Your Shadow Half Remains is a tense and claustrophobic post-apocalyptic novella about trauma, fear and isolation, and how it all subtly affects your mind and perception over time. It's about the loneliness and intense need for a human connection even if that connection might be the end of you and others. It's also about not knowing whether the madness has consumed you whole, if it's been with you this whole time, waiting, or if this is how it was always meant to be. 

It's a lot of things. It's also an extremely intense, sitting at the edge of your seat and can't put it down, kind of read that's impossible to not read in one sitting. I love the portrayal of this intense need to be known to others, to be seen and to see, but not being able to because it could mean the end of you. That despite of that, small risks are taken, bringing the madness closer. 

The way this was written was claustrophobic and terrifying, and it feels like a post-apocalyptic zombie film without the zombies. It's giving 28 days later with its vibe with London being replaced with a house in the middle of nowhere and Cillian Murphy was a queer woman intrigued by an unknown new neighbour. I loved the zombie-not-zombie vibes, the fact this was AFTER the virus and it shows a world semi working in a way, and that it's a potentially unreliable narrator and a queer relationship - it's also so much more than a romantic relationship as well with so much depth (and again, did I say it was queer! I think Ellis is genderqueer or at least their gender isn't known? That's really cool). 

The ending of this was absolutely amazing. I'm not sure how I feel about it, but it did make me feel some kind of intense emotions. It's definitely a highlight of 2024!! 

// ARC courtesy of Tor Nightfire and NetGalley.