This novella took all my favourite parts of the horror genre and delivered them to me tied up in a neat little package. It's slow, ravenous and deeply introspective; a messily unfurling nightmare that catches you by the throat and squeezes until you're breathless and lost. I loved every word. Sometimes I had to physically put the book down and look away. I won't be thinking about anything else for days.

Many thanks to Tor Nightfire, NetGalley and Sunny Moraine for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

If you like creepy, disturbing stories then this book will be perfect for you.

It isn’t splatterpunk, but it has some gory parts that would appeal to fans of that sub genre. It isn’t erotic horror, but for sure has elements of that sub genre as well. There are definitely elements of psychological horror, so I think perhaps that’s the best fit for this unsettling book.

I don’t typically enjoy horror but do read something every October in this genre and this book fit the bill exactly.

I love horror or supernatural thriller like this! We are dropped into an already existing event, with just a little info here and there about how it all started and how it is going. The event has already happened and we are seeing the current state of the world. A strange ailment is overtaking people, turning them into crazed killers. If you look someone in the eye, you go mad. I find that so fascinating.

We follow Riley who is so starved of human interaction, she makes a connection with newcomer in the neighborhood, Ellis. We get to see this eerie chain of events play out, interspersed with memories of her past, key moments that shape who Riley has become. Drawn into Ellis’s orbit makes her want to throw caution to the wind and look… and a lot of this book is the struggle she has with wanting that and ultimately knowing what it would mean.

In a book like this, you won’t get all of the answers you are looking for, but that is the beauty of it. That is what makes it so intriguing. This book begs the question of how the human mind can be affected by this kind of lack of human interaction and what it would do to a person. And I loved every single moment.

Listen I EAT UP an unreliable narrator...especially one with queer yearning like yes okay yes. This novella gives you all the spooky scary creepy vibes through the eyes of someone you don't know if you can trust and I loved every second. I thoroughly enjoyed the writing and thought the prose was beautifully haunting

It took me a long time to read this short book. I would start reading, get distracted by another book, and forget to come back for a while. I just didn't click with it. I kept coming back though, because I wanted to understand what was going on. I still don't completely understand, but the ending really was pretty good.

Riley hasn’t seen another human face in years. Being alone is the only way to stay safe when one look can kill. But when Ellis moves in down the road, Riley finds herself breaking the very rules that keep her safe. Her desperate need for connection overwhelming her rational brain. Or was she ever rational to begin with?

Your Shadow Half Remains is just what I like in horror. It was short, unsettling, and had a slightly confusing/ unreliable narrator that suits this genre so well. The novella perfectly conveys the sense of growing unease that mirrors the character’s own unraveling. I was pulled in from the very beginning. I love how the narrative gets more confusing and contradictory as Riley gets less and less sure of reality. And the ending was perfect for this story. Nothing is wrapped neatly into a bow, there is no final answer to all the questions asked along the way but this is not the type of story that needs a clear cut ending. The story gave me all the feelings that I look for in a horror story and I would definitely recommend it!

This was an incredibly spooky and well-developed novella. Even though our main character, Riley, spends a lot of time wearing dark sunglasses or otherwise shielding her eyes to make sure she doesn't make eye contact with anyone else, the imagery in all the scenes is so detailed and rich. Riley's sense of increasing hopelessness was palpable, as was her fear. The twist at the end honestly really freaked me out. I'm really looking forward to any new horror by Sunny Moraine.

TW: Language, murder, suicide, death of family, gory scenes, death of child, sexual assault, depression, anxiety, toxic relationships

*****SPOILERS*****
About the book:ONE LOOK CAN KILL.
Riley has not seen a single human face in longer than she can reckon. No faces, no eyes. Not if you want to survive.But when a new neighbor moves in down the road, Riley’s overwhelming need for human contact makes her throw caution to the wind. Somehow, in this world where other people can mean a gruesome, bloody death, Ellis makes her feel safe. As they grow closer, Riley’s grip on reality begins to slip and she can no longer fight her deepest desires.All Riley wants to do is look.
Release Date: February 6th, 2024
Genre: Horror
Pages: 176
Rating: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

What I Liked:
1. Writing style
2. Story sucked me in
3. Very atmospheric
4. Quick and fast chapters

What I Didn't Like:
1. Some parts rambled
2. Confusing things happened
3. Introduced to sleepwalking only after something has gone wrong & not before

Overall Thoughts:
I loved Bird Box so when this book had an arc I begged for it. I love books that deal with end of times and scary things that stop humans from functioning. Unfortunately, I felt like reading this book was like spinning in circles and then trying to do a puzzle. There were so many times I was lost and confused on what the author was trying to tell us what was even happening. There were a lot of great quotes and feelings that gave me the feels. Then there were a lot more times where things were said that left me scratching my head.

Character talks about how she hasn't seen her reflection in years but how does she avoid it in the computer monitor or when she had her phone?

Riley is dealing with a lot. Her mother died. She's witnessed a lot of murders and suicides. She's decided to live in the middle of no where. Things start happening. We find out she cut the eyes out of her mother and maybe even killed her (unsure). She then has killed a man that shows up at her house because he was in an accident with his daughter. I don't understand when he shows up he makes no mention of this but gives her random words. Perhaps she wasn't paying attention and only hearing what she wanted to hear.

I didn't get that with all the deaths and suicides that the world was still able to function enough to have food and even online orders going out. Having lived through a pandemic we suffered it feels worse then this fictional world. The world is built up but it just feels like a minor inconvenience to our character.

It's very ominous if Ellis is killed at the end but it's mentioned that he has a bloody mouth after she kisses him.

Final Thoughts:
So much felt as though it was missing from the story. The beginning made sense but after Ellis showed up it stopped making sense. Perhaps that was the intention of the author but it left me wanting more.

It didn't live up to my love of Bird Box. That book is perfect. That book scared me and gave me the creeps.

WOW. Holy Moly was this amazing. I want every horror book I read to make me feel this uncomfortable.
Visceral writing - I could feel the eyes watching from everywhere, even when they weren't there. Or were they? I really felt the main character's unease at the state of her own sanity. Did anything I read in this book happen? Did it all happen? Who knows. I loved it.

I enjoyed this fun dystopian novel. It had a unique premise that I found to be quite creepy. Riley living alone for so long and slowly losing her grip mentally was an entertaining and discomforting read. You could really feel her deep want for human connection and fear of what may happen if she lets herself have it.

I am kind of torn on this one. It's not bad, by any means, but I think I expected to like it more than I actually did. I mean, c'mon... when you compare it to Bird Box?? That book absolutely blew me away. How can anything come close?!

The similarities between Your Shadow Half Remains and Bird Box stop at the "don't look directly at it" premise. In this case, the "it" you can't look directly at are other people's eyes, not strange alien wind things. Because here, if you look someone directly in the eyes and they are infected, things will go very very badly for you. Like you'll go crazy and start eating them badly.

So we follow our narrator Riley around her little isolated home in the woods after she throws her cell phone into a lake, a house that belonged to her grandparents, that became hers once their lives endled in a bloody mess, a mess she hasn't had the motivation to clean yet. She's been surviving on her own for a long time, ordering what she needs online, ignoring the news updates on the virus, enjoying her peace and quiet until a strange woman named Ellis greets her at the end of her driveway. The woman claims she's new around here, having recently moved into a house down the street to escape the strict rules of her old development.

Starved for human interaction, but also scared shitless to be around another person again, Riley and Ellis develop a tentative relationship, visiting each other with blinders on, but Riley's having a hard time trusting her. Ellis talks a lot but doesn't seem to be sharing much, and ever since she's made herself known, Riley's been experiencing strange and worrying things that seem to be escalating in dangerous ways - she catches glimpses of human shaped silouettes outside and footprints in the grass outside her window, she wakes one morning to her computer wires cut, and one evening she notices writing on the walls in her hallway. Is it Ellis? Is it someone else out there? Or worse, is it her, sabotaging herself without her knowing?

Needless to say, Riley's an unreliable narrator, and Sunny Moraine does a pretty decent job of creating doubt and loads of tension as the story progresses. It's an interesting spin on a familar horror trope and it kept me reading, page after page, trying to figure out just wtf was going on out there in those woods!

I requested this one because it might be an upcoming title I would like to review on my Youtube Channel. However, after reading the first several chapters I have determined that this book does not suit my tastes. So I decided to DNF this one.

"Your Shadow Half Remains" by Sunny Moraine is a gripping and harrowing post-apocalyptic tale that explores the fragility of human connection and the consequences of desire in a world where a single glance can be deadly.

Set in a dystopian world where making eye contact with another person can trigger a violent and fatal rage, the story follows Riley, a character who has survived by avoiding all human contact. The isolation and fear that permeate this world are palpable, creating a tense and eerie atmosphere that draws readers into the narrative.

When Riley's longing for human connection becomes unbearable, she takes a risk by allowing a new neighbor, Ellis, into her life. Their growing relationship is both poignant and dangerous, as it defies the rules of this brutal world. The novel delves into the complexities of desire, intimacy, and the basic human need for connection, even in the face of mortal danger.

Sunny Moraine's writing is evocative and haunting, capturing the desperation and yearning of the characters. The world-building is well-crafted, and the rules of this deadly new reality are both chilling and thought-provoking. The author skillfully explores the psychological toll of isolation and the profound impact of touch and intimacy.

"Your Shadow Half Remains" is a powerful exploration of the human condition, highlighting the lengths to which individuals will go to find connection and the sacrifices they are willing to make. It's a story that lingers in the mind, challenging readers to reflect on the importance of human interaction and the consequences of isolation.

Overall, Sunny Moraine has crafted a compelling and thought-provoking work of speculative fiction that explores the depths of human longing and the risks we are willing to take for connection. "Your Shadow Half Remains" is a haunting and unforgettable read that will leave you contemplating its themes long after you've turned the final page.

This sapphic horror novella is described as The Last of Us meets Bird Box, so you KNOW I had to read it.
It’s short and fast paced, so I managed to finish it in a few hours. The book follows Riley, who fled to the country side to escape a horrible rage/insanity virus that causes people to kill each other. You can’t look in people’s eyes, that’s how you get infected. She has had no human contact in years until Ellis moves in down the road and they are drawn to each other. But Riley is losing it rapidly, and Ellis might be the reason.
I love an unreliable narrator, and Sunny Moraine knocked it out of the park with this one. Riley is almost totally mad, by the end, and watching her slowly get worse over the course of the book had me on the edge of my seat.
The pure isolation and total loss of self present in the narrative was bone chilling, and I loved that the destruction of society wasn’t instant, but rather a slow decay as everything falls apart.
Overall really loved this one, 5/5 stars

I was invited by the publisher to read and review this title--thank you for the ARC!

This was short, but I found it really interesting! I assume it was for a reason but this felt so disorienting to read, and Riley's confusion and fear were both really immersive. I'm sure this comparison will be made a ton but the plot bears some resemblance to Josh Malerman's BIRD BOX (due to the focus on looking/covering eyes) but this plot was much more compelling to me than whatever BIRD BOX had going on.

I felt Riley's mistrust and paranoia and even had moments where I'd look up from reading and it would follow me back into my own reality. I do most of my reading on the train to and from work and I'd look around the train car like someone was going to lunge at me and then I'd just feel silly. So it was definitely immersive. The isolated setting was effective as well!

I won't say too much about it but the horror but it was super gnarly and I was surprised at how graphic some of it was. It didn't feel over the top at all given the rest of the plot and the reasoning behind it all but some of it was visceral and ROUGH. I really liked this and I might not have come across it otherwise!

(I received this book from the editor and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review)

Your Shadow Half Remains, by Sunny Moraine, is fast-paced, psychological, apocalypse novella, centered in this case, not so much in the apocalypse per se, but in what this new, desolated situation does to one’s mind.
Riley, the main character, has not seen a human face in a long time. Like in Josh Malerman’s Bird Box, something happens when you gaze upon somebody’s eyes; it makes you crazy and violent. Due to this, Riley is now living in isolation, in the lakeside of a forest. She orders everything online, she walks, she reads… She just tries to survive.
But something is happening to her. The first thing the reader sees her do is throw her mobile phone into the muddy waters of the lake. Then, someone moves to a nearby house. And then it all transforms into a spiral of violence and doubt. What is real? What is not?
I really like unreliable narrators, and Riley’s case is just amazing. She does not only know what is happening, what she is doing, but there are also moments in which she imagines a second scenario. But again, which one is the made up one and what just happened?
I think this novella has the perfect length for the story it is trying to tell. Sunny Moraine’s writing (and most of all, descriptions) are fantastic, and the last third of the story is just madness; deranged, gory, madness.

This book was very creepy and unsettling in a good way. The author does an excellent job of keeping you feeling a sense of unease the entire story. The pandemic mixed with a touch of gothic will be the perfect winter read.

I read this novella in one sitting--it was fast-paced and engaging to read all the way through. This one proved that post apocalyptic and infection type stories can still be fresh and exciting. A decent amount of gore which is always welcome in my opinion...I gagged, yet relished in the brief cannibal-like snippet 💁🏻‍♀️ (I hope that's ok to mention??)

While I definitely don't oppose the fact that this was a novella, I would welcome if it were a little longer.

The Shadow Half Remains by Sunny Moraine is an intense psychodrama wherein we watch the complete mental unraveling of the main character, Riley. The story takes place years after a pandemic of unknown origin spreads around the world. People who look into the eyes of an infected person lose their minds & kill each other. In response to this threat, people have killed themselves, blinded themselves, or isolated themselves to avoid eye contact with others. Riley lives alone in the mountains. She’s been almost entirely cut off & safe until Ellis appears. He announces that he is her new neighbor. Ellis' arrival triggers fear, suspicion & desire in Riley, which makes her question everything. As a reader, I couldn't tell what was real & what was delusion. The story is tightly written, draws you in, & keeps you reading til the end - & the ending is excellent.

Dreamlike, haunted, and a tad deranged. What a fun and horrible time to experience paranoia together with the narrator.