Aria has always seen ghosts. They come to her in shades of gray, creeping into her dreams. But as she ages, they start to invade reality as well. Derek, her next-door neighbor turned childhood best friend turned tense stranger, has been acting odd lately. He wanders at night with no memory of his actions and the plants in the neighborhood have begun to wither. Aria realizes the depths of the change and begins to be haunted by the ghost inside Derek’s skin. With her strange abilities growing stronger as Derek sickens, it’s a race against the clock to find a way to save him—and free the power that’s lurked inside Aria all along. 

If that synopsis sounded a little confusing, then it did a good job of capturing Riss Neilson’s I’m Not Supposed to Be in the Dark. A riveting tale that bordered on ghostly horror, the novel was filled with so many things that it was difficult to pinpoint a central storyline. Readers are placed in the middle of the action from the first page, and no time is spent developing the characters' connections to the magic of the world. It was never clear why anyone had any sort of power, leaving a plot hole that couldn’t be fixed no matter how compelling the characters were.

Now the characters were very compelling. Aria truly felt like a teenager, and while her actions weren’t always smart, they did fit her personality. Sadly, there never seemed to be any consequences for her decisions—at least not any that ended up hurting her. The best part of this novel by far was Aria’s friendship with Bri. The two girls have such a compelling relationship and I found myself smiling and crying alongside them. Strong female friendships are crucial in YA literature, and I would definitely count I’m Not Supposed to Be in the Dark as one of the best examples of such a dynamic.

This novel was amazing at one element in particular: sensory writing. The author knows to set a scene and create moments that feel real enough to touch. From haunted houses to mist-filled woods and everything in between, the descriptions were almost another character. The dialog was excellent as well, with fast-paced banter and jokes that had me smiling ear to ear.

Despite the interesting characters and great writing, the plot of I’m Not Supposed to Be in the Dark was lacking. The pacing was all over the place: it either moved way too fast or crawled by. I loved the beginning of the rising tension but found the climax to be wanting and the falling action to be nonexistent. That being said, I don’t usually read this kind of horror/magical realism crossover, so that may be normal for the genre. Overall, I’m Not Supposed to Be In the Dark was a unique read full of whimsicality and danger, perfect for November.