I think I read this in some kind of fever dream trance state because I cannot remember a single thing about it, except that it consumed me and I was having a great time letting it do so.

The Dark We Know is a haunting and atmospheric debut, with an emphasis on LGBT+ representation in a suffocatingly small town, religious-induced horror elements, and how trauma shapes our present. It's achingly beautiful, and I look forward to my preorder arriving so I can reread is a more present state of consciousness.

As I read The Dark We Know, I follow Isa’s inner thoughts and witness her processing the world, her emotions, this place that’s trying to destroy her and everyone she loves. The first-person approach allows me to get to know Slater—this haunted town of interwoven family histories, narratives, and secrets—and feel what it’s like to be a young adult trying to survive grief and heartbreak and violence. I most admire the author’s ability to submerge us in the liminal space of wraiths and phantoms through such sharp and gorgeous prose; in the end, we’re given something so tangible. The Dark We Know is a place-based story that allows readers to truly understand how place shapes us (“I’m so made of this place, it feels like if I cross that border, I’d just fall into nothing”) and provides a new way to understand themes of belonging. Lee humanizes young adults; the author treats her characters like persons and avoids infantilizing them through powerful reflections of the inner and outer conflicts they face (“Jesus, that’s embarrassing to say when we have such bigger problems. But isn’t that the point, that we were—are—kids with stupid problems that feel like our whole world, and it doesn’t mean we deserve any less?”). Lee tackles YA literature tropes such as we’re in charge of our own destiny with a refreshing twist (“But we get to choose what we do with the hurt”). The chapters where the monster is voiced and the page darkens and my hand is scared to keep turning, to insert this chilling voice in my brain, are brilliantly done – I, like Isa, am fully submerged and feel the horrors of this place. A truly ingenious and exquisite debut.

I struggled a little bit with the writing in this one, but despite that I think it has a lot of merit. It absolutely feels like the most literary thing I've read, while still appealing to teens and weaving some beautiful lessons about grief and moving on into the book. The plot is a new take on teens take on a small town monster (an angel! in this case) and there were some good twists that I didn't see coming. It's beautifully written and almost made me cry (a feat). I can see why it's getting starred reviews and I look forward to what Lee does next!

This was such a wonderful, spooky, and liberating book. It has so many details that I love, the Appalachia setting, ghosts, dark angels, spooky old houses and families, and one awesome heroine. Definitely recommended for older teens and up.

The Dark We Know will be out on August 13, 2024. This is a YA lyrical horror standalone perfect for fans of She is A Haunting & Nestlings. I am someone who doesn’t read the synopsis before going in, so the turn of events was unexpected. Small towns and thrillers are my thing, and yet I never expected how dark this would be.

This was a perfect read for Pride Month as TDWK has a bisexual Chinese FMC and is moreover a book that allowed the characters to explore their sexual identity. The journey into reading this book is similar to spiraling into a certain darkness, with its creepy atmosphere and deep writing that analyzes grief and specifically depicts religious trauma. Wen Yi-Lee was able to write a book about innocence and childhood with a deliciously sinister turn. I highly recommend for others to add this to their TBR and read it in the future!

I saw one of Wen-yi Lee's tweets about this book being inspired by Spring Awakening a couple weeks ago and immediately requested it on NetGalley and added it to my TBR. I'm a big fan of haunted narratives, characters, and hometowns and this book absolutely captivated me from the start. It's not just haunting though; it's intimate, painful, jarring, full of grief, and a little unsettling in the best way. Lee's writing style absolutely lends itself to these feelings, and there are some beautiful, lyrical reflections on the self, family, and relationships threaded throughout the horror and mystery aspect. This book is tearing open old scabs of childhood memories and pain, haunting imagery, weird ghosts and angels, and navigating grief and horror. While horror has a tendency to be viewed as needing to be at the edge of your seat and waiting for a scare, Lee does a great job of building the tension slowly, and showing us that horror isn't always big scares, but can be something more overarching and a slow burn that leaves you aching to know what's going on and how it will be resolved.

A harrowing, haunting, and thrilling debut with lush, beautiful prose and an exploration of grief that will stay with you long after you finish reading!

“Healing is stopping the knife, but it’s also tending to the wound. It’s letting the disinfectant sting.”

The Dark We Know by Wen-yi Lee is a hauntingly lyrical, beautifully grotesque YA horror about the fragile threads we weave together through trauma and pain about grief and anger, around love and belonging, with prose that buries itself deep inside you and consumes your every thought well after it is over.

Art student Isadora Chang returns home to Slater, a dying mining town, after the death of her abusive father, and finds unearthed secrets and a dark supernatural creature in the small mountain town she left behind who has only grown stronger since she left. With the help of her childhood friend and medium, Mason, Isa has to finally solve the mystery that has haunted her all her life before it threatens to bury her with it.

All in all, Wen-yi Lee crafts a masterful story about generational and religious trauma and loss and longing through the intertwining of art, ghosts, and an emotionally driven prose that ultimately explores the different ways we heal and grow as human beings that will sit with me for a long time.

Thank you to Netgalley and Gillian Flynn Books for providing this e-arc in exchange for a honest review. All opinions in this review are my own.

There's a lot to like here! The emotional journey Isa goes through, along with the other characters, is compelling and powerful. However, there were issues for me with the world building in this, as well as the overall plot. I didn't get a clear sense of the town, or the people in it, aside from the main characters. I had a hard time following the mystery, and there were a few reveals/plot twists that felt unearned, or outright confusing, because there wasn't much foundation in the story. Still overall strong for a debut and I'd be very interested in reading whatever this author does next!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!!

This story deals with pain and regrets. I wanted to read it for AAPI month but then I also turned into a good book for Mental Health Awareness month. This actually hit harder than I thought it would. I got annoyed with Isa a little in the beginning when she was talking with Mason but I also get her reasoning as the story goes on. Her leaning and never wanting to look back makes sense. I really liked Trish, even if sometimes I didn’t understand her character all the way, she seemed like a solid older sister and she obviously really cared about Isa and their mom.

This could be a potentially triggering book as it deals with suicide and extreme thoughts of self loathing. It also deals with abusive/neglecting parents. The way this plot went was very unique and I liked the idea that were presented. I don’t want to spoil too much since it’s a bit of a way till it comes out, but this was a good heavy read. I love the messages of friendship and love. Even if you can’t let go, there’s still reasons to push forward. The friend group that Isa, Mason, Wren, & Zack had was so sweet. I always wished I could have had childhood friends like a YA novel.

I rated this book 4 stars. I liked this book a lot. It was really well written and the characters were amazing. I recommend everyone to read this book.

I was really looking forward to this book after reading the blurb, and I can say that it did not disappoint! I look forward to reading more by this author.

The story here was interesting, mysterious, and emotional. It took the concept of angels and turned it sideways.

Every character was damaged, traumatized even, in some way. While understanding these folks are bound together by something they don't understand, it still fell odd.

I did enjoy the characters and their complicated relationships. I felt like darkness was certainly present here just not in the way you might anticipate.

The author is talented and wrote something richly textured that I hope you'll enjoy.

This is the first horror novel I’ve ever encountered with a Chinese female mc! Love seeing some Chinese representation in this genre! Returning to your hometown to find that all your childhood friends have been murdered by a supernatural entity the local medium begs for your help to stop the evil? I mean come on. That sounds like a peak fun horror reading experience.

“There’s a tangible shift in the world between Slater and everywhere else, something you don’t feel until you’ve been out and back again. A degree darker, a degree colder, the air a fraction thicker.”

I love small town horror settings but something about Slater just makes me even more uncomfortable. It’s a mining town and just the way it’s presented and described makes me feel like the whole place is off. The town has a lot of local history involving plague experiments and more recently, lots of disappearances. The setting is great. The creepy vibe is there from the start. But for some reason, I just couldn’t really get into this book and I don’t know why. For some reason, I just couldn’t get myself interested and invested and usually with horror that isn’t the case. There was nothing wrong with the book….I just couldn’t get into it. Nonetheless, this was very well written. Mason was SO unlikable, though I don’t think he was intended to be written as an unlikeable character. Nonetheless, could not stand him. Horrible attitude and super snarky and aggravating.

Also, I personally didn’t find this scary enough. But I’m also a pretty seasoned horror reader, and I’ve read a lot of haunted house and small town horror in my day. It does take more for a book to scare me, so this may not be the case for someone else who gives this a try. This just didn’t have the urgency I was seeking, at least not for me. This was just a little too….weird for me. And not scary enough. But, this wasn’t at all a bad read, and just because it wasn’t for me, doesn’t mean that others might not enjoy this more than I did!

Thank you to Netgalley and Gillian Flynn Books for sending me an advanced copy in return for my honest review.

Oh boy, did I LOVE this book!
For starters, the MC's voice was so clear, so vivid, almost loud to the point I couldn't ignore her or stop thinking about it. I related to so much about Isa and the way she felt, her family dinamics, her pursuit for her self, the right to be herself and be accepted. That was one of the things that most resonated with me and that made me not want to put this down.
And then there was that all vibe about the small quarry town and its people, their religiousness that was verging on the fundamentalist obsessive, the secrets the entire town kept or pretended not to know, the weird deaths, the complete absurdity of them and how most people just chose to ignore what was blatantly obvious. The caste system within the citizens of that town, too, written in such a subtil manner. The writing is extremely good, in this book, as a matter of fact, in terms of prose and imagery and the way the narrative is woven together.
Then there was 80s, 90s Stephen King vibe, and to me, this book was filled with it. I felt very much back in my late teens, early 20s reading the King like there was no tomorrow, experiencing the exact same fremits as I followed along the trail of crumbs the author kept putting in my way. This was hands down one of the best reads of the year, for me, and I will be very curious to see where the author goes next.
Thank you to the author, the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC copy of this novel. The opinions stated in this review are my own and honest.

A hauntingly beautiful YA horror that explores grief, depression, and belonging. Wen-yi Lee is a master of prose, and I devoured every haunting word. Truly a stunning debut that will linger with me for a long time to come.

"It doesn’t seem fair, that grief is so everlasting, while the happiness seems to fade as the moment does."

(this quote is taken from the arc and might be subject to change)

Damn, that was a wild ride!

Unlike my buddy reader, Mai, I'm a huge fan of this specific genre of horror. (Think The Ring mixed in with Silent Hill vibes.) So, this was straight up my alley.

I'll admit though, the first half was a very (almost excruciatingly) slow build. It read very YA and very melodramatic to the point where I was feeling pretty meh about it.

But despite all of that, the author has such a talented grasp on language that her words flow beautifully onto the page. It's both emotional and philosophical. I was in awe. I highlighted several quotes that I'll share at the end of this review.

Anyway.

Then the midpoint happened, and the second half was a roller coaster ride.

I was here for it. I was here for all of it: the cult-like religion that choked the town and its people, the creepy Angel ghost that reminded me of pyramid head, Samara, and Weeping Angels from Doctor Who rolled into one villain, the exploration of grief and death, the loss of childhood innocence (if there ever was one), coming into terms with a queer identity, life as a mixed-race kid whose BIPOC identity is stifled, parental abuse and neglect.

Lord, the themes were theme-ing and the vibes were vibing! If the first half didn't have such a slow start, I'd easily give this 5 stars.

I can't wait to read more from Wen-yi Lee! Off to check out her short stories now.

Here are a few of my favorite quotes: (taken from the arc and might be subject to change)

"There’s comfort in a familiarity that never needs explanation, never comes with the fear that revealing yourself will change everything."

"Learning to sympathize with my mother will definitely, completely make the rest of my life more complicated. But maybe she deserves that just like my friends and I do. To be seen as a whole person instead of one story, one label, one past wrong."

"For the longest time, I thought that nothing can hurt you if it can’t get to you. But the things that hurt leave their bruises. Healing is stopping the knife, but it’s also tending to the wound. It’s letting the disinfectant sting. It’s wrapping it in gauze, even if it shows you’re fragile. It’s giving it time and care until it closes over itself."

Thank you to Gillian Flynn Books and NetGalley for this arc.

Buddy read with Zana

The Diverse Baseline

June Prompt B: A book by a BIPOC Indie author

★★★★½ rounded up

This is a haunting, lyrical debut in the same vein as The Dead and the Dark. I'm a baby, and anything slightly scary causes me to lose sleep, so in this instance, I find YA horror to be more palatable to my tastes. This book still caused me to lose a bit of sleep.

Artsy Isa Chang returns to Slater, the small town where she grew up, for her father's funeral. His isn't the first death. Several young people are mysteriously missing or dead. Slater is an old mining town run by a very rich family.

While Isa finds making connections difficult, she grew up with three other close friends, two of which are now dead. The one that is still alive, Mason, grew up an outcast in town. His mother is the town medium, in a very close-knit white evangelical society. There's tension.

Some hear songs on the wind. Some hear it in the stone. Some are shamed. The Church knows something. Isa's mom knows something. Are you scared?

THE DARK WE KNOW is devastatingly beautiful. Wen is a one of a kind author, and I can’t wait for everyone to be blown away by her gorgeous words next year!

I may or may not be the author who just wanted to see how the arc looked, but I think it's a good book