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darlingsterns's review against another edition
3.0
3 ★ The Dark We Know is a solid read. I loved the atmosphere of the story and Wen-yi Lee's ability to capture specific moments in such a strong way. I find that nowadays young adult books usually have this specific type of first-person point-of-view writing style that I'm just not a fan of, but I really enjoyed how this book was written. It was written in a distinct voice, and Lee's talent for writing shined from the first page to the very last. There were interludes sprinkled throughout the story written with a collective "We" which I loved and found creative.
I'm not the biggest horror reader, but the premise and comps seemed intriguing enough to try. With horror or thriller books, I love it when the narrative is full of emotion, and my favorite books in the genre combine both emotion and speculative elements. Fortunately, The Dark We Know deals with emotional themes alongside the main plot, which made the book feel more authentic to me. I found the characters well-written, though I preferred the side characters (who are dead) to the main characters and wished there were more scenes with them.
I saw that the author compared her book to the song "seven" by Taylor Swift, and I definitely see the comparison. In fact, there is a scene that I feel is directly inspired by the lyrics, though I'm not sure if that was intentional.
The reason why I am only leaving three stars is because I have mixed opinions. While I loved the writing style, the atmosphere, and the themes explored, I didn't like this book as much as I had hoped. For a horror book, I felt it lacked suspense and tension. There were some intense scenes, but I never felt on the edge of my seat. The book also felt pretty confusing, like important information was left out, and could have benefitted from being a bit longer, as it was a relatively short read. Also, I don't typically enjoy books with religious elements, so those moments did not stick out.
Trigger warnings (provided by the author): Suicidal ideation & suicide, grief and depression, references to self-harm, pregnancy scare anxiety (side character/not main plot), domestic abuse, body horror, religious trauma and general trauma
I'm not the biggest horror reader, but the premise and comps seemed intriguing enough to try. With horror or thriller books, I love it when the narrative is full of emotion, and my favorite books in the genre combine both emotion and speculative elements. Fortunately, The Dark We Know deals with emotional themes alongside the main plot, which made the book feel more authentic to me. I found the characters well-written, though I preferred the side characters (who are dead) to the main characters and wished there were more scenes with them.
I saw that the author compared her book to the song "seven" by Taylor Swift, and I definitely see the comparison. In fact, there is a scene that I feel is directly inspired by the lyrics, though I'm not sure if that was intentional.
The reason why I am only leaving three stars is because I have mixed opinions. While I loved the writing style, the atmosphere, and the themes explored, I didn't like this book as much as I had hoped. For a horror book, I felt it lacked suspense and tension. There were some intense scenes, but I never felt on the edge of my seat. The book also felt pretty confusing, like important information was left out, and could have benefitted from being a bit longer, as it was a relatively short read. Also, I don't typically enjoy books with religious elements, so those moments did not stick out.
Trigger warnings (provided by the author): Suicidal ideation & suicide, grief and depression, references to self-harm, pregnancy scare anxiety (side character/not main plot), domestic abuse, body horror, religious trauma and general trauma
kamharellano's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Back in 2015, I was a pretty active lurker on r/nosleep. I very quickly became obsessed with stories that are now considered creepypasta classics, such as The Left Right Game and The New Fish. But my absolute favorite was Borrasca. The Dark We Know has the exact same creepy mining town vibes that Borrasca does, and for that alone I was ready to give this book the full five stars.
However, Wen-yi Lee takes her craft to a whole new level by putting a fresh, unique spin on the typical story of an isolated dying town. There's so many topics that this book tackles, and it does so in a well-flowing, seamless manner that manages to leave readers on the edge of their seats while also tantalizing them with enough breadcrumbs to lead them to the correct conclusion. And when that reveal comes, it comes with all the satisfaction of correctly guessing the killer or the ghost's motive in a really good horror movie.
I love Asian horror. I would consider myself connoisseur of it. And The Dark We Know is a shining example of what makes Asian horror really great. The ghosts are evil because in life they were oppressed by someone more powerful than them? Check. Complicated family dynamics? Check. The emotionally checked out/neglectful mother shown a little bit of grace and emphasized that she's also just a girl? Asian eldest daughter syndrome? Religious trauma? Check, check, check,.
I read this as an e-ARC but I'm definitely getting myself a finished copy once the book's out because I fully intend on rereading this in October. This is the perfect spooky season read!
However, Wen-yi Lee takes her craft to a whole new level by putting a fresh, unique spin on the typical story of an isolated dying town. There's so many topics that this book tackles, and it does so in a well-flowing, seamless manner that manages to leave readers on the edge of their seats while also tantalizing them with enough breadcrumbs to lead them to the correct conclusion. And when that reveal comes, it comes with all the satisfaction of correctly guessing the killer or the ghost's motive in a really good horror movie.
I love Asian horror. I would consider myself connoisseur of it. And The Dark We Know is a shining example of what makes Asian horror really great. The ghosts are evil because in life they were oppressed by someone more powerful than them? Check. Complicated family dynamics? Check. The emotionally checked out/neglectful mother shown a little bit of grace and emphasized that she's also just a girl? Asian eldest daughter syndrome? Religious trauma? Check, check, check,.
I read this as an e-ARC but I'm definitely getting myself a finished copy once the book's out because I fully intend on rereading this in October. This is the perfect spooky season read!
linuswickworth's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
The Dark We Know is a gothic horror that follows Isa, just returned to town after her father's passing. She's got a plan to stay only long enough to collect her share of the inheritance, and return back to the life she's made away from Slater. However, the town and it's ongoing mysteries quickly pulls her back in and she's caught in the middle, the same way she was two years ago when she left.
This book took a couple of chapters for me to really understand who all the characters mentioned were, but once I got a hang on the who's and how's, it became easier to keep track of what was happening. Isa was part of a friend group growing up that has been severely fractured in the past few years, with other teens either missing, dead, or vilified by the town.
This is a book that dives into the history of this supernatural town, with both past and current stories interweaving in a way that leaves both the reader and the surviving characters trying to figure out what is going on, and how to possibly stop it from continuing. This is a well written story and a lot of thought has gone into it, and I especially enjoyed the 'interludes' that happen every few chapters, that give a different narrative perspective.
This is a book that takes the entire length of the story to come together - so if you're reading and confused about certain things, it's a good idea to keep going until the end.
This book took a couple of chapters for me to really understand who all the characters mentioned were, but once I got a hang on the who's and how's, it became easier to keep track of what was happening. Isa was part of a friend group growing up that has been severely fractured in the past few years, with other teens either missing, dead, or vilified by the town.
This is a book that dives into the history of this supernatural town, with both past and current stories interweaving in a way that leaves both the reader and the surviving characters trying to figure out what is going on, and how to possibly stop it from continuing. This is a well written story and a lot of thought has gone into it, and I especially enjoyed the 'interludes' that happen every few chapters, that give a different narrative perspective.
This is a book that takes the entire length of the story to come together - so if you're reading and confused about certain things, it's a good idea to keep going until the end.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide attempt, Gun violence, and Suicide
Moderate: Violence
Minor: Deadnaming
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