Full Disclosure: I am internet friends with the author so my review might be a little biased because I'm proud!! But also this book is the absolute perfect paranormal romcom that you absolutely need to read!! If you love a good mystery, ghosts, a girl who doesn't believe in ghosts start to fall for a ghost then you need to pick this up. The banter, the angst is EVERYTHING! Do not hesitate to pick this one up when it comes out!

This book was intriguing, funny and sweet all at the same time. The characters are cute, funny and each have their own personalities

The world building was amazing and the plot was written VERY well. It was definitely a page turner for me and I cant wait to read more of the authors work

3.5/5 stars; thank you so much to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC!

"The Library of Shadows" is a charming, fast-paced YA fantasy that follows Este, a young woman in a prestigious boarding school who is desperately following in the footsteps of her dead father to feel closer to him. This school is chock-full of tropes many a YA fan will enjoy - a magical and huge library, ghosts, hunky dead boys, terrifying Juicy Couture-clad spirits, and a central mystery that entices the reader to go "just one more page". "The Library of Shadows" does feature a romance with afore-mentioned hunky dead boy, and thankfully isn't Insta-Love; all the characters were likeable and I empathized with Este's struggle to follow the rules while destiny demands she break them. My quibble is that the villain of the story was way too obvious; "The Library of Shadows" features a large cast but a fairly insular world, and as a result, there wasn't too much of a real mystery to be had here. Still, I recommend this one to anyone who wants a magical read with fun characters. I admit to be a sucker for a ghost romance, and this one scratched that itch nicely. Longing!

ARC was given by NetGalley & HarperTeen in exchange for an honest review.

This review is being published before the release date (September 5, 2023)

Content/Trigger Warnings: Grief, loss of a parent (stroke, in the past), loneliness, talk of death, mentions arson in the past, scene of fire, mentions automotive accident (in the past), blood, graphic injury, mentioned ill loved ones (in the past)

"From the library of Este Logano, he'd written and underlined. Beneath it, he wrote, There is life, there is death, and there is love - the greatest of these is love."


I loved this, I loved this so freaking much. This book was such a beautiful love letter to those who love books, but also to love itself and those who try to preserve the memory of lost loved ones. The amount of quotes I pulled from this arc as well, were just everything. So many amazing quotes of grief, of love, and how these two intertwine with one another so often. This was just a very beautiful, cozy mystery/romance that just really captured my heart and I think many readers will enjoy this story come this autumnal season!
Este Logano has recently joined Radcliffe Preparatory Academy to continue her father's legacy and keep his memory alive any way she can. However, she may just find herself regretting her decision of coming here. When she finds a hidden key and a mysterious boy named Mateo convinces her to go into the forbidden spire. Suddenly, The Book of Fades is missing, Este staying at the academy is up in the air, and there's... ghosts?! Oh yes, a group of ghosts who've been trapped in this here for far too long and if Este isn't careful, she may just be next! We'll follow Este as she tries to unravel a mystery that's haunted the walls of this academy for years and we'll watch Este as she processes her grief for the loss of her father, and even remember what it means to care so deeply for others.

"Life and death together," Mateo read, "create the complete human experience - no one without the other. What, then, perseveres? Like an oath sworn in blood, love ties the living to the dead, for you cannot know darkness without first knowing light."


As I mentioned above, the themes of grief in this book were so beautiful. We see Este talk about how she doesn't allow herself to get close to people, not just from the loss of her father, but due to her mother constantly moving them around. So now all Este does is ice people out because she doesn't want to have to keep saying goodbye to people she becomes attached to. We also see how Este has this mindset that if she does everything on her own, she won't see others hurt and lose anyone else, as well. We see this a lot when it comes to Posy, Este's roommate. And of course, books and libraries were a huge part of Este and her bond with her father, and how everything she does is to keep any memory of her father alive. It was their thing they bonded over the most and there's so many moments where we get to see some of those memories, and we get to see how strong Este's love and grief for her father is. It was absolutely breathtaking because I'm also the kind of person who does things like this to preserve the memory of lost loved ones. So it touched a soft, mushy part of my heart. Speaking of love, love is a huge theme of this book. We really see Este go through process of grief, but we also get to watch her struggle with love and falling in love with Mateo. And we really see how grief and love intertwine with one another especially near the end of the book with Posy and PI (Paranormal Investigators) team. We finally see Este let Posy and the others in, and it's a really moving moment because you see through the whole book how hard it is for Este to allow others to get close to her. It's a really lovely way to show the different types of love and I really appreciated that showing how love isn't always linear, and sometimes it's really messy and hard.

Despite all the things I loved about this book, I did have some issues and other readers may have the same issues. One of the issues, and I find myself saying this a lot lately, is the "twist." I called the twist from the very beginning of the book and this time, it was the book that gave itself away. There are details about a certain character that get focused on a little too obviously for me, as a reader, and that's how I was able to call the twist so early on. Not to mention, there were a couple things that happened in following chapters that made it even more suspicious and obvious. My only other issue was the length of this story. I think this book could have been a bit longer to include some reconciliation between Este, Posy, and the PI team. It felt too brief and I would have loved to actually see them talk through everything instead of it feeling almost like an instant "water under the bridge" kind of moment.

"Mateo's hand fit into hers, skin against ancient skin. He pressed a kiss to her knuckles, the sensation swirling fizz through her entire body. "Este Logano, you're a beautiful mastermind."


Overall, I had a really enjoyable time reading this and I loved that the romance wasn't the sole focus of the story. This was the perfect cozy read for me to fly through and I think if you're a lover of cozy mystery romance stories then this will capture your attention. The cast of characters in this book were phenomenal, the themes were handled really well, and I loved the details in the setting of this academy. There's also a few humorous moments sprinkled throughout, as well. It's just an all around fun time to be had and I think come fall 2023, many readers will find themselves falling in love with this book.


The quotes above were taken from an ARC and are subject to change upon publication.


All thoughts, feelings, experiences, and opinions are honest and my own.

2/5 stars. To be released September 2023.

The Library of Shadows is a mix of paranormal and slight dark academia. Este finds herself at an exclusive boarding school that her father attended but just happened to leave early. She befriends ghosts who just happened to die ten years apart, one each decade. Her father has left a trail of breadcrumbs for her to follow and solve the mystery and end the deaths for good.

In the end this was just okay for me. The villain was predictable and the romance was almost too quick/insta loveish for me. It was a quick easy read with a splatter of humor throughout it, but in the end it was pretty unforgettable as a book for me.

4.2 ⭐
"𝒯𝒽𝑒𝓇𝑒 𝒾𝓈 𝓁𝒾𝒻𝑒, 𝓉𝒽𝑒𝓇𝑒 𝒾𝓈 𝒹𝑒𝒶𝓉𝒽, 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝓉𝒽𝑒𝓇𝑒 𝒾𝓈 𝓁𝑜𝓋𝑒-- 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝑔𝓇𝑒𝒶𝓉𝑒𝓈𝓉 𝑜𝒻 𝓉𝒽𝑒𝓈𝑒 𝒾𝓈 𝓁𝑜𝓋𝑒."

Reluctant alliance trope ✓ Spooky haunted library ✓ Brooding (and hot) ghost boyfriend ✓
An atmospheric dark academia novel where nothing is as I seems and love spans across lifetimes. An easy & delightful read.

This was so good! I loved all the characters and it was super intriguing. I look forward to future works from this author and will definitely be picking them up!

A unique and cozy blend of dark academia, paranormal, and romance! Definitely a perfect read for fall.

Rachel Moore’s THE LIBRARY OF SHADOWS blends brooding, literature-loving ghosts, haunted old libraries and pulse-pounding mysteries to create one perfectly lovable paranormal concoction.

A new student at Radcliffe Prep, Este is fueled by her grief over losing her dad, barely living now that he’s gone, while Matteo is a ghost perpetually stuck on school grounds who wants nothing more than a second chance at life.

The two pair up to try to solve a deadly mystery, racing against time itself in hopes of stopping the source behind what’s been stealing the unsuspecting souls of Radcliffe Prep’s student body for far too long.

My only complaints revolve around the storyline with Posy + her crew — none of which add much depth — and the way some arguably essential logistics concerning the story resolution are quickly glossed over. (Typically, less is more, but in this particular case, I suspect many readers will be left with more than a few questions as sparse details are provided that make things appear plausible.) Also worth noting that the villain backstory could have done with a few more pages of context — the ‘why’ is answered, but adding dimensions to their twisted logic would really up the ante.

All in all, THE LIBRARY OF SHADOWS is a spooky, immersive read and a promising YA debut by Moore.

*Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC.*

Ok this was quite different , good different , the story is nice and well develop, I enjoy the main character interactions with the ghost, definitely a fun paranormal book , definitely enjoyed.

This was an Arc from Net Galley. Thank you!

Super cute ghoststory with adventure and love, friends and family and interesting plot as characters. You will fall in love with Este and Mateo and the secret nooks of the library. This is a comfort read. It is suitable for a young audience maybe as young as 10 or 8, there is no spice. I highly recommend!

this book was quite bland. i was intrigued in the beginning, but by the fourth chapter i started skimming. i loved the idea of a library and ghosts, but the writing and characters just weren't it. the romance was a bit too cheesy for my tastes, and the progression of it didn't do it for me. mateo was kinda cute tho.

thank you netgalley for the arc :)

4 stars

This was a fun and spooky read that made ghost romance work in a a way I wasn't sure it could. There was a great deal I enjoyed about this book but I want to start by talking about how very vividly the setting was drawn. I really could almost smell the books in the description of the library. The entire setting felt very real and solid as well as interesting and just the right amount of creepy. The prose was vivid and the worldbuilding pretty spot on. I particularly enjoyed the ivy.

There was a lot in this book about love and grief and the sometimes poor ways people handle it, I think. I loved that. Watching Este shut people out to hide from the hurt that can come with letting them in felt very real, and seeing the solid side effects of that in her very likeable roommate made my heart ache.

The plot was entertaining and definitely spooky. The entire concept of the Fades and the rest of it kept me on edge from the moment they first appeared. It was also very interesting having a cast that includes a significant number of ghosts and I was enthralled by the way they were handled and the rules they followed.

I really enjoyed both Este and Mateo and watching them find their way slowly from antagonism to friendship to trust was a delight. I felt the romance was pretty well drawn and well paced. The supporting cast both living and living-impaired were enjoyable.

I can't say the ending caught me entirely off guard, but endings don't always have to if they are believable and this one definitely worked. If I have any complaint at all, I think it's mainly that I wish we could have seen a bit more of Posy because her interest in ghosts felt almost like a caricature at some points. That said, I did really appreciate it when the fruits of her research came in handy in some clutch points.

Overall this was a beautifully written, delightfully spooky, and charmingly romantic story with a setting I could sink right into. I was both impressed and pleased and I think this author will be one for me to watch.

Paranormal? Librarys? Books? Magic? Mystery? Ghosts? Count me in!!!! I was so so excited when I was accepted to review an ARC copy of this book!! This was well written and had me on the edge of the chair the whole way through the book! I love this book so much.

Great little easy to read book. Love the mystery and romance. Great characters and fun storyline to follow.

2/5 (It was okay.)

Let me start by saying that this story is very unique and actually great if I was in the right space and had an interest in the plotline/characters! Horror or paranormal fictional stories are not usually something I read, but I requested this book on Net Gallery to step out of my comfort zone and be able to review a book in a genre I don't regularly read.

I honestly love Rachel Moore's writing, it's not cheesy or too complex for young adult readers. I DNF'd, however, about 35% into the story because I can't bear to read something I had no interest in. I think if this story was more fantasy than paranormal it would have hooked me, but I just don't like reading about ghosts LOL.

Even though I didn't read the whole story, I would recommend this book to readers who prefer this genre because the writing style was simply great!

This was an atmospheric, romantic, and humorous story about the love of books and love of people, even long after they’re gone.

Este has come to her late father’s alma mater to follow in his footsteps. Little does she know she will encounter the literal ghosts of his past, one of whom, Mateo, is quite dashing. She will face romance, danger, and challenges as she races to piece together the last message he left for her. With a colorful cast of characters, some beautiful bits of prose, some truly terrifying specters, and a sweeping romance, this is the perfect book to curl up with this fall.

A tightly-plotted, fun, quick read that works better as a YA paranormal mystery than a dark academia romance. 

I was actually first taken in by this book because of its original title, The Book of Fades. I felt it told me up front what to expect, and I was excited! And overall, I still enjoyed the Library of Shadows.

While the romantic relationship was a tad underdeveloped (especially given how intensely our MCs profess their love), this story had some lovely imagery and some great Fall vibes (though, don't expect much studying or class time at this Ivy League prep school). I especially had fun with the way ghosts work in this world and the moments when our FMC is on her clue-finding mission among the stacks. The Fades themself are interesting conceptually, though their execution may have dampened their dramatic potential. 

Overall, judge this book by what it is, not how it's marketed. I personally felt misled by the way this book was pitched. I got romance, but not comedy, and a school mystery, but not dark academia. Not sure about that Ninth House comp in particular. However, LOVED all the library/library science appreciation -- shout out to LC Easy!

Ok so. The ending was predictably sweet. BUT I AM SO GLAD ITS NOT A SERIES.

The main character’s name is Este which means star because she is special and the start of the show and she also happens to be a star crossed lover. Usually I love YA, but this one was just so corny. It was very predictable in a way other young adult books are not. I skimmed ahead a lot and was honestly glad to be done with it at the end.

The evil baddie was named Lilith as in “night monster” and queen of darkness. The villain was revealed in the first few chapters. There’s too many contradictions like Este is a teen living in a car for three years and attending the “Homeschool of Hard Knocks” but she can determine a quote from Thoreau just from hearing it, reference Wuthering Heights and other literature, but she can’t write a B level essay? There’s also so many references to ghosts, like Casper in the first chapter, that the reveal isn’t really a reveal but a confirmation. Also Este’s one liners are meant to be funny but they just come off as cringey. Also the idea that two teens, one being dead for a century, would fall in love and remain in love forever is just kind of silly. But again, it’s Young Adult.

all in all, I’d recommend this book to like 12-16 year olds who are just getting into the science fiction fantasy genre. It had its cute moments. It was decently written from a craft perspective but it definitely had me eye rolling more often than not. There was also not much representation race or sexuality wise and the brown side character and the hint of a girl being gay was not enough to be considered good representation.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins Children’s Books for this opportunity to read rate and review this arc which is available September 5th 2023.

This book was hilarious! It’s a romcom paranormal romance debut set in a haunted library! I gigglesnorted throughly this book. I am not generally a romcom kinda reader but honestly this had me laughing out loud many many times.