Imagine at any moment when you look into someone’s eyes, you could do descend into a haze of violence and attempt to kill anyone around you, and if there is no one else left, you kill yourself. How would you cope? Would you decide to end your own life before the inevitable or live a life of near complete solitude?
Riley lost track of how long she’s been alone when a man moves into her deserted neighborhood. Shortly after his arrival, weird things happen around Rileys home. Despite her suspicions, she can’t help but be drawn to his presence. And even though it could lead to a fate worse than death, all she wants to do is look.
This short book was well-paced, and kept me on my toes. There was a lot of mention of gore but not in an overly descriptive way. I won’t say too much because it’s the kind of book you don’t want to over-contextualize before hand. I was a little unsatisfied with the ending but that could just be a me thing.

It took me awhile to get to reviewing this book, because I wasn’t sure how I felt about it. I’m still not really sure. I can’t explain much without giving a lot of way; I think it’s best to go into this book blind and just….go with it. It sits with you for a while after you read it. I suppose that means I liked it; if I didn’t, it wouldn’t stick around. Definitely try it; it’s a short read so it’s worth the time!

Riley hasn’t seen another human face in longer than she remembers. No faces, no eyes. Not if you want to survive.

When a new neighbor moves down the street, Riley seeks out their comfort. Ellis makes her feels safe. As they grow closer, Riley’s grip on reality begins to slip and she can no longer fight her deepest desires.

This dystopian novel was thought provoking and interesting. It would be so odd to not be able to look people in the eyes. Even though this is something I struggle with myself, it would still be odd not to be able to. And if you do, the person dies, that’s just wild. Riley’s character was multifaceted and complex. It is often hard to give a character adequate depth and distinction in a short novella, but it was done well here. This entire book has so much tension and such an eerie feeling to it, that I didn’t want to put it down. I simply devoured this one, and at this length, it was easy to do in a single sitting. The ending was left rather ambiguous, so you are left to come up with your own interpretation. Sometimes I like this, and in this case it worked.

If you are looking for a complex story with an unreliable narrator, then check this one out.

Thank you so much to Tor NIghtfire for sending me a copy of this highly anticipated novel, and also netgalley for the e-arc.

Also, love the cover!

One of the most intriguing pillars of horror fiction that initially brought me to the genre is the idea that fear within the setting of isolation often leads to madness or insanity. This idea was first introduced to me in high school when our required reading included Edgar Allen Poe’s, The Raven. If you’re not familiar with that work, the eerie cadence of Poe’s words details a man living alone, haunted, as represented by the arrival of a raven at his door. In this same vein of isolated terror, Sunny Moraine examines the deeper facets of humanity in the face of a “pandemic” that results in the complete elimination of gazing upon another’s countenance.

Moraine details current society as bleak and utterly violent. Should one human look at another’s face, endless brutality ensues until both parties are deceased. Shards of mirrors scatter the floor, reflective surfaces have been covered, and photographs burned in the name of preserving what is left of humanity in this desolate landscape. There are lots of unanswered questions about this particular “virus,” if that’s even what it actually is. Isolation seems to be the only way to survive despite this working against every fundamental rule for a successful continuation of the human race. Your Shadow Half Remains follows one girl, Riley, as she attempts to continue living in the midst of so much uncertainty, violence, and utter chaos. While she has a system that works for her living in a remote house, things drastically change upon the arrival of a new neighbor, Ellis.

The focal point of this story revolves around the idea of trust on numerous levels such as the trust we all have for any human being existing alongside us in society, trust in those we care for the most, and above all, the trust instilled in our own sense of perception. When any of these levels are attacked, our sense of vulnerability skyrockets as made apparent by Riley when she meets Ellis. While she yearns for human interaction (however limited it may be), she must make a clinical decision of whether or not to trust a total stranger. Ellis may present himself in a genuine manner, but given the state of the world, how can she know if what he says is true? If he will always announce his movements to prevent accidental gazes? This balance of trust and human connection escalates an already overwhelming sense of suspense and terror given that one wrong move equates to certain death.

Speaking of suspense, Moraine sprinkles weird happenings throughout our time with Riley that call into question, well, everything. While the book is written in third person, Riley’s perspective is the only one that’s shared. I found myself thinking of Donna Tartt’s character Richard from her acclaimed novel The Secret History who is known to be one of the most unreliable characters in all of fiction. With each chapter, the sense of distrust of Riley grows. She starts seeing things that may or may not be there, it seems like someone may have been in her home, and the nightmares start. Without much sanity to begin with in a world such as this, it feels as though Riley is spiraling into her own form of madness. This descent is the perfect vehicle for the horror that thrives in this book.

On uncertain ground, objects and instances that are already terrifying only seem to expand in their unnerving capabilities. More than one scene had me genuinely spooked and fearful of what may be watching me despite my lack of watching them. So much about Riley’s story plays on the human fears of our senses. With sight stripped, other senses take center stage, creating new opportunities for fear to thrive. There’s an overwhelming feeling of the true primal nature of humans when they are reduced to madness and isolation, a true look at how quickly a person can devolve. What’s more frightening than that?

Clocking in at just under 160 pages, Your Shadow Half Remains incites the most primitive of fears and calls into question the meaning of humanity in the face of solitude. The conclusion is one that left me staring at the wall for a while contemplating the most basic questions of what it means to be human. While there’s some room for interpretation, my understanding of this book is one that stresses the need for community and love and to not take these practices for granted. Being able to include so many ideas and concepts in such a short span is no small feat; with each word, Moraine constructs a world filled with dread and isolation only to reveal the true need for connection. Shining in the darkest of lights, Your Shadow Half Remains needs to be on your radar for horror fiction in 2024.

<i>Your Shadow Half Remains</i> is going to sound familiar to anyone who has read Josh Malerman's <i>Bird Box</i>, but don't let its similarity fool you: Moraine's novella takes a high concept premise and uses it as a way to explore meaningful and powerful conversations about intimacy, desire, loneliness, and agency in a way I have not ever seen done so skillfully. Whereas I felt that Malerman's text was missing the human emotional element necessary to make it a piece of capital-L Literature, Moraine's novella thrives in its taut, timely, and anxiety-ridden examination of human intimacy.

The novella just does everything I want a book to do: it takes a neatly-packed speculative concept and then interrogates it to discover what it says about our human condition. The book presents feelings of isolation and intimacy with shredded nerves. It's an allegory for an alienated society desperately in need of human connection, but suffers too greatly from a disease that makes that connection impossible (or, at least, highly difficult). There's some killer social commentary in here, and an anxiety-fueled plot that keeps pages turning.

<i>Your Shadow Half Remains</i> is yet more evidence that horror really is <i>the</i> genre for tackling complex human issues, and all the evidence I need to put Moraine at the top of my authors to watch for future projects. It's easily a most-anticipated release for me in 2024, and I cannot wait to see what Moraine has in store next.

This book is described as The Last of Us meets Bird Box and I think it was such a great description. The story is about Riley who has been living alone for two year in the midst of a pandemic where if you look at someone in their eyes, you go mad. She is craving human interaction and soon meets a new neighbor, Ellis. I love the eerie feeling that is felt throughout this story. Although some parts were hard to follow, I did enjoy that everything is not necessarily answered. It leaves a lot open to the reader.

Thanks Tor Nightfire for sending me a copy and Net Galley for an ebook!

Thank you to NetGalley, Tor Publishing Group, and Sunny Moraine for an advanced copy of this book in return for an honest review.

I rated this book 4.5 stars, rounded up to 5.

Riley is living in a post-pandemic world, where if you make eye contact with any other human being, you become "infected" with rage and become a violent killer. Isolation is the new way of life if you want to survive. It's been so long since Riley has had contact with another human being that when a new neighbor moves in down the road, Riley starts to question her own sanity, and whether or not she can trust this new person.

Most of the creepiness and tension definitely comes from the isolation aspect and the thoughts that Riley is having. There is also a lot of unresolved questions regarding this rage-type sickness; which to me, not knowing is what makes things even more terrifying. The pacing of the story definitely picked up during the last quarter of the book. It was a quick read, with short chapters. I didn't want to put this down and was able to finish it in a day.

If you enjoyed The Bird Box by Josh Malerman, zombies (or variations of zombies), unreliable narrators, and a post-apocalyptic setting, then this book is for you and you're in for a treat!

Thank you @tornightfire for the #gifted copy of this book!

This book was awesome! It was horror, dystopian-ish, apocalyptic and I loved it all! The story starts out where you don’t really fully understand the back story of why Riley, this poor girl is living on her own and has not seen another human in quite some time. The reason is it seems like some sort of virus has swept through and made everyone evil and insane. Don’t look people in the eyes or you too will end up the same way! Freaky right?! However, a new neighbor, Ellis, moves in and she realizes she is craving human contact. Ellis seems to be normal and not one of the people affected by the disease and pandemic that has made everyone go mad. Soon however reality lines blur and Riley tries to understand if she herself knows just what is true or if she herself had gone mad.

Being that this is a novella I finished this one in one sitting. Mainly because I just needed to know what was happening to Riley. This book is bone chilling, frightening, eerie and quite frankly made me want to lock my doors. 🤣 I loved this creepy trip down this post apocalyptic world where you mustn’t trust anyone or look anyone in their face. The author did such a wonderful job making you feel the loneliness and need for human interaction! Loved this book and can’t wait to see what Sunny comes up with next!

Can we also talk about how creepy and amazing this cover is?! It’s perfect! Love it!

I enjoyed the atmosphere and detail in this book, but maybe due to the length I found it to just be slightly lacking. The descriptions in this were incredible though, I really felt like I could see what the author was talking about. I am not usually fond of unreliable narrators, so this is mostly just a personal preference but I would have appreciated a bit more clarity at the end.

this book gave me the chills... i couldn't put it down tho! it was so creepy but also kind of cozy as well

thank you netgalley for the e-arc!

This was very scary! I'm not sure if it was the length or the plot, but I felt like this was trying to say something very deep and never quite got there? There was just a little something missing, but particularly at the beginning I was very into this. I would read more from this author.

There is nothing I love more than an unreliable narrator and Your Shadow Half Remains delivers on that concept completely. Our main character seems to be handling her isolation well, isolation brought on by a Bird Box style unexplained murder virus, but each page further we get into Riley's story the more confused and confusing her situation becomes. Overall, I enjoyed this book but fair warning to others, do not go into expecting answers or coherence because that is not going to happen.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Nightfire for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Your Shadow Half Remains is blurbed as “Bird Box” meets “The Last of Us” and it definitely lives up to both of those comparisons! The story follows Riley, a woman living alone by a lake while a pandemic, violence, and uncertainty unfolds around her. We meet Riley 2 years into this ‘new world’ and she has adjusted to life on her own…or has she? Things change when Ellis moves in down the street…

Moraine builds suspense and tension from page 1 in a way I haven’t felt since reading The Shining for the first time a few years ago. There are also strategically placed scenes and instances of visceral violence that really bring the reader into Riley’s world and help root the reader in her reality. There were several times reading this where my notes said “EW GROSS I LOVE IT” so body horror fans, this may be a novella for you!

This novella is eerie, dark, and unsettling with an unstable and unreliable main character which adds to the creepy atmosphere Moraine builds throughout the story. I found myself thinking of this novella before falling asleep last night whenever I heard a strange noise in the house or outside.

At times, the dialogue between Riley and Ellis and Riley’s internal monologue got a bit confusing for me but I loved the unreliability of Riley as a narrator. It was a little slow to start, but once things started happening, I was invested and read it over the course of an afternoon/morning.

4.5/5 stars (rounded up to 5)

A classic unreliable narrator with a dystopian world wrapped in a suspenseful thriller.

I went into this not knowing it was a novella and it surely changed my outlook when I realized its true length.

Nothing that starts out this unsettling can have a succinct narrative that ends out well.

At times it felt like it dragged, which doesn’t bode well for me, but the last couple of chapters really picked up the pace.

In the end I was thoroughly creeped at and did appreciate the nuanced details to what happens when the mere glance of another human’s eyes sends you into a murderous rage.

Thank you to Tor Nightfire and NetGalley for this digital arc in exchange for an honest review.

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! I fell to the FLOOR when I got a copy of this beauty in the mail. I am BEYOND thankful to Sunny Moraine, Tor Nightfire, and Netgalley for granting me advanced digital and physical access to this dystopian horror before it hits shelves on February 6, 2024.

Riley has been alone for a long time. Ever since it happened... What's 'it,' you might wonder? Well, it's when the world stopped moving forward, and people were turning into ravenous psychopaths after making eye contact with other humans. This chaos could last a couple of minutes or a couple of days, but regardless, the result always leads to a brutal death. Many tried to cut out their eyes to prevent their demise and ostracize themselves from the world, but these two options never worked out in the end.

Riley is alone until one day, she's not. She stumbles upon Ellis, who is also isolated and somehow seeking companionship -- which is a survival no-no. Riley is suspicious of Ellis's intentions but is eager to look just for a little and learn more about this new neighbor of hers. Is she here to stay and be friendly, or is she one of the 'infected' and there to taunt her on her last remaining days on Earth???

You'll have to read to find out.

Crows are my favorite birds. They have shiny beautiful feathers, they hang out in a murder, and they never forget anything. Remember when you shooed one away a year ago? Oh, you better believe that birdy remembers what you did. Seeing the darkness with the crow on the cover sold me instantly. That cover is the start of this beautiful nightmare.

This was deliciously weird and I loved it. It was a such a unique twist on a pandemic sweeping the nation and one that made me shiver. In fear or delight? You'll just have to guess for yourselves. The story threw me because it wasn't what I was expecting and things did get a bit confusing but it really added to the story. Usually, that would turn me off but I became more glued after having my mind working overtime.

Riley is a pistol and one strange bird. I'm not sure about much in life but I know that we need more Riley in our lives. She is ready to set the world on fire and I'm ready to watch it burn.

Your Shadow Half Remains was absolutely incredible. One of my favorite reads of the year. I'll be leary to look into anyone's eyes after reading this.

This is so good! Killer suspense overlaid with erotic queer tension. It was so nightmarish and felt like this intense fever dream, and though the ending was a little ambiguous for me, I did love the direction it took.

Very creepy but by the end left with too much uncertainty to be satisfying - do they go mad? Would have liked a stronger sense of finality and inevitability

This book was so derivative of Josh Malerman's Birdbox, even if it was short, It was so bland and uneventful I just did not have the patience to finish it. So this was a DNF for me.

[arc review]
Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Publishing for providing an arc in exchange for an honest review.
Your Shadow Half Remains releases February 6, 2024

Set in a post-apocalyptic world, quite like <I>Bird Box</I>, where looking directly into the eyes of someone else is deadly and will make you go mad.

Our main character, Riley, hasn’t looked into the eyes of someone else in over 2 years. Living an isolated life to herself, she’s been devoid of any human interaction, until a new neighbour shows up.

The character is a bit unreliable and unstable given her surroundings and way of adapting, but it brings intrigue and a sense of unease to the story.
YSHR lacks in complete originality, just because there are stories like this already out there, though it was still enjoyable to read.
The horror themes and violently graphic scenes were illustrative and amplified the eerie setting.

<i>“In the end, maybe it’s disturbing how easy it was to adjust. How easy it is for the worst things imaginable to become normal. Or maybe, she’s wondered more than once, that was just her finding it so easy. If so, she’s wondered about what that would mean.”</I>