I was not a fan of the book.
My main complaint is the lack of world-building. While this was not a fantasy novel with a whole different world, it still had a place with its own rules and expectations. One thing I often remember is during a young adult literary class in college, we had an author (Cinda Williams Chima) visit our class to discuss her book. She spook on the importance of world-building a small town in Ohio where the beginning of her Heir Chronicles series began. It always amazed me to think that world-building could take place in what seemed such an easy setting. So though the setting is a common one-a private school-it still needed to be built upon.
Additionally, since the book involved ghosts that had specific rules to follow, more detail on that would have been appreciated. I often found myself contradicting actions or rereading sections trying to figure out how the "rules" were being followed. Connected to this, I didn't feel like the storyline was clear. I knew it was a romantic mystery, but the only mystery to me was how things were supposed to make sense. The romance was well done, though again the muddy storyline seemed to detract from it.
Lastly, the author had the main character be dynamic, where she is meant to grow and become more "real". While the end shows she finally lets people into her life, a major struggle for her throughout the entirety of the book, it also references scenes that we never see. It would have been nice to have more detail of the character's interactions with her roommate and "friends" since for the most part she seemed to not spend any time with them except to tell them she didn't have time for them.

A paranormal YA romance perfect for fans of the "Wednesday" series on Netflix and Naomi Novik's "A Deadly Education." As a pessimistic, logical only child myself, the character of Este really appealed to me. I really relate to female book characters that don't go looking for trouble, but unfortunately, trouble finds them. Este has such a smart head on her shoulders, and having her roommate being her exact foil made for an excellent dynamic between the pair (think Wednesday versus Enid!) Also, I adore the overused trope of a magical school, or any place really, being a lost character's new home. The descriptions of Radcliffe Prep immediately had me wanting to visit and explore the school. If you love the concept of a standalone fantasy novel with dark academia and mystery vibes, then this one is ideal!

This is well written and easily readable, but it doesn't feel like it has crossover potential for adults and we don't have a ton of young adult visitors. Not a good fit for our libraries. I stopped after chapter 1 (5%).

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins for the ARC.

In the year 2027, Este goes to the same school her deceased father went to. There, she discovers a paranormal secret she never could have imagined. From the incredible first line, the language of this book takes a captivating hold of the reader. I, however, found the story to be a tad predictable. It was a slow read, but it was worth the pay off in the amazing heart racing ending. The last chapter was very syrupy sweet.

Imagine having smudged handwriting, and that's one of your key notable features. Her dad was known for going to a high school and having blue smudged handwriting. That's hilarious. Fully support. 10/10

if i had a nickel for every time i fell in love with an undead man from the early 1900s i’d only have two nickels, which isn’t a lot but weird that it’s happened twice right?

in short, if you’re looking for a slightly cheesy spooky library read this book is for you!

it has a cute supernatural love interest which is always a plus, many library puns which i appreciated, and a fast paced mystery that kept me engaged!

another great dark academia autumnal read to add to your tbr!

thank you to NetGalley and the author for the ARC

This is just super enjoyable. Perfect for folks who were fans of the Mediator series by Meg Cabot. While I did call who the big bad was pretty easily, and as a librarian kind of cringed at how the library was run, but the characters are so sweet and it's just such an enjoyable little paranormal romance. Este's growth and her learning more about her dad as she untangles the mystery really held a soft spot in my heart. I look forward to seeing what Moore does next and I will definitely be recommending this one frequently.

Este Logano wants nothing more than to reconnect with her dead father's pass, and that means attending the same prestigious but extremely haunted school he went to... what she doesn't expect to find is a very attractive ghost, a mystery to solve, and romance she never knew she wanted. Este Logano loved her father, and all she has left of him is photos of his time from Radcliffe Prep, the third most haunted school in the country where students disappear and no one enteres the library after dark. Este doesn't believe in ghost but when she finds a mysterious key inside her father's broken picture frame that leads to a hidden room and a very attractive boy who gets her framed for stealing a book from the library, Este is going to discover more ghosts than she could ever expect, and that the same boy who framed her for the theft is actually a ghost who is trapped in the school and needs her help to free him and the other souls trapped here. Now Este along with the mysterious Mateo must work together to solve the mystery of the book that could free him as well as the escape from the dangerous ghosts that would kill her if she is found. Este wants nothing more than to get good grades and find out about her dad's time at the school, the last thing she wants is to be forced to join a paranormal club made by her roommate and be forced to solve a mystery to help a boy who could have gotten her expelled. Yet the moment she meets Mateo, she's captivated by his charming smile and good looks and then she finds herself drawn into his own mystery, especially since the only way she can get back the book she was accused of stealing is by working with him. The more time she spends with him the more she begins to feel herself opening up her heart that she's closed off. Overall it was a cute read and I did enjoy the atmosphere and themes in the book. This was a very autumnal, dark academia with a splash of paranormal romance with a ghost love story in it!

*Thanks Netgalley and HarperCollins Children's Books, Katherine Tegen Books for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

4 -⭐⭐⭐⭐

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

The Library of Shadows is a YA Paranormal Romance follow Este as she attends Radcliffe Prep, the third most haunted school in the country, in order to feel connected to her deceased father. Yet when she discovered the haunted part is 100% true she soon becomes embroiled in a search for missing pages in a powerful tome to not only prevent herself from being expelled for the school but also to free the ghosts trapped within the school...oh and fight the attraction she feels towards the ghost who got her in the mess as she is hunted by beings that seek to take her soul. Sounds like a walk in the park, right?

Set in a dark academia setting, this novel was a fun paranormal adventure filled with spooks, tension, and secrets that I devoured in a two sittings. Este drew me in from the beginning as this strong and determined character. She is also curious to a fault as her actions do end up biting her in the foot a few times. I was moved by her love of her father and her need to find a way to connect with him and the strain of her relationship with her mother. She pushes people away and as the story progresses I liked seeing her realize she can turn to others for support.

Mateo is the ghostly figure that got Este into trouble. He is handsome and is immediately drawn to Este. I enjoyed the ways he teases and taunted her to get her out of her shell. We get his story at the book progresses and I was sucked in.

We get a variety of side characters that I felt helped flesh out the world, both living and dead. I felt in the initial parts, Este was rude to her living friends (Posy was trying so hard!) but as the plot grew I was so happy to see them pulled in. The ghostly friends provided some wit and banter and I felt more investigated with their plight as a friendship grew.

The romance between Este and Mateo is incredibly sweet. There is this attraction but both are guarded and trying to navigate their feelings...especially when one of them is dead. I liked how it unfolded to give us a possibility of hope and the antagonism between them made it such fun. As this is YA there is some kissing but there is no spice.

"When you love someone, it's building a library and filling the shelves...all the years and memories are still right here, catalogued inside us."

The setting and world of this book is the perfect autumn read. The spooky school, the history behind the school, and the chilling mystery to unravel created this atmosphere I really found myself getting into. The story follows a typical style that was well done and easy to follow. I was able to guess the majority of the twists but the lead up to them was enjoyable. The writing was smooth, the dialogue, and detail keep the reader involved from start to finish. And the ending capped off an adorable romance I fell into effortlessly.

If you are looking for a quick YA romance with ghosts, mysteries, romance, and secrets this is a book I highly recommend checking out. I will definitely be watching out for more of Rachel Moore's books as the release!

Thank you Netgalley and HarperCollins Children's Books for the e-ARC.

I recognize that as a 30-something adult I am not the target audience for this. I definitely enjoy reading young adult still, but young adult (YA) books in today's market tend to be written for the older end of the target spectrum: 16-18 year olds. Plus a lot of adults still read YA, and adults are typically the people with disposable income to throw at books, so the YA market accounts for this, too. This book is written for the younger end, 12-14 year olds. Not to say a 15+ couldn't enjoy this either. But I am more than double the age range. The book is written with a clear dialogue that makes it very approachable and easy to read. A lot of sentences are short and not overly descriptive, but the book also does a nice job in creating a dark academia atmosphere. The plot isn't overly complex, either, which if you haven't experienced as many stories as I have, then you may be much more invested in this.

The characters are very young feeling, which is another area that YA books of today sometimes fail. I think I as an older reader like the teenage characters that feel mature as they seem more logical or realistic to my current self. I don't get annoyed by their choices. But younger readers have more fun in life and don't act old. They see how these characters react as reasonable or entertaining. I truly think I would have adored this book if I was the target audience. I was always looking for ghost romance books back in the day and I couldn't really find them. The school setting is also a lot of fun-- I have always enjoyed a school setting in fantasy books. I definitely recommend this for the target audience and wish this book much success as there is a need for more YA books for actual YA readers.

This was a fun, quick paranormal romance read. It's pretty basic, nothing breaking the mold here, but it's perfect for the YA audience (I'm thinking of some of my high school students in particular who would love this). I do love Este's skepticism when she arrives and her mission to learn more about her dad.

This book was interesting. I enjoyed Este’s character and when she arrives at Radcliffe Prep she doesn’t believe in the paranormal. I liked that she really wanted to find a place where she could connect with her father, while also finding someplace more solid to call home. I appreciated that she also was able to finally connect with her mom and realize that her own connection to her husband was when she was out doing all the things he wanted to do. Both were trying to find ways to keep his memory alive. I think that is beautiful. I also enjoyed Mateo. He was a fun mixture of snark and vulnerability. Both Mateo and Este played well off each other and created a lovely romance that was believable and a joy to read. Thank you so much to HaperCollin’s Children’s Books, Katherine Tegen Books, and Netgalley for allowing me to read an advance copy of this book.

I really enjoyed this! Spooky season is almost upon us and this was the perfect way to kick it off. It’s got a dark academia setting with a haunted library, a hot ghost, a ghost hunting club, and a prep school with a sinister history. Did I mention a hot ghost? I liked Este a lot as the MC, and Mateo was such a book boyfriend. While the villain was pretty obvious right away, there were other things I didn’t see coming that made up for it. Overall a gripping fast paced read that will get you into the spooky spirit.

Thank you to HarperCollins for the ARC!

I wanted to love this book so bad, it all the elements, dark academia, hauntings, danger but it just did not come together well. It took a while to really get going but by the end, it fell flat.

I thought this was great for a debut novel! I had a couple issues. 1. I thought the pacing was a little off. 2. The similes were a bit over used. Other than that, I really enjoyed this. It was an engaging fun read.

Today I want to talk about the last book I read (and loved) and I'm talking about The Library of shadows by rachel moore !

As you know I'm obsessed with autumn, crisp&cosy vibes and spooky season and this book is literally the embodiment of it all!

The library of Shadows is a paranormal mystery YA with a romance between a girl with a strong and stubborn character and a ghost (very hot)!

I loved Este, the protagonist, so much… really determined, very funny with her jokes and also super stubborn.
I also loved the male protagonist, our beautiful ghost Mateo and let me tell you… it's a cinnamon roll!
I also really liked the secondary characters especially Posy who reminded me a lot of Enid from the Wednesday series.

Highly recommended if you've loved Wednesday, The haunting of Bly Manor, Casper and of course if you love autumn, dusty bookshops and books set in haunted schools!

Thanks to netgalley and harpercollins harperteen for providing me with this ARC!
The library of Shadows comes out everywhere on September 5, 2023!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Rachel Moore for providing me with a complimentary digital ARC for The Library of Shadows coming out September 5, 2023. The honest opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Radcliffe Prep is on the list for third most haunted school in the country. The occasional student disappearance isn’t rare and no one chooses to stay in the library after dark. Este Logano enrolls in the school with the hopes of finding her deceased father.

Not literally. She doesn’t believe in spirits. Going to her dad’s alma mater just feels like her best hope at figuring him out.

In the meantime, Este meets Mateo, who is definitely a real ghost. And an irritating one at that.
When Mateo frames Este for a stolen rare book from the library’s secret spire and then disappears, Este will have to hunt him down or risk being expelled and leaving Radcliffe early just like her father.

Except this hunt might be more dangerous than Este ever thought. As she investigates the library with its secret passageways, dark tunnels, and haunted halls, she learns that the student disappearances aren’t just myth. And if she isn’t careful, she’ll be the next to vanish.

I wasn’t quite sure what to expect, but I really enjoyed this book! I love ghost stories and I thought the plot was really interesting. Ghost romance is always mysterious and fun. You never know what’s going to happen. I loved the twists and wasn’t quite expecting the ending, but I think it worked for this story. I thought the writing was good and definitely showed what it’s like to be a teenager. I also enjoyed the backstory for Mateo.

I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys paranormal stories!

The Library of Shadows by Rachel Moore is a fantastic debut, this is a really sweet paranormal romcom.

The Library of Shadows combines some of my favourite bookish things; a dark academia setting, hot ghosts, mystery and books. For a relatively short novel Moore packs a lot into it, the pacing is pretty quick and the romance is pretty insta lovey but Este and Mateo are so cute so I'll forgive them.

I really liked Este as a character, I felt pretty protective of her and I liked seeing her character grow, I wish we could have seen more with her group of friends and their adventures though. Mateo is another sweet character but he's a pretty typical book boyfriend.

The vibes in this book are immaculate, I enjoyed the paranormal aspect but would have loved for it to be explored more, same with the mystery vibes, there was a lot of potential to lean more into the mystery aspect as it was pretty predictable but everything was wrapped up nicely so I appreciate that!

If you love spooky things, autumn and Halloween this is the perfect book for you.

Unfortunately this book was not for me. I ended up having to DNF at 30%. The writing was really choppy and I hated that we were just dropped straight into the story with almost no background or understand of the situation. Our main character also took it too easily in stride the fact that there were ghosts and paranormal things running around while also having a very insta-love relationship with one of the ghosts. My absolute biggest pet peeve is an insta-love story and this was definitely one of those books. The book needed to ease us into the story more and make us actually care about the main character before major plot points happened.

This should have been an easy 5 star with the dark academia setting and romantic ghosts, but it was a huge miss.

If you asked for a dark academia book recommendation based on vibes, I'd give you this one.

Este has one wish: to attend Radcliffe Prep, where her father went as a high schooler. Heartbroken after his death, she feels like it is her last chance to connect with her dad from beyond the grave. She doesn't get quite the experience she is hoping for when she is framed for stealing a priceless book on the first day by a handsome ghost, Mateo. As punishment, she has to work the night shift at Radcliffe's library and convince Mateo to give her the book back or be expelled. When she finds out that Mateo has his own reasons for wanting the book, they work together to solve a century-long mystery, where Este's dad is at the heart of it.

The closest we get to a fantasy world in our ordinary lives is New England in the fall. Rachel Moore brought to life every academia nerd's dream. A haunted library, secret passageways, and the joy of being surrounded by books of all shapes and sizes. Without being overly descriptive, the world came to life in a way that made me forget I'm in the hottest state right now.

The mystery in this book wasn't the worst I've read, but I did want more. I think it will still work well with other readers, but the twists were a tad too obvious for my liking. To its credit, the plot wasn't dragged on for the sake of being longer, but I still wish the reveals could have been more alluded to than outright stated. This is definitely more of a personal opinion, as I read a lot of thrillers and mysteries outside of the fantasy genre, which has really shaped how I view mysteries. It was fun and had a decent number of twists, but there will be readers who will connect the pieces quicker the Este.

The romance was cute, even though it strayed into instant love. Este is very protective of her heart, not wanting to get hurt again after her dad's passing. We see this in how she pushes away those who try to be her friends. Mateo was very charming and sweet, and I liked seeing the connection between the two of them. I was hoping for a little more build-up, but considering how short the novel is, I was still satisfied with how the two came together.

All in all, I think this will be a charming little read for all of my fall girlies, and those who dream of having a hot ghost boyfriend.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins Children's Books for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!

I didn't enjoy this at all.... I found it lacked substance.
I think I may need to move away from YA books.