Don’t judge a book by its cover, it is said over and over and over again. However, screw that. One of the main reasons I even decided to read the solicitation of It Looks Like You in the Dark by Mathilda Zeller was this fantastic cover, but what lay inside was something even better. It Looks Like You in the Dark is a fantastic tension-filled blend of Alaskan Native folklore and supernatural horror.
Tapeesa is newly out of high school and working in a fish processing plant in the Inupiat village, Chukchi, where she’s lived her whole life. Maybe that’s why people tend to assume she isn’t that bright―or maybe her mama is right and she does have bad blood. Either way, she knows the legend, and she knows the history. Her Ahna told her that the hungry creature―the kushtuka―appears to us in the form of someone we love. It will try to get us to follow it. Follow it where? Those who have gone no longer have throats to tell us.
The Kobuk River Valley of remote Alaska draws greedy white men time and time again. But whenever they come, death comes too. This time the white men are here for the long term, to create an open pit, a rare earths mine just north of the village. When her sister Esther goes missing, Tapeesa will do anything to get her back. Seeking justice, Tapeesa must track down the kidnapper in the darkening Arctic. What awaits beyond the warmth of her village is more horrible than she could imagine and closer to her than she knows.
I was introduced to Indigenous horror by none other than New York Times bestselling author Stephen Graham Jones, who happens to be one of the best at it. However, Stephen…you have a challenger. Zeller’s It Looks Like You in the Dark was everything I love about folk horror, plus the struggle of Native Alaskans in everyday life. What these novels do is beyond frighten, but open your eyes to a culture I knew little about and was stuck between wanting to know more, while also fearing the sense of dread being built up by Zeller’s excellent writing.
Encroachment and exploitation by white men into Indigenous towns is sadly an age-old tale, one that is all-too-real and is terrifying on its own. Zeller takes this history and adds supernatural horror to add to the fear on the pages. One hand the locals want to take the financial gain from this newcomer, but on the other know that horrible consequences that come along with it, and that is not to mention the supernatural consequences. Health issues and death from this new venture is only the beginning.
Zeller introduces us to a group of people that live everyday just to survive, characters that each have their own personalities but as a group have another. All of our families are dysfunctional, some more than others, so it was easy to find a way to connect with our main characters. The author also brings to life The Kobuk River Valley, which in itself becomes a character on its own.
It Looks Like You in the Dark is a slow-burning supernatural horror that lets the anger simmer while the terror grows. Mathilda Zeller’s authentic voice builds tension from the first page and allows you to immerse yourself in The Kobuk River Valley. Zeller’s horror debut lays a foundation as one of the best Indigenous horror writers today.
It Looks Like You in the Dark hits bookstores everywhere on October 13, 2026 from Tor Nightfire. The audiobook, narrated by Zorga Qaunaq, is available via Libro.fm!
