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The Dark We Know Hardcover – August 13, 2024
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A School Library Journal Best Young Adult Book of 2024 · A Reactor Notable YA Horror Book of 2024 · A Parade Best Horror Book of 2024
From Gillian Flynn Books, a lyrical young adult horror by debut author Wen-yi Lee that’s perfect for fans of She Is a Haunting, Stephen King’s IT, and The Haunting of Hill House.
"Wen-yi Lee has crafted a dark and compelling supernatural mystery buoyed by earnestly written, queer-centric characters. I am enthralled!" ―Gillian Flynn
Growing up in Slater, Isadora Chang never felt at ease in the repressive small town, even before she realized she was bisexual―but after the deaths of two childhood friends, Slater went from feeling claustrophobic to suffocating. So, Isa took off before the town could swallow her, too. Even though it meant leaving everything she knew behind, including her last surviving friend, Mason.
When Isa’s abusive father dies, however, she agrees to come back from art school just long enough to collect the inheritance. But then Mason turns up at the cemetery with a revelation and a plea: their friends were murdered by an evil that haunts the town, and he needs Isa to help stop it―before it takes anyone else.
When Isa begins to hear strange songs on the wind, and eerie artwork fills her sketchbook that she can’t recall drawing, she’s forced to stop running and confront her past. Because something is waiting in the shadows of Slater’s valleys, something that feeds on the pain and heartbreak of its children. Whatever it is, it knows Isa’s back . . . and it won’t let her escape again.
Wen-yi Lee’s young adult debut is an intimate and gripping exploration of trauma, healing, and the lasting power of friendship, as a runaway teen must finally face the sinister forces that defined her childhood, and in doing so, demand her right to survive.
- Print length336 pages
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherZando – Gillian Flynn Books
- Publication dateAugust 13, 2024
- Grade level10 - 12
- Reading age14 - 17 years
- Dimensions6 x 0.88 x 9 inches
- ISBN-101638930589
- ISBN-13978-1638930587
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Editorial Reviews
Review
“This debut transcends the supernatural mystery genre with its emotional depth and engaging setting. As a contemplative alternative to action-focused horror, its striking explorations of grief, shame, love, and queerness will haunt readers with how true they ring . . . A powerful, introspective gothic tale filled to the brim with horror.” ―Kirkus, starred review
“In this enthralling horror debut, Lee carefully threads together Isa’s reconnecting with her past, unearthing the secrets that Slater is built on, and navigating the way that shame distorts one’s sense of self.” ―Publishers Weekly, starred review
“Readers will find thrills, chills, and emotional validation from this unexpectedly almost-heartwarming horror novel.” ―Booklist, starred review
“Lyrical, sorrowful, and oozing with anguish, Lee’s debut novel fully embraces the Gothic tradition and fills every page with dread… An instant YA horror classic.” ―School Library Journal, starred review
“The Dark We Know aptly captures the way small towns can feel like a trap, especially for a queer person of color amongst a white, heteronormative population, and how the ties of trauma still bind us no matter how far we try to run. Lee writes with incredible emotional depth to tell a story that will grab at your heart and leave ghostly fingerprints in its wake.” ―Reactor
“The true hallmark of an exceptional horror novel is in its hold, and in her debut outing, Wen-yi Lee has crafted a gorgeously dark and unforgettable story that will linger long after the book is closed. The Dark We Know heralds the arrival of a rare and exciting literary talent―do not miss it.” ―Courtney Summers, New York Times bestselling author of I'm the Girl and Sadie
"A knife-sharp excavation into the horrors of societal judgment. Lee has crafted an ultimately hopeful story about grief and pain among friends all a little in love with each other. The Dark We Know left me breathless." ―Trang Thanh Tran, New York Times bestselling author of She is a Haunting
“The Dark We Know is a book made of shattered rock, claustrophobic family pressure, and the desperation of children trying to survive the weight of their grief. An eerie, introspective, and beautifully atmospheric addition to the best of YA horror lit.” ―Andrew Joseph White, New York Times bestselling author of The Spirit Bares Its Teeth and Hell Followed With Us
“Not for the faint of heart, [The Dark We Know] draws a profound connection between supernatural forces and the terrors of grief and dishonesty.... [A] story that, despite its dark imagery and heavy subject matter, feels truly resonant and uplifting.” ―BookPage
“A haunting, unforgettable debut. With gorgeous prose, palpable atmosphere, and intricate character work, Lee examines what it means to belong to a place and fight for a better world. Like the song of Slater’s mountains, The Dark We Know will settle into your bones and call you back again and again.” ―Allison Saft, New York Times bestselling author of Down Comes the Night and A Far Wilder Magic
“The Dark We Know is a lyrical mediation on loss and survival, on holding on and letting go, and on growing up in a community that only ever wanted you to be small. Filled with moments of striking beauty, Wen-yi Lee’s debut establishes her as a force to be reckoned with.” ―Kerstin Hall, author of Asunder
“The Dark We Know will haunt you all day and keep you awake at night. Lee’s emotional, inventively written debut had me peeling back layer after layer in a desperate search for the truth. Absolutely enthralling.” ―Courtney Gould, award-winning author of The Dead and the Dark
About the Author
Product details
- Publisher : Zando – Gillian Flynn Books (August 13, 2024)
- Language : English
- Hardcover : 336 pages
- ISBN-10 : 1638930589
- ISBN-13 : 978-1638930587
- Reading age : 14 - 17 years
- Grade level : 10 - 12
- Item Weight : 1.15 pounds
- Dimensions : 6 x 0.88 x 9 inches
- Best Sellers Rank: #667,323 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #171 in Teen & Young Adult Monster Fiction
- #312 in Teen & Young Adult LGBTQ+ Fiction (Books)
- #19,752 in LGBTQ+ Books
- Customer Reviews:
About the author

Wen-yi Lee is the author of The Dark We Know (Gillian Flynn Books, 2024) and a Clarion West Workshop alum from Singapore whose short fiction has appeared in venues like Lightspeed, Uncanny, and Strange Horizons, as well as in various anthologies. She likes writing about girls with bite, feral nature, and ghosts. Find her on socials @wenyilee_ or otherwise on her website.
Customer reviews
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- Reviewed in the United States on December 4, 2024The story was good overall but there were several chapters where I could not follow what was happening. And the inserts did not make sense or add to the story for me.
- Reviewed in the United States on January 7, 2025The Dark We Know by Wen-yi Lee is a haunting and beautifully written novel that blends small-town secrets, queer identity, and supernatural terror into a story that lingers long after you’ve turned the last page.
Isadora Chang is in college when her sister Trisha calls with news their father died. So Isa reluctantly returns to the last place she wants to be—Slater, a grim and oppressive former mining town that practically drips with dread. Lee nails the feeling of being trapped, not just by geography but by history, trauma, and unresolved grief. Isa’s voice is raw and authentic as she's dealing with depression. The reason she escaped was because two of her best friends suddenly died and she didn't get to say goodbye to either.
"When I ran away with no plan, part of me was hoping to end up a police file too, so at least I'd be written down somewhere, so at least I could join them. Leave or die, my brain is screaming."
The book is kicked into high gear when Mason, Isa’s surviving childhood friend and the town medium’s son, reveals that he doesn't believe the deaths of their friends were tragic accidents—they were caused by a supernatural entity. What follows is a tense, eerie unraveling of Slater’s dark secrets, with Isa and Mason forced to confront their pain and fears head-on. The supernatural mystery is both chilling and emotionally resonant, weaving in themes of generational trauma and the lingering impact of small-town repression.
"It's amazing how many things you can keep shut inside a house that never opens its curtains, what the worst gossips in the world can ignore."
Lee’s prose is atmospheric without being overwrought, and her descriptions of Slater—a town where even the air seems heavy with unspoken pain—are stunning. The supernatural elements are terrifying yet symbolic, exploring how death, grief, and heartbreak can manifest as something monstrous. The eerie artwork Isa creates without remembering, the haunting melodies she hears on the wind, and the sense that something is always watching the townsfolk—all of it builds a creeping sense of dread that keeps you turning pages late into the night. Everyone in this town is either running or hiding.
At its heart, The Dark We Know is more than a horror story. It’s about confronting the things we’d rather bury, both in ourselves and in our pasts. Isa’s journey is messy and cathartic, as she reckons with her identity, her complicated relationship with her parents, and the bonds she left behind. The friendship between Isa and Mason is a standout—strained, but tender and deeply loyal. Their dynamic adds emotional weight to the supernatural stakes, making every decision feel personal.
"It seems unfair that the two of us who are still alive are the most heartless half."
If you love stories that mix character-driven drama with spine-tingling horror, this book is for you. Wen-yi Lee has crafted an unsettling and captivating tale about what it means to face the darkness—together and alone. This one got a solid four stars, I highly recommended!
"I think we can choose not to become what hurt us because that's how you know the world is chooseable and if it is chooseable then it is makeable and if it is makeable then we can make something better of it."
- Reviewed in the United States on August 22, 2024This is one of those stories that leaves you on the edge of your seat the entire way through the book! I didn’t want to do anything else but finish The Dark We Know once I had read the first chapter; I was hooked.
Even though I’m a 38 year old reading this YA horror novel, I felt very emotionally connected to the main characters and found myself wishing that I had had this piece of fiction when I was in my late teens/early twenties. Because not only does Wen-yi Lee create an incredibly eerie, unsettling, entertaining world of horrific ghosts and cruel humans, but she also provides a heartbreaking, intimate look into the very real lives of youth who find themselves in homes and communities who do not support them and even lead them towards harm.
Main character, Isa, is lovable and relatable, and her dwindling group of old high school friends are diverse and wonderfully queer. I loved that the author included a transgender character but didn’t introduce the readers to him as trans from the first scene he appears in the story; we get bits and pieces that gradually lead to a more obvious telling. And the setting, an old mining town with a dark history, where there are voices on the wind, and an Angel that seems to coerce and push a little too hard, creates a world that was easy to become lost within. Every detail is written so vividly and I felt that I could see the story play out in my mind’s eye. I’m sure a production company might fail to do Wen-yi Lee’s story justice, but it certainly reads like a book that would be perfect for a on-screen adaptation! I would 100% watch it!
I highly recommend reading The Dark We Know. It is the perfect book to have on a spooky Fall TBR list. Content warnings should be checked out before delving in; there are some scenes that will be difficult for some readers, deadnaming and multiple deaths that appear to be suicides being among them.
As always, a big thank you to NetGalley and the publisher, Zando — Gillian Flynn Books, for allowing me the access to the ebook of this story. I loved every minute of reading this story.
The Dark We Know, by Wen-yi Lee, was published on August 13, 2024.
- Reviewed in the United States on November 15, 2024I 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.