I, in the Shadows

A ghost and a human teenager must team up against malevolent supernatural forces in this pensive horror novel by Bovalino (My Throat an Open Grave). Teenage amateur exorcist Drew’s new bedroom is haunted by the ghost of Liam, a previous resident who’s been dead for almost a year. From Drew’s limited experience with spirits, she knows that if Liam doesn’t cross over to the afterlife soon, his soul will degrade into a dark, energy-sucking husk of his former self. But Liam doesn’t know what unresolved matters he needs to address; he can’t even remember the details of his fatal car crash. With Liam’s guidance, Drew seeks answers about his potential unfinished business from his grieving friends. Drew’s immediate attraction to Liam’s devastated bestie, Hannah, complicates an already precarious situation. Things become more urgent when Drew and Liam discover a horrific spider-like monster in the woods that feeds on husks. Drew’s compassion and earnest social fumbles—conveyed via hers and Liam’s alternating first-person perspectives—immediately endear her to the reader. Drew and Hannah’s charged romantic chemistry and the white-cued cast’s sparkling banter brighten a sometimes somber narrative that thoughtfully and sensitively addresses issues of grief and loss. Ages 14–up. Agent: Maddy Belton, Madeleine Milburn Literary. (Jan.)