In the Shadow of Blackbirds by Cat Winters
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Wow! While it’s fresh in my mind I’ll write out a quick review.
I don’t want to get into a detailed dust jacket synopsis and I don’t want to give anything away, but here are a few reasons why this book is worth reading.
1. History/Setting: Perfect descriptions of life in 1918 and the horrors of WWI and the Spanish flu pandemic. There are scenes of life in a soldiers trench and supernatural mystery that are written so vividly it feels as though you are actually there experiencing it. Not to mention the overwhelming smell of onions, sweat, and smoke seemed real to me.
2. Well Written Characters: At first I didn’t realize this book was YA. Some YA books dwell too much on sappy boy crush romances, but not this one. I was relieved to discover that the main character, Mary Shelley Black, was smart and determined. Some people may not like the writing style of the possession and dream scenes but… (Writers can’t please all the readers all the time.) Mary Shelley had to grow up and be responsible while the world crumbed all around her.
3. Fascinating Subject/Storyline: I’ve always been a sucker for a good ghost story. And, capturing spirits in photographs was (and still is) a very interesting and unexplained phenomenon.
The only little flaw was the ending. It was not what I wanted. I was hoping Mary Shelley would discover something else. No spoilers here though. Read it for yourself. I applaud C.W. for a worthy first novel.
View all my reviews
