This was a solid, super-fast, propulsive read, though the well-placed copy of 'The Picture of Dorian Gray' (a 1st edition at that) really does give away the game to a large extent. I do wish Metoui's novels didn't place such focus on super-fast romantic developments, though I can see how those are almost required in YA spec. fic. these days.

Before I begin this review, I want to thank Net Galley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group for allowing me to access Portrait of a Shadow by Meriam Metoui before publication. Check out this when it is released on July 15th of this year!

Metoui has created an intriguing story involving a missing sister, a mysterious painting, and a boy with a secret past. As secrets unravel, so do the mysterious properties of a painting hidden in the back of a closet and the disappearance of a young woman's sister. This story was fun, short, and had a relatable character at the center of it all.

This book is very easy to read through! Not only were the characters enjoyable, but it was short and gave the readers some lore behind the painting and the events taking place.

Mae is relatable, representing what many 18-year-olds go through. She is trying to find her path in the world and understand what she wants to do with their life, even if this may come with her parents' disapproval. Of course, though, any good story comes with a dose of the unusual in that she is trying to figure out where her missing sister is with the help of a mysterious boy, Dev.

Readers gain insight into Dev's past through the introduction of other characters, Nik and Ravi. Dev's past is highly connected to the story's plot; admittedly, it was pretty predictable, and the revelations of his past gave perhaps too many clues about which direction the story was heading in.

The romance between Mae and Dev felt a bit rushed. While it may be understandable that they are attracted to each other upon meeting, it felt too soon for Mae to feel any connection to or trust in him.

The book's plot involves Mae going to the city to pack up some of her sister's things after she has gone missing. Of course, Mae can't miss the opportunity to search for clues while there. Finding a secretive boy and an odd painting inside her sister's apartment, Mae ends up on a path that may lead her to Inez.

While the plot was interesting, it was a bit predictable. I can't really say that there is anything in the book that I didn't see coming. Yet, it still held my attention!

I would have liked to see more from the setting, including descriptions and perhaps interactions with it and the characters. That said, it was easy to keep up with the settings, and there were enough details to have a general and vague idea of their environment.

This is great for those who love YA books with a flare of some light horror and historical fiction. Romance, betrayal, and a diverse cast of characters help bring this story to life.

Thank you to netgalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This was a really fun book. I liked Mae a lot and really enjoyed reading her and Dev’s dynamic, as well as the interludes/1891 chapters. I really wish this book was longer - I wanted to get to know certain characters more. It also seems like the ending felt more like a cliffhanger or even a sequel setup (though I’m fairly certain this is a one-off?) and I wish it was just a bit more definitive of an ending instead of taking that vibe. That being said, it was a good fast read and I’m really glad I read it!

The narrative of Portrait of a Shadow unfolds at a measured pace, gradually captivating the reader's attention. Skillfully alternating between past and present events, the story effectively integrates the two timelines, although at times the transitions may appear slightly inelegant. The overall plot is compelling, yet as the conclusion approached, I found myself pondering how the story would conclude within the constraints of the remaining pages. Ultimately, the ending materialized rather abruptly.

I was enthralled with the novel's captivating plot, which combines mystery with self-discovery, and I couldn't wait to find out what lies under the surface. However, everything seemed rather straightforward and elementary to me. The plot didn't particularly shine out in any one section of the book; at one point, it had me fascinated, but then it lost my attention.

Thank you netgalley and MacMillan children's publishing for the ebook ARC

This book follows Mae as she tries to figure out what has happened to her missing sister Inez. All she has as clues are a notebook, a white painting, and the next door neighbor with a cane.

I felt like this book had so much potential. I wished they had developed Mae and Inez’s characters a bit more. The story does a lot of time jumps in the story so I wished we saw a bit more of moments with them or of Inez with the other characters in the book.

I did really like the reveal at the end and the time jumps they did. The moments we had with those characters felt exciting. I just wished the main character had a similar impact. I also felt like there could have been a more horror aspect to the book. It felt more like a mystery/romance book.

Still enjoyed it and I am wondering if there is going to be a second book and that’s why things ended how they did or we’ll touch upon Inez’s character more. I felt like we knew nothing about her.

A huge improvement over the first book from this author. I liked the emotional core of this story, the writing was solid and creepy. Young adults will like this one.

Thank you to Netgalley for giving me this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

*4.75* but Netgalley doesn't do decimals and I couldn't give it 4 stars, it felt wrong.

Where do I even start? You follow Mae as she deals with a challenging home life after her sister, Inez, goes missing. She is convinced she can find something the cops didn't and convinces her parents to let her go back to Inez's apartment to clean it out, where she meets Dev. You follow them both on an adventure as they try to figure out what happened to Inez. This book is set in different years so you follow Mae in the present day and Dev in the past while you try to put the pieces together.

This book was really good. It only took a few days of reading to finish it (stupid work getting in the way of my reading time 😒). There were so many emotions and after the 30% mark, there was no way of putting it down. You can feel the beats of the story, the author did an amazing job with pacing and I enjoyed Mae's chapters more than Dev, he was kinda boring but the writing was great, I just gave him a side eye the whole book so his chapters were an eye-roll 😂.

Though the ending felt intentional and final, I'd grovel for a follow-up novel or novel from Inez's perspective. There was so much to her character and seeing the last 4 years of her life leading up to this book would be epic. Publisher or Agent, if you're reading this, please let Meriam know this is a need not a want 😭.

Anyway, a great book, please read it so we can have a community discussion about this.

“Home is hard when you run from it the second it catches up with you.”

“Portrait of a Shadow,” by Meriam Metoui

Mae decides to go clean out her sister, Inez, apartment because Inez has been missing for months. At the apartment Mae finds a strange blank canvas that Inez was obsessed with, according to the notes that progressively got harder to understand. When Mae feels a compulsion that the portrait is how she will find her sister and the neighbor boy who seems to know more about Inez than Mae does. Together they set off to uncover the mysteries of the painting and find Inez.

I loved this book. It was a quick read, and I didn’t get bored with any part of the book. I liked that it was a retelling of “The Picture of Dorian Gray”. I liked how awkward the characters were with each other, seeing as they just met so it really fit that they didn’t become sudden fast friends, but it developed slowly and awkwardly at times. I liked how the characters were non-white. The ending was surprising, and I did not see it coming at all, at least not with the spin that there was. Some of the things I wish were different was that if the book was longer because I wanted to see more of a deep dive visual into Inez decline and why she made the choices she made a lot more than the brush strokes we got in the book already. I also wish there were more scenes and information about why the painting was made and all that, we got a bit, but I felt like there had to be much more. 5 out of 5 stars, I really loved it.

Thank you for the Arc.

Thank you Netgalley and Henry Holt and Co. for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

"Portrait of a Shadow" by Meriam Metoui is a compelling YA novel that blends elements of mystery, the paranormal, and self-discovery together. The story follows Mae, a determined young woman fresh out of high school, who refuses to give up on finding her missing sister, Inez. As Mae delves deeper into Inez's world, she discovers a mysterious painting, encounters a charismatic yet enigmatic boy named Dev, and unravels a complex web of clues and secrets.

The novel, loosely based on "The Picture of Dorian Gray," was engaging with its atmospheric blend of mystery and romance. I liked the mystery aspect of the book, and there was a twist at the end that I honestly wasn´t expected. There is a blend of present scenes and flashbacks scenes as well as interludes with past owners of the white painting, which I enjoyed, though sometimes the flashbacks revealed information before the MC was aware, taking away some of the suspense of certain revelations. The pacing is quick, and I was able to finish this book in just a few hours as I wanted to know more about the painting. I would say this is more of a mystery rather than a horror novel; I was expecting more horror elements because of how creepy and amazing the cover is, but I still think the mystery was well done.

Mae's development and realization of her own complacency contribute to the depth of the story as she learns more about herself as well as the pressures her parents put on her and her sister. I wish there had been more insight into her sister’s perspective. There were a few glimpses with the flashbacks, but I was extremely interested in Inez’s story.

The ending of the book felt a bit rushed, with a lack of a satisfying climax. If you are the kind of person who enjoys books with a more open-ended nature, leaving room for interpretation and potential sequels, then you would enjoy this ending. I prefer a more satisfying conclusion, but I definitely understand this ending if the author wants to write a sequel.

Overall, "Portrait of a Shadow" offers a mysterious and fast-paced read with paranormal undertones, perfect for those seeking a blend of secrets, mystery, and elements of the supernatural. I think this book would pair well with “The Picture of Dorian Gray” if, for example, English teachers wanted to pair the two in the classroom in order to analyze comparisons/contrasts.

Portrait of a Shadow follows Mae on a journey to figure out what happened to her missing sister. Mae meets Dev, a mysterious man who lives next door to her sister, Inez. Dev seems to know more then he's sharing. He joins Mae on a road trip to find out more information regarding the painting from Inez’s apartment. The answers they receive lead to more questions and uncertainty.

This was a thrilling mystery that kept me guessing the whole time. The characters, the setting, and the plot were all intriguing from start to finish. I barely put it down I’ll be looking forward to reading it again when it’s released!

Let's talk covers ... omg I love this cover just amazing!

The character build and the writing of the characters was amazing!!! There was some parts that felt rushed but fir the most part I really liked the book!!!

It was an interesting read!

Thanks NetGalley for letting me read and review

Mae’s older sister Inez is missing and with the help of Dev, Inez’s neighbor, Mae sets off to find what happened to her sister. A modern retelling of The Picture of Dorian Gray, Portrait of a Shadow had a promising plot.

The story begins kind of slow and then gradually draws the reader in. Told in both the past and the present, Portrait of a Shadow mostly does a nice job merging the two timelines but sometimes felt a bit clumsy. The story was good, but as I got closer to the end, I did wonder how exactly the story was going to end with the limited amount of pages I had left. In the end, the ending came very abruptly.

Overall, I wish there was a bit more resolution at the end; maybe even an epilogue to have helped round out the story. Even with the clunky and clumsy moments, I did actually like the story and would recommend it to others to read. I hope the author writes a follow up to give readers the satisfaction of a true ending.

First and foremost, I love the reference to any "classic" book, particularly on the darker side, such as "The Portrait of Dorian Gray." I was very speculative about how the story would unfold from the beginning. When I thought the story was going in one direction, it pleasantly shocked me as an avid reader who can usually predict how a plot will resolve.

I will not deny I was rooting for Mae and Dev in a platonic sense at the beginning and found the "tension" and romance to be a little bit forced halfway through my reading of the story. Yet, midway through the second part of the story, their relationship and chemistry were believable. As for the twist of the brothers, Dev and Ravi's motives switched, and my jaw dropped in disbelief and sadness, especially with Nik and Dev's love thrown into the mix.

From a plot narrative, the story was compelling and well thought out; the only caveat I have is that the story towards the end was written to feel like a cliffhanger and a continuation of the story. As the reader, I would be content with a more tragic yet romantic ending, which allows for a more intriguing end to the character's journey.

In my opinion, the most fascinating and terrifying character was "the woman in the shadows." Visually and narratively, she was the character I saw the most in my imagination; I would've loved more background on her and her motives or her relationship with the painting. I could feel her presence from the beginning of the story and through the title of the story itself.

Overall, this story was written meticulously, and its strengths come from the mysteries of the painting itself and the horrors and tragedies that lie ahead for its characters.

I also enjoy any mention of Florence + The Machine, and I think the mention of her song, My Boy Builds Coffins, is the perfect theme song to this story in every single way!

A missing sister. A mysterious boy. And a painting that holds the truth beneath its peeling edge...

Great Y.A. horror! I was on the edge of my seat the whole time.

Portrait of a Shadow is one of the best books I've read lately! I binge read this in one setting. I was hooked to find out what was the secret behind the white painting, what happened to Inez and could Mae solve this? The characters were easy to connect to and be betrayed by. The questioning of the line between good and evil made this novel a bit more than my traditional junk thrillers. A must read.

A big thank you to NetGalley, the author, and publishers for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Mae hasn't given up on looking for her missing big sister Inez and can't believe she would just disappear like that. So when the opportunity to go into Inez's apartment to search for clues presents itself, Mae jumps on it. She runs into her sister's neighbor, Dev, and works with him to figure out what happened to Inez and they run into a cast of characters on their adventure.

What I liked:
-This was quick, entertaining read that draws you into the mystery aspect
- I really loved Mae as a character as well as the other characters we meet along the way. They truly have multiple layers to them and are relatable
- My favorite parts of the book were when we got to see the background and foundations for some of the characters and how they ended up being how they are. The historical fiction aspects were interesting and I loved learning about Dev's background and, being of South Asian descent myself, I enjoyed the inclusion of Hindi throughout his story.

Some things I didn't like:
- It has an open ending so if you like those then this book will be a satisfying read. I personally don't like open endings but it didn't take away from the story. I just wanted to be able to get some more answers
- There are some chapters that hint to the creation of the painting and its powers but then we never get a follow up on that. We never get to know how this painting and its powers came to be (unlike Dorian Gray where we know), why one of our characters is the only one who gets something from the painting and no one else, who the lady who made the painting even was, and what happened to her?

This book is marketed as YA horror but I would categorize it more as a mystery/historical fiction. It's loosely based on The Picture of Dorian Gray but I felt more of a mystery/investigative/adventure theme than horror. We did get one chapter of the POV of the painting but it still didn't quite finish the job. I still enjoyed the book but just as a different genre than what it was proposed to be.

Overall, this was a great read and I recommend giving it a try if this sounds like it's up your alley!

*3.5 stars*

Portrait of a Shadow was an intriguing read. It had the potential to be so much more, but it was still a very good book.

These characters are written so well and very complex. I liked the flashbacks and interlude chapters, they added so much depth to the story. However, it felt very rushed. If this book had many been a bit longer and more fleshed out, it would have been a 5 star read. I also wouldn’t classify this as a horror. There were nothing really creepy or scary. It reads more like a thriller or mystery.

While there were some faults with this book, I did ultimately enjoy reading it. The writing style was captivating and I really didn’t want to put it down.

What a fun and unique story. The concept of this really intrigued me and it did not disappoint. This wasn't quite as scary as I had hoped for, but overall a fun read. This is in your wheelhouse if you like: diverse characters, mysteries, lgbtqia+ friendly, POC friendly, open endings, difficult family dynamics, cursed objects

I’m going to be in the minority for this one but I just didn’t love it. For being horror, it didn’t have a creepy vibe and most of the time I had to force myself to read it even with how short it was. I was just kind of bored. I was pretty disappointed with this. I think it would have been better for the main character to learn information and then we go back in time to see what happened instead of being told what happened and know before the main character. I was really hoping to like this. All thoughts and opinions are solely my own! Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of the arc in return for an honest review.