I grew up as a teen reading creepy story paperbacks, and wished with so much longing for sapphic/queer rep in those stories, and now the time has come-- queer identity has always jived with horror genre stories (for decades, longer even) but to have more textual representation is refreshing. I'm so excited for pulpy horror, and thank you to the publisher for this DRC. The premise behind this-- road trip gone wrong, creepy motel stay-- was eerie and exactly what I was looking for.

A hungry room that kills and two girls on a college touring trip is an excellent formula. I loved Layla and Mira, not just their relationship to each other but the relationships with their families whether overbearing due to tradition or fractured due to grief. I am already a sucker for stories about grief and guilt and how pervasive it is, and adding horror just makes me love it even more. The POV of the room itself was an interesting addition, sometimes I liked it, and sometimes I thought it sucked some of the tension out because it knocked me out of the story flow. There were a few phrases repeated too close together but it didn't ruin my enjoyment of this story.

Disclaimer: I received an ARC copy from NetGalley from the publisher

This is Meriam Metoui’s debut novel and not a bad start to their writing career.

A Guide in the Dark follows two teenage Arabic girls, Mira and Layla, who are derailed from completing their College Tour road trip. Stuck in small town while the car is being repaired the only hotel in town has a single room left. Unfortunately for a girls, this particular room has a ghastly history and not every occupant makes it out alive.

I like that Meriam added to the novel by including photographs to supplement and immerse the reader. Like a witness to their story. It was an interesting choice to include subtle visuals as the days go on.

The haunted motel also had a different take I haven’t seen before so it was refreshing to not have the same tried evil spirit idea replayed.

There is great representation in this novel and it does explore some of the religious challenges the girls face. The Muslim religion much like christianity feels some type of way about the LGBTQIA community.

My issues with the book were a couple of misused plot devices. Their minor but it was enough for me to question and pull me out of the story. For instance, most hotels and motels have a legal age requirement of at least 18. I spent a few chapter wondering why their parents had not been on the road to fetch the girls or why the owners allowed them to rent the room in the first place without adult present or even speaking with one on the phone. Contracts being what they are.

Overall it’s a solid read and one I would personally borrow from a local library from the synopsis alone.

Side notes: At the time of this review the book is still undergoing editing so the issues I’ve stated before may have been corrected by it’s release date.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for providing me a ARC of this story for a fair review.

This book is great for people like me who want "soft" horror. It did not scare me but the mystery did keep me engaged. There are horror and potentially scary elements but nothing that made me fear too much for the life of the protagonists. It may be horror but it's still YA.

The highlight of this book clearly is the characters working through past trauma and current feelings. Mira is dealing with the accidental death of her borther and the guilt she still carries and Layla is struggling with her potentially unrequited feelings towards Mira and choosing her college path (yes one is not like the other). I really felt for Mira and her pain and how it all fed into the story.

The other thing that made me emotional was dealing with potentially unrequited feelings for your bff while on a roadtrip and what those feelings mean for you but also your family. This book did give me some good pining and drama

Mira and Layla go on a road trip and wreck the car to avoid a murky figure in the road. They stay in a creepy motel in room 9 where 8 other people have met tragic deaths. Mira starts having horrific dreams of her brother’s death. They start looking into all the deaths with the hotel owners son Ellis.
This was an eerie read that gave me goosebumps long into the night.
Thanks NetGalley and Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group for this ARC that will be releasing July 18, 2023!

I enjoyed reading this book. Had me up until 5:30am because I was so invested on seeing how they would defeat the room. I absolutely loved the writing style and the addition of the photos in the book, it really helped me feel more connected to the characters and adding a new sense of understanding to the storyline.

4/5 stars! The premise of this book was really intriguing. I really liked Mira and Layla. They were fully developed, 3-dimensional characters and my heart hurt for Mira began to see her dead brother. I felt that this book lies squarely in the YA horror genre, which is fine. It might frustrate some adult dark horror fans, but I enjoyed it and felt it fit the genre well. I love the spooky ghost angle a lot.

I received an advance review copy for free through NetGalley, and I am leaving this review voluntarily

Writing: 4/5
Character Development: 4/5
Plot: 3/4

Warnings: Language

Themes: Thriller, Mystery, Paranormal

A Guide In The Dark is about two girls who go on a road trip and winds up in a small town where they stay in a hotel room that is slowly turning against them. The characters were really fun to read about. Izzy was my favorite with her no care attitude. The ending didn’t feel like it tied up all the loose ends and was over too quickly. I just wish the ending matched the exciting buildup. But other than that I did enjoy reading this.

This book is great for anyone who loves a paranormal mystery and a story about two friends trying their hardest to keep their secrets from each other.

I received a free copy of this book and am leaving an honest review.

I could not have been more excited when I received the email that I had been approved for an eARC of this book and it did not disappoint! I read this in one sitting because I could not put it down 🫣 it’s so creepy and entertaining with a great group of characters. I loved Mira and Layla together!

Not knowing what is haunting Room 9 or really why definitely adds to the creepy and unsettling feel of the book, though I wish whatever it was had more backstory…I am so intrigued! Is it too soon to ask for a sequel!?

I also wanted to mention that there is a lot of photography throughout the book which I LOVED and thought was such a fun little addition to the story! It really makes you feel like you are part of the group!

I loved everything about this one! It’s queer, creepy and fun! Go check it out on July 18th!

Thank you Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5 / 5 stars

Thank you Netgalley for providing ARC. I am a sucker for a good horror/thriller YA. Unfortunately, A Guide to the Dark did nothing for me. The idea of a road trip gone well sounded like a fun horror plot. The plot dragged, and the horror aspect was not at all scary. The characters did not stand out to me. Overall, not my jam, but there are parts that other readers will find enjoyable.

A Guide to the Dark was equal parts spooky and heart wrenching. While a ghost story, it deals with the steps of grief, guilt, and forgiveness. The cast of characters was amazing and each felt so real.

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC!

A Guide to the Dark is a thriller / horror novel by Meriam Metoui, and one of my most anticipated books: I eagerly awaited getting the honor to read about what I'd heard was a complex look at grief and guilt through the eyes of two girls as they navigated a haunted motel room, the site of nine murders in the past. Indeed, on the surface, the book handles the topics wonderfully. The main character Mira's grief, due to the recent loss of her brother, is handled with care and compassion; first she attempts to distance herself from the pain, though it then comes back to haunt her—literally—and forces her to navigate the treacherous waters of her own past. Her companion, Layla, is fully dedicated to her best friend—and later love interest—and while she herself deals with no loss, her horror is just as stark and terrifying as Mira's. The atmosphere of the book begins to darken as the girls devolve slowly into terror, clutching desperately to each other. Both Layla and Mira are drawn out into two distinct character archetypes: Layla, the grief-stricken main character, believer in all things ghostly; Mira, the logical, irritated sidekick, though her loyalty never wavers. They could often feel underwritten—Layla's character in particular, as her main personality trait was her love of Mira—but neither were badly written, so to speak.

The real issue with the book is the writing. Oftentimes one stumbles upon a perfectly crafted plot and atmosphere and set of characters, impaired only by the words used to describe them. This is exactly what happens here. At times, the writing comes across as too simplistic; this is assisted by the photos placed haphazardly across the book's pages, but these photos alone are not enough to save the book. At times where more description is needed, Metoui seems to forgo it; and when the readers does not particularly require description—such as unnecessary accounts of side characters' outfits, or a deep delve into Mira's emotions at a time where the stakes seem too high to worry about teenage drama—we are forced to slog through pages of it. Nobody expect flowery, purple prose in a book such as this, but I would have enjoyed perhaps a bit more editing; a paragraph removed here, added there, etc.

All in all, A Guide to the Dark is an atmospheric, often genuinely scary book about grief and guilt and love, but it requires more assistance from the author's pen to become truly memorable.

A Guide to the Dark is an intriguing take on a road trip gone wrong. After an accident on their trip, Mira and Layla find themselves at the Wildwood Motel waiting for their car to be repaired. Other than being stuck in a small town, nothing seemed out of the ordinary at first. That is until they begin to meet the locals and a slow, creepy trail of breadcrumbs reveals itself.

Meriam Metoui has written a clever paranormal thriller for young adults that will keep you turning the page for more. The the story is riveting and Metoui’s use of photographs in the storytelling is reminiscent of the use of photographs in Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children. This story has refused to release me and I hope to find myself back at a small motel in Indiana soon.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group & Henry Holt and Co. for my ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I didn't really enjoy this one, for me it didn't really deliver on anything the summary promised. The plot dragged and I felt the horror aspect was not all that scary. The characters didn't stand out much, I had little interest in them outside of Mira. Overall, just not my preference, but there's parts here that I can see other readers really enjoying.

I thought this book was quite interesting. I loved the horror aspect of this book and how it involved one's inner fears and regrets. I thought this was quite unique compared to other books of this genre. I also loved all of the characters and especially the two central girls. The only thing I wasn't fond of was the pacing in the middle of the book. The beginning and end were very well-paced, but sometimes the pacing was kind of off in the middle. Overall, this book was something different compared to what I usually read and I really enjoyed it.

I sat down with A Guide to the Dark intending to only read a couple chapters. Instead, I finished it in one sitting. Meriam Metoui’s writing sucked me in right away. I enjoyed both Layla and Mira as characters as well as their developing relationship.

I love books with unconventional storytelling, and the photos went perfectly with the story. I loved how much you can tell about Layla’s character based off of the pictures she takes.

The only part of the book I didn’t like was the late stage death. It made the end fall a bit flat for me, because the death felt avoidable.

I will be purchasing this when it comes out. The book had great queer and Muslim representation.

The writing and vibes of this story are absolutely immaculate. I loved the journey the author took us on and the slowly unraveling paranormal mystery we uncover as they are stranded near this dark and haunting hotel and room 9. Our character's relationship was so interesting to watch unfold and the sweet pining love makes you hope they get out unscathed and flee. I would have loved to find out more about why exactly this place was haunted and why that hotel. Maybe some more backstory for our characters, but other than that it had me interested the entire time and it was purely enjoyable.

Meriam Metoui creates a truly haunting image about the dark secrets we carry with us in her debut novel.

As I read, I fell in love with both Mira and Layla separately and with their relationship. I enjoyed how Metoui showed how their similar upbringings in Muslim families shaped them differently. Mira is confidently out as bi while Layla struggles with what her feelings for Mira mean for her relationship with her parents.

A Guide to the Dark takes everything I love about horror and puts a delightfully sapphic spin on it. I was on the edge of my seat as I pieced together the mystery with our protagonists. This is a wonderful debut from Metoui and I look forward to seeing what she will put out next.

A Guide to the Dark by Meriam Metoui is a fantastic YA horror novel. I love the main characters and appreciate the queerness. I'm a sucker for a haunted house and respected Metoui's take on the genre. I wasn't expecting a romance when I started this book but was pleasantly surprised to find one. All in all, I found this book to be very entertaining and deliciously spooky. I would definitely recommend it.

Very spooky and very perfect for reading in the Halloween month. I loved this, and the dynamics between the characters and the plot kept me at the edge of my seat!