IT LOOKS LIKE YOU IN THE DARK by Mathilda Zeller – Review

I received this book for free from the Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

It Looks Like You in the Dark by Mathilda Zeller
Series: Kobuk Valley
Published by Tor Nightfire on October 13 2026
Genres: Adult, Horror, Indigenous horror
Pages: 288
Format: ARC
Source: Publisher
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The nitty-gritty: Monsters both human and supernatural inhabit the pages of It Looks Like You in the Dark, a thoughtful and sometimes frightening Indigenous horror story.

“I understood it, her, whatever the monster was. Her hunger was my hunger, as familiar as it was horrifying.”

Based on the dark, moody cover, I was excited to read It Looks Like You in the Dark, a story set in Alaska that follows a small group of indigenous people called the Iñupiat. And even though it took some time to get going, I ended up enjoying this a lot. The horror is the kind that creeps up on you and the pace is fairly slow, but if you enjoy slow-burn stories that are more dread-filled than horrific, this could be a good fit.

We follow nineteen year old Tapeesa and her family and friends in 1994, who live a simple but mostly fulfilling life in the harsh climate of Alaska. Tapeesa is content to stay in their little village, but her younger sister Esther wants to leave and experience life in a bustling city and meet new people. Tapeesa, though, loves her predictable life, until one day a man named Hank Ferryman comes into town, representing a company called DrilTek. Hank has his sights set on reopening the local mine, which is full of the rare earth minerals necessary for the production of computers, a soon to be booming industry. Hank promises jobs and a good income to the locals, and most of them are excited for this new opportunity.

Tapeesa isn’t so sure, though. She doesn’t trust Hank, and later it turns out she’s right. Coinciding with Hank’s arrival, Tapeesa starts seeing a menacing figure with long black hair and sharp teeth hanging around. And when her beloved sister Esther goes missing, Tapeesa fears that the monster in the woods might be responsible.

Mathilda Zeller does a fantastic job of establishing a sense of place: the cold, snowy setting, the dark nights full of shadows, even the smell of fish that pervades everything (Tapeesa works in a fish cannery and her work involves gutting fish). Through thoughtful character work, she’s also created a tight knit community who work together and protect each other. Tapeesa and her friends are leery of outsiders like Hank and his team of miners, and this tension adds to the supernatural danger the town is facing.

I also loved the strong folklore aspects of the story. Storytelling is important in this society, and kids grow up learning about all kinds of monsters. Tapeesa believes the creature stalking them is a Kushtuka, something that is able to take on the appearance of a loved one and lure you away from safety. Although the horror is more on the subtle side, it’s very effective once you’re in the middle of it, and I liked that it’s a little vague and let’s readers draw their own conclusions about what’s happening. The story was surprisingly cinematic, and I think It Looks Like You in the Dark would work well as a movie or TV show in the right director’s hands.

Several themes are woven throughout the story, like the negative effects of mining which could impact the health of the villagers as well as the environment. The author also talks about the freedom of choice, for example Tapeesa has a thirst for learning and wants to go away to college, but at the same time she doesn’t want to leave her home. I thought these themes were pretty well balanced with the horror elements, although I would have liked even more horror (what a surprise!)

But the final “showdown” was fantastic. Expect some bloody, graphic violence, which ramps up the tension and fits perfectly with the story.

Big thanks to the publisher for providing a review copy.