Sometimes a book will just grab you with its wild and wacky narrative and not let you go until its final pages.
This is the case with Tori Bovalino’s thoroughly entertaining small-town supernatural horror I, In The Shadows.
We follow Drew, a queer teenager who upon moving into a new home in a new town, discovers it also comes with the restless spirit of one of the former residents Liam.
The crux and heartbeat of this story is the developing relationship between Drew and Liam, and how they can help each other reach two very different goals.
Bovalino sprinkles in a bit of mystery to proceedings, as Drew looks to find out how Liam can crossover to the other side but first she must find what’s keeping him with her.
While the Beetlejuice comparisons are obvious, I, In The Shadows is very much its own story and carries some heavy themes around death, loss and making peace with the past.
The love element of the story is slightly uneven, but the relationships within the story are messy too, so in that sense they kind of fit well.
This was a fast read for me, with Bovalino crafting short, sharp chapters which will keep you page turning until you reach the satisfying conclusion.
This is the first great read of 2026.
I, In The Shadows by Tori Bovalino is available now in various formats from Titan Books.
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