The Keeper of Night is a dark young adult fantasy about collectors of death. The main character is Ren who is half Japanese and half British. She is also the offspring of two death collectors. Each has their own tradition and gods. Ren was raised by her father in England to be a reaper. Yet, her mixed nationality leaves her an outsider.

The Keeper of the Night is not a stylistic young adult book. I appreciated the unique narrative plot. There is a struggle of identity being biracial that a lot of youths will be able to relate to. I also loved how Baker incorporated different traditions into the world of soul collecting. 

However, the MC is not likable. I did not even like her as an unlikable character. The book is meant to be dark, but it is also ya. There are some gross murder scenes. There is also a non graphic sex scene that is very violent. The MC are also in their hundreds, but with long life spans they are still young. I would suggest it is better off being considered an adult book except the story structure is very ya.

My feelings for this book are complex. I enjoyed its uniqueness, the writing, and the focus on identity. Yet, so much was left unaddressed and I am unsettled that a ya book includes a scene where someone is being choked and scratched for pleasure.