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leslieisnotmyname's review
4.0
Boy, the themes of this book hit me in the gut. The Spiritualist idea of trying to find meaning through a combination of science and mysticism when death seemed to be around every corner is something that I think is a universal feeling.
izz_al_din's review
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
mehsi's review
5.0
I really was looking forward to the book. Photographs (old ones), a great story. Was everything there as I had hoped? Yes, and even more than that!
Though ok, I expected more photographs. But story? The plot? The characters? They were all great.
I really loved our main character. She was sweet, determined and smart (something not everyone was happy with).
This was quite a sad book at times. We are in the WWI period, young men being send of to Germany, and on top of that we have the Spanish Flu killing people.
The book was really good and I would recommend it to everyone. :)
Though ok, I expected more photographs. But story? The plot? The characters? They were all great.
I really loved our main character. She was sweet, determined and smart (something not everyone was happy with).
This was quite a sad book at times. We are in the WWI period, young men being send of to Germany, and on top of that we have the Spanish Flu killing people.
The book was really good and I would recommend it to everyone. :)
emleemay's review
5.0
The lovely Cat Winters joined us over at the blog to talk about the inspiration for this novel and writing about women in 1918: http://thebookgeek.co.uk/308.php
Wow. I thought this was fantastic - one of the best books I've read in a long while.
When I think of 1918, I think of a world torn apart by war. I think of trenches and Kaiser Willhelm and a general fear that your father, husband, brother and/or son will never make it back to you. When I think of death in 1918, I picture a bleak image of those trenches filled with corpses, surrounded by rats and filth. I did not, however, think of the Spanish influenza that infected 500 million people and killed between 20 and 50 million of those - until now. Now, it's pretty much all I can think about.
[b:In the Shadow of Blackbirds|13112915|In the Shadow of Blackbirds|Cat Winters|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1348721608s/13112915.jpg|18286614] is an incredibly atmospheric novel that captures the fear of fighting an invisible enemy at home while your loved ones fight the foreign threat across the globe. This is not a nice story. Plain wooden boxes become the coffins of the latest victims and they lie piled in the street, waiting to be carried away on the back of trucks. People cover their faces with masks and peer anxiously at those standing next to them, checking for the first signs of illness. Your neighbour who you were speaking to just yesterday might very well be dead today after being hit with a fever during the night. Winters takes you back to this time of fear and dread; and into this world she introduces a fantastic heroine and a supernatural mystery.
Mary Shelley Black (yes, named after the author) is a budding scientist in a man's world - the author manages to subtly weave a few gender equality struggles into the story without letting it overtake the main plot focus ("why can't a girl be smart without it being explained away as a rare supernatural phenomenon?"). Her father has been imprisoned as a traitor for refusing to fight in the war and she has been sent to live with her aunt (a widow who is working in the shipyard while the men are absent). I love how Winters carefully shows the world at this delicate time down to the details of how women's roles began to shift and change - it was an eye-opener for many to witness the fact that women were fully capable of performing the same jobs as men. Mary Shelley's childhood sweetheart - Stephen - is off fighting on the front line and she waits impatiently for his return. In the meantime, she sceptically poses for Stephen's brother, Julius, who claims to be able to photograph spirits.
When the spirit stood next to Mary Shelley in her photograph turns out to be Stephen, her whole world is tipped upside down. And it gets even crazier when he appears to her with a confused message... Mary Shelley is determined to find out just what is so important that Stephen has become trapped between life and death on a mission to deliver the information to her. The author guides Mary Shelley on a journey to meet mediums and hospitalised soldiers, there is not one second of this novel where I didn't fully believe I was in 1918 amid the opium dens and new technology. Very, very atmospheric.
I also loved the rather unique relationship between Mary Shelley and her aunt, the development of it had such a genuine feel. They are two very different women but each are strong in their own ways and they support each other endlessly, even whilst simultaneously driving one another crazy at times. For once, I am very sad that this book is a standalone because I would love to see more from the two of them - they make such a wonderful pair. But I can't complain about anything in this, I honestly don't have a single bad thing to say about it.
You should read this book. I also think this might appeal to those who thought [b:The Diviners|7728889|The Diviners (The Diviners, #1)|Libba Bray|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1336424966s/7728889.jpg|10501517] was a bit too... flamboyant.
Wow. I thought this was fantastic - one of the best books I've read in a long while.
When I think of 1918, I think of a world torn apart by war. I think of trenches and Kaiser Willhelm and a general fear that your father, husband, brother and/or son will never make it back to you. When I think of death in 1918, I picture a bleak image of those trenches filled with corpses, surrounded by rats and filth. I did not, however, think of the Spanish influenza that infected 500 million people and killed between 20 and 50 million of those - until now. Now, it's pretty much all I can think about.
[b:In the Shadow of Blackbirds|13112915|In the Shadow of Blackbirds|Cat Winters|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1348721608s/13112915.jpg|18286614] is an incredibly atmospheric novel that captures the fear of fighting an invisible enemy at home while your loved ones fight the foreign threat across the globe. This is not a nice story. Plain wooden boxes become the coffins of the latest victims and they lie piled in the street, waiting to be carried away on the back of trucks. People cover their faces with masks and peer anxiously at those standing next to them, checking for the first signs of illness. Your neighbour who you were speaking to just yesterday might very well be dead today after being hit with a fever during the night. Winters takes you back to this time of fear and dread; and into this world she introduces a fantastic heroine and a supernatural mystery.
Mary Shelley Black (yes, named after the author) is a budding scientist in a man's world - the author manages to subtly weave a few gender equality struggles into the story without letting it overtake the main plot focus ("why can't a girl be smart without it being explained away as a rare supernatural phenomenon?"). Her father has been imprisoned as a traitor for refusing to fight in the war and she has been sent to live with her aunt (a widow who is working in the shipyard while the men are absent). I love how Winters carefully shows the world at this delicate time down to the details of how women's roles began to shift and change - it was an eye-opener for many to witness the fact that women were fully capable of performing the same jobs as men. Mary Shelley's childhood sweetheart - Stephen - is off fighting on the front line and she waits impatiently for his return. In the meantime, she sceptically poses for Stephen's brother, Julius, who claims to be able to photograph spirits.
When the spirit stood next to Mary Shelley in her photograph turns out to be Stephen, her whole world is tipped upside down. And it gets even crazier when he appears to her with a confused message... Mary Shelley is determined to find out just what is so important that Stephen has become trapped between life and death on a mission to deliver the information to her. The author guides Mary Shelley on a journey to meet mediums and hospitalised soldiers, there is not one second of this novel where I didn't fully believe I was in 1918 amid the opium dens and new technology. Very, very atmospheric.
I also loved the rather unique relationship between Mary Shelley and her aunt, the development of it had such a genuine feel. They are two very different women but each are strong in their own ways and they support each other endlessly, even whilst simultaneously driving one another crazy at times. For once, I am very sad that this book is a standalone because I would love to see more from the two of them - they make such a wonderful pair. But I can't complain about anything in this, I honestly don't have a single bad thing to say about it.
You should read this book. I also think this might appeal to those who thought [b:The Diviners|7728889|The Diviners (The Diviners, #1)|Libba Bray|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1336424966s/7728889.jpg|10501517] was a bit too... flamboyant.
katiereitzel's review
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
ashurq's review
4.0
I started reading this book right as Halloween was approaching. I wanted to read something atmospheric, but not too scary (I’m a scaredy cat). This book was so perfect for that! I loved The Cure for Dreaming by Cat Winters so I was super excited to read this one which I believe is her debut. She writes some of the most interesting historical fiction that I’ve read. She has the historical aspect, but then she also integrates some bit of the supernatural or paranormal. She takes a craze (like spirit photography or hypnotism) and makes it seem so much more real. I loved the real photographs that were scattered throughout the book. Some of them really add to the creepiness factor, but overall it was just a good reminder that even though this is fiction, people actually had to live through the Spanish Influenza Pandemic. I seriously can’t even imagine it.
Mary Shelley was a great protagonist. She was strong and smart in a time when women aren’t really supposed to be either of those things. And not only does she have those qualities, but she’s unashamed of who she is. She clearly thinks other people are idiots if they think that she’s less capable or shouldn’t be so interested in science. Here are a couple of quotes that I particularly liked regarding that:
She is seriously the best character. The other characters were great too. Obviously I wasn’t there, but I feel like Winters did a really good job of creating authentic characters. Mary Shelley’s aunt immediately comes to mind. She was raised to be a housewife. But when the war hits and her husband dies, she’s forced to go to work at the shipyard. She’s toughened up because of this, but there are still times when she’s a proper lady and the reader catches glimpses of that.
Overall, I thought this book was really quite good. I also love that it was set in San Diego and on Coronado Island (that’s where my husband and I went on our honeymoon!). It’s such a pretty area, and it makes a great backdrop for this story. Definitely recommend especially if you have any interest in ghost stories.
Overall Rating: 4
Language: Mild
Violence: Heavy. Some gore described, but not explicit.
Sexual Content: Moderate
Smoking/Drinking: Mild
Mary Shelley was a great protagonist. She was strong and smart in a time when women aren’t really supposed to be either of those things. And not only does she have those qualities, but she’s unashamed of who she is. She clearly thinks other people are idiots if they think that she’s less capable or shouldn’t be so interested in science. Here are a couple of quotes that I particularly liked regarding that:
“Why can’t a girl be smart without it being explained away as a rare supernatural phenomenon?”
“'The road ahead may be rather upsetting for a sixteen-year-old girl. I’m afraid your delicate female eyes and ears will experience some ugliness.’
‘Oh, you silly, naive men.’ I shook my weary head and genuinely pitied their ignorance. ‘You’ve clearly never been a sixteen-year-old girl in the fall of 1918.’”
She is seriously the best character. The other characters were great too. Obviously I wasn’t there, but I feel like Winters did a really good job of creating authentic characters. Mary Shelley’s aunt immediately comes to mind. She was raised to be a housewife. But when the war hits and her husband dies, she’s forced to go to work at the shipyard. She’s toughened up because of this, but there are still times when she’s a proper lady and the reader catches glimpses of that.
Overall, I thought this book was really quite good. I also love that it was set in San Diego and on Coronado Island (that’s where my husband and I went on our honeymoon!). It’s such a pretty area, and it makes a great backdrop for this story. Definitely recommend especially if you have any interest in ghost stories.
Overall Rating: 4
Language: Mild
Violence: Heavy. Some gore described, but not explicit.
Sexual Content: Moderate
Smoking/Drinking: Mild
khatereh's review
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
mikcarrington's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Wow, I hadn't expected this to be so good! And how interesting reading a book focused on the Spanish influenza only a few years after the covid pandemic's peak.