Wen-yi Lee’s The Dark We Know is a masterful blend of mystery and emotional depth that keeps you on the edge of your seat. With lyrical prose and haunting imagery, Lee explores the complexities of family, memory, and the secrets we carry. The twists are perfectly timed, and the richly drawn characters make this story unforgettable. A must-read for fans of atmospheric and thought-provoking fiction.

I liked this book, but I didn't love it. It was a nice story idea, but I had trouble connecting with the characters. I found myself putting it down and waiting days to pick it up again.

I was really excited to read this one, but I could not do it. I couldn't connect with any of the characters or care about anything that was happening. I only made it halfway, starting and stopping so many times before I said okay. This one is not for me.

This ist a poetically written story about grieve, loss and the strength to continue to live your life despite the many set backs you will have. This was dark and gruesome at times and so very relatable, I really enjoyed reading this book.

I absolutely adored this! The characters, the setting, it was such a thrilling read!

Isa only comes back to the small town she grew up in after her abusive father dies. Without that threatening presence, the trip should have been bearable, but when she begins to hear things, and her drawings become reality, she and her friend Mason, need to discover the truth of what is haunting the small town before it takes it next victim.

A perfect read for the Halloween Season!

There were a lot of strong reviews of this one, but I was personally a bit more mixed on it. The atmosphere is good, however.

(I received a free digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review)

Slater has a rich history of people's pain. Called the Angel by locals, a being feeds off this pain using nightmares to derive more.
Called by the death of her abusive father, Isa returns home. After the death of two close friends, Isa ran off to college, putting herself and a life together. Now Isa is force to experience Slater, her loss, and Mason - the friend remaining.
The song returns - one she has heard since a child, now being revealed in her drawings.
Great building of tension, backstory and unhinged Slater residents.

I really wanted to enjoy this book but it just wasn’t for me. I struggled to get into the story and found that it took a bit too long for the action to ramp up. I think the plot had a lot of potential but ultimately there wasn’t enough early character development to keep me engaged.

Really enjoyed this book, slow in some places however it was very uniquely written and the story line was different enough that I happily stuck with it. Was a great overall story, and the characters and story were really unique!

The story had me on the edge of my seat, gripping my chair at the whole entire time even though this was a YA book, I was completely addicted to it the whole entire entire time and I’m so glad that I was accepted to read this book. It was an amazing ride, and I can’t wait to see what other books this author has.

Though it tells rather than shows a little too often, The Dark We Know is a solid, finely observed young adult horror yarn.

Written by Wen-yi Lee, The Dark We Know comes to us from Gillian Flynn Books, so it seems appropriate that there's more than a hint of Flynn's own Camille Preaker in Lee's troubled protagonist, Isadora Chang — and, for that matter, more than a hint of Sharp Objects' ruminations on trauma and repression in small-town America in this narrative. Isadora returns from art school to Slater, the mining town where she grew up, to attend the funeral of her abusive father, and it's immediately clear that she doesn't relish this homecoming: as soon as she steps out of the car, she refers to "Slater winter smothering me like a friend," a nice bit of description that says a lot about how she feels about Slater and even more about how she feels about friends.

In fact, two of her childhood friends are no longer living, and after her alienated upbringing in this dead-end place, Isa is in no mood to get close to anybody, least of all here. But the plot has other ideas, and soon she is approached by Mason Kane, son of the local medium and her last remaining friend. There's something out there, says Mason, that killed the others and recently claimed the life of wealthy young Paige Vandersteen — and Isa needs to help stop it. But what, exactly, is it? Could it be the same presence that sings enticing songs to her in the wind? That makes her draw pictures she can't remember creating, one of which is of the departed Paige?

There is no shortage of narratives about trauma these days — especially horror narratives — and the broad strokes of this story may seem a bit familiar at first glance. And sometimes Lee bluntly states something that could have been made richer with imagery ("for most of our childhood, the four of us were inseparable") or gives her characters on-the-nose dialogue ("I can't afford to be not normal"). What she excels at, though, is something just as important: the well-chosen detail. The absence of a Bible on the mantelpiece represents how the house breathes easier without a malignant father. A lingering scent suggests his influence hasn't gone away as quickly as Isa, her mother, and her sister hoped it would.

Nothing goes away as quickly as any of the characters hope in this book. Just as nothing seems to change in Slater — still run by one wealthy family with its own demons to fight, still insular and hushed and secretive — there seems to be no rest for Isa or Mason or anybody else until the past is confronted in one form or another. I can't spoil the mystery of exactly what form this takes, but suffice it to say, it makes for a satisfying conclusion.

The Sharp Objects comparison may do The Dark We Know a disservice. It's a very different story: explicitly supernatural, geared towards younger audiences, and considerably less venomous. It is, in any case, exactly what it aims to be: Lee sets her sights squarely on the target, and hits it.

"The Dark We Know" is the debut by Wen-yi Lee and oh my what a great one!

In the past years I realized that YA Horror is actually horror that I like: Not simply gory, not simply told but with deeper themes, issues and characters. And this book fits perfectly into this realisation.

Especially how the horror is connected to events in the past and how our protagonists interact with those events and their influences on the problems at hand is something I really liked.

The connection between the characters in the now and the past a few years ago from the time of the story is richly described and I like how supernatural elements are presented. How our protagonist is a conduct for even more and how she always felt like "the song from the mountains" is not good but frightening.

How everything is put together in the end was quite amazing and I love the representation of diversity along the way. I would also love some stories with Otto! ;D

I really liked this horror story even as I had some issues with the pacing at the passage of the beginning to the rest of the plot.

Thank you, Netgalley and Zando, for providing me the eARC of The Dark We Know, by Wen-yi Lee 🦋 Unfortunately, this book disappointed me. I expected more and better. There were confusing parts, errors in the time sequence of events and the themes involved ended up being more important than the story itself. In other words, I absolutely respect and appreciate how religious, homophobic and prejudiced traumas are talked about in this book. However, the story took a back seat so that we could have these life lessons, which could have been present in the story in a much more natural, organic way, but that's not what happened, in my opinion. It is, regardless, a genuine portrait. I greatly appreciate this heartfelt exploration of such heavy and real themes. The problem is that the story got lost. I finished reading this book feeling that I didn't retain much of it. The beginning was good. We are introduced to these themes in a more natural way, but that stopped happening as I kept reading. Still, as I said, these are themes that, thankfully, are increasingly explored in literature, but here, that exploration got lost. There was more to do in this story and everything was just... scattered.

But not everything was bad, of course. The writing is atmospheric. It really is a dark read, there is something that is haunting about it, but that feeling was better felt at the beginning. For example, there is this idea of a house that could be a haunted entity, but, well, that was one of the things that got lost along the way, sadly.

There is not much to say about the writing, except that I really liked the chapters from the perspective of the Angel, the great supernatural entity in the book. Again, another thing whose execution fell short regarding my expectations.

As for the characters, it is possible to empathize with them, but I also expected more from them. They did not captivate me completely.

It is a book that suffers a lot from there being so many things that could happen. There are so many paths that could have been taken and they would have been fantastic, so interesting, but the execution was done too quickly and we lose our way while reading the book. We lose our reason for being curious about reading the book.

I give it 2.5 ⭐

This book took my breath away. Lee is an outstanding talent and The Dark We Know is a gem of YA horror.

Beyond slate, stone, and ginseng, The Dark We Know is a compelling debut that discusses grief, abuse, and sexual identity with open eyes and raw emotion. Its diverse characters are relatable and real, and I'm excited for all the lives this story will touch!

In the vein of The Haunting of Hill House Isa's homecoming is riddled with painful memories and an evil she tried to forget, but it never forgot her. An evil that uses its victims' greatest wounds to prey on them and claims their lives, like Pennywise in IT. Hill House being one of my favorite horror productions of all time, I absolutely loved the horror in The Dark We Know!

This book is a beautiful defense of what makes life worth living! Worth surviving. It's threaded with a frayed cord of self-acceptance, forgiveness, and a bolstering representation of queer identities. This is a beautiful book with a powerful message. Keep going.

A Small-Town Haunting: The Dark We Know by Wen-yi Lee
Wen-yi Lee’s The Dark We Know follows Isadora Chang, an art student who left her small hometown after the deaths of two of her best friends. Two years later, she returns for the funeral of her abusive father, where she encounters her last surviving friend, Mason. Mason tells her that he suspects their friends were in fact murdered by some sort of supernatural being that haunts their town, and he needs her help to stop it from killing anyone else.

In the acknowledgments, as well as on social media, Wen-yi Lee said her inspirations for this book were her love for the Deaf West production of Spring Awakening and the Taylor Swift lyric "are there still beautiful things?" And having now read this book, yeah. Those were her inspirations, very clearly.

I have to be honest--I don't really care for Spring Awakening, but I do like that Taylor Swift lyric, and I loved this book. It is exactly the kind of horror I love--queer, more emotional than scary, the haunting is real but also a metaphor--and exactly the kind of retelling I have the most success with--queer, inspired by something I have enough familiarity with to recognize the references but not so much love for that I get frustrated when the author's interpretation of something is different than mine. (Yes, this isn't technically a retelling, but, like, it’s definitely fanfiction, and I mean that as a compliment, or at least a neutral statement. I am a fanfiction defender until the day I die).

Now onto the book itself, first of all, I loved the writing. There were so many quotes I wanted to underline because they hit me so hard, and so many others that were just beautiful. The ending was just passages upon passages I wanted seared into my soul.

The characters were just as lovely. Isa, the protagonist, is exactly the kind of YA protagonist I want to see more of--angry queer teenage girl who is doing her best and doesn't always manage it, but who keeps trying. Watching her navigate her strained relationships with her mother, her sister, and Mason—not to mention the deceased Zach and Wren, on whom Isa once had a crush—could have kept me reading even without any of the supernatural mystery elements.

I also appreciated that, though Isa had little love left for the town or the people in it, the book still managed to maintain some sympathy for them. There were horrible people, and there were flawed people, misled people, but there were no caricatures, no sense that they deserved whatever happened to them and they should simply be left to suffer--but nor were they absolved of any wrongdoing simply because they had suffered too. This book managed to balance the desire to extend sympathy and forgiveness while also making it clear that sympathy is not always enough to actually earn forgiveness, and while I love books that manage to strike that balance in general, I think it matters even more in YA.

Now, I don't want to go too in depth about the ending, but I do want to say that this book absolutely nails it, and my love for it would not be nearly so strong if it had been anything but what it was. This book was so, so beautiful, and I'm so glad I read it. If you’re a fan of emotional YA horror, this should absolutely be on your list.

TAGS: *****, horror, ya, bisexual main character, Asian main character, Asian author, main character of color, author of color, Wen-yi Lee, vic

Wen-yi Lee’s The Dark We Know is a haunting and lyrical debut that weaves together elements of supernatural horror and deep psychological exploration, making it a perfect addition to the YA horror genre. For fans of atmospheric, slow-burn horror in the vein of She Is a Haunting and The Haunting of Hill House, this novel delivers eerie tension, a chilling sense of place, and a complex protagonist grappling with her own demons.

At the center of the novel is Isadora "Isa" Chang, an art student who has distanced herself from her hometown of Slater—a bleak former mining town haunted by tragedy and an oppressive atmosphere. Isa’s departure wasn’t just about finding her place as a bisexual young woman but also an attempt to escape the suffocating weight of the deaths of two childhood friends. Wen-yi Lee writes Isa as a deeply layered character, someone who is hardened by trauma yet still vulnerable in her need for connection and closure. When she returns to Slater after the death of her abusive father, she is pulled back into the darkness she tried so hard to leave behind.

The novel does a great job of setting the tone early on. Slater is a character in itself—a place full of shadowy valleys and lingering pain, where the ghosts of the past are both literal and figurative. The setting is one of the strongest aspects of The Dark We Know, with Lee’s descriptions of the eerie, oppressive town adding to the sense of dread that builds throughout the novel. The combination of Isa’s return, her complicated relationship with her last surviving friend Mason, and the disturbing re-emergence of her artistic visions creates an atmosphere of mounting tension.

Mason’s revelation that their friends were not merely victims of accidents but were murdered by a supernatural entity adds a layer of urgency to the plot. The mystery of the dark force haunting Slater is well-developed, and Lee masterfully keeps readers guessing as to the true nature of the evil that lurks in the town. The supernatural elements, while terrifying, also serve as a metaphor for the traumas and unresolved emotions that both Isa and Mason must face. As Isa begins to experience strange occurrences—haunting music in the wind and drawings she doesn’t recall making—the reader is drawn deeper into a story where the line between psychological horror and supernatural threat blurs.

Isa’s artistic connection to the entity, manifested through eerie sketches that seem to appear from nowhere, adds another layer to the horror. Lee’s exploration of art as a means of expression, but also as a medium for something darker, is both creative and unsettling. It forces Isa to confront not only the grief she’s been running from but also the sense that this darkness has been inside her all along, waiting for the right moment to emerge.

The pacing of The Dark We Know is deliberate, allowing for a slow build-up of suspense. Some readers might find the slow burn frustrating, but the payoff is worth it as the novel’s revelations come to light. Wen-yi Lee handles the themes of trauma, grief, and identity with care, ensuring that Isa’s emotional journey feels just as important as the external horror she faces. The novel’s themes—of how past wounds can fester and grow into something monstrous, and how unresolved pain can continue to haunt us—resonate throughout.

While the horror elements of the story are chilling, what stands out most is the exploration of the characters’ relationships, particularly Isa’s strained friendship with Mason. Their shared history and mutual pain create a strong emotional undercurrent to the story, giving the horror a deeply personal edge. Isa’s growth, as she learns to stop running from her past and confront the grief and fear that have shaped her, is one of the most compelling aspects of the novel.

If there’s one critique, it’s that some of the secondary characters and their connections to the central mystery could have been more fleshed out. The entity’s origins and its connection to Slater, while unsettling, might have benefited from a bit more depth or backstory. However, this doesn’t take away from the overall effectiveness of the story, which remains deeply atmospheric and emotionally resonant.

Final Thoughts:
The Dark We Know is an impressive and unsettling debut that blends supernatural horror with a powerful exploration of trauma and grief. Wen-yi Lee creates a chilling atmosphere and a compelling, haunted protagonist in Isa, whose journey back to Slater is as much about facing personal demons as it is about confronting the town’s dark forces. For readers who enjoy slow-burn horror with psychological depth, this novel will leave a lasting impression, proving that sometimes the scariest things are the ones we carry inside ourselves.

The Dark We Know is a YA horror with a bisexual Chinese American main character. The blurb reeled me in so fast because it mentioned things I love reading about like supernatural entities, creepy small towns, murder, and queerness. Add the forest cover in and it was a must-read for me.

Unfortunately The Dark We Know didn’t quite live up to my expectations. I still enjoyed it overall so it wasn't a complete bust but I didn't fall in love with it the way I thought I would with all those elements on its side.

I think one of the reasons why The Dark We Know didn't click with me completely is because the dark entity just confused me. I tried to make it make sense, I really did, but after reading the whole book I’m still confused. Keep in mind though that I read an ARC so this might have been cleared up in the final copy! But as I read it, I was one big question mark regarding this element.

One of the things I did like about the book was the queerness of so many of the characters. I was living for it!! Queer teens really do find each other a lot of the time, and I love to see it on page like this.

Overall, the creepiness of literally everything in the town from the parents to the history to the church and everything in between did give me the horror vibes I was looking for when I picked up The Dark We Know.

I want to thank netgalley, zando books & wen-yi lee for the arc & the opportunity to read this book. I want to start by saying the atmosphere on the book & the vibes around the mystery in this book were immaculate. I think it was one of its highlights, how we are living in the town next to our protagonist, the girl that brings the memories, the childhood ghosts that many have forgotten about. Wen-yi craft really shows through, the longing, the family problems, the never ending dreams of escaping what we sometimes, can not. I liked all the characters, from the mother to Mason, to the friends Isadora has already lost.
One of the main themes in the book, i think, is both the generational & religious trauma. Isadora is haunted by this entity heavily related to the loss of one indentity, this untouchable, unreachable thing. How in the process of solving the issue at hand, we get to know who she was before, where she used to go, her ties to the church, to this pastor (that i felt close to the one in the midnight mass, albeit a bit less gruesome giving this is a book aimed towards a younger audience) that has reinforced the idea that this entity is somehow 'cleansing' the town, that it will come again. As you can see, i am impressed but also wonderfully amazed by practically everything in this book.
Also, & not a thing i can overlook, is how enjoyable it was to see the characters coming to terms with who they like, with who they fell in love with. We have bisexual characters, a transgender character taking a big part towards the second half of the book. It was so good seeing them front & center of the action, how the reveal was nothing out of the ordinary or out of place. I had me kicking my feet, excited.
Again, thank you to the author, the publisher & netgalley for the arc, it was so refreshing going back to reading young adult books & finding this gem. Also, this is definitely directed to those, like me, who enjoy little to no romance at all, but still feeling the closeness & reading the different versions of love there is between characters.

I’m so sad that I didn’t love this book, it sounded like a book that I would absolutely love but I struggled with it. I tried several times but just couldn’t get invested in the story.