Content Warning: This novel contains references to self-harm, domestic abuse, and intense violence.

Book of Night uses a speculative, metaphorical lens to examine real-world struggles pertaining to social image and media-induced toxicity. The rise of shadow magic in the novel’s culture, particularly across social media, leads impressionable young people to desire the ability to use shadows for practical applications and to be part of a select influential few.

Within the worldbuilding of Book of Night, shadow modifications can be used for things like removing desire (“the new lobotomy” [24]), or instilling fear, which Charlie experiences as a punishment for a botched job. These techniques could be applied in pro-social ways: to treat mental health conditions, to alter harmful memories, or to improve confidence or self-perception. However, in practice, this new and exciting development quickly starts to be abused. As this form of magic becomes more widespread, techniques emerge to help one master their shadow. The narrative notes that “YouTube and TikTok had become crammed with bogus tutorials. How I Woke My Shadow With Pain, Shadow Quickening After Fistfight, Magic Ability Discovered After Drowning, Safe Asphyxiation Techniques with Plastic Bag—Guaranteed Results” (25).