PRAISE
★ "Lo has delivered an intricate tapestry of narrative, woven in a labyrinthine pattern of secrets and colored with intersecting hues of Chinese-American identity, the dark intensity of relationships, and telltale stains of blood. ... Mesmerizing." — Kirkus
★ "Malinda Lo (Ash) delivers an enthralling mystery full of twists, turns, dark heroics... and high school." — Shelf Awareness
★ "Thoroughly gripping. ... Any young adult reader who loves psychological thrillers will be clamoring to get their hands on this captivating book." — School Library Connection
"Lo's storytelling is taut and vivid as she expertly doles out clues. ... Drawing every character as complicit in unexpected and thought-provoking ways, Lo spins an addictive psychological mystery." — The Horn Book
"Stands out because it contains no sadistic teens, no sociopaths, no monsters. Just love and friendship and the blurry line in between, and what happens when the right amount (spoiler alert: tons!) of jealousy is added to the mix. On the most basic level, it’s the heart-tugging story of a teenage girl who expresses herself in art in ways she can’t quite do in real life." — Vulture, The 10 Best YA Books of 2017
"A Line in the Dark is a twisty, dark psychological thriller that will leave you guessing til the very end. ... Lo offers some impressive storytelling, a chilling plot, and mean girls aplenty." — Teen Vogue
"[A] riveting read… The story of tensions, romances and even violence between townies and prep school kids is well-trodden ground, but Lo makes it new and exciting by creating nuanced queer characters and giving them the chance to make their own terrible decisions." — NPR
"The bulk of the story is told brilliantly from Jess’ tightly observed perspective, her observations colored by intense jealousy and desire, the truth of which is doled out in subtle moments and expressive language. ... doesn’t let up until the unpredictable conclusion." — Booklist
"Jess’s insecurities and simmering emotions are palpable in her first-person narration. ... Lo pivots halfway in ... keeping readers guessing until the final pages." — Publishers Weekly
"Friendship, romance, obsession, and crime all get tangled up in this complicated mystery about love and lies. ... Dark, twisty, and unsettling, this book almost begs to be read in one sitting, and then instantly reread." — School Library Journal
"A Line in the Dark is filled with mystery, suspense, romance and an exploration of friendship's boundaries (or its lack thereof…) The denouement will have readers scrambling back through the book's pages, looking for clues they missed on the first read." — BookPage
"A gripping YA mystery with a complex queer anti-hero protagonist… a thrilling whodunit." — HelloGiggles
"Malinda Lo's A Line in the Dark is soaked in menace. Each page in this brilliant thriller is deliciously unsettling—like Gone Girl meets Pretty Little Liars." — Kiersten White, New York Times bestselling author of And I Darken and Now I Rise
“A beautifully written and compellingly well-observed psychological thriller.” — Kate Elliott, New York Times bestselling author of Court of Fives and Cold Magic
“As soon as I finished, I had to read it again.” — Justine Larbalestier, author of My Sister Rosa and Liar
