I read just over 50% but sadly this was a DNF for me. I think perhaps I'm not in the right mood for YA at the moment. I just couldn't seem to become invested in the plot or characters.

Thank you to the publisher for a copy of the eARC for review.

If you want an easy to read book for spooky season with creepy vibes that doesn't veer into full-blown horror, this is for you!

The Library of Shadows is a YA paranormal fantasy that gives us:
- elite boarding school
- mystery around disappearing students
- haunted libraries
- ancient tomes
- hot ghost boys and
- dark academia vibes

Este Logano made it into Radcliffe prep, one of the most elite boarding schools and also one of the most haunted ones. Radcliffe is Este's dream because her late father also studied there, but when she arrives, she learns that are disappearing from school grounds regularly. Walking in her father's footsteps turns out to be that more dangerous when Este finds out he was in contact with the deadly Book of Fades and the resident ghosts of Radcliffe. One of those ghosts, Mateo - who may or may not be very cute - ropes Este into helping him to solve the mystery around the disappearances and bring the ghosts back to life.

Overall, the book had an engaging plot with Este solving the mystery around the disappearing students and Radcliffe's ghosts. The fall / spooky vibes were immaculte and the author's prose flowed nicely despite its simplicity. The library with ancient tomes, the hidden passageways and the haunted schoolgrounds all added to a gothic and dark academia atmosphere that was chef's kiss and I honestly think this is a great read for October and Halloween. Also, can we talk about the cover art? Stunning!

With that being said, my main gripe with this book was its main character. Este is very much a lone wolf type of character and quite rude at that. Having lost her father and moving around the country with her mother has made her closed off and wanting to keep people at arms length. Despite the fact that I understood where she was coming from, I found her quite insufferable. Wanting to protect people doesn't make up for being an absolute asshole to everyone around you. I don't need the protagonists I read about to be perfect, quite the contrary, but if Este were a real person, I'd punch her in the face. The contempt that she held for her bubbly, paranormal investigator roommate Posy was hard to stomach. Este judged and envied every little aspect of Posy, to the point where she's even jealous that Posy has a happy, intact family. Yeah, fuck her for having parents that are still alive and siblings that she loves! How could she! (This is sarcasm.)

Este would act so condescending towards her, Posy was a literal angel for still giving her the time of day after the shit she pulled. It becomes even more ironic considering everything Posy assumes about the ghosts at Radcliffe ends up being correct and Este was just being a jerk. In fact, Este was so much of an asshole, the fact that anyone even liked her took me out of the story. Even when Este made jokes, it just always came off as being judgy. There was a bit of a fight between the girls at the climax of the story, but Posy was still being too nice, in my opinion. The poor girl deserves so much better.

Morever, Este's entire inner monolgue was very "not like other girls" coded and filled with internalized misogyny, she could have been in a 2010s YA fantasy. There was one specific paragraph describing the ghosts of girls who died in the 2000s and thus we wearing like, pink velours tracksutis and Este goes on to say what a horror that is and how sorority girls are the biggest scare she can think off. Now, personal opinions towards Y2k clothing and sororities aside, it just reeked of misogyny and "I hate those ~girly girls~, thank God I'm not like that".

A little pretentiousness in dark academia is to be expected, I would even say it's a genre convention, but Este was so far up her own ass I couldn't take it seriously. Like her being sporadically homeschooled and teaching herself about the classics to the point where she was able to get into an extremely elite boarding school because she's just ~that smart~. There are people that read classics without acting like a morally superior snob, but Este wasn't one of them. The author made it worse by having Este figure out not very complicated information and having the other characters go "Wow! You're so smart!" The instances where this happend almost made me DNF the book. Since this is a debut, the author also falls into the trap of over-explaining every little detail and spoon-feeding the reader information. As this is a common pitfall in YA fantasy books, I didn't mind too much. However, other readers might have more of a problem with it.

While the romance was cute and I enjoyed it overall, it was a little undercooked. For Este to be so in love with Mateo by the end of the book, there should have been more bonding moments between them. As it was, their romantic scenes were few and far between, and their relationship pretty much jumped from physical attraction to being in love in an instant. As for the other characters, they were there, I guess? There really wasn't much substance to them, but the snippets we got of them I did find interesting.

I know all of this sounds quite negative, but I did actually have a good time reading it. Like if you want a fast-paced, spooky mystery with a dash of dark academia, this will be right up your alley. It really depends on whether you like Este or not, I suppose. So for the overall plot and atmosphere, I gave The Library of Shadows 2/5 stars.

Library Of Shadows by Rachel Moore is a fun supernatural, dark academia read perfect for spooky season. Fans of library based stories will devour this haunted library and mysterious disappearances fueled by “Something ancient, evil and out for blood.”

Este has been invited to attend the highly prestigious and affluent Radcliffe Prep on scholarship, partially due to her dead father’s experiences there. Used to being alone, Este has trouble connecting with her new roommate, Posy, whose entire focus is on ghost busting, and discovering the supernatural secrets of Radcliffe. Invited to be an overnight archivist at the Lilith Library, Este discovers ghosts, secrets, danger and romance hidden among the stacks.

As an adult reader, I would have liked more development of the side characters and some of the decision making felt immature. But the intended YA audience will not care and thoroughly enjoy this fun, ghostly story perfect for those who want a seasonal creepy read but don’t want horror.

Thanks to #Netgalley and @harperkids for the opportunity to review an eARC of this book

This book had me HOOKED!
From page one i felt all the spooky paranormal vibes.
It definitely had me feeling a little like 'Wednesday' Vibes.
The characters were strong and solid(Even the ghosts) ha
I loved the side characters almost more than Este and Mateo.
and the sense of adventure had me unable to put this book down.
There was so many fantastic elements to this book.
The mystery, the paranormal, the right place wrong time, even the banter was good!




Thank you Netgalley and Harper Collins for this ARC

A big thanks to Netgalley and HarperCollin's for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Yes! A new title to add to my spooky re-reads list!

The Library of Shadows by Rachel Moore is a paranormal YA romcom novel that follows Este, who wants nothing more than to find out what happened to her father. To do this, she goes back to his old stomping grounds of his university, which is super haunted, including the mischievous ghost named Mateo. 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.

I feel like this book the perfect embodiment of a cup of tea to drink in Autumn. It has paranormal (ghosts), a soft mystery vibe, and a sprinkling of academia. And I did easily read this book in one sitting. I have a feeling I will be come back to this one whenever I'm in need of a cozy read.

This is a spellbinding debut; it’s fast-paced with dark academia vibes and supernatural elements, and such an addictive read! It’s a story cloaked in secrets where nothing is as it seems and magical mysteries weave through the chapters sparking our, and the characters’, curiosity. Although as we know curiosity can be a dangerous thing…

Este is bold, determined and full of heart. She follows in her late Father’s footsteps attending the prestigious Radcliffe Prep, she gets off to a rocky start with her scholarship hanging in the balance.

There are myths circulating about disappearing students and the terrifying Fades creeping the halls. As Este finds a secret key she’s propelled into a world of ghosts, intrigue, and ancient books where danger lurks in the shadows. I loved the haunted library setting which worked perfectly.

The enigmatic Mateo wants to help and they will have to work together to find the answers they both seek. There’s more to Mateo than meets the eye, can they trust each other? They don’t have the best first impressions, it was entertaining seeing them get to know each other along the way as a connection grows.

Through the delightful Posy, Este learns what it is to be a friend and that she doesn’t have to do everything alone which is heartwarming to see. The book also explores the unparalleled power of love, even in the most extreme of circumstances.

This is a fun, cosy, atmospheric tale with enchanting characters and dazzling storytelling. The perfect autumnal read!

With thanks to @Harper360YA, @HarperTeen and @byrachelmoore for the ARC.

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

Este Logano, a homeschooled girl, is following in her late father's footsteps after being awarded a scholarship to attend his alma mater, Radcliffe Prep -- one of the most haunted schools in the country. Up until this point she's been traveling the country with her mom, never staying in one place for too long.

However, her first night at Radcliffe Prep almost ends her entire career there as she is framed by a boy named Mateo for stealing something that doesn't belong to her, The Book of Fades. She is able to make a convincing argument against her expulsion, promising to pick up shifts in the library after her classes and determined to find The Book of Fades and return it where it belongs.

This book perfect book for the spooky season gives Wednesday vibes with the parallel of Este to her roommate Posy. I did enjoy the way that this story was written, however I felt like there could have been deeper character development... but it was nice to follow our friends on their spooky journey, especially alongside Mateo!

Mateo is certainly on my list of book boyfriends - he was my favorite character throughout the novel and I appreciated the way the romance between he and Este unfolded.

"When you love someone, it's like building a library and filling the shelves. It doesn't matter how many years it's been since Austen wrote Emma or Fitzgerald wrote This Side of Paradis. We can still pull them from the bookcases and dive back into the words, the same as the day they were written. All the years and memories are still right here, cataloged inside us."

I loved the paranormal elements of this book and the great banter we had between characters. This book was addicting and challenging to put down because I wanted to know what was going to unfold next for our friends.

Thank you so much to NetGalley for the ARC - I definitely recommend this YA-TEEN read to those looking for something creepy and fun to read this season.

Este Logano enrolls at the third most haunted school in the country, Radcliffe Prep. She's more interested in learning more about her dead father than hunting ghosts, but her roommate knows all about the rumors of disappearing students and sinister happenings. During a tour of the esteemed library, Este meets Mateo, and he frames her for stealing a rare book. The librarian is furious and threatens to expel Este unless she can help find the book. This forces Este to take the night shift at the library, where sinister things happen in the shadows. Will she find the missing tome, or will she be the next student to disappear?

This book is fast-paced and so much fun! I could have read it faster if I hadn't kept picking it up before bed.

Books set in libraries are my weakness, and this one did not disappoint. It was nice to read something set in an academic library for a change, and I loved that Radcliffe Prep has a library science course!

The characters were well-written and had enough depth for a story like this. Each character's motivations made sense, and the setting was atmospheric and creepy. It's the perfect paranormal dark academia book to pick up on a chilly fall night. I also liked the lighter moments and banter between Este and Mateo, though I wish there had been more time to build up their relationship.

The mystery itself was fairly predictable. I knew which character would be the red herring and guessed about 70% of the ending before the conclusion. I will gladly pick up another book by Rachel Moore.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperTeen for providing an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Library of Shadows is being billed as a spooky rom-com, and while there is some humor throughout, I wouldn’t exactly call it a comedy. The spooky romance stuff, though, is there.

The book is sort of hit-and-miss. Este is attending a prestigious prep school, but there’s almost no “school” in the book. It feels like the school is more of a prop or means to set up the story than anything else. Almost everything takes place in the library, leaving the book feeling very insular.

At the center of the story is Este, a homeschooled kid who, since her dad’s death, has never stayed in one place very long. She’s not used to making friends or attachments, so her connection to Mateo is unsettling. Also unsettling — Mateo’s a ghost. So are his friends. Este isn’t particularly gifted when it comes to school, and her academic standing isn’t great, but she doesn’t really care. Or, at least, she does when she gets into trouble and then promptly forgets. Her obsession with helping Mateo grows until that’s all she seemingly thinks about.

Este’s growth as a character is slow, and the ghosts feel rather one-note. This is a lost opportunity on the author’s part that could have made the story sing.

Overall, there was enough to the story to keep me reading, but probably not to return. I suggest The Library of Shadows as a library read first to see if it’s one you want to purchase.

I have followed this author on social media well before this book was published, and I'm so happy to have seen her journey through it all. The concept of this book is so interesting, and I went into it not know much of what to expect beyond what the synopsis gives. Sometimes that's a good way to go into it, and I'm glad that's how I went into this book.

From the first chapter I was intrigued even more and knew I wasn't going to want to put down the book. It was so good from page to page. Rachel Moore has a wonderful way of story telling, and I never wanted the book to end.

Thank you NetGalley for an arc of this book.

This book is perfect for fall! It has dark academia vibes, an old library, mystery, and ghosts! Ghosts are my weakness when it comes to paranormal beings. I’ll pretty much read anything if it has a ghost in it. And for a debut book, I think the author did ghosts well in this book. I liked the twist she put on the spectres and how they could touch object that were not living but couldn’t touch living beings.

I related to Este’s love of books and libraries as I, too, love me an old library from time to time. And the fact she got her love of books from her makes it all the more relatable. I really liked her character and how she was determined to figure out the mystery that was presented to her. Her relationship with Mateo and his ghostly friends was so amazing. I loved the inclusion of ghost hunters too, it added some humour to the darker vibes. Mateo is the perfect ghost gentleman and was adorable throughout the story.

This was a simpler YA mystery (which I was able to figure out pretty early on), but I still loved the overall feel of this book and how cozy it felt to read it. Pick this one up if you want a YA ghost story with dark academia, mystery and a splash of romance.

It was marvelous. In a way that I quite enjoyed being in this world. It had such a lovely romance here that just melts my heart. I also loved the characters of this story they were well written as was the story. The ghostly vibes with a dark academia setting was great, I loved it and would read this for fall season.

I have been trying to branch out into genres I don’t normally read. When I heard about The Library of Shadows that merges paranormal and dark academia with romance I was convinced this was the perfect way to step into the romance genre a little more. I have to say I was not disappointed and might be converted.
The Library of Shadows focuses on Radcliff Prep which is the third most haunted school in the country and don’t try to tell Posy otherwise! Where students disappearing isn’t uncommon and on one dares to stay in the library after dark. Este Logano enrolls with the hopes of finding her dead father. But not literally, Este doesn’t believe in ghosts and going to his old school seems the best place to find out who her father really was. But then she meets Mateo who is maybe, okay 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 and the book down or risk being expelled and leaving Radcliff early just like her father. Only 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 a myth and worse if she isn’t careful she’ll be next.

It's hard to think of a word to sum up The Library of Shadows. Wow doesn’t do it justice but it’s all I can really think of. It definitely gave me dark academia vibes and had a bit of a ‘Wednesday’ vibe too from the Netflix show but it still stuck out on its own. The plot is at it’s heart a mystery with elements of paranormal and romance mixed in and I honestly found it worked. This isn’t a difficult read or some deep hidden message novel, beyond the idea of family, found family etc but it is still a really good novel. The writing style slows and is easy to follow. Este as a protagonist was interesting and I did really want to see her open up a bit. My favourite character surprisingly was Posy who is the opposite to what I would think I would like. But the whole cast are interesting and sometimes funny. The romance aspect was the kind I like, it wasn’t the main focus but a close second and had enough angst in there as well.

The writing is brilliant suited allowing you to read through the novel either quickly or at a leisurely pace. I personally fell into the one more chapter myself. While it might not have tons of world building in there I feel that the whole plot and concept is fleshed out enough and we learn as we go along with Este more about the ghosts and history of Radcliffe Prep. It isn’t a deep read but the mystery was good, although I did guess who might be the real bad guy right along but it was still fun to see everyone arrive there. I personally really enjoyed this one since it ticked a lot of my boxes. I will certainly be looking forward to what Rachel Moore does next. If you enjoy cozy but pace mysteries with sprinkles of romance and a lot of ghosts you will love this one.

The Library of Shadow
The Library of Shadows is about a school called Radcliffe Prep which is considered to be the third most haunted school. One thing that is very common is the disappearance of students as well as staying out of the library during the dark. However, Este Logano who is only there in order to learn more about her dead father. During Logano’s stay at Radcliffe Prep she meets Mateo, who might actually be a real ghost. Mateo and Logano start out on a tough as Mateo frames Este for stealing a rare book from the library. As she tries to save her spot at Radcliffe Prep Este must be able to track Mateo down or risk being expelled from the school just like her father.
In regards to the character development, I did not find the characters very well developed. However, Moore did have me hooked with the mystery throughout the book. In addition to this, I have read other books where the characters did not have any development at all. As an adult reading this book, I was able to figure out who was behind everything. I think this would be a great book and mystery for the intended audience. I want to thank both NetGalley and the publisher for a copy in exchange for a free review.

A really fun read with an interesting concept and a strong female main character. I'm not the target audience here, but I think my students are going to love it!

Rating: 3.5 stars

This one sounded super unique and I loved the cover. I knew I needed to read it especially since it is getting close to spooky season.

The book is told from one point-of-view and it comes from Este. She has been given a full-ride scholarship to Radcliffe Prep. Little does she know that things are about to get paranormal as she tries to uncover the legacy her dad left behind for her to finish.

Este was was a decent character but she definitely didn’t deserve the friendship of her roommate or the other students in the paranormal investigation group. She was always absent and only wanted to connect with a real ghost, something she didn’t believe in at first. I do get it. Sometimes our perception of things change. She also found herself in a huge mystery that did take up her time, but if she would have asked for help in the first place it probably wouldn’t have taken that long to figure out.

Character development is not very strong but I didn’t mind it that much since the mystery was what kept me reading. I will say that I figured out who was behind it all right off the bat but again, I was fine with that because I wanted to still see how it all played out and if my suspicions were correct.

I do wish that there was more of an epilogue though. I still have some unanswered questions like the student disappearances and what happened next for them. Obviously can’t go into detail since that would be spoilers ha. I mean in the grand scheme of things it doesn’t matter too much but I just am a very curious person.

Overall, this was a good spooky read. The library setting was a fun one and I could finish it in one day since I was intrigued by the mystery.

This story follows Este who got a scholarship for the Radcliffe Preparatory Academy where her late father attended to continue in his footsteps. When she arrives, her new roommate accidentally causes one of her picture frames to break revealing a key within the frame. Este is determined to find out where it leads when she meets a boy who tells her it is for the Spire. He convinces her to go and when they arrive, he proceeds to steal a book called the Book of Fades. Este is framed for the theft since the boy conveniently disappears, and now she has to work in the archives and in return has to return the book that was stolen if she wants to stay at the academy. Little does she know there is more to that disappearing boy than meets the eye.

Now, I am NOT one for spooky reads, and to be honest, I don't know why I requested this aside from the fact that it sounded truly good, like a fantasy with a mystery, which I love. That being said, this was a much more enjoyable spooky read that I really liked in the end! Don't get me wrong, though. There were some creepy aspects...like The Fades....But it had a lot of lightheartedness to it and comedy throughout that kept it light despite the horrors some experience in this book. And I love mysteries and figuring whodunnit, and I will say I knew the villain immediately, but it was still a great mystery following all the clues they had to follow themselves.

Este was a great FMC. I love that despite what she learns, she doesn't easily spook and is determined to solve this mystery that her father started to investigate and who left clues everywhere. There was a part that made me feel very disappointed in her, but it's a part of the story and makes for a good ending.

There are quite a few fun characters in here too! Posy is the sunshine to Este's more grumpiness, and she brought a lot fun laughter sunshine in this book. Mateo I just thought was adorable, especially the way he spoke! There's a few other side characters that were involved that helped make this a great story about friendship and love, and learning that love doesn't always end in tragedy, but also is what motivates one to do the things some did in this book.

I actually really liked the romance part in this book too despite it being maybe a bit on the intsalove side, but the way they spend a lot of time together and work together a lot, helped make it believable to me, and plus it was really adorable between two characters who hadn't necessarily ever truly dated anyone.

Overall, this made for a great spooky read with comedy and mystery! I received a free digital copy to read. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This was okay!

It was an interesting enough concept, unique and very atmospheric. I love Rachel and was really excited to read this, but sadly it ended up being a book I just kind of...slogged through.

First off, I didn't feel like it fit the bill of a rom-com as advertised? I didn't really find it that funny OR romantic, so that bummed me out. The romance aspect felt too light in the first half and then rushed in the last bit and I just didn't find myself invested. I need a developed romance!! I need tension, I need swoon! And I want to do that AND laugh.

But mostly, the biggest issue I had was with the writing. In some places it felt very prose-y and pretty, but a majority of the time I was held up in the writing because of an overabundance of smilies and metaphors. Like, SO MANY. It honestly pulled me out of the writing, and some of them were just so odd???? It truly had me scratching my head. I just couldn't get lost in the story like I wanted to because the writing was just trying *too* hard.

- "...like she was a kids' birthday party clown with full authority over a helium canister."
- "...like when she'd finished a bowl of bad clams on Cape May..."
- "...like he'd accidentally walked into a Target without a list."

Like, ??? Just...weird. Like I said, some of the writing was lovely in parts, but the parts that didn't work *really* didn't work for me and I kept getting pulled out of the story, which bummed me out.

Overall, I'm not sure I would recommend this book necessarily, but I'll definitely be interested in following Rachel to see what she writes next!

Thank you to Katherine Tegen Books and Netgalley for the e-ARC in exchange for my honest, unbiased review.

This is a time when I wish I could log my review for this book without putting a star rating on it. I see the merit of this book and I have definitely enjoyed YA books in the past but this one just seemed a bit too juvenile in its writing but not necessarily in its content. The book is fast-paced (might even happen a little too quickly) and the characters are intriguing but I felt as if everything could have been fleshed out a bit better. This is a very fun fall read and matches the vibes of the Netflix show "Wednesday" quite well. Thank you to NetGalley and Katherine Tegen Books for this ARC.

The Library of Shadows by Rachel Moore has Este Logano attending Radcliffe Prep, the same school her father went to thirty years ago. Este is yearning to learn more about her dad who died several years prior. Este gets a chance to follow in her father’s footsteps and finds that there is something sinister going on at the school. The Library of Shadows is a young adult novel with a weak plot. I did not feel that the story had a proper start. It seems that Este arrives at school, finds a key clue, and then meets a boy who convinces her to do something that will get her tossed out of the school (all before she has unpacked her suitcase). Este is a smart and stubborn girl who is hard to like. Her roommate, Posy is a lively teen who believes in ghosts. She has brought every gadget ever mentioned by a ghost hunter with her to school. Posy is determined to find ghosts at school and wants like-minded friends to join the club she created (it is still the first day). I wish the author had taken the time to flesh out Posy’s character. Mateo is a handsome, clever, and charming teen who needs Este’s help. Mateo was born in a different era, but his behaviors and attitudes do not reflect it (he felt like a modern character like Este). I would expect some Victorian words and mannerisms to exist. Este is attracted to Mateo’s looks from the beginning (instant attraction). Personally, I do not feel the romance is needed (why couldn’t they have been friends since this is a young adult novel). The explicit intimate relations scene was unnecessary and inappropriate. The plot is uncomplicated and predictable. The twist can be figured out early on. The mystery is wrapped up quickly and neatly. The final chapter may give you a cavity. There are several plot holes in the story with many of them revolving around the library. I find it hard to believe that using a candle (a flame and melting wax) in a room filled with old books and manuscripts is better than small amounts of visible light (with UV and IR eliminated). The writing in the story is not smooth and the pacing is slow. I did not appreciate the foul language or reading about Este getting high. I wanted to like The Library of Shadows, but I found myself skimming to reach the end. My favorite part of the book is the descriptions of the library and its tomes. The Library of Shadows is an ethereal tale with a curious clue, an attractive spirit, an absent book, an indomitable librarian, a ghost hunter for a roomie, and outdated fades.