3.75 Stars

I'm mad. I know I don't need to be this upset, but I absolutely hate reading about spouse betrayal; I can't stand it. The combination of that and this book not being horrific just bummed me out. The only reason I can see this being considered horror is because of the experience of having someone you know die and yell terrible things at you, stalking you, and driving you insane with their vibes. It's funny when I say it, but it felt like total psychological warfare and was a bit relatable. When going through grief, it’s surprising how many negative thoughts people experience.
I loved the teamwork between Anita and Joshua, realizing that they could find a way to solve the mystery of Negative Images and rely on each other when everyone else turned against them. The slow development of their relationship was very sweet and made the book enjoyable for me. After proving myself right about what was going on with Dan, I didn’t care about him or Anita wanting to help him. Overall, I enjoyed the mystery of the story and the relationships between some of the characters, but there were a couple of things that just didn’t hit the spot for me.

Thanks to NetGalley and Rising Act Publishing, I received an ARC for an honest review!

This is such a fabulous idea for a book. Unfortunately, the execution was poor and I was bored throughout.

Grief horror with supernatural elements that kept me turning the pages.

When someone you love dies, imagine if a Negative Image of them came back and attached itself to you for everyone to see and fear? You can’t escape and know of no way of getting rid of the NI. Then, it begins to do things, bad things. No two cases are exactly alike. While the NI resembles your loved one, something about them is very different. It’s more than enough to make the average person go mad.

Anita loses someone she loves. When the NI returns to haunt her, quickly things spiral out of control. The most dangerous element in this story, besides the NI which has an agenda of its own, is society’s response which for me was the most horrific and disturbing aspect of the book.

A very creepy, interesting premise which could have used some added depth and layering. This one did remind me of White Noise in several respects and is a spine-tingling albeit tame horror read that moves at a steady pace written with straightforward prose. It’s a worthwhile read, especially for readers who want some chills but can do without overly graphic or explosive horror and the descriptions are effective.

I would pick up this author’s next book without hesitation.

4.25/5

I really enjoyed this ghost story! The negative images are such a unique (and unfortunate) concept. This is the first book I have read from this author and I was really impressed with the story and the writing. With that being said, I will certainly be keeping this author on my radar.

When I tell you that you couldn’t pull my kindle out of my hands, YOU COULD NOT PULL IT OUT OF MY HANDS. I was pulled in from the beginning and it never let go. The idea of a Negative Image was so eerie and I wanted so badly to know why it was there, if the person was maybe still deep down in the NI, if there was a way to get rid of them or help them cross over. The way people panicked felt so real. I loved our main character, I felt so bad for her. Grief horror will always be my favorite and I think this was done flawlessly. Thanks to Rising Action Publishing for my eARC.

This is an absolutely fascinating and haunting horror read. Imagine a world where one day some people’s dead loved ones come back to publicly haunt them and a worse version of their living selves. These “negative images” can only talk to those they are directly haunting but appear to everyone and are scary, unsettling, and incredibly negative. Generally speaking, these negative images are very mean to those they are haunting.

In this book, we follow a woman who gets a negative image and teams up with a man who also has one to try to find a root cause and solution. This is an interesting societal portrait as well— it’s interesting to see how people react to this “epidemic” and treat their friends and families afflicted with negative images.

Super fast paced and scary! Would recommend to horror lovers. Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the eArc!

Stilted dialogue, thinly written characters, and an under-developed world made “Negative Images” a tough read for me. But, I completely see this being a great introductory novel to those wanting to dip their toes into the horror genre.

There was a lot of potential in this book, but ultimately, I feel like there was a missed opportunity for something great.

Ghost like creatures come back to haunt the closest person of the recently deceased. They appear like the person who died but with black eyes. They can be seen by everyone, but only the loved one that they have attached to is able to understand what they're saying. To everyone else, when they speak, it just sounds like static.

It was a very interesting idea for a book. I loved how unique it was. It just felt like the resulting book was an unfinished concept. The ending felt rushed and didn't fully explore the interesting parts of the idea or flesh out the details. I feel like the last third of the book written differently could've made for something really good and different.

This is a debut, though, so I feel like I have to give the author some slack because their writing will only improve with time, and this was a create idea just lacking some execution.

Thank you, Rebecca Schier-Akamelu, NetGalley, and Rise Action Publishing Co. for the ARC of this book.

This was definitely a unique ride. I’m still a little unsure how I feel about it, which I guess says something in itself. The writing style kept me turning pages - moody, atmospheric, and with just enough intrigue to hold my attention even during the slower stretches. It started off strong, giving off “Shutter”-like vibes (which I loved), but then took a turn I did not quite expect: the Negative Images themselves becoming active characters. Creepy? Yes. Surprising? Also yes.

That said, I was hoping for a little more. The ending seemed a bit chaotic and rushed, and honestly left me with more than a few unanswered questions. While that is not an issue for many people, I tend to like stories that leave no stone unturned.

Overall, it was a solid psychological horror with heavy grief undertones. While it did not blow me away, I would still recommend it and am definitely interested in reading more by this author.

To be trapped with a Negative Image of another person for the foreseeable future?! 😱😭💔 Yeah, sleep with THAT thought for a night and you'll definitely have some feelings about this book...

Such a well written and gripping story that kept me enthralled with the plot until the very end 👀

What a debut Rebecca Schier-Akamelu 🤩👏🏻✨ and thank you to Rising Action Publishing Co. & NetGalley for the ARC 🖤

I was really excited to start reading this one as the synopsis sounded amazing (who doesn’t want to read about awful ghosts that look like your loved ones and terrorize you?). Only…the story wasn’t great. The writing didn’t work for me and the story itself was kind of boring which was surprising. I ended up DNF-ing it at 30% as I couldn’t get into it and kept putting it aside.

What a unique book to portray grief.

Negative Images is an engaging horror story that explores death and grief. The story follows Anita, who just lost her husband, Dan and while she is still processing the grief and settling into her new life, she discovers that Dan has come back to life, starting to haunt her. A negative image is a worldwide phenomenon in which the individual that passes away persists in stalking their loved ones; they could be affecting your mental health, guilt-tripping, and being aggressive. At first, it was not clear what the purpose of the negative image appearing and haunting their loved one was, but the concept was well done. However, I don't feel much connection to the character, and I feel like the story dragged out a little bit.

Overall, I enjoy my time reading this. Thank you, Netgalley for this Arc

I was able to get this ARC through NetGalley.

This book gave off creepy vibes the entire time while uncovering a different form of grief.

Starting off with a worldwide occurrence when someone’s loved one is deceased, and then returning as a Negative Image or NI. They follow the family member that’s still alive speaking only in a way they are able to understand. Not only are they appearing in gruesome ways the things they are speaking are incredibly unlike them.

As this phenomenon continues to grow throughout the world the worry and fear intensify. What happens when the NIs go too far? How can you properly grieve when you are in constant fear??

I enjoyed this book and the exploration of grief. I’d recommend it to anyone looking for a creepy story revolving around what ifs that haven’t been explored before.

I really enjoyed this read. It gave me the same bleak vibes I felt when I read Suffer the Children by Craig DiLouie, only more dark and nightmarish. Going into this epidemic, not knowing what causes the negative images and the extent of their capabilities was terrifying. The ending was a bit lackluster, but I still really had a good time with this one. With this having such an interesting premise and engaging style of writing, I’m excited to see what this author comes up with next.

When Anita loses her husband, Dan, it is vicious and shocking to her system. While she is still experiencing that grief and settling into her new life, she discovers that Dan has come back to life- with a much darker twist. The news starts showcasing the Negative Image, which is a copy of the individual that passes away that persists in stalking their loved ones. The haunting image of the NI leaves behind nightmarish scenarios, not solely because it's impossible to grieve when the person you just physically buried shows back up to follow you around. I think the concept was very cool, but it didn't deliver for me mostly because I felt no connection to any of the characters. While stellar in theory, the execution fell flat for me. What was tangentially spooky could have really been upped with a touch more focus on the details and characters. Thanks to the publisher for allowing me the chance to read and review an Earc! All opinions are my own.

Negative Images
Rebecca Schier-Akamelu
Publication Date: July 22, 2025

4.5 / 5

I had a great time with this creepy horror novel that approaches grief in a pretty interesting way:
After Anita's husband passes away, she begins being followed by an N.I. - a negative image, which is a darker version of your dead loved one that brings guilt and grief and negativity.
Many suddenly have them, but not everyone. Why do only some people have negative images following them around? What do they want?
People become suspicious and scared, and those with negatives begin to be ostracized by those without... And it's quickly getting worse as people become more afraid.
Oh, and also the negatives are suddenly able to make physical contact, and they also begin driving some to attempt suicide.

A creative, dark, uniquely designed story that I recommend to anyone looking for a spooky time.

Thank you Net Galley and Rebecca Schier-Akamelu for this ARC.

This book was so good.
Very creepy, I couldn’t put it down.

It follows Anita Walsh a grieving widow who is now haunted by her husbands negative image.
Someone who looks like her husband, knows everything her husband should know, but is definitely NOT her husband.
With more and more people getting negative images, people are scared.
How do you get rid of one?
How can you grieve properly when you’re being haunted?

This premise, a new take on haunting, really pulled me in!

A worldwide phenomenon begins in which people’s deceased loved ones seemingly return to them as a “Negative Image” (NI) entity that follows them around with dark holes for eyes and insults that only the afflicted can hear. Apparently, the NIs’ only goals are to tear down and destroy those to which they return.

Naturally, the public panics and spreads rumors and lies about the afflicted—even proposing imprisonment—under the guise of “safety.” The narrator teams up with another person affected by the new pandemic of sorts to figure out why the NIs are there and what they can do to get rid of them.

Sometimes, I was annoyed by both the romantic subplot/tension and the cheesy dialogues/internal monologues. In addition, I feel the ending was rushed and maybe even a bit too simple of a wrap up.

Overall, I enjoyed my time reading this. The events and investigation were intriguing, and the exploration of grief was well done.

I would recommend it to anyone looking for a unique supernatural horror and I think it is a pretty good debut!

"It was like looking into nothingness, and she’d opened her mouth wide to say something— and her mouth was cavernous and black, too, framed only by the lurid red of her lipstick."


Heavy on grief horror. Some of the characters are haunted by entities known as Negative Images. They have someone close to them who has passed and these entities mess with their head, ultimately, figures out what makes them tick and try to destroy them in the process. What these negative images ultimately want is for the characters to off themselves. Everyone with a Negative image is going to wind up killing themselves sooner or later. And that is probably the only way to get rid of them. BUTTTTT, someone with a Negative Image can become Negative themselves. They have to figure out a way to stop the cycle and fast.

I was intrigued by the premise and plot - plus the cover also drew me in since it is similar to the Intercepts novel cover which I have finished before this. It had creepy moments and a bleak atmosphere. What I like about it is that it reminds me of the movie 'Lights Out' and the entity named Diana. My only problem is that I find some parts dragged and it was hard to connect with some of the characters. The ambiguous ending was ok though I felt it was kinda rushed.

Big thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the arc. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. 🖤

3.48✨

Negative Images is one of those books that quietly creeps under your skin and stays there. It's part psychological horror, part grief-fueled drama, and it does a fantastic job of blending eerie supernatural elements with deeply personal emotional weight. The writing is sharp and unpretentious, which makes the more unsettling moments hit even harder.

What really stands out is how Schier-Akamelu explores the idea of grief not just as sadness, but as something that can warp perception and reality. The main character’s journey is both heartbreaking and gripping, and the world-building around the “Negative Images” concept is genuinely original.

If you like horror that’s more about atmosphere and psychological tension than gore, and if you’re into stories that dig into human emotion in a raw, unflinching way, this is definitely worth your time.