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A review by bookdragon217
Your Shadow Half Remains by Sunny Moraine
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
"In the end, maybe it's disturbing how easy it was to adjust. How easy it is for the worst things imaginable to become normal."
I won Your Shadow Half Remains by Sunny Moraine through a @goodreads @tornightfire giveaway and it was such a creepy, little mind game. For such a short tale, it had all the terrifying elements I love that made me close the book at night because it was eerie and sinister. I love an unreliable narrator, atmospheric writing and dystopia caused by an event where the consequences aren't fully revealed yet. This one is described as Bird Box mixed with the Last of Us and it lived up to the hype but it also gave so much area as far as tension and character struggle. I was completely tuned in and couldn't wait until the truth was revealed.
The psychological aspects of this story are what really kept me interested until the end. The author really took her time building this world and introducing characters that had an air of mystery about them. I didn't really know who to trust because the characters were guarded but their world's circumstances amplified their isolation and feelings of anxiety about others. In their world, literally looking at someone could be the trigger to activate the "infection" that causes someone to spiral into violence. Riley, the main character has been isolated for so long that when she comes in contact with Ellis, old traumas resurface and her mind begins to play tricks on her. As a reader at one point, even I questioned if there even was a reason to not look because no one had a definitive answer as to what exactly was the cause of their current situation.
The mood definitely parallels the paranoia and fear people have felt during the last several years of this pandemic. By the end of this one, I could definitely understand how eventually some people could just snap and how the mind plays tricks on people in order to protect them from their innermost demons. The ending was jarring and left me with my jaw on the floor because it was pretty twisted. I have so many questions but I'm almost afraid to know more because this one really makes you feel uncomfortable and makes the hairs on the back of your neck stand up.
If you fancy slow paced, horror novellas with lots of gore that delve into what happens to the human psyche when pushed to the limit then definitely give this one a try and read it in the dark. Movies and shows that come to mind when I think about this one are: The Strangers, The Walking Dead, The Crazies and The Happening. I loved this one so much I can't wait to read more of Moraine's work.
I won Your Shadow Half Remains by Sunny Moraine through a @goodreads @tornightfire giveaway and it was such a creepy, little mind game. For such a short tale, it had all the terrifying elements I love that made me close the book at night because it was eerie and sinister. I love an unreliable narrator, atmospheric writing and dystopia caused by an event where the consequences aren't fully revealed yet. This one is described as Bird Box mixed with the Last of Us and it lived up to the hype but it also gave so much area as far as tension and character struggle. I was completely tuned in and couldn't wait until the truth was revealed.
The psychological aspects of this story are what really kept me interested until the end. The author really took her time building this world and introducing characters that had an air of mystery about them. I didn't really know who to trust because the characters were guarded but their world's circumstances amplified their isolation and feelings of anxiety about others. In their world, literally looking at someone could be the trigger to activate the "infection" that causes someone to spiral into violence. Riley, the main character has been isolated for so long that when she comes in contact with Ellis, old traumas resurface and her mind begins to play tricks on her. As a reader at one point, even I questioned if there even was a reason to not look because no one had a definitive answer as to what exactly was the cause of their current situation.
The mood definitely parallels the paranoia and fear people have felt during the last several years of this pandemic. By the end of this one, I could definitely understand how eventually some people could just snap and how the mind plays tricks on people in order to protect them from their innermost demons. The ending was jarring and left me with my jaw on the floor because it was pretty twisted. I have so many questions but I'm almost afraid to know more because this one really makes you feel uncomfortable and makes the hairs on the back of your neck stand up.
If you fancy slow paced, horror novellas with lots of gore that delve into what happens to the human psyche when pushed to the limit then definitely give this one a try and read it in the dark. Movies and shows that come to mind when I think about this one are: The Strangers, The Walking Dead, The Crazies and The Happening. I loved this one so much I can't wait to read more of Moraine's work.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Murder and Violence