The Library of Shadows

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The Library of Shadows
Author(s)
Publisher
Age Range
13+
Release Date
September 05, 2023
ISBN
978-0063284630
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Funny, moving, and heart-achingly real, this romantic romp and paranormal romcom debut—through a haunted library with trapdoors, ghosts, and memories—is full of great love that triumphs over even death, perfect for fans of Ninth House and Cemetery Boys.
Radcliffe Prep. The third most haunted school in the country, where a student disappearance isn’t uncommon and no one dares stay in the library after dark. And Este Logano enrolls with the hopes of finding her dead father.

Not literally, of course. She doesn’t believe in ghosts. Going to her dad’s school just seems like her best hope at figuring out who he was.

But then Este meets Mateo, who is maybe—probably—definitely—a real ghost. And an annoying one at that.

When Mateo frames Este for the theft of a rare book from the library’s secret spire and then vanishes, Este will have to track him down or risk being expelled and leaving Radcliffe early just like her father did.

Except following her father’s footsteps might be more dangerous than Este ever anticipated. As 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.

Editor review

1 review
A Perfect Spooky Academic Book With A Good Romance
Overall rating
 
4.7
Plot
 
5.0
Characters
 
4.0
Writing Style
 
5.0
Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)
 
N/A
What I loved:
Library of Shadows is the perfect paranormal spooky romance to read as the leaves change colors and the days grow darker as the seasons change. Library of Shadow is a paranormal romance fantasy debut novel, and Rachel Moore does a fantastic job setting an old school with a haunted library. Rachel Moore has put everything I love in a book: a haunted library and a sweet slow-burn romance with a bit of mystery to solve about a parent who died way too soon.
Final Verdict:
We've got a gorgeously descriptive atmospheric haunted library, loveable and not-so-loveable characters, and an intriguing mystery to be solved. It took one chapter, and I could not stop reading the story.
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User reviews

1 review
Overall rating
 
3.7
Plot
 
3.0(1)
Characters
 
4.0(1)
Writing Style
 
4.0(1)
Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)
 
N/A(0)
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The Library of Shadows
Overall rating
 
3.7
Plot
 
3.0
Characters
 
4.0
Writing Style
 
4.0
Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)
 
N/A
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!
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