deny that I did see the ending coming.

The MC's voice has to be my favorite thing from this novel. I loved how her mind worked through impressions and weird trains of thought. The symbolism could have been woven a bit better--I feel the issue with the birds was a bit underdeveloped. Perhaps because there wasn't enough narration into why the reader would care about the MC's obsession with the eyes of birds (apart from... well... if you've read the book, you know the kind of spoilers I'm referring to here.)

Overall, this was a pleasant experience! It kept me awake at night. High-strung and jittery. Would recommend it to horror fans.