I was pretty excited for this one especially because someone compared it to "Julie and the Phantoms but make it dark academia." It didn't quite live up to standards. The descriptions felt long, the characters were not always interesting (or were far too annoying), and I kept waiting for "it." The thing that would make me dive into this book and never want to resurface.

Meh feelings all around.

Firstly I’d like to thank the publisher for the eARC 🥰😘

The Library of Shadows is a cozy and super lovely yet gothic paranormal YA fantasy set in a crazy haunted school…just based on that you should want to read it now 😏🥰

I’m a huge fan of a book that I can read super quick and The Library of Shadows definitely gives you that, it’s so addictive you just have to keep reading and I just ended up finishing it so quickly!! 😍❤️ It’s the perfect time for everyone to pick this wonderful book up - Autumn is the perfect time for it. It was a really fun book with dark academia vibes which I love!!

I really really enjoyed The Library of Shadows and now I want a ghost boyfriend now please!! 😭😂 Can I get one to please? 4✨

this was such a fun read! it gave me everything that i love in fantasy/romances. though i do have issues with the structure and writing style, overall, this was an enjoyable read!

First I would like to thank Netgalley and HarperCollins for sending me this arc, in return for an honest review.

This book got me really excited and just filled me up with my favourite type of murder mystery/paranormal haunting stories. I love the dynamic between Este and Mateo, the banter and laughter they share back and forth, the forbidden attraction that keeps growing between them, and as well the many other side characters that add to the story. I love the mystery behind the student disappearances, and how it is not easy to figure out who it is, but keeps you guessing who it could be and why. Este's love for stories and libraries just made me connect with her more as she tries to navigate the school mysteries so she can survive but also connect more with her father that had passed away. Try and solve why he left but also feel his love and memories as she walks the school campus. I highly recommend this book for a fun paranormal story.

Este is a new student at Radcliffe Prep, following in her late father’s footsteps. Normally she loves a nomadic lifestyle with her mum, but since being awarded a full scholarship she’s decided to settle at Radcliffe to try and connect with her dad’s memory. Which (without giving too many spoilers), might not be the best of plans.

Radcliffe Prep has a host of quirky characters. Some are alive. Most are human. It also has a library that’s arguably a character in itself. Throw in some dark, mystical magics and you’ve got a great starting point for an adventure.

Something I loved was that the action started within the first chapter or so. What I expected to be a big reveal was just a ‘oh and by the way’ reveal. Which worked really well. There was a little too much angst for me, and one of two of the breadcrumb clues had me wondering how the characters couldn’t see what it meant. But maybe that was intentional, it is nice when you work it out before the characters. I am also obsessed with The Fades basically being like the clique in Mean Girls. Albeit a dark, twisted and decomposed version.

The Library of Shadows was a quick and easy read and I mostly enjoyed it while lazing on a lounger beside the pool. It’s quite a young YA read I would say. There’s nothing too risqué and the terror rating was definitely more of a horror-lite than terrifying.

I think it's clear that I picked this book up because of the cover. I mean, that art? Are you kidding me? That's the problem though, I saw the cover and instantly started reading . . . and didn't really process that this was dark academy . . . my least favorite genre. So I think that is where I will leave my review. I truly did not enjoy this book but I can see how someone without an aversion to this genre would whole heartedly disagree. I don't want to leave a negative review on a good book that was just not written for me.

Very cute little YA paranormal romance. I would have been obsessed with this as a teenager. It reminds me a bit of an updated Mediator (Meg Cabot) series feeling.

This romantic, paranormal book is a great YA debut. Este Logano has enrolled in Radcliffe Prep, the third spookiest school around, on a mission to uncover the truth about her deceased father.

Along the way, she encounters Mateo, a charmingly annoying ghost, and together they embark on a wild journey through trapdoors, hidden passages, and ghost-filled halls to solve a mystery that started decades before.

If you love books set in a library, we have an entire list for you as well! Some of this young adult fantasy novel was definitely creepy and I could not stop turning the pages.

Thank you Netgalley and Harper360YA for providing me with a free eARC in exchange for an honest review!

This book was super interesting. I loved the setting, the school had this haunted atmosphere that came across really well in the writing. I found myself drawn into the story from the beginning, and it left me wanting more. The setting of the library was also really cool too, and definitely felt a little creepy at times. The plot itself was easy enough to follow, and I became super invested in the characters. The relationship between Este and Mateo was great to read, and also see develop. I loved that this had a mystery element along with the supernatural. Overall, I enjoyed my time reading this, it's the perfect spooky season read, that has ghosts, a very scary librarian, and an academic setting that really sets the scene!

Library of Shadows was the perfect book to start off my spooky season with. The dark academia atmosphere swept me away from the very start, and I might have a new book boyfriend…. 4.5 stars, I loved this book and will definitely be looking for more from Moore.

This ended up being underwhelming....the characters and their motivations were not well fleshed out....the plot was not engaging...and I was confused by what we could call the magic system in this book. The FMC is kind of horrible to her roommate and uses their friendship in a weird way and I shouldn't be surprised since these are 16 & 17 year old children but some communication would be nice. The blurb likened this title to Ninth House & Cemetery boys but that feels so far off base for me - this does not reach the depths a reader would expected from those comp titles.

This was fine and it was fast but it was ultimately forgettable.

I loved the cozy vibes in this book, It was so relaxing that the plot was not too complex and I could be invested without theorizing every little detail or getting myself confused with complexities. Everything was pretty much straightforward and simplistic, almost too much so, especially where the characters were concerned. The ending was quite predictable but I enjoyed it a lot. I would have appreciated a bit more elaboration. But overall, it was a fun read and a debut well done.

A cozy dark(ish) academia, if Fall was a book, it would be The Library Of Shadows. Library of Shadows takes you on a paranormal romantic trip through a haunted library with trapdoors, ghosts, and memories. As Este follows in her father's footsteps, 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.

Thank you to Netgalley and HarperCollins Children's Books, Katherine Tegen Books for providing me with a review copy.

The Library of Shadows is a paranormal mystery novel by Rachel Moore. Este is determined to follow in the footsteps of her late father by attending Radcliffe Prep. The school is supposedly haunted, not that Este believes. That is until she encounters Mateo who is most certainly a ghost. After he frames Este for stealing a rare book she is determined to find the ghost. But her search uncovers secrets of the library that may be too deadly for even the faint of heart.

I think this book was a perfect little spooky read! It's definitely a quick one with a straight forward yet complex enough plot to keep readers motivated. I really loved Mateo and his ghostly antics. As main characters go, Este annoyed me at times but I could see where she was coming from even if I didn't like some of her actions. I thought some of the story line was really tragic but it had great storytelling and relevance to the plot. And I didn't completely expect some of the twists in this!

I'd defiantly recommend the Library of Shadows as a great novel to start the spooky season or for anyone who wants to read a paranormal fantasy read!

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an eARC of this novel. All thoughts and opinions contained within this review are my own.

I really wanted to go into this book loving it especially with such a beautiful cover. I love the thought of a haunted library but it was hard as the character Este was hard to relate to and like. She was a bit annoying and her actions didn't make sense.

The pacing of the book was also a bit odd. The book gets right into things and events but then slows down again and then goes fast. I feel like I was getting a bit of whiplash with the pacing.

Matteo is the male main character. He was supposed to have died in the early 1900's but the way he acted was very modern. It made it a bit confusing to remember that he grew up over a 100 years before the events of the book.

THE LIBRARY OF SHADOWS was such a pleasant surprise to me.
Now, obviously, I won’t pick up a book I didn’t think I was going to like anyway, but I’ve either been a bad judge of my own taste or had a run of bad luck picking out dark academia. It’s an aesthetic I love, and I want to be the sort of person who enjoys the genre but I just… haven’t. But maybe the YA ‘dark academia’-lite provided in THE LIBRARY OF SHADOWS is what I need to look for, because I really enjoyed this one.
It's a bit pacier that other dark academia I’ve picked up, a bit more action-packed and less meandering. There’s a couple of mysteries for Este to work her way through over the course of the novel and while none of them are mind-bogglingly surprising, the journey there is really engaging.
Este and Matteo are both really likable characters, and the supporting cast– the other Radcliffe ghosts, Este’s roommate Posy, and Posy’s Paranormal Investigators – are all fun characters I’d have liked to see even more of.
Radcliffe itself, and the Lilith library itself, gave my all the dark academic vibes I was looking for – with forbidden turret rooms, hidden passageways, and dramatic statuary.
Mysterious and atmospheric, THE LIBRARY OF SHADOWS is a great, accessible YA read and would be perfect for autumn and winter reading. Or just for anyone who, like me, is looking for a really readable haunted school setting.

I really enjoyed this YA Fantasy! It was atmospheric and mysterious, and made a perfect fall read! I enjoyed the characters and the sweet romance aspect. I look forward to reading more books from this author!

Sadly this book didn't live up to its promise. The story dragged too long so I struggled to keep going or to DNF it. The plot didn't keep me interested and I didn't like the main characters. I really wanted to like the book but just couldn't get into it. Unfortunately, this book just didn't grip my attention.

Thank you to the publisher for an eARC via netgalley to read and review.

I enjoyed this one. It was exciting, romantic, and perfect for spooky season. I liked the idea of the ghosts being unable to touch anything alive, and I liked the way they interacted with their environment.
The characters were good, and I thought both Este and Mateo were interesting. I liked their relationship, and I liked how it progressed. I thought they worked well together, and the romance was sweet.
I had some struggles getting into the story, and I struggled a bit with the pacing throughout. At times it moved really quickly, and other times nothing felt like it was happening. I did like the little moments between the ghosts, but I felt that some of the “mysteries” and clues Este was trying to investigate were way too obvious for the amount that she struggled with them.
Overall I really enjoyed this one, and I thought it was a great YA read.

((This is TRUE YA do not expect ACOTAR level spice/romance here)

Book Name: The Library of Shadows
Author: Rachel Moore

ARC
Thank you to HarperCollins Children's Books, Katherine Tegen Books ****for an ARC of The Library of Shadows by Rachel Moore

Stars: 5
Spice: 0 (YA)

Standalone
Fast Paced
Plot Centric
FMC POV
Paranormal Mystery Romance

- Topics
- Family History
- Overcoming grief
- Transcendence of Love
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- Tropes
- Secret Library
- Family Secrets
- “Forced Proximity Ish”
- Secret Passageways, Hidden Tunnels, Ancient Books
- Found family

- Thoughts.
- TrueYA
- Quick Read
- Great Story Concept
- Perfection
- This is the best Ghost Romance I have ever read