A Guide to the Dark

The Haunting of Hill House meets Nina LaCour in this paranormal mystery YA about the ghosts we carry with us.

Something is building, simmering just out of reach.

The room is watching. But Mira and Layla don't know this yet. When the two best friends are stranded on their spring break college tour road trip, they find themselves at the Wildwood Motel, located in the middle of nowhere, Indiana. Mira can't shake the feeling that there is something wrong and rotten about their room. Inside, she's haunted by nightmares of her dead brother. When she wakes up, he's still there.

Layla doesn't see him. Or notice anything suspicious about Room 9. The place may be a little run down, but it has a certain charm she can’t wait to capture on camera. If Layla is being honest, she’s too preoccupied with confusing feelings for Mira to see much else. But when they learn eight people died in that same room, they realize there must be a connection between the deaths and the unexplainable things that keep happening inside it. They just have to find the connection before Mira becomes the ninth.

"A ghostly mystery and an impactful exploration of grief and loss."

―Publisher's Weekly

"Introspective, character-driven, and―most importantly―haunting."

―Kirkus Reviews

“Terrifically haunting. A Guide to the Dark delves into the complexities of grief and the frightening metamorphosis of ghosts that aren’t put to rest. Meriam Metoui has created something spectacular.”

―Chloe Gong, #1 New York Times–bestselling author of These Violent Delights

“Meriam Metoui’s exquisite debut is a bone-chilling story about grief, guilt, and what happens when our deepest secrets refuse to stay hidden in the dark. A Guide to the Dark will crawl under your skin and stay there long after you’ve closed its pages.”

―Aiden Thomas, #1 New York Times–bestselling author of Cemetery Boys and The Sunbearer Trials

“Chilling, sultry, and smart. . .this slow-burn horror story hooked me with its portrayal of two friends navigating an attraction amidst fears both earthly and uncanny. . .as well as its probing of the fine line between grief and guilt."

―Jodi Lynn Anderson, New York Times–bestselling author

“Fabulously creepy and compulsively readable. Part roadside horror, part cozy mystery, Metoui breathes life into the genre by exploring the tangled roots of friendship, love, and guilt. Chilling photography complements beautiful prose for an altogether innovative storytelling experience. I’ll think twice before checking into a motel again."

―David Arnold, New York Times–bestselling author of Mosquitoland