A Guide to the Dark

Following car trouble, two teens find themselves stranded at a haunted motel in Metoui’s eerie paranormal debut. Layla, a photographer, and her best friend Mira, both 17 and of Arabian heritage, are on a spring break road trip when their car breaks down. Stuck in Indiana and forced to wait for a mechanic to finish the vehicle repairs, the girls check in to Wildwood Motel. They’re given Room Nine, which Ellis, the motel’s white teenage receptionist, informs them is infamous for the eight suspicious deaths that have occurred within. When Mira begins to see ghastly apparitions of her late brother, the trio determine to solve the mystery before Room Nine claims another victim. As further harrowing incidents occur, the girls contend with private issues surrounding familial expectations, their sexual identities, and their growing feelings for each other. Layla and Mira’s introspective alternating POVs capably relay the ominous happenings alongside individual struggles, while an unnamed third perspective watches the girls from outside the room. Though truly frightening scares are minimal, Metoui nevertheless delivers both a ghostly mystery and an impactful exploration of grief and loss. Layla’s haunting b&w photographs feature throughout, strengthening the narrative’s spine-chilling ambiance. Ages 14–up. Agent: Jennifer March Soloway, Andrea Brown Literary. (July)